“There must be another reason.” Jiang Mo handed a milk candy to Qi Yuanyuan and analyzed seriously. “Both Huang Yuan and I were injured, but neither of us has any physical issues. The low-grade fever might be caused by some component in the green mist outside, but the sudden full-body decay and rot they experienced definitely isn’t.”
Qi Yuanyuan said, “Could it be contaminated water?”
Jiang Mo shook her head. “We’ve all been drinking the same water. Even if there were effects, it shouldn’t only affect those two. Besides, the water from the previous days was fine.”
Even with the mist spreading, the water in the pipes shouldn’t have come into contact with the outside air.
“True.”
Qi Yuanyuan suddenly looked at Jiang Mo. “Then what about those worms?”
“The worms could be from food containing parasites, or something their wounds came into contact with.”
Jiang Mo took out a notebook, sat on the sofa, and carefully recorded everything—from when the girl started struggling to when she died.
Human memory is limited. Even the most vivid events become distorted over time, unconsciously shaped by one’s thoughts—details added or lost—never perfectly accurate.
Qi Yuanyuan leaned over, astonished. “You’re documenting the zombies.”
Jiang Mo nodded honestly. “I want to leave this place.” She couldn’t rely on others. That so-called “him”—if he came, great. If not, she had to make her own way to an official base.
She wanted to go home, no matter what.
After spending these days together, Jiang Mo could feel Qi Yuanyuan’s genuine kindness. She had begun to open up and accept this friend who helped her in a time of crisis.
Girls’ friendships are strange—sometimes you know someone for years and remain distant, other times just a few days and you become inseparable.
Probably a matter of compatibility.
Qi Yuanyuan continued reading the notes:
Days 1–3: Zombies bite quickly and precisely but lack awareness. They only know to attack. Possibly driven by a need for fresh blood to sustain or increase energy. They retain muscle memory—can climb and jump.Physical traits: Grayish eyes, black veins visible under the skin. No other major changes.
Days 4–6: Green mist thickens. Zombies begin climbing walls in large numbers, though they can’t sustain it long. Skin turns sticky green. They start using tools—knives, wooden sticks—showing signs of basic thinking.
Days 7–9: Fever and illness observed, but not closely monitored.
Day 10 (today):
Qi Yuanyuan glanced out the window at the dense green mist. Faintly, she thought she saw shadows moving.
“Ah—!” she screamed.
Jiang Mo pulled the curtains shut and calmly said, “One more day. Then we’ll all die in the mouths of zombies. There’s no way to call for help.”
Based on her observations, some zombies on the walls were scouting food locations inside the building. Others would break windows, jump in, and feast.
Jiang Mo suspected a hierarchy among them.
Despite not hearing any zombies herself, Qi Yuanyuan chose to trust Jiang Mo. She reported it to Professor Jiang. He was skeptical—after Jiang Mo first claimed zombies could climb walls, he had assigned people to watch. They saw nothing unusual.
Still, to be safe, he gathered everyone for a discussion.
“There’s a serious question,” he said. “Has anyone heard glass breaking these past few days?”
Out of all those people, not a single one had.
“What are you talking about?”
“Glass made in our country can be broken?”
“Was it zombies smashing it?” someone asked.
Jiang Mo looked at the speaker—a quiet young man from her group, about twenty-five, fair-skinned. He raised his hand. “I saw something climbing the building across from us.”
Qi Yuanyuan whispered to Jiang Mo, “He had a fever too—cut his hand while working.”
She was the only doctor there—anyone injured went to her.
Huang Yuan, arriving late, spoke with a serious expression. “Professor Jiang, I saw it too. Zombies can break glass and climb inside to attack people.”
The scar on her face had completely disappeared. Her complexion was rosy, her skin even brighter than before. Standing beside the professor, she lifted her chin proudly.
“I’m an ability user.”
Before communication went down, the authorities had mentioned that some humans would develop special abilities—and would be recruited and treated well.
She extended her hand. A thick green vine sprouted from her palm, twisting and growing, quickly wrapping around the chandelier above.
“Damn, that’s real!”
“This world’s gone insane.”
“Does this mean we don’t have to fear zombies anymore?”
Huang Yuan raised her chin as more vines extended.
“So cool.”
Jiang Mo was now almost certain—the fever was likely a transformation of the body.
“Quiet,” Professor Jiang said, glancing at Huang Yuan. “The priority is how to deal with the zombies. If what Huang Yuan says is true, we’re in serious danger.”
Most people instinctively looked at Huang Yuan.
She was the only one capable of fighting zombies—their only hope.
She restrained her vines and said, “I can kill zombies. But everyone has to follow my instructions.”
Yan Ting and Qi Yuanyuan immediately looked at Jiang Mo.
Everyone knew Huang Yuan and Jiang Mo were enemies. If Huang Yuan assigned roles, Jiang Mo would surely be placed in the most dangerous position.
Unexpectedly, Huang Yuan asked for Jiang Mo’s opinion.
All eyes turned to her.
Jiang Mo had always kept a low profile. Though everyone knew she came from wealth, she never flaunted luxury brands, wore simple clothes, and kept to herself.
Now, people wondered—had the two reconciled?
Jiang Mo ignored their gazes and spoke calmly:
“From my observations, zombies likely have a hierarchy. The higher the level, the more human-like their intelligence.”
“Human intelligence?” someone gasped. “Then we’re doomed.”
“Do higher-level zombies control the lower ones?”
Jiang Mo nodded. “They’re clearing humans floor by floor. That means there must be higher-level zombies orchestrating it. We’re trapped here—we don’t know much about the outside—but I’m certain we’re being deliberately contained.”
“Then what’s our way out?”
“The freezer behind the restaurant. It has a blast-proof door. Zombies won’t be able to break in.”
“But wouldn’t we be even more trapped?”
“The green mist won’t last forever. Once it dissipates, we can counterattack.”
Jiang Mo played a recorded broadcast.
After listening, someone angrily said, “If you had official information, why didn’t you share it earlier?”
“What difference would it make?” Qi Yuanyuan snapped. “Visibility outside is less than a meter. Zombies could be right behind you and you wouldn’t know. And we don’t even know if the mist affects humans. If anything, the broadcast is encouraging us to go out and die.”
“So the message is fake?”
“Partially true, partially false. Zombies may have a weak point in the brain—it makes sense biologically. But—” Jiang Mo shook her head.
“If zombies have intelligence, would they really reveal their biggest weakness so easily?”
“Humans aren’t helpless. As long as we’re alive, we can adapt—just like the pandemic a few years ago. It was brought under control within three years.”
“Then where is their weak point?”
“We can consider the brain a possibility—but we shouldn’t treat it as a certainty.”
Professor Jiang intervened, “Let’s focus on how to prepare.”
“Use anything available—books tied to arms and legs for protection, table legs as weapons, chopsticks, bowls, fire axes, kitchen cleavers…”
“We haven’t observed zombies up close, but they likely track us by scent. We need to mask our smell near the storage room.”
“Perfume,” someone suggested. “Mine lasts a week.”
“I have some too.”
“I’ve got floral water—it’s strong.”
“I have charcoal—it might help.”
Jiang Mo continued, “Once inside, we need to quickly make weapons. When the mist clears, rescue teams will come. We just need to survive until then.”
Survival—waiting for rescue—was their only real option.
They couldn’t rely on a group of academics to fight physically against powerful zombies.
Everything depended on whether the higher-level zombies were still “playing” with them.
Professor Jiang nodded. “Go pack your things.”
“Ah—!”
Suddenly, a girl screamed.
Everyone turned—
A completely green zombie was clinging to the window. With a single punch—
Crash!
The glass shattered, fragments flying everywhere, slicing into exposed skin.
The calm discussion collapsed instantly.
No one had expected the zombies to arrive so quickly.