The teachers' apartment was not far from the Academic Affairs Building; both were on the southern side, though one was to the east and the other to the west. They were visible after passing through the school's wisteria path and the Pavilion by the Learning Lake.
The three of them proceeded cautiously, afraid that zombies might suddenly leap out from some hidden corner.
Fortunately, the Goddess of Fortune favored them, and they made it through without encountering any zombies.
When the Academic Affairs Building appeared before them, all three breathed a sigh of relief. They quickened their pace to the building, but as they tried to go upstairs, they discovered that the grilled gate to the staircase was locked.
Liu Shuài awkwardly rubbed his nose. "Oh right, after the principal and teachers leave work, this gate is usually locked."
He was frustrated that the place he had finally thought of as a good spot was blocked by a lock.
Zhu Háogē turned to Zhèng Lìnà and asked, "Old Zheng, did the teachers lock this? Or the security guards?"
"The security guards," Zhèng Lìnà replied confidently. "Usually, after the teachers leave, the security guards patrol the building again, ensuring all lights are off and no one is left inside before locking up."
"Then the key is right in front of us..." Zhu Háogē chuckled and patted Liu Shuài's shoulder.
Liu Shuài didn't understand what Zhu Háogē meant. He looked up in confusion and saw Zhu Háogē's gaze fixed on the Guard Post at the school entrance.
"Stay right here, I'll go get two keys and be back," Zhu Háogē said, heading down towards the Guard Post.
Literally, the Guard Post was a security booth, but it also served as a place for the school's security guards to eat and sleep. The part facing the school gate was a glass booth containing a table, chairs, and a metal cabinet filled with keys. Inside the booth, there was also a small door leading to a smaller room with a bed and a bathroom for the night shift guard's rest.
Zhu Háogē remembered that the school had two security guards; usually, one was on duty while the other slept. Although both were elderly, they were quite diligent during their shifts.
Walking along the wall of the Guard Post to the entrance, Zhu Háogē grabbed the doorknob and peeked inside.
The glass booth was empty. The key for the electric gate was still on the table.
Zhu Háogē gently turned the doorknob and lifted it upwards with some force. The old, warped door made a sharp scraping sound against the floor every time it was opened or closed. If he didn't lift it, Zhu Háogē feared that the noise would attract zombies before he could even get the keys, trapping him inside the Guard Post.
The glass booth was clean, with no signs of blood or struggle. The inner door was ajar; he wasn't sure if someone was inside.
Zhu Háogē tiptoed to the drawer and found the key to the metal cabinet. He gently inserted it into the lock, opened the cabinet door.
All the keys for the school were neatly hung in rows. Each key had a yellowed label indicating which door it opened.
"Chinese office, Math office, Director..." Zhu Háogē quickly scanned the rows of keys and finally found the set he wanted: "Academic Affairs Building staircase door."
Zhu Háogē took down the bunch of keys, labeled with floors, and put them in his pocket.
Mission accomplished, Zhu Háogē turned to leave but accidentally bumped into a wooden chair behind him. The sound of the chair leg scraping across the floor instantly filled the small booth.
Damn it! Zhu Háogē thought to himself, clutching the pocket containing the keys and running towards the door.
Before he could reach the entrance, the inner door was violently kicked open, the flimsy wooden door shattering into pieces.
The scene Zhu Háogē dreaded most occurred.
The security guard, whose facial features could still be vaguely discerned, emerged from the inner room. The black blood soaking his uniform was undeniable proof that this guard, usually known for his stern demeanor, had become a flesh-eating zombie.
Spotting the "food," the zombie let out a roar and lunged at Zhu Háogē by the door!
The zombie was coming at him fast, and Zhu Háogē didn't dare to take the risk. He quickly retreated two steps to dodge. But the door, which was so close, was slammed shut by the zombie.
Trapped in the cramped Guard Post, Zhu Háogē had no choice but to face the zombie.
While the zombie was stumbling on the ground, Zhu Háogē quickly scanned his surroundings, looking for anything he could use to defend himself.
Fortunately, there was a riot control fork in the small Guard Post. ButUnfortunately, the riot control fork was in the corner behind the door.
The riot control fork was a full zombie's length away from Zhu Háogē.
The Goddess of Fortune didn't always bless Zhu Háogē. Although she was present this time, it was only to slap him.
The downed zombie didn't bother standing up but instead crawled towards Zhu Háogē on all fours.
Zhu Háogē was all too familiar with this scene. From the man-eating fiend on the sports field yesterday, to the auntie in the teachers' apartment today, and now this security guard, they all used the same posture.
Zhu Háogē didn't know if there were people in the world with crawling fetishes, but zombies definitely had them, as he had now seen three.
Zhu Háogē's usual tactic was to step on their heads or backs. But in this cramped Guard Post, most of the space was occupied by tables, chairs, cabinets, and benches; the spot where he stood didn't even have enough room to lift his foot.
As the zombie reached his feet, with nowhere to escape, Zhu Háogē took a step and jumped onto the table, then leaped to the door, twisting the handle forcefully.
However, in his nervousness, he applied too much force, and the stainless steel doorknob, which had held for years, ripped off in his hand!
F***!
Zhu Háogē always believed that one's bad luck had limits, but today he was proving it through personal experience.
From now on, Zhu Háogē decided to convert to Murphy's Law: if something can go wrong, it will inevitably go worse!
Zhu Háogē angrily smashed the doorknob in his hand against the back of the zombie's head.
The stainless steel doorknob hit the zombie's skull with a crisp "bang" and then sprang high into the air, rolling to the ground and disappearing. This act, though perhaps not greatly damaging, was extremely insulting, enraging even the brainless zombie. It roared, stood up, its skin peeling away layer by layer, exposing raw muscle tissue to the air as blood trickled from the torn skin.
The string of misfortunes finally made Zhu Háogē fight back. He grabbed the riot control fork lying nearby, positioning the C-shaped head towards the zombie.
The zombie didn't care what Zhu Háogē was holding and charged straight at him. Zhu Háogē seized the opportunity and thrust the fork directly into the zombie's chest, pressing the button to restrain it. However, the enraged zombie possessed immense strength. Before he could press the retraction button, he was knocked back into the corner along with the fork.
The riot control fork, no longer held, also hit the wall and slipped from his grasp.