Chapter 3, A New World

Everyone raised their heads to look at the television on the pillar. I was no exception, turning my gaze to the nearby pillar's television, where I saw the news being broadcast.

A girl is calling me, and I recognized who she is; she is Hu Fei's girlfriend, Lu Dandan

The winter morning sunlight, carrying a hint of warmth, is exceedingly comfortable

Wait! I suddenly sense that something is amiss

The police have deployed a large number of personnel to forcibly apprehend the individual who bit others, and further updates are being reported.

At noon, the cafeteria had already become a refuge, I asked

The entire Jiajiang City is overrun by zombies

The smog has disappeared I murmured

Zombies wander outside the cafeteria on campus, their bodies and mouths smeared with fresh blood, swaying as they move, continuously howling, their vacant eyes staring ahead. A phrase pops into my mind: walking dead

Lu Dandan looked at me in silence, completely enraged. She stepped forward, grabbed my clothes, and cried out: "Speak! Where is he! Didn't he go to save you? Where is he! Where is he..."

Although I think this way, I still feel a bit anxious inside, worried that something might happen to Chen Xinyu

Chen Lingfeng nodded slightly, "Hmm, I have been here for an entire afternoon, and I don't know when I will be able to leave this place"

Dear audience members in Jiajiang City, for your own safety, please ensure that you lock your doors and windows tonight, and do not allow any other individuals to enter

Chen Lingfeng

This world has truly witnessed the emergence of zombies, a phenomenon that originally existed only in fantasy.

What on earth is happening in this world, and why are zombies actually appearing? I recall seeing a news report on Hu Fei's computer this afternoon: "Smog causes zombies to appear at West Lake in Hangzhou, biting dozens of people." I never expected that this news would turn out to be true

"You all, quickly look at the television!" Someone shouted.

After watching this news for nearly half an hour, everyone in the cafeteria fell silent. After I finished watching, I felt a chill run down my spine; the entire Jiajiang City was like a scene from a zombie apocalypse

Without uttering a word, I blinked, and tears streamed from the corners of my eyes, tracing down my cheeks and falling to the ground

I dared not look directly into her eyes, nor could I bear to see her expression. I turned my face away, feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt. I wondered, since Hu Fei was already safe, why did he still come to rescue me

If all the zombies in the smog outside gather outside the cafeteria, everyone will be doomed

I sat down against the wall, feeling bewildered and sorrowful. Perhaps I was affected by the quietness of the cafeteria, remaining silent and speechless.

Afterwards, she sobbed and asked me: "Xu Le, tell me the truth, was Hu Fei bitten to death by a zombie?"

My eyes squint slightly in the sunlight as I gaze at the world outside

I was momentarily stunned, let out a bitter laugh, and saw his red-rimmed eyes, knowing he must have cried, and that he must have cried very sadly. His girlfriend had turned into a zombie; such a thing is beyond the comprehension of outsiders. I also wonder how Chen Xinyu is doing now; she is in Nanwen, and there shouldn't be any zombies there, right

A very beautiful girl, a student of the Environmental Science Institute, with large, captivating eyes

Subsequently, experts have emerged stating that the appearance of these zombie-like individuals is due to the extremely severe smog in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions.

The people around all looked over

The people around us looked on with varied expressions; some were sad, while others remained indifferent. As I scanned their faces one by one, I suddenly understood that this is what humanity is—a group of animals

I was already positioned by the wall of the cafeteria, relatively close to the window, so I immediately noticed the scene outside the cafeteria

Hello, dear audience, this is China Central Television

"Did he not go to look for you! Where is he!" Lu Dandan shouted at me

What is placed above is the news

"My girlfriend has turned into a zombie," he said, his expression blank, as if he had grown accustomed to it

I held Lu Dandan's shoulders, unsure of what to say

Dear audience, you have just witnessed the scenes. This is a riot that occurred at exactly 4:00 PM today in the urban area of Jiajiang City, Jiangsu Province. According to reports from our station's journalists, a creature resembling those in movies has appeared throughout the urban area of Jiajiang: zombies! In addition to Jiajiang City, this zombie-like creature has been reported in almost the entire northern Zhejiang region.

No, this new world outside

My eyelid twitched, and zombies appeared at noon! Does that mean the cafeteria became a refuge at noon

My heart tightened, as if being pulled by a hand, causing extreme discomfort

Seeing Lu Dandan calm down, I felt reassured

I did not see it. I am speaking honestly

"Lu Dandan." I called her name.

In order to save me, Hu Fei died in the dormitory building. What should I do in front of his girlfriend? What should I say?

Chen Lingfeng shook his head: "I don't know"

Almost every television is turned on

There are more than ten square columns supporting the ceiling beams in the entire cafeteria, and on top of each column, there are two television sets. This is the university cafeteria, so having this many televisions is quite normal

I saw the helplessness in his eyes and chose not to ask further. He had hidden in the cafeteria for an entire afternoon, perhaps knowing less about the zombies than he did. The crowd in the cafeteria whispered in hushed tones, afraid to speak loudly for fear of attracting the zombies outside.

Where is Hu Fei! she asked me directly

The cafeteria is quite large, but now it is crowded with over a thousand people, making it seem much smaller in an instant

The entire cafeteria was quiet, with only the voice of the host coming from the television.

Dear audience, I am currently located in the urban area of Jiajiang City in the northern part of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. A riot has just occurred here, with a large crowd resembling the lost appearing on the streets, attacking passersby like beasts. This has resulted in over ten deaths and more than twenty injuries

Sigh. He came to my side, sat down, and let out a sigh

Suddenly, someone called me again

I rubbed my eyes, adjusted Lu Dandan's head, propped myself against the wall, and stood up to see the world outside the window bathed in sunlight

In an instant, the atmosphere in the cafeteria became tense and anxious

Thus, the cafeteria has always been very quiet

When did this happen? I asked

After entering the cafeteria, the class monitor collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. Everything that had just happened had truly frightened him.

Xu Le

The people around us, upon seeing us quiet down, seemed to lose interest and no longer paid attention to us

Lu Dandan's eyes sparkled as she looked at me and said, "So that means he might still be alive!"

He ... ... I was at a loss for words, realizing that I could not bring myself to voice this fact. Perhaps it was the overwhelming guilt I felt towards Hu Fei, or perhaps it was my inability to confront this reality

"Then, how did these zombies come into existence?" I asked, trembling.

I do not know, indeed I do not know. I fear that not only within this campus, but also outside, it is estimated that zombies have already appeared. Furthermore, the entire Jiajiang City, and even the whole Jiangsu and Zhejiang region, may be infested with zombies. As for how these zombies came to be, no one knows.

... ...

I also believe that he is not dead. This is all I could say to her, as I feared that if I said anything else, she would cry again, and I did not want to see her so sad

This is the plain truth; I indeed did not see him being bitten to death by the zombie. When I was fleeing, he was still bravely resisting the zombies. I do not know if he won. Whenever I think back on this matter, I feel deep regret. Perhaps I should not have listened to him and just run away; I should have stayed and helped him

The smog has disappeared! The smog outside has vanished!

Lu Dandan wiped her tears and said, "Yes, how could Hu Fei possibly be dead! A person as strong as him cannot die!"

I do not know, but I cannot say it this way

Thus, in a quiet panic, a night passed silently

The following morning at six thirty

The news is currently broadcasting the situation in Jiajiang City

In a pair of eyes, there was a fullness of expectation. I knew that she did not want to receive this answer

The entire cafeteria was filled with people, their dark heads resembling a swarm of ants huddled together. Everyone's mood was quite low; fear and despair were etched on each face, and the unknown in their eyes seemed to convey something unspoken. Each person wore the same expression, the same... helplessness.

Suddenly, someone beside me exclaimed, jolting me awake from my immersion in the guilt of Hu Fei's death

A blurry image appeared on the television, where smog occupied a significant portion of the screen, followed by a large number of police personnel who began to confront the zombies that had emerged.

Does that not mean there is no way out? Does that not mean everyone is destined to die here

"What are you sighing about?" I asked www.hetushucom.com.

I am familiar with him because he is the president of the school's guitar club, while I am the president of the literature club. I once wrote lyrics for a piece he composed, although it wasn't very melodious. Although we know each other, we are not very close. At this moment, being able to survive and meet again is also a kind of fate

I groggily woke from my slumber and saw Lu Dandan sleeping soundly against my shoulder. Tears still lingered at the corners of her eyes, and I had no idea what dream she had just experienced.

If smog still exists, how could sunlight possibly shine into the cafeteria

Upon receiving his affirmative answer, I felt a jolt in my heart. Thoughts of certain matters regarding Hu Fei immediately made my face turn pale. Earlier, when Hu Fei came to the cafeteria to buy dinner, did he not realize that the cafeteria was a refuge? Yet, why did he still return to save me?

I turned my head and saw an acquaintance, Chen Lingfeng

Xu Le, Xu Le, Xu Le, where are you!

... ...

She came before me, with tear stains at the corners of her eyes, clearly having cried. Her big eyes, brimming with tears, looked at me, as if she wanted to say something. I leaned against the wall behind me and stood up, silently gazing at her, recalling Hu Fei, who had died for me in the dormitory building.

Perhaps it is because everyone has watched zombie movies and television shows, and is aware of the habits of zombies, that they are so quiet

At noon, we had agreed to have lunch together in the morning, but when I arrived at the cafeteria, I found that she had already turned into a zombie. It was then that I realized the school had been overrun by zombies, and outside, amidst the haze, there were zombies everywhere. He paused and said, "Fortunately, I was pulled into the cafeteria by someone, which saved my life."

After crying for a long time, she became tired as well

Well, it is possible

In the end, tears streamed down my face, and my fists pounded against me, rendering me speechless with grief