Chapter 17: Galuli

Wang Zhi suddenly raised his gun and pointed it at the students on the rooftop.
The students looked at Wang Zhi in shock, eyes wide as he held the gun.
“Everyone, quiet down! Move over there and don’t move. Fatty, keep an eye on them.” Wang Zhi gestured toward a corner of the rooftop.
“Y-yess, Captain, ahem… You guys better stay calm, the consequences of making me angry can be… severe!”
After speaking to Fatty, Wang Zhi turned around and helped the girl behind him sit down.
“So, why are you here?” the girl asked quietly.
“We were assigned a mission to rescue people. We just landed and didn’t expect to find you all here,” Wang Zhi replied.
“Everywhere is crawling with these monsters, where else can we go?” the girl said with a somber expression.
“There’s a shelter. We came from there. When you get there, you’ll understand,” Wang Zhi explained.
“Mm…”
The girl didn’t show much happiness. She knew there was a dangerous journey ahead.
“By the way, what’s your name?” Wang Zhi asked.
“My name is Galuli.”
Wang Zhi looked at the girl, her clothes stained with blood, and a sudden thought crossed his mind—to recruit her as the fifth member of their team.
“Galuli, huh? I’m the captain of our team, Wang Zhi. This is Sister Ying, and this is Brother He. The fat guy over there is Li Feihong.”
“Sister Ying, Brother He, how are you?” Galuli asked the two people beside her.
“By the way, were all those zombies downstairs killed by you? You’re pretty impressive!” Wang Zhi remarked, glancing at Galuli’s bloodstained, curled blade.
“Mm, I’ve practiced martial arts since I was little. I know a few moves,” Galuli said softly, lowering her head slightly at Wang Zhi’s praise.
When Galuli came down, she must’ve seen them being chased by the zombie swarm. She must’ve come down to help them, and had she not lured the zombies to the arena and wiped them out, she might have been a goner herself. Wang Zhi couldn’t help but feel moved by the determined look in her eyes.
“Thank you for coming down to help us!”
“Uh… I should be thanking you for coming to rescue me. We’ve run out of food.”
“So, after the disaster, how have you survived?” Wang Zhi asked.
“Before the disaster, there was a heavy fog that lasted for over a week. The internet was full of all kinds of rumors, but it didn’t affect our normal lives. Before it happened, I was here holding a martial arts event, teaching in the rooms downstairs. Then, our phones all started receiving various messages, mostly telling us to find a safe place to hide. One hour before the disaster, there was still internet in this world, and we learned from the online news how terrifying the situation was.”
Galuli slowly recounted the events.
“Why did most people get infected, but you guys didn’t?” Brother He asked in confusion.
“Some people online said the fog was the cause. After inhaling too much fog, the symptoms of dizziness and vomiting appeared. We stayed indoors, avoiding the fog and barely escaped that fate. However, people who were infected and got hurt could also get infected. A few of our classmates…” Galuli trailed off, unable to continue.
“I see,” Wang Zhi nodded. “You said you’ve run out of food? How long has it been since you ate?”
“Two days… since yesterday evening…” Galuli replied, opening her mouth as though to say something more, but stopped herself.
Wang Zhi understood—she probably wanted him to share food with the other students. But considering there were over twenty of them, the food they had might not even be enough for their own team. It was a difficult situation.
The night slowly grew darker, the shadows swallowing everything, and the zombies became more active in the darkness.
“We’ll rest here tonight, and in the morning, we’ll go to the restaurant nearby to find some food,” Wang Zhi said, turning around to address the group.
“Don’t go! There are monsters there, it’s too dangerous!” Galuli urged anxiously.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be careful,” Wang Zhi smiled reassuringly.
Wang Zhi stood up and the three of them began discussing how to gather some food. The students hadn’t eaten for two days, and some of them were even lying on the ground, groaning in hunger.
“How about we give them half of our food for now?” Brother He suggested.
Wang Zhi looked at Sister Ying. She seemed unwilling, but didn’t say anything. He knew it was inevitable. They couldn’t just let these students starve to death; after all, they came to rescue them.
“Fine, let’s give them half. We’ll keep more water for ourselves,” Wang Zhi decided.
He then took some food from their backpacks and shared it with the students nearby.
When the students saw the food, they all rushed forward to express their gratitude.
After the food was distributed, Wang Zhi gathered the three of them together, spreading out a map on the floor to discuss their next move.
The closest place to them was still the Western Restaurant, located north of the arena they visited earlier. The four of them decided that tomorrow’s primary target would be the Western Restaurant.
After reviewing the map, they prepared to rest.
“Sister Ying and I will take the first watch. Fatty, Brother He, you two take the second watch,” Wang Zhi decided.
With that, they agreed on the watch schedule. Wang Zhi and Ying would watch over the night while Brother He and Fatty would rest for the second half. Wang Zhi thought it through carefully, considering the dynamics between each pair. Ying and Brother He wouldn’t work together, and Fatty wouldn’t be able to handle it with Ying, so he decided to pair up with her.
That night, the moonlight was obscured by clouds. The usual lights were long gone, and the occasional crunching noise from broken glass could be heard. It was probably the sound of zombies stepping on glass shards.
Wang Zhi watched the students lying across the floor, resting, and couldn’t help but feel conflicted. If he hadn’t escaped the predicament in Lijita, would he have ended up like them, or would he have already turned into a zombie?
Leaning against the railing, Wang Zhi thought deeply while pulling out a pack of cigarettes. He handed one to Sister Ying before lighting his own.
“Sister Ying, do you think we’ll make it out alive?” Wang Zhi suddenly asked.
“We’ll try our best. The world is like this now, there’s nothing left to cling to. Every extra day we live is a gain,” Ying replied, blowing out smoke.
At that moment, Ying no longer had the playful charm she once did. She appeared to be melancholy and sentimental.
“Living one more day is definitely a gain, but that doesn’t mean we should feel hopeless. If we’re lucky enough to be alive, that must be fate. Since we can meet, that must be destined, and the future is full of possibilities. We can find a place away from others and start anew, living freely without any restrictions. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?”
“Oh? Are you suggesting we find a place and live alone, just the two of us?” Ying asked, suddenly adopting her flirtatious tone.
Wang Zhi was speechless. She truly couldn’t be serious for more than three seconds.
“Anyway, we must still hold hope, expectations, and dreams for the future,” Wang Zhi said seriously.
“Honestly, before the end of the world, I wasn’t interested in anything you said about the future or hope. The world now is pretty good!” Ying replied, her gaze empty as she stared into the distance.