Apocalyptic Crazy Kitty

Chapter 1: Stuck in a Deadlock

“Braised spare ribs, Shandong-style chicken, Chongqing-style noodles, cumin lamb, egg fried rice, spicy chicken feet, xiaolongbao, braised pork trotters, fish head with chopped chili peppers, sour and spicy rice noodles, hot dry noodles, lamb skewers, oyster omelet, sashimi, garlic scallops…”Zuo Chen lay sprawled in the corner of the cell, his listless voice echoing through the dimly lit room like the wail of a starving ghost. “Bro… my own brother… please stop reciting that… I’m about to drown in my own saliva…” Beside him, Li Zhe lay just as limp on the floor, staring at the ceiling as he whimpered. Prolonged hunger and malnutrition had reduced them to skin and bones; at first glance, they looked just like two corpses. “If we can’t eat, at least we can dream. After all, my dream was to get into the graduate program at Lanxiang Technical College. If it weren’t for the outbreak of the biohazard crisis, I’d be a top-tier chef by now…” Zuo Chen said listlessly. “You’re a liberal arts major at Yancheng University—why would you even try to become a chef? No matter how good your cooking skills are, they’re useless in the apocalypse. We can’t even find food, and now we’re eating shit every day…” Li Zhe’s eyes nearly rolled all the way up to the ceiling. “Clang.” The iron door of the cell opened a crack, and two energy bars, each about the size of two fingers, along with two cups of water, were tossed inside. The two exchanged a glance, then slowly crawled over to split the food evenly between them. “Time to eat shit again. It’s so tasteless,” Zuo Chen sighed, popping an energy bar into his mouth and chewing it. These energy bars came from the biological recycling system—in simple terms, human waste was processed and recycled. Although they were clean, hygienic, and virtually odorless, the thought of it was still somewhat disgusting. “Can you please not talk about such disgusting things while we’re eating!” Li Zhe complained. “Hey, how many days has it been since Jianguo showed up? I hope nothing’s happened to him.” “Don’t worry. Don’t let Jian Guo’s size fool you—he’s pretty nimble. Those zombies won’t be able to catch him. It doesn’t matter if he comes or not, as long as he’s alive and well.” Zuo Chen leaned against the corner of the wall, chewing slowly while looking out the window, a hint of concern in his eyes. Suddenly, a flash of orange appeared in front of the reinforced steel window bars. A chubby, tiger-faced Orange Cat climbed in through the window, a bag of sausages still clenched in its mouth! “Li Jianguo!” Zuo Chen reached out, scooped the Orange Cat into his arms, and gave it a hearty rub. “Where’ve you been these past few days, you little rascal? I thought something had happened to you! Why’d you come back with food again? Did you eat any yourself?” “Meow—” The Orange Cat let out a meow, pushed Zuo Chen away with its paws in a show of disdain, then jumped to the floor and kicked the bag of sausages toward the two of them, looking as if it were a benefactor bestowing charity on beggars. This Orange Cat had accidentally wandered into their cell a few months ago. At the time, it was covered in wounds and starving to the point of death. Zuo Chen and Li Zhe fed the cat their entire day’s rations and nursed it back to health over the course of several weeks. They even named the cat after a roommate who had passed away: Li Jianguo. Once Li Jianguo had recovered from his injuries, he began repaying their kindness. Every few days, he would venture out and return with food he’d found somewhere. It was entirely thanks to these provisions that the two of them had survived this long; otherwise, living on energy bars day in and day out, they would have died of malnutrition long ago. The two teenagers were used to it by now. First, they carefully unwrapped the packaging, then took a deep breath of the sausage’s aroma, practically intoxicated by it, before each took two sausages and nibbled at them in small bites, as if they were some kind of delicacy. Before the apocalypse, this was nothing more than the most ordinary food, but now it was a supreme delicacy. Only after finishing them did the two regain their strength. They slowly stood up, leaning against the wall, and peered outside through the window bars made of welded rebar. The sun was shining brightly, yet it was a living hell. On the streets, which resembled ruins, hordes of zombies staggered aimlessly, blood dripping from their mouths onto the ground. After years of exposure to the elements, the zombies’ clothes had become tattered and torn; one could even see layers of fat peeking through their torn muscles. This was what the world had become. Three years ago, when the biohazard crisis broke out, they had hidden in the gymnasium at Yancheng University for a year. When their food ran out, they fled—only to be captured and brought to this biological research institute, which operated under the guise of coastal research, where they’d been locked up for two years. All their companions had already been taken away for experiments; only they remained. Just then, the sound of rhythmic footsteps echoed down the hallway outside the cell. Li Jianguo immediately jumped up and hid behind the door. “Clang—” The cell door burst open, and several men in white lab coats and gas masks strode in. Without a word, they grabbed Zuo Chen and dragged him out. “Is someone in your family dead, and you’re in a hurry to attend the funeral?” Zuo Chen offered no resistance, replying with sarcasm. “Zhe, I’m leaving. Take good care of Jianguo.” “Fuck you all! Let go of Chenzi! If you’ve got the guts, take me with you!” Li Zhe suddenly exploded, charging toward the men in white lab coats. But he’d barely taken two steps when one of the men in white coats immediately pulled out a stun gun and jolted him hard across the body. Li Zhe let out a bloodcurdling scream, collapsed in convulsions, and could only watch in bitter resignation as Zuo Chen was dragged away and the cell’s iron door slammed shut once more. Zuo Chen’s face was ashen; his teeth clenched tightly as he was pinned down on a bed by several men in white lab coats, his hands and feet bound, and pushed toward the other end of the hallway. The people who had captured them were staff from this biological research institute. For over a year, they had watched helplessly as more than a dozen of their original companions were taken away one after another for experiments—never to return. Now, it was finally his turn. The stretcher creaked and groaned as Zuo Chen passed through several disinfection stations and a series of glass doors, eventually being wheeled into a room resembling an operating room. The room was filled with the smell of disinfectant and contained more than a dozen white examination beds covered with white sheets, through which the faint outlines of people could be made out. A middle-aged man who looked like a doctor, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, walked up to Zuo Chen with a warm smile. If it weren’t for the eerie chill of the place, one might almost mistake him for a skilled and ethical physician. “Young Zuo Chen, it’s good to see you again. You look quite well these past few days.” “Not bad, not bad. I’ve recently been recognized as a relative, so I’m pretty happy,” Zuo Chen said with a smile, his eyes narrowed. This Song Tianqiao was the director of the research institute—the mastermind behind it all. “Recognized a relative?” Song Tianqiao raised an eyebrow. “What kind of relative?” “Your father appeared to me in a dream, saying he no longer wanted you, his unfilial son, and insisted you become my son. I couldn’t refuse such a generous offer, so you can start calling me ‘Dad’ now.” Zuo Chen continued to speak with a smile. Song Tianqiao narrowed his eyes, his face instantly turning ashen. Gone was his earlier refined demeanor; he said grimly, “Go ahead and show off your sharp tongue if you must—this is your last chance… I’ll start by throwing you a class reunion.” As he spoke, he suddenly ripped off the white sheets covering the other experimental beds in the room, revealing one after another of human-shaped masses of flesh—completely melted and rotting! Most of these human-shaped masses of flesh were severely contorted; in some cases, their features were still vaguely recognizable. They were undeniably corpses—clearly, they had endured extreme agony and struggle before dying! “Gangzi! Zhang Ya! Wang Chaolong! You guys… Song Tianqiao, you son of a bitch! You’ll die a horrible death! I’m going to tear you to pieces!” As he recognized their faces, Zuo Chen struggled frantically and let out a furious roar. These melted, rotting corpses were all his classmates! “That’s more like it. The greater the emotional turmoil in a test subject, the better the serum is absorbed.” Song Tianqiao lifted his chin, revealing a cruel, cold smile. “Put him in the test chamber.” Several lab coats nearby immediately picked up the tightly bound Zuo Chen and tossed him into a transparent test chamber nearby. The test chamber was filled with tubes, resembling a strange fish tank. “Director Song, I was rude earlier—please forgive me. Actually, I know a secret about Yancheng University: somewhere on campus, there’s a massive stockpile of food—enough to last you ten years! If you let me go, I’ll tell you…” Zuo Chen suddenly calmed down and spoke to Song Tianqiao with a sincere expression. “Food… where is it?” Song Tianqiao narrowed his eyes. The research institute had already severed its supply line with the Jicheng Base and hadn’t received any resupply in a long time; the institute’s food reserves would only last two months. Zuo Chen’s words were very tempting to him. Zuo Chen glanced around frantically and said, “This is too important. I can only tell you in private. Lean in closer, and I’ll whisper it to you.” Song Tianqiao looked at Zuo Chen, who was already tied up like a crab, and, suspecting nothing, leaned in to listen. But before he could make out what Zuo Chen was saying, he felt a searing pain in his left ear—the teenager had actually bitten down on it with all his might! “Aaah—” Song Tianqiao let out a blood-curdling scream—half his ear had already been torn off! With his mouth full of blood, Zuo Chen chewed fiercely on the half-ear in his mouth and said in a chilling, hellish voice, “Song Tianqiao, I’ll be waiting for you down there!” There was no stockpiling of food—he had long since resolved to die! “Aaah—Start the experiment! Start the experiment! Inject him with every single virus! I’ll make him wish he were dead!” Song Tianqiao’s face was contorted with rage, veins bulging as he clutched his mangled ear and screamed frantically, his fingers frantically pressing the buttons on the lab bench. Dozens of sharp needles shot out from the four walls of the test chamber, instantly piercing Zuo Chen’s body from all directions, as streams of liquid—some black, some red, and some dark green—were instantly injected into his body! It felt as if countless ants were scrambling inside him, as if red-hot needles were sliding beneath his skin, and as if molten iron were being poured into his bones—a pain intense enough to drive anyone mad instantly overwhelmed Zuo Chen! Zuo Chen let out a muffled groan but clenched his teeth desperately, refusing to make a single sound. With death imminent, he couldn’t let that bastard gloat! With a “crack,” he actually crushed several of his own teeth. “Hahahaha! So you’re all talk, huh? Let’s see how long you can hold out! Keep injecting! Inject the compound we extracted just a few days ago!” Zuo Chen’s features now looked as if they were molded from wax; they began to melt at a visible pace. First, his lips and eyelids turned into a sludge-like liquid that dripped down, exposing his deathly white gums and eyeballs. Then, with a plop, his eyeballs fell out of their sockets, and a gurgling sound emanated from his throat. His skin melted away, exposing the muscles and blood vessels beneath. Immediately afterward, the muscles and blood vessels peeled away from his bones, turning into a pool of deep red liquid. Then, his once-hard bones—as if made of gelatin—also liquefied. In just a few minutes, what had once been a living, breathing person had turned into a pool of red gel! This pool of liquid churned ceaselessly within the test chamber like boiling lava, emitting wisp after wisp of white steam. “Failure,” Song Tianqiao snorted coldly, his voice becoming icy and devoid of any emotion. “Record: Test Subject No. 1379. Virus type injected: Virus No. 1, Si Virus, Turing Virus…” Just then, a deafening roar suddenly echoed from outside the research institute, like the simultaneous buzzing of countless bees ringing in everyone’s ears, instantly sending everyone reeling! “Bang! The laboratory windows were actually shattered to pieces by the shockwave! Immediately afterward, the screeching sound that people often hear in their nightmares echoed through the room—the roar of zombies! “Ah—they’re breaking in!” “They’re mutated zombies—the speedy kind! They’re too fast, too fast! Help—” “Roar—” “Gulp—” Waves of chaotic screams echoed from downstairs, and then the lab door burst open. A squad of heavily armed guards rushed in. The squad leader said to Song Tianqiao, “Mr. Song, a mutated zombie has breached our defenses and stormed into the research institute. Many people have already been infected. It’s no longer safe here—we must leave immediately!” “Meow!” Before Song Tianqiao could answer, a yellow blur flashed by—a plump Orange Cat, its face contorted with terror, burst in frantically, with a dozen or so zombies in white lab coats hot on its heels. Just minutes ago, they had been staff members at the research institute! That Orange Cat was none other than Li Jianguo. Its hind legs were covered in blood; it had clearly been bitten by a zombie. “Fire!” ordered the captain of the guards. Scorching bullets instantly pierced the zombies’ bodies, rending them with holes. However, aside from those who were shot directly in the head, several staff members were still being tackled to the ground and devoured frantically. In the blink of an eye, the laboratory had turned into a battlefield! In his panic, Li Jianguo stumbled and fell with a “thud” into the test chamber, whereupon his eyes began to glow with the grayish-white and gem-like red hues of the zombie virus! The bitten Orange Cat had already turned into a zombie and was gulping down that red liquid! That boiling red liquid seemed to come to life, completely engulfing the Orange Cat. Yet what was happening inside the test chamber went completely unnoticed; more and more zombies had already stormed in, and even a guard was bitten—he immediately shot himself. Song Tianqiao’s face darkened as he quickly made his way out through the laboratory’s back door under the protection of the guard captain, while the remaining staff were all held in place by the guards’ gun barrels, forming a human shield against the zombies. “Song Tianqiao, you’ll die a horrible death!” “You beast! Aaah—” “Roar—” Inside the research institute building, screams and roars intertwined, like a symphony that had opened the gates of hell. On the rooftop, the propeller of the sole remaining helicopter spun rapidly. Leaving behind dozens of surviving colleagues and hundreds—perhaps even thousands—of zombies, it soared into the sky with Song Tianqiao, the guard captain, and a handful of others on board. Song Tianqiao clutched a briefcase in his hand and watched the research institute building recede into the distance, his brow furrowed. Suddenly, a gaunt zombie—skin and bones, resembling a skeleton—appeared on the rooftop, staring at the departing helicopter and roaring frantically. Behind this zombie, dozens of ordinary zombies stood at attention like soldiers. Clearly, this skeletal zombie was the main force behind the assault on the research institute—a speed-type zombie that had mutated! “Evolution… interesting—truly fascinating…” Song Tianqiao’s lips curled into a sinister smile. “I can’t wait to begin the next experiment… Speed up—head to the Jicheng Base immediately.” Once the living who hadn’t had time to turn into zombies had been devoured, the chaos inside the research institute building quickly subsided. Some of the zombies left the area, while others continued to roam the building, which had become a ghostly wasteland, even gnawing the melted, deformed corpses in the laboratories clean. Once the zombies had departed, the laboratory fell silent, save for the Orange Cat in the test chamber—still enveloped in the red solution—which continued to swallow the liquid around it. The Sun rose and set; sunlight streamed in through the windows and then faded away. After an unknown amount of time, the red solution in the test chamber had completely vanished, and the Orange Cat’s body suddenly jerked as if it had been electrocuted! Spinning, falling—as if into a bottomless abyss. This perpetual descent seemed to have no end. Where… am I? What… just happened? Zuo Chen felt a splitting headache; every part of his body ached as if being pricked by needles. Fortunately, as he gradually came to, the pain quickly receded, as if a tide were ebbing from his body. He slowly opened his eyes and, through the transparent walls of the test chamber, saw a laboratory in utter disarray. Song Tianqiao and the researchers were nowhere to be seen. Overturned desks and chairs and shattered laboratory equipment littered the floor, and the test beds where the corpses had once been strapped down were now empty, leaving behind only pools of pus-stained blood. Two zombies were wandering aimlessly through the lab, clad in white lab coats stained with blood. “Zombies got in? Has this place become an infection site?” Zuo Chen’s heart sank. He held his breath, afraid the two zombies might spot him, and reached out to slowly push himself up. Wait a minute! When he reached out, what appeared were not his hands, but a pair of cat paws! A pair of soft, fluffy cat paws with orange fur and pink paw pads! Stunned, Zuo Chen instinctively wanted to shout “Holy shit,” but what slipped out instead was: “Meow, meow!”