CHAPTER 4

Chen Ming and I discussed how to safely venture outside for supplies. He had previously retrieved some biscuits from a supermarket near the hospital entrance, securing the door behind him. If we wanted to get more supplies from there, we would only need to be cautious while dealing with the walkers in the hospital yard and on the road ahead.

My father listened intently, nodding along. Just as we prepared to leave, he pulled out an old iron spatula—who knows where he had been keeping it—and insisted on coming with us.

Before I could protest, Chen Ming shot him a serious look and warned, "Once we're outside, you have to be careful—don't let them bite you."

My father's unexpected decision to join us heightened my anxiety. I quickly instructed my mother and grandmother to stay silent and keep the door locked before the three of us slipped out.

I could see the tension in my father's face as we moved forward—he was just as nervous as I was.

Chen Ming led the way at a light jog, guiding us out of the main hall. The entrance opened onto a straight road, with the hospital gate at the far end. Inpatient buildings flanked both sides of the road.

The moment we stepped outside, we spotted four walkers shambling toward us from a short distance away. My father instinctively let out a startled grunt and yanked me behind him, gripping my arm tightly.

Chen Ming, however, remained composed. Without hesitation, he unsheathed his knife and charged at them. My father made a move to call him back, but I quickly stopped him. "Don't worry," I reassured him, "he knows what he's doing." Watching Chen Ming rush toward the undead, I turned to my father and said, "Dad, follow me." Then, pushing aside my fear, I sprinted forward.

For a split second, my mind went blank. But deep down, there's always a dormant sense of bravery in everyone. Seeing Chen Ming's calm and fearless approach stirred something in me. I refused to be left behind—I couldn't afford to be the weak link.

As I closed in, Chen Ming had already taken down the first walker, slicing clean through its skull. I didn't give myself time to hesitate. I gripped my knife tightly and lunged at the nearest walker.

She was a woman in a hospital gown, her abdomen hollowed out, guts spilling over the fabric. The sight of her face—partially rotted—jogged a memory. She had once been our neighbor's daughter-in-law. Always argumentative, always in heated disputes with her husband.

The weight of the kitchen knife felt heavier than before, but I forced all my strength into my arms. My first strike landed on her shoulder, the second buried deep into her skull. Her already grotesque face became even more unbearable to look at.

Without missing a beat, I turned toward the next walker. Chen Ming had already knocked it off balance with a swift kick. As the creature collapsed to the ground, I reacted instinctively, driving my blade down onto its head.

For two full seconds, I stood frozen, staring at the split skull beneath me. Then, as if jolted by fire, I stumbled back, frantically wiping away the blood and bits of brain matter splattered on my skin.

I wasn't a particularly rebellious kid growing up, but I had always been obedient in front of my parents. Now, in their presence, I had just decapitated two former humans without a second thought. My father, stunned, struggled to process what he had just witnessed.

There was no time to comfort him. These weren't people anymore—they were monsters that wanted us dead. Killing them wasn't just necessary; it was survival.

Chen Ming was already heading toward the gate. I clapped my father on the back and urged him forward. "Dad, you have to keep moving."

This was probably the most surreal moment of our lives. My father, like many others his age, had barely seen foreign horror films, let alone experienced something like this firsthand. Even knowing that walkers weren't human anymore, he still hesitated to treat them as mere threats.

No amount of explanation could change that mindset—it was something he had to come to terms with himself. Because out here, hesitation meant death. Walkers didn't discriminate based on ignorance or sentimentality. Their only purpose was to hunt and feed.

I had heard those exact words on the emergency radio broadcast, and they had been burned into my mind ever since.

We reached the hospital gate without encountering more walkers. Chen Ming guided us along the perimeter wall, sticking close to cover.

The hospital's main gate was shut, but a small side entrance remained open. That likely explained why there were fewer walkers inside the hospital compared to the streets outside.

Beyond the gate, the city looked far worse. Walkers roamed in far greater numbers. The supermarket, our destination, was about 20 meters to the right, separated from us by a small greenbelt and an abandoned flower shop.

Our city was small. The roads in front of the hospital lacked proper planning, allowing cars to park haphazardly wherever space permitted. Usually, no one cared as long as they didn't block the entrance.

Now, those poorly parked vehicles were an unexpected advantage.

Chen Ming pointed to the cars scattered along the street. "We'll move behind them. Stay low, move fast, and don't make any noise."

Sweat slicked my palms. I swallowed hard, nerves tightening in my stomach. This was my first time leaving the hospital grounds in two months.

"How did you manage before?" I whispered.

Chen Ming kept his eyes on the street. "There weren't this many walkers back then."

"Then why so many now?"

"I don't know. Maybe a car passed by recently and drew them in. Or maybe they just wandered here by chance."

Despite his silence, my father adapted quickly. He didn't slow us down, following closely as we crept toward the supermarket.

We stayed low, inching forward between the vehicles. None of us dared touch the cars, afraid an alarm might go off. Walkers groaned in the distance—at least a dozen of them lurked nearby, moving aimlessly.

Finally, after painstakingly crawling those 20 meters, we reached the supermarket entrance.

Two walkers pressed against the glass door, their decayed hands scraping mindlessly. They noticed our presence too late.

Chen Ming drew his knife and nodded at me. "One each. Make it quick."

With the earlier battle fresh in my mind, I barely hesitated. I lunged forward.

The kitchen knife was powerful but unwieldy. My first two swings struck the zombie's shoulder instead of its head, forcing me to step back. Before I could recover, my father grabbed the knife from me and—without hesitation—drove it into the walker's skull.

Panting, I looked at him in surprise. He returned my gaze, gripping the knife firmly, and I gave him a small, approving nod.

Inside the supermarket, we swept the aisles to ensure it was clear. After confirming the area was secure, I grabbed several large plastic bags from the register and handed them out. We split up, gathering as many supplies as possible.

With our long-term survival in mind, we needed to stockpile as much food and essential supplies as we could.

I filled several bags with biscuits, soda, juice, and jerky. My father nearly cleared out the entire instant noodle section.

By the end, the three of us had packed more than a dozen bags of supplies.

Getting them back to the hospital, however, would be a challenge. Carrying this much weight while maneuvering through walker-infested streets would be near impossible.

As we debated whether to make multiple trips, a sudden crash startled us.

We spun around, weapons drawn, expecting walkers. Instead, our eyes widened in shock.

A chair that had been blocking the back entrance had just been pushed open—from the outside.

Two figures stumbled inside—a young man and woman, their faces pale and filled with desperation.

They frantically gestured for us to stay quiet before rushing to re-secure the door. After peeking outside to ensure nothing had followed them, they turned to us.

Seeing our wary expressions, the boy hesitated before speaking, his voice trembling. "We… we mean no harm…"

The girl clutched his arm, her voice cracking with emotion. "We haven't seen anyone alive in so long… Please… Can we come with you?"

Tears welled in her eyes, but she stifled them, pressing her hands over her mouth to keep herself silent.