Chapter 23: Innocent Victims Caught in the Crossfire

The thunderous noise at the door caused Song Yu to immediately raise her gun, her finger hovering near the trigger. Fortunately, a shred of reason remained; she knew there was no way the group of players outside could have breached the clinic so quickly. It was equally impossible for the players already inside to have subdued the clinic staff so fast—if they had succeeded, they wouldn't still be lobbing Molotov cocktails from the outside.

The person who entered was Huang Yong, the clinic’s "Surgeon." Aside from Dr. Zhong, he was the staff member Song Yu had interacted with the most. He was a six-foot-three tattooed giant with a ferocious appearance and equally ferocious behavior, though he had always treated Song Yu quite well.

"Follow me!" Ignoring the pistol in Song Yu's hand, Huang Yong grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the exit.

The very second Song Yu and Xiao Hei followed Huang Yong out of the room, a massive rock shattered the glass window, followed immediately by a barrage of Molotov cocktails. The glass bottles erupted into flames upon hitting the floor, the fire spreading rapidly. It had to be said, these players were truly vicious. The clinic was already suffering from a severe water shortage, and now, faced with an inferno, they had no way to extinguish it. Abandoning the territory seemed like their only option.

Or so it appeared.

When Huang Yong brought Song Yu to the clinic's basement, she realized those players were doomed. Rows of neatly arranged fire extinguishers and various weapons locked in glass cabinets mocked their stupidity. Song Yu was handed a dozen extinguishers and entrusted with the task. She couldn't get her hands on the weapons, but having a supply of fire extinguishers was a decent consolation. Song Yu didn't dwell on it; she and Xiao Hei began their diligent firefighting duties.

Just as they stepped out of the basement, Huang Linlin—the girl from the Qilin organization—shoved a flare gun into Song Yu’s hands. On the first floor, all the players who had been hiding inside were tightly bound, their mouths gagged. When they saw Song Yu, they cast desperate, pleading glances her way. Song Yu simply ignored them; she felt that not stabbing them a few times was an act of extreme kindness.

"Xiao Yu, I'm counting on you." Huang Linlin left in a rush before she could explain further, but her intent was clear: Song Yu needed to find an opportunity to fire the flare. It seemed the clinic’s NPCs had plenty of reinforcements. It made sense; since the clinic provided free medical care, they likely had good relations with all the NPCs in the city. Other NPCs had medical supplies, but they weren't professional doctors.

Holding an extinguisher, Song Yu sprinted toward the roof, dousing flames along the way. She suspected that the players outside must have possessed some sort of "Arsonist" talent; otherwise, how could every single Molotov cocktail be thrown with such pinpoint accuracy? They landed on wood or fabric every time. It was incredible.

Song Yu had to extinguish fires while keeping a wary eye out for incoming projectiles. Fortunately, Xiao Hei was by her side; at the slightest sign of trouble, he would tackle Song Yu to the ground, shielding her from the attacks. By the time she reached the third-floor rooftop, she left Xiao Hei behind and, keeping her face obscured, fired the signal flare into the sky.

As the multicolored flare exploded above, Song Yu heard the sound of vehicles even before she could descend from the roof. *Oh, wow.* Song Yu arched a brow; these players were about to be in even more trouble.

"Brothers, charge!" A heart-wrenching roar echoed from downstairs. Clearly, the players at the perimeter wall had heard the vehicles too. Song Yu peeked outside and saw a few idiots actually rushing forward. There were quite a few players outside the defensive wall, but most were cowering behind it, not daring to show their faces.

Suddenly, Song Yu’s gaze shifted to the distance. Her pupils constricted, her relaxed mood vanishing instantly. She grabbed Xiao Hei and bolted down the stairs.

"Dr. Zhong, it’s bad!" Song Yu shouted as she ran. "They’ve lured a high-level zombie here!"

Players weren't terrifying—at least not when the clinic NPCs were holding the front line. But if you added zombies—especially high-level ones—to the mix, the situation became extremely dangerous. Those players were truly toxic; there were no high-level zombies near the clinic, so they must have lured one from elsewhere.

"What!" The clinic staff were shocked at Song Yu’s words, and soon, they all sensed the presence of the high-level zombie.

"Evacuate immediately!" Dr. Zhong commanded decisively.

"Yes!" With the high-level zombie closing in, the staff had no time to gather all their supplies.

"Take what you can carry and run for your life," Huang Yong said, giving Song Yu a meaningful look. Song Yu didn't need to be told twice; she and Xiao Hei began frantically packing.

The trouble caused by those players outside had ultimately implicated Song Yu. She heard a series of notifications indicating that her favorability with the clinic NPCs was plummeting, dropping from 50 or 60 down to around 30. Still, she couldn't blame them; there were other temporary workers like her in the clinic. Those people had chosen the players over the NPCs without hesitation and had even prepared to open the doors for the intruders, only to be ruthlessly suppressed and bound in the lobby by Huang Yong and his team. Their actions had dragged Song Yu down with them.

What’s more, it wasn't just the clinic NPCs; Song Yu received notifications that her favorability had dropped with every NPC except for Shu Yuan. Song Yu was truly having a run of rotten luck.

Fueled by deep resentment, Song Yu desperately shoved supplies into her backpack and Xiao Hei’s inventory. Gauze? Take it! Alcohol? Take it! Oxygen tanks? Those can't be left behind! Her backpack was no longer just for show; it was stuffed with all sorts of things. She even managed to haul away half a bag of flour from the kitchen. Xiao Hei, meanwhile, was whining and tugging at some of the clinic’s instruments, trying to carry them away because he’d seen them used in small clinics she’d visited with her grandmother and assumed they were useful. But they were too heavy, and they wouldn't fit in his inventory.

The heavy footsteps of a high-level zombie were right outside, and the players had already breached the clinic. Song Yu decisively grabbed Xiao Hei and turned into the basement. The clinic’s basement connected to an underground parking garage—it was safer to leave that way, and it would help her avoid those players.

The NPCs had taken all the weapons from the basement, but one AK rifle remained in the corner. Song Yu’s eyes lit up, and she snatched it up immediately. Beside it was half a magazine containing over a hundred rounds. This didn't look like an oversight; it looked like it had been left for her on purpose. Song Yu took it without hesitation, along with all the remaining fire extinguishers and oxygen tanks in the basement—she didn't leave a single one behind.

The sounds of cursing, screaming, and looting from above filled her ears, and she even heard gunfire.

"ROAR—!!"

The zombies had arrived.