"I bought an electric hot pot before, it should have been delivered yesterday..."
Zheng Xinyu said in a slightly aggrieved tone, having prepared thoroughly for the challenge.
"Electric hot pot... That's it!" Zhong Xiaoshan's eyes lit up as she pointed upstairs, saying, "902 has a microwave and an induction cooker!"
Zhang Su made a quick decision and said, "I'll go!"
Water, electricity, gas, communication; now only electricity is stubbornly hanging on. Who knows when it might be gone too, but we must use it while we can.
Zheng Xinyu was about to suggest going together but suddenly realized that things are different now. She couldn't let the newcomer, Zhong Xiaoshan, see all their supplies at home. So she nodded and turned to help Zhang Su find his gear.
"Be careful about the floor when you go to 902, it's a mess and easy to trip over. Also, be extremely cautious of that zombie uncle. He's not wearing shoes, so he walks silently..."
Zhong Xiaoshan stood to the side, reminding Zhang Su who was putting on arm guards.
"OK!"
Without delay, Zhang Su checked the situation outside. Seeing no anomalies, he opened the door and left. Others had already cleared the way for him, giving him some peace of mind though he remained vigilant.
"Sister Xinyu, you're so lucky to be with someone as reliable as Brother Su."
At the door, Zhong Xiaoshan said to Zheng Xinyu, who was looking outside through the peephole.
Zheng Xinyu's body stiffened slightly.
Together?
If it weren't for this sudden catastrophe, would the two of them have gotten together?
We'd probably still be oppressed by that unscrupulous and greedy landlord!
"Does Nurse Zhong have feelings for Brother Su?"
Zheng Xinyu turned her head and asked bluntly, looking directly at Zhong Xiaoshan without avoiding her gaze.
The straightforward question made Zhong Xiaoshan quite embarrassed. She averted her eyes and said with an awkward smile, "What are you saying, Sister Xinyu? We've only known Brother Su for less than a day, how could I have any feelings?"
"It's not surprising if you do have feelings, especially now... We can't have conflicts that upset Brother Su. As long as you can make him happy, we'll all be better off."
Zheng Xinyu had an indescribable expression on her face. After speaking, she continued to peek through the peephole.
Zhong Xiaoshan looked at Zheng Xinyu in disbelief, but after a moment, she understood her intentions. In this precarious environment, many things had changed and were no longer the same as before.
For survival, any internal conflicts must be avoided and resolved, and any external conflicts must be eradicated and solved!
At the same time, in the same unit, two men in 502 were talking in low voices.
"Brother, brother... We can't get out, there's no way through with so many zombies downstairs!"
A frail man kept shaking his head, his face filled with fear, his hair disheveled, and his eyes bloodshot. If seen at night, he would definitely be mistaken for a zombie.
"No, we must leave here!"
Duan Wuhu was resolute, saying, "The water and gas have been cut, who knows how long the electricity will last? Even if we eat twice a day, we only have enough for three or four days!"
"Once we run out of food, we'll be in even worse shape and won't have the strength to escape!"
Compared to his younger brother Duan Sihai, Duan Wuhu was sturdily built, not just fat but with a solid foundation. Speaking, he looked sadly towards the bedroom.
"Brother, even if we leave here, what about..."
Duan Sihai also looked towards the master bedroom, his eyes filled with despair. "What about Mom and Sister-in-law?"
Listening closely, one could hear a tooth-grinding sound coming from the bedroom—a sound that was small but chilling, as if a man-eating demon lurked behind the door.
Mentioning their mother and his wife, Duan Wuhu couldn't help but recall the nightmare from yesterday.
It was a typical morning. As a middle school gym teacher, he was up before six for a jog around the neighborhood. Upon returning home, his wife was making breakfast while his mom watered the flowers by the window. Only his homebody little brother was still asleep.
Having just graduated college, Duan Sihai hadn't found a job and was in a period of life confusion, but this didn't prevent the family from being close and loving.
Everything seemed so warm and beautiful, but disasters never come with warnings!
Duan Wuhu forgot the exact time, only remembering coming out of the bathroom and seeing a pot of noodles boiling over on the gas stove, while his wife stood robotically twitching her neck, oblivious to the overflowing pot.
He hurriedly approached to ask, but seeing his wife's face made his heart skip a beat.
Her bluish-gray cheeks showed faint veins, and her eyes were bloodshot. Without a word, she lunged at him, mouth wide open...
Duan Wuhu reacted swiftly, grabbing a rolling pin from the rack to shield himself, narrowly avoiding disaster. He then wrapped his wife in plastic wrap, securing her but hardly had he breathed a sigh of relief when his mom approached him with the same robotic steps!
Faced with his mother, lost to reason and lunging to bite him, Duan Wuhu felt thunderstruck. With no time to think, he did the same to secure his mother.
Seeing the two most important women in his life writhing on the ground, making beast-like growls, filled Duan Wuhu with turmoil.
Soon after, the entire neighborhood descended into chaos, signaling to him that something terrible was happening!
"If the experiences you've learned from movies are correct, there's no saving your sister-in-law and our mom..." Duan Wuhu choked slightly and sighed deeply, saying, "We have to survive!"
He was both sentimental and rational. He knew the deceased were already gone.
Duan Sihai clutched his tangled hair, his face slightly contorted. "But what if... what if there's hope to cure Mom and Sister-in-law? If we leave just like that, wouldn't they, wouldn't they die in vain!"
"In the short term, there's no hope of restoring order. The water's gone, gas is gone, we won't last a week. Of course, I hope Mom and Xiaolan can be treated, but... do you think it's realistic?"
Duan Wuhu understood his brother's personality—using these reasons as an excuse for his cowardice and reluctance to face the outside world.
Anyone rational could see the current situation clearly. Let alone researching how to defeat the virus, finding a safe haven was difficult enough.
"Fine! Brother, even if what you say is true, but... even if we get out, where could we go? The gunfire and explosions from last night have stopped. Are we supposed to be better equipped than the army?"
Duan Sihai's expression was somewhat hysterical.
Due to their floor level, the Duan brothers didn't have as clear a view as Zhang Su, and didn't realize that it was SWAT clearing zombies, thinking it was the army.
"We're not going to confront those monsters head-on! If we can't provoke them, we'll avoid them! I want to keep you alive—alive, understand?"
Duan Wuhu earnestly tried to persuade his demotivated brother.