Chapter Six: Entering the Supermarket

As Liu Wen looked on in astonishment, a tall, bald man emerged from the bathroom. His clothes clearly did not fit: the cuffs of his long underwear had been cut, reaching only to his calves, and the sleeves had been removed from what was once a long down coat, now hanging on him like a small, open vest. The skin exposed to the air shimmered with a bruised, bluish hue. He pressed his lips together, glancing at Liu Wen with embarrassment.

He really did look like some sort of monster—cords of muscle, a hairless face, and not even eyebrows, making him appear almost comical. At least, Liu Wen found it amusing; anyone else would likely see a villain straight out of a nightmare. His eyes darted cautiously to Liu Wen, very much the picture of a child caught in mischief.

A giggle escaped Liu Wen. Even though he was so large and imposing, she couldn’t help but laugh, her mirth instantly easing the awkwardness between them, though Ma Yi seemed only more bewildered, scratching his head.

"It's really not so scary," Liu Wen said, rising to her full height—still only reaching the man's chest.

“I scare myself when I look in the mirror,” Ma Yi replied with a sheepish grin. He then turned and made a circuit of the room, picking up a dusty bag from a corner. He beat the dust from it, opened it, and revealed to Liu Wen’s eyes three gleaming sections of solid steel. Standing beside him now, Liu Wen appeared even more delicate and petite.

With a metallic clink, a silver spearhead fell from the bag, joining the steel segments. “When I used to watch movies, I dreamed of being a great general galloping across the battlefield. So I ordered a spear online, even found a teacher to study this so-called Conqueror’s Spear style for quite a while. When I bought it, I cared only about the quality, not the weight. When it finally arrived, I realized it was far too heavy for me to handle. And between work and life, I had no time for practice. The spear has been gathering dust ever since,” Ma Yi explained, glancing at Liu Wen.

"So you’re a trained fighter after all," Liu Wen said, smiling at the burly man, amused that he felt the need to explain himself to her. She felt a touch of warmth at the thought.

"I wouldn’t say that—just know a few moves," Ma Yi replied, like a child showing off, deftly assembling the silver spear. The weapon was forged of high-carbon steel, each segment threaded to screw together, making a spear one meter ninety in length and weighing thirty-six jin. It might not sound heavy, but in use, the weight was considerable. Most people couldn’t hold it for long, let alone wield it. Yet in Ma Yi’s hands, it felt as light as a plastic toy.

"All right, now I’m armed. You stay at home and wait for me to return," Ma Yi said, lowering his head to Liu Wen and attempting a gentler smile. But paired with his bald head, it looked anything but gentle.

"I know I can't help you much, but please be careful. After all—," Liu Wen hesitated, then continued softly, "After all, this is your home. You can’t let anything happen to yourself."

Ma Yi looked at her seriously, his eyes full of determination, and nodded solemnly. "Don’t worry. I’ll come home safe."

At the door, Ma Yi took a deep breath, exhaling heavily before opening it. Outside, the security door creaked in the silence. "Once I’m out, lock the door behind me," he said, giving Liu Wen a lingering look before stepping out carefully.

The creak carried far, so Ma Yi quickly closed the door again, watching as Liu Wen locked the security latch. "Be safe. If anything happens to you, I won’t last long either," Liu Wen said, biting her lip with determination. Her words gave Ma Yi pause; as he looked back, she hurriedly closed the inner door, leaving him with an unexpectedly shy image.

“Is this the beginning of my spring?” Ma Yi muttered, rubbing his bald head and grinning foolishly. He hefted the silver spear and went downstairs. The two of them hadn’t been together long, but they’d spoken more intimately than Liu Wen had with her own husband—after all, her husband was always working, and their conversations at home were brief.

In the compound’s yard, a dozen zombies still wandered aimlessly. Ma Yi observed from the stairwell—Liu Wen’s husband was among them, the zombies drifting without purpose through the neighborhood.

“Rest well, cousin. From now on, I'll look after Liu Wen,” Ma Yi said quietly, watching Liu Wen’s husband and gripping the spear tightly.

Now fully alert, Ma Yi moved slowly and without a sound. Approaching quickly, he flicked the spear; with a wet thud, it pierced the nearest zombie’s skull. It took barely any effort, and the creature’s skull seemed alarmingly fragile. The sound drew the other zombies, who turned and lurched toward him. Ma Yi swung the spear—its rigid length curved like a bow in his grasp.

Three sharp cracks rang out. Two zombies were sent flying, as if struck by a train, landing more than ten meters away. Another, struck by the spearhead, lost its entire skullcap, staggering forward a few steps before collapsing. The commotion drew the rest, including Liu Wen’s husband, who all charged.

Buoyed by his early success, Ma Yi grew bolder and more composed. Within minutes, he had slain all the zombies, their bodies strewn across the yard. With his size and strength, they were as helpless as children before him.

He dragged Liu Wen’s husband from the heap, found a rusty shovel in a corner, and dug a grave in the garden, laying the man to rest.

Glancing up, Ma Yi saw a head peeking from the third-floor window. He raised his hand, giving a thumbs-up. When the woman at the window smiled, he quickly left the compound.

Seeing Ma Yi bury her husband stirred something in Liu Wen. Though their marriage had been brief, there was still affection. Ma Yi had no obligation, yet he’d buried the man for her sake.

On the street, zombies wandered aimlessly. Ma Yi kept as quiet as possible, dispatching any that strayed too near with his spear. A journey that should have taken five minutes took over twenty as he made his way toward a nearby supermarket.

As he went, he calculated the zombies’ safe distance. So far, none had initiated an attack on him.

As he neared the supermarket, the number of zombies increased. At the entrance, they were packed so tightly that not even a mouse could squeeze through.

Ma Yi stood at a distance, contemplating how to get inside. Then he remembered an employee entrance at the back, used by staff for coming and going and for deliveries.

He circled carefully, avoiding the zombies, and reached the rear entrance. As he suspected, not a single zombie was in sight, but the door was firmly locked. Even after so many days of disaster, there were traces of human activity outside the door—fresh footprints on the ground.

There must be survivors nearby, perhaps already inside. Ma Yi even suspected these people had locked the staff door behind them.

“Damn, look at the monster outside,” came a muttered voice to Ma Yi’s keen ears.

“Let me see,” another voice replied.

Ma Yi sensed two people peering cautiously at him from behind the employee door. He couldn’t blame them; he knew well enough what he looked like—over two meters tall, skin dark as coal, not even eyebrows, and not African either. If he played a villain in a film, no makeup would be needed—he was the villain, just standing there.

“How many of you are in there?” Ma Yi called through the door.

"Man, I thought he was African—why’s he so dark?" the first voice replied.

“There are a dozen or so of us inside,” another voice said. A small panel slid open in the door, and a pair of eyes surveyed Ma Yi’s surroundings, relaxing only when no zombies were in sight.

“I just want to get some food. I’ll take what I need and leave. I won’t bother you,” Ma Yi said sincerely.

“We don’t make the decisions here. Old Wang is the leader; we all listen to him,” the first youth answered, sticking his head out. Both were around eighteen or nineteen.

“Then let me in first.” Ma Yi eyed the iron door. He could break in if he wished, but chose to show goodwill instead.

“Hold on, I’ll go get Old Wang. He has the key,” one of the youths said, dashing off, leaving the other to study Ma Yi.

“How’d you get so tall?” the remaining one asked, clearly a chatterbox.

“How should I know? Born this way,” Ma Yi replied, glancing around to ensure no zombies were sneaking up.

“Your skin—are you mixed? Got African blood?” the youth pressed.

Ma Yi nodded helplessly, letting them think what they liked. Better to let them misunderstand than try to explain, at least until he had the food.

Soon, he heard footsteps approaching from inside. A clean, somewhat handsome face appeared in the opening, scrutinizing Ma Yi.

“You alone?” the newcomer asked.

"Yes, I'm alone," Ma Yi nodded.

"How did you get here, with all those zombies outside?"

"I killed them," Ma Yi said, swinging his spear, which whistled audibly through the air.

"Impressive!" The man eyed the blackened blood on the spearhead.

"You can have the supplies, but once you’ve got what you need, you need to leave quickly," Old Wang said. He was no fool; if this giant decided to stay, none of them would be able to stop him.

"Deal," Ma Yi agreed.

"Leave your weapon outside the door."

"All right."