Night fell.
The world outside seemed to finally quiet down a bit; at least the heart-wrenching screams were much fewer than during the day.
In their place was a more chilling low-frequency noise, the sound of thousands of zombies shuffling through the campus.
We didn't turn on the lights in the dorm, and to avoid attracting those monsters outside, Li Wenli and I had drawn the curtains tightly early on.
I lay on Wang Yanli's bed, which had a faint scent of laundry detergent, but I couldn't fall asleep.
Even though my body was exhausted to the limit, every muscle protesting with soreness from the intense activity during the day, my mind was as hyperactive as if I were at a rave.
"Sigh..."
I turned over gently, afraid of waking Li Wenli on the opposite bed.
That girl was really carefree, her breathing was even and long, occasionally letting out a few indistinct murmurs, sleeping more soundly than a pig.
In this blood-scented apocalyptic night, being able to sleep was a blessing.
Unable to bear the chaotic thoughts in the darkness, I reached under my pillow for my phone.
As the screen lit up, the glaring light stung my eyes, and I quickly adjusted the brightness to the lowest setting.
I opened the campus Tieba, which seemed to be the only thing I could do now.
The posts refreshed slower than during the day, but the concentration of despair had multiplied.
"Is anyone in the lab building? The fire door here is about to give in!"
The screen was filled with cries for help, despair, and last words.
Suddenly, amidst the sea of despair and pleas for help, a post caught my attention.
The title was very concise:
"Emergency Medical Guide and Survival Advice for the 'Mutated Syphilis' Outbreak (First Edition) — Park Caiying, School Infirmary"
Posted ten minutes ago.
"Doctor Park?!"
I sat up abruptly, the movement causing the damn old bunk bed to creak loudly.
I couldn't care less, jumping off the bed and rushing to Li Wenli's side in two steps.
"Hey! Wake up! Wake up!"
I reached out to shake Li Wenli's shoulder, whispering urgently.
Li Wenli was in a deep sleep, and when I shook her, she mumbled groggily before suddenly opening her eyes. In the dim light of the phone screen, I saw a terrifying burst of morning grumpiness in her eyes.
"Zhou Peiyu! What the hell are you doing in the middle of the night?!"
She was about to yell but suddenly remembered the situation, forcibly lowering her voice.
"No, don't sleep! Something big happened!"
I shoved the phone screen in her face, my hands trembling with excitement. "Look at this! I found Doctor Park's post! She's still alive and posted a guide!"
Hearing the words "Doctor Park," the anger in Li Wenli's eyes instantly dissipated. She grabbed my phone, rubbed her eyes, and leaned closer to read the screen carefully. The source of this chapter is g.com.
"It really is Doctor Park..." she murmured.
The post was long but well-organized, entirely in line with Doctor Park's decisive personality.
"Dear students, I am Park Caiying, the school doctor. After analyzing and observing samples from some early-stage infected individuals, I have summarized the characteristics of this virus as follows. All survivors must memorize this!"
"1. Transmission routes:"
"This virus is a high-level mutation of syphilis spirochetes, extremely aggressive. Besides traditional sexual, blood, and mother-to-child transmission, its mutated bodily fluids (including saliva and pus) contain a high concentration of viral load."
"2. Absolute taboos (must-read for survival):"
"Do not have any physical contact with infected individuals! Do not touch their bodily fluids!"
This was still normal, but the next point left both Li Wenli and me stunned.
"Remember! Never engage in sexual activity with any infected individuals! This is the most efficient transmission route and the fastest way for the virus to mutate! This behavior will directly cause the virus to attack the brainstem, leading to instant zombification!"
Me: "..."
Li Wenli: "..."
I couldn't help but twitch my mouth, muttering softly, "At a time like this? With zombies besieging us and brains splattered everywhere, who the hell would still think about having sex with an infected person? That's just too much."
Li Wenli shot me a sideways glance, her expression a bit strange: "Did you forget how Zhu Jiajia got infected? And those second-generation wealthy types like Yang Likai. Doctor Park's warning, absurd as it sounds, isn't nonsense in a campus full of college students."
I blushed, recalling that ridiculous night. If it weren't for that inexplicable antibody I had, I'd probably be one of those twisted-neck zombies outside by now.
"Ahem, let's keep reading." I awkwardly changed the subject.
"3. Emergency blockade (important):"
"If you are unfortunately scratched, bitten, or have mucous membrane contact with the virus, confirm infection within five minutes (golden time) and immediately inject at least 15 milliliters of penicillin intravenously or intramuscularly! Although this cannot cure the virus, it can effectively slow the reproduction of spirochetes, alleviate high fever and ulceration symptoms, and extend the original infection incubation period from a few minutes to about ten hours!"
"4. About antibodies:"
"I am currently researching, but sample numbers are scarce. If anyone believes they are an Immune One, please contact me!"
After reading the post, Li Wenli and I exchanged glances.
"This Doctor Park... she's a genius."
Li Wenli couldn't help but exclaim, "In such a short time, with monsters everywhere outside, she managed to calmly conduct experiments, analyze data, and even summarize this survival guide. Fifteen milliliters of penicillin can delay for ten hours? That's giving bitten people time to write their wills."
"Indeed, impressive." I nodded, feeling a newfound respect for the hot, lab coat-wearing elegant lady doctor.
More importantly, she mentioned "Immune Ones" at the end.
"Li Wenli, look at this last sentence." I pointed at the line, "She's looking for Immune Ones. She must have discovered something."
Li Wenli's eyes lit up: "Zhou Peiyu, isn't she talking about you? That day in the infirmary, she drew your blood, definitely because your blood has that antibody! If we can contact her, maybe she can use your blood to develop a real vaccine!"
"Hurry! Send her a private message!" Li Wenli urged.
Taking a deep breath, I typed rapidly:
"Doctor Park, hello! I'm Zhou Peiyu! The guy who carried Zhu Jiajia to the infirmary, and you drew my blood! I'm still alive, in Dorm Room 3023, Building 2. I'm with my desk mate Li Wenli, and we're temporarily safe. I have something very important to tell you; I seem to really not have mutated!"
I hit send.
Watching the small sending icon spin round and round, my heart hung in suspense.
"Sent successfully."
Seeing those words, I breathed a sigh of relief, then began the long wait.
One minute. Two minutes. Five minutes.
The phone screen lit up and dimmed repeatedly, but there was still no reply in the chat window.
"Why isn't she responding..." I anxiously scratched my head, "Is the signal bad, or did something happen on her end?"
Li Wenli stared at the screen for a while, then yawned, sleepiness creeping back.
"Maybe she's busy. Or her phone's dead. Think about it, once she posted that, every surviving student on campus probably bombarded her with private messages for help, her inbox must be exploding."
She patted my shoulder and climbed back into bed: "Alright, stop staring. Save some battery. I can't hold on anymore, I'm going to sleep. Wake me if there's news."
With that, she wrapped herself in the blanket, and soon her even breathing resumed.
Watching her carefree demeanor, I felt both envious and helpless.
Holding my phone, I lay back on my bed.
In the darkness, only the phone screen emitted a faint glow.
I didn't dare sleep, afraid of missing Doctor Park's message.
Time ticked by.
My eyelids grew heavier.
"Maybe... something really happened to her."
Images of the horrific scene at the infirmary entrance flashed through my mind.
Just as my consciousness began to blur, the phone about to slip from my hand, on the verge of sleep—
"Buzz—!"
The phone in my hand suddenly vibrated violently.
I jolted awake, nearly dropping the phone.
Frantically, I steadied it and unlocked the screen.
In the top right corner of the app icon, a bright red "1" appeared.
It was a reply from Doctor Park!
My hands trembled with excitement as I nervously opened the chat box.
Sure enough, it was her!