Undead

Chapter 5

"Normally, they die within twenty-four hours of infection. Are you sure it wasn't a result of an overly passionate bed partner biting you?"

Si Nan sat behind the door, with his arm resting on his knee. He shook his head.

Before Zhou Rong could say anything, the doctor placed the thermometer down and said, "You have a fever, Captain Zhou. Thirty-seven point nine degrees, an early symptom of infection. He should be isolated immediately."

The people around them changed their expressions. In the distance, the public started to back away, and whispers quickly spread through the crowd. "He's infected..." "Will he turn into a monster?" "Move away, keep your distance!"

A brave man spoke up, "Get him out of here! All of us are civilians. What if he bites someone?"

The echoes grew louder. Yan Hao shouted angrily, "He is not infected! Otherwise, he would have mutated on the way here! It's all zombies outside. Where do you expect him to go?"

Whispers abounded. "Typical for someone in the military..." "Exactly!"...

Zhou Rong squatted down in front of Si Nan and suddenly reached out, forcibly lifting his chin.

Si Nan's complexion was pale, distinct from an Asian, with cracked lips, a hint of fatigue, and a hint of his mother's appearance when he lowered his eyelids slightly. It formed a sharp contrast with Zhou Rong's calloused hands and strong muscles.

Zhou Rong gazed at him coldly for a moment and then suddenly stood up, saying, "Lock him in the warehouse office for observation."

The doctor disagreed, "Captain Zhou..."

Zhou Rong said, "He's my man, and I'm responsible."

The warehouse office was a small room separated by plywood, measuring five square meters. Before the virus outbreak, it was where the duty officers took turns to work. The hollow wooden door was equipped with an old-fashioned spring lock, and there was an iron bolt inside.

Si Nan leaned against the wall, sitting in the corner with one hand on his bent knee. After a while, Zhou Rong pushed the door open, closed it behind him, and blocked Yan Hao and Chun Cao outside.

"Here."

Si Nan raised his head, and in front of him was a bread roll.

"I got it from the storeroom. Eat up."

Si Nan remained motionless for a few seconds and then turned his head away.

"Why, you've only been locked up for a little while, and you're going on a hunger strike just because you're pretty?" Zhou Rong snorted. "Let me tell you, the one thing I'm worst at in my life is coddling someone, and the one thing I'm best at is crushing flowers with a heavy hand. During training, we were exposed to all sorts of Omega pheromones and lured by beautiful female spies one after another. Later, when I became the captain, Yan Hao led the team and didn't follow my orders, so I beat him up three times a day on schedule. Now, obediently eat your food. Don't think I won't use force."

The two stared at each other for a moment, and Si Nan finally spoke the truth, "Limited supplies, don't waste it."

Zhou Rong openly mocked him and threw the bread into Si Nan's arms, saying, "Why are you so dramatic, like an Omega?"

Si Nan: "..."

Zhou Rong patted his back and walked away.

·

As night fell, there was soon a commotion outside the door as people moved around, distributing food.

After thinking for a long time, Si Nan eventually ate the bread roll. Food had a calming effect on the nerves, and he leaned back against the wall and fell asleep without realizing it. His consciousness drifted between wakefulness and haziness, as if crossing a vast, damp, and cold expanse, looking down at the world that had crumbled in the midst of a war.