Chapter 3: Blocking the Door

It’s over...

When they returned, they had deliberately locked the door, but it was useless.

The only barrier between the neighborhood and the outside world had been breached. The few residents inside were gripped by terror and took off running.

A dense horde of zombies trampled over the iron gate, roaring as they chased after them.

Three men quickly distanced themselves from two women, as if sharing a silent understanding.

At times like this, survival meant simply outrunning the others.

Suddenly, a scream rang out. One of the women twisted her ankle and fell hard to the ground. No one looked back; the others dashed through the unit’s entrance as the iron gate slammed shut behind them.

“Wait for me! Please, help me!” she screamed in desperation, crawling forward with frantic effort. “Don’t leave me behind!”

The zombies drew closer with every step, just a few paces away. From the surrounding buildings came anxious shouts.

“Get up quickly!”

“The zombies are right behind you, run!”

The woman finally managed to stand, hopping forward on one leg, but moments later she was knocked down again.

The curtains were pulled shut, obscuring the next scene.

Yet the open window still carried her agonizing screams, chillingly close.

The thick stench of blood nearly made the family retch.

Lin’s father’s face darkened. After a long silence, he said gravely, “No, I have to go check.”

Lin’s grandmother thought he meant to rescue her: “What? It’s so dangerous outside now. Don’t be reckless!”

But he shook his head. “I’m going to barricade the unit door. If the zombies break through, our front door won’t hold for long.”

The neighborhood was crawling with zombies; only their own steel security door separated them from certain death, offering no real comfort.

Though the unit door was locked, Lin’s father wanted to ensure no one else could open it.

Their building had eight floors, with two households per floor and fifteen families in total. Who knew which ones still had people inside today?

The neighborhood was beyond help, but at least the building itself shouldn’t harbor zombies.

Lin Wanmei never expected her kindly, altruistic father—who always loved helping others—to think this way.

She had imagined that if the apocalypse came, her father, bolstered by protective talismans, would become a saintly savior, determined to rescue everyone.

Putting that thought aside, she immediately volunteered, “Dad, I’ll come with you!”

Lin’s father instinctively wanted to refuse, but recalling his daughter’s earlier composure, he realized her mental strength against zombies might surpass that of his wife.

“Alright then, stay behind me, and if anything goes wrong, run immediately.”

Wanmei nodded and, as her father fetched tools, she urged her mother and grandmother, “Mom, Grandma, quickly contact any relatives or friends you can reach. Tell them to stock up on food and water and hide quietly. Don’t make any noise. If you encounter zombies, destroy their brains. And don’t use your phones.”

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