Episode 2

Zhang Xiaoqiang snapped out of his thoughts, realizing that the half-pack of instant noodles that he just ate seemed to have been fully digested. His hunger pangs grew stronger, and he forced himself not to look at the remaining packs of instant noodles on the desk. He just poured himself a glass of water and drank it fiercely, hoping to stave off the hunger. He hadn't reflected on his life since the crisis happened half a month ago. Was this all just a dream? He had finished all the noodles, eggs, and only had three packs of instant noodles left. That was only two and a half days' worth of meals, one and a half packs per meal. He used to eat two packs per meal plus two fried eggs. He couldn't risk going out to find food, or he wouldn't have the energy to run.

As he watched his slowly deflating stomach, he couldn't help but find it ironic that he couldn't lose weight before, but now he had lost at least five pounds. He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Although he was usually carefree, he still had a sister who didn't know if she was alive or dead, and he couldn't stop worrying about her. During the past half-month, whenever he had nothing to do, he thought about the past. He thought about his family gathering and his classmates and teachers from school. He even thought about Ling'er, the girl who had once captured his heart, and the mischievous little girl who used to draw turtles on his back. He missed his former colleagues and friends from work, and even the little sister from Badong who sold breakfast on the street. He couldn't get through to his sister's phone, and no one answered the landline. He knew the situation was grim, but he refused to give up hope that a miracle would happen.

Outside the window, the zombies were still wandering around, and occasionally familiar faces from the nearby area could be seen among them. The street was covered with shattered glass, torn clothing, scattered bones, all kinds of rubbish, and a burnt-out bus in the distance. A sense of desolation lingered in his heart, as he imagined himself turning into a zombie wandering aimlessly, food running out and starving to death, and loved ones turning into zombies and devouring him alive. Desolation turned into despair. Numbly, he walked to the kitchen, picked up a kitchen knife, and pressed the blade against his neck, closing his eyes and clutching the handle tightly. He continued to hold the knife, even as his wrist began to ache from the pressure, yet he still couldn't bring himself to end it. He put down the knife and sat on the floor with his back against the wall, tears spilling from his eyes. He was afraid of death, too afraid to take his own life.

He hates himself for being useless, for reading with no purpose, for not being good at work, and for not even daring to commit suicide. As he slowly calms down, he thinks about how 90% of people have turned into the undead, yet he is still alive. With 6.3 billion infected, how is he still okay? Is it a plan from the heavens? After thinking about this for a while, he starts feeling better. He looks at his Tianwang watch and realizes it is already past 10 in the morning. He knows he must go out and find food to avoid starving. He will have to fight for his life against the zombies. He goes to the living room and pulls back the curtains. Taking a careful look outside through a small piece of newspaper that he had applied to the window a half month ago, he sees a small vegetable patch in the center of the platform where rows of lush cabbages have grown, making his mouth water. He takes his gaze off the cabbage and scans his surroundings. There aren't many zombies on the platform. His neighbors across the platform have opened their doors on their balconies, connected them and built a greenhouse. The doors are now open with a few zombies going in and out. There is a zombie at each of the staircases up and down the platform, for a total of seven zombies. The opposite end of the platform has six zombies. It will take three minutes to walk to the platform's center where his main goal, the large cabbage, awaits.

Empty-handed, it's definitely a no-go to deal with zombies. So, I need to prepare some weapons. There weren't many readily available tools at home, but I found various tools left by his father before. The first one that caught my eye was an eight-pound hammer. I lifted it up and shook my head. It was too heavy. My strength was not enough to handle it; swinging it for a few times was okay, but any more than that and I couldn't take it. I continued searching and found a suitable hammer. I tried it out to see if its weight was appropriate, then grabbed an iron skillet lid from the kitchen to use as a shield and practiced for a few times in the living room until I felt ready. I hesitated a bit at the door, putting his hand on the doorknob and taking it off a few times, but ultimately, I thought dying in battle was better than starving to death. So, I said, "Better to die like a hero than to live like a coward" and walked out the door.

Zhang Xiaoqiang planned to take out the zombie at the stairs first. It was too close to the vegetable garden. He would try to get as much cabbage as possible in a minute before the zombies on the other side approached. He wore high-top military leather shoes, his dad's woolen military coat, and thick leather gloves on his hands. He quickly ran to the stairs before any zombies showed up. A zombie was coming up towards him. It smelled him and attacked him with its open mouth and claws. This was his first close encounter with a zombie. The zombie had grayish skin, white rolled-up eyes, and a mouth that could fit a fist, with black teeth that were all mini triangle-shaped scrapers. It was an eerie sight. A strong stench of the zombie hit him in the face. He wanted to throw up. The zombie had already jumped onto his shield. It shook him backward. The feeling of being in a fight came back. He turned the shield to the left and kicked the zombie's chest with his right foot. The zombie fell down the stairs. He didn't have time to think and quickly ran to the garden, put down his weapon, grabbed cabbage with muddy roots and stuffed them into his snake-skin bag. He kept a close eye on the zombie that was getting closer and closer on the other side. He was panting for breath as he stuffed the cabbage into his bag. He used all his strength to pull out the cabbage with soil-covered stems and didn't even feel the mud and vegetable juice splashing into his eyes. He just wanted to get more cabbage. This was food and hope! The zombie was getting too close, and he had to leave. He grabbed the bag with one hand and the weapon with the other and ran towards his home. He saw the entrance to the hallway in front of him and sped up his pace, running towards his door.

Suddenly, the iron door across from his home swung open. His neighbor, who had turned into a zombie, let out a strong stench of death and lunged towards him with sharp claws, which were only 10 centimeters from his eyes. A chill crept up his spine and through his mind as he realized he couldn't make a sound. All he could think was "it's over."

His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, his shield flying out of his hand as the zombie missed its target. His mind went blank as his feet kicked the zombie's legs. As the zombie stumbled, he rolled to the side. His hammer pounded the zombie's body over and over again, until he snapped out of his trance and realized the zombie's upper body had been shattered into black, sticky chunks that flew everywhere. The intense smell of decay made his head feel like it was exploding.

There were approximately three zombies on the platform across from him, about 10 meters away. Three strong ones walked at the front, followed by three elderly women. They all became excited when they caught his scent, and it seemed like they were sure they would get their prey soon. He quickly grabbed his bag and rushed into his home, even forgetting to retrieve his shield.

He locked the anti-theft door behind him and leaned against the iron gate. He took a deep breath as the smell of zombie blood saturated his body and made him feel sick. He immediately ran to the bathroom to change his clothes.

Zhang Xiaoqiang took out 11 white cabbages from his bag and neatly arranged them on the floor tiles. It weighed more than 20 pounds in total.

Outside, the zombie continued to scratch at the iron door, but for the first time, Zhang Xiaoqiang had some confidence in surviving.

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