Kill, release, or spare

Since the elders were absolutely against killing, and I had scared them enough, I went along with it and put the matter aside. I assigned Binbin to keep a close watch on the six people, tightening the ropes every half hour. Zhao Zhuobao went with my dad to move bricks, Liu Meili looked after my second uncle, and I stayed in the kitchen, joining my mom in cursing the scumbag man all afternoon.

Binbin carried out the task very seriously. He pulled my dad's rocking chair onto the porch, placed a stool next to him, and piled the stool with potato chips, preserved plums, jelly, and cola. He sprawled on the rocking chair without any decorum, eating snacks while keeping a keen eye on the prisoners, looking quite pleased with himself.

Although I often felt the weather was abnormal, the intense, direct sunlight was still very effective in tormenting the prisoners—by the time the sun began to set, the six men had rosy cheeks, were huddled on the ground with their eyelids closed, and none of them were still in their right mind.

Han Bo and his men returned just in time for lunch. Without even glancing at the prisoners, they excitedly called out to everyone, "Quickly, help move the gasoline! Five big barrels! Hahaha, that'll last us a while!"

I was naturally pleased to hear that, but the others were indifferent, showing little reaction to the gasoline. Binbin, feeling stuffed, said weakly, "Brother Bo, is there anything else?"

Han Bo said smugly, "Yes, everyone's fighting over it. It's what we need most. Guess what it is?"

Binbin raised his hand: "Hand grenade!"

Han Bo chuckled and patted his head: "We'll get grenades, but this time we brought back a generator, so you can play on the computer again tomorrow."

Binbin wasn't interested: "Without internet, you can only play offline games, which is no fun."

I simply don't know how to express my feelings, or what verses to use to praise these capable guys. Why is it that on my two trips out I only managed to pick up leftovers and get myself into trouble, while they managed to get gasoline and a generator in just one afternoon, seemingly unharmed? It's truly infuriating to compare yourself to others.

On the way to and from the supply depot, Han Bo praised Yu Zhongjian highly, even with a hint of admiration in his words: "Xiao Yu said there are only a few gas stations in the city, and not only are there many zombies, but they also easily attract the attention of other survivors. Rather than wasting time maneuvering, it's better to just take the highway. I have to say, that was a very wise decision. We went to the Guantang service area, where there weren't many zombies, and the fuel supply was plentiful. There were even three generators, but we only brought back one small one. Xiao Yu said that diesel is not good because it's noisy, and gasoline sounds almost like a car engine. Three kilowatts is more than enough to power the appliances in the house."

I said sourly, "Xiao Yu knows so much."

Han Bo wholeheartedly agreed: "That's right, anyway, I don't understand. Not only does he know a lot, but his marksmanship is also amazing. Didn't I tell you? This morning at Tianhong Department Store, he took down almost all the zombies on the first floor by himself, one shot per zombie, his accuracy is unparalleled. I fired three shots and only managed to hit one without killing it. If those bullets were in his hands, he could take down three more. There's no comparison, he's practically a professional."

I rolled my eyes: "Professional? Professional killer? In a society governed by the rule of law, guns are prohibited for the general public. Have you ever thought about how he developed such marksmanship? We can't let our guard down around mentally ill people!"

Han Bo didn't like my sarcastic remarks: "Don't look down on people with mental illnesses. Having a mental disability doesn't mean they're intellectually disabled. Everything he says and does is beneficial to us, so why don't we listen to him? Regardless of what he did before, he's not doing anything bad now, is he? Besides, what does he want? Just to sleep on the floor at your house and get three meals a day? If he runs away, he'll definitely do well on the outside. He makes our work much more efficient, so we should encourage and praise him, and say nice things to him from time to time, give him a little treat. Don't discriminate against him so easily; we need to win him over, you know!"

I was displeased: "I didn't discriminate against him, I just said to always be vigilant."

Yu Zhongjian still acted like a meritorious official, smoking a cigarette, carrying a gun, and strolling into the house without taking anything.

I pulled out two expired coffee candies that I had prepared beforehand and handed them to him: "Here you go."

A crack appeared in Yu Zhongjian's calm expression, and he widened his eyes slightly: "What do you mean?"

Without thinking twice, I shoved a handful of candy into his hand, grinning and forcing a smile: "Have some candy, have some candy. You've worked hard today, haven't you? We're only able to have electricity because of you and your buddies. Tell me what you want to eat tonight, and I'll ask my mom to add some dishes for you. Is the room upstairs alright? It's a bit chilly at night, do you want me to add a mattress? It's not good for you to sleep on a cot, how about we go to the furniture market next time and get you a nicer bed?"

He stared at me for a long time without speaking, his Adam's apple bobbing as if he couldn't quite handle my enthusiasm; even the hand holding the cigarette seemed a little stiff. After a long while, he lowered his eyes, coughed lightly, and said, "No need, it's fine as it is."

I let out a slow breath and nodded with satisfaction. He was at least sensible and didn't show any arrogance for the time being. A genuine smile appeared on my face: "Don't be shy. Make yourself at home. We're in this together now. Since you're so capable, we naturally want to provide you with the best possible conditions."

Yu Zhongjian glanced at the six prisoners in the center of the courtyard, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Thank you then. I do have a request."

My smile vanished instantly. Was this a case of first putting down and then praising, and then making an unreasonable demand? "What?"

"I want a gun."

"Didn't I already give it to you?"

"This is yours."

"Oh." I chuckled again. This guy was quite well-behaved, better than Yu Dandan. I stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and said in a hopeful tone, "Then it's yours. I hope you use it to kill more zombies and protect my home, and your home too!"

He tossed aside his cigarette and touched the barrel of his gun. If I wasn't mistaken, was that a fleeting, bitter smile on his lips?

“I have no home,” he said.

My heart skipped a beat; why did those words sound so sad?

He's only been here for two days, from beginning to end. Letting him make this place his home was just a polite gesture, a way of winning people over, following Han Bo's instructions. But deep down, I'll still be wary of him, keeping an eye on him, not because I'm afraid he'll harm my family, but because I'm afraid he'll have an epileptic seizure. Thinking about it carefully, what he said makes sense. If he gets another shock and has a seizure, this alternate personality will disappear, replaced by some strange new one. A person who constantly switches between waking and sleeping, a person living in a fabricated past, after recognizing their condition, it's reasonable for them to say they have no home.

"Hey..." I tried to comfort you, even though it wasn't my forte. "Don't be so pessimistic. Just stay positive, don't get too emotional, and talk to your family more often. Everything will be alright."

As I was speaking, I suddenly remembered something very important, and I slapped my forehead and said, "Oh right, I brought back a lot of medicine. I'll have Liu Meili rummage through it later and find the one you used to take. If you continue to take it on time and in the correct dosage, it should ensure long-term stability. You're a really good person, and I sincerely hope you'll stay."

When I said "stay," I meant my integrity, but Yu Zhongjian seemed to have misunderstood me. He shook his head slightly with a hint of helplessness: "I don't have anywhere I want to go for the time being, so you don't need to worry."

Let it be a misunderstanding. Yu Yu disappeared after I humiliated her, Yu Dandan disappeared after being frightened by zombies, and Yu Zhongjian seems brave and calm enough not to have suffered any severe trauma. I've decided to communicate with him more in the future, and encourage everyone to do the same, to test whether this alternate personality is a promising candidate to completely suppress the main personality.

No extra dishes were added to dinner; we just ate a few simple things. While there was still some daylight, everyone started getting busy.

After much deliberation, the generator was finally placed in the first-floor bathroom, on the outer wall where the main power switch for our house was located, making it convenient for connection. However, the bathroom was relatively damp, and there was concern that the generator might be dangerous to operate. So, my dad gave an order that the first-floor bathroom would be shut down from now on, and that we should use the second floor if needed.

The 3-kilowatt generator wasn't large, but it was enough for lighting, the computer, and the kitchen equipment. Yu Zhongjian skillfully checked the oil and fiddled with the machine, starting it up in no time. The casing indicated it was silent, but the actual noise level was quite high; even with the doors and windows closed, the sputtering sound could still be heard from the yard. The city was eerily quiet, with little difference between day and night; if this noise continued, it might cause trouble.

So they discussed for a while how to make the seven-square-meter bathroom more soundproof, and roughly calculated that they would need to find more materials.

Yu Zhongjian said, "It doesn't need to be turned on during the day. One to two hours each night is enough to meet certain living needs."

Binbin was very unhappy: "Then the refrigerator can't be used, the air conditioner can't be used, it's just for lighting, lighting candles would be fine too."

My mom said, "Being able to use a rice cooker and microwave oven will save you so much trouble. You should be grateful."

Yu Zhongjian was unusually gentle: "It can also charge mobile phones and laptops. The current environment is not suitable for using generators for a long time, unless we find a safer and more enclosed place."

Zhou Yi immediately chimed in, "I thought the university town area was nice. How about we go check it out tomorrow? There are more and more people now, and we can't fit everyone in. We need to start planning our base earlier."

I glared at him and said, "This house is so big, it can't even fit you. There are only eleven people, how come we can't squeeze in?"

Zhou Yi gestured towards the courtyard with his chin: "I've already slept from the sofa to under it, and now there are six more of them. Are you planning to let them go?"

Han Bo and Li Tonggu had been tidying up in the yard when suddenly five large oil drums were placed there, along with six prisoners. There was no room left for the broken copper and scrap iron in the house, and the yard, which was not small to begin with, suddenly felt cramped.

I lit a candle, and after everyone finished their work, I called the guys to the living room and described what had happened that afternoon, thus passing on these hot potatoes of problems to them.

"My initial opinion was either to bury them alive or let them starve to death, but my parents disagreed. In any case, they absolutely cannot release them. You guys decide what to do!"

Zhou Yi said, "If you don't want to keep them, then kill them. If your uncle and aunt disagree, you can kill them secretly. Or I can take them out to a secluded place and kill them, then come back and say I let them go."

I sighed: "Actually, these guys are pretty stupid, especially the leader, that black guy, he's a coward. But don't call me soft-hearted, if I really had to do it, I really couldn't bring myself to do it, killing idiots would be a sin. But if I let them go, I'm afraid they'll harbor resentment. Why do I always encounter these kinds of dilemmas!"

Han Bo said, "Being a coward means you haven't been pushed to the limit and want to take advantage of others. Give him a knife, throw him into a pile of zombies, and see if he'll fight back. We need to strengthen our team now, so let's see if there are any usable ones. Forget about people like Wu Bainian."

Zhou Yi rubbed his hands together and chuckled slyly: "Instead of killing them, you might as well hand them over to me. I'll torture them for a few days until they wish they were dead, then take them out to work. I'll pick a tough place and make them the vanguard. If the cowards end up as zombies, that's their own fault, and we won't feel guilty."

I looked at them unhappily: "So you want to keep these people? Six people! My mom usually cooks for eleven people from morning till night without a break. Adding six more is trying to kill her with work? Do you think we're running a cafeteria?"

“Aren’t there two women?” Yu Zhongjian suddenly asked.

I didn't react immediately: "Yeah, there are two women too. They can't even beat my mom. They're just there to make up the numbers and drag us down. The men aren't any better. Hei Zi got knocked out by my dad with a single stool. What do you think is the point of keeping all these useless guys around?"

Yu Zhongjian's words surprised me: "The two women can do the housework, and your mother will be in charge of managing them. The men should be taken out to gain experience; skills are learned, and they'll pick them up with more instruction."

I was stunned: "You agree to keep them?"

Yu Zhongjian seemed to have made up his mind, and said calmly, "I've never liked being passive. We have to go to the cement factory and the grain depot. There will inevitably be conflicts with those people whose strength is unknown. Rather than waiting for them to come to us, we might as well go and meet them first. Since we have manpower delivered to our door, why not use it?"

I was unwilling to kill, but I was also afraid of future troubles if I let them go, so I was very conflicted. But I was even more unwilling to keep them: "I don't know anything about these people, who knows what they're thinking? We suffered a great loss today, they must be resentful, isn't this just asking for trouble? Stupid people are not scary, what's scary is encountering someone who is both stupid and wicked."

Yu Zhongjian said, "Being bad isn't so scary. I just want you to use people, not marry them. Under the control of interests, the worse a person is, the more they can become a sharp knife in your hand."

I understand what he means, but it just doesn't sit right with me. "You're the one who got married! People driven by self-interest will betray you for even greater gains."

Yu Zhongjian smiled: "There are two ways to win people over: one is through benefits, and the other is through strength. Only when you are weak will they have the opportunity to betray you. When you are strong, you can kill any disobedient dog."

His tone was so nonchalant that I couldn't help but glance at him again. Before, I'd been all talk and no action, but in reality, I couldn't bring myself to kill several living beings. But now, for some reason, I genuinely believed that Yu Zhongjian truly didn't value human life.

Zhou Yi interjected at this point: "After beating them up and tying them up for half a day, do you think they'll believe you if you go back to them and ask if you can take them in?"

I tossed my head and said, "Let whoever wants to talk, talk. I'm not going."

Yu Zhongjian's eyes were full of laziness. Without thinking at all, he said directly, "Ignore them. Let them go hungry for two days, and then ask your family to play the good cop."

I volunteered to take the night watch so the others could get some rest. Before going to bed, my mother anxiously came up to ask about what to do with the prisoners. I told her we wouldn't kill them, but to starve them for a few days to teach them a lesson, and only then was she relieved.

The sky was moonless but starless, and the clouds looked like long, irregular white streaks scraped across the heavens by fingernails, stretching into the distance. The temperature dropped rapidly that night; before one o'clock, a cold wind blew in from the north. My light jacket was useless, so I went downstairs to change into a thick down jacket and wore two pairs of cotton socks, but even squatting on the rooftop, I still felt the biting cold. The gun barrel was icy cold to the touch, and my breath formed white mist; I figured it must be below zero.

The abnormal climate further confirms the persistence of the apocalypse: viruses, zombies, temperature fluctuations—who knows what other anomalies will follow? The theory of Earth's reshuffling is becoming increasingly clear in my mind. In just over ten days, the world as we know it is rapidly deteriorating in a direction that leads to a loss of future.

The rapid, unexpected, and unpredictable deterioration caused countless people on their path to realizing their dreams to lose their lives or become mindless zombies overnight. The number is too many for me to even imagine; and how many ordinary families like ours were transformed into survivor shelters overnight? Probably not many.

Perhaps it was because the night was too quiet, but the rustling of my down jacket made a sound. As soon as I approached the building, the six people in the courtyard would immediately notice, then desperately lift their heads and grunt at me for a while. When I didn't react, they would quiet down. They weren't asleep; because of the cold, they huddled together for warmth, their mouths gagged, so they couldn't even chatter. Except for the two girls, the rest of them weren't dressed warmly enough; it would be tough for them to get through the night.

The long, silent night felt longer, and an hour felt more unbearable than half a day. I slowly walked around the rooftop a dozen times, but nothing seemed amiss. The surroundings were so quiet I couldn't even hear an insect chirping. I leaned against the solar panel and took out my phone to read some old novels. Before I'd even finished a page, I heard continuous sniffling and sobbing coming from downstairs.

It was a girl crying, and she seemed very sad. I didn't go to look, and I wasn't moved at all. I just secretly thought that if Zhao Zhuobao were to be on night duty, he would probably be comforting her with two women on either side of him.

But the girl cried harder and harder, as if the weather had stopped being cold and she was no longer stiff. It was as if she had eaten her fill and was full of rebellious energy. She squeezed out every sound she could from her throat, turning sobs into moans. Although they weren't very loud, they were still quite eerie in the unusually quiet night.

Helpless, I went over to observe. As soon as the girl with the good figure saw me, she immediately straightened her upper body and tried to jump upwards, her cries becoming even more urgent. The others ignored her, remaining curled up with their legs tucked in and heads down, looking completely frozen.

She didn't seem to be crying; it was more like she had something to say.

Letting her keep babbling like this isn't a solution. I shouldered my gun, turned on my flashlight, went downstairs, grabbed a fruit knife from the coffee table (the kind they confiscated), walked straight up to her, and without a word, grabbed her by the collar and dragged her into the living room. After closing the door, with the fruit knife pressed against her carotid artery, I said, "I'll let you talk. If you dare to scream, you're dead."

She nodded hurriedly, so I pulled the cloth out of her mouth. She gasped for breath with her mouth wide open, then knelt on the ground coughing for a long time, her lips turning blue, but she couldn't utter a single word.

I have no virtue of chivalry, and seeing that she didn't speak, I waved the rag and said, "If you're not going to talk, then get out."

"Say...I...I want...the toilet." He'd been gagging for so long that his speech had become slurred.

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I hope the pandemic will improve soon.