Mr. Li Wei gritted his teeth, his entire body trembling with barely contained fury. His hunched form radiated an animosity so sharp it felt like acid—burning, slicing, and potent. His face turned crimson as rage surged through him. Unable to reach the senior doctor by phone, he slammed the device onto the table with such force it felt as though he had mentally destroyed it.
The news blaring on television added fuel to the fire:
"The entirety of China is turning to dust due to an unknown virus transforming people into monsters."
~Xang Fang Office~
Xang Fang sat frozen in his office, his breath shallow, as though invisible hands were choking him. Panic gripped his chest like a vice. His mind raced, replaying every decision, every moment, searching for answers he couldn't find. A solitary tear rolled down his cheek as he whispered to himself, "Is this how it all ends?"
Desperation consumed him. He tore through drawers and cabinets, throwing files and folders to the floor in a frantic search for any drug that might cure this nightmare. His laptop lay shattered, a casualty of his helpless rage.
The noise of his destruction echoed down the hall, catching the attention of the undead. A growing chorus of thuds began at his office door, low and menacing at first, then escalating into a relentless battering.
"Please, just go away!" Xang Fang shouted, his voice trembling. "I can't open the door! Leave me alone, please!"
The banging intensified until the door splintered and gave way. The zombies poured in, their grotesque forms a blur of teeth and claws. Xang Fang's scream was swallowed by the chaos as they devoured him without mercy.
-----------------------
Zhang Wei remained in the club, pacing in circles, clutching his head as if trying to keep it from splitting apart. His thoughts spiraled into guilt and confusion. "Is this punishment for my sins? Is this how the world ends?" He muttered prayers under his breath, begging for forgiveness from a God he had ignored for so long.
The once-vibrant club, filled with music and laughter, was now eerily silent. He peeked out the window again, only to see more zombies shambling down the streets. His knees buckled as he sank to the floor, paralyzed with fear.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Anabel George frantically fanned her daughter Grace, her tears falling like rain. "Wake up, Grace! Please, baby, wake up!" she pleaded.
Grace stirred and opened her eyes, immediately bursting into sobs. "Mom, don't tell me we're going through this again! We ran from Washington to escape this nightmare, and now it's happening in China?" Her voice cracked as she continued, "I'm scared, Mom. I'm so scared."
Without waiting for a reply, Grace bolted to the restroom and locked the door behind her.
"Grace! Open the door!" Mrs. Anabel shouted, pounding on the door. "Don't do anything stupid, please! We'll find a way out together just like before!"
The silence that followed was deafening. Panic surged through Mrs. Anabel as she forced the door open. What she saw made her scream in anguish—Grace lay lifeless on the floor, her head smashed against the wall.
~Military Zone~
As the soldiers returned to the military zone, Mr. Li Chong pointed a gun at Michael.
"What the hell are you doing?" Michael growled, his eyes narrowing.
Without a word, Mr. Li Chong picked up the remote and turned on the television. "Look," he said, his voice flat and cold.
The screen showed a live broadcast. A journalist stood amidst chaos, reporting on the outbreak. From behind, a zombie lunged, sinking its teeth into his neck. The reporter's scream was cut short as the feed abruptly ended.
"You brought virus to our country!" Mr. Li Chong shouted at Michael.
Michael's jaw clenched. "What's going on? Since you brought me to this damn country, I haven't stepped outside this place. How did China get infected? And why the hell do you think it has anything to do with me?" His voice rose, trembling with anger.
He took a step closer to Li Chong. "Where are my clothes?!" he demanded.
Mr. Li Chong remained silent, his grip on the gun tightening.
Michael's glare hardened. "I asked you a question. Where-- Is--My-- Clothes?"
The guilt sat not just on Mr. Li Chong's chest but burned deep inside his brain, a relentless weight that gnawed at him. What he had done could not be undone, no matter how he wished otherwise. Subtle amends were no longer an option, and confession was out of the question—it would cost him everything.
Michael's heart pounded furiously, his fists clenched in frustration. But he couldn't lash out at Mr. Li Chong, restrained by the man's rank and authority.
"I've made the greatest mistake of my life," Mr. Li Chong admitted, his voice trembling with regret. He grabbed his phone, desperately trying to contact Mr. Li Wei. Each failed call sent his anxiety spiraling further.
Finally, unable to sit idle, he look at Michael, "Get into the car!" Mr. Li Chong and Michael climbed into his car and sped off to Mr. Li Wei's house. Upon arrival, they found Mr. Li Wei pacing restlessly in his sitting room, his face etched with worry.
"Where is the clothes I sent to you?" Mr. Li Chong demanded angrily as he burst into the room.
Michael stepped forward, his eyes blazing with fury. "Where the hell is my clothes?"
Mr. Li Wei snapped, "I've paid you for them. You have no right to ask me what I did with that damn clothes!"
Michael turned sharply, glaring at Mr. Li Chong. "What did this old fool just say? Did he just admit he paid you for my clothes?"
"We don't have time for this argument!" Mr. Li Wei interrupted, his voice shaking. "I can't contact my two sons. Mr. Li Chong, do something about this, please!"
Mr. Li Chong's face darkened. "Your clinic is overrun with zombies. There's no way either of your sons could survive in that place. They're likely... gone."
The weight of those words silenced the room, but Michael's expression grew colder. His eyes narrowed, rigid and brimming with rage.
"I wish you had left me in Washington," Michael said bitterly. "If you hadn't brought me here, none of this mess would have happened."
Mr. Li Chong tried to reason with him. "Michael, we need to find the cure. Is there any chance of creating a vaccine?"
Michael's jaw tightened. "I don't know. The people who developed the original vaccine are long dead. If you're hoping for a miracle, you won't find it here."
Mr. Li Wei interjected. "We can produce a vaccine here in China. But we'll need skilled scientists, and they're all in North China."
"That's impossible," Mr. Li Chong replied. "We'd never make it to North China alive. The journey would be suicide."
Mr. Li Wei clenched his fists. "Creating a vaccine might be difficult, but unleashing a zombie disaster was all too easy. If we don't get to North China, we're as good as dead!"
Michael's expression turned grim. "You have no idea what's coming. I've seen this before. Those zombies will tear us apart long before we get anywhere near North China."
"Then what are we supposed to do? Just sit here and wait to die?" Mr. Li Wei demanded, his voice cracking with desperation.
"If I had known this would happen, I'd never have sent you Michael's clothes," Mr. Li Chong muttered bitterly. "You've destroyed me, and now you've destroyed China. You're a fool!"
Michael's patience snapped. "Who is the fool here? You took my clothes and handed them over for money! Do you even realize the disaster you've unleashed?"
Before the argument could escalate further, screams erupted from elsewhere in the mansion.
---------------------
Mrs. Anabel George's panicked cries filled the air, drawing the attention of nearby zombies. They began pounding on the door, their relentless banging growing louder and louder until the door finally gave way.
Mrs. Anabel locked herself in the bathroom, trembling in terror as the zombies broke into the house. Meanwhile, outside, military jets roared overhead, dropping bombs in a desperate attempt to contain the outbreak.
Back at Mr. Li Wei's mansion. Michael turned to Mr. Li Chong, his voice dripping with disdain. "You brought me here to die in China. I should've stayed in my own country. At least I'd have died on my own soil."
"We have to fight those zombies!" Mr. Li Chong urged, but Michael shook his head and stormed out of the mansion.
Ignoring Mr. Li Chong's shouts, Michael climbed into a car and drove off. Music blasted from the speakers as he sped through the streets, but the noise only attracted more zombies, who swarmed after him in a relentless horde.
Back at the mansion, chaos reigned. One of Mr. Li Wei's maids, now turned into a zombie, crawled inside and lunged at Mr. Li Wei, biting deep into his neck. Mr. Li Chong acted swiftly, shooting the zombie in the brain, but it was too late for Mr. Li Wei. Blood poured from the wound as he collapsed to the floor, leaving Mr. Li Chong alone amidst the growing horror.