Ch 104: Opening a Survival School Before the Zombie Outbreak

At the Shen family home.

All five members of the Shen family, including Shen Mingjiang, who was still so weak that he needed help just to stand, gathered blankly in front of the television.

The official press conference livestream had already ended, followed immediately by news coverage on Huaguo’s national channel, still focused on the suddenly emerging virus.

“So… what exactly is going on outside? What virus? I don’t understand any of it,” Zang Lijun said uneasily. “This isn’t just the flu, right?”

The Shen family’s village was extremely remote, with only a few people coming and going each day. The virus had not reached there at all. Even though the outside world had already descended into chaos, they felt little sense of urgency.

The official briefing had used restrained and formal language. To avoid panic, its focus, beyond stating facts, remained on reassuring and encouraging the public to face the disaster together. Naturally, it never mentioned anything like a “zombie” virus. After listening to a stream of technical terminology, the Shen family remained thoroughly confused.

They only sensed, from footage of the military being deployed, that something unusual must be happening outside.

Although online platforms had briefly been flooded with real videos filmed by netizens earlier, once the authorities spoke, departments responsible for monitoring public opinion intervened. Those bloody videos were gradually removed, and people spreading rumors or deliberately inciting fear were warned or banned.

From a broader perspective, this approach was not wrong. Limiting uncontrolled information ensured the authority and unity of official messaging and helped maintain social stability. At least this time, society would not descend into chaos so quickly.

But on the other hand, people living in remote areas like the Shen family lost access to understanding the true horror of the zombies.

Grandma Shen said, “They said infected people bite others… that sounds like some kind of severe rabies, doesn’t it?”

In the village, rabies was basically synonymous with madness. To her, the situation seemed similar.

Grandpa Shen waved it off. “I’ve seen people get sick after being bitten by rabid dogs. It wasn’t that scary. They couldn’t stand light or water, and they died after a few days.”

“That’s good, that’s good.” Zang Lijun sighed in relief, then frowned again. “But they mentioned restricting movement. Does that mean planes and high-speed trains won’t run now? Qingqing, what about your school?”

Leaning back in his chair, Shen Mingjiang fell silent for a moment. If not for driving him to the hospital earlier, Shen Qingqing would not have stayed home. Now that things were delayed, no one knew when she could return to school.

“I’m already much better now and don’t need anyone watching me,” Shen Mingjiang said. “How about I ask Uncle Zhao to help drive you into the city? We can check whether buses are still running. If they are, you should leave quickly while things haven’t gotten chaotic yet.”

Although Shen Qingqing could drive, she had a lot of luggage, and someone would still need to return the car afterward, so she needed someone to take her.

Shen Mingjiang continued persuading her. “Maybe buses haven’t stopped yet. No matter what, it’s better to go check.”

Hearing this, Shen Qingqing could not help sighing inwardly.

Just watching the broadcast, without witnessing zombies attacking people firsthand, really made it impossible to imagine how serious the situation truly was.

In her family’s minds, even if things were chaotic, that was something happening in big cities, far removed from them.

Dealing with a sudden virus outbreak was the nation’s responsibility. Children still had to attend school as usual.

Missing classes simply would not do.

That was the genuine thinking of many people, including the Shen family.

Even workers were worrying about losing their jobs if they could not go out, never imagining that stepping outside might cost them not just employment but their lives.

Then again, Shen Qingqing admitted to herself that without prior warning, she probably would not have grasped the severity either, nor realized that almost no place in the world was truly safe anymore.

She understood their thinking. Though helpless inside, she deliberately put on a stern expression, even slightly angry.

“Didn’t you hear what the official spokesperson said? There are infected people on the streets now. When they go mad, they can bite people to death!”

“Which is more important, school or your life?”

Shen Mingjiang froze. He truly had not imagined things were that serious.

Zang Lijun, cautious and timid by nature, had already felt uneasy just seeing the government hold a special briefing about the virus. Translated on Hololo novels. Hearing this, she quickly agreed. “Qingqing’s right. Contact your school and see what they say. In this situation, you probably don’t need to go back, right?”

Shen Qingqing’s wrist device had been lighting up constantly. Song Rushuang and Zhang Han knew her home was remote and that she might not receive information promptly, so since the outbreak began they had been regularly sending her updates.

She was the only member of Dorm 1111 who had not yet returned to campus. The three of them knew they worried about one another, so exchanging messages also served as reassurance.

There was also the student forum, where someone had opened an information thread compiling updates since the outbreak began. It had already grown to thousands of posts.

So although Shen Qingqing appeared to be simply watching television with her family, she actually understood everything happening outside.

After being scolded, Shen Mingjiang stopped persuading her, saying awkwardly, “Then forget it. Uncle Zhao should be back soon anyway. Maybe he’ll know what’s happening in the city. We can just ask him.”

Shen Qingqing’s heart skipped a beat.

She suddenly thought of several men in the village who often went to the county city for temporary work.

Uncle Zhao, and his son Zhao Hailin, were among them. Before Shen Mingjiang fell ill, he had gone with them as well.

Sometimes they stayed overnight in the city, sometimes they drove back the same day. It varied, but Shen Mingjiang likely knew their schedule.

He had said they would return today. Judging by the sky, the timing was about right.

Shen Qingqing stood up and headed outside. Passing the doorway, she picked up a firewood machete she had sharpened earlier and tucked it into her waistband.

“Qingqing, where are you going?” Zang Lijun called in confusion.

Before she could answer, someone came running into the courtyard entrance, panting heavily. Seeing them, he hurriedly said, “Everyone from the Shen family is here, right? Did you see the news broadcast just now?”

“The village chief is calling a meeting. Everyone has to attend. Things are chaotic outside, and the government has issued policies. We need to discuss what to do next.”

Zang Lijun came out as well and quickly agreed, returning inside with Grandma Shen to help Shen Mingjiang up.

But Shen Mingjiang waved them off and pushed himself upright using the table. “I’ve rested for days already. I’m fine. Stop making a fuss. Let’s go.”

The family of five hurried to the village center, a cement-paved square where children usually played and villagers sometimes dried crops. Whenever something important happened, everyone gathered there for meetings.

Many villagers were already present. Some looked nervous, but more, like Shen Mingjiang, seemed unconcerned.

There was no helping it. Their village was simply too small. Development rarely reached them, and likewise, whatever viruses were spreading outside rarely made their way here. Even when higher authorities issued policies, they were seldom effectively enforced in this place.

This time was no different. No one believed their village would be drawn into the crisis. Toward the aggressive virus spreading elsewhere, most people treated it as distant news, something to watch rather than fear.

Some villagers shared short videos they had seen a few hours earlier, describing scenes of people being attacked. Listeners clicked their tongues and shrank their necks uneasily, but the overall atmosphere still could not be called tense.

The village chief stood at the front, counting heads. “Are Zhao Yongxiang and the others still not back?”

People below answered all at once.

“They should be on their way.”

“Yeah, judging by the time, they usually come back around now.”

Someone also noticed that Zhao Hailin was standing among the crowd instead of going out to work with his father.

Several middle-aged women exchanged looks and nudged one another, smirks appearing on their faces.

Every summer, Zhao Hailin made excuses about feeling unwell to avoid work. His jobs were temporary labor that required arriving early to compete for positions, but he could never wake up in time. By the time it was his turn, the easier or better-paying work was already taken, giving him another excuse to claim illness or fatigue and stay home. After working a few days, he would always return to rest again.

Yet his parents doted on him, allowing him to stay home while they themselves worked tirelessly from dawn to dusk.

Even after getting married this year, Zhao Hailin had not become more responsible. Instead, he grew lazier. Recently, under Shen Qingqing’s influence, villagers had begun tending vegetable plots again. When his wife wanted to join, Zhao Hailin had actually yelled at her.

After that incident spread through the village, many people began looking down on him.

Since the wild boar incident earlier in the year, Aunt Li and the others felt they could finally see Zhao Hailin’s true nature clearly.

Looking back, they even wondered whether they had once been blinded by foolishness. Otherwise, how could they ever have thought such a lazy, slick-tongued man reliable?

The village chief said, “Then we won’t wait for them. Each family can pass the message along later…”

Before he finished speaking, someone suddenly pointed toward the road in the distance. “Is that them?”

“Well, speak of the devil. Perfect timing.”

The square connected to the village’s so-called “main road,” the only properly paved path. A minivan was driving straight toward them along it.

Everyone craned their necks to watch, but soon something felt wrong.

“Why is that car driving like that?”

“Why isn’t it slowing down…?”

“Hey! Stop the car or you’ll crash!”

The minivan swerved wildly as it approached, nearly veering into a ditch several times. When it finally neared the square, instead of slowing, it suddenly surged forward as if someone had slammed down the accelerator.

The villagers scattered in panic, clearing a wide space just as the vehicle lost control and slammed violently into the earthen wall at the edge of the square. Dust exploded into the air, obscuring the view inside.

The villagers had never witnessed anything like this. They stood frozen in shock until Aunt Zhao suddenly realized her husband was inside and screamed, “Old Zhao!” before rushing forward.

But someone moved faster.

Shen Qingqing reached the driver’s side first. After only a quick glance inside, her brows tightened, and she turned sharply toward Aunt Zhao.

“Don’t come over!”

Startled, Aunt Zhao halted mid-step. The next moment, Shen Qingqing clenched her fist and smashed her elbow into the side window of the driver’s seat, shattering the glass in one decisive blow.

The onlookers were stunned by her decisiveness. Some covered their mouths; others checked anxiously whether her arm had been cut, only to realize that despite the heat, she was wearing a jacket.

The door was locked from inside. Avoiding the broken glass, Shen Qingqing reached in, unlocked it, opened the door, and unfastened the seatbelt.

Then, before everyone’s eyes, she dragged a middle-aged man covered in blood and already unconscious out of the driver’s seat.

An uproar broke out. Those nearby gasped loudly. Before Aunt Zhao even saw the man’s face clearly, her legs gave out and she collapsed, caught just in time by her daughter-in-law.

The young woman glanced over and recognized Zhao Yongxiang. Panic immediately overtook her, and she did not know what to do.

“He must’ve hit his head when the car crashed. Call an ambulance!”

“It’ll take too long for an ambulance! There’s too much blood. He won’t make it if we wait. Where’s Hailin? Have him drive his father to the hospital!”

Zhao Hailin, who had been panicking nearby, finally reacted when urged forward and hurried closer, only to be stopped cold by a single look from Shen Qingqing.

That look sent a chill through him, reminding him of the winter night when they hunted the wild boar.

For a fleeting moment, he felt the same pressure radiating from her again, though back then he had thought it an illusion.

Shen Qingqing checked Uncle Zhao’s pulse, then shook her head and said quietly, “It’s too late.”

An uproar followed.

Zhao Yongxiang had driven these village roads hundreds of times. Who could have imagined he would lose control and die by crashing into a dirt wall in his own village?

What kind of death was that?

Aunt Zhao fainted instantly. The young daughter-in-law’s eyes reddened, while Zhao Hailin stood stunned as if struck over the head. Translated on Hololo novels. Several elderly villagers finally organized people to carry Zhao Yongxiang’s body away from the vehicle to an open space nearby.

Shen Qingqing let them move the body. She glanced once more at Zhao Yongxiang. She had already confirmed he was dead, not merely unconscious or entering a latent stage that might turn him into a zombie.

After witnessing so much death over the past year, she did not dwell on his body. Instead, her attention quickly shifted to the seemingly quiet minivan before her.

But to the onlookers, her behavior inevitably seemed cold and heartless. The way they looked at Shen Qingqing began to change.

Previously, their impression of her had always been that she kept to herself and rarely interacted with villagers. Most had assumed she was simply shy, and besides, they thought it normal for a girl to be somewhat introverted.

Some people had noticed the pride hidden beneath her quietness, yet even they now felt she was being excessively indifferent.

After all, a human life had just been lost.

Shen Qingqing knew nothing of their thoughts and did not care.

Her entire focus was fixed on the minivan, her body subtly shifting into a combat stance.

The windows were covered with privacy film, but she could still make out several silhouettes inside.

The sudden acceleration earlier had likely happened because Uncle Zhao’s corpse had collapsed onto the accelerator. He had already died before that moment.

Although the crash had created new wounds, with fresh blood covering the older injuries, Shen Qingqing could still see at a glance that his neck bore a torn wound. That was probably the fatal injury.

Uncle Zhao and the others always traveled together for work. There should have been at least three or four people in the vehicle.

Others realized this as well, especially those whose family members had gone out to work with them. Driven by worry, someone hurried forward to open the door. Just as her hand neared the handle, the vehicle suddenly shook, and a deep, beast-like growl sounded from inside.

The woman froze, unease creeping into her expression.

Shen Qingqing glanced at her. “I’ll open it.”

Keeping the door closed was pointless. Only by seeing the zombies with their own eyes would they understand the terror.

From her earlier glance, the zombies in the back seat had been moving, meaning they were still active, yet unable to make large movements. Most likely they were restrained by seatbelts. Opening the door would not pose immediate danger.

When driving in mountainous areas, even drivers sometimes neglected seatbelts, yet everyone in this vehicle had fastened theirs. Shen Qingqing strongly suspected they had encountered zombies in the county town. Someone in the car was probably already injured. In their rush to escape and return home to treat the wounded, they had driven too fast and buckled up as a precaution.

Unfortunately, that injured person had likely transformed along the way, attacked the others, and caused Uncle Zhao, who was driving, to have his throat slashed by zombie claws.

In barely two seconds, Shen Qingqing reconstructed the sequence of events. Without pausing, she pulled the door open.

The sight inside made everyone gasp.

Four men with grayish-blue complexions were strapped neatly into the rear seats.

Sensing the living humans gathered outside, their bloodthirsty instincts surged. They struggled violently, but the seatbelts held them firmly in place. As they kicked and thrashed, some struck the windows hard enough to fracture their own bones. Others clawed at nearby bodies, tearing off nails while strips of fresh flesh hung from their fingertips, flailing through the air.

Blood smeared everything. The windows, seats, interior walls, even the floor and ceiling were coated in thick, splattered crimson. When the door opened, a heavy stench of blood rushed outward.

No one could imagine how they had driven all the way back like this, nor what they had endured before dying.

The horrifying scene made everyone’s scalp prickle.

From the mutilated faces, some villagers recognized their own relatives and immediately screamed in terror.

Even the village chief turned pale. Standing atop a waist-high platform built by villagers, he had a clear view of everything. Watching the chaos among his people, the van full of zombies, and Zhao Yongxiang’s corpse lying on the ground, he found himself completely at a loss.

The sun was nearing sunset, its light no longer harsh, yet his head felt heavy and dizzy.

What were they supposed to do next?

And what should they do about the infected inside the vehicle?

Unlike many villagers who had dismissed the situation earlier, the village chief had taken the government’s warnings seriously. He had called everyone together precisely to warn them about the virus and advise them not to travel to the county town for the time being.

Because of that, recalling phrases like high aggressiveness and extreme infectivity only made him more uncertain.

Should they ask someone to deal with the zombies? But the zombies were currently restrained. If someone were bitten while trying to eliminate them, it would only create more freely moving infected.

Yet if they did nothing, could they simply leave them like this?

And even if they wanted someone to kill the zombies, who would do it? Everyone in the village knew one another. Asking someone to kill familiar elders or peers was not something anyone could easily do.

If someone actually carried it out, how would they continue living in the village afterward?

The village chief’s thoughts tangled into knots. When he spoke again, his throat was dry.

“Everyone, don’t panic. Stay calm, stay calm…”

No one listened.

His breathing grew heavier. Already advanced in age, he struck his chest lightly, trying to continue shouting.

At that moment, someone stepped into his peripheral vision.

A figure approached the platform, placed one hand on its edge, and vaulted up with effortless agility.

She brushed dust from her hands, took two steps forward, and stood beside him.

“Grandpa Village Chief, do you need help?” she asked.

“I’m not afraid of zombies, and I don’t mind being resented by their families. I can take responsibility for killing all the infected.”

Shen Qingqing spoke calmly, almost casually.

“You only need to agree to one condition. If you do, I can start right now.”

₊˚.🎧📓✩