Chapter 19

"But Mum, we don't have it," Grace said, her voice trembling with worry.

"Yes, I know we don't have it," her mother, Anabel, replied, her expression grave. "But they believe we do. And if we don't find it, they'll kill both of us."

Grace's heart raced as fear clawed at her. "Mum, we have to report this!"

"We can't," Anabel insisted, her voice dropping to a whisper as she glanced at the door. "If we do, they'll hunt us down. We can't escape from them, Grace."

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Meanwhile, in a dimly lit cell, Michael pounded on the gate, his frustration erupting into shouts.

"Can you open this damn gate already? I need to get out of here! You can't just snatch me from my country and lock me up like this!"

The sound of measured footsteps echoed through the hall as Mr. Li Chong approached the cell. His sharp gaze pierced through the bars as he calmly placed his hands in his pockets. "What's your name?"

"My name is Michael," Michael growled, still gripping the bars tightly.

"Why are you shouting?" Li Chong asked, tilting his head with feigned curiosity.

Michael glared at him. "Seriously, you're asking me? Fine! It's because you locked me up here without reason! I don't belong here, man. Let me out!"

"Fine," Li Chong replied, his tone cold. "If you want to walk freely here in China, you'll have to join us—become military, like us. Is that acceptable to you?"

Michael paused, his anger momentarily replaced by curiosity. "Military? Fine. I was in the Survivor World militia before."

Li Chong raised an eyebrow. "Survivor World? What's that?"

"It was a world we created," Michael said, his voice softening as memories flashed through his mind.

"Guess it's gone now," Li Chong remarked with a smirk. "Well, this is your chance to prove yourself in the real world. Do we have a deal?"

Michael sighed. "Okay. Fine."

Li Chong turned and walked away, heading back to his office. Once seated, he opened a file on his desk, but before he could begin, his phone rang.

The caller was none other than Mr. Li Wei.

"We need to talk," Li Wei said without preamble.

Li Chong quickly grabbed his car keys, and drove to Li Wei's house.

When he arrived, Li Wei was seated in the living room, a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. "Come in and sit down," Li Wei said, motioning to the chair across from him.

Li Chong sat, his posture rigid.

"You have someone in your custody," Li Wei speaks, "a young man from Washington."

"Yes," Li Chong confirmed, nodding his head.

"I need him," Li Wei said simply. He pulled a checkbook from a nearby table, scribbled an amount, and handed it to Li Chong. The figure read £10,000.

Li Chong's eyes widened. "Why are you offering so much for him?"

"Let's just say he's... useful to me," Li Wei replied cryptically. "And if you comply, I'll ensure your promotion. Do we have a deal?"

Li Chong hesitated but finally nodded. "Fine. He's of no use to me anyway."

As Li Chong rose to leave, Li Wei's voice stopped him. "One more thing—make sure all his belongings are returned to him before his release."

"Understood," Li Chong said, exiting the house.

Back at the base, Li Chong issued a orders for Michael's release.

"Give him back all his belongings," he instructed his men.

One of them hesitated. "But sir, his clothes are stained with blood."

Li Chong frowned, but before he could respond, his phone rang. It was Li Wei again.

"Send his clothes to me immediately," Li Wei commanded.

"Yes, sir," Li Chong replied.

"Bring me his clothes." Li Chong instructed the officer standing in front of him.

"Why sir?"

"Don't ask me questions! Just bring me his clothes!"

"Okay sir."

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Later that day, Wang Fang confronted his father.

"Why was Li Chong here?" Wang Fang asked, suspicion obvious in his tone.

Li Wei sipped his coffee, his face calm. "Pretend you didn't see him, son."

With that, Li Wei stood and retreated to his room, leaving Wang Fang with more questions than answers.

The mystery surrounding Michael deepened as the gears of Li Wei's plan continued to turn. What secret did Michael's blood-stained clothes hold? And how far was Li Wei willing to go to achieve his goal?

After Michael's clothes was handed to Mr. Li Chong, the clothes were swiftly delivered to Mr. Li Wei's residence.

Mr. Li Wei wasted no time. He sent the clothes to his private hospital, ordering the senior doctor to examine them thoroughly. In the lab, the blood extracted from Michael's clothing was analyzed. As the senior doctor observed the samples, his brows furrowed. After moments of tense silence, he said to his team, "This... this could be revolutionary."

Xang Fang, was unaware of the lab's ongoing operations. Curious about the unusual activity, he approached one of the junior staff in the laboratory.

"What's going on? Why is everyone so busy?" he asked.

"Nothing, sir," she replied nervously, avoiding his gaze.

"Don't lie to me!" Xang Fang snapped. "I've been noticing strange activities happening around here. You're all hiding something. What's going on?"

But before he could press further, loud screams erupted from another section of the hospital. Xang Fang froze, his heart pounding in his chest. He rushed toward the commotion, only to find chaos. Patients and staff were transforming into zombies, their twisted forms attacking anyone in sight.

Panic gripped Xang Fang as he hurried back to his office, locking the door behind him. He dialed the police emergency number, but every attempt to call for help failed. Desperate, he turned on the TV, and a breaking news alert flashed on the screen.

"Emergency Alert: A virus outbreak is turning people into violent, mindless creatures. Citizens are advised to stay indoors. Avoid contact with anyone infected."

Meanwhile, two hours earlier, in the lab, the senior doctor had been examining the blood sample extracted from Michael's clothes. During the process, a needle used to extract the blood accidentally punctured a junior staff member's finger. The staff member, unwilling to raise alarm, kept the incident to himself. The infection began spreading silently till it's turn into chaos.

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Back to the present, Michael, now released from his cell, was still confined to the premises. Commander Li Chong informed him, "Before we can let you leave freely, we need to take you to the medical lab for tests. We need to be sure you're not carrying any diseases or viruses."

As Li Chong was explaining, his phone rang. The tone of the call turned his face grim. He ended the call and barked orders at his men. "There's a disaster in town. Gather your weapons. We move out immediately!"

Michael, sensing the tension, asked, "What's happening?"

"Stay here and secure the premises. That's all you need to know," Li Chong replied curtly.

The military convoy headed to Tianjin People's Hospital, where the virus had begun spreading uncontrollably. As they arrived, the sight was horrifying. Zombies roamed the hospital grounds, spilling into the streets, attacking anyone in their path. Even the senior doctor had succumbed, now one of the undead.

Gunfire erupted as the soldiers opened fire on the advancing zombies, but their bullets seemed futile against the growing horde. A soldier screamed as a zombie bit into his neck. Panic overtook the rest of the unit, and they retreated into their vans, speeding away from the chaos.

Xang Fang, trembling in his locked office, tried repeatedly to place a call for help. When that failed, he sank into his chair, his mind racing. He glanced back at the TV, where footage of the spreading infection was being broadcast. His breath quickened as reality sank in: the outbreak was far beyond containment.

Elsewhere, Zhang Wei, oblivious to the unfolding disaster, was inside a club, reveling with friends. Music blared as he threw money around, surrounded by beautiful women. Then, screams pierced through the club's walls, and patrons rushed toward the exits.

Confused, Zhang Wei stepped outside to see what was happening. His jaw dropped as he saw the undead tearing through the streets. Horrified, he ran back into the club, slamming the door shut behind him.

"No, no, no!" he muttered to himself, trembling. "This can't be real. It's like something out of a movie. It can't happen in real life!"

Meanwhile, Mrs. Anabel George and her daughter Grace were hastily packing their belongings, preparing to flee the country. Suddenly, the sound of screams from the streets reached their ears.

Mrs. George peeked through the window, and what she saw made her blood run cold—zombies swarming the streets. She turned away, her hands shaking.

"What's going on, Mum?" Grace asked, approaching the window.

"Don't—" Mrs. George started, but it was too late. Grace looked out, and the sight overwhelmed her. She collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

Mrs. George knelt beside her daughter, tears streaming down her face. "Stay with me, Grace. Please."

As the chaos outside escalated, the virus showed no signs of stopping, leaving the world teetering on the edge of collapse.