Chapter Thirty-Five: New Year's Eve

“Let’s talk about moving after the New Year,” Zhao Qiang said, scooping up little Zhang Yu as he dashed past. “Little Octopus, shall we make dumplings together tomorrow?”

Wei Tao said nothing, simply nodded, and walked away. Zhang Yu planted a loud kiss on Zhao Qiang’s cheek and cheered, “Yes, yes! We’ll have dumplings tomorrow! I want pork and cabbage filling!”

Carrying Zhang Yu, Zhao Qiang wandered the aisles of the supermarket. Pork and cabbage dumplings—he could only force a smile. When they had first arrived, every fresh and frozen food item in the supermarket had already gone bad. Even zombies had turned their noses up at the rotting meat.

“Do you like sausage?” Zhao Qiang asked.

On New Year’s Eve, everyone sat together, setting aside the world outside and joyfully began making dumplings. There was no fresh meat, no vegetables. They put their creativity to work, using sausages, canned luncheon meat, and anything else they could find as fillings. Wei Tao didn’t seem to enjoy the festive air and excused himself for sentry duty, slipping out early.

Outside, the world teemed with zombies, but even that couldn’t dampen the Chinese spirit for celebrating the New Year. Amid laughter and cheerful banter, Zhao Qiang and Zhang Yu abandoned their dumpling-making to compete at sculpting dough figurines.

“They’re both just children,” Mei Qiu said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she watched the pair play.

“I wonder what’s on Zhao’s mind. Our Yu just loves playing with him,” Li Yun said briskly, placing a freshly made dumpling on the plate.

A gunshot shattered the festive mood.

Zhao Qiang’s expression changed instantly. He put Zhang Yu down and reached for his gun. He’d grown used to never being without it, but for safety, he’d left it atop a nearby shelf, out of Zhang Yu’s reach.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t move,” came a cold, familiar voice from behind, punctuated by a volley of gunfire. Zhao Qiang’s face darkened further. It was Li Zixin! Damn Wei Tao and his jinxing tongue—he’d predicted this very thing.

“Hands on your head. Turn around. Slowly!” Li Zixin commanded. Ten or so fierce, gun-toting men flanked him, hemming in everyone present.

Li Zixin stroked the ghastly scar on his neck and sneered, seeing the anger on Zhao Qiang’s face. “Brother Zhao, it’s been a while. Still alive, I see.”

Zhao Qiang said nothing. The situation was dire—Wei Tao, Cai Jiashu, and the others were outside, their fate unknown, and Li Zixin now had absolute control inside the supermarket. Even if Zhao Qiang managed to create a distraction and escape, what about the others?

“What do you want?” Zhao Qiang said coldly. “If you have a problem, take it out on me. Leave the women and children alone.”

“What do I want? Ha!” Li Zixin’s smile twisted. “Can’t you see? Thanks to you, look at me now!” He pressed the muzzle of his gun to Zhao Qiang’s forehead, his scarred hand gripping Zhao’s throat. As the others gasped in fright, Li Yun scooped Zhang Yu into her arms, covering his eyes. The tumor on Li Zixin’s neck pulsed obscenely, almost alive.

“See this? This is your gift to me!” Li Zixin’s voice cracked as he released the gun’s safety and yanked Zhao Qiang toward him, the barrel never leaving Zhao’s forehead.

Wu Hai hurried forward and grabbed Li Zixin. “Boss, calm down. Don’t forget why we’re here.”

Their goal? Even under threat, Zhao Qiang kept his wits. From Wu Hai’s words, he sensed that they had more complicated motives.

At Wu Hai’s urging, Li Zixin smashed Zhao Qiang in the forehead with his gun. As Zhao crumpled to the ground, Li Zixin barked, “Tie up the women! Not a single one gets away.”

When Zhao Qiang regained consciousness, he was stripped down to his underwear, hands bound behind him with clear tape. Cowards, he cursed inwardly. But seeing that Li Zihan and the others were only tied up and otherwise unharmed, he felt a weight lift from his heart.

“Where is Wei Tao?” Wu Hai asked, his voice low and menacing as soon as Zhao Qiang’s eyes opened.

Wei Tao is safe! So that’s their plan—holding us hostage to get to him. As long as Wei Tao was free, Zhao Qiang was not afraid these men would succeed. He even managed a faint smile.

Ignoring Zhao Qiang’s expression, Wu Hai continued, “You don’t have to tell me. With you in my hands, Wei will show himself soon enough. Once you’re both dealt with…” He leered at the women, cackling. “The boys are getting restless. You’ve got more women here than anywhere else, after all.”

After Zhao Qiang left that day, the others had rescued the barely alive Li Zixin. Out of options, Wu Hai—a former prison guard—suggested heading for the city penitentiary, a perfect fortress in a crisis. So, like beaten dogs, they’d fled to Changsha Prison. Most of the guards and inmates had become zombies; only a handful of hardened criminals and those in solitary had survived.

With their weapons and promises of a better future, Li Zixin’s group quickly took control of the desperate criminals. After much planning, Li Zixin chose New Year’s Eve to launch their attack.

The two sentries at the supermarket entrance didn’t recognize Li Zixin or his men. Dressed in a police uniform, Li Zixin posed as an ordinary survivor and persuaded them to open the gates. The guards, overjoyed to see new survivors, opened the way—never expecting the murderous mob behind Li Zixin. Before they could sound an alarm, throwing knives embedded themselves in their foreheads.

Once inside, Li Zixin discovered that things hadn’t gone as planned—only Zhao Qiang and the women were present; Wei Tao was absent. So he decided to improvise, turning an assassination into a kidnapping to lure Wei Tao. The method had changed, but the goal remained the same.

“Aren’t you afraid Wei Tao will come back and kill you?” Zhao Qiang sneered.

“Of course we’re afraid!” Wu Hai replied with a savage grin. “But with you in our hands, he won’t dare make a move.”

“What do you really want?” Zhao Qiang struggled, just as a sleazy-looking middle-aged man reached for Li Zihan’s chin.

“Take your filthy hands off her!” Li Zihan cried, jerking her head away, but she couldn’t escape his greasy grip. Tears welled up in her eyes.

“Come on, little girl, let me have a touch,” the man leered, forcing her face toward him and extending a crimson tongue toward her cheek.

Li Zihan trembled with rage and helplessness, tears streaming down her cheeks as she silently prayed for Wei Tao to appear and save her from these monsters.