A person lacking warm clothing and food, having lost his gun, with an unclear mind and alone in a city center with millions of zombies – how long could he survive until the next morning? The answer, like the black clouds in the current night, was heavily pressing on everyone’s heart. Both helicopters had turned on their searchlights, yet all calls were like stones thrown into a stormy sea, instantly disappearing in the zombie-gathered huge waves.
The helicopters flew along streets and alleys, low over the top of every building, but no miracle appeared. That familiar slender and agile figure had truly disappeared without a trace, just as suddenly as he had appeared, as if helpless yet already destined.
Brother Rong…” Ding Shi’s voice trembled: “We have limited fuel, and we still need to fly to the South China Sea, I’m afraid…”
The fuel was running low.
In the focus of everyone’s gaze, Zhou Rong sat behind the cockpit. The man’s handsome and gloomy side profile, from his forehead to his taut thin lips, was outlined with a shocking sharp silhouette in the shadow behind the searchlight.
“When I left,” he suddenly spoke without warning: “I told him, wait for me to come pick you up.”
—Despite the seemingly calm tone, Ding Shi was overwhelmed by the horrifying power in those words that he dared not respond.
“He really waited.’
When he saw me at the construction site, he smiled and waved to me from far away.”
“But I couldn’t pick him up as promised.”
“…Brother Rong,” Ding Shi choked: “This isn’t anyone’s fault, this…”
“He wanted to go with me. I shouldn’t have reached for the gun; he was so scared that I scared him away.”
Zhou Rong closed his eyes. Besides the helicopter’s roar, the cabin was frighteningly quiet.
A moment later, he removed a shiny object tied to a rope from his neck, which Ding Shi recognized as the chip containing all virus research data downloaded from the B Military Area.
Zhou Rong held the chip, then suddenly pointed below: “What’s on that rooftop? Let’s get closer and look.”
Ding Shi maneuvered the helicopter to lower altitude, the searchlight scanning the building’s roof: “Nothing, target area about two hundred square meters… Brother Rong?!”
