Chapter One: Infection
The scorching rays of the sun beat down upon the earth relentlessly, leaving the air still and heavy. The asphalt roads, softened by the heat, seemed to melt underfoot. Xiao Ran, with caution, took shelter in the shadows of a building, nervously observing the street corner opposite him. Behind him stood a three-story building, with the ground floor allocated to commercial use while the upper floors served as residences for the common folk. This structure, common in rural towns, featured a signboard bearing the words "Provisions and General Goods" hanging askew, shattered into several irregular plastic shards scattered amidst the soil and stones.
"It's just a convenience store from the hometown, but how much stock could be left inside? Fang Qiong and the others have been here for so long, and there's always the risk of encountering zombies," Xiao Ran thought, feeling somewhat anxious.
A month ago, a biotic virus named the T-virus swept across the Earth. This enigmatic virus was incredibly potent, spreading rapidly and indiscriminately infecting anyone who came into contact with the infected. In China alone, over a hundred million people were infected with the T-virus, mutating into ghastly zombies driven solely by the craving for fresh flesh and blood. These creatures hunted down surviving humans relentlessly, spreading terror and chaos. Moreover, the T-virus could be transmitted through bodily fluids, making its contagion even more potent. The human population dwindled rapidly, while the number of zombies continued to surge, leading to the collapse of social order. Three provinces in China had already fallen to the outbreak.
Xiao Ran, aged 23 this year, had graduated from university just three years prior. Before the T-virus outbreak, he had endured the double blow of heartbreak and unemployment. Feeling dejected, he left the bustling city where he had lived for years and joined a tour group to relax in the remote mountainous region of Province Z. However, they became trapped in Province Z when the T-virus erupted. The surviving members of the tour group were forced to form a fugitive team, and after nearly a month of turmoil, the once nearly hundred-strong tour group had dwindled to less than ten people.
The rumbling of his empty stomach interrupted Xiao Ran's thoughts. He felt uncomfortable hunger pangs and weakly leaned against the dusty earthen wall. Over the past few days, their survivor group had scoured the nearby villages, but they had already been looted by other groups, leaving nothing behind, not even a grain of corn. With their food supplies depleted, and on Xiao Ran's suggestion, team leader Fang Qiong led a search party to the town to find food. However, this plan was risky; the more densely populated areas were teeming with zombies, posing significant dangers.
"I hope the convenience store is stocked with heaps of instant noodles, ham, biscuits, and ideally, vacuum-packed roast chicken. It's been so long since I've eaten a proper meal," Xiao Ran began to daydream. Since yesterday, he had only managed to gulp down a bowl of watery rice gruel, a torment for a grown man accustomed to hearty meals.
"Captain Fang, could you speed up? I have a feeling something's not quite right here," Xiao Ran shouted towards the convenience store. He suddenly felt a sense of unease without any apparent reason. Since childhood, he possessed a unique ability to anticipate danger. When his parents, who worked in another city, died in a car accident years ago, his eyelids had been incessantly twitching. After consulting relevant information, he concluded that his mental power was naturally higher than that of ordinary people. Hence, his sixth sense was exceptionally strong, giving him a premonition of impending danger, though few truly believed in this ability besides himself.
"Hey, what's the rush? There's still some stuff left inside. With your appetite, we need to take more," a pretty girl with short hair replied. Fang Qiong, like Xiao Ran, was part of the tour group, but her previous profession was that of a special police officer. Despite being a woman, she possessed excellent combat skills and marksmanship. Without her and Xiao Ran's leadership, the survivor group would have perished long ago.
Although Fang Qiong responded in this manner, she still heeded Xiao Ran's advice and accelerated the search pace. While Xiao Ran might not match her in physical prowess, his calm and quick-witted demeanor, coupled with his extraordinary ability to sense danger, had saved the team several times. Soon, she and several other team members emerged, pushing two shopping carts laden with goods. The bags and boxes on the carts were filled with various items. Fang Qiong instructed everyone to methodically load the goods onto the Golden Cup van parked at the convenience store entrance.
An ominous feeling gripped Xiao Ran's heart once more as he instinctively glanced around. Suddenly, he noticed a man in his thirties standing atop the third floor of a building across the street. The man resembled a dog, crawling on all fours with disheveled hair resembling a bird's nest. His dead gray eyes lacked any vitality, his facial expression contorted in agony as if enduring immense pain. He wore no clothes on his upper body, revealing a sickly purplish hue, while his emaciated hands sported long nails, gleaming eerily under the intense sunlight. His murky eyes fixated intently on Fang Qiong, who stood with her back to him.
"Careful, there's a zombie," Xiao Ran shouted loudly, but it was too late. The zombie's black-purple mouth slightly agape, emitted a beastly growl before it leaped from the building above at an unimaginable speed. Fang Qiong, the intended prey, was caught off guard, still holding a pile of goods in her hands and unable to react in time.
Seeing the urgency of the situation, Xiao Ran had no time to consider much. With a sudden burst of energy, he shoved Fang Qiong away forcefully, sending her flying several meters. The convenience foods in her hands scattered all over the ground.
With a dull ripping sound, Xiao Ran was sent flying far away by the zombie's swipe. Its sharp claws effortlessly tore through Xiao Ran's thin clothes, leaving a deep blood mark on his chest.
Reacting swiftly, Fang Qiong, who was knocked to the ground, immediately drew a Type 54 pistol obtained along the way. Bang! Bang! Several 9mm bullets accurately pierced the zombie's gaping mouth, cutting off half of its head with a powerful force. Its body lurched backward, and black fluid oozed from its wounds, staining its cloudy eyes black. The body convulsed a few times before lying motionless on the ground. To kill these zombies, one had to hit their brains with bullets; otherwise, they could survive even with just half their bodies intact.
"Captain, something's wrong. Let's forget about the remaining goods and get out of here quickly," Xiao Ran, enduring the pain in his chest, shouted as he climbed up from the ground. Fang Qiong hesitated for a moment, then swiftly rushed into the driver's seat of the van, forcefully removing the keys from the ignition. The engine let out a cheerful roar as it sprang to life. The other team members, seeing the captain's decision, immediately abandoned the shopping carts and boarded the van.
As if disturbed by the gunshots and shouts, several figures began