Mental illness is a hereditary disease.

To avoid misunderstandings about sleeping together after drinking too much, we chose to drink in the downstairs living room this time. If the two of them got drunk, I was responsible for dragging one of them out, and if I got drunk, the two of them were responsible for carrying me upstairs. Han Bo went to get the drinks, and I went to get a few bags of fish skin peanuts. Drinking on dry alcohol makes you drunk too easily, and having peanuts to distract you will help you stay drunk a little longer.

As Han Bo closed the door to the reception room and was about to sit down, he suddenly said, "He was unhappy last time when I didn't bring Zhou Yi. Why don't we invite him to come along?"

I looked at Ma Li and said, "Two men and two women are not suitable. How about I call Liu Meili over as well?"

Han Bo added, "Alright, let's call Xiao Hei and the others too. He finished his work yesterday and took some people to help me haul cement. He was exhausted."

I rolled my eyes and said, "Since we've already called them, Company Commander Gao and Xiao Zhang shouldn't be left out either."

Ma Li: "And Xiao Chen and Xiao Qin, uncles and aunts."

Han Bo and I looked at the two cases of beer and the three bags of fish skin peanuts, and said in unison, "Then don't order any of them."

Beer was opened, and one of the three left. Ma Li tossed her long hair and spoke first: "Da Feng, I'm just taking advantage of being two years older than you to call myself 'sister'."

I nodded repeatedly: "Of course, of course, Sister Li, please let me know if you need anything."

"I want to join the field support team."

I asked, puzzled, "What's wrong? Are you not doing well in the cafeteria?"

"The cafeteria is great, Aunt Cheng is so kind to me, and I don't have much work to do. Now that a few more older ladies have joined, I can hardly get any help. I just want to join the field team and go out with you guys to kill zombies. I... I'm twenty-eight, that's not old, is it?"

"Not old at all, still very young."

I no longer have any prejudice against Ma Li. Ever since she came with us, I have never seen her get close to any man. She always works alone and keeps to herself. If she is asked to sleep on the floor, she will sleep on the floor. If she is asked to do housework, she will do housework. In the veterans' canteen, you can often see her with her head wrapped in a cloth and wearing a big apron, busy at work.

In a society devoid of legal constraints, a beautiful woman who is powerless to protect herself can still survive if she is willing to sacrifice her dignity. Han Bo felt pity for her, and Zhou Yi even revered her as a goddess, but I could see that this beauty was different; she was proud, had a strong sense of self-respect, and didn't want to rely on anyone.

Ma Li downed her beer in one gulp, her cheeks flushed. "You spoke so well at the meeting today. In this dog-eat-dog world, why should we women be the meat? If you don't want to be eaten, you have to learn how to eat others. I'm still young, I can handle a knife, and I want to learn skills, not to eat others, but to..."

She opened a second can and gulped down more than half of it: "Protect myself, protect the people I want to protect."

I raised an eyebrow mischievously: "Sister Li, who do you want to protect?"

She looked at me with a radiant smile: "You, your parents, Han Bo, Zhou Yi, Mr. Yu, Mr. Zheng, Xiao Li, and so many others, you are all my benefactors."

Unexpectedly, the first person to openly express their desire to protect me was a woman. My heart warmed. Regardless of who was protecting whom, her attitude and character moved me so much that I didn't know what to say. So I asked haphazardly, "I wouldn't call you a benefactor, but who is Mr. Zheng?"

“Xiao Hei,” Han Bo continued, “you still don’t know his name, do you?”

"I really don't know."

"Xiao Hei's real name is Zheng Yingjun, and Fatty Luo's real name is Luo Ruigang."

Zheng, Ying, Jun... I spat out a mouthful of wine. "He has such a dark, rough face, and he calls himself handsome? His parents are really narcissistic."

"Your roommate looks like a short, stout person, yet you dare to call yourself beautiful?"

I immediately glared at her: "Don't talk nonsense. Is our Meili only 1.6 meters tall with shoes on? That's called petite and delicate. She's small and has a very pretty face. Meili truly lives up to her name."

"Don't discriminate against our handsome guy. He's perfect except for his dark skin. Besides, what's wrong with being dark-skinned? Dark skin makes you more manly!"

Ma Li laughed: "Why are you two arguing again? You're talking about me, whether you agree to let me join the field team or not?"

I had no objection, but Han Bo was very thoughtful: "I said, what are you doing carrying a knife and killing zombies when you can't even open a mineral water bottle? It's not as simple as you think. You can't just go out and become a heroine or something. You could easily lose your life. Why bother?"

"If it can be done in strong winds, so can I."

"Can you compare to her? She's been fighting since she was a kid, she's got a muscular physique, she's run 100 meters in under 13 seconds, she's good with knives, axes, and bricks, and she's never had long hair or worn high heels. If you don't look at her physical characteristics, she's a man, you know?"

I rolled my eyes: "You're talking nonsense again."

"No, I want to participate. If I'm not physically fit, I can train. I can practice with a knife, I can practice with an axe. I'll go out when Da Feng says I'm ready. Anyway, I don't want to stay in the back and be protected anymore." As she spoke, Ma Li finished her third can. Her eyes sparkled, and she glared at people with a hint of reproach. Her cherry lips were moist and slightly pouted when she was unhappy. The flush from the alcohol ran from her cheeks to her neck. She sat on the sofa with her legs crossed. Her fingers holding the beer can were slender, white, and green like scallions. She was so beautiful that she radiated beauty and it was impossible to look away.

Han Bo, having been with such beauty before, was used to it and remained calm, still offering earnest advice with the expression of a neighborhood committee auntie. Meanwhile, I sipped my drink, stealing glances at her, and as I stared, I suddenly felt a pang of self-consciousness.

That's what a woman should be like. Even when she's being fierce, she has a coquettish air about her. What man wouldn't like that? And look at me, sitting with my toes pointing outwards, elbows on my knees like a mountain bandit, swaying back and forth with a wine jug in my hand, and all I can say is "bullshit"... Sigh! What can I do? I'm helpless too. My grandfather won't allow me to become that kind of woman. That's a family rule, and I can't go against it.

The two of them kept trying to persuade each other, and I, who should have been the decision-maker, was forgotten. I chewed on fish skin peanuts and wondered what Han Bo wanted to tell me back then? Judging from his expression, it didn't seem to be anything too important, otherwise I would have drunk two more cans and gone back to sleep. Tomorrow I have to organize the women's field team to complete their first training mission within the institute.

Ma Li slumped onto the sofa, muttering "If I'm going, I'll go," but her eyes closed. She collapsed once again at the threshold of the fifth can.

“Oh my god,” Han Bo said, taking a couple of sips to moisten his throat, “when women get stubborn, they’re like oxen pulling a cart. They don’t even look at their own small bodies. They’re so unrealistic.”

I yawned: "There's no point in arguing with you chauvinists. Do I need your permission? I only need to agree to my team's decisions."

"You are responsible for human lives."

"Of course I'll take responsibility. I'm not talking to you anymore. I'm not feeling energetic tonight. I'll take Ma Li back to her room and go to sleep. You can call Zhou Yi to come drink with you."

I was about to leave when Han Bo grabbed me: "Don't go, I have something important to tell you, something really important, something that concerns your happiness for the rest of your life."

I picked at my ear: "Is it a front nasal sound or a back nasal sound? Make it clear."

"That's right, it's about the lower body. Nobody can say for sure what will happen in the second half of life. Given the current situation, we might not even have a second half. Let's think about the lower body first."

"Get lost, my happiness is none of your business."

"I always thought you'd never get married, but I never expected there would actually be someone with such unusual tastes. After days of testing you, using all sorts of tricks and subtle probing, I'm pretty sure," he suddenly gave a fatherly, benevolent smile, and whispered furtively, "Xiao Yu has feelings for you, really, absolutely! I'm a man who's been in seven relationships, I can spot his little schemes instantly. So, what do you think, do you feel anything for him...?"

How would a normal person react to this news? "Xiao Yu has feelings for me? That's impossible!" "You're spreading rumors, or I'll beat you up!" "Don't talk nonsense, we're just friends."

But how could I be an ordinary person? I told Han Bo, "To be honest, I've known for a long time that he's interested in me."

Han Bo's eyes lit up: "He always has an icy expression, how did you find out? Did he hint at it to you?"

"No, it's just intuition. He's always secretly observing my movements, often wandering around in front of me; he wants to talk to me but can't find a topic, so he either talks about work or pretends to be respectful; once he gets a chance to get close to me, he won't let go; he gets angry when I consistently act like I don't understand romance, trying to provoke me to get more attention." I pointed to my eyes, "This kind of elementary school crush is completely exposed in front of me."

"Wow, Da Feng, you still have your female instincts, huh? So, you're a little interested in him too?"

I sighed with a sense of loss. "Xiao Yu is good-looking, smart, and capable. Apart from his awkward personality, he's perfect. Besides, this virus has killed so many fine young men. I don't have any other choice, do I? I should be thanking my lucky stars that someone as outstanding as Xiao Yu is interested in me. To say that I don't like him would be a blatant lie!"

Han Bo gradually became excited, so I changed the subject: "But Xiao Bo, have you thought about this? Mental illness is a hereditary disease. Although the probability is not 100%, who would dare to take that risk?"

Han Bo's excited face gradually twisted again: "Where did you get this from? Why are you bringing up genetics again? I meant if you're interested in him too, you two should get together. You're both living in the apocalypse, right? Help each other out, comfort each other..."

"No way!" I said solemnly and seriously. "How can you treat matters of the heart so lightly and casually? If I were that casual, I wouldn't have remained single for so many years. I'm looking for a partner with marriage and children in mind. Even if there's no civil affairs bureau now, we still have our parents. I'm in my late twenties, almost thirty. Can we just date without having children? Especially in these difficult times, as a woman, I should always contribute to the continuation of the surviving human race!"

Han Bo looked at me speechlessly, and after a long while said, "You're really good at making things up. If you don't like it, just say you don't like it. Why bring up reproduction?"

I shook my head: "We're best buddies, so to be honest, my feelings for Xiao Yu are very complicated. It's not something that can be explained simply by liking or disliking him. Sometimes I really annoy him, and other times I admire him quite a bit. I've analyzed this contradiction, and the main reason is that I'm keenly aware that he's not a real person. His primary personality is Yu Yu, and he's just a split off part of himself. That's something that can't be changed, you know? Just like a cartoon character, liking him is pointless. I can only say that if he's not mentally ill, I would seriously consider it."

“The day before yesterday, I asked him if he had said anything nonsense that made you angry, and he said he was talking about serious matters with you; yesterday, I joked with him that you had a bad temper, and he said you had a good personality; today, I directly asked him if he was interested in you, and he neither admitted nor denied it.” Han Bo shrugged: “I thought there might be a chance, but actually, the only person I’m really familiar with regarding his split personality is Yu Zhongjian. You’ve seen a lot, so naturally you think a lot. It’s really inappropriate for him to have this illness. Forget it, let’s pretend I never mentioned it.”

“Yeah, let’s not talk about it.” I agreed. “It’ll make everyone sad. I really want to find a partner, but Xiao Yu and I are just not meant to be.”

We drank all night, talked about two things that never came to fruition, and it was almost midnight when we helped Ma Li out of the living room. From the rooms downstairs came the sounds of snoring, some long, some short, some melodious; everyone was already asleep.

Han Bo, holding a flashlight, went up the stairs and said, "Xiao Yu said he wanted me to draw a map of the South City area tonight so we could search for usable supplies there tomorrow. I completely forgot about it."

"Let's draw it tomorrow, the day after tomorrow." I helped Ma Li walk around the corner of the stairs, and when I looked up, I was startled by a dark shadow on the steps. "Oh my god, who is that? Why is it lying on the stairs?"

The flashlight beam shone on him, and Han Bo exclaimed in surprise, "Xiao Yu?"

Yu Zhongjian lay face down on the stairs, one hand gripping the upper step and the other hand holding the railing. He pushed off two steps with his left foot, but his right leg was stretched out straight, a very strange posture.

He was breathing heavily, his back heaving.

"Xiao Yu, what's wrong?" Han Bo called out again, reaching out a hand to pull him up. Yu Zhongjian trembled slightly, but did not resist. He used his strength to sit up, but his head remained drooping.

“It’s nothing,” he said in a low voice. “I felt dizzy when I went upstairs and I fell.”

"Why are you dizzy? Did you not eat enough for dinner?" Han Bo patted his back and asked with concern, "Are you anemic? Let Liu Meili take a look at you."

Yu Zhongjian remained silent for a while before saying, "No need, please help me back to my room to rest."

"Okay, Dafeng, you take Mali back to her house. I'll help Xiaoyu."

After Han Bo finished speaking, he bit the flashlight. The light shone directly on my face, and I couldn't see the expression on the face of the person who had already stood up on the stairs, but I was sure he stared at me for a while before slowly turning around.

I spent a while in Ma Li's room settling her into bed. When I came out, the corridor was empty. I wondered if Han Bo had gone back to his room to sleep. There were eight rooms on the second floor, facing each other in pairs, separated by the stairwell. Directly opposite my room were Li Tonggu and Zhao Zhuobao, and diagonally opposite was the finance office, which was Yu Zhongjian's room. He lived alone.

I also had a flashlight, but I didn't use it. I quietly crept up to his door, listened carefully, but there was no sound inside.

I tiptoed back to my room and closed the door. Liu Meili was fast asleep, but as I leaned against the door, I felt something was off. Yu Zhongjian usually went to bed early, so why was he on the stairs at midnight? Would he have fallen like that if he was dizzy and unsteady? It looked more like he was enduring immense pain as he desperately climbed up.

Something's wrong, very wrong. A sense of unease crept in. After a few minutes, I mustered my strength and turned the doorknob again, opening it a crack. Being at the top of the stairs, it received no sunlight; it was pitch black outside, and I could only vaguely make out the outline of the opposite door frame. I held my breath, remaining motionless behind the door, silently listening for any sounds in the hallway.

At the other end of the corridor lived Han Bo, Zhou Yi, Ma Li, Sister Wei, and others. Zhou Yi's chainsaw-like snoring continued unabated, still possessing that devastating, tearing-through-the-void momentum. Over time, everyone gradually got used to it; Han Bo could now sleep peacefully through the night amidst this noise.

His snoring drowned out the snoring of others. I listened for a long time but didn't notice anything unusual. I breathed a sigh of relief and was about to close the door when I suddenly saw a dark shadow flash through the crack.

I was so startled that my whole body tensed up and my legs trembled. I almost broke the handle and froze behind the door, unable to think of what to do. As Zhou Yi's snoring paused intermittently, I heard faint footsteps coming from the stairs just a wall away.

It was Yu Zhongjian! Although I only caught a fleeting glimpse of his shadow, my first thought was undoubtedly him. I knew he'd been acting strangely tonight—falling down and not sleeping, what was he up to going downstairs in the middle of the night?

Zhou Yi's snoring started again, and I hurriedly reached under my pillow and pulled out a small 92-inch handkerchief. It was taken from Qian Shiqi and should have been recorded and distributed as needed, but my old teammates all agreed to give it to me as a gift to calm my nerves.

Gripping my gun tightly, I slipped out the door. I looked around the stairwell for a few seconds, but there were no footsteps or anyone in sight. So I rushed to Yu Zhongjian's room, pushed the door open, and sure enough, he wasn't in the room; the door was just slightly ajar.

I glanced around and saw that there was no one else in the room—nothing like Han Bo's body... I felt relieved. Then I rushed to Han Bo and Zhou Yi's room and knocked on the door. Zhou Yi stopped snoring and came out to open the door after a while, muttering, "What is it?"

Where is Han Bo?

"Sleeping." Zhou Yi turned around and looked back. "Huh, he's not here?"

My heart jumped again. Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted downstairs. The night was quiet, and even the smallest sounds were amplified. I heard a male voice shouting, "Don't move! Hands behind your head! Lie down on the ground!"

"Go to Xiao Yu's room and find Han Bo." I didn't have time to say more to Zhou Yi, so I left those words and ran downstairs. On the road from the administration building to the inpatient department, two men wearing headlamps were threatening people with guns, and the person they were blocking was Yu Zhongjian.

He neither covered his head nor knelt down, but raised his chin and scolded the two men: "I am Captain Yu. Which team are you from? Don't you recognize me? Get out of the way!"

I ran over, and one of the men quickly raised his gun at me: "Password: Strangers meet by chance, all strangers in a foreign land?"

I replied firmly, "Yes, buddy."

"Good evening, Dr. Qi." The man greeted me, then turned his gun on Yu Zhongjian and said, "Did you hear what our doctor said? We only recognize passwords, not people. You don't even know the password, yet you want to impersonate Captain Yu!"

Yu Zhongjian turned his head to look at me, his face pale and ashen under the close-up headlamp light, his left hand slowly moving towards his lower back. I sneered, cocked the gun, and pointed it at his head: "He's not Captain Yu, arrest him!"