Irresponsible speculation

According to Binbin's account, his and his second uncle's experiences were far more dramatic than ours. Furthermore, the time they knew when the zombie outbreak occurred was not the morning I discovered it, but the evening before.

That day, the second uncle's family was completely unaware of anything amiss, going about their usual routines—going to work, school, grocery shopping, cooking, and so on. After a pleasant day of studying, Binbin realized something was wrong when he went out to buy snacks before evening self-study. He witnessed cannibalism—he watched helplessly as a classmate was devoured by the convenience store owner, blood spurting more than three feet high.

This child not only inherited the Qi family's looks, but also shared my keen senses, sometimes acting out of nowhere. When a terrifying scene unfolded before his eyes, his first reaction wasn't to hide or call the police, but to rush home. He described it as a feeling of "a horror movie coming to life," his mind blank, with only one thought: home. So, without saying goodbye or grabbing his schoolbag, he headed straight home, not daring to look away even once, afraid of seeing something else too horrible to bear.

Just as he was about to get home, he received a call from his second uncle. His second aunt had suddenly fallen seriously ill and he needed to rush to the People's Hospital. Binbin hurriedly ran to the hospital, arriving during rush hour. The streets were packed with people and cars, and he immediately noticed the chaos. There were several car accidents, several brawls, screams everywhere, and police sirens blaring. The whole city seemed to be in disarray. He was worried about his mother and didn't have time to watch the commotion. He rushed to the hospital to meet his father, but the two of them didn't even get to see their second aunt one last time.

What followed was a grueling night. People in the hospital began to mutate and mutate. For example, a nurse who was walking peacefully suddenly dropped her tray and stiffened; a patient on an IV drip suddenly tilted their head and bared their teeth. Their skin turned ashen at a visible rate, and they reached out and accurately grabbed any living person nearby, biting and tearing at them. Biting and gnawing were everywhere, screams and groans filled the air; the hospital, meant to save lives, had become a giant slaughterhouse. Those who didn't react in time and could only scream became food for the zombies, while those who reacted more slowly, were bitten but escaped, becoming the second wave of zombies. Their mutation process took only a few minutes, something Binbin witnessed firsthand.

Uncle Er and Binbin were lucky. Because there were no other family members outside the ICU ward that day, and it was some distance from the central slaughterhouse, and the food supplies in other places temporarily met the zombies' needs, they had enough time and space to hide and escape, narrowly escaping the zombies' persecution.

Many people ran out of the hospital together. Uncle Binbin lost his phone, wallet, and a shoe during the escape. He and a few seemingly capable men fought off several zombies and found two cars to escape to Xiaojiangshan. The bloody and tragic scenes they witnessed along the way terrified them. They dared not go home, so on the advice of their companions, they hid in a dilapidated, abandoned air-raid shelter that contained nothing but stones and the smell of urine.

In the following days, they dialed randomly with their two remaining cell phones, but the connection rate was zero. The second uncle begged them to call their eldest brother, but the call went unanswered. When they asked again, they were refused, with the reason being that none of their family members answered the phone, the death rate was 100%, and how could there possibly be anyone left in their family? He suggested that keeping the phone battery alive to check online information or post a distress message would be better than nothing. Although the reason was absurd, it was hard to refuse, since they didn't have control over their own phones.

Later, five or six people, unable to bear the hunger, went out to find food, one after another, and none of them returned. Outside the iron gate, however, several zombies gradually appeared, crawling up from who-knows-where. The remaining four initially discussed their next steps with great ambition, how to break out, where to find food, and which direction was safer. But as the zombies' howls became increasingly piercing and frequent, after a few days, those who were starving and exhausted could only pace restlessly, even blaming each other for no reason.

It was at this moment that Uncle Two discovered one of the men had hidden a cell phone. Unlike the others, he hadn't used it until it ran out of battery or lost it; instead, he had kept it in his pocket without using it. Normally, this wouldn't have been discovered, but because the man was starving and on the verge of collapse, he was prepared to do whatever it took. After his attempts to persuade Uncle Two, Binbin, and the other man were ignored, he opened the door and rushed out without a second thought. But less than a minute after Binbin closed the door, the man was banging on it again, trying to come back in.

As soon as he came in, the phone fell out of his pocket and landed on the ground. Without saying a word, his second uncle rushed over and snatched it. He turned it on and saw that it still had 20% battery left. Clinging to a sliver of hope, he called his brother again, and this time the call finally went through.

Binbin stopped his narration here. His family members had all slipped to our side at some point, stopped what they were doing, and gathered on either side of the porch to listen to him.

Zhou Yi even poked his head out from the rooftop: "You haven't gotten to the point yet, kid. Ask your dad how he got bitten."

I patted Binbin on the shoulder: "If you're tired, come inside and rest for a while."

Binbin lowered his eyes and shook his head, his voice filled with lingering fear: "It was that person who bit me, the one who hid the phone. He ran out and was bitten by the zombies outside. When he came back and lay on the ground, he changed in no time. He bit my dad's leg when he wasn't paying attention, and I couldn't shake him off. Later... later I hit him on the head with a rock."

Han Bo asked, puzzled, "According to you, besides you and your father, there should be another living person and a corpse in the air-raid shelter. Why were there only the two of you when we went there?"

"The air-raid shelter is very deep. The body is still inside. I dragged him to the very end. The other person saw my dad being bitten and ran out, but it seems he didn't get away..."

We all understood what he meant; the survivor was sent straight to the zombies' mouths as soon as he stepped outside.

Binbin sobbed, "I thought my dad would turn into a zombie soon, and I was terrified. My dad said if he turned into a zombie, I should smash him to death too, but how could I do that... I don't know what happened. Until you guys came, my dad was fine, so I didn't say anything. I thought he had pulled through and wouldn't turn into a zombie, but now he's like this..."

Binbin sobbed uncontrollably. My mother went over, hugged him, wiped his tears, and kept comforting him: "Good boy, good boy, let's not talk about it anymore. Your dad will get better. Both of you are fine. Don't cry."

“This is really strange,” I muttered to myself. “Others can transform in a few minutes. Could my second uncle really have extraordinary bone structure?”

Zhou Yi chuckled from above: "Great news, great news. Your second uncle is probably the first among us to gain superpowers. We should be happy to witness this sacred moment of human evolution."

Yu Dandan had been listening quietly by the door. Now she leaned closer to me and said, "I don't know anything about the superpowers Brother Zhou mentioned, but I'm wondering if your second uncle has any antibodies."

I frowned: "What do you mean?"

Yu Dandan touched her chin with her delicate pinky finger: "The zombie virus can spread rapidly in the human body, turning people into walking corpses, which is no different from killing them. But why? Why does the virus allow the body to continue to function? Why does it have to trigger the ability to eat human flesh?"

I blinked: "Because only by eating can the virus spread faster? The virus is transmitted through blood?"

Yu Dandan clapped her hands: "Smart! Biting is indeed the fastest way to spread the virus, but the virus may not only be transmitted through blood. Otherwise, how do you explain the first batch of people who mutated inexplicably?"

I shuddered: "Airborne transmission? Impossible, then what's the point of us living?"

Yu Dandan looked thoughtful: "Maybe it's the air, maybe it's the wind, maybe it's some substance we haven't discovered yet. Assuming that the zombies are indeed caused by an unknown virus, then the first group of people to be infected must be those with sensitive constitutions. They are weak, so the virus first targets them, and then they act as hosts to infect those less vulnerable humans."

“In other words,” I thought, following his line of thought, “the pathogen might not be that strong? Some of us weren’t affected by the initial virus.”

"Yes. Most people are not infected; they mutate after being bitten. Perhaps it is not that strong, and only one or two out of a hundred people may be infected. However, after passing through the human body, its infection rate can reach almost one hundred percent."

"What does this have to do with my second uncle?"

Yu Dandan tossed her hair and laughed, "Your second uncle was bitten but didn't turn into a zombie. He's become the variable in this 100% scenario. If it's not what Brother Zhou said about his special ability being activated, then it's possible that he has antibodies against the zombie virus in his body."

I was startled, but I put on my usual dismissive smile: "I really don't believe you haven't talked to Yu Yu. You're so good at fantasizing and making things up. If my second uncle had antibodies, he wouldn't be unconscious right now. Although he's not a man-eating zombie, what's the difference between him and a living dead?"

Binbin seemed about to speak, but I gently pulled his hand to stop him.

Even this tiny movement was noticed by Yu Dandan. He stared at our hands, smiled almost imperceptibly, and then shrugged indifferently: "I just guessed, and what you said makes a lot of sense. If the antibody only turns people into your second uncle, then I might as well become a zombie, hehe."

After exchanging a few words of comfort, everyone dispersed. Binbin watched Yu Dandan go inside and upstairs, then turned to me and said, "Sister, what Yu said about my dad having antibodies might actually be true. Look, my dad's fever has gone down now. Although he's still unconscious, he's still breathing and his heart is beating. If he has these antibodies, then... we don't have to be afraid of being scratched or bitten by zombies anymore."

I smacked him on the forehead: "What, aren't you afraid? If you get bitten by a zombie, are you going to come back and eat a piece of your father's flesh or drink a mouthful of his blood? You're such an unfilial brat! Your father's life is hanging in the balance right now, what do you want to do? Offer your father up for sale? Antibodies and all that is just speculation by that guy surnamed Yu. If these words get out and spread, who knows if some desperate people will come to snatch him up and take your father for tests, blood tests, serum extraction, and stuff like that? Won't your conscience hurt?"

Binbin's eyes widened in horror: "No, no, that's not what I meant! I meant... maybe there's a sliver of a chance..."

"Maybe my foot!" I interrupted him fiercely. "Don't mention it again. Even if your dad did have antibodies, why isn't he recovering and becoming lucid? Even the guy surnamed Yu knows that if you don't turn into a zombie, you'll become a vegetable. What's the use of such antibodies? But! The leaders outside don't care if you're useful or not. Those people would rather kill a thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free. They'll torture you until you're unrecognizable. If they can't extract what they want, they'll just throw you away. Then you won't even have a place to collect your body, my brother! Have you seen the movies? Don't you even understand this basic social experience?"

Binbin was so frightened by me that his face turned pale. He nodded hurriedly, "Yes, yes, I know. I won't say it again. I don't want my dad to be used for experiments. I don't have a mom anymore, I only have a dad, and I must protect him."

I took a deep breath and said, "It's good that you understand. You're not ready to go out and fight zombies right now. Wait until your dad is more stable before you come along."

In the afternoon, the five-person team set off to carry out their first resource-gathering mission. Sitting on a Wuling bread roll smeared with blood and grime, I was still filled with unease.

Binbin admitted that his second uncle had been bitten by a zombie, and his bone structure and skin color did indeed show signs of zombification. However, he did not die or turn into a zombie. Could this really be due to the so-called antibodies? In the movie, the survivors' greatest wish is to obtain antiviral serum so they can kill zombies and conquer territory to survive without any worries. In reality, I certainly hope to have such a drug, but even if I don't, it doesn't mean I can't survive on my own, even if I live like an ant.

However, there are always some people in this world who stand tall and have a broad vision, who will spare no effort to save humanity, civilization, money and power, and the glitz and glamour. In this process, what does it matter if a small number of ants are sacrificed?

I looked suspiciously at Yu Dandan, who was casually gazing out of the car window. Why did he have to bring up this possibility with such a sharp tongue? Could he have some ulterior motive towards my second uncle? If given the opportunity, could he sell him out for some benefit under certain circumstances?

Yu Dandan noticed my gaze, turned to look at me, and smiled, saying, "Still thinking about your second uncle?"

I said expressionlessly, "He doesn't have antibodies."

Yu Dandan stared at me for a while, then sighed helplessly, "I didn't say he definitely had it. You don't believe me? If I told you that I would be happy if the world was in chaos due to the zombie outbreak, and I wish it would stay in chaos forever, so I would never have to go back to the mental hospital, would you feel more at ease?"

I glanced at him sideways and said with a warning in my voice, "In short, don't mention my second uncle to anyone else in the future. I'm short-sighted and narrow-minded. I will definitely not let anyone who covets my family get away with it."

Yu Dandan grinned, revealing her white teeth, and said, "I have no interest in your second uncle. I don't like old men."

Zhou Yi pretended to vomit from the driver's seat and said sarcastically, "A municipal party committee secretary being gay? That would have been explosive news in the past!"

Han Bo laughed so hard he almost fell over, saying, "Don't talk nonsense, Xiao Yu is a girl, right?"

Yu Dandan first pouted and glared at Zhou Yi, then gave Han Bo a sweet smile and said, "Brother Han understands me best. Brother Zhou is too mean, he's bullying me."

Zhou Yi vomited, Han Bo laughed, and Li Tonggu ignored everyone, only pressing his round face against the car window to look at the scenery. The atmosphere in the carriage became more relaxed, and I also slightly relaxed my lips.

Yesterday's heavy rain was like an illusion, vanishing without a trace under the blazing sun; not a single damp spot could be found on the streets. The slightly chilly temperature only lasted one night, and now it's starting to rise again, soon making the car feel stuffy without the air conditioning. The bright sun isn't without its advantages; as the I Ching says, the more open and unobstructed the road, the less likely you are to find a single zombie, while behind the windows of some dimly lit shops on the street, you can see a few rotting, stiff faces.

Driving along Jiefang Road, the city's main thoroughfare, abandoned vehicles were everywhere, lying haphazardly on the road. Various strange items, such as clothes, shoes, paper, and aluminum cans, were piled up or scattered. Many plants in the green belts were damaged; a plane tree had fallen onto the road, two-thirds of its roots uprooted. The large shopping malls and office buildings looked as if they were on the verge of demolition; besides construction debris, there were many remnants of furniture and appliances thrown from heights. Behind the windows, reflecting light, there was no sign of life.

At the intersection of Jiefang Road and Shengli Road, there is a newly built residential complex that has not yet opened for sale. Outside the half-built residential buildings, there are still large advertising billboards that read: "A secluded paradise in the world."

This small, fourth-tier city, with a population of less than a million, is far from prosperous but is far from peaceful, and has become a haven for zombies.

Turning onto Shengli Road, the number of residential areas increased. Han Bo looked at the buildings receding into the distance and sighed, "It's been so many days, those who are still alive should know something about zombies by now, yet not a single one has come out in broad daylight."

I said, "Perhaps they're all dead."

Zhou Yi said, "Impossible. Look at all these neighborhoods, how many people are there? Even if the zombies infect each neighborhood, there will always be some who slip through the net, some who know to hide. I'd say they either ran out of the city or are too scared to come out. When we have time, we'll go and scout it out. If we find any living people, we'll recruit them. We won't take the old, weak, or disabled; we'll pick a few strong ones, feed them well for a few days, and I'll teach them some kung fu. While the zombies haven't evolved yet, we'll clear out the city piece by piece, creating a larger territory so we can build a base. Then we'll catch a few zombies that aren't too badly damaged and feed them meat every day. After feeding them, we'll beat them until they evolve their crystal cores. Oh, by the way, I think the university town area is pretty good..."

Zhou Yi was a conversation killer. The first few sentences were bearable, but the more he talked, the more off-topic he became, amusing Han Bo and Yu Dandan, who would feign agreement. This only fueled his enthusiasm. I stared at the back of Zhou Yi's head, worried. When would this kid's delusions ever end?

Our destination was Xiaojiangshan, so we didn't linger in the city and sped all the way to the south of the mountain. Following Yu Dandan's directions, we drove up a narrow road that could only pass one car at a time to the mountainside, where we could see the military green gate in the distance.

"Someone beat me to it!"

Han Bo pointed ahead and saw the gate of the military sub-district's weapons depot wide open. Several wooden crates were overturned at the entrance, and several rain-soaked and dried target papers lay crumpled on the ground. The yard was littered with clutter, as if someone had moved everything into the yard and then picked out and packed everything to take away.

We're too late; the place has been looted.