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Chapter 9: An Unexpected Visitor
In movies, zombie viruses typically spread through bites, with limited speed. But the "zombie virus" contained in Facility 031 didn’t follow conventional rules.
Everyone in this area had been transformed into mindless monsters before they even had a chance to evacuate. As Robin sprinted past their doors, her footsteps triggered the horde of undead. In unison, their heads swiveled toward the sound—
The zombies crammed inside the rooms on either side of the corridor surged forward, shoving and clawing at each other to escape. They smashed through doors, tripped over one another, and piled up like grotesque pyramids, only to scramble back to their feet and join the chase with deafening roars.
Robin led the charge, her legs pumping furiously as the horde trailed close behind, arms outstretched. The sheer number of pursuers created an absurdly grand spectacle—like some macabre marathon!
She wanted to scream, to demand why fate seemed so cruel—but perhaps she already had. Her cries were drowned out by the cacophony of growls and moans.
After narrowly dodging two or three soldiers-turned-zombies who were shambling down the hallway searching for the source of noise, Robin lost all sense of direction. Her lungs burned like bellows, her throat felt raw, as if she’d swallowed shards of glass. Still, she forced herself to keep moving. Zombie hands repeatedly grazed the tablet strapped to her back, pushing her forward in stumbles that turned into desperate sprints.
If only she’d known this would happen, she would’ve hit the gym more often. At the very least, she should’ve worked on her running!
Turning another corner on autopilot, oxygen-starved and disoriented, Robin spotted a miracle—
Giant arrows painted on the wall pointed toward a door several dozen meters away. Bright light spilled from the cracks around it.
[←Emergency Shelter←]
After wandering aimlessly, she’d somehow looped back to the planned route and found the still-open shelter!
Suddenly, someone peeked out from behind the door, spotted her, and bolted into the corridor, waving enthusiastically and hopping up and down.
“There’s still someone alive! Thank goodness—I thought I was the only one left on this floor—”
Then came the thunderous horde rounding the corner.
Clearly, this wasn’t what the person had envisioned when hoping for survivors. With a terrified shriek, they spun around and fled.
Robin’s vision blurred as she focused solely on the glowing beacon of salvation ahead. Her body moved mechanically, propelled by sheer willpower, her movements robotic—more zombie-like than the undead chasing her. She barely registered the stranger’s presence.
Almost there...
A powerful shove from behind sent her crashing to the ground. Exhausted, she couldn’t muster the strength to rise again.
These undead bastards could really run...
In an instant, the horde engulfed her.
---
At the sound of knocking, Shi Rang hesitated. He couldn’t imagine who’d visit him at a time like this. Cautiously, he peered through the peephole.
No one was there.
His hand instinctively reached for his phone, but his pocket was empty. Panic set in as he glanced toward the bedroom—his phone lay conspicuously on the edge of his desk.
Damn internet addiction...
Opening the door felt too risky. What if someone tried to force their way in? He wouldn’t stand a chance.
Should he go back for his phone and call the police? Would that even help?
District Ten was notorious for its crime, though Yunling City was relatively safe compared to other areas. Occasionally, you might see addicts wandering the streets like walking corpses, but gang members were rare. When buying the house, Shi Rang and Yingshang had deliberately chosen a neighborhood with private security—a double safeguard.
Knock, knock!
The sudden sound jolted him. Pressing his face to the peephole again, he saw nothing outside.
“Who is it?” Shi Rang called out.
“I knew you were home!” a cheerful voice responded. “It’s me, Angie!”
Shi Rang froze, then stood on tiptoe to peer through the peephole once more. This time, he spotted a mop of mushroom-cut hair near the bottom of the frame.
There was no one missing—it was just that the visitor was too short to see.
He chuckled at himself. It had been so long since he last participated in tabletop RPGs, and he’d become so immersed in Robin’s online escape scenario that a simple 404 error had left him paranoid!
“I thought I misheard,” Shi Rang said, unlocking the door. “What brings you here?”
Angie stood in the doorway with one hand on her hip, her usual messy hair framing her exasperated expression. “Do you ever check your phone, Mr. Journalist? I sent over ten messages, and not a single reply! I thought you’d dropped dead in here!”
“Sorry... Is something wrong?”
“Ugh, how are you even a journalist with those social skills?” Angie huffed. “Long story short, I found the person you asked me to look for.” She pulled an envelope from her bag and thrust it into Shi Rang’s hands. “They don’t live in Yunling City, but I tracked them down through charity fund donation records.”
Shi Rang racked his brain, recalling the favor he’d asked of her months ago. It was the last lead he had on finding Yingshang, and without any resources of his own, he’d been at a loss.
When he’d first approached Angie, she’d dismissed his request outright, even refusing to promise anything during their phone call. He assumed she’d given up.
Clearly, she hadn’t.
“You can actually check chari—” Shi Rang frowned. “ Wait—since when does a petty thief donate money?”
“Not just petty thieves—they’re small fry in a larger syndicate. Didn’t Yingshang tell you? Charity funds used to be a popular front for money laundering. They’d persuade recipients to apply for random grants, insiders would rubber-stamp approvals, and clean cash would flow out. That loophole’s been closed since the big crackdown, though.”
Shi Rang’s throat tightened. “A... criminal syndicate?”
“It might just be a coincidence. Those charities are global corporations; everyone donates at some point. But it’s possible someone targeted her status as a recipient... Anyway, I’ve mapped out their activity range. Use it wisely—and burn it after reading. If anyone finds out I helped you, I’m toast.”
The weight of the envelope in Shi Rang’s hand felt immense, filled with photos and documents that carried unimaginable significance.
Words failed him. How could he possibly express his gratitude?
Snapping out of his daze, he realized he’d left Yingshang’s best friend standing in the cold. Stepping aside, he bent down to retrieve spare slippers. “Come in. Let me get you a drink…”
He wracked his brain for anything edible in the house but came up empty-handed. Not even tea bags remained.
“I’ve got work to do. Next time, I’ll come over for dinner,” Angie quipped, shaking her unruly hair back into place. Turning toward the stairwell, she added, “If you find her, let me know immediately.”
“I will.”
“Oh, and Shi Rang—” Angie paused, gripping the fire door.
“Don’t go off half-cocked trying to confront them alone. These aren’t street thugs; they’re an organized crime syndicate.”
This time, Shi Rang didn’t make a promise.
Clutching the envelope, he watched Angie mutter, “Birds of a feather flock together,” before disappearing into the fire escape. Only then did he retreat indoors, closing the door behind him.
---
Robin twitched awake, sprawled on the floor. Her breathing was steady, though she felt slightly weak. Hmm, maybe being a zombie wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Perhaps she could run ten kilometers without breaking a sweat.
“Hey!”
Who was calling her?
“Hey!”
Could it be... a human?
“Can you hear me?”
As a zombie, shouldn’t she dutifully rise and take a bite out of whoever dared disturb her?
“If you can hear me, get up already!”
Light pierced Robin’s half-open eyes. Gradually, her blurry vision cleared, revealing her fingers, then the ground beneath her.
Her chaotic thoughts settled as she clutched her swollen forehead, groaning in pain. Fumbling for support, she leaned against the wall and slowly climbed to her feet.
Ah, so she hadn’t turned into a zombie after all.
“Thank God you’re not infected! I thought I was the only one left alive!”
Staggering toward the voice, Robin caught sight of her rescuer—and promptly collapsed again, wincing in pain. Bruises covered her body except for the area covered by the tablet, courtesy of the relentless horde.
Staring at the orderly line of zombies stretching down the corridor, forming an “M” shape as they obediently queued up, Robin regained her ability to speak.
“Am I hallucinating, or are these zombies actually lining up?”
And damn, they weren’t cutting in line either.
“It’s real! You’re fine!” the curly-haired man laughed, pointing proudly at his disciplined undead followers. “Good thing I reacted quickly. Maybe my perks will improve now! Who knew my anomaly could save lives?”
“You’re... one of the escaped anomalies?”
“Don’t phrase it like that—I didn’t break containment! Everyone was too busy fleeing or dying to lock my cell, and that plant took over my room. I had no choice but to leave. Since you’re here, maybe you can help shut the door... Do you have access clearance?”
“What clearance?”
“Employee ID? Access card? Whatever lets you use the shelter.”
“To use the shelter, you need a card?”
For a moment, both of them exchanged looks of utter despair.
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