027 When He Is Well, Everyone Is Well! (Please follow for updates, tra-la-la!)

"I bought an electric hot pot, it was supposed to be delivered yesterday..." Zheng Xinyu said with a aggrieved pout. She had made extensive preparations for the challenge.

"An electric hot pot... right!" Zhong Xiaoshan's eyes brightened. Pointing toward the floor above, she said, "Room 902 has a microwave and an induction cooker!"

Zhang Su made a swift decision. "I'll go check it out!"

Water, electricity, gas, and communications—only electricity was still stubbornly hanging on. Heaven knows when that might cut out too, so they had to make use of it while they could.

Zheng Xinyu almost suggested going with him, but she suddenly realized that things were different now. She couldn't very well leave Zhong Xiaoshan, a newcomer, alone with all the supplies in the apartment. She nodded and turned to help Zhang Su gather his gear.

"Be careful of the floor conditions in 902; it's easy to trip over the clutter. Also, please be extremely careful of that zombie uncle. He isn't wearing shoes, so he walks without making a sound..." Zhong Xiaoshan stood by, reminding Zhang Su as he adjusted his arm guards.

"Got it!"

With that, Zhang Su didn't linger. He checked the situation outside, found no anomalies, and stepped out, closing the door behind him. Knowing someone had already cleared the path gave him a small sense of relief, though he remained vigilant.

"Sister Xinyu, you're so lucky to be with someone as reliable as Brother Su," Zhong Xiaoshan said at the door to Zheng Xinyu, who was peering through the peephole.

Zheng Xinyu’s body stiffened slightly.

*Being together?*

If this sudden catastrophe hadn't occurred, would they have ended up together? They probably would have just continued to be exploited by that unscrupulous, heartless landlord!

"Nurse Zhong, do you have feelings for Brother Su?" Zheng Xinyu turned her head and asked bluntly, her gaze fixed steadily on Zhong Xiaoshan.

The direct question left Zhong Xiaoshan quite embarrassed. She dodged her gaze and chuckled sheepishly, "What are you saying, Sister Xinyu? I've known Brother Su for less than a day, how could I have any ideas?"

"It wouldn't be strange if you did. In these times... we cannot have conflicts that make Brother Su unhappy. As long as you can make him happy, it’s good for all of us." Zheng Xinyu wore an inscrutable expression, and after saying this, she returned her focus to the peephole.

Zhong Xiaoshan looked at Zheng Xinyu in disbelief, but a moment later, she understood the logic. In this precarious environment, many things had changed—they were no longer what they used to be.

In the face of survival, all internal conflicts must be avoided and resolved, and all external threats must be eradicated!

At the same time, in the same unit, two men in Room 502 were whispering to each other.

"Brother, brother... we can't go out. We won't make it; there are so many zombies downstairs!" A skinny man shook his head incessantly. His face was filled with terror, his hair was disheveled, and his eyes were bloodshot. If seen at night, he would definitely be mistaken for a zombie himself.

"No, we have to leave this place!" Duan Wuhu was firm. "The water and gas are cut off. Heaven knows how long the electricity will last. Even if we eat two meals a day, we only have enough supplies for three or four more days!"

"Once we run out of food, our condition will be even worse. By then, we won't even have the strength to run!" Compared to his younger brother Duan Sihai, the older brother Duan Wuhu was burly and broad-shouldered. He wasn't just fat; he had a sturdy build. As he spoke, he looked toward the bedroom with a sorrowful expression.

"Brother, even if we want to leave, then..." Duan Sihai also looked toward the master bedroom, his eyes hollow. "What about Mom and Sister-in-law?"

If one listened carefully, they could hear the sound of teeth grinding coming from the bedroom—a sound that made one’s skin crawl. It wasn't loud, but it was bone-chilling, as if a man-eating demon were hiding behind the door.

Hearing his brother mention their mother and his own wife, Duan Wuhu couldn't help but recall yesterday's nightmare.

Like any other morning, as a junior high school physical education teacher, he had woken up before six. After finishing his morning jog in the neighborhood and returning home, he saw his wife preparing breakfast while his mother watered the flowers by the window. Only his homebody younger brother was sleeping in.

Duan Sihai, who had just graduated from college, hadn't found a job yet and was in a period of confusion, but that hadn't stopped their family from being close and loving. Everything had looked so warm and beautiful, but the disaster had arrived without rhyme or reason.

Duan Wuhu couldn't remember the exact time. He only remembered walking out of the bathroom and into the kitchen to find that the pot of noodles on the gas stove was overflowing. His wife stood there, her neck twitching mechanically, completely oblivious to the boiling pot.

He had stepped forward to ask what was wrong, but when he saw her face, his heart skipped a beat. Veins were visible beneath her ashen skin, and her eyes were bloodshot and filled with red. Without a word, she had opened her mouth wide and lunged at him...

Duan Wuhu, possessing quick reflexes, had immediately grabbed a rolling pin from the rack to hold in front of his chest, barely dodging disaster. He then grabbed a roll of plastic wrap to bind his wife, managing to escape. But before he could even catch his breath, his mother had walked toward him with that same mechanical gait!

Facing his mother, who had lost her senses and was lunging to bite him, Duan Wuhu felt as if he had been struck by lightning. With no time to think, he had done the same to her, restraining her as well.

Watching the two most important women in his life writhing on the floor, emitting beast-like growls, Duan Wuhu had felt his mind fracture. Then, the entire neighborhood had turned into chaos. He knew something terrible had happened.

"If the experiences you learned from movies are correct, Mom and your sister-in-law are beyond saving..." Duan Wuhu choked back a sob and sighed heavily. "We have to survive!"

He was an emotional man, but he was also a rational one. He understood that the dead were gone.

Duan Sihai grabbed his messy hair, his face twisted. "But what if... what if there is hope to cure Mom and Sister-in-law? If we just leave like this, wouldn't they have... wouldn't they have died in vain?"

"There is no hope of order being restored in the short term. The water is gone, the gas is gone, and we won't last more than a week. Of course, I hope Mom and Xiaolan can be treated, but... do you think that's realistic?" Duan Wuhu knew his brother's personality; he was just using these reasons as an excuse for his own cowardice and fear of venturing out. That was all!

Anyone rational could see the current situation clearly. Never mind researching how to defeat the virus—even finding a safe place to stay was difficult.

"Fine! Brother, even if you're right, even if we get out... where can we go? The gunfire and explosions last night went silent. Are you telling me we’re tougher than the military?" Duan Sihai’s expression bordered on hysterical.

Due to their floor level, the Duan brothers didn't have as good a view as Zhang Su. They didn't realize it was the SWAT team clearing out zombies; they assumed it was the army.

"We aren't going to clash head-on with those monsters. If we can't afford to provoke them, can't we just hide? I want to take you and survive—survive, do you understand?" Duan Wuhu urged his dispirited brother anxiously.