Chapter 6, The Wandering Corpse

The overweight man grabbed the submachine gun and jumped out of the vehicle, saying: "That makes things much easier; the task is automatically reduced by one-third. Let's get to work! After finishing, I still need to get some baby formula and a fan."

I suddenly woke up, reaching out to grab the gun. Su Wan quickly pressed me down and whispered, "Don't be afraid, it's me." I stared at her for a long time, finally exhaling a breath and slowly putting the gun down.

Oh? I suddenly noticed a piece of glass on the steps, about the size of a fan. Because the glass is transparent, no one had noticed it. At that moment, I picked it up and saw that there were words written on it.

Su Wan asked in astonishment: "Electric fan? Vacuum cleaner? What are they used for?"

I quickly straightened my face and asked, "What do you want to hear?" Ever since graduating from university, I hadn't tried to make a girl happy for a long time, and I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

Su Wan quickly pushed the fat man and angrily said, "What are you doing? What if you accidentally injure someone inside?" The penetrating power of submachine gun bullets is extremely strong; the two layers of iron on a standard security door cannot possibly withstand the impact of the bullets. If a bullet were to pass through the door and hit someone inside the room, it could just as easily take a life.

The morning sunlight had already spread across the entire land. We peered through the gap in the rolling shutter door to check for any danger. After confirming that it was safe, we slowly opened the door to a height of about one meter. As the three of us looked outside, we couldn't help but be stunned.

After distributing these items, only three grenades remained. The chubby man chuckled, "Just right, three grenades, so we won't have to fight over them. Each of us can just take one." This guy wasn't foolish; he picked the largest one and stuffed it into his pocket. Su Wan glanced at me with a smile, stacked the grenades, and then handed one to me before saying to the chubby man, "What you have is a smoke bomb, which can only be used in special circumstances, so don't waste it." The chubby man's expression suddenly became extremely comical, unsure whether to cry or laugh.

Haha, the fat guy is quite pleased. Our big zongzi skeleton brothers are truly impressive. With him providing us with weapons and information, things will surely go smoothly.

The fat man suddenly realized that his actions had been somewhat reckless, awkwardly grabbing his face. I quickly said, "Let's not talk about this now; let's hurry inside and take a look."

Su Wan called out several times, but there was no response from room 302. The fat man, annoyed, aimed at the keyhole and fired two shots. We immediately heard a woman's scream coming from inside the room

"How impressive!" the chubby man exclaimed sincerely, "That guy, what was his name, Maupassant? Not becoming an artifact appraiser is truly a great loss for the field of archaeology." After a pause, he added, "Unfortunately, this skill is of no use to me. Whether it's long eggplants or round eggplants, as long as they can be diced, in my opinion, they are all good eggplants."

The overweight man coughed lightly and said in a low voice, "Let’s talk about something; it feels like we are just waiting to die." He looked at me and asked, "Lao Hua, are you scared silly? Why have you been wearing a long face since you came back? Just a moment ago, when you were about to go out to save someone, weren’t you quite passionate? How come after just a short walk outside, you’ve turned into a wilted eggplant?"

The chubby man drove the flying car, taking us all the way to the place where we encountered the large zongzi yesterday. It was then that we realized the entrance to the target building was in a different direction. Consequently, the chubby man reversed and turned left, maneuvering through the gap in the building to arrive in front of the unit door of that building

In fact, it is not a matter of handwriting, but merely three sets of numbers: 302, 501, 702. What surprises us is that a red cross has been marked on the set of numbers 702

Su Wan adopted the demeanor of a police officer handling a case and said: "At this moment, we should not dwell on how the large rice dumpling is still able to move. Instead, we must accept the reality that it indeed can move, and then prepare for our next course of action"

"Anything can be said..." Su Wan forced a smile. Although she was a police officer, there was no rule stating that police officers must be fearless. She paused for a moment and said, "Actually, I have heard of you as well; your fantasy novels are quite good... By the way, that big zongzi you mentioned, doesn't it resemble the skeleton soldiers in Warcraft?"

The overweight man said with dissatisfaction: "Even if everything you say makes sense, how can a brain that isn't broken, along with a frail skeletal frame, run around everywhere and also save the lives of the three of us?"

I laughed and said: "I have already told you, a ghost is merely a wisp of mist. If we feel sorry for it, we can use a vacuum cleaner to suck it into a cloth bag; if it seems awkward, we can turn on a fan at maximum speed and blow it away directly"

The large rice dumpling does not seem to harbor any malice towards us, I sniffed a bit and said, However, it is still unclear why he treats us that way, in other words, what his intentions are; it is possible that he has other motives as well. Everything has changed now, and we should not be too naive.

I quickly clarified for her: "There are no skeleton soldiers in Warcraft; the concept of skeleton soldiers originated from Heroes of Might and Magic. In the context of Heroes of Might and Magic, the undead are categorized into seven major types. Skeleton soldiers are the lowest tier of units, followed by cold-blooded zombies, wraiths, vampire lords, lich kings, and death knights. The highest level of the undead is the bone dragon, which is the body of a dragon after its death"

I... how should I put this... I adjusted the order of the language in the book a bit, because I truly do not know how to express the confusion in my heart at this moment. I said: "You all know that I am a novelist. Although I am not very famous, to be a qualified writer, one must at least cultivate a keen sense of observation"

Several households on the first and second floors had their security doors damaged by various objects. In such cases, we were too lazy to go in and check again, so we went directly to the door of room 302

At the entrance of the savings bank, there lay a small pile of firearms, including five handguns, a Type 56 submachine gun, a large quantity of ammunition, and even several hand grenades

The sky has already darkened considerably, and the workshop is unusually cold. In northern cities, every household is equipped with heating, supplied with hot water from the city's heating system. This hot water is not for drinking; rather, it flows through pipes into the radiators of each household and unit, providing warmth to the people against the cold

After finishing the meal, the sky had completely darkened, and the only light in the room came from the faint red glow of the electric heater's indicator light

Su Wan listened, her neck turning red; only then did she realize that the fat man hardly slept last night as well, and the things she said to me were probably heard even more clearly by him than by me

Since there is an important task tomorrow, it is essential to rest well. Su Wan has arranged for the three of us to take turns keeping watch at night. As I am a novice, I have been assigned to the first shift. Su Wan and the chubby guy are lying down fully clothed, and I do not know if they have fallen asleep. In the darkness, I keep practicing how to load bullets and how to hold the gun.

Su Wan agreed with my viewpoint and said: "The three sets of numbers left to us by the big rice dumpling before leaving clearly indicate that there are still living people in those three households of the opposite residential building. As long as we survive tonight, we must rescue those people no matter what tomorrow brings"

Su Wan walked over and woke the fat man, saying, "It's almost dark; you need to get the electric heater ready." She turned to me and said, "Once it gets dark, the dumplings will emerge in large numbers looking for food. We must stay vigilant; the nighttime is the hardest to endure"

Su Wan pulled the chair closer to me, sat down, and said: "If you can't sleep, then don't sleep. Keep me company and talk to me... I'm a bit scared... Don't laugh!"

I swallowed and said, "Do you all remember that big zongzi nodding at the door? His skin had rotted so badly that it fell to the ground?" At that moment, the scene was truly disgusting and terrifying; Su Wan and the胖子 could never forget it, so there was no need for them to respond. I continued, "I saw it very clearly; his eyeballs fell out as well... But," I croaked and said, "But the big zongzi was not only able to accurately walk to the window and discover the large group of zongzi downstairs, but he also wrote those several sets of numbers on the wall for us. I continued, "I saw it very clearly; his eyeballs fell out as well... But," I croaked and said, "But the big zongzi was not only able to accurately walk to the window and discover the large group of zongzi downstairs, but he also wrote those several sets of numbers on the wall for us... His eyeballs were gone, so how did he 'see' it?"

The fat man gasped, exclaiming: "Not bad! His eyes indeed..."

Su Wan was too lazy to correct the chubby one for misusing the idiom and urged us to act quickly

Su Wan opened the door with one hand while holding a gun in the other, leaving her unable to defend herself. The fat man, having already been reprimanded, had retreated to the back. I had not yet clearly seen whether the person inside was a zombie, and I did not dare to fire my weapon. In a hurry, I used the shotgun as a makeshift club, and with a strong block, the heavy stick struck the shotgun hard, resulting in a loud "bang!" as the shotgun discharged accidentally

The fat man took out four cans of meat and placed them on the electric heater to warm up. After a while, he felt they were ready and handed one to me and one to Su Wan, keeping two for himself. He glanced at me and Su Wan, sniffed a bit, and said shyly, "We don't know how much longer we can live, so let's not have me go hungry one moment and then feast the next." Given his large size, one can per meal was indeed too little for him. He glanced at me and Su Wan, sniffed a bit, and said shyly, "We don't know how much longer we can live, so let's not have me go hungry one moment and then feast the next." Given his large size, one can per meal was indeed too little for him.

When Su Wan heard me say this, she couldn't help but exclaim, "We have already encountered zombies and skeleton soldiers; I wonder if the next will be a soul-destroying ghost or a vampire king"

I nodded and said, "I understand what is going on. These weapons were all provided to us by that large rice dumpling, and the information on this piece of glass indicates that he originally believed there were still survivors in 702, but now there are no living people inside."

The fat man somehow found an electric heater and plugged it in. It seems that the temporary power system is still functioning properly, but we dare not turn on the lights, fearing that the illumination might attract those zongzi.

The overweight man squinted at me and asked, "Do you have x-ray vision?"

Hehe... Su Wan couldn't help but giggle, quickly covering her mouth with her hand, nervously glancing towards the front door, fearing that the zongzi wandering on the street might overhear.

The stout man let out a cheer and swiftly picked up the Type 5 or 6 submachine gun, handling it with a beaming smile. His demeanor resembled that of an old cat encountering a salted fish, and even Su Wan, who personally intervened, could not restrain him.

The boiler operators are likely going crazy now, as the hot water in the radiators has lost its temperature, and the room has instantly become as cold as the street outside. Although Dalian is the southernmost city in Northeast China and extreme low temperatures of minus fifty or sixty degrees, like those in the Arctic Village, are unlikely to occur, it is still in the north, and days with temperatures around minus ten degrees are quite common.

After observing that there was nothing unusual, Su Wan gestured to me, and the three of us proceeded to divide the pile of military supplies. The fat man, having acquired a submachine gun, naturally claimed the submachine gun ammunition for himself. Fortunately, he was relatively easy to satisfy; after obtaining the submachine gun, he did not contest the handguns with us. Thus, with five handguns available, Su Wan and I each took two, leaving one for the fat man. As for the remaining shotgun shells, Su Wan and I naturally split them evenly. Fortunately, he was relatively easy to satisfy; after obtaining the submachine gun, he did not contest the handguns with us. Thus, with five handguns available, Su Wan and I each took two, leaving one for the fat man. As for the remaining shotgun shells, Su Wan and I naturally split them evenly.

A few of us sat quietly in the darkness, and it felt quite unpleasant. Fortunately, the electric heater gradually began to take effect, and it was no longer so cold

I said with a wry smile: "I really can't sleep soundly, but then again, I can't sleep at all."

I glanced at him and said, "This building is where I live, 702 is my home"

Before long, I heard the sound of people running outside on the street, and the footsteps grew increasingly dense. There were hissing and strange cries everywhere, along with the sound of glass shattering. Soon after, I faintly heard a woman's voice crying for help in the distance. I knew that the street outside was already filled with all kinds of zongzi, and I was utterly unable to rescue the woman who was crying out. Yet, despite knowing this, I still felt a pang of guilt in my heart. I kept reminding myself that it was not that I was indifferent to death, but rather that I simply did not have the ability to save anyone at that moment. In the end, I chose to pretend that I could hear nothing, and only then did my heart feel somewhat calmer.

The red light of the electric heater is too weak, almost negligible, only ensuring that we do not accidentally knock it over while moving; it is completely inadequate for lighting purposes

Su Wan nodded and said, "You are right; many novelists have diligently trained their observational skills. I have heard that the famous French novelist Maupassant had exceptionally keen eyesight; he could identify a horse among five hundred, pointing out the differences between that horse and the other four hundred ninety-nine."

I nodded slightly, intending to check my weapon, but to my surprise, my hands and feet had gone numb and were unresponsive. I quickly rubbed my hands together, trying to warm them up as fast as possible. Suddenly, I remembered Little Fish and hurriedly looked up. I saw that the chubby person's down jacket was draped over Little Fish, whose small face was sweetly asleep beneath the clothing. I couldn't tell if it was due to the alcohol, but Little Fish's face was flushed and very cute.

The events of that night can only be described as thrilling. I was still trembling in shock until the chubby man got up to take over the shift. He comforted me for a moment and then let me sleep on his bed. Although there was an extra little fish on top, it was still bearable to lie down for a while.

I hardly slept soundly in the second half of the night. It wasn't until Su Wan got up to take over the shift for Fatty that I dozed off for a little while, albeit in a daze. However, I didn't sleep for long before waking up again, hearing Fatty's melodious and rhythmic snoring and mumbling. Su Wan quietly asked, "Are you awake?"

I took a deep breath and finally expressed that astonishing discovery: "I saw a faint gray light flickering in his eye sockets! At that time, the flesh of his entire body had decayed, and the only part that had not rotted away was presumably the brain hidden within the skull. Let us first assume that his brain was still intact; then it would not be surprising that he could understand our words, after all, although his ears were gone, his ear canals remained. However, without his eyeballs, how could he see anything? I was quite puzzled at that moment, so I specifically looked into his eyes and discovered that a faint gray light was shimmering in his eye sockets. That faint gray light must have been a substitute for his eyes."

The security door of this house remained intact. Su Wan gently knocked and called out softly, "Hey! Is anyone inside? We are here to rescue you, please open the door."

Su Wan shot a glare at the fat man again, reached out to open the door, but unexpectedly, as soon as the door was opened, someone inside swung a large stick fiercely at her.

I knew very well that it was impossible, yet I still shivered in fear. I estimated that Su Wan was probably just as scared as I was, as she unconsciously leaned her upper body against my shoulder. I hurriedly comforted her, saying: "Don't think too much; ghosts only exist in legends and online literature, and they cannot truly appear in the real world. It's just a tangible yet intangible mist that can absorb the enemy's magical power..." After a moment of reflection, I realized that this was hardly comforting; it subtly contained an element of intimidation. I quickly corrected myself, saying: "Don't be afraid; we are not mages and have no magical power for the ghost to absorb... Just in case, let's get a fan or a vacuum cleaner tomorrow as a backup."

I glanced at the surrounding environment and was momentarily taken aback. After a closer look, I nodded and said, "The information provided by the large rice dumpling should be accurate; indeed, there is no one left in room 702 of this building"

I will play as the forward, and the fat guy will take the rear, with a target of 302. Let's go!" After Su Wan finished speaking, she took the lead into the corridor, and I hurried to follow. The fat guy muttered behind us, "Can't we fix our revolutionary positions a bit?"

Su Wan cast a glance at the chubby man and said, "Don't interrupt..." Then she turned to me and asked, "Lao Hua, have you seen anything strange?"

After around 8 o'clock, we were ready and fed a bit of beer to the little fish, watching her get drunk... Well, after she fell asleep, I checked the weapons again. Su Wan and I each had a shotgun, while the fat guy still had two kitchen knives. I also asked Su Wan why, when I wasn't there, the two of them didn't each have a gun, but instead, she carried two guns herself. The answer I got was that the fat guy's shooting skills were poor, and he could miss the target by a meter even at a distance of twenty meters.