The moment we charged out, we realized what true doomsday looked like outside.
Exiting our residential compound led to a street that had always been bustling, full of restaurants. While convenient for dining before, it now served as a paradise for zombies. The customers and owners inside had either been eaten or turned into companions of the zombies!
The more prosperous the place, the more people there were, and the more people, the greater the number infected.
Just a glance told us there were at least thirty or forty zombies on this street!
The three cars screeched to a halt. We had locked the doors and windows as soon as we got in, but now we had to roll down the windows to discuss our next move.
"Boss, what do we do?" Liu shouted from another car towards my husband. Hey, when did he get promoted to 'Boss'?
"Steady! We have to go. But we can take a side alley," my husband commanded calmly, genuinely embodying the leader's demeanor.
Instead of turning left onto the main street after exiting the garage, going straight led to a narrower side alley. Probably unfamiliar with it since they usually drove on main roads, the others had taken the larger route.
There were indeed far fewer zombies in the small alley—only six or seven. But they were slow and迟钝 (chídùn - sluggish). Before they could even get a clear look at us, we had zoomed past.
My heart was still pounding wildly when we reached Carrefour. I believed the others were plenty tense too!
Zombies were also loitering in front of Carrefour. Fortunately, the number was small and manageable.
We parked the three cars with their fronts facing outward, scattered near the end of the trolley path closest to the Carrefour entrance, for a quick retreat.
Then we got out and quickly slipped through the main entrance. The three zombies at the door were taken down by the men.
To be honest, I was quite frustrated. This long sword felt useless in my hands! I couldn't wield it effectively at all.
Especially since the three previously timid male neighbors had suddenly, whether from terror or necessity, become killer-level, chopping down zombies without blinking!
The three timid female neighbors still seemed rather scared, but at least they controlled their screams. That was good!
As expected, Carrefour was filled with endless food, supplies, and also endless, aimless zombies shuffling around inside.
Following the plan, the women went to get trolleys and started stuffing them with food, while the men handled security.
I had absolutely assigned myself to the security team beforehand, because I had that sword!
No one had objected, and I had asked the three female neighbors to grab the things I needed.
But feeling ashamed of my earlier performance, I silently took the initiative inside the supermarket, grabbed a trolley myself, and started tossing in food—all things Shuai Shuai loved.
Of course, also toilet paper, large packs of wet wipes... sigh, household supplies are never enough!
We thought our group of eight was sizable, but compared to the number of these hungry bastards, we were still outnumbered.
Even though my husband and the three male neighbors had cut down many, even more were swarming over.
I had filled two trolleys when I realized we seemed surrounded!
"Wife, you're on security. Don't forget!" my husband reminded me promptly.
Alright, sis is coming! You bastards, bullying my husband while I'm shopping? Just because I didn't bring my wallet? Are you Carrefour security? Even if you were before, get lost now!
I fiercely chopped off a rotting head and suddenly seemed to find my groove. Yes, aim accurately! Aim for the neck! Just one slash!
Even as my swordplay became more skilled with the long sword, it was hard to keep up with the zombies' overwhelming enthusiasm! Even the timid female neighbors were挥舞 (huīwǔ - brandishing) their kitchen knives and charging at the zombies, but we were still outnumbered...
Was Shuai Shuai going to lose his parents' protection? The most unwarranted pessimism suddenly surged within me. I was almost knocked down by a damn zombie in a red down jacket!
Hacking its head off fiercely, I gasped for breath. I usually lacked exercise, and my stamina was failing! If willpower alone could kill enemies, what use was physical fitness?! Right now, it seemed like only my willpower was still strong!
Looking towards my husband, he was clearly struggling too.
Suddenly, a scream came from the left! Damn! Someone was done for!
I hurriedly looked over. It was timid Qu! The girl from the 17th floor who had just eaten my food and hadn't repaid me yet!
Another scream. I cut down a middle-aged female zombie lunging at me and looked again. This time it was Hui from the 15th floor.
Probably because those who usually came to Carrefour to browse and look for bargains were mostly middle-aged women, there weren't many young, strong zombies here. 90% were middle-aged women level, so they were relatively easier to handle.
Even so, Little Qu and Little Hui were gone! Dragged away by the aunties...
Their husbands went insane immediately, chopping madly. Actually, that was the most dangerous. They had lost their rationality.
Our situation was not optimistic. "Honey, can we retreat?" I shouted while fighting. If only two could escape, I wouldn't mind it being us, husband and wife. There was no other way. I couldn't save everyone at this point.
"Everyone goes together. As much as possible!" My husband's reply annoyed me. He wasn't a hero either. His stamina was limited too!
We were gradually losing ground. No matter how idiotic these zombies were, their numbers were overwhelming!
Even if they lined up and stood still letting us chop their heads off, we'd probably exhaust ourselves to death.
My life is over!
Just as our strength was nearly depleted, and we were about to become a collective feast, a group of people unexpectedly charged out from somewhere!
They wielded various knives—definitely not just kitchen knives. There were many large blades I hadn't seen before and couldn't name.
They were strong, fast, and efficient. They quickly cleared out the zombies surrounding us!
"Who are you?" I looked at the leader, a handsome guy. Judging by his age, he was just a kid, post-90s. But he was strong, with mature eyes. His hair was cut short. In this harsh winter, wasn't he afraid of freezing his head! He wore a leather jacket and held a wide, curved knife. What kind of strange knife was this? I'd never seen it before.
"My name's Shan Qi Er Shi Yi (山七二十一). These are my crew. No need to thank us for saving you. We came here to slaughter anyway!" This handsome guy arrogantly introduced himself.
"Did you just arrive?" I looked behind him; there were about twenty young guys. I suddenly felt a bit uneasy. They were too proficient at killing. Would they kill living people too?
"Just got here, but we come once a day. Each time, we clear the place out. Otherwise, you wouldn't have held out today. When we first came, this place was like a Double Eleven sale, packed!" Shan Qi Er Shi Yi said calmly.
"Would you mind if we take some food home? We have elderly and a child at home. They need us." I decided to soften my approach, hoping he had some sympathy and wouldn't cause trouble.
"Big sister, are you afraid of me? Don't worry, we only kill the biters. We protect the living!" Shan Qi Er Shi Yi laughed. I realized then that this boy actually looked quite nice when he smiled! And his eyes seemed kind. That put me at ease.
"Where you live must be very safe, right?" I decided to get chummy. This young man seemed quite righteous; maybe he could help us in the future. After all, our group was too small and weak.
"We're staying at No. 18 High School. That newly built high school. The main gate is thick and heavy. The first floor has iron bars installed on all windows to prevent students from skipping class, so it's very safe. Do you want to come?" Shan Qi was frank and quite enthusiastic. But for some reason, I didn't want to uproot my parents and Shuai Shuai and start moving around just yet.
I looked at my husband. His eyes also told me: no relocation for now. After all, our home was still safe, and we had enough supplies, food, and water.
"If we need to, we'll find you!"
"No problem!"
Thus, we reached an agreement with Shan Qi, securing a potential fallback option. I hoped Shan Qi and his group could hold out!
Hui and Qu were dead. Qiao and Wang were heartbroken, but they didn't regret coming out. Because rather than starving to death holding each other at home, it was better to venture out and risk survival.
In times like these, those who can't protect themselves won't survive!
Thanks to Shan Qi Er Shi Yi, Carrefour was temporarily cleared. We selected some more essentials, stuffing the three trolleys full.
Carrefour had ample food and supplies. It seemed apart from Shan Qi's group who came regularly, not many people dared to venture out and scavenge, probably too afraid to take the risk.
I was puzzled. How had the other survivors lasted this long? Did everyone habitually stockpile food and supplies at home? The key was drinking water! People can go a week without food, but not a week without water!
Regarding this doubt, Shan Qi explained that the tap water was still clean and uncontaminated, so survivors who either didn't understand the situation or had been drinking tap water were fine.
I asked him how he confirmed the water was safe. He said their school had a chemistry teacher who had tested the water. Apart from slightly exceeding bleach levels, no other pollution was found. However, Shan Qi's group, just in case, still insisted on fetching bottled water to distribute.
We felt the same, because we didn't know when the water plant might be overrun.
We were about to set off back to the cars when my husband said, "Wait a moment."
He had spotted a water purifier company! He said, "Let's go check it out. These should still help filter contaminants!"
I believed him because his trading company also dealt with water purifiers, albeit expensive ones mainly for large canteens and kitchens. I had refused to install one at home; now I regretted it a bit!
But my husband knew this product category well. He always said good products were effective. The brand this company carried was familiar to him—they were in the same trade. "Their products are also up to standard. Hopefully, their warehouse has enough stock." After saying this, my husband led us closer to the company's front door.
The door was slightly ajar. My husband turned sideways and gently pulled it open. Luckily, it wasn't locked. Those metal doors were really sturdy! Definitely theft-proof and zombie-proof! They looked much safer than the flimsy wooden doors foreigners had!
The company's front area was a showroom, not very large, and empty. There was a door leading to the back.
We slipped in quietly. Little Wang, coming in last, closed the front door to prevent zombies from the street from suddenly swarming in.
Standing by that inner door, we listened carefully. No sound. It seemed when the outbreak hit, everyone in this company had fled! Being empty, the zombies had little interest in coming inside!
Gently pushing open the inner door revealed an office with several desks and computers, but not a single water purifier in sight. I was disappointed!
"The warehouse should be in here," my husband pointed to a small side door. It was shut tight, an ordinary wooden door. Even if locked, it would be easy to pry open.
My husband went over and pushed it. It was indeed locked. "Step back," he said, then suddenly kicked the door. The sound was quite loud. My heart quivered, worried it would attract zombies.
One kick was useless. My husband prepared to kick again. Before his foot landed, a trembling voice suddenly came from inside the door: "Is... is someone out there?"
A man's voice. There were people hiding inside! We quickly said, "We're human! It's safe out here! Open up!"
The door opened. A pale, clean-cut boy stood behind it, thin and haggard. He looked only 17 or 18 years old. Poor guy, had he been trapped here alone for nearly half a month?
"Finally, living people! I'm almost starved to death!" Seeing us standing alive before him, the boy suddenly started crying, rather pathetically. But I understood! If it were me, I'd probably be worse.
"Don't be afraid! We can protect you. Is anyone else inside?" My husband went over, placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, and gave it a reassuring press. The boy stopped crying.
"No, just me. When chaos suddenly broke outside, my colleagues didn't know what was happening. It was noisy and confusing. I saw what was happening outside; it looked like a zombie outbreak from the movies. They all went out to see the commotion. I was scared, so I locked myself in the warehouse. Later... none of them came back! I've been in the warehouse, surviving on dried instant noodles and a case of water until now. Carrefour is right next door, but I didn't dare go look for food. If you hadn't come, I probably would have starved to death! My name is Wu Xiaofeng. I'm a technician here."
After introducing himself, the boy looked at us hopefully. I think he wanted us to tell him the situation was under control, that the disaster was over.
But the facts disappointed him. The situation was bad, though not utterly hopeless! There were still living people, survivors, and the water was relatively clean.
I glanced into the warehouse, thinking the smell inside must be awful. After all, someone had been stuck inside for nearly half a month. People need to relieve themselves, right? Even eating little requires using the toilet!
But I didn't smell anything unpleasant. Curious, I walked in. Hey! This kid was lucky! The company's restroom was inside the warehouse! Because the company was small, the inventory wasn't large—just over a dozen water purifiers—it was easier to manage, and they didn't have to worry about employees stealing one while going to the toilet.
Wu Xiaofeng had arranged the water purifiers into a makeshift bed. He had been sleeping on this temporary bed all these days. A dozen or so units were enough; we didn't need to take too many. Each family only needed two or three, enough to install on all their taps.
Wu Xiaofeng naturally left with us. We arranged for him to stay with Little Wang, to keep him company. Little Qu had just died; Little Wang needed someone with him. Qiao seemed stronger; he told us he'd be fine living alone and we could gather to discuss things if needed.
After distributing the supplies to each family, we worked together to block off the stairwell between the lower floors and the 15th floor, to prevent any turned neighbors from below from attacking the 15th-floor residents.
Taking the elevator back to the 18th floor, the moment the doors opened, I knew something was wrong. Why was the outer iron gate of our apartment wide open? My heart leaped into my throat!
The moment we stepped out of the elevator, our son came running out of the apartment, laughing and shouting, "Mommy! Shuai Shuai wants 'wai wai'!"
"Wai wai" was the word his grandpa used when taking him downstairs to play, meaning "go outside!" Shuai Shuai loved "wai wai"; he was a mischievous little guy!
I breathed a sigh of relief. So Shuai Shuai had secretly opened the door. Thankfully, he couldn't reach the elevator call button yet, or he might have gone downstairs alone! Mom and Dad, really! Why weren't they watching him carefully? This is no time to be careless!
But that wasn't right! Shuai Shuai wasn't tall enough to reach the door handle, and he didn't know how to open it anyway.
Just then, the door across the hall suddenly swung open. A zombie charged out迅猛 (xùn měng - swiftly and fiercely), heading straight for young Shuai Shuai. Before my husband and I could even react, the zombie had already pounced on Shuai Shuai, its bloody mouth clamping down on our son's shoulder!
"AHHHHHHH!!!!" I screamed in agony and lunged forward.
(To be continued...)