Chapter Four

Startled, Yichen's golden eyes flickered open with a murderous glare, making the sweat dripping down Lixin's back multiply.

"Gege," Lixin reached over, pushing aside the hair clinging to Yichen's sweaty forehead, then pressed an electric thermometer against his skin. Seeing his fever was finally below thirty-eight degrees, he let out a sigh of relief. "How are you feeling?"

When his usually big, strong gege had passed out on the stairs, his mind had turned to mush. If it weren't for Bai Cheng's calm reassurance, he was certain he'd have found a corner to rock in and contemplate life by now.

All night, until the early morning, he had hovered beside the treatment bed inside the clinic, listening to the methodic beat, beat, beat of the heart monitor.

Whilst he was tasked to watch over, a gun in hand, Bai Cheng had been busy checking the situation both inside and outside the hotel with Miles, the manager.

Both situations were grim.

The entirety of Australia had collapsed in the space of six hours. For hours he had scrolled his phone, unable to sleep. More and more photos, videos, and live streams appeared showing the carnage appearing randomly, but reaching everywhere.

Flights coming in and out of the country were grounded last night. Still, there were rumors appearing in every corner of the globe that a similar situation was happening there also.

Not all the American States implemented legislation like most 'civilized' countries, due to people rioting against it. Every bit of media covering the virus and zombies over there was clear mayhem. He could only thank his lucky stars that his country had been so strict on restricting people's movements these last few days.

"Am I still alive?" Yichen's hoarse words broke through Lixin's trail of thoughts. The man had passed out assuming he would turn, so his question did not appear unusual to Lixin. Only Yichen knew what he had dreamt and that dream had ended with a brutal, painful death.

"Do you think you'd get into heaven like me?" Lixin tutted, reaching to check the cannula attached to Yichen's hand. He had been giving him saline, fever reducers, and anti-inflammatory meds whilst his cousin slept, hoping that every tiny contribution would have some effect on the new virus rampaging his big cousin's body.

Yichen chuckled bitterly, giving up on the idea of sitting up and staring blankly at the crisp white ceiling.

"No, yet here I am with you," Yichen's laughter sent chills up Lixin's spine as his free hand raised to grip the inky black hair, almost tearing it from the scalp, "am I really alive?"

"Yes, yes, has the fever rendered you dumb gege?"

Yichen's brow raised as he finally let go of his hair to look over Lixin again, "what is the date?"

Lixin assumed his cousin was worried at how long he had been unconscious, "it's only been a few hours since you passed out, it's almost dawn."

Hearing Lixin's response, those narrow, gold eyes widened with an unknown realization.

"Where's my phone?"

With great difficulty Yichen pushed himself to sit up and held his aching, burning head, keeping his eyes low and away from the bright, fluorescent light.

Lixin passed the mobile he had been charging at the small counter space with a sink. Since the North Wing was larger and usually filled with customers, the indoor clinic there was a lot larger than the one inside the hotel just for guests.

Located on the third floor, beside the restaurants, it had a waiting area with reception, a few offices behind reception with a staff room and storage. For the patients, there was a large treatment area with beds separated by curtains and then a few private treatment rooms behind that, which overlooked the pier.

Lixin and Bai Cheng had brought him into the VIP treatment room, hoping to be able to keep an eye through the window, on the situation at the pier as well.

"Where's Cheng ge?" Yichen asked, whilst going through the frantic text messages, full of curses and threats to wake up, sent by his father.

"He went to assist Miles over in the hotel. We believe a guest has hacked into the system overnight, unlocking everywhere except the exits, so the original plan to have people hold up and wait has gone to ruin because people are impatient..."

Lixin's tongue stopped wagging when he saw Yichen raise the phone to his ear.

"About time you called, you're about to give your dear Papa a heart attack! What 'have it handled' you clearly had nothing handled you lying bastard."

Yichen held the phone patiently away from his ear, waiting for his father's bellowing lecture to end.

"Are you done?"

"Not even close," his father harumphed, "if Lixin hadn't called me, would you have even said a word?"

"No," Yichen was brutally honest, "anyway, that's not why I am calling, I need you to do two things for me."

The poor fifty-six-year-old man on the other end of the phone needed to sit down for a minute to pat his erratic heart steady.

"Go on."

"Turn back to the port now, find the Fraizers, and come here with them by air," Yichen instructed, then without waiting for a reply he continued with his second 'instruction' "Also, let Jean know I accept her offer."

"Ah Chen, do you mean what I think you mean?" The weary faint voice finally sounded reenergized, "I knew it, one look would be all it took, you brat, only know how to plan for grandkids after the world goes to hell."

Lixin overhearing the conversation, not through choice, glanced out the window to the pier, then back to his cousin.

Jean and Chris Fraizer had known his own sexual preferences. So recently, they had targeted this handsome, straight, cousin of his to set up a blind date with their freshly single granddaughter, saying she would stay here for her studies. At the time he had laughed that they were trying to use Yichen to keep their granddaughter here.

To his surprise, Yichen had politely declined, confessing he thought Faye too young for him and also found himself unsuitable for the life of marriage and kids yet.

Had facing death managed to finally get him to change his mind? He hadn't even looked at the girl yet, what was he thinking getting the elders' hopes up like that?

"Are you heading back to the port?" Yichen ignored his father's pestering.

He had only just agreed to date the woman, why did this old man's head always think of his non-existent grandkids? Not to mention the old man had forgotten that the other party, Faye, would also have an opinion on the matter...

"Yes, yes, since you've given me such wonderful news I'll do as you say."

Yichen let out a low, hoarse chuckle. "Text me updates, once you know which airfield you'll be landing at let me know, and I'll try to clear it in advance."

"Good boy, I really raised myself a good boy," Father Wu smiled faintly looking at the photo of the two greatest pride of his life, on his phone screen, "is Xiao Xin with you?"

"Now you remember me?" Lixin complained after Yichen pressed the speaker button. They were the only two living people in the whole building at the moment, so they could be a bit careless with noise.

"Behave for Ah Chen, no running around with your friends or work," Father Wu's voice grew stern, "remember you are our Wu family first, not even a doctor yet, so don't you do anything silly."

Lixin felt his heart burdened with guilt at the old man's words. His oversight before had ended up with his dear gege being bitten by his best friend. Now that very friend still lay, decomposing a floor above them.

"I will be obedient, family first," Lixin replied, feeling bitter when the old man let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Papa knows you boys are good, you'll be fine, even if I don't make it, you have each other. Now you have a sister-in-law and her little brother, you must all take good care of each other, so we old people can see King Yama with a clear conscience, alright?"

Does his sister-in-law even know she has a husband yet? The girl had been bitten a few hours ago and was unconscious in the first aid station right now, according to her guard, Daichi.

"Tell me the airfield as soon as you know, we'll wait for you there," Yichen refused to acknowledge his father's pitiful attempt at making peace before his end. So long as his father used a military plane with Jean and Chris, he should be fine.

Only after a few more minutes of back and forth between the three family members, did Yichen hang up the phone with ease. His splitting headache was blurring his vision, and combined with limp limbs it kept him stuck on the bed.

"How is Miss Fraizer's condition?" Yichen asked, startling a guilty Lixin. He had yet to explain to his cousin that this future wife of his was wounded and possibly turning into a zombie as they spoke.

"She was bitten on the pier by a guard, they're still inside the first aid station, but her fever hasn't exceeded 39 degrees, unlike yours did."

Yichen nodded calmly whilst scrolling through his phone, downloading a number of apps. Even if he knew the answer, he still had to ask to ensure the dream wasn't just a figment of his feverish imagination.

"What are you doing?" Lixin couldn't help but ask, rolling the wheels of the doctor's stool over to take a look.

"Setting my phone up for when the internet goes down," Yichen replied nonchalantly making Lixin's head almost explode.

He had been too focused on following the spread of the virus, that he had not thought through its implications. If the whole globe was infected, it truly was only a matter of time before the internet, electricity, and even the water would stop working.

Without needing to be told, Lixin began mimicking his cousin and made sure to set up his phone so it had everything he needed from the internet before it was too late.

Whilst the two men played with their mobile phones, Bai Cheng was counting his bullets.

"Will the young master really be alright?" Miles asked, his already wrinkled face growing a few extra lines as he waited for his men to contact back through the radio.

"Xiao Xin sounded confident he would be fine," Bai Cheng replied, trying to keep his voice calm and void of his true thoughts. "How many men do we have left?"

"Twenty-three," Miles sighed, leaning against his office desk with a notepad and pen of names in his hands. In front of them both, the security feed of the hotel was shown on multiple screens.

Bai Cheng's official role in the hotel was head of security, with his main office being in the North Wing next to Yichen's. Whereas Miles was the hotel manager, in charge of the normal staff. Miles' main office was in the South Wing, where they currently took refuge in.

Both men had been forced to work with a lower-than-usual skeleton staff, due to the pandemic. The number of guests was also greatly reduced as many had gone home the day before the new legislation came into place.

"Print out the details of everyone reported alive, though we have the backup generators, I don't think the grid will last long," Bai Cheng sighed listlessly. Everything he found on the internet screamed that this was the end of life as they knew it.

Even if the country had adopted more environmentally friendly energy solutions, without anybody maintaining it, it was only a matter of time before they had brownouts, then blackouts.

By the time they got the place's backup generators up and running, the internet will be down and they can only rely on radio and their company intranet since the servers were located on-site.

Miles sat at his computer desk, typing fast for an old man that was severely technophobic. "Why do you want the guest details?"

"If any of them decide to stay, we'll need to give them roles and I'll need to make assessment risks."

People were already looting, killing, and even raping others outside. The survivors here may act civil now, but for how long will they remain civil?

With limited staff, he needed to know where his priorities should lay when stretching his already thin resources.

A short while later, he looked over the list of twenty-three staff and thirty-eight guests and sighed when he saw the young Miss Fraizer among them.

Uncle Wu had specifically asked them to hold great importance to this guest, but last he checked she had been bitten and was on the pier in a perilous state. He'd been too ashamed to tell the old man when they spoke last.

As he was lamenting over his woes, the radio silence finally ended.

Miles let out a big smile, once he had finished speaking, then went back to the computer to print out the details of the six new survivors reported, two of which were his own staff.

By the time the sun had fully risen in the sky, the hotel was cleared of the dead. Now it was time for the weary survivors to lick their wounds, rest up, and get ready to fortify their position before the sunset.

When Yichen was ready to walk on his trembling legs, he was surprised to find Bai Cheng with eight security staff behind him walking down the hall.

"Chen ge," Bai Cheng burst into a sprint and pulled the shaken brother of his into his bulky arms, "I thought you were going to leave me to do all the heavy lifting."

Though he laughed, his voice was hoarse, and his eyes laced with tears. He had ended so many lives in one day, their ammunition was dwindling drastically low and the dead outside just kept gathering like lost sheep.

Yichen was startled by the sudden embrace. Still, he wrapped his arms around his close friend and patted his back reassuringly, "Perfect timing, I was just going on a stroll, care to join me?"

"You just narrowly escape death and now you want to go for a stroll... are you made of stone?"

Bai Cheng let go of him to punch his arm, Yichen did not resist, mainly because he was too tired and knew the punch was light and well deserved.

He could thoroughly imagine the pain of thinking a loved one was doomed, even the pain of losing them, thanks to that dream. Despite this, his good friend had worked hard in his stead, and Yichen could only be eternally grateful.

"Where are you going anyway?"

"He's off to pick up his wife," Lixin interrupted, holding a bag full of supplies from the clinic. The first aid station only had bare essentials for emergency treatment. He intended to bring the two injured's fevers down before relocating them inside the North Wing clinic.

"You..." Bai Cheng was at a loss for words. Outsiders thought of the young master as a frivolous playboy. Only those close to him knew that this was a reputation designed not earned. Yichen hadn't had an actual relationship with the opposite sex for over three years.

Yichen ignored the pair, keeping his mind focused on getting to the pier as fast as possible. Whether his dream was accurate or not, he would only know once he spurred things along.

His mind was a mess, and his heart filled with both pain and excitement. Only a few hours he had slept, while over ten years of life had played out before him. Ten miserable years.

"Are you coming or not?" Yichen called back when the two men were no better than fishwives. The pair discussed his bitter, almost non-existent, past love life in hushed tones, in the spot where he left them.

"Coming," Lixin replied, running to catch up.

Bai Cheng could only instruct the eight guards to follow, guns safety-off, ready to fire at any zombies who had slipped their net so far.