Chapter 9

Because of the various complex emotions, Chen Fei lay in bed at eleven o'clock, but he still hadn't fallen asleep by half past twelve.

In the early hours of the morning, the sound of planes flying by was more frequent than the night before, and the number of military trucks traveling through the streets under the cover of darkness had increased several times compared to the previous day. After watching for a moment from the window, Chen Fei returned to bed and forced himself to fall asleep.

The next day, Chen Fei, who usually slept in, woke up automatically at six past three.

Has the apocalypse begun? Has the zombie virus fully erupted?

These were the first thoughts that flashed through Chen Fei's mind as he regained consciousness. He rushed to the window and looked out at the street, but everything seemed normal, except that there were fewer vehicles and pedestrians than usual, which was likely due to the early hour.

In a state of anxiety and unease, Chen Fei waited until ten o'clock in the morning when his phone rang. Seeing the name on the screen, Chen Fei looked puzzled, wondering why the class monitor, Qu Xiaoting, was calling him.

"Hello, class monitor, you..."

"Chen Fei, you haven't come to class for a whole week. Do you want to fail all your subjects? You can't give up on yourself!"

Chen Fei held the phone away from his ear to avoid the shrill shouting, which was different from the quiet and bespectacled girl he remembered. He wondered if Qu Xiaoting had entered menopause early.

"Um... Class monitor, I'm sick. I've been infected with the latest flu and I'm afraid of spreading it to my classmates, so I'm self-isolating at home. Thank you for your concern! By the way, isn't the school temporarily closed?"

Upon hearing this, Qu Xiaoting's tone softened, but she still sounded skeptical. Chen Fei quickly made up a few more excuses and hung up the phone.

Chen Fei let out a long sigh of relief and then heard Nan Gong Jin muttering to herself:

"What's going on? Why is there no delivery food?"

Chen Fei, looking at the always alluring Nan Gong Jin, smiled flatteringly:

"Jin-ge, we have so much food at home, why do you still want to order delivery? With the current pandemic, all the restaurants are probably closed. Let's cook ourselves!"

Nan Gong Jin looked at Chen Fei with a complex expression.

"Chen Fei, the virus you talked about, isn't it supposed to break out today? I've already used most of my savings to buy supplies. If I don't see the situation you described by tonight, I promise you won't see the sun rise tomorrow!" Nan Gong Jin's voice was icy.

Chen Fei's face turned as pale as a sheet, and he instinctively glanced at the living room filled with supplies...

What's a little savings? I've even mortgaged my house for today! If the zombie virus doesn't break out, I'll be the one who suffers the most! And I'll be the one who dug my own grave!

Although he thought this, Chen Fei didn't dare show it. He didn't directly answer Nan Gong Jin but turned on the TV and sat on a box of mineral water to watch the news. After a quick scan, he saw a program called "First Scene of the Epidemic."

On the screen, a woman with single eyelids and slightly dark skin was introducing herself:

"Hello, I'm Xia Xia, the on-site host of 'First Scene of the Epidemic.' I am currently at the entrance of the state hospital in Casas, California. I believe the audience can see the chaos at the state hospital in Casas. Since I've been standing here, I've witnessed a large number of patients being rushed to the hospital by ambulances.

According to the most authoritative data, from 10 a.m. yesterday to 10 a.m. today, the number of new confirmed cases of the new flu virus in the United States has exceeded 80,000 in just 24 hours. What a terrifying number!

Early this morning, hospitals across the United States announced that they have reached their maximum capacity, with a severe shortage of beds, medical staff, and medical equipment. The medical system is on the brink of collapse.

To prevent the further spread of the virus, the United States has implemented state-level lockdowns, although as the first place where the epidemic broke out, they were the last to implement these measures. Now, an unknown number of virus carriers have spread to various parts of the world.

Now... my colleague, cameraman Xiao Li, and I will enter the state hospital in Casas to report from the heart of the epidemic!"

The TV screen shook slightly as Xia Xia turned to walk towards the state hospital across the street.

Crash... the sound of breaking glass echoed.

The shaky camera captured three people smashing through a window on an unknown floor of the hospital building, falling rapidly and landing on two ambulances parked at the hospital entrance.

"Good heavens! Someone is jumping from the building! What's happening? Quick! Xiao Li! Follow up!"

Xia Xia exclaimed and ran towards the ambulances, capturing the latest news, which is the primary task of all on-site reporters and hosts.

The TV screen shook violently, making Chen Fei feel dizzy. Fortunately, this only lasted for a few seconds. Apart from the sound of high heels, only the heavy breathing of Xia Xia and cameraman Xiao Li could be heard.

When the screen stabilized, three twisted bodies appeared on the screen. Two were on the roof of the ambulance, which was severely deformed, and the third was on the ground, bloodied and mangled.

Xia Xia's voice came from the TV:

"The three people who fell from the building, based on their clothing, one is likely a doctor, another a nurse, and the one on the ground is probably a patient or a family member. The reason for their fall is unknown, but I will enter the hospital to find out the cause and details for you, I..."

Xia Xia spoke with passion, giving the audience the impression that she was about to make a heroic sacrifice. However, her sentence was suddenly cut off.

Not only did Xia Xia's voice stop, but the medical staff, bystanders, and police officers who had gathered around were also stunned.

Under everyone's gaze, the mangled body on the ground began to twitch and contort in a bizarre manner. The sound of bones cracking was eerie.

The twitching lasted for about ten seconds, and then the body suddenly stopped, as if nothing had happened...

"Dead?"

Xia Xia said uncertainly, as if asking herself and the audience. Chen Fei, seeing this, stood up abruptly. He had already guessed what would happen next, a result he didn't want to see but subconsciously desired.

Sure enough... as soon as Xia Xia finished speaking, the mangled body on the ground slowly stood up.

His right leg and left arm seemed to be broken, twisted in an unnatural position. His body swayed slightly, and he made a gurgling sound in his throat.

"Sir, are you okay?"

A white police officer, the first to regain his senses, stepped forward and asked the mangled man in front of him.

However, as if the officer's words were a magic command, the mangled man suddenly turned his head, staring at the police officer with bloodshot eyes.

As everyone stood in shock, the mangled man let out a low growl and pounced on the police officer, biting into his right cheek and tearing off a chunk of flesh, blood instantly staining the officer's face.

The police officer struggled fiercely, letting out a series of agonized screams...

Faced with this terrifying scene, the stunned crowd screamed and retreated. Only two other police officers, drawing their guns, pointed them at the man and shouted angrily.

Chen Fei couldn't understand what the two police officers were shouting, as his English was only slightly better than a primary school student's, but he could guess the content: "Don't move! Put your hands up! Or we will shoot!"

At that moment, the two bodies on the ambulance roof also "came to life," in the same state as the mangled man. They jumped off the roof and, like wild animals, roared and charged at the nearest people. A nurse and a bystander were knocked down and, in their terror, had their throats bitten and died on the spot.

In just a few seconds, the scene turned into a hell on earth.

The two police officers hesitated for a moment, and the white police officer, who had been bitten, was already dead, his face unrecognizable. The mangled man, after killing the police officer, pounced on the nearest police officer with a large belly.

Bang... bang... bang...

The two police officers fired simultaneously, several bullets hitting the mangled man's body and legs. However, the bullets only made him pause slightly, and he still managed to knock down the police officer with the large belly.

"Good heavens, what's wrong with these people? Is it rabies?"

Seeing the bloody scene, Xia Xia exclaimed in disbelief, slowly retreating with the camera. At that moment, a man's voice echoed.

"Xia Xia, look at the three people who were bitten!"

In the TV screen, the three people who were bitten, including a police officer, convulsed violently and then stood up. They roared and pounced on the nearest people. The police officer charged towards the camera...

Amidst screams and cries, the TV screen shook wildly, and the camera angle seemed to have fallen to the ground. A bloodied and terrified face appeared on the screen, revealing the female host, Xia Xia!