"Cleared!"
Watching his game character hammer the final boss to death, Wang Tao felt a surge of satisfaction.
He didn't have a huge addiction to gaming, after all, he was busy with work. But whenever he did play, he had to do it perfectly. Things like no-damage clears and unlocking all achievements.
Of course, this only applied to single-player games, he couldn't afford to spend on pay-to-win online games with his family's financial condition.
The game Wang Tao was playing this time was called "Apocalypse Kill Kill Kill," a side-scrolling fighting game that wasn't rich in content but was a good way to kill time. He couldn't remember when he downloaded it, but after playing for a day, he had finally unlocked all the achievements.
"Time to go out for a big meal, reward my hard work!" Only, looking at the pouring rain outside, Wang Tao frowned, "Why is it still raining..."
He was an ordinary stuntman for martial arts scenes, and the reason he was home playing games instead of working was the heavy rain, which had led to the cancellation of all the day's shooting.
"Tired from playing all day, don't feel like cooking... There's a small eatery downstairs, not far from me..."
In the end, Wang Tao decided to eat out.
Just as he opened his door, his neighbor's door also opened.
A young woman in a black dress appeared, her left hand holding a phone, her elbow holding a bag, and her right hand carrying high heels. Wang Tao couldn't help but steal another glance at those slender and well-proportioned legs in black stockings.
"Sister-in-law, good evening!"
Wang Tao was surprised to see her but still greeted her politely.
The young woman's name was Ding Yuqin, the wife of a young director named Zhao Yuan. They had been married for a short time and were very affectionate. Wang Tao and Director Zhao were from the same hometown, and although they both worked in the movie industry and didn't cross paths often, they were acquainted, and he would greet him as Brother Zhao.
Wang Tao remembered that the couple went back to their hometown last month, and he didn't know when they had returned.
Upon hearing Wang Tao's voice, the young woman looked up, revealing a delicate face with light makeup.
"Oh, it's you, Xiao Wang, good evening!"
Ding Yuqin tucked her hair back and smiled slightly.
Wang Tao held the elevator for her, but Ding Yuqin didn't get in, instead saying suddenly,
"I just remembered, I forgot to take something. You go down first..."
Wang Tao's face stiffened slightly, but he responded politely,
"Alright, then I'll go ahead."
Rejected again, but he had grown used to it.
Ding!
Entering the elevator, looking at the reflection of the tall and burly man, 1.83 meters tall, with a vicious scar on his face in the mirror, Wang Tao sighed helplessly.
He had been injured accidentally on the set, and with a physique that could rival a fitness instructor's, his appearance scared many people.
He once had the appearance of a tender young man and the opportunity to be a lead actor. But now, he had become a martial arts double, and always for villains...
With a self-deprecating smile, Wang Tao left the elevator, opened the unit door, and rushed into a small restaurant called "Big Mouth Meat Eater."
The restaurant was empty; an old TV was broadcasting the weather forecast, and the presenter said the intense rainfall would stop tomorrow, telling everyone not to panic.
"Boss Li, where are you?"
Wang Tao called out.
"Coming!"
The voice came from the side door.
A moment later, the owner came in wearing a raincoat, carrying a military green oil drum.
"I was just refueling the car. What would you like, Xiao Wang?"
"A large portion of fried rice noodles!"
"Alright! Just a moment!"
Soon, Boss Li brought over a large portion of fried rice noodles and complained,
"Ah, this damn weather, including you, Xiao Wang, not even twenty customers today, can't even make the rent..."
Wang Tao shook his head with a laugh and then asked curiously,
"Where's Sister Liu? She didn't come today?"
The couple ran the shop together, and Sister Liu was Boss Li's wife.
"She has a fever, sleeping inside. But with so few customers today, I can manage alone."
Boss Li shrugged.
Seeing this, Wang Tao didn't say much more; today's downpour had disrupted many people's work.
"I'm off, Boss Li, the money's transferred to you, check it!"
"No problem, take care!"
Wang Tao lived in an old residential area called Happy Community, which exuded a sense of age with its single courtyard and four six-story buildings. The population was not large, and the elevator was installed later. Wang Tao lived in apartment 501 of building number 4.
Unlike his neighbor Director Zhao, whose house was purchased, Wang Tao's was rented.
It was a two-bedroom apartment that cost three thousand a month. Although not located in the city center of Huangfeng City, it was close to the Huangfeng Film City, which made the rent not so cheap.
Originally, Wang Tao had a roommate to share the rent, but the roommate abandoned his star dream to go back to his hometown to get married. Recently, Wang Tao had been considering moving out because he could barely afford the rent.
In the living room, there were a few dumbbells and a punching bag. Wang Tao exercised every day, since having a good body shape required regular workouts.
But not today – he finally had a day off, so he decided to relax thoroughly.
"Play on the computer a bit longer, until twelve, then go to sleep early today," he thought.
Just as he sat down, Wang Tao suddenly felt a piercing pain spread throughout his body.
Sizzle—
Looking at the sparking wires at his feet, Wang Tao's eyes widened, and then darkness enveloped him as he fainted.
...
"…So hungry!"
In a daze, hunger woke Wang Tao up; he found himself lying on the floor.
He quickly stood up, and seeing the charred wires and computer, Wang Tao was utterly bewildered.
"Electrocuted? It wasn't a dream? I'm still alive?"
There were plenty of snacks on the table. Driven by overpowering hunger, Wang Tao grabbed them and started to eat.
"Ah—"
Suddenly, a piercing scream came from outside.
Instinctively, he went to the window to look, and his pupils shrank abruptly.
"What the hell!"
He saw in the courtyard below, a blood-covered person pinning a middle-aged man down, ripping and gnawing at his flesh!
The man's gaze was vacant; he was clearly beyond saving.
The blood-covered person raised its head, revealing a hideous and horrifying face.
"Z-zombies?!"
Wang Tao's eyes widened in disbelief.
Filming? Impossible! He was too familiar with filming, and this was clearly not it, not to mention there were no cameras or other crew members around—just as he thought there were no other people, several zombies appeared from out of sight and joined the gruesome feast.
Wang Tao had only been dumbfounded for a moment, and the man on the ground was almost dismembered.
"Ugh~"
Wang Tao felt nauseous and vomited out everything he had just eaten.
"Don't panic! Call the police!"
After calming himself, Wang Tao quickly took out his phone to dial emergency services, but all he got was a busy signal.
He then opened his web browser to search for local emergency numbers. Instead, he was greeted by a flood of shocking news.
"The end of the world is here!"
"Zombies! The whole world is full of zombies!"
"The zombie virus is highly infectious! Please stay in a safe place and wait for rescue!"
"The whole world is under attack by the zombie virus! It is advised to seek refuge in less populated areas!"
"Known methods of virus transmission include bodily fluids, scratches, bites, and air (suspected)."
"The incubation period of the zombie virus ranges from one minute to twenty-four hours, possibly related to the strength of an individual's immune system. Please be sure to take precautions! If you are unfortunately infected, isolate yourself immediately and amputate the infected area!"
"Most water sources have not yet been affected, but it is recommended to filter and boil or distill before use. If the water turns yellow or green, do not drink it!"
"Some zombies may retain certain habits from before, so be sure to distinguish carefully!"
"Some regions have completely collapsed, with water and power outages occurring one after another..."
"An expert says: Our Qian Country has made great progress in the anti-zombie virus serum, but we still need a little more time!"
"..."
Reading the overwhelming news, Wang Tao was stunned.
How could the end of the world come out of nowhere!
He had just fainted for a few hours—no, not a few hours! Wang Tao checked the time; his last payment record at the small restaurant was on April 3, 4444, at 8 p.m., and now it was 9 a.m. on April 7. In other words, he had been unconscious for three days?!