March 20th, 8:44 AM — Longwan Mall, Lower Atrium Level
John Wang POV
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Crawlers streamed in from every direction, angle and hole in the wall.
Not shambling. Not screaming. Just movement — pure velocity. Arms and legs pumped like blades as they dropped from the rafters, skittered up walls, and launched across the ruined tiles. The ground shook beneath them.
Shen Yifei fired first.
The bark of the Type-9K cut through the noise, three-round bursts slamming into the front line of bodies. Crawlers flipped mid-sprint, black blood spitting from the air where their chests used to be — but the tide didn't stop.
Out of shells, Tang Wei caught the rifle I tossed and dropped to one knee near the overturned bench.
Her aim was sharp, military clean, each burst precise. Spent shells pinged off the floor around her feet, bouncing and spinning in glinting arcs. Her magazine clicked dry and reloaded in less than a breath.
