Chapter 13: Epilogue

 "How did you know I was here?"

"You left a trail of blood. How could I not find you?"

He looked towards the shelter, now completely overrun by zombies.

With a long sigh, almost like a lament, he spoke:

"Is this what happens when you push an honest person too far? But the price paid was too steep."

"I always thought you were a herbivore," he continued. "Turns out, you're an omnivore."

"I just wanted to do it thoroughly..."

"Revenge for your girlfriend is a good thing, but this method also dragged innocent residents of the shelter into it. This isn't like you."

"Maybe... I'm just not a good person after all."

Zhang Lei smiled bitterly.

"But you were really kind to that girl, Zhang Hua."

"She's different."

"I understand. It's a case of being sentimental—people are complicated creatures."

As he spoke, he tried to take off the travel bag strapped to his back.

"Have you had breakfast?"

"No, it'd be a waste if you gave me some."

Zhang Lei's voice was getting weaker, clearly showing signs of exhaustion.

"Do you need me to tend to your wounds? I have medicine in my bag."

"Thanks, but like I said... it's a waste."

"If Xia He finds out how you're treating yourself, it won't be good for you."

"If that's the case, it'd be better..."

He smiled bitterly, lifting his left sleeve.

A clear bite mark marred his forearm. The skin around it had turned pitch black.

Yes, Zhang Lei had been infected, just as he escaped the shelter.

The wounds on his body weren't all self-inflicted.

"How long has it been?"

Huang Jin placed the disinfectant back in his bag, zipped it up, and slung it over his shoulder again.

"Maybe over three hours."

"Well, that's too late. If you had severed the arm within half an hour of being bitten, there might have been a chance."

"How much longer do I have?"

"About three hours. Most people turn into zombies six hours after being bitten, depending on their constitution. But before that, you might die from blood loss. You won't even make it to that point."

"If that's really the case, then it's better."

He smiled faintly, his voice growing weaker. At the same time, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a fruit knife.

Holding the knife by its handle, he handed it to Huang Jin.

"What's this for?"

"Kill me."

"Why?"

"I don't have the confidence to last until then."

Indeed, Zhang Lei's physical condition had always been weak. Back in school, he had been hospitalized multiple times due to poor health.

His body's resistance was low, which could cause the zombie infection to spread more quickly.

"You were thinking of suicide from the start, weren't you?" Huang Jin took the fruit knife.

"But I didn't have the courage to do it, because it's pretty painful... Thankfully, you came."

"Then I guess I'm just the unlucky one."

He wiped the blood off the fruit knife and then said:

"Any last words? Maybe I'll help you out, depending on my mood. After all, we're classmates."

"I locked Zhang Hong in that villa. I hope you can check on her."

"You're telling me this, the one who killed you, just before you die?"

"Happy birthday, Huang Jin."

"Ah, thanks."

Swish!!

With a swift motion, the knife slashed across Zhang Lei's neck.

Zhang Lei fell to the ground without any struggle, motionless.

He was dead. Rather than become a zombie and continue living as a monster, he preferred to die as a human.

Huang Jin stared at Zhang Lei's lifeless body, noticing that the man's eyes were closed, and he wore a faint smile, seemingly accepting his death with peace.

Looking at Zhang Lei, Huang Jin couldn't help but feel a sense of sorrow. In this dark apocalypse, how many people like Zhang Lei still existed?

Of course, such people weren't suited to survive in this world, and that's why he had died.

Huang Jin glanced back at the shelter, seeing that it was still full of noise and movement, zombies shuffling around inside.

It was unrealistic to try to enter the shelter right now to find gasoline. He would have to wait until the zombies calmed down and many of them left before it would be safe.

With nothing else to do, Huang Jin's gaze wandered back to Zhang Lei's body.

He also noticed the nearby grave mound.

He decided to grab a shovel and dug a hole, burying Zhang Lei.

"You think you'll find another classmate like me? Damn it, you two better pray for me to have smooth days ahead. Otherwise, I'll come back one day and dig up your graves."

He grumbled as he finished covering the grave.

Zhang Lei's grave was right next to Xia He's, the two of them lying side by side.

After a brief moment, Huang Jin turned and left.

On his way out, a young female zombie was wandering by the small garden gate, crouched down, staring blankly at the bloodstains Zhang Lei had left behind.

Rustle...

Hearing footsteps, the zombie instinctively looked up.

When she saw Huang Jin, who was dressed in a zombie suit, she mistook him for one of her own kind and didn't react much.

But Huang Jin shot her an annoyed glance and said:

"What are you staring at?"

Swish!!

Then he chopped her down with his axe.

Without a second thought, he continued walking towards the villa.

There was no hesitation or guilt in his actions.

By the time Huang Jin arrived at the villa, there were hardly any zombies left in the garden. The zombies had all moved through the secret passage to the shelter.

The once-bustling backyard was now eerily quiet.

The scattered footprints on the ground showed signs of a once-lively struggle.

Huang Jin cleared away the debris blocking the hallway and finally made his way upstairs to the woman's bedroom.

He opened the door, but the room was empty.

Rustle...

He caught a brief sound from inside the wardrobe, his sharp senses picking it up immediately.

"Are you coming out on your own, or should I pull you by the hair?"

Huang Jin asked as he drew his axe from his waist, making sure the sound wasn't coming from a zombie but from a person.

Just as he prepared for anything, the wardrobe door creaked open.

It was the frail Zhang Hong.

She was still alive.

"You really have a strong life force."

Huang Jin remarked before planning to leave.

Zhang Lei's dying wish was for him to check on Zhang Hong's well-being, and now that had been confirmed.

Task complete, there was no need for him to stay any longer.

"You... Ah, you... Where are you going?"

Zhang Hua, seeing another living person for the first time in ages, especially someone from the shelter, became visibly excited.

Instinctively, she reached out, wanting to ask him for help, and climbed out of the wardrobe.

Huang Jin noticed something off about her speech.

Turning around, he caught sight of her mouth opening wide as she called out to him.

"Where's your tongue?" he asked.

"Fat... Fat..." she stammered.

"Did the fat guy cut it out? You really are unlucky."

He said it casually and started to leave.

But then he noticed Zhang Hong following him, so he raised his axe and warned her:

"Don't follow me. I'm just here to check on things. You'll just slow me down. Be sensible."

"Then... then the person... Ah... that person went..."

"If you mean the kind-hearted guy who saved you? His name was Zhang Lei, and he's dead."

The woman froze, her face blank.

This time, she didn't follow Huang Jin as he left the room.

Zhang Lei's Story: End