“Chapter 26”

"Chapter 26"

"Feng Chen laid out the bed sheets, picked up the toiletries, and took Yan Bubu to take a bath."

"The men's bathhouse was quite crowded, with only one of the thirty stalls vacant. Not wanting to cram into one stall with Yan Bubu, Feng Chen let him go in first, placing their change of clothes and toiletries in a wooden locker."

"What about you?" Yan Bubu asked anxiously.

Feng Chen replied, "I'll wait in the adjoining water room until a stall becomes available."

Already inside the stall, Yan Bubu immediately scrambled back out, "Then I'll wait with you."

Feng Chen had no choice but to say, "I'll just stand here and wait for a spot. You go ahead and bathe."

Yan Bubu then entered the stall, but he remained uneasy, fearing Feng Chen might quietly leave. Every so often, he would call out 'Brother', and if Feng Chen was slow to respond by even two seconds, a wet head would peek out from beside the curtain to check if he was still there.

"The bathhouse was filled with mist and the constant sound of running water. Feng Chen was about to stand by the door when the curtain behind him stirred, and someone emerged."

"With a stall now free, Feng Chen moved aside to let the person pass and prepared to enter the stall. After a few seconds of no movement, he couldn't help but turn around to see a middle-aged man in a blue sweatshirt."

"The man was holding a basin with toiletries, his hair dripping wet. He stood motionless in front of the curtain, staring straight ahead."

"Upon seeing his face clearly, Feng Chen was momentarily taken aback."

"The man's face was pale with a bluish tinge, his eyes bloodshot, with dark circles as if he hadn't rested well for many days."

"He walked slowly towards the exit of the bathhouse, his plastic slippers dragging on the floor, leaving behind wet footprints. His right hand held the basin, and his left arm had a towel draped over it, which soon slipped to the ground unnoticed by him as he continued walking."

"Your towel fell," Feng Chen couldn't help but call out.

The middle-aged man stood still for a while, then slowly turned, crouched down, picked up a towel, and continued towards the door.

Feng Chen watched his retreating figure, feeling an indescribable eeriness, and instinctively became alert.

As the middle-aged man almost reached the door, he stopped again, his chest heaving violently, making a gurgling sound as if his throat was blocked with phlegm, appearing in great distress. He raised his hand to his throat, and the basin clattered to the floor, scattering the toothbrush, soap, and other items.

Feng Chen saw his side profile, noticing that the previously pale face was now rapidly crawling with dark, spider-web-like veins. A chill ran down his spine, his eyes fixed on the middle-aged man in the blue shirt, his right hand reaching for the dagger at his waist.

But he found nothing; he remembered that he had left the dagger in his room because he was going to take a bath.

The middle-aged man's body began to convulse, emitting a harsh, strange noise. Feng Chen stepped back, his eyes darting left and right, searching for something to grasp.

Just then, the curtain of the next stall lifted, and someone who had finished bathing stepped out. Wiping his head with a towel, the person halted and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

"Stay back, keep away from him."

As soon as Feng Chen shouted, he saw the middle-aged man suddenly turn around and pounce towards someone with a ferocious roar.

The middle-aged man's attack was so swift that his victim didn't have time to react before his face was bitten, eliciting a piercing scream of agony.

The middle-aged man pinned him to the ground, savagely tearing at him like a wild beast. The victim struggled desperately, punching and kicking, but couldn't break free.

People in the bathhouse, hearing the commotion, peeked out from their cubicles and started screaming in horror at the sight.

The bathhouse was empty except for two mops against the wall. Feng Chen, finding nothing else, swung a mop at the middle-aged man attacking the victim.

The plastic handle broke into several pieces with a snap. Feng Chen then picked up an empty basin and smashed it on the man's head.

Neither the plastic handle nor the basin had any effect on the middle-aged man, who continued his frenzied attack. In just a short time, his victim’s face was torn and bloodied beyond recognition.

A few brave and strong individuals from the cubicles rushed out to help. They were naked and unarmed, trying to pull the two apart.

The middle-aged man suddenly raised his head, his eyes pitch black, as if they could suck someone in, his mouth covered in blood, with a small piece of flesh hanging from the corner.

"Damn it!"

"The people who were trying to pull the man away recoiled in fear, stepping back. Shocked, Feng Chen also retreated to Yan Bubu's stall, scooping up Yan Bubu who was already standing outside the curtain."

"'This is... this can't be human.'"

"The middle-aged man suddenly leaped up, lunging towards the nearest person. That person, slippery as an eel from the soap, slid away from his grasp."

"'Damn, lucky I'm all soapy!'"

"The men's bathhouse erupted into chaos, like boiling water spilling over. Everyone began rushing out in unison. The more modest grabbed a piece of clothing, wrapping it around their waist as they ran, while the less concerned sprinted out naked."

"Feng Chen, holding Yan Bubu, also rushed toward the exit. At that moment, the middle-aged man turned around, facing Yan Bubu who was perched on Feng Chen's shoulder."

Yan Bubu and the man both opened their mouths to scream; one in terror, the other in a beast-like roar.

As the middle-aged man lunged at them, Feng Chen executed a swift, spinning kick, striking him squarely in the chest. Taking advantage of his stagger, Feng Chen, holding Yan Bubu, rushed out of the men's bathhouse.

Outside was the washroom, where people, seeing a group of naked men burst out of the bathhouse and hearing shouts of murder, panicked and rushed towards the main entrance, not knowing what had happened.

Women from the opposite bathhouse also emerged, but even in such a moment, they were either dressed or wrapped in towels.

The door wasn't spacious, and in everyone's rush to escape, it got jammed, trapping everyone inside. Some near the door fell, immediately trampled by several feet.

Feng Chen, carrying Yan Bubu, was jostled in the crowd, swaying from side to side. He extended his elbows to create space and stabilize themselves, preventing a fall.

Continuous screams came from behind; those at the back were being bitten. With no way out in front, everyone was trapped.

Amidst the chaos, three gunshots rang out from the doorway, echoing painfully in the ears. Everyone stopped their forward push, as if hitting a pause button on the scene.

"Come out."

Several soldiers strained to pull people from the doorway, then split the crowd, allowing Major General Lin to stride in.

Feng Chen, holding Yan Bubu, moved aside, watching Major General Lin march straight to the men's bathhouse door, raising his gun without hesitation and firing inside.

After a gunshot, the bathhouse went silent. Soldiers rushed in and quickly carried out a person.

The crowd stepped back, making way, and Feng Chen saw clearly that they were carrying the blue-shirted middle-aged man.

His blue shirt was splattered with blood, all from others. His face remained ferociously twisted, but now with a bullet hole in his forehead, oozing dark purple blood.

Another team of soldiers rushed in, carrying out three people who had been bitten, quickly exiting the building.

The crowd remained silent as Major General Lin walked towards the exit, but he suddenly turned back at the door: "Tonight, at nine, everyone in the Hive is to gather at the ground floor square. I have something to say."

After everyone in the bathhouse had dispersed, the cleaning staff timidly entered the men's bathhouse, hosing down the bloodstains, then left just as apprehensively.

Yan Bubu, still covered in soap suds, was reluctant to re-enter the bathhouse. Feng Chen placed him on a laundry table, fetched a half basin of hot water mixed with cold, and rinsed off the suds from his body.

Their change of clothes and toiletries were still in the bathhouse locker. Feng Chen only retrieved Yan Bubu's clean clothes, helping him dress before sending him back to their room.

"What about you?" Yan Bubu asked.

Feng Chen replied, "I haven't bathed yet. I'll return after my bath."

The bathhouse was now empty and safe, a perfect time for him to bathe.

Yan Bubu, not wanting to leave Feng Chen's side, said, "Then, I'll wait here for you."

While Feng Chen bathed, Yan Bubu stood at the entrance of the men's bathhouse. The scene of the middle-aged man attacking others in the bathhouse was still vivid in his mind. He dared not enter but also didn’t want to leave, so he just stood at the door, his eyes fixed on the small portion of Feng Chen’s leg visible beneath the stall curtain.

"Brother."

"Hmm."

"Brother."

"Hmm."

"Brother."

Feng Chen was washing his hair and didn’t hear him, so Yan Bubu raised his voice, "Brother!"

He received no response.

"Brother!" Yan Bubu shouted louder.

"I'm here."

Yan Bubu sighed in relief, then asked, "Why didn’t you respond when I called you just now?"

Feng Chen wiped the water off his face, "I was rinsing off, I didn’t hear you."

"You should have said you were going to rinse off! But you didn't say anything."

Feng Chen, slightly impatient, asked, “Since when did we agree to announce before rinsing off?”

“Starting now. From now on, you need to say it before you rinse off.”

Feng Chen didn’t want to speak, finding it somewhat silly, but he could hear that Yan Bubu was genuinely scared. So, before putting his head under the shower, he said in advance, “Rinsing off now.”

“Got it.”

After bathing, Feng Chen noticed how quiet the laundry room was and decided to wash his dirty clothes too. After hanging them to dry, he returned to his room.

Sitting on the bed drying his hair, Feng Chen was joined by Yan Bubu who asked, “Why did that man bite people just now?”

Feng Chen was pondering the same question: “Maybe they are infected with some virus? Or... mutated?”

“Infected… what is that?”

Feng Chen removed the towel, his black hair messy on his head, his handsome face still apparent though his usual cool demeanor somewhat diminished.

“It means they caught some terrible disease,” he explained.

Yan Bubu nodded, half-understanding, and then asked, “Will the people he bit die? The uncle who got bitten this morning died.”

Feng Chen wasn’t sure himself and replied, “Anyway, we're supposed to gather on the ground later. Major General Lin will probably address this issue, so we'll know more then.”

While waiting, Feng Chen went to the cabinet and took out a thin sheet of metal the size of a book page, along with a toolbox. He sat on the bed and began twisting the edge of the metal with small pliers.

Yan Bubu, having seen this metal sheet before, curiously asked, “Is this what you were looking for earlier when you said you were finding something?”

“Yes,” Feng Chen responded without looking up.

Yan Bubu watched his hands at work: “What are you making with it?”

Feng Chen snapped the metal sheet in half, replying nonchalantly, “You’ll find out soon enough.”

As they were talking, a shrill bell rang out, accompanied by an announcement: “All Hive residents must immediately gather on the ground. There is important information to be shared. Anyone with symptoms of a cold should remain in their rooms and wait for medical personnel to check on them…”

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the corridors. Feng Chen said to Yan Bubu, “Let’s go, we need to head down now.”

Feng Chen stepped over the bed to open the door, while Yan Bubu, as usual, crawled under the bed, greeting the hanging safe-box under it, “Little Hive, we’ll be back soon.”

The underground shelter had no distinction between night and day. From the Hive building, only a few searchlights shone down from above, leaving unlit areas dim and hazy.

But now it was brightly lit, lights shining in all directions, illuminating the entire underground space like daylight.

Many people who had moved in after the earthquake had never seen such bright lights and were both uncomfortable and excited by it, eager to return to the surface.

People in the corridors lined up to descend, but the elevators were insufficient. By the time Feng Chen and Yan Bubu got on an elevator, more than ten minutes had passed.

As the elevator descended, people around started whispering.

“Hey, what do you think happened in the bathhouse? There was also an incident in the cafeteria this morning. Could it be some kind of deadly contagious disease?”

Someone replied in a defeated tone, “Contagious disease? It’s clearly zombies. Once there are zombies, the world is done for. Anyone bitten turns, one bite spreads to ten, then to a hundred. We’re all doomed.”

“Don't talk nonsense. Did you see the woman this morning? She bit her husband and mother-in-law before leaving. Now both are being treated at the medical center. Have you heard about them mutating?”

The person scoffed, “Whether they’ve mutated or not, do you think the military would tell us?”

Just as the two were about to argue, someone else interjected, “Stop guessing. We'll know everything soon when Major General Lin speaks. I think it’s a disease, not zombies. I knew both of them, and they had been complaining of cold symptoms – dizziness, blurred vision, fever. Now it seems it wasn't just a cold but something else. Didn’t you hear the announcement? People with cold symptoms should stay in their rooms for medical examination.”

Feng Chen, who had been staring ahead indifferently, perked up at the mention of fever, swiftly turning to look at the speaker.

In a corner of the elevator, a girl gently tugged at the sleeve of the woman beside her, speaking in a low, anxious tone, “Mom.”

“Shh,” the woman glanced around and whispered back, “Keep quiet. You just have a cold. Don't stay in your room, or the Western Union Army might take you to the medical station.”

"The girl dropped her head, saying nothing more."

"When the elevator reached the ground floor, everyone walked out. Feng Chen, holding Yan Bubu's hand, followed at the end, seeming preoccupied."

"Seeing no one was paying attention, he reached up to touch his forehead."

"Thankfully, he hadn’t had a fever for a long time and didn't show any symptoms of a cold."

"The ground was nearly filled with people, some even sitting on the large machinery. In the center, a small platform was erected, surrounded by soldiers with loaded guns."

"Feng Chen and Yan Bubu found a spot to stand. Just as they settled, General Lin stepped onto the platform. His expression was stern as his gaze slowly swept over the crowd below, which quieted down from their murmurs."

"'What's happening? What's going on?' Yan Bubu, surrounded by people and unable to see outside, asked Feng Chen curiously."

"Beside Feng Chen was a stone-cutting machine with several children sitting on its horizontal arm. Seeing a vacant spot, he lifted Yan Bubu up to sit there."

"Now with a clearer view, Yan Bubu swung his legs happily in the air, smiling mischievously at Feng Chen, but then heard someone whispering nearby: 'Hey, gap-tooth.'"

"Yan Bubu stiffened, knowing without looking that it was the chubby kid, and pretended not to hear, focusing only on the platform ahead."

"'Gap-tooth, hey, gap-tooth,' the chubby kid persisted, provoking laughter from a few other boys nearby."

"Yan Bubu didn’t turn around or respond, but sat up straight, almost rigidly, his hands gripping the iron arm tightly."

"'Gap-tooth, don’t pretend you didn’t hear me, I’m talking to you—' The chubby kid was grinning cheekily, moving closer to Yan Bubu, when he suddenly stopped speaking."

"Feng Chen stood beside Yan Bubu on the arm of the stone-cutting machine, watching him with an indifferent gaze. The look, devoid of emotion, still sent a chill down the chubby kid's spine, sensing that Feng Chen was not someone to be trifled with, and he awkwardly ceased his teasing."

"With the chubby kid no longer calling out 'gap-tooth,' Yan Bubu exhaled softly, relaxing his tense body and gently prodding the gap in his teeth with his tongue."

"Two hard little points had begun to emerge there; his teeth were about to grow in."

"'Don’t push with your tongue; they’ll grow in crooked,' Feng Chen suddenly said, turning his head and speaking softly."

"His voice was so quiet only the two of them could hear, but Yan Bubu immediately pursed his lips, ceasing to prod with his tongue."

Major General Lin began to speak, his slightly deep voice carrying a faint echo as it came through the loudspeakers.

"Quiet, please. Everyone, you’ve been called here because you reside in the underground shelter and are unaware of the situation above. I will briefly explain. There are two matters to discuss tonight; let's start with the first one."

He didn’t bother with any preamble, going straight to the point: “Although it’s temperate in the shelter, the surface temperature has actually reached nearly 70 degrees Celsius.”

This statement sent a wave of shock through the crowd. The assembly erupted into a buzz of astonishment and murmuring.

Major General Lin gestured for silence and continued, “The underground shelter houses twenty-five thousand people, including over twenty thousand civilians and three thousand Western Union soldiers. You can imagine how much rice, flour, and vegetables are consumed daily by this number of people. The army’s stockpile of food is dwindling, so we have set up temperature-controlled gardens in the development zone, planting corn and potatoes. Now, the good news is that the first batch of potatoes is nearly ready for harvest, which should bridge the gap in our food supply.”

The rollercoaster of emotions from Major General Lin’s words had everyone feeling relieved to hear about the maturing potatoes, yet anxious, knowing bad news usually follows good.

"The bad news is, the situation outside is extremely dire, far worse than any of you can imagine."

Major General Lin’s piercing gaze swept over the audience: “One issue is the excessive heat. Freshwater resources on the surface have drastically reduced. The river in the inner city has completely evaporated, but fortunately, Haiyun City has an underground river that so far isn’t greatly affected by surface temperatures, so our water supply is still sufficient. However, if the high temperatures continue to rise, there’s no telling if the underground river will dry up.”

“No one can survive on the surface without a thermal isolation suit. Our soldiers wear these suits daily for their missions, so it's not exceptionally difficult for them.”

“What's truly challenging is that, unbeknownst to you, some animals and plants have mutated and become aggressive towards humans. In this short period, we have already lost over four hundred soldiers.”

“They didn’t die from the heat or the earthquake, but from creatures that used to pose no threat at all.”

The crowd fell silent, no one making a sound. Major General Lin slowly recited a list of names:

“Hamsters, cacti, ginkgo trees, cats… and so on. Those once harmless, gentle, familiar animals and plants have become unrecognizable.”