Chapter 8: The Female Zombie (2)

When everyone took stock of what they had on hand, it was mostly the tools Li Fengyi had instructed them to bring when leaving Tianhai—hammers, axes, steel pipes—and there were also two kitchen knives at home. After a look at the short kitchen knives, they decided to use the steel pipes instead.

After some discussion, they settled on a plan: dismantle a wooden slat from a single bed, have the two men block the doorway—one on each side—to prevent the zombie from injuring anyone, then have someone else swing the steel pipe at its head.

Sun Feigang and Tian Ming, the sturdier of the group, were quickly chosen to block the door. When it came to who would wield the steel pipe, everyone suddenly grew modest. After all, they were peaceful people who had never killed even a chicken, let alone strike down a creature who, just hours ago, had been human.

Faced with indecision, all eyes naturally turned to the leader. After a moment of polite reluctance, they all stared expectantly at Li Fengyi. Wang Shujuan was visibly anxious, watching him with her mouth opening and closing.

A surge of irritation flared in Li Fengyi’s heart. “Damn it, this bunch of cowards—can’t anyone take the initiative?”

Of course, he himself wasn’t eager for the task, but he forced himself to act. “Alright, I’ll choose, then.”

Li Fengyi raised his right index finger and drew a circle, pointing at the group.

Everyone scrambled to voice support. “Boss Li, it’s your house—your call.”

“Damn, I’m practically on my deathbed and still have to defend my turf,” Li Fengyi muttered.

“No wonder you’re the leader—Boss Li, you’re the real deal. Always taking care of your brothers,” someone piped up, and the others quickly agreed. “Why doesn’t anyone mention that Old Li here gave you all a place to stay and made sure you had food and water?” Wang Shujuan interjected, disgruntled. “If he hadn’t brought you here, you’d all have been eaten by now.”

Faces flushed with shame, the men hurried to volunteer. “I’ll do it, I’ll do it—it’s not that big a deal.”

“Get back here, all of you.” Li Fengyi said nothing as they crowded toward the door, only speaking up when they reached it.

Moments like these tested a person’s character. Li Fengyi decided the group was still dependable. “I’m in charge here, and I have two sons—everyone, please look after my mother, wife, and children,” he declared, taking the opportunity to establish his authority and assign responsibility for his family.

He pulled on several thick layers of clothing, wrapping an extra scarf around his neck—he’d noticed the zombies tended to bite there first, likely because it was within reach and the artery was close to the surface.

After testing a couple of steel pipes, he chose one that felt right in his grip.

By then, everyone had moved the rice and flour aside and dismantled Li Yutian’s single bed. Sun Feigang and Tian Ming braced themselves on either side of the door to the room where the female zombie was locked.

She had caught their scent and the commotion, growing even more frenzied.

Li Fengyi stood at the threshold and had Huang Shunyi press a folding chair hard against the door. With a shout, Huang Shunyi shoved the chair forward, forcing the door open.

Caught off-guard, the female zombie fell to the floor. The room was unlit, but the hallway’s glow spilled into the darkness.

Clawing her way up, the zombie lunged at the door, head and neck exposed. Her arms were pinned, and her sharp teeth snapped at Li Fengyi, desperate for fresh flesh.

But when it came to striking, Li Fengyi realized the steel pipe couldn’t be swung down from above—there wasn’t enough height. The walls on either side prevented a sideways swing as well.

So, he opted to thrust the pipe straight at the zombie’s forehead. Drawing back his arm, he struck hard. The zombie jerked her head back, and the pipe punched a small hole in her forehead, exposing a sliver of white bone.

He couldn’t quite get the feel of it at first, but tried again. Another jab, another small hole, the zombie still jerking away. Frustrated, Li Fengyi began stabbing rapidly, but a living creature’s skull is hard—soon, the zombie’s face was streaked with dark blood, but she did not fall.

Nerves fraying, his hand slipped, and the pipe went lower, piercing the gaping mouth, sliding up through the upper jaw and into the brain. Brain matter oozed out through the hollow pipe, and at last, the zombie fell silent.

Li Fengyi didn’t dare relax. He yanked the pipe free, poised to strike again, but the zombie collapsed to the floor. Sun Feigang and Tian Ming slowly moved the wood aside and peeked in. The three men stared—she lay motionless.

When the landlord had renovated the apartment, the children were already older, so no safety bars had been installed. Later, when Li Fengyi moved in, he’d added bars to his own balcony, but this particular room had been rented out and only a small gate was put in the middle of the drying area. Since the children never came to this side, no bars had been installed here.

Li Fengyi decided to throw the female zombie off the sixth-floor balcony.

It was one thing to strike a blow, another to lay hands on a corpse. Shivering, he muttered, “It’s not that I’m heartless—but we’re already worlds apart. Rest easy. I’ll burn paper offerings for you in the future.”

Because she’d been at home, the girl was wearing cropped pants, and her legs still felt smooth to the touch. Li Fengyi couldn’t help thinking what a pity it was—if only it weren’t the end of the world.

With trembling hands, he dragged the zombie out by the legs. Then he had everyone take a turn smashing the corpse with a steel pipe or hammer, to get a feel for it and face their fears. After all, he’d been frightened himself—his friends could share in the experience.

For these lifelong bookish types who had never fought before, to kill someone for the first time—even though she was a zombie—was nerve-wracking. They all trembled as they struck the body.

Even Wang Shujuan and Chu Zhen took a swing to steel themselves. Finally, Li Fengyi had Huang Shunyi and Sun Xiaoshan lift the zombie and throw her off the balcony.

The two men, shivering, hauled her over and let her drop. Everyone squatted on the floor, gasping for breath. At last, their main threat had been dealt with. Thankfully, there was strength in numbers; talking things over, they managed to calm their nerves a little, though their knees still shook when they stood.

The gas supply had not yet been cut off, so Wang Shujuan and Chu Zhen were instructed to quickly prepare a meal, while the elderly mother comforted the seven children.

The five men wandered between the balconies, peering outside. They saw many lit homes, with people gazing anxiously from windows and balconies.

Soon, dinner was ready. As they ate, Li Fengyi began assigning tasks. The most urgent matter was survival—especially avoiding chaos within the group. To prevent unrest, he thought, it was best not to let anyone idle.

Otherwise, the adults might endure, but the children and elderly would be in trouble.

Waving his chopsticks, Li Fengyi said, “Sun Xiaoshan, keep gathering information and news.”

This was a task best suited to someone in IT; those who lived online knew how to swim in the sea of information, or else they’d quickly drown.

“Wang Shujuan, check our food supplies. Chu Zhen, help her take care of the children and elderly. Sun Feigang will keep watch and take notes on the east balcony. Tian Ming, the same. Sun Feigang and Huang Shunyi, help sort out the food and drinking water. Looks like we’ll be bunkered down here for a while.”

If it came to dragging on too long, food and water would become a problem, and then things would get truly difficult.