The rain outside had grown heavier, and the dark clouds loomed ominously over the sky.
Shao Ming had finally managed to sharpen the clothesline pole into a point. He swung it around experimentally; it would work well for an emergency.
After all, chainsaws needed fuel, handguns needed bullets, and a baseball bat might not guarantee a one-hit kill. But a long pole weapon had both killing power and a certain margin for error.
Shao Ming placed his makeshift spear to the side, thinking to himself that an iron spearhead would be much better.
Time passed as they waited aimlessly, and by 6 PM, it was still raining outside, adding a strange atmosphere to the already desolate city.
Shao Ming stood by the window and looked out; many houses still had their lights on.
After dinner, both he and Li Long found themselves with nothing to do. Shao Ming even went around cleaning the house. He had considered watching some TV, but with all the waiting for news from the consulate, he found it impossible to focus.
"The consulate sent a message..." Li Long said, and Shao Ming immediately noticed the worried expression on his face. This wasn't going to be good news.
Sure enough, the UK had been unable to coordinate evacuation efforts and had forbidden China from sending convoys into the blocked-off zones. The only "good" news was that the embassy and consulates weren't evacuating… for now.
"I'll ask in the group if anyone is in the same situation as us," Shao Ming said.
"It's useless..." Li Long muttered dejectedly. "Even if we ask, what good would it do? And with my leg, how am I supposed to get to the consulate..."
"The consulate isn't far, just a few roadblocks in the way," Shao Ming said.
Shao Ming opened his phone and checked the student group. The situation was even worse than Li Long had thought. The students who hadn't left were in chaos.
"Forget it, we'll have to rely on ourselves," Shao Ming decided.
"I'm going to sleep for a while," Li Long said.
Shao Ming helped Li Long lie down and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Back in his own room, Shao Ming lay down with his phone, repeatedly checking the map. He had made up his mind: tomorrow, he would go outside. First, to see where the roadblocks were, and second, to check if there were any small alleys that the police had missed. Of course, finding any usable vehicles would be a bonus.
He didn't believe the roads in such a complex city could be sealed off too tightly.
By the time midnight rolled around, Shao Ming still hadn't fallen asleep. He lay there, drowsy for a short while, but was suddenly jolted awake by the sound of a gunshot.
There had been occasional gunfire during the past few nights, but this one was clearly coming from below.
Shao Ming checked the time—4 AM.
He moved to the window and saw a dark figure dash into the building across from him, followed by several mutated creatures. Another round of gunfire echoed, followed by the sounds of frantic screaming.
The scene made Shao Ming reconsider. Going out alone wasn't the wisest decision.
But what if the gap he had discovered was sealed off tomorrow? Or if there were more mutated creatures in a few days, and it became impossible to return home?
Shao Ming reassured himself. If he could just find a way out of the blockade and get to the consulate, everything would get better.
He decided to get some rest and make his move tomorrow.
At 8 AM, Shao Ming packed up his things and prepared to leave. He strapped his gun to his waist, slung a baseball bat over his shoulder, and grabbed the clothesline pole spear in his hand. Just to be safe, he threw on a backpack.
He had used tape to bind two thick textbooks to his arms, creating makeshift arm guards. He had once hated those textbooks, but now they might be a lifesaver.
Shao Ming didn't wake Li Long, but he sent him a message before quietly leaving the room and making his way to the door.
The front door of the building had been barricaded with garbage, so Shao Ming had to use the rooftop to get out. He would also take a look at how the couple on the rooftop was doing.
Moving cautiously, Shao Ming reached the rooftop. The door was still ajar, but he remembered clearly closing it the day before when he had gone down. Though the door couldn't be locked without a key, he had made sure to close it.
He lowered the spear and used it to gently push the door open.
This time, the sight that greeted him was even more shocking than the previous day.
The woman's headless body was lying on the bed, and her severed head was cradled in the man's arms.
The man appeared dazed. He glanced up at Shao Ming but didn't say anything, then continued speaking softly to the woman's head.
"My God..." Shao Ming couldn't find the right words. The rain poured down on the man's head as he shivered, tightly holding the woman's head to his chest.
"She... she was just sick..." the man murmured. "She passed out... and then... she bit me…"
The man slowly lifted his arm. Shao Ming could now see the wound clearly. Despite the makeshift bandage, a large chunk of flesh was missing from the man's arm.
"I... I couldn't do anything... I had to use the knife... I didn't want to... I didn't want to…" The man's eyes were full of anguish, and blood mixed with rainwater streamed down his face.
Shao Ming pointed the spear at the man.
The man had been bitten, and Shao Ming didn't know how much longer he had before he would turn into a mutated creature.
Seeing Shao Ming lower the spear, the man didn't speak. He simply lowered his head and continued to weep, clutching the woman's head.
"My parents kicked me out... the woman I loved turned into a monster... Please, give me a quick end..." the man begged.
Shao Ming sheathed the spear and drew his handgun.
He couldn't guarantee that the spear or the baseball bat would finish the man off in one blow. He didn't want to prolong the man's suffering.
Shao Ming's hands trembled as he held the gun. He had been to the shooting range several times, but today, he found it hard to steady the weapon.
"Please..." the man whimpered.
Shao Ming closed his eyes and pulled the trigger.
The man collapsed to the ground, but he still hadn't released the woman's head.