My body actually retreated a few steps due to fear, beyond control, and I turned around to close the door. Outside came the sound of wailing. Everyone has gone crazy, especially that man - he is not like Miao Wei at all, but more like a walking corpse. His face, his eyes are like those of a wolf who hasn't eaten for a long time. Huang Huadong, who was picking his toenails there earlier, also heard the noise outside and looked at me suspiciously. I didn't want to explain anything, went back to my seat, looked out at the dark sky, and felt as if the world had fallen into chaos.
The voices outside soon quieted down. Huang Huadong stared at me like he was looking at a monster, then forcibly opened the dormitory door. I wanted to stop him, but I found sweat dripping down my back, and my body started to ache again.
The door opened, and many people were seen gathered outside. The bloodstains on the ground were obvious. I forced myself to move closer to the door step by step. Several people ran away with their wounds covered. In the middle of the crowd, someone lay on the ground, his clothes completely stained red with blood. That person turned out to be Miao Wei. Not far away, Yang Jianxiang stood there in a daze, holding a stool covered in blood. His ankle was bleeding too, but it seemed he didn't feel any pain. His gaze remained fixed on Miao Wei.
Huang Huadong pulled Tang Fei, one of the onlookers, over and asked what happened. Tang Fei, half-stupid, explained, "Miao Wei... he just bit anyone he saw. Several people were bitten, and in a hurry, Yang Jianxiang grabbed the stool to knock him out, but didn't control the force well."
"Move aside," said the dorm supervisor and several security guards, pulling apart the crowd. They couldn't believe what they saw either. Within such a short period of two days, there had been two bloody incidents.
"Hey, there's been a violent incident at Linjiang Garden, come quickly to help."
"At Dexing Garden, some students have gone crazy, come quick."
The security guards' walkie-talkies kept ringing. "... The situation is so dire that even 110 is busy!" The security guard helplessly stood there, and the dorm supervisor urgently dialed 110, only to find the line busy! With 110 so occupied, could the whole world have gone mad? We students stood there blankly, vaguely sensing that something major had occurred.
After several attempts, the dorm supervisor finally got through to 110 and reported the situation at the school. Soon, police support should arrive. For now, we need to treat the wounded and send them to the hospital.
My phone vibrated nonstop in my pocket. It took me a while to notice. My spirit had been devoured by bugs until it was unrecognizable, making my nerves extremely fragile. But why haven't I seen blood seeping through my clothes? Could these black bugs suck blood? I really don't want to take off my clothes to see my own sorry state. Let it be, live day by day.
"Mom, what's up?" I answered the phone.
"Child, are you alright? Your dad and I watched the news. People biting each other is happening everywhere now. There was an incident at your dad's school yesterday. Is everything okay at yours?"
"I'm fine, Mom. I'm in a very remote place; nothing unusual has happened here. I feel like something bad is about to happen. You and Dad should go downtown," I replied. I've always felt unfilial because I never call home, always waiting for my parents to call me. And now, with my semi-crippled body, I probably can't fulfill filial duties anymore. The only thing I can do is not let my parents worry.
"Child, come back. Buy a ticket now and fly back. We'll feel secure only when you're by our side."
"Mom, I'm really fine. You've seen the news. Tickets are hard to get. Besides, I've been an adult for years now. Everything's fine. If something happens, how could I possibly hide it from you? That's all. I have things to do, gotta hang up," I quickly pressed the end button, my eyes moist. I was afraid that if I continued the call, I would reveal my situation. Instead of letting them worry unnecessarily, it's better to let myself perish alone.
In the distance, police cars raced towards us. Many people stuck their heads out to watch. This wasn't the first time we'd seen police cars. I hadn't expected that after just a day, we'd have to bother the police again. I thought a large group of police officers would come to handle the scene, but only two arrived. One was taking notes with a notebook, while the other explained to the dorm supervisor and the security guards, "Crime is happening everywhere now. All the police have been dispatched. The police station has already detained a large number of people, unable to arrest suspects anymore. We hope the school can allocate a space to separately detain student suspects." The dorm supervisor understood and immediately contacted the school administration. The students dispersed, with many contacting their families, though even more were packing their luggage, hoping to return home as soon as possible.
I sat alone on the balcony, gazing at the night sky. The sky was still pitch black, and I had already gotten used to living without sunlight. The frequency of my body's pain gradually decreased. I still lacked the courage to face my own condition. The only pain now was in my abdomen, occasionally excruciating, as if it were splitting open. Fewer people attended class today, even the teachers took leave and left the school. Everyone was enveloped by fear, not knowing when this darkness would end.
I swallowed a mouthful of saliva, realizing my mouth was cracked dry, and my stomach growled incessantly. I had eaten dinner just half an hour ago, and surprisingly consumed a lot of meat. Yet I was hungry again. I had a strong urge to bite someone, but I knew I shouldn't. Miao Wei's face kept appearing in my mind. He was more like a thousand-year-old zombie, feeding on human flesh. I didn't want to become like him because... I thought it wouldn't look cool.
I aimlessly walked out of the dormitory. Looking back, I saw Cheng Wei and Huang Huadong both talking on the phone with their families. At that moment, they didn't notice the abnormality in my eyes. It was the perfect time for me to act - just one bite, to taste the flavor of human flesh. Just one bite would do, and saliva was already uncontrollably flowing out.
I slapped myself across the face, hating what I was thinking, and turned to leave. On the way out, I met Tang Fei, the dimwit, who thought I was going to buy food. He encouraged me repeatedly to treat guests as he followed closely behind me. Ignoring him, I kept walking silently. Passing Jindi Garden, the supermarket, missing the cafeteria, and passing Building Four, I finally stopped at Building Six. Along the way, I kept pondering about my future, feeling only a glimmer of hope.
When I reached Building Six, I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine. The gate was closed and locked with an iron chain. Through the glass, I could see people pacing inside, but something about it all felt wrong.
Tang Fei, following my gaze, explained, "Building Six is now being used to detain those who bite others, but it seems people who are delirious have also been thrown out."
"What about the original residents of Building Six?" I asked.
"They've been relocated to the school hotel."
As I mentioned before, my curiosity is always heavy, and this time was no exception. I approached the glass door of Building Six, wanting to see the situation clearly inside. However, due to condensation, the inside was foggy, and I could only vaguely see a few figures moving around. I had to press my face against the glass to look inside.
Suddenly, a face appeared right in front of me, scaring me to the ground. My heart rate increased significantly. The face was so red, the eyes bulging, the mouth opening and closing, saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth onto the glass door.
I exhaled deeply, calming down slightly. I thought it was a ghost, giving me quite a scare, but this guy's appearance was almost ghost-like. I originally wanted to turn and leave, but his face remained glued to the glass, staring straight at me without blinking, beginning to pound on the glass.
At this point, my heartbeat returned to normal. I leaned half against the glass door and said to the guy inside, "I know you want to come out, but what you did before was wrong, why bite people? If you hadn't bitten people, you wouldn't be detained here. If you weren't detained here, you wouldn't have the idea to come out. If you didn't have the idea to come out, you wouldn't want to break the glass. Wukong, I know you miss your master, but this is wrong." I intended to continue lecturing him, but suddenly the situation changed again. More figures approached the door, and several faces appeared on the glass door. Their appearances were basically the same, their eyes glaring straight at me as they continuously pounded on the glass. I felt uneasy under their stares.
Everyone inside was crazy, and it was best for me to leave quickly. Even Tang Fei, who had been chatting nonstop, was obviously scared and followed me away from Building Six.
I stopped after walking a few steps and asked Tang Fei, "Are you sure everyone who is delirious and has a tendency to bite others is detained inside?"
Tang Fei wasn't very sure, replying, "It should be."
"Then look at the people passing by us."
Earlier, I hadn't noticed anything unusual while contemplating everyone's future, but now I had. Among the crowds passing by, there were always one or two who looked lifeless, moving forward like drunkards. Moreover, some walked with exaggerated twists, drawing my attention. These people seemed numb, and no one else paid attention to their abnormalities.
Tang Fei also noticed this, and his unease was evident on his face. I told Tang Fei, "I think we should go back to the dormitory for safety." Tang Fei immediately agreed, and the two of us ran back like wild horses.
The dormitory was like a utopia, unaffected by the outside world. Cheng Wei and Huang Huadong were still on the phone. Breathing heavily, I tidied up and fell asleep immediately. As I drifted off, I recalled the sight at Building Six. Their eyes seemed increasingly unnatural, lacking the characteristics of a normal human gaze. Moreover, when they opened their mouths, no breath came out. Why didn't I see the glass fogging up? Could it be...? How could it be? I must be overthinking. They are still moving, so they must be alive. Anyway, I might as well sleep first.
A scream pierced the quiet night sky, accompanied by a beast-like growl. Awoken by these unexpected sounds, I saw that the lights in the dormitory were already on, and Huang Huadong and Cheng Wei were getting dressed, apparently wanting to check out what was happening.
Judging by the time, it should have been early morning, yet outside it was still dark. We had completely lost track of time. The three of us rushed to the bottom of the dormitory building, where chaos reigned. To be more precise, three crimson-faced people were arrogantly chasing a large crowd. At the entrance, the dorm supervisor lay in a pool of blood, two creatures tearing her apart. Large chunks of flesh were being ripped off, blood splashing everywhere, staining the glass doors red.
Seeing this scene, I was utterly shocked. Were they cannibals? Or worse, were they zombies from the movies? Tang Fei was also among the chaos. A zombie relentlessly pursued him, pinning him in a corner. In a flash of inspiration, Tang Fei smashed the nearby fire window and grabbed a fire extinguisher, striking the zombie forcefully from behind. The zombie's head was deformed and fell to the ground. Confirming my suspicions, the zombie didn't bleed a drop despite the deformation of its head.
Not far away, two other zombies tackled two students. The outcome was predictable. Those two zombies mercilessly bit down like wild beasts. The surrounding classmates merely avoided the scene, too terrified to attempt a rescue.
An idea flashed through my mind. If a zombie attacked me, I would surely become their prey. I needed to find a strong person nearby, at least someone capable of handling these zombies. Among the people I knew, Xiao Qin was undoubtedly the best choice. She should be at Linjiang Garden, which was a bit far from here. Given the situation here, other places likely faced similar issues. Acting alone would be difficult, so I needed an assistant. Additionally, two zombies were eating the deceased dorm supervisor at the entrance, completely blocking the way. I needed a plan to break through.
I called out to Tang Fei and Wan Chuan not far away, saying, "You guys quickly grab the fire hose and use the powerful water pressure to destroy these zombies. Otherwise, none of us will survive."
Fang Xiaochun also came to help. Two people held the fire hose while another turned the switch. A massive jet of water shot out, but the recoil was significant, and the two couldn't control it properly. The hose thrashed around, making it impossible to aim accurately.
Eventually, more classmates joined in to help control the hose. The powerful water stream sprayed like a dragon towards the surrounding zombies. Upon contact with the water, the zombies were squeezed outside the door, clearing the entrance. However, shortly after, chaos erupted again as everyone fled for their lives. No one controlled the hose, and the powerful recoil threw Wan Chuan and Fang Xiaochun to the side. Tang Fei had no choice but to turn off the switch and stop the water flow.
Originally, there were five zombies at the entrance. Two were flushed outside by the water pressure, one was knocked down, and two charged into the crowd, causing two more casualties. Wan Chuan and Fang Xiaochun appeared seriously injured, while Huang Huadong and Cheng Wei escaped far away. Between them and me were those two zombies. Only Tang Fei was relatively close to me. I grabbed Tang Fei and ran outside, but he pulled me back, panicking and asking, "It doesn't seem safe outside. Are we just running to our deaths?"
With firm determination, I replied, "Staying inside is certain death. Follow me, it's the right choice." Without further argument, I dragged him along. Initially reluctant, he eventually followed me.
Outside, the lighting was dim, allowing us to see the two zombies pushed out by the water pressure lying against the opposite dormitory wall. The streets were already in chaos, with scenes of zombies chasing and tearing people apart everywhere. However, among them, several zombies still wandered aimlessly, not attacking the humans fleeing past them. With a few loud bangs, several cars exploded on the side of the road. Thick black smoke rose slowly, and the massive flames illuminated everything around. Blood stains and corpses were everywhere. The two of us tried to avoid crowded areas, or perhaps because there were already many people fleeing on the roads, we didn't see any zombies chasing us. We passed Building Four, heading directly to Linjiang Garden.
Just as we exited Building Four, I felt a gust of wind beside me, and something fell from the sky, colliding strongly with the ground. Turning my head, I saw a horrifying sight that I would never forget: the corpse had turned into a pile of minced meat, its limbs completely twisted, and blood continuously flowing out.
Looking up, I saw an open classroom window. A student had collapsed next to the window, and another, who looked like a teacher-turned-zombie, was tearing into the corpse with big bites. Feeling something warm splash on my face, I wiped it with my hand and realized the dark red liquid could only be blood.
I knew my time was running out. This area would soon become a land of the dead. Linjiang Garden was roughly one street away, but we would have to pass through Building Six, facing a group of zombies. Regardless, it was the shortest route, so I decided to proceed there first.
What's happening to the world? How could such a drastic change occur so suddenly? This doesn't seem like a result of a biochemical infection. What exactly is the cause? Humanity's fate appears to be sealed, yet everything remains inexplicable. I desperately needed someone to answer all my questions, but who could possibly know?
Sure enough, the street leading to Building Six was already occupied by zombies. On the opposite side of the street was Linjiang Garden. I had a strong premonition that finding Xiao Qin would mean I no longer had to fear these zombies. Though it seemed funny to think that a grown man needed a little girl's protection, the world had already turned upside down. Survival was the ultimate priority.
Just as I was at a loss, an unexpected event occurred. A sound resembling a wolf's howl came from somewhere near Buildings Five and Six. Astonishingly, upon hearing this sound, the zombies all moved in that direction. Only a few remained, wandering aimlessly like flies without heads. The difficulty level had significantly decreased.
Tang Fei patted my shoulder and pointed in the direction he indicated. I saw a tricycle. Now was the time to use it to break through the street. No words needed—let's go!