With a clear escape route, the survivors found some slight motivation despite their bleak situation.

However, hindered by Hu Xiaodong's injury, their pace was still turtle-like.

With no other choice, Tang Xiaoquan reluctantly urged, "Everyone, pick up the pace."

Yes! The survivors indeed needed to speed up, or being surrounded by the zombie horde was inevitable.

Leading the charge, Zhao Yunhai understood this well. As the only one armed in the group, he unhesitatingly shouted and charged forward.

With both hands and feet, as he tripped one zombie, Zhao Yunhai jabbed into another zombie's head, killing it, and laid its lifeless body on the first one.

Even though he didn't kill the first zombie with one blow, it now struggled to rise and "cause trouble" again.

Under Zhao Yunhai's innovative fighting style, everyone's speed thankfully increased slightly.

Yet, this also brought some negative effects, like the unavoidable increase in pain for Hu Xiaodong's injured leg, nearing his tolerance limit.

Still, Hu Xiaodong proved to be a true man, enduring the severe pain without a grunt.

He gritted his teeth and silently followed Wu Chao and Wang Qiang, trying his best not to slow them down.

At this moment, all the survivors were fully focused, striving to do their parts.

Regardless of being armed or nimble, breaking through the encirclement and getting into the City Management Bureau was their shared goal.

100 meters, 50 meters, 40 meters, the electric fence was drawing nearer, passing it meant entering the City Management Bureau's protection.

Would the zombies let their prey escape that easily? Obviously not.

At the sound of shattering glass, the survivors' eyes simultaneously turned to a corner of the street, where zombies trapped in a store, driven by hunger, had crashed through the glass again.

Suddenly, a large swarm of zombies poured out, and to the survivors' horror, there were several "Runners" among them, already adapted through evolution.

Seeing those agile black shadows emerge from the zombie crowd, Tang Xiaoquan's cracked lips twitched involuntarily.

Instantly, he urged with a trembling voice, "Go, go, go! Everyone, hurry up!"

By this point, Tang Xiaoquan's urging words weren't even needed; the survivors instinctively quickened their footsteps.

Loud breathing could be heard everywhere, even though they were merely on foot, yet the approaching footsteps were overwhelming.

After hastening for a few tens of seconds, Wang Qiang suddenly felt his shoulder sink, grabbed by a great force, nearly toppling him if not for his concentration.

Alarmed, he immediately looked at Hu Xiaodong beside him and was startled by what he saw.

After all, humans aren't made of iron, no matter how strong you are, the physical limits are inescapable.

The accelerating pace had intensified the pain from Hu Xiaodong's injury, reaching the limit of his endurance.

"Brother Hu!" Wu Chao shouted in worry, his face full of concern.

Was this still the same Brother Hu he knew?

The once-determined face was now bloodless, the once-upright figure replaced by weakness.

Hu Xiaodong's legs gave out, kneeling weakly to the ground, all semblance of past "courage and bravery" vanished.

If it weren't for his lips still breathing, one might mistake him for being "gone."

Watching his elder brother in such a despairing state, Wang Qiang's heart felt weighed down, as if by a heavy stone.

Meanwhile, as the survivors stalled due to the "Hu Xiaodong incident," the pursuing zombies took the chance to close in.

Can't wait any longer! The "Runners" would soon reach them!

Looking again at the recently supported Hu Xiaodong, Tang Xiaoquan looked troubled, but quickly he composed himself: "Brother Hu, can you hold on a bit longer?"

Clearly, that was a pointless question. If Hu Xiaodong could hold on, would his iron-willed character falter at this critical moment of life and death?

But Tang Xiaoquan had no choice. If it were a stranger, according to the Law of Survival, he would leave him behind without hesitation and lead the others onward.

Yet this person was not just anyone; he was Hu Xiaodong, to Tang Xiaoquan, more than a brother, he was family, so he couldn't exhibit the "rationality and ruthlessness" he should have.

So...

Hu Xiaodong took a few labored breaths, and the continuous blood loss began clouding his consciousness.

He clearly understood that with his current physical state, it was unlikely to complete the rest of the journey.

So rather than drag everyone down "neither dead nor alive," he might as well...

As if making a major decision, Hu Xiaodong slowly lifted his heavy head, forcing a painful smile, and with uneven breath said, "Bro-brothers... I-I can't go on... don't, don't mind me... meeting you, you all is the greatest fortune of this, this lifetime for me, go, all of you, go, don't stay for me..."

"Bullshit!!" Before Hu Xiaodong could finish, Wang Qiang's bellow was like a thunderclap, cutting him off: "What defeatist talk is this! Brother Hu, if you are still a man, stand up! Don't you dare act like a coward!"

With a bitter smile again, Hu Xiaodong understood Wang Qiang's thoughts; he knew his intention wasn't actually as harsh and cold as it seemed.

But reality is cruel; no matter how unwilling Hu Xiaodong was, still...

"Sorry! Wang! I...Brother Hu really, really can't make it this time. Don't, don't let me drag everyone down, or, or I, even in death, couldn't, couldn't forgive myself!!"

Near the end, Hu Xiaodong almost mustered his strength to say these words, unexpectedly, as soon as he finished, Wang Qiang walked over indifferently, dropping into a horse stance, speaking words Hu Xiaodong would never forget:

"Brother Hu! Remember! My life was saved by you, so today if these zombies want your life, they'll have to step over my dead body first!!"

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