HLLY Chapter 26

Accustomed to the darkness, his eyes faintly perceived that he had opened the bag containing dinner. Jiang Huan had no idea what he intended to do; in any case, he couldn’t do anything, only waiting with fear and trepidation.

Soon, something was pressed against the corner of Jiang Huan’s lips. Instinctively, he clenched his teeth and recoiled, but the man held the back of his head with one hand and forcefully shoved the object into his mouth with the other.

“Mm…” Jiang Huan wanted to shout, but the man preemptively cut him off with a sharp command: “Shut up!” This effectively stifled his cry in his throat.

The man’s gloves were not clean either; they were rough against Jiang Huan’s lips. Filled with a sense of grievance and fear, Jiang Huan pressed his lips against the object in his mouth, and the aroma of flour instantly filled his mouth. It was dry and hard, lacking oil and salt, yet Jiang Huan eagerly began to chew. Soon, a small piece of torn flatbread was pressed against his lips again, and he hurried to bite it, nearly swallowing the man’s fingers along with it.

The man in sunglasses had Jiang Huan’s saliva on his gloves and seemed somewhat disgusted. After a pause, he took off the gloves and continued to feed him. The little guy was starving, his throat constantly swallowing, and his soft tongue reached out to lick the man’s fingers, the ticklish sensation akin to being licked by a puppy that hadn’t yet opened its eyes. The man remained silent throughout, only offering his water bottle after Jiang Huan began to choke.

With his hands bound behind him, Jiang Huan watched as the man opened the bottle cap and slowly fed him sip by sip. Soon, an entire piece of flatbread settled in Jiang Huan’s stomach, and the sense of impending death from extreme hunger gradually faded away.

The other man accompanying the one in sunglasses was in a deep sleep, snoring so loudly it seemed to pierce the clouds. After filling his stomach, Jiang Huan, still feeling grateful despite being sold, thanked the man and naively asked, “Brother, can you help me leave this place? I can have my dad give you a large reward.”

The man in sunglasses didn’t say a word. He tossed the plastic bag aside, shoved the remaining half bottle of water back into his pocket, put on his gloves, stood up in front of Jiang Huan, and returned to his old spot at the broken table. He crossed his arms and slightly lowered his head.

The only person who had shown him any kindness had rejected him with silence. Disappointed to the core, Jiang Huan curled up his legs, and after filling himself with food and drink, he felt the urge to cry once more.

The next day, it was the same old situation; there was no news from the outside, and the atmosphere in the factory was restless. The buzz-cut man would punch and kick Jiang Huan at the slightest annoyance, while the man in sunglasses always looked as if he were half-asleep, either sitting at the table or standing in the corner, out of sync with everything around him.

He still refused to eat. In the afternoon, while the others were gathered and distracted, he spoon-fed Jiang Huan the cold vegetable porridge, one spoonful at a time.

Jiang Huan had a new scar on his face, and each time he chewed, it pulled at the wound, causing him to gasp in pain. The man in sunglasses remained silent, quickly feeding him without a word. Finally, he carelessly wiped Jiang Huan’s mouth with his sleeve and then returned to his corner to sit and sleep, looking completely at ease.

Jiang Huan had read about Stockholm Syndrome in books, and he thought that he must be experiencing Stockholm Syndrome, as the man surnamed Shen had fed him twice, creating a profound sense of dependency on him. He couldn’t help but secretly observe him, imagining the face hidden beneath the sunglasses and mask, yearning to communicate.

In the evening, due to his father’s indifference, Jiang Huan was once again dragged out by the crew-cut man to vent his frustrations. The rusted dagger first sliced through the ropes binding his hands, and then it was aimed at Jiang Huan’s fingers.

Jiang Huan screamed and struggled desperately, but the strength of a child was no match for several adult men. Soon, he was pinned down on the table, unable to move. The people surrounding him were extremely excited, their taunts and laughter echoing, narrating how they lived like ants at the bottom of the social hierarchy outside the city while those inside, who profited from schemes, enjoyed the dwindling resources. They unleashed their discontent and fear onto a child, as if they were the most righteous messengers, punishing someone they deemed thoroughly wicked.

As he saw the blade raised high, Jiang Huan finally lost all rationality. He involuntarily looked toward the man in sunglasses and screamed, “Help me! Please, save me!”

The man remained unmoved.

He wasn’t asleep; instead, he stood by the wall, gazing out the window, indifferent to Jiang Huan’s impending fate.

Jiang Huan felt a deep sense of desolation. He hated his own weakness and helplessness, and he resentfully wondered why the man wouldn’t come to his aid. He also found it absurd that he was actually hoping for the help of a kidnapper’s accomplice.

However, at that moment, chaos erupted. The calm was shattered as the sounds of gunfire and cannon fire approached like a violent storm, shaking the entire factory. Before the screams outside could even rise, they were drowned out by the gunfire. Faintly, Jiang Huan could hear a familiar voice, that of the thin man, desperately pleading for mercy, followed by the sickening sounds of bullets striking flesh and bodies collapsing.

The men who had been preparing to inflict harm on Jiang Huan were instantly thrown into a panic and released him. The crew-cut man still managed to maintain some semblance of composure, while many others, who had just moments ago been boastful and aggressive, now appeared frightened like quails.

Jiang Huan looked toward the door with joy, hoping for rescue, but suddenly, he felt a hand grab the back of his neck and another tightening around his throat, lifting him off the ground and placing him in front of the crew-cut man as a shield.

“Don’t move!” the buzz-cut man shouted at the mercenaries who had broken through the door. “Otherwise, I’ll kill him!”

The mercenary at the front paused for a moment. One hand maintained a steady grip on his gun while the other pressed to his ear, seemingly inquiring about something. After a few seconds, he made a hand gesture, and he and his teammates began to retreat from the room.

The buzz-cut man thought to himself that they were indeed there to rescue the child, and by taking a hostage, he might gain a sliver of leverage.

But just as he was preparing to continue his threats and negotiate terms, several oval-shaped metal objects suddenly flew in through the door and windows, accompanied by a chilling sound that sent shivers down everyone’s spine. Someone with keen eyes shouted, “Grenade!”

Jiang Huan’s eyes widened, and his heart sank into an abyss. He had thought his father would save him… only to be met with a team willing to sacrifice hostages just to eliminate their enemies. Or perhaps they thought it would be better if the hostages died, putting an end to any future troubles.

The grenades had already been pulled, hanging in the air. In that moment, time felt incredibly long. Jiang Huan thought of many things, yet it felt as if he thought of nothing at all. His thirteen years of life had been too brief and too pale, as if he had no profound memories to hold onto.

Just as his mind went blank in those final moments, a figure moving so fast it left only an afterimage snatched him away from the crew-cut man. In the next second, the two had already leaped through the window. The man in sunglasses shielded Jiang Huan from the shards of glass with his own body, rolling on the ground with him. Using the force of the explosion, they propelled themselves forward by several meters before he swiftly removed his mask and placed it on Jiang Huan’s face.

The series of actions flowed seamlessly, yet it was undeniably beyond what an ordinary person could accomplish.

Jiang Huan clung to the man in sunglasses’ neck in a panic, breathing so rapidly it felt as though he might suffocate. The man glanced back at the factory, where all the windows had shattered and a sea of flames raged within. Just as he stood up, bullets whizzed past his feet.

”

Ahh—” Jiang Huan couldn’t help but scream as he shrank his head, only to hear the man let out an irritated click of his tongue. He tightened his embrace, then took a few powerful strides before effortlessly jumping over the four-meter-high wall.

The mercenaries behind him couldn’t help but exclaim in disbelief at the scene unfolding before them. The leader immediately reported this unusual situation to his superiors, which quickly drew the attention of the higher-ups in the Northern District. However, after much discussion, no further action was taken.

This incident, which the mercenaries regarded as nighttime gossip, would only be explained six months later during the Saint Harmony Hospital 109 Massacre. It was clear that the man who could easily evade grenades, incendiary rounds, and bullets, and leap over a four-meter-high wall with a single bound, was a ruthless and heartless mutant.

As for the child in his arms, he was probably thin-skinned and tender, likely taken away as food.

Of course, that was all in the future. At this moment, Jiang Huan was bouncing in the man’s embrace. He carefully opened one eye, the wind howling past his ears, feeling as if he were sitting in a convertible with no shock absorbers, everything around him rushing by in a blur.

Jiang Huan slowly began to realize that something was wrong.

It wasn’t until the man reached an apartment building surrounded by zombies that the endless waves of the undead made Jiang Huan’s face turn pale with fear. His whole body trembled uncontrollably as he stuttered, “I—I don’t want to die like this. I don’t want to become… a zombie…”

The man ignored him and took off his sunglasses, revealing black-red irises that looked just like those of a zombie, but with added vitality and emotion.

“Step aside,” he said impatiently, his sharp fangs just barely visible between his lips. The zombies, who had been inching toward Jiang Huan, immediately recoiled in fear at the sound of his voice, retreating like a tide, as if welcoming their king.

At this point, Jiang Huan was so frightened that he couldn’t even speak. He felt as stiff as a stone, as if he were a sculpture of the boy in the man’s arms.

The man brought Jiang Huan to a clean room, which contained fresh water and an array of fruits, vegetables, and fish. However, the radiation in these foods was too strong for Jiang Huan to consume. He could only eat the leftover bits of flatbread from the man’s pocket and drink from the nearly empty plastic bottle.

The dry, tasteless coarse flatbread paled in comparison to the fragrant braised fish. He realized just how hungry he was, and the contrast made him want to cry.

The man introduced himself as Shen Shanwu. He told Jiang Huan to sleep here for a while, assuring him that he would take him back to the main gate of Anping North District the next day.

“I won’t be coming back here after this, so you don’t need to bother trying to find someone to catch me,” Shen Shanwu said, having taken a cold shower and changed into clean clothes. It was clear that the original owner of the room was not as tall as Shen Shanwu; the long pants he wore ended up being cropped, revealing his bony ankles.

Jiang Huan nodded obediently, licking the crumbs off his fingertips into his mouth. They were on the first floor, surrounded by zombies outside. The undead pressed against the door, the windows, and the railing, though they dared not squeeze in openly in front of Shen Shanwu. Nevertheless, they were always eyeing the only living person present with ravenous hunger.

“Don’t worry, they won’t come in,” Shen Shanwu said, noticing Jiang Huan’s apprehension. “I’m here.”

Jiang Huan glanced at Shen Shanwu’s red eyes, his heart racing nervously. He swallowed hard, feeling as if he was going crazy. “Shen Shanwu… brother, can I not go back to the North District…?”

“Hmm? Then where do you want to go?” Shen Shanwu replied with a dismissive tone, his eyes filled with contempt. “Let me be clear: I’m not some do-gooder to be ordered around by you.”

“…I want to follow you,” Jiang Huan said, clenching his fists tightly, trying to suppress his fear. “Can I follow you?”

“Ha?” Shen Shanwu laughed as if he had heard the greatest joke, his eyebrows raised. “What kind of joke is that? No way.” It seemed he felt that just saying “no” wasn’t strong enough, so he added with a sinister grin, “I’m a zombie. If you annoy me, I’ll rip out your organs, empty your belly, and break your limbs to feed the other zombies.”

The author has something to say: 

35: What do you mean by Stockholm Syndrome?! This is you being conquered by my charming personality; your book is going straight to the dog’s stomach¹implies that the person has misunderstood or misinterpreted something, or that their understanding is so far off that it might as well have been consumed by a dog.

Huan: …Don’t be a dog if you have the ability.

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  implies that the person has misunderstood or misinterpreted something, or that their understanding is so far off that it might as well have been consumed by a dog