Under the dim, flickering streetlights, patches of bloodstains could be seen. Zombies pounded on the windows and doors of the cars trapped in the traffic jam. Occasionally, they shattered a window, grabbed someone inside, and bit down, triggering a chorus of screams.
Some people abandoned their vehicles and ran to nearby shops or residential buildings, knocking on doors. If someone was inside, the door wouldn’t open. If no one was inside, the doors were locked and they couldn’t get in. In the end, they still died under the zombies’ claws.
Fu Erdie felt that this road was only somewhat blocked for now. In half a day, it would be completely blocked by abandoned vehicles.
Water, electricity, and gas were still available at home, so Fu Erdie took the chance to cook a large pot of rice, enough to last her two full days.
Rice with pickled vegetables was quite tasty, and Fu Erdie wasn’t picky.
While eating, she kept calling her parents, grandmother, and close friends.
As she was washing the dishes after her meal, she suddenly received a call from an unfamiliar number.
Fu Erdie’s heart leaped. Without overthinking, she answered immediately.
Considering the dangerous situations the caller might be in, she spoke in a very soft whisper: “Hello?”
As it turned out, this was the right move.
Because the voice on the other end was also extremely quiet.
“It’s me.”
Zhao Xiaolu!!!
Fu Erdie suppressed the urge to shout for joy and whispered, “Where are you?”
Zhao Xiaolu said, “Before anyone else could react, I helped a shop owner close the metal shutter and hid inside. I’ve noticed that as long as we stay quiet and don’t expose ourselves, these zombies don’t come after us just by scent through the walls. But from time to time, people outside come running to the door with zombies chasing them, and they start banging on it. We don’t dare open, and then more zombies gather.”
Fu Erdie looked out at the balcony.
Somewhere inside one of those shops was where Zhao Xiaolu was hiding.
“What can I do to help?” Fu Erdie picked up her hammer.
“I need to climb out through the storage room window,” Zhao Xiaolu said, her alert gaze fixed on the front of the line of jammed vehicles. “There’s an SUV there. The keys are still in it. The owner was already dragged out and killed. I’m going to take that car. Xiao Die, bring food, as much as you can carry, and come with me!”
The light was dim, but the SUV was large, and Fu Erdie could see where it was parked. Normally, she would only need to go downstairs, circle around the neighborhood gate, and take a turn along the outside road to get there.
But now, she couldn’t even get out the door. Even if she did manage to escape, after a desperate run, she wouldn’t be able to carry much food, at most, a large backpack with about 20 packs of instant noodles. For two people, that would last only ten days.
To escape, she would need to find supplies and gasoline, which meant fighting and competing with zombies.
She knew Zhao Xiaolu well, she had always been athletic. Even after starting work, she went to the gym every week. Her wheat-colored skin was a testament to her health, and she could run faster than many men who didn’t exercise. That was why she had been able to jump off the bus when things went wrong and run so far to hide in a shop.
If Fu Erdie went to her, she’d only be a burden.
“I can’t outrun the zombies, and I can’t even get out the door,” Fu Erdie made her decision and started moving immediately. “I’ll lower a carton of instant noodles down from my balcony later. You know exactly where my balcony faces, right? I’ll do it quietly…”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Zhao Xiaolu cut her off. “I’m not coming to you for food! I’m leaving the shop now, and I’ve agreed to bring the owner along. We’ll take as much food and tools from her store as we can carry. I’m not short of your one carton!”
The shop owner was a woman in her early thirties who ran a general store. She had hardware supplies, frozen buns and mantou that were usually steamed for sale in the morning, and a stock of vegetables and fruit.
The owner also had a car, but it was parked 500 meters away in a lot far from the blocked roads. Right now, their best option was to go for the SUV up ahead.
Since it was still dark, the two of them might be able to sneak over quietly.
Zhao Xiaolu urged, “Move quietly, tiptoe, and try not to attract the zombies’ attention. You might actually make it out.”
Fu Erdie was tempted.
But the problem wasn’t whether escaping was possible, it was that she was truly useless. She wouldn’t be able to help at all.
She couldn’t drag Zhao Xiaolu down.
“I’m not going out. I’m going to stay here with my supplies and wait for rescue.” Fu Erdie lowered her eyes, suppressing the slight hoarseness in her voice. “You have to make it out safely.”
A long silence followed.
Finally, Zhao Xiaolu spoke slowly. “How long can your supplies last?”
Fu Erdie replied, “At least a month. If the water, electricity, and gas don’t get cut off, maybe two months.”
Zhao Xiaolu said, “Alright. Stay put for now. If things improve later, or if I have the means, I’ll come find you. Don’t worry about Cen Xiyang, her office building has a good security system. The building is locked down, the zombies outside can’t get in, and the ones inside have already been dealt with by the people there. Plus, they have a cafeteria in the building, so they’ll be fine for now. My battery’s running low. I’ll hang up for now. I’ll contact you later.”
“Okay. Stay safe.”
She opened her phone’s zoom function and barely made out two dark figures carrying backpacks, emerging from a corner and moving stealthily through the shadows toward the SUV.
Several times, zombies passed close by them, pausing for a moment, only to be drawn away by screams coming from elsewhere, overlooking the two figures hidden in the darkness.
A distance of just fifty meters took them a full eight minutes. Finally, they made it into the SUV.
The roar of the engine blended in with the sounds of vehicles speeding away after clearing the blocked section. And so, that car drove off into the distance, carrying with it the traces of blood.
Fu Erdie let out a long sigh, resting her elbows on the windowsill as she watched the SUV disappear.
Suddenly, she noticed something. The zombies outside, though strong, moved relatively slowly, about the same pace as a brisk walk. Anyone fleeing could quickly put some distance between them.
The problem was that humans would eventually tire and slow down, while zombies could keep up at that steady walking pace indefinitely. And with more zombies blocking the way ahead, that was why normal people couldn’t escape.
But the elderly zombie she encountered yesterday had pursued her relentlessly at an astonishing speed, clearly different from these zombies. Could there already be second-stage zombies?
Or was it some kind of speed-based zombie?
She opened the surveillance footage to check the hallway.
Three zombies were wandering in the hallway outside her door. The body of the elderly zombie from yesterday was still lying on the ground, a horrifying sight.
Fu Erdie felt the urge to retch again.
She forced it down with a gulp of water.
Regardless, she wanted to find out if all zombies were that powerful and fast, or if the elderly zombie was a special case.
The three zombies were old, middle-aged, and young. Fu Erdie set her sights on the youngest one, the one about thigh-high.
She didn’t plan to open her own door and lure the zombies inside to study them. Instead, from her current position, she could climb from her balcony to the one next door, lure the zombie into the empty apartment, and lock it inside.
It was a bit risky, but worth a try. She just had to wait until dawn.
Summer days broke early. By six o’clock, she could clearly see the balcony.
She tied a rope around herself and, from the heights outside the balcony, slowly made her way to the neighboring unit.