Rotting Land: Survive

Chapter 546 - 536: Night of Terror (9)

The steps in Tang Xiaoquan's plan were few, but the groundwork required beforehand was rather tedious.

First, to ensure that Xu Renjie's scent could be masked, he needed to gather everything in the beauty salon that could emit a smell into one place.

Of course, the task went smoothly enough; after all, the shop wasn't that big, and finding these small items wasn't difficult. It didn't take long for Tang and Xu to complete this task.

However, Hu Xiaodong and the others responsible for barricading the staircase didn't have it so easy. Although the task itself wasn't very difficult—in essence, it was simply moving tables and chairs to block the corridors—they had to be extremely cautious during the process to avoid attracting the zombies downstairs. Handling lightweight items like chairs was manageable, but when it came to the bunk beds in the isolation rooms, their weight and size posed a significant challenge for the survivors.

Xu Renjie quickly shed his clothes, following Tang Xiaoquan's instructions; if he was to mask his scent, he had to do it thoroughly.

And how to be thorough seemed evident: layer after layer of application from inside to out would achieve the best effect.

To ensure his brothers could escape, Xu Renjie was giving it his all, dousing himself with various concoctions and sprays, even covering the most private parts of his body.

After carefully dousing every pore on his body, Old Xu finally stopped and began applying the substances to his discarded clothes.

Shampoo, conditioner, styling gel, hair dye, all sorts of beauty products were emptied one after another.

The intense, pungent smell filled the sealed shop, nauseating Tang Xiaoquan, but he meticulously carried out his duties nonetheless, knowing these measures were vital to Old Xu's safety and his only protection.

Thus, he had to ensure everything was foolproof!

Completing the entire disguise process took a full half-hour, consuming and emptying hundreds of bottles of creams and sprays.

Looking at Old Xu now, he had completely lost his previous vigor.

His head bore unrecognizable hair, his entire body soaked in solutions, resembling someone who had just fallen into water.

However, at this moment, no one would mock Old Xu's appearance because everyone understood he was enduring all this hardship for the sake of the whole team.

Tang Xiaoquan ran a final check on Xu Renjie to ensure everything was foolproof and then whispered to him, "Old Xu, in a moment, you stick to the wall. I'll call Xiao Zhang to open the door. Once the door is open, do not move chaotically. Stay calm, confirm if the creatures' sense of smell is disrupted, then slowly step out, matching their pace as best as you can. Head straight to the JVC to start the vehicle, understood?"

He nodded firmly, understanding the immense pressure on him at this critical point of the operation.

To say he wasn't nervous or scared would be an outright lie, but his psychological resilience, honed over the years, allowed him to regulate his breathing well.

Tang Xiaoquan put the remaining bottles and cans into plastic bags and then looked back at Xu Renjie. He solemnly said, "Be safe," and swiftly headed into the corridor.

Reaching the second floor, Tang Xiaoquan didn't instruct Guard Hu Xiaodong to seal the remaining gap, which was intentional.

He then ran to the window with the bag and instructed the others, Li Zhong, Zhang Zhicai, and others, to remove the packaging from the bottles inside the bag.

After giving out instructions, he took out a bottle and, unabashedly, poured it out the window.

Curiously, Zhang Zhicai asked, "Xiao Tang, what are you doing?"

"Confusing the scent! Now that Old Xu is covered in these solutions, I figured I'd pour the rest onto the zombies so they're accustomed to it in advance. This way, Old Xu won't stand out when he goes out, increasing the chance of mission success."

These few words immediately earned some admiration from Zhang Zhicai. He hadn't expected someone so young to have such meticulous thinking. Without further ado, he quickly went to follow the instructions and unpacked the bottles.

Almost a hundred bottles of hair and beauty products were similarly poured out into the open, and even several meters away, survivors concealed in the second-floor corridor could distinctly smell the pervasive, pungent scent.

Tang Xiaoquan closely observed the zombies' reactions downstairs after being doused; most were curiously sniffing each other, and eventually returned to their wandering state.

Seeing this, Tang Xiaoquan knew it was the right moment. Although he was still unsure of the mission's success, it was clear he had done everything he could.

"Xiao Zhang, soon you'll go down to open the door. Once open, shout out loudly, then withdraw! Remember, your goal is just to lure zombies, avoid direct confrontation!"

The reason for entrusting Zhang Zhicai with attracting the zombies was that Hu Xiaodong needed to stand guard, while Li Zhong had too soft a nature and might overlook things. Wang Qiang and Wei Dazhuang were the opposite, with their explosive temperaments potentially turning an attraction task into a battle. Zhang Zhicai was bold yet cautious, with military training providing strong execution. Therefore, the crucial task fell to no one but him.

After explaining everything to everyone, Tang Xiaoquan finally signaled Xu Renjie to commence the operation.

At this, Old Xu took a deep breath, fully aware of what opening the door soon would signify.

Nonetheless, for survival, to lead his brothers upstairs to safety, even if it meant rushing into peril, Xu Renjie would move forward without hesitation.

Zhang Zhicai quickly moved to the shutter door. At this moment, he too was nervous, sweat dripping like raindrops from his forehead.

Old Xu patted his subordinate's shoulder and said solemnly, "Stay calm, Xiao Zhang, open it!"

"Okay!" With a response, he received the order, and the shutter door lifted immediately. Its vast noise, like a "dragon's roar and tiger's roar," echoed through the silent alleyway.

Instantly, the previously distracted, aimlessly wandering zombies turned their heads.

A few seconds later, low growls arose at the appointed time.

"Hey! You little bastards, if you want to eat flesh and drink blood, come here!" Zhang Zhicai truly laid it all out, standing at the door and shouting loudly as soon as it opened.

Sure enough, the zombies responded immediately to his cries.

The zombies roared one after another, and several close ones began advancing toward the shop without hesitation.

Seeing the zombies move, Zhang Zhicai dared not delay and quickly retreated as Tang Xiaoquan had instructed.

Though withdrawing, he hadn't forgotten his task and, while sprinting for his life, kept shouting loudly, "Come on! Come on! Everyone, come in!" (To be continued. If you like this work, please go to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)