"Hello...?"
A faint female voice came from the other end of the phone, and for the first time in his life, Shao Ming felt a surge of emotion from the simple word "hello." He had never been so moved by such a simple phrase.
"Hello?" Shao Ming collected his thoughts, glanced at the list on the desk, and noted the name on the phone: Feng Yusheng. "Is this Feng Yusheng?"
The voice on the other end of the line trembled uncontrollably. "Yes, yes, it's me, Feng Yusheng."
Shao Ming continued, "Are you currently living at 28B Everett Road, Manchester?"
"Yes... no, no, that's not right, I'm not at home. I'm in a rooftop compartment..." Feng Yusheng's voice was strained, as though she was trying to control her emotions. "Are you here to rescue us? Are you from the consulate?"
Shao Ming glanced at the lifeless, bloodied body of Consul Wang and hesitated before responding, "I... I can be considered part of the consulate's team, but the consulate is beyond help now. We'll have to figure out a way to get out of the city on our own."
There was a long pause on the other end, followed by a faint, slow question: "So, we can't go back?"
"It's not exactly that..." Shao Ming replied. "There are still planes, ships, and other ways to get home, but it'll be up to us to make it happen."
Another silence hung in the air before Feng Yusheng spoke again, this time with desperation in her voice: "I want to go back... My family is waiting for me... Do you have any plan to get out of here?"
To be honest, Shao Ming didn't have a clear plan in mind. He only knew that he wanted to go home—his family was still safe in China, and he didn't want to die in this foreign land, nor did he want to live here any longer than necessary.
After thinking for a moment, he responded, "First, head to the airport. If there are no evacuation flights available, we'll head to Birmingham and look for a ship. We'll find a way back that way."
"Okay... okay. Can you take me with you?" Feng Yusheng's voice was shaky but hopeful.
"Do you have a car?" Shao Ming suddenly remembered to ask.
"No, I don't..."
Shao Ming quickly ran through the possibilities in his mind. Whether bringing someone along would increase his chances of survival was uncertain, but he couldn't leave her behind to die. If he took her, though, he'd have to find a way to get to her, and she had no means of transportation herself.
"I'll figure out how to come get you," Shao Ming said.
He glanced at the time—12 o'clock. If he walked, it would take him until tomorrow to reach her.
"I need to find some form of transportation first. Stay where you are and don't move. Pack your things, I'll contact you again soon."
"Okay, okay," Feng Yusheng replied.
"Are you alone?" Shao Ming asked. "Are you injured or infected?"
"I'm alone," Feng Yusheng answered, her voice steady. "I'm not injured and haven't been infected."
After hanging up the phone, Shao Ming had intended to make a few more calls from the list, but his phone battery was already below 50%. More importantly, after this conversation, even more problems presented themselves. He was still figuring out how to get back to his homeland, thousands of miles away, and now that he had contacted a fellow countryman, he had no idea how to meet up with them.
His priority now was to find a vehicle. Whether it was to get to the airport, to Birmingham, or to meet up with other survivors, without transportation, it was impossible to do anything.
There were also many problems to solve about getting home. He had no special skills, couldn't fly a plane, and knew nothing about navigation. Driving was his only option.
"Looks like my dream of a world tour came much sooner than expected," Shao Ming thought, as he began brainstorming where to find transportation.
Turning around, he saw a bus parked on the street below. He had noticed it earlier when entering the consulate—why not take a look and see if it could help?
Shao Ming folded the phone directory and placed it in his bag, grabbing a baseball bat before heading downstairs.
On the road, he scanned his surroundings. Three or four mutated creatures were aimlessly wandering down the street to his left. Quickly crouching, Shao Ming crept towards the bus. When he reached the door, he was pleasantly surprised to find the bus's key still in the ignition.
He hopped aboard, his luck apparently turning. The bus's key was neatly inserted in the lock—just a small twist, and the engine would start.
Shao Ming placed his backpack and rifle on the side, sitting down at the driver's seat. He checked the fuel gauge—half full, plenty of fuel.
There was a switch on the left side of the console with a door icon. He pressed it, and the door slid closed with a soft "thunk."
Turning the key, the bus made a sound, but the engine didn't start. The key popped back out.
The noise startled the mutated creatures outside, who began to head toward the consulate.
Shao Ming tried turning the key again, waiting a moment longer, but the engine refused to start.
Suddenly, from the back of the bus, a mutated creature began to stir. Its legs had been broken, and the bones in its hands were visible, but it limped toward the front of the bus.
Hearing the movement behind him, Shao Ming turned and saw the creature slowly approaching. It reached out with its hands, growling in a deep, guttural voice.
The creature's movements were slow, its injuries making it clumsy. Shao Ming stood up, pulled out a fruit knife, and approached the creature. In one quick motion, he stabbed the knife into the creature's chin, driving it through its skull.
The creature collapsed onto the floor, dead.
Shao Ming checked the bus quickly to ensure there were no other creatures lurking inside. No other threats.
However, outside, a few more mutated creatures were charging toward the bus.
"Bang!" One of them slammed into the windshield, sending a shockwave through the bus.
There were now six mutated creatures surrounding the front of the bus, banging angrily on the windows, trying to break in and tear Shao Ming apart.
"Dammit!" Shao Ming cursed, quickly returning to the driver's seat. He slammed on the brake and turned the key, finally getting the bus engine to roar to life.
He pressed the clutch and shifted the bus into gear, ready to go, but—stalled.
In his panic, he had released the clutch too quickly, and the bus shut off.
"Shit, shit!" Shao Ming cursed under his breath. The mutated creatures were just outside, separated from him only by a sheet of glass.