Although it would be a great regret to die, the experiences of these days have been quite interesting compared to simply fading away. At least he wasn't dying at his computer from overtime work, and he had encountered so many things and people he'd never imagined, which was undoubtedly a form of luck.
Alex White, as if delivering a final message, left the gold bar to his apocalyptic companion.
Dora Lin stopped the tricycle for a moment, opened a packet of white sugar from the cart, mixed it with the remaining water, and handed half to Alex White.
"It's sweet," she said, offering it to him.
The sugar water was an excellent way to replenish energy.
Dora Lin leaned back in her seat, drinking her share while gazing into the distance. Once finished, she resumed pedaling.
"If you get tired, let me take over," Alex White said, noticing the sweat on her forehead.
"I'm fine. I used to go out and come back alone. Sometimes, I couldn't even make it to the town before dark. You should lie on the cart. If you get worse from exhaustion, it will be even more troublesome for me to ride the tricycle alone."
Dora Lin was anything but fragile. On the contrary, her strong legs kept the tricycle moving steadily. As noon approached, she only stopped briefly to drink some sugar water.
On the way out, they had hurried and pushed aside the zombies they could, not wasting any time. On the return trip with the cart full, despite their hurry, the pace didn't pick up.
Alex White dealt with his people ruthlessly while keeping an eye out for any secondary infection.
By afternoon, Dora Lin finally let herself get off the driver's seat. It seemed she was determined to ensure Alex White's departure was dignified. After letting him drive for a while, she took the opportunity to eat some dry rations. Once she finished eating and had more sugar water, she took over the driving again.
The fields were alive with the scent of fresh grass. The wind, carrying the fragrance of the lush vegetation, blew gently from the distance.
At sunset, Dora Lin carried the scent of days without a chance to freshen up and the odor of having pedaled all day.
Alex White couldn't quite describe the sensation. The smell wasn't as enticing as it once was but had become more pronounced.
"I've noticed that your appeal to me seems to be decreasing," Alex White said.
"Could it be stabilizing after the infection?" Dora Lin asked.
"I'd say it's more likely that you're starting to smell," Alex White replied.
"Zombies don't care if people smell," Dora Lin retorted with a solid reason.
Alex White, like Dora Lin, had been spending these days traversing dusty rooms in the city, enduring the lingering stench of old zombies. In theory, when someone's own odor is overpowering, they are less likely to notice others' smells.
"There's some movement in the grass ahead. Be cautious. It might be a zombie that got pushed into the ditch on the way here," Dora Lin suddenly warned.
Alex White grabbed his stick and jogged forward. Without clearing the grass, he struck down forcefully. Dora Lin was right—it was indeed an unfortunate zombie, pushed into the ditch, with a broken back. Unable to stand or crawl, it lay in the grass, its hair in disarray, creating a rather frightening sight.
"What if it gets dark?" he asked, glancing at the distance. There was still some way to the town, and nightfall was imminent.
Dora Lin took out a glass jar containing a candle and hung it from the cart with a string.
"I was hoping for torches. This won't provide much visibility."
"It's adequate. Just push a bit harder, and we'll arrive soon."
Encouraged by Dora Lin, Alex White took over pedaling. The faint glow of the single candle illuminated a corner of the warehouse once they arrived in the dark town.
Alex White had forgotten the way they had come. He took over Dora Lin's position at the wheel and followed her guidance to the temporary warehouse where they would stay.
Alex White stayed alert, keeping an eye out for any movement. When he spotted zombies in the distance, he was able to warn Dora Lin.
Dora Lin had sharp hearing but wasn't as quick as Alex White.
In the dim starlight of the night, the tricycle finally reached the warehouse. Both of them sighed with relief. Dora Lin placed the candle on a table by the wall, and its soft light soon illuminated a corner of the warehouse.
"You must be exhausted," Alex White said, observing her tired legs. After a full day of pedaling, she didn't immediately collapse onto the ground.
"Let's rest here for the night. If you're free tomorrow, you can pedal back to the village."
Dora Lin was indeed very tired. She drank some more sugar water, removed her sun hat, and leaned back in the chair, fanning herself with the hat. "How do you feel now?"
"After a full day of walking, it's not ideal, but… there's no significant discomfort," Alex White replied.
"What about the wound?"
"Uh… it's a bit red and swollen, but there's no obvious ulceration," Alex White said, peering closely at the candlelight, his heart sinking slightly.
"Keep an eye on it," Dora Lin instructed.
In these times, even minor injuries or illnesses can be deadly. With no doctors or medications available, many injuries and ailments have to be endured, relying on wild plants for basic treatment or scavenged alcohol and sugar.
Alex White was surprisingly resilient. Despite being bitten by a zombie, he was not only surviving but also still full of life.
Dora Lin was utterly exhausted. After a long day, she leaned against the wall, closing her eyes in exhaustion.
"Lie down and sleep. There's bedding over there," Alex White noted. The warehouse had a variety of tools, as well as clothes and blankets, indicating it had been used for some time, a sign of the dwindling number of survivors.
He moved to sit by the door, considering picking up a few bottles from the corner to set around him. "I'll keep watch here."
"Okay," Dora Lin responded.
She gathered her remaining strength, walked over to the bedding, and, feeling sticky, stripped down to her vest before lying down.
Alex White took out the gold bar from his pocket and examined it. Although it was unlikely to be of any real use, the weight and alluring sheen of the bar provided a certain pleasure.
"Are you asleep?" he suddenly asked.
Dora Lin was asleep and didn't answer. Alex White watched her for a moment, feeling tempted to check on her but making a conscious effort to avoid any potentially misleading actions.
The night passed peacefully.
When Dora Lin woke up, she was rejuvenated and sat up energetically. "Has the sun come up yet?"
"It's been bright for a while; the sun has just risen," Alex White said, continuing to examine his wound.
"Why didn't you wake me? It's going to be scorching by noon! Let's go!"
Dora Lin got up, first checking the zombie king's hand. "How does it feel?"
"It's okay. No significant changes, still red and swollen."
"Then let's go." Dora Lin remained calm.
They pushed the cart out of town and headed back to Dora Lin's small courtyard in the village.
The road became increasingly difficult as they moved further into the countryside. The farther they went, the more damaged the roads were. Some walls along the roadside had collapsed, blocking the path and forcing them to take a detour.
The road ahead transformed into a desolate dirt path.
"That's Uncle Jones," Dora Lin said, spotting a familiar figure in the distance—or rather, a familiar zombie—to Alex White.
"Ah? You know him?"
"He used to be Aunt Jones's husband," Dora Lin explained.
Alex White squinted at the limping zombie in the distance, unable to recall having seen it before on his previous outings.
"Uh…"
"He should have died a long time ago. He was gravely ill and on the brink of death when he decided to take a gamble. Zombies were originally created by humans for medical research, so he thought he'd take his chances. He went to the town and locked himself away…"
Alex White was taken aback by Dora Lin's story. "Such a gamble?"
"Some people will go to great lengths to survive," Dora Lin said, pausing for a moment before adding, "Now he can still walk and eat. I'm not sure if that counts as winning the gamble. A few years ago, when I returned from scavenging, the yard had been wrecked by a storm. He came back from the town, and I hoped he might have remembered something."
Dora Lin shook her head slightly. "But unfortunately, he didn't."