Zhang Xiaoqiang sat on the ground, gasping for breath. One foot was extended forward, and the other was bent upward. A 1.6-meter-long iron spear lay beside him, its triangular head facing the anti-theft door, covered in old, black, and foul-smelling bloodstains. The 70% new green anti-theft door was open with a 10-centimeter gap, and from where he sat on the ground, he could see several corpses lying quietly outside.
They had been human beings just 20 days ago, but now they had become zombies lying outside the door. "I killed them!" He didn't feel any fear after killing them, only excitement after his victory.
"I did it," Zhang Xiaoqiang told himself.
"I can survive, and I will continue to survive."
After resting for five or six minutes, he picked up the iron spear and stood up. He untied the hemp rope on the door handle and pushed the door open. The zombie corpses outside blocked the door tightly.
Zhang Xiaoqiang used the iron spear to push the corpses aside before stepping out of the door. He looked around and saw seven corpses lying scattered in the hallway outside. He could barely find a place to set his feet. Five days ago, he had killed a zombie that lay with its back to him, its head completely smashed into a pulp, and its black blood and brain matter splattered everywhere.
Zhang Xiaoqiang dared not look down any longer, afraid that one more glance would make him throw up.
Standing on top of the corpse pile, he shivered with fear. The strong smell of decay made him nauseous, even though he had sprayed his scarf with insect repellent.
Zhang Xiaoqiang found the pot lid shield he had lost five days ago. Holding it in his hand gave him some confidence, even though it couldn't block knives or guns, it could at least protect him from the zombies' sharp claws.
He left the iron door open and walked cautiously into the living room opposite. The room was dark, and he felt a chill run down his spine. The white floor reflected his dim silhouette in the dim light, giving him a bone-chilling feeling.
Zhang Xiaoqiang found the power switch for the living room and turned on the ceiling light. He felt slightly more at ease in the presence of light.
His target was the kitchen; he didn't dare to go to the other bedrooms. If he encountered a zombie and got scratched, it would be a big loss.
Carefully, he approached the kitchen, feeling somewhat uneasy about rummaging through someone else's house. He had never committed a burglary in his previous life, but in this post-apocalyptic world, Zhang Xiaoqiang found himself resorting to thievery.
He moved silently, making sure his footsteps produced no sound, and gradually approached the kitchen.
"... "
Zhang Xiaoqiang heard scratching sounds at the kitchen door, causing his heart to tighten. It seemed like whenever he feared something, it would come true! Couldn't fate just let him have some peace?
"Shit."
Zhang Xiaoqiang cursed under his breath, tightening his helmet to protect himself. With three fingers gripping the gun's barrel and his thumb and index finger holding onto the door handle, he gently turned it before pulling it open with force.
A swift figure darted out of the kitchen with a "whoosh." Zhang Xiaoqiang raised his iron spear in his right hand, pointing it at the shadow, while his left hand held the shield in front of him, ready to launch an attack.
Upon closer inspection, he realized it was the neighbor's fat cat. The mottled cat glanced at him and quickly ran out of the door.
This unexpected encounter made his heart race.
"Encountering a cat is always better than encountering a zombie," Zhang Xiaoqiang reassured himself as he walked into the kitchen. It had been 20 days since anyone had cleaned it, and a thin layer of dust covered the imitation mahogany dining table. There were a few scattered cat pawprints resembling plum blossoms on the table.
Zhang Xiaoqiang opened the refrigerator. The vegetables inside had been sitting there for a while and weren't very fresh, but he didn't mind. He stuffed them into his pockets. He cleared out the vegetables, eggs from the top shelf, and the frozen fish and pork from the bottom, one by one, until the kitchen was empty. He also found half a bucket of rice, a container of pickled vegetables, a bag of sugar, and various other seasonings. It took Zhang Xiaoqiang two trips to carry everything back home.
Looking at the food in the living room, he felt like something was still missing. Then he remembered the corner of the neighbor's living room, next to the television, where there was a cabinet for cigarettes and alcohol. Zhang Xiaoqiang hurriedly brought back all the cigarettes and alcohol as well.
Seeing the corpses outside the door, he realized he needed to find a way to dispose of them. The smell was just too unbearable. Zhang Xiaoqiang went outside to search for a place to dispose of the bodies. He noticed that the small vegetable patch in the center of the platform still had over 30 heads of cabbage growing. They were ready for him to harvest at any time. The desperate scene from five days ago felt like it happened just yesterday.
"Damn this virus, damn this world," he sighed.
After the apocalypse, Zhang Xiaoqiang found himself often filled with sighs.
He decided to leave the cabbage for now, and went to the staircase landing of the platform to see how the zombie he kicked downstairs was faring. Ever since he was ambushed by the zombie from the neighboring apartment, he had become extra cautious whenever he went outside. He slowly approached the staircase and looked down. There was a legless zombie crawling on the lower steps, its clothes torn into small rag-like patches hanging from its body. Suddenly, it caught Zhang Xiaoqiang's scent and crawled towards him.
Zhang Xiaoqiang crouched on the platform, watching it slowly crawl up from below, excitedly opening its mouth filled with sharp teeth. Its claws left marks on the concrete steps.
In an instant, a spearhead stabbed into its brain from its nose bridge. The spearhead turned from left to right as it was pulled out. The zombie stopped moving, and a cup-sized hole on its face oozed black blood.
Zhang Xiaoqiang had become more and more accustomed to killing zombies. It was like when he was a child squatting in a corner, killing ants. The excitement and fear were gone, replaced only by indifference. He knew he couldn't kill the billions of zombies in the world, so he only needed to eliminate the ones that posed a threat to him.
There was a garden below the stairs. The January weather had added a touch of desolation to the plants in the garden. Several grapevines, over twenty years old, had fewer leaves, and the lawn had turned yellow. There were three cement pavilions where elderly residents from the seven surrounding buildings used to gather for leisure. Normally, there were many people there. Now, there were over thirty wandering zombies in the garden. The closest one was about forty meters away from him, and it hadn't shown any reaction yet, making him realize that the minimum safe distance from zombies was at least forty meters.
There was a convenience store downstairs that usually sold cigarettes, alcohol, and snacks, as well as rice and eggs. But now he dared not go there to find food. He would have to pass through more than thirty zombies!
On the second-floor platform, there was a garbage chute where residents from both buildings usually disposed of their trash. Zhang Xiaoqiang threw the seven bodies into it. He was exhausted and sweating. Finally, it was resolved. He didn't care about the bodies on the staircase anymore. After all, they were far enough from his doorstep and wouldn't stink up his place.
Looking at the two households across the platform that were still open, he hesitated. There were definitely zombies on the floors of both units, and every household had a reinforced door that he couldn't pry open. Thinking about this, he made up his mind, holding the shield and iron spear, and walked over to that side. Zhang Xiaoqiang returned home and locked the reinforced door. At the entrance, there was a pocket with a fully packed backpack and a bulging snakeskin bag. This was his loot from the opposite side of the platform. He didn't encounter any zombies there, so he believed he had killed all six of them, which should be all the zombies in that household. Zhang Xiaoqiang happily dragged the two large bags to the sofa and prepared to examine today's gains.
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