The news was real, because they brought out people with different outcomes after infection for display—Ability Users… were among them too.
The news concluded with a stern declaration: No one is allowed to actively kill the Infected. The nation will not abandon any of its citizens.
Feng Qingyue swallowed hard. "During the day, they only talked about Zombies, making everyone panic all day about how to protect themselves. Then they release this at night, telling people that infection isn't necessarily a death sentence? This tactic of suppressing first and uplifting later… I'm speechless."
There's an art to which side of a story you present first. It seems like our people are accustomed to starting with the bad news. Feng Qingyue realized she was the same way. As the old saying goes, prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and do your utmost to achieve the best outcome.
Because of this explosive, novel, and stimulating news that brought new hope, countless families stayed up all night. Those so-called "experienced" novel and movie enthusiasts eagerly shared their so-called expertise.
Feng Qingyue also pulled Shu Hanguang and Shu Dabao aside to talk for a while, concluding with: Obey the law, stay low, and prioritize safety.
Approaching forty, she had long understood that the protagonists of this world were not the arrogant, all-powerful heroes but the masses. Only when everyone is united can a truly peaceful world be created. Those who jump out to challenge the bottom line are destined to become the case studies in the news.
Day Four, 8 a.m. Shu Dabao opened her eyes, her gaze listless.
Feng Qingyue's heart sank. She immediately found fever-reducing and cold medicine, mixed it, and made Dabao drink it, coaxing her back to sleep.
Shu Hanguang sat stiffly on a nearby stool, his face grim, wishing he could take her place.
Feng Qingyue was anxious inside but had to maintain composure on the surface. She spoke in a low, serious tone, instructing him: "Every time she caught a cold before, I would get a fever right after. If I start running a fever, I'll go to the other room. You lock both doors. If you hear anything unusual, don't open them."
Shu Hanguang pressed the corner of his eye. "Let's not get to that point."
Feng Qingyue was considering whether to find some rope just in case they needed to restrain someone when both their phones rang simultaneously—a video call from their hometown.
Exchanging a glance, they knew they couldn't let the elderly know!
They answered, forcing calmness, and chatted for a bit. The elders wanted to see the child. The child was sleeping, but fine, let them see.
They thought they could get away with it, but the elderly have sharp eyes. They immediately noticed something was wrong and let out a strained, angry voice from the other side of the screen: "What's wrong? Why does she have a fever? How are you taking care of the child?"
If not for the screen separating them, Feng Qingyue felt they could have crawled through and torn her apart.
She hurried to the living room, lowering her voice: "Maybe she didn't sleep well last night. Don't worry, it might just be a regular fever."
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard another strained cry from the bedroom. Shu Hanguang had gone into the bedroom to show their parents the child, not expecting them to also spot the problem at a glance.
Both sets of parents: Nonsense! How many children have they raised with their own hands? Couldn't they tell if a child was uncomfortable?
But no matter how anxious they were, it was useless. Father Feng and Mother Feng scolded for a while, seeing Feng Qingyue stubbornly biting her lip, both worried and angry: "You had to marry so far away. We can't even get over there—"
Feng Qingyue also had a stubborn temper: "How far? So many people work in other cities."
Over there, Shu Hanguang was also being stubborn with his parents: "What would we do staying in our hometown? What kind of jobs could we find?"
Driven by the tide of the times, countless people leave their hometowns to seek their fortunes, both to support themselves and their families and to contribute to the nation's development. For those born into poverty with nothing to their name, what other path is there if they don't venture out?
Now, such thoughts are useless. After both ends of the call hung up, the couple faced each other, unable to muster even a smile.
Sitting face-to-face by the bed, Feng Qingyue pressed a hand to her chest. "My emotions are so unstable. Is it the virus affecting me?"
Shu Hanguang muttered, "Don't scare me," and immediately grabbed his phone. The news was just broadcasting a live explanation of how to care for the infected, using real cases as examples.
Leaning in together, they saw that the caregivers weren't even wearing masks. So how was the virus spreading? Shu Dabao had no wounds or broken skin and hadn't been in contact with outsiders. Was it through the air? Water? Or both? Could they stop breathing or drinking water? It seemed this virus truly couldn't be defended against.
Scrolling to a new report, they learned that outbreaks were erupting nationwide, and residents were advised to stay home as much as possible and avoid going out.
It also mentioned that if anyone discovered infected individuals without caregivers, they should immediately call certain departments, and someone would come to take them away for centralized care.
Shu Hanguang asked, "What do you think they do with the people they take away?"
Feng Qingyue replied, "No matter what, we can't let Dabao go with anyone else."
Online, multiple live feeds showed people burning with high fevers. As the fevers raged on, some turned into Zombies, while others recovered and regained consciousness.
They kept replacing the towel on Shu Dabao's forehead, and Feng Qingyue continuously wiped her body. By the end, she was no longer sure if the fever had subsided.
"Does it feel like the fever's gone?" she asked Shu Hanguang uncertainly.
Shu Hanguang glanced at his phone. "The property management sent a notice. I'll go collect supplies. You stay inside."
Feng Qingyue paced around the room and faintly heard a noise. Walking to the balcony, she suddenly heard a howl from the building opposite. She steadied herself against the wall, her vision momentarily darkening.
That howl was identical to those made by infected individuals turning into Zombies on TV.
The virus had reached their neighborhood.
That howl seemed to be a signal. Afterward, noises could be heard from time to time—some inhuman, others the sounds of people screaming in panic.
The property management urged every household to fill out forms. Facing the questionnaire, Feng Qingyue ultimately reported that all three of them were normal.
With the virus enveloping the neighborhood, even the property management was likely affected. Would they come to their door to take people away?
Shu Hanguang, ever the bold one, made a round through the neighborhood before returning. As soon as he entered, he meticulously washed his hands and face—a far cry from his usual reluctance, which often required Feng Qingyue's scolding to get him near water.
Feng Qingyue stood nearby, holding a towel in silence.
After he finished washing, he said, "Almost every building has infected people now."
Feng Qingyue nodded and examined the first-aid kit he brought back. Like the last one, it contained six boxes of cooling oil, six bottles of medicated balm, and twelve bottles of floral water. She placed both kits on the table, set a few bottles of floral water by the door, and after a moment's thought, also placed some on the balcony and near every window.
There was also a plastic bag. Shu Hanguang pulled out its contents. "The property management distributed vegetable seeds, encouraging everyone to grow vegetables on their balconies. And these two boxes of medicine were also from them. I asked if they were effective, but they didn't answer… Oh, and Old Liu was there the past few days, but I didn't see him today."
Old Liu worked in property management and was a minor supervisor. He was always there whenever they visited, but this time, he was nowhere to be seen…
Feng Qingyue picked up the medicine box—it was children's medication, which they already had at home. Perhaps the one distributed by the property management was more effective? Regardless of whether it worked or not, she mixed it and fed it to Shu Dabao.
Shu Dabao opened her eyes groggily: "Mom, I feel terrible."
Feng Qingyue saw that her eyelids had grown thin, and tears streamed down uncontrollably. She forced a smile: "It's okay, fevers are like this. You'll feel better soon."
Shu Dabao's mind was hazy, filled with images from the TV. Suddenly, she thought of something and panicked: "Mom, I don’t want to leave you."
Feng Qingyue held her little hand: "Mom won’t leave you. Mom is right here, staying with you."
Shu Dabao closed her eyes, reassured, and drifted back into a heavy sleep.
Shu Hanguang pressed his lips tightly together: "I’ll go check the hospital."
As he was about to leave, Feng Qingyue grabbed him: "If hospitals were useful, we would have taken her there long ago."
Last time, when hospitals were overwhelmed, didn’t they urgently set up so many temporary medical facilities? The fact that there’s no such response this time means this virus has left doctors helpless.