Hailan Province – A High-End Community
"How much longer, love? When will this nightmare end?" A stunning woman of about 35 asked, her voice trembling slightly.
A middle-aged man wrapped his arms around her, offering a comforting smile. "We've survived the flu, cholera, and more. This time, we'll endure as well. Just this afternoon, the Elders in Beijing called to praise how well I've controlled Hailan Province." His voice brimmed with pride.
"You're the best, darling," she cooed, eyes gleaming with admiration. But behind that gaze was something else—she wasn't his wife; she was his mistress.
Sanya City, Hailan Province
Sanya, with its pristine beaches and lush landscape, was once a hotspot for tourists. Now, the ocean harbored something far more sinister—a mass of zombies, surging toward the shore like a silent, unholy tide.
In a distant watchtower, two soldiers manned their post. Xiangzi, yawning, nudged his comrade, A-Dong. "Did you feel that earthquake earlier?"
A-Dong nodded. "Just an aftershock, nothing to worry about."
Xiangzi sighed, his frustration palpable. "I don't get it. We're out here in the middle of this mess, guarding against God knows what. It's a deathtrap."
A-Dong's voice remained calm, resolute. "We're soldiers. The people need us now more than ever."
Xiangzi couldn't argue with that. He raised his binoculars and scanned the calm horizon. The sea seemed peaceful, as if nothing was wrong. Yet, an unsettling feeling gnawed at him.
"Ever thought about leaving? Going back to protect your family?" Xiangzi asked, almost wistfully.
A-Dong's reply was firm. "My family's here in Sanya. But we're the first line of defense. If we fall, they won't stand a chance."
Xiangzi's face softened with understanding, though his heart ached. "My family's in another province. I wish I could be with them."
"The reserve teams are on their way," A-Dong reassured. "Once they arrive, you can go get them to safety."
But Xiangzi's unease remained. He peered out over the sea again, hoping the dawn would bring some relief. It didn't.
At Sea
On the horizon, a massive cruise ship loomed, dark and foreboding. Behind it, a horde of zombies swam with relentless determination, only a few kilometers from the Sanya pier.
Suddenly, A-Dong grabbed Xiangzi by the shoulder. "Wake up! There's something in the water!"
Xiangzi snapped up, grabbing his binoculars. His heart sank. "Shit! Zombies! They're everywhere!"
Panic set in. "01, this is 03. We have a major situation here—thousands of zombies are approaching from the sea. Requesting immediate backup!"
The response was swift. "01 received. Reinforcements on the way."
But the zombies were moving faster now, their figures growing larger as they approached. By the time they were 500 meters from the shore, their numbers were staggering.
Xiangzi's hands trembled as he watched them advance. "Five thousand... maybe more," he whispered in disbelief. "We're not ready for this."
Chaos Unfolds
The cruise ship slammed into the pier with a deafening crash. Zombies spilled out, crawling over the edge, some even leaping from the deck like predatory beasts.
"These ones can jump!" A-Dong shouted, adrenaline kicking in as he grabbed his submachine gun. "They're evolving!"
Before they could process the gravity of the situation, a convoy of military trucks arrived, gunfire erupting in all directions.
"Da-da-da-da!" The machine guns shredded through the horde, but the zombies kept coming, relentless. The faster, jumping zombies darted from side to side, dodging bullets as they closed in on the soldiers.
"There's too many!" Xiangzi cried, firing wildly as the undead overwhelmed their comrades on the ground. He watched in horror as one of the gunners screamed, blood spurting from his neck as a zombie sank its teeth deep into his flesh.
The scene became a blur of gunfire, blood, and death.
"Hold your ground!" A-Dong yelled, firing shot after shot, his resolve unbroken. "We can't let them through!"
The air crackled as a rocket-propelled grenade was launched into the mass of zombies, exploding in a fireball that took out dozens. But still, more zombies came, their grotesque forms crawling over the bodies of the fallen.
A Last Stand
"Captain!" A young soldier from the reserve team rushed toward his commander, eyes wide with panic. The captain, already bitten and turning pale, grabbed the nearest bazooka.
"Get out of here! I'll hold them off!" he barked, firing into the approaching swarm. Another massive explosion rocked the pier, taking down another wave of zombies. But it wasn't enough.
The captain, bleeding from his wound, gritted his teeth. "Come on, you bastards!" he roared, firing again, taking down more zombies before collapsing to the ground, surrounded.
From the watchtower, A-Dong and Xiangzi watched in horror as their comrades fell, one by one. The zombies were now scaling the tower, leaping with unnatural agility.
"Mad bastards! Go to hell!" A-Dong cursed, unleashing a barrage of bullets into the horde, knowing it wouldn't be long before they reached him. He didn't care. He was ready to die if it meant taking as many of them with him as possible.
As the first zombie's hand clawed at the edge of the tower, Xiangzi's thoughts drifted to his family, hoping—praying—they'd survive this hell.
The scene was a chaotic, brutal fight for survival, where heroism clashed with hopelessness, and the relentless tide of undead surged forward with no sign of stopping. Would reinforcements come in time, or was this the beginning of the end?