Xin Meng stared intently at the zombies, even recognizing a man and a woman who had previously blocked his door. Under the sunlight, their movements were slow and stiff, but there were just too many of them. Xin Meng wasn’t confident he could rush out unscathed.
What should he do…
Xin Meng couldn’t help but look around and noticed several cars parked in the community. He was tempted; driving out seemed like a good idea. But not having car keys was a problem. He could drive, but he couldn’t pick locks.
This didn’t deter Xin Meng. He surveyed the layout of the community and came up with a hunch. There were parking spaces everywhere, but not many cars. Most car owners would likely park their cars near their homes if possible. So, he only needed to find a unit with a car parked at the entrance, enter, and look for keys. Most zombies would go out during the day, so there shouldn’t be many inside the building.
Since this was a game, there had to be a correct path to clear it. If he hadn’t found it, he must have missed some clues. During the long wait for dawn, Xin Meng concluded that scattered cars around the community were a subtle hint. In a place with so many cars, why would this community have so few? It had to be a clue.
He decided to act. Xin Meng randomly chose a nearby unit with a Passat parked outside and sneaked in. The zombies at the entrance were oblivious, still shuffling slowly and growling.
Inside the building, Xin Meng was surprised to find almost every door open, with scattered items at the entrances, as if the residents had left in a hurry. This confirmed his guess—otherwise, how could an entire unit forget to close their doors?
Cautiously entering and confirming no zombies were inside, Xin Meng began searching quickly. He found no car keys after searching four or five homes, but he did find some packaged biscuits, bread, and bottles of mineral water. He put these in a backpack he found and slung it over his shoulder. If he didn’t find car keys before sunset, he would need to continue hiding, and these supplies were vital for his survival.
After searching the entire unit without finding the Passat’s keys, Xin Meng quickly moved to the next unit. He spent almost an entire day searching all units with parked cars, but didn’t find a single key.
Could he have been wrong?
Looking at the setting sun and the darkening hallway, Xin Meng felt this was his last chance. If he didn’t find keys in this last unit, it would mean he was wrong, and zombies might enter the building at night. He would have to find a safe room to spend the night.
At the entrance of this unit was a brand-new white Range Rover. Xin Meng liked it immediately and couldn’t help but have a bit of hope. This was much better than the Passat. With renewed determination, he went in.
Starting from the first floor, Xin Meng found all the doors open until he reached the fourth floor, where unit 401’s door was tightly shut.
This was unusual since all other doors in units with parked cars were open. What was different about this one?
Curious, Xin Meng approached quietly and pressed his ear to the door to listen. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he knocked on the door.
A man’s rough voice quickly answered, “Who’s there?”
Xin Meng didn’t respond, continuing to knock until the door was opened. He took a step back and glanced at the man who opened it, then his lips twitched.
The man was slightly older than Xin Meng, sporting a flamboyant punk hairstyle with strands dyed in red, green, yellow, pink, and blue. His ears were adorned with multiple piercings, wearing a studded leather jacket and several necklaces, each with different trinkets. He had ripped jeans and dirty sneakers, standing with one leg straight and the other crooked, leaning arrogantly against the door frame.
Where did this punk come from?
Xin Meng wanted to turn and leave but noticed an armband on the man’s arm, with a black background and a silver stylized “S” with a snake-like “m” or a wavy line through the hook, the same as the one on Xin Meng’s arm.
Sighing, Xin Meng stopped retreating and extended his hand for a reluctant introduction, “Hi, I’m Xin Meng, your teammate…”
He expected the punk to respond arrogantly, but instead, the man lunged forward, grabbing his arm and shaking it vigorously, tears streaming down his face. “Oh my god, I finally see a living person! What the hell is this place! I just went to the bathroom after drinking with my buddies, and then I blacked out and woke up in someone else’s house! I thought my buddy brought me back, but when I opened the door, there were monsters! Man-eating monsters! Thank god I reacted quickly, or I’d have been eaten!”
The punk’s voice cracked with emotion, making Xin Meng facepalm. Could they really clear the game with such unreliable teammates?
The sun had set, and darkness enveloped the sky. Outside, zombies began to stir, growling hungrily and searching for food. Xin Meng, fearing their noise would attract zombies, pushed the punk inside and quietly shut the security door.
The punk, still frightened, followed Xin Meng’s cautious behavior and lowered his voice, though he kept complaining. “I don’t usually drink and dash, really,” he justified. “Just a few times… Those guys, they really messed with me for a few unpaid tabs! I treat them well, but they have no loyalty! Loyalty is the most important thing! Without it, who would follow you…”
Ignoring the punk’s rant, Xin Meng made a quiet gesture and started checking the house. It was surprisingly similar to the one he had woken up in. He found a white card on a bedside table, with familiar words and contents on the front. He called the punk over, who reluctantly approached, jingling with his metal accessories.
“What’s this?” the punk asked, unable to see clearly in the dim light. Xin Meng used a blanket to cover a table lamp and let him read the card. After reading, the punk was stunned, struggling to form words before exclaiming, “What kind of prank is this!”
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be a prank,” Xin Meng explained patiently. “The environment and the monsters outside are real. I’ve observed them closely; they’re not machines or people in disguise. We seem to be in a unique situation, and this card is our only clue. There’s no food or water here; I don’t want to die, and I’m sure you don’t either. We need to escape.”
“But…” the punk hesitated, scratching his colorful hair. “The monsters outside are scary. Do we really… really have to go out? Can’t we call the police for help?”
“I don’t think calling the police will help,” Xin Meng said calmly, explaining his previous analysis. “There are many zombies outside, but no other living people. This seems to be a zombie escape game. I’ve played similar computer games before; there are no police, or if there are, they’re already zombies. According to this logic, the whole town could be full of zombies, and we might be the only survivors.”
The punk shivered, remembering similar zombie games he’d played, and agreed reluctantly, “What do we do then? Even if we go out, where do we go?”
Xin Meng thought for a moment and said softly, “According to the card’s hint, we should first find the other team members. Gathering everyone’s information might tell us how to clear the game.”
The punk slumped, even his flamboyant hairstyle looking deflated. “Okay, we can only do that.” Then, realizing he hadn’t introduced himself, he perked up, patting Xin Meng’s shoulder with exaggerated bravado. “I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Xiong Jiabao, 22, working as a bartender. I don’t have much money, but loyalty is all that matters in life! Brother, you look younger than me. Don’t worry; I’ll take care of you!” He patted his chest confidently.
Xin Meng forced a smile and said thanks, then ignored Xiong Jiabao’s “loyalty” lecture, taking his card to check the back for information.
【A peaceful town was hit by a meteor, carrying a special virus that turned its residents into man-eating monsters.】
【Three days later, the town fell.】
“As expected,” Xin Meng handed both cards to Xiong Jiabao. “The town is full of zombies. We’re likely the only survivors.”
Xiong Jiabao squinted in the dim light and asked, “Why not turn on the lights? Why be so sneaky?”
Xin Meng replied, “Don’t you know lights attract zombies? How did you spend last night?”
Xiong Jiabao sheepishly scratched his head, “I drank too much and slept till morning.”
Xin Meng: “…”
He didn’t explain further as Xiong Jiabao had seen the card’s content.
“Okay, I get it,” Xiong Jiabao tossed the card aside, looking at Xin Meng expectantly. “What do we do next?”
Face darkening, Xin Meng quickly retrieved the card, knowing it would be useful. He put it in his pocket, surveyed the room, and hesitated, “Zombies might come in at night. We can’t do anything now. Let’s sleep and rest. Tomorrow, we’ll look for car keys and drive out.”
Unexpectedly, Xiong Jiabao said, “You need car keys? There’s one in this house!”
Xin Meng was overjoyed, “Is it for the Range Rover downstairs?”
“There’s a Range Rover downstairs? Nice car!” Xiong Jiabao rummaged through some items by the door and handed Xin Meng a key-like object. “I saw it this afternoon, don’t know if it’s for the car downstairs. It must be for a car anyway.”
Xin Meng took it, suspecting Xiong Jiabao’s “I saw it this afternoon” story. It was likely his first search upon waking up, hoping to escape. But Xin Meng didn’t point this out, accepting the key. “Great, we’ll rest now and leave early tomorrow.”
Xiong Jiabao’s enthusiasm returned, “Brother, you’re so reliable! With you around, we can definitely escape!” He leaned close, “But… can you drive?”
“Yes.”
“Awesome! My parents never taught me; they didn’t want me to be a car racer! Well, I’ll leave it to you!”
Xin Meng nodded, hiding his unease. He didn’t know if the key would work and if they could safely escape the zombies.
“Let’s rest. Sleep in the master bedroom; the bed is big,” Xin Meng suggested. “I’ll take the single bed in the guest room.”
“Oh, you’re so polite, but the big bed is better for us brothers to share, right? Oh, I’ll let you take the guest room. I’m a considerate person!” Xiong Jiabao immediately changed his tune, rushing to the master bedroom.
Xin Meng sighed, relieved to have some quiet. He locked the bedroom door and propped a chair against it for safety, lay down fully clothed, and fell into a deep sleep.
