CHAPTER 6

Xu Yiwen had no time to care about trivial matters at this moment. Even though they were in a seemingly safe place, he couldn't afford to let his guard down. He turned to me with urgency in his voice.

"He Mo, how long have you been here? Have you seen any medical teams recently? What about a rescue team? Kiki and I have been holed up in a room since the outbreak. We know almost nothing about what's happening outside."

I shook my head and let out a tired sigh. "Medical team? There hasn't been any real control over this situation since day one. It's only gotten worse. No one has stepped in to deal with it."

"Then do you know what caused this?" Xu Yiwen pressed. "Why did people suddenly start eating each other? They don't even look sick, yet they can still move. If I hadn't seen something like this in foreign horror movies before, I would have thought it was some kind of supernatural event."

"It was mentioned briefly in the news," I replied. "They're calling them walkers. The authorities say it's a virus that first appeared in late spring. It attacks the body, and once a person dies, they reanimate as one of those things outside. The human immune system can't fight it. Once bitten, you're as good as dead. And when you die, you turn."

Xu Yiwen exhaled sharply, as if reality had just sunk in. "So that's it... The old zombie movies were just entertainment before. But now, they've become survival guides."

I scoffed. "Yeah, except in those movies, the protagonists are armed with shotguns and infinite ammo. Look at us—our best weapons are two rusty kitchen knives and a spatula."

Hearing this, my father let out a rare chuckle, ruffling my hair. "My daughter never minces words."

My mother, however, gave him a sharp look. "It's a good thing she doesn't. If she were some delicate young lady, do you think we'd have survived this long? Enough pointless talk. Let's figure out our next move."

We spent the rest of the afternoon discussing options. Unfortunately, in our current situation, there weren't many. Given our limited strength and weapons, a supply run would be dangerous. Ultimately, we decided to stay put for now.

The next morning, the rain started. Luckily, we had gathered enough food to last a while. Once the rain stopped, we planned to go back to the supermarket and haul back whatever was left. Until then, we could only wait.

We cleared out the adjacent rooms, setting up one for me and Qiqi, and the other for Chen Ming and Xu Yiwen.

During the day, everyone mostly sat in silence, too afraid to make noise that might attract the walkers. But I could tell—it wasn't just fear keeping them quiet. It was despair.

That night, I couldn't sleep.

For two months, my only goal had been to find other survivors and escape that kitchen hellhole. But now that I had left, I felt lost. I didn't know what tomorrow would bring, what I wanted, or what this world had left to offer us. The more I thought about it, the more overwhelming the despair became.

Outside, the world was pitch black. The moonlight illuminated the silent, lifeless streets. No signs of life—only death and decay. This building, our temporary refuge, felt like a lone leaf drifting in an endless ocean. There was no direction, no future, no salvation.

The wall we had built kept the walkers out, but I realized something chilling: our greatest enemy wasn't the dead—it was the hopelessness they left behind.

Then, the worst happened.

After holding on for over two months, my grandmother's frail body finally gave in.

Her sudden illness hit my mother the hardest. She sat by her bedside, crying day and night. Qiqi tried to be strong, chatting with Grandma every day, but she barely responded. We could only boil water using an alcohol lamp and hope it was enough to keep her comfortable.

Deep down, we all knew what was coming.

At the same time, our food supplies were running dangerously low. We had no choice. I had to pull myself together and talk to Chen Ming about going out again.

My father wanted to come along, but before I could refuse, Chen Ming shook his head. I knew why. My father was older, his reflexes slower. He would only slow us down.

Grandma was already beyond saving. I couldn't afford to lose anyone else.

This time, Xu Yiwen joined us. Qiqi stayed behind to help look after everyone.

It's strange how quickly people adapt. Fear doesn't disappear—it just gets buried under the instinct to survive.

The first time I left the building, I was trembling. This time, I wasn't. I couldn't afford to be.

I had family depending on me. If I died, Chen Ming would leave. Xu Yiwen would leave. Qiqi would leave.

No one would be left to protect them.

The building was eerily silent except for the steady patter of rain. We didn't bother with umbrellas or raincoats. They'd only slow us down. We ran into the storm.

The cold rain helped clear my mind.

For a brief moment, the world felt... peaceful. No groaning walkers, no terrified whispers. Just the sound of rain.

We sprinted toward the supermarket. As we passed the medical building, three walkers suddenly lunged from the shadows.

Xu Yiwen nearly tripped in shock. Chen Ming signaled for us to flank them.

I gripped my knife tightly, moving to the left. One of the walkers turned to me, snarling.

It had once been a doctor. Its white coat was drenched in blood, its face twisted into something inhuman.

Once, this person had saved lives. Now, it was just another monster.

I didn't hesitate. I drove my knife into its skull. The body crumpled.

Squatting down, I tore a strip from its coat and covered its face.

Rest in peace.

Chen Ming studied the corpse, then glanced at me. He said nothing, but his nod was approving.

After that, we moved on.

We reached the supermarket more easily than expected. The number of walkers seemed to have decreased.

But as we approached, I noticed something off.

The cardboard boxes we had stacked in front of the entrance were gone.

Xu Yiwen tensed. "Walkers?" he whispered.

I shook my head. "No. Walkers don't remove obstacles. This was done by people."

Chen Ming scanned the area, then pulled a keycard from his pocket. I recognized it—it was from the hotel.

The supermarket door was locked from the inside. He slipped the card between the door and frame, jiggling it until—click—the lock disengaged.

He shot me a look before stepping inside.

Xu Yiwen followed, quickly shutting the door behind us.

The air was thick with tension. I cleared my throat and called out.

"Is someone here?"

Silence.

"We're not infected. If you can hear us, come out."

For a moment, nothing.

Then, from behind the shelves, footsteps.

Four people emerged—two men and two women.

They were young, attractive. I couldn't help but think about how ironic it was. Even during an apocalypse, the beautiful people still found each other.

One of them, a blond guy, held a wooden stick. His eyes were wary. "Who are you? What do you want?"

I held up my hands. "Relax. We're only three. You're four. We should be the nervous ones. We just need supplies."

A taller man scowled. "No. Find another place. This is ours."

Silence fell.

They must have just arrived. To them, we were intruders. But for us, finding another supermarket meant risking our lives.

As I tried to think of a way to negotiate, Chen Ming suddenly chuckled coldly.

"And what if we don't leave?"