Chapter 6
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Those few words caused a torrent of ideas to flash through Si Nan’s head but he kept his expression calm and neutral.
“Oh?” His tone had just the appropriate amount of curiosity.
Zhou Rong seemed satisfied with his expression of interest.
“In that ‘hostage situation’ round, there were three roles for participants: kidnapper, rival opponent, and hostage. The kidnappers all wear the same thing, the rival opponent wears a bullet proof vest with a positioning device, and the hostage has nothing. At half-time, I’d already saved two hostages and all I had to do was get them through the forest to win. That’s when I met that Omega.”
Si Nan understood and nodded.
“It wasn’t like you’re imagining it. At the time he was filthy, just covered with dirt and sweat. Couldn’t tell if he was good looking or not. But he was really pitiful and he would cling to me and go wherever I went. At night, he had to hug my arm to be able to go to sleep…”
Si Nan took stock of Zhou Rong’s bare arms. They were well defined. Si Nan understood and nodded.
”… Why do I get the sense you’re thinking of something filthy?”
“Not at all. And then?”
With no solid evidence as to the filthiness of Si Nan’s thoughts, Zhou Rong had to drop the matter.
“And then? Well, I had three hostages to take through the forest. When food was scarce, I’d give food first to the kid. When there was trouble, I’d protect him first. I didn’t let him light any fires, or put up any tents. And he always stayed close to me… You know how Omegas are, especially when they’re young.”
Zhou Rong took the cigarette from his mouth and extinguished it on the ground, his expression suddenly strange.
“Then on the last day, right when we were at the fringe of the forest, right before getting to camp, that night he…”
“Confessed his love for you?” asked Si Nan.
There was a moment of silence before Zhou Rong said gloomily, “No.
“He knocked me unconscious, tied me up. Then to show his gratitude, he took my gun and equipment and my hostages. It was only the next day when the organisers came to save me when I found out he wasn’t a hostage. He was actually a rival opponent sent by A Country…
“The wide margin I’d worked so hard for evaporated. Until today, I still don’t know how an Omega could be so cunning!”
Zhou Rong clasped his fist with his other hand and buried his head into the crook of his arm.
“Ah… You’re really tragic, Rong-ge… Why didn’t you know he was the opponent?” Si Nan had to use all the strength he could muster to control his tone as he said this.
“Because after entering the forest, the first thing he did was throw away all his equipment, drink all his water, eat all his suppies, bury his gun. As for the positioning device, it had to stay with him at all times, those were the rules, so do you know what he did with it?”
Si Nan shook his head.
“He swallowed it.” Zhou Rong grit his teeth. “At the end, he had to have a surgery to take it out!”
…Your absurd competition sure is exciting, Si Nan thought honestly.
“What’s even worse is that kid already had a partner. After the competition, A Country sent people to get him and with my own eyes, I saw this damn Alpha bite him on the neck,” Zhou Rong grumbled. “Is that a betrayal of my feelings or what?”
Biting the nape of an Omega’s neck pierces a special gland there which causes a mark to appear on the skin. This mark usually lasts for about three to four weeks before the body’s normal blood circulation metabolises it away. This marking prevents the emission of pheromones and acts as a way for an Alpha to mark their territory.
This mark also acts as the proof of an agreed temporary partnership, though this is not scientifically proven and is merely social convention.
An Alpha using their pheromones in this way in fact can reduce an Omega’s innately high fear level.
Si Nan was not sure why, but when he imagined this situation at the competition, he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable, almost as though he could feel that Zhou Rong didn’t know the whole story. But Si Nan thought it best to not say anything. “Yeah, Rong-ge, you’re right.”
“So now you know why you shouldn’t find an Omega partner, right? Don’t think that just because they show you their softer side that they mean anything by it. A Beta like you would have nothing left after getting tricked by them.” Zhou Rong got out his box of cigarettes, paused, then put them back again and instead picked up the fever medicine box. He pulled out two pieces and gave them to Si Nan.
“I’m done chatting. Sleep. If by tomorrow you’re temperature is done, then that means you’re definitely not infected. If not, then Ge will shoot you.”
Si Nan Leaned against the wall with his head on a pillow Zhou Rong had made from his own clothes. The door was slightly adjar and in the weak light Si Nan saw that the medicine box was half covered with the black marks of blood.
“…Thank you,” he said. He paused, then smiled. “I’ll take your advice… and won’t find an Omega.”
Zhou Rong patted him on the head.
Just then came two knocks from the door. Zhou Rong got up and opened it further. It was Chun Cao. “We’re working on an escape route for tomorrow, Rong-ge,” she said. “In case tomorrow the helicopter can’t…”
Zhou Rong made a gesture with his hand and she stopped.
“Tell Yingjie to bring his gun and guard here. Don’t let those guys from today get near here.”
The door quietly closed. Si Nan shut his eyes and listened as Zhou Rong’s footsteps slowly moved away.
The next day.
The doctor lowered the thermometre. “Thirty-seven point three,” he said with amazement.
Zhou Rong nodded and thanked him courteously, though everyone knew that what he really wanted to say was ‘you idiot’.
After the doctor left, Zhou Rong used a toe to prod Si Nan to tell him that since his fever has stopped he should stop pretending to be on the verge of death, no one believes you so you better get up and get to work. Then he turned and clapped then said in a loud voice, “Good! Everyone up! Prepare your equipment and get to moving the supplies and clearing the lower floors! Prepare for rescue!”
Si Nan, still sluggish and with a seaweed and meatfloss bun in his mouth, stepped out of his isolation room. Outside, in the corridor he saw that Yan Hao was sitting awkwardly on the ground, his newly returned gun in his hands. Hearing the door open, he raised his head and gave Si Nan a warm smile.
Si Nan stopped.
Yan Hao stood then stiffly turned and walked away.
As a monster who needs no rest, Zhou Rong spent time before lunch drawing out a retreat route, then organised the survivors into fourteen groups, got them up onto the roof one by one, then cleaned up some wandering zombies and got the team to do another patrol.
At half past three, as he ordered Yan Hao to make sure the roof was clear, the rumble of a helicoptor echoed around.
“It’s come!” Yan Hao yelled into his walkietalkie as he waved to the helicoptor. “Copter prepare for landing! First group can start coming up!”
Blubbering with both joy and fear, the first group crawled up to the rooftop, aided by the squad. The pilot opened the door. “Pack in from the front. Don’t stay near the tail. Quick, quick, quick! Don’t push, come one by one!” he shouted, fighting to be heard over the wind.
“There’s not enough room!” he then yelled to Zhou Rong. “I’ll send one lot first then come back!”
Zhou Rong waved an acknowledgement then found an opportunity in the chaos to push Si Nan into the back of the line. He slipped him a still warm dagger and an apple of unknown origin.
“Go!” Zhou Rong said into Si Nan’s ear, pointing to the helicopter. “Quick! Go!”
“Hey!” said an angry voice nearby. “You said women and children first, men go in the next batch!”
Zhou Rong ignored them and instead pushed Si Nan forward.
“That’s going too far! What’s your name? I’m going to report you to your superior officers!”
“Zhou Rong!” Zhou Rong roared. “Go on! Go complain!” He continued to push Si Nan forward.
“We’re full! Don’t come up!” shouted the pilot in the chaos of shouting voices. He shut the doors, squeezing a few youngsters in the process, then lifted off the roof and rotated to head north.
A great wail went up and Zhou Rong soundlessly cursed. He sat down on the ground, utterly exhausted.
Si Nan took a bite of his apple then casually held it out to Zhou Rong. “Half half?”
Zhou Rong unhappily took it from him and took a large chomp.
The pair of them sat by the railing and passed the apple between them, each taking a bite of the precious apple. When it was done, Zhou Rong got up again and went to bring order to the chaos and sort out the groupings again.
The mood among the survivors was tense with the loss of yet another glimpse of hope disappearing before their eyes, yet another abandonment. Despair and frustration moved through the crowd and the squad found themselves short handed to the point of asking help from the medical staff to help keep order.
“What’s up with them?” Zhou Rong asked, his brows furrowed.
At one corner of the rooftop three nurses crouched, clearly feeling unwell. Their faces were pale and their eyes had dark bags.
“Too much work,” the doctor explained. “Every day’s been a constant cycle of quarantining and disinfecting. Sleepless nights. And then when you people clear out the zombies, no one’s willing to help move the bodies, so they have to do that too…”
The doctor looked far from happy. Zhou Rong carefully observed the nurses a moment then asked, “Their temperatures all normal?”
“We already checked. None of them have any wounds!” the doctor said unhappily.
“Sorry,” Zhou Rong apologised. “When help comes, your team will be the first on it.”
The doctor relaxed.
After eating the apple, Si Nan didn’t have much to do. His fever had abaited though his body still felt stiff and sore. It wasn’t too bad but it made him not want to move about too much. He leaned against the railing and looked out over the burning city. After a while, he took the locket out from around his neck and flicked it open.
“Your parents?” someone asked behind him.
Si Nan looked and saw that it was Yan Hao.
“Your parents are…” Yan Hao meant to say ‘good looking’ then thought that didn’t’ sound dignified enough. “Obviously refined,” he ended up saying.
Si Nan laughed. “Pity they didn’t pass it on to me,” he said casually.
“Ah, that’s something that has to be learned,” Yan Hao replied. “Are you mixed? I always thought you were T City special forces.”
Si Nan said nothing.
Yan Hao glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. Si Nan really didn’t have a refined or delicate feel to him. Rather, he seemed much more like some crackpot soldier, some nimble mercenary, both shrewd and unwavering.
And after getting to know him a bit more, Yan Hao found that there was some kind of other quality to Si Nan, something ineffiable and hard to describe in his every movement, something different from himself, Chun Cao or even Zhou Rong.
Yan Hao thought a moment, then decided to change the subject. “What’d you and the Captain chat about last night?”
“‘The Sorrows of Young Werther’” said Si Nan rather cruelly.
“Ah, the Special Forces Competition where he was beaten by that Omega.”
… What a weird guy. He actually told his whole squad.
“He must have told you that that Omega tied him up to a tree, apologised, then ran off with his gun and hostages, right?” Yan Hao confidently went on: “But as for the bit after about sending flowers and confessing…”
“Flowers? Confessing?”
Yan Hao looked around and saw that Zhou Rong was still in the middle of the crowd still trying to explain to the crowd why the medical staff should be the first on the next lift.
“The reason why Captain Zhou remembers this incident after so many years is because after that Omega strung him up to a tree, to apologise to him, he gave Zhou Rong a kiss.”
Si Nan: ”…”
“That was the first and last time Zhou Rong’s been close enough to touch an Omega in his life,” Yan Hao chuckled, then continued. “So, if he told you he went to find that kid after the tournament to settle accounts, he’s lying… What he really did was buy some flowers and go to confess, and then discover that the guy already had an Alpha partner.”
Si Nan sighed shook his head. “…Truly tragic.”
“Too true.”
From some distance came a rumbling, chopping sound. The two helicopters had returned.
“Line up, line up! Quick, quick, quick!”
The crowd yelled and shouted. The pilot grabbed a loudspeaker. “Medical team! Where is the medical team!?”
The nurses were brought to the front of the crowd. Their faces were sallow and they struggled to even step up into the cabin.
From a distance Zhou Rong watched. He didn’t know why, but he felt that something was wrong. But at that moment, the situation was too chaotic to the point that a few people came close to having their noses shaved off by the rotating blade on the tail.
“Too full! Too full!” The pilot yelled through the loudspeaker. “Take the next tone!”
The pilot gestured to Zhou Rong, shut the door with a boom, then slowly took off again.
Zhou Rong’s eyes followed the helicopter as it rose. Suddenly dread grasped at his heart.
The blades cut through the air rhythmically and the world seemed to slow to a standstill.
Zhou Rong automatically turned, looked through the crowd, then met Si Nan’s wide eyed gaze.
The next moment, that void was filled by a silent death knell. Zhou Rong started to run, “Get back! Everyone get back!”
The helicopter spiralled down, black smoke billowing bigger and bigger, crashing into the other helicopter.
Boom!
The blast threw everyone back and off the roof. Yan Hao flew past the railing and tried to grab for it. A hand grabbed his wrist in a death hold. It was Si Nan.
“Climb up!” Si Nan yelled.
Yan Hao gasped for air and tried to clamber up. He used the window frame below to push himself up but just as he got high enough to look back onto the roof, he suddenly stopped. “No! Don’t worry about me! Quickly run!”
Si Nan was leaning fully over the railing in an effort to hold Yan Hao, but he still did his best to look back.
Behind him the carcass of the burning helicopter lay with its doors open and fire spewing out. Countless people rushed out through the flames, yelling, screaming, their bodies covered in soot and ash. Behind them, yet more people stumbled. These people stumbled then reached for the nearest survivor and savagely bit their neck.
Someone on the helicopter had been infected.
And here now, before their very eyes, was the beginning of another outbreak.