Chapter Fifteen: You Want Me to Seduce It?

We all agreed that the plan was feasible, so we began to divide the tasks and cooperate. Xu Hanfeng and I were responsible for finding heavy objects to set traps, while Jiang Hanchuan and Luo Yucheng took on the role of luring the zombie bull and preparing the fatal strike.

We gathered some heavy wooden crates and iron barrels, stacking them to form a makeshift trap. Then, Jiang Hanchuan and Luo Yucheng cautiously approached the zombie bull, carrying some food and calling out, “There’s food here, come and eat!”

The food held no appeal for the zombie bull; the plan seemed to be failing. The ropes were about to be broken, and we were at a loss—should we run or prepare for a desperate fight?

Seeing the situation worsening, Jiang Hanchuan anxiously said, “Boss, maybe we should retreat. At least the basement door might hold for a while.”

Xu Hanfeng firmly rejected the idea. “No. Once the basement door is breached, the museum won’t be safe anymore.”

Just as we were at a dead end, Xu Hanfeng suddenly looked at me. “Linyu, it’s time for you to sacrifice yourself again!”

My heart skipped a beat. “You don’t mean I have to go up there, do you? That’s a death sentence! Wait, maybe I won’t die, but it’s going to hurt! Big brother, don’t do this to me!”

Xu Hanfeng’s voice was low and serious. “Zombies are extremely sensitive to the scent of blood, and so should zombie animals be. Linyu, I remember your wounds can self-heal. Now it’s up to you!”

Their burning gazes all fixed on me, leaving me no choice. I sighed. “Alright... I’ll try.”

I swallowed hard, picked up the knife in my hand, but hesitated to strike. I thought, “This is self-harm. I just can’t bring myself to do it. I really don’t understand how those girls back in college, heartbroken over love, could do it.”

While I was still hesitating, Jiang Hanchuan strode forward and swiftly slashed my arm.

“Ouch! You’re such a big man, really dragging it out,” Jiang Hanchuan said, acting as if it was perfectly reasonable.

A deep gash opened on my arm. Jiang Hanchuan grabbed me, pulling me toward the trap. My arm felt like a broken faucet, blood gushing relentlessly.

The zombie bull immediately caught the scent of blood and became excited. It violently broke free from the ropes and lunged toward Jiang Hanchuan and me. We turned and ran, leading the zombie bull in pursuit.

When the zombie bull reached beneath the heavy objects, Xu Hanfeng quickly toppled them, trapping the creature underneath. The zombie bull thrashed wildly, but the weight pinned it down immovably.

At that moment, Xu Hanfeng grasped the sword Jiang Hanchuan had modified. The blade gleamed coldly. He took a deep breath, aimed at the zombie bull’s head, and with a powerful leap, plunged the sword deep into its brain.

The zombie bull shuddered violently, then gradually ceased its struggles. Its eyes lost their luster, and the foam at its mouth stopped flowing. We knew it was completely dead.

The four of us stood aside, watching the corpse, breathing a collective sigh of relief.

Then, we headed toward the main hall on the first floor. I gritted my teeth, running and shouting, “Yucheng! Hurry! Bandage me, it hurts like hell!”

Luo Yucheng looked at my arm with concern, quickly pulling out a first-aid kit and gauze from her backpack to wrap my wound.

Jiang Hanchuan stood nearby with a mischievous grin. I turned to glare at him fiercely.

“Just wait, next time it’s my turn to get you back.”

Jiang Hanchuan stuck out his tongue triumphantly, making me even angrier. If Luo Yucheng weren’t carefully bandaging me, I would’ve gone over to punch him immediately.

Meanwhile, Xu Hanfeng was deep in thought. “Don’t you find it odd that there was suddenly a zombie animal in the basement? It feels very out of place.”

We suddenly realized the truth. “Indeed. And the zombie bull must have been tied there by someone. But who could it be?” I pondered aloud.

Jiang Hanchuan warned, “Be careful, everyone. Who knows what dangers might be hidden in this museum? Maybe some exhibit will suddenly come alive and bite us.”

Hearing this, we scowled, too annoyed to respond to his grim joke.

Xu Hanfeng ordered us to strengthen our vigilance—we could only spend the night in the museum today. Except for Luo Yucheng, the three of us would take turns standing watch.

...

Hiding inside the museum, our hearts were uneasy. Luo Yucheng wore a worried expression as well.

We had been holed up here for who knew how many days, completely unaware of the outside situation. Every time we thought about venturing out to check, our hearts leapt up into our throats.

I licked my cracked lips and whispered to Xu Hanfeng, “Boss, our food supplies are almost gone. If this continues, we’re going to starve.”

Xu Hanfeng frowned deeply, gripping his long knife tightly as he scanned the surroundings vigilantly. “With our current gear, we can barely handle ordinary zombies. Mutated zombie animals are a different matter entirely.”

I sighed and leaned against the wall. “Sigh, when it rains, it pours. We came to the museum seeking refuge, but now we’re trapped here. Playing it safe and hiding out won’t work forever. We can’t just keep wasting away like this.”

Suddenly, Jiang Hanchuan stood up, his eyes flashing with determination. “No, I have to go out and scout. This waiting game won’t work. Maybe there are still survivors outside we can call for help.”

Hearing this, I panicked and grabbed his arm. “Are you crazy? Going out is a death trap! Those zombie animals aren’t to be trifled with!”

Jiang Hanchuan shrugged off my hand and patted his chest confidently. “I’ll be careful. We can’t just sit and wait to die. You’re all too afraid to do anything.”

I had no idea what madness had taken hold of Jiang Hanchuan. Had he come into contact with the zombie bull earlier? Had he contracted mad cow disease?

“Chuan, calm down. If someone has to go out to scout, it’s going to be me!” Xu Hanfeng quashed Jiang Hanchuan’s fiery spirit.

At that moment, from the museum’s basement—once silent as still water—there came a rustling noise.

Our hearts tightened instantly. Our first thought was: Could the zombie bull have come back to life? But then we laughed bitterly. With such a huge hole in its head, how could it possibly be alive? The thought was more absurd than a fairy tale.

Yet the noise grew clearer, closer, as if something was slowly approaching the basement door. We watched the door tensely, hardly daring to breathe.

Xu Hanfeng’s eyes sharpened. “Everyone, spread out and lie in wait. If anything comes out, be ready to ambush.”

We quickly dispersed, each finding cover and gripping our weapons tightly.