Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Laboratory (Part II)

Zhao Qiang had never liked hospitals. It wasn’t just that people only came here when they were sick; even during the busy daylight hours, he found hospitals to be gloomy, almost haunted. Without power, the entire building was shrouded in darkness. Zhao Qiang found himself missing his old family home, which was bright and open no matter if there was electricity or not, a place that always filled his heart with reassurance. Now, with high-rises sprouting everywhere, it seemed as if people’s hearts were growing more and more stifled.

In the outpatient building, a lone zombie was drifting aimlessly down the corridor when a dark figure leapt from the shadows and quickly snapped the zombie’s neck. After signaling the all-clear, several more figures emerged from the corner, their flashlights bobbing.

“The main hall is secure. Dr. Mei, what floor is the equipment you need on?” Zhao Qiang whispered. He had been the first to rush out. Ordinary zombies could be silently neutralized by twisting their necks, rendering them motionless without leaving behind the scent of blood.

“The lab is on the sixth floor,” Mei Qiu replied quietly. “It would be best if someone could go to the basement and start the backup generator. Otherwise, I can’t proceed with my experiment.”

Zhao Qiang nodded. “Cai Jiashu, you escort Dr. Mei upstairs. I’ll get the generator going. Remember—stay quiet.”

Everything was going smoothly. The nightmarish horde of zombies they’d imagined was nowhere to be seen; it was as if someone had already cleared the place out. The few scattered zombies they did encounter were swiftly dispatched by the well-trained team.

Yet something gnawed at Zhao Qiang. When the lights finally blazed back to life in the outpatient building and Zhao Qiang rejoined the vigilant Cai Jiashu and his men, he couldn’t shake the growing sense of unease.

It’s nothing, he told himself. Not even the Crushers or zombie dogs can threaten us. Forcing down his anxiety, Zhao Qiang gave Cai Jiashu a few instructions before pushing open the laboratory door and entering.

Mei Qiu, her back to the door, was busy at a cluster of machines and didn’t notice Zhao Qiang’s arrival. Li Zihan caught Zhao Qiang’s eye, signaling for him not to disturb Mei Qiu’s work. After handing Mei Qiu a vial of blood, Li Zihan pulled Zhao Qiang aside.

“Well? Any discoveries?” Zhao Qiang asked.

Li Zihan shook his head. “Not yet. The experiment’s only just begun. Dr. Wei said the initial preparations will take about two hours, but we won’t have results until tomorrow morning.”

“What? Not until morning? Can’t it be faster?” Zhao Qiang was anxious—the warning bells in his mind were growing louder. Almost twenty-four hours until the results—far too many variables.

“This is an experiment, not making egg drop soup. This is the fastest it can go.” At some point, Mei Qiu had set her work aside and come over.

“Dr. Mei, did we disturb you?” Zhao Qiang asked apologetically.

Mei Qiu shook her head calmly. “No, I’ve reached a stopping point for now, so I have some time.”

“Dr. Mei, can’t we just come for the results tomorrow? The wait makes me uneasy,” Zhao Qiang said.

Mei Qiu refused without hesitation. “No, there are too many experimental steps. I need to stay and make sure everything proceeds smoothly. If you believe it’s dangerous, you can come fetch me at this time tomorrow.” Once Mei Qiu was in work mode, nothing else seemed to matter to her.

“I think you’ve misunderstood me, Dr. Mei,” Zhao Qiang said, softening his expression. “We won’t abandon you. Just focus on your work—we’ll take care of everything outside.”

No one knew that not far from the hospital, an immense mass of zombies was gathering. Unlike their usual mindless wandering, they were converging with purpose, Crushers and zombie dogs among them. Their direction was unmistakable: straight toward the hospital where Zhao Qiang was stationed.

Zhao Qiang’s unease intensified. To distract himself, he scoured the building from top to bottom. Only then did he realize what was wrong. Aside from the few zombies they’d already dealt with, the entire building was devoid of zombies—not even a single corpse remained. Where had they all gone? Zhao Qiang couldn’t help but worry. To him, missing zombies were a greater threat than visible ones. Recently, he’d noticed that many zombies were showing signs of intelligence. The disappearance of the hospital zombies was an ominous sign.

Just as Zhao Qiang was about to wrap up his search and report his findings to Cai Jiashu, a thunderous roar froze the blood in his veins. It was here—a Crusher! Without hesitation, Zhao Qiang grabbed his gun and sprinted downstairs. Stealth was no longer an option.

Gunfire erupted. Cai Jiashu and his team were already in combat with the zombies. Despite the torrent of undead, Cai Jiashu showed no fear—if anything, he grew more exhilarated. “Come on, let’s see what you’re made of!” he shouted, aiming steadily at each zombie’s head, not wasting a single bullet.

The zombies pressed in, their numbers swelling. For the first time, Cai Jiashu’s face betrayed a flicker of anxiety. They’d always fought zombies in hit-and-run skirmishes; never before had they been locked in a pitched battle like this. The horde drew closer, some leaping zombies clearing their defensive line with ease. Gritting his teeth, Cai Jiashu barked, “Fix bayonets—everyone!”

Bayonet fighting—an almost comical concept in the twenty-first century—remained a proud tradition in their ranks. Tonight, it would be a skill that might mean the difference between life and death.

“Old Cai, do you think Brother Qiang will be all right?” a young soldier asked between thrusts, skewering a leaping zombie and taking the chance to glance over.

Cai Jiashu reloaded quickly, dropping several zombies before replying, “Hard to say, but the kid’s got better skills than any of us. He should be fine.”

Even as he spoke, Zhao Qiang rappelled down into their midst, his sudden arrival nearly earning him a hail of bullets from Cai Jiashu’s startled squad.

“It’s me!” Zhao Qiang shouted, revealing himself. The brief distraction let the zombie horde close in.

“What’s the situation?” Zhao Qiang asked, his mind racing with concern about the nearby Crusher. In a siege like this, a Crusher could spell disaster.

“We’re holding for now—just regular zombies so far. There’s a lot of them, but we’re managing.”

“And the Crusher? Any sign of it?”

“Not yet. It must still be behind the crowd.”

Trading hurried words, the two men kept their weapons firing, and with Zhao Qiang’s arrival, the battle line began to shift in their favor.