Wang Shu did not like Old Mao.
He was young, proud, and excellent at writing reports. In meetings, he could speak fluently without preparation.
Old Mao, on the other hand, liked to act like a senior authority figure—always lecturing others, always acting like a “man who’s been through it all.” He bragged endlessly about his glorious past and even liked telling crude jokes.
But what Wang Shu disliked the most was this:
Old Mao looked down on cadres assigned from the county.
In Old Mao’s eyes:
Wang Shu knew these private judgments very well.
So he deliberately opposed him.
You have experience? Outdated and irrelevant.
You have achievements? “A true hero never boasts about the past.”
You like to lecture others? I manage my own people—don’t interfere.
They had always been at odds.
I can outlast you until retirement, Wang Shu used to think.
But now, suddenly, he felt childish.
The rain tonight was too heavy. The thunder too loud. The situation too terrifying.
There was only one thought in his mind:
He could not abandon Old Mao.
If Old Mao had not run over to save him, he would not be trapped now.
During the seconds when Old Mao was roaring commands, Wang Shu had already squeezed into the front passenger area with his smaller build, fastened his seatbelt, and opened the door.
“Drive!!!” he shouted, grabbing Old Mao’s back and pulling hard.
Although he couldn’t physically drag him alone, the driver reacted instantly.
At the sight of the infected tearing at Old Mao’s flesh, his survival instinct took over.
No thinking—only survival.
He stepped on the accelerator.
The vehicle surged forward.
Rain splashed across Wang Shu’s face as he held onto Old Mao’s clothes tightly. The seatbelt cut hard across his body.
Damn it, how much does this guy weigh?! he thought. If we survive this, I’m definitely going to the gym.
The car’s power was far greater than human strength.
Old Mao was dragged out of the crowd, howling in pain. In the chaos of lightning and darkness, he was slammed by branches and jolted violently as his legs hit unknown objects.
“Hah… this kid Wang… not bad,” he thought faintly.
One vehicle after another sped away, leaving only the town mayor’s group behind—completely unaware of what had happened, now trapped in the middle of a screaming crowd of over a hundred “people.”
An hour earlier, an emergency notice had called all medical staff back.
Those nearby arrived quickly. Those living in the county had to take detours due to blocked roads and could not arrive yet.
Only three nurses and two doctors from nearby areas were present.
Deputy town official Hou Weixiang from the health division was also there, along with hospital leadership, urgently arranging response plans.
Even though emergency protocols existed, reality always exceeded preparation.
They looked at the few staff members and sighed heavily.
They were severely understaffed.
After seeing Chen Yunhao’s video in the group chat, the hospital director felt a splitting headache:
“Was the first case Liu Ergang? When was he bitten? How did so many villagers fall sick at the same time? Why weren’t multiple bite cases reported earlier? And what about Secretary Huang—why did he deteriorate so fast? Is this a mutated rabies virus?”
Hou Weixiang checked her phone.
Before signal was lost, county authorities had already confirmed a Level Response for a major public health emergency.
“We currently know the first attacker was Liu Ergang. But earlier in the day, there were reports of livestock deaths and missing dogs in Tashui Village. The full situation is unclear.”
“This is now officially a public health emergency. County CDC and health emergency teams are already on the way, along with police and agriculture departments. Villages were instructed to issue warnings in group chats before the network went down.”
“At dawn, we will begin tracing all animal bite cases from the past six months.”
Hou Weixiang’s head throbbed.
It was midnight, during a storm. The worst possible timing.
Villages could not organize proper inspections at night. If people went out, they might be bitten again—or worse, attacked by infected individuals.
Everyone was waiting.
Waiting for rescue. Waiting for dawn. Waiting for the rain to stop.
The deputy director paced anxiously, repeatedly calling staff—but the phone lines were down.
He muttered in a local dialect, nervously circling:
“Oh my… what is happening… why can’t the phones get through… this is too dangerous…”
Hou Weixiang finally stopped him.
“From the video, the medical staff likely fled in the ambulance. They should come back.”
“Sit down. Stop pacing. Let’s continue planning.”
He reluctantly sat—but still fidgeted anxiously.
Hou Weixiang continued:
“When county support arrives, they’ll likely gather here first. We must prepare isolation wards and disinfection procedures.”
“I suggest using the abandoned quarantine facility—it still has over a hundred isolation units and proper containment structures.”
“But it hasn’t been used in years, and with this storm…”
“We’ll report to the Party secretary. All township staff should prepare it as much as possible.”
The director felt uneasy.
This situation reminded him of COVID, SARS, and every past crisis he had lived through—or even horror movies.
Sometimes panic was better than ignorance. Ignorance meant not knowing what you were facing.
Just then—
The ambulance returned.
Nurse Fan Xiaoqiu and the driver returned in shock.
They had fled instinctively.
At the time, they saw chaos erupt and simply ran.
Only after returning did guilt set in.
“What about the police and township staff…?”
They hesitated.
Maybe… they also escaped?
Maybe…
They were unsure.
But going back now felt impossible.
So they went to report to leadership.
The hospital staff rushed downstairs.
Excited voices filled the air:
“If they drove back, the driver must still be normal!”
“Check for injuries! Give vaccines immediately!”
“Does the vaccine even work?”
“Doesn’t matter—better safe than sorry!”
The hospital director walked ahead cautiously, holding a metal IV stand like a weapon.
“Just in case… if anyone suddenly attacks…”
Everyone instinctively hid behind him.
He thought bitterly:
Great. Now I’m the human shield.
Fan Xiaoqiu burst into tears:
“It was terrifying!! What is going on?!”
The driver shook uncontrollably.
“Where’s Dr. Tang?” the deputy director asked urgently.
“He’s inside,” the driver replied.
Dr. Tang sat slumped in the ambulance.
Unmoving.
Silent.
Then—
He fell forward.
“He… he might be dead,” the driver said.
The deputy director immediately opened the door.
Medical instinct took over—he checked the pulse.
At that moment—
Dr. Tang suddenly lifted his head.
His eyes glowed red.
His body arched violently.
And then—
He bit down hard on the deputy director’s hand.
“AAAAHHHH!!!”
A scream tore through the night.
Chaos erupted.
Doctors and nurses rushed forward.
The hospital director shouted:
“Don’t let him bite you! Get tools! Don’t use your hands!”
He swung the IV stand wildly—but it had no effect.
Another doctor grabbed it and used it like a spear, stabbing toward Dr. Tang’s glowing eyes.
After repeated strikes—
Dr. Tang finally released his bite.
The deputy director collapsed, his hand mangled and bleeding.
He stared in shock and grief.
Xiao Tang… how am I supposed to explain this to your family…?