[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-zombie-apocalypse-creation":3,"chapter-zombie-apocalypse-creation-zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-573":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Zombie Apocalypse: Creation",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1887529,2510,"Chapter 573: Story of A Refugee (9)","zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-573",573,"\u003Cp>The two of us immediately ran down the stairs, only to see all eight of our coworkers ahead of us going in the same direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time we all made it to the senior officer’s fancy barracks, we all froze as we heard a weird sound coming from inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More specifically, a woman’s moan followed by a man’s groan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We looked at each other for a second, standing still as no one wanted to be the one who interrupted someone’s business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zhaoxun, you’re the youngest here. You go in.\" The oldest soldier suggested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hell no.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite my attempt to argue back, everyone kept staring at me as if they had all reached a unanimous decision for me to go in already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as I gently knocked on the door, the sound inside instantly disappeared. The footstep gets closer and closer as my heart keeps pounding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the door opened, revealing a middle-aged man with only pants on. His head was full of sweat as if he had done some intense exercise inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s the issue?\" The senior officer asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There are zombies chasing a car that’s driving right towards us. We wanted to ask what we should do.\" I answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shit. You all go back to your barracks. I’ll go deal with it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly nodded, bringing the news back to the rest of my coworkers as we all headed back to our own barracks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the rest of the night, none of us could sleep at all. Even the ten people for the morning duty were woken up by the gunshots outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most people in the barracks’ faces were scared. I was the only one who was a little bumped out to be sidelined like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We were forced to sit it out, almost as if we were never a part of the army at all. No action, nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like a retired security guard sitting in front of a school, doing nothing all day and collecting a paycheck after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the year came to an end as more and more months flew by.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the New Year approached, I was stuck patrolling the wall while everyone else in the army was off to celebrate with their family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All twenty of us were assigned not just one section of the wall, but two. Our unit was stretched thin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the only relief we had was the fact that we no longer had to do night duty. Another unit had taken the job for us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We were also granted permission to leave the barracks between days. No longer do we have to stay at the barracks during off-duty time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite the few and far between due to work, my relationship with Jieqiong was only getting better and better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We finally had our first kiss together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I know it sounds crazy and slow as hell, considering we had slept on the same mattress together for an entire week.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the two of us were too shy at the time, and we didn’t know what to do next since neither of us had ever had a relationship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It really sounds absurd, but the only thing we ever did was hold hands together. Even back in the village, we never crossed any boundaries and slept in separate rooms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ahem, anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both of my parent were more than happy to see the two of us together, moving closer and closer towards an actual engagement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only one who seemed to be a little annoyed by it was my younger sister, who kept bugging me every chance she got when she saw us together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time the first Chinese New Year came since the outbreak, we had finally saved enough money to move into a house that wasn’t just made of metal sheets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A house that had one bedroom, one living room, and an actual bathroom. We no longer needed to go to the public bathhouses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On top of that, my mom could retire and take care of my younger sister full time, as Jieqiong’s and my salaries were enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Dad wanted to keep working. More money was better than having less money, and he just didn’t want to stay home and do nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything was going fantastically, almost as if the zombie outbreak was just a small note on our lives that we would quickly move past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing could possibly go wrong... until it all fell apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a cloudy, dark day as the sun set on the horizon. My partner and I were patrolling the wall as usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the roads were cleared as a convoy of army units alongside a few of the salvage group rolled out for their routine looting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey Zhaoxun, have you heard the rumor that the food prices are going to rise?\" My partner suddenly asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What you get that rumor from?\" I curiously asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My cousin. He works as an accountant in the government... He told me that I should better stock up on food soon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And for what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come on, we both know. Those salvage groups are starting to pay less and less share of the loot to the army.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I fell into silence. I didn’t know how to respond. But I knew he was right. The two of us had witnessed a large share going away into the savage groups’ own hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The food prices at the government store were slowly increasing, even though people’s wages were dropping, or straight up fired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s not our concern. I’m sure the government will figure out a way.\" I answered back with barely any confidence in my voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mhm. As if their growing attempt on a hilltop and overfishing will work. Those greedy pigs probably already made an inside deal for themselves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s not talk about that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we both walked down the patrol path, my parent spoke up once again, bringing me a shock that stunned me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m going to be real with you for a second, I’m going to leave this job.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Leave this job?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t believe what my partner was telling me. A man I had known for almost half a year was now leaving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah. I’m just going to leave Pingdingshan... It’s only a matter of time before this settlement collapses under its own weight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I remained silent. But my mind was starting agree with him. I had already witnessed a weird uptick of newer recruits with senior soldiers disappearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Anyway, you want to come with me? I have a few extra spots for you and your family.\" My partner offered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think I’m good. I’m just going to stay for now.\" I answered as a flashback to the house I just bought appeared in my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Very well. Good luck to you... Here, you can have the rest of my money. This was going to be my last day.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he handed me an entire stack of money, I was stunned. It was more than three times my salary right in my palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You sure you’re giving this to me?\" I nervously asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t have any other use for it, better for you to have it, my friend... Anyway, hope the next time we see each other isn’t on the battlefield.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused for a second, hesitating before giving me a hug.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Goodbye.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Separated, he turned around and began heading towards the staircase. I stood all alone at the wall, with no one near me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait! Where are you going?\" I asked out loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To Changsha first. And maybe to Luoping later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t say anything further as he disappeared from my sight. It was the last time I ever saw him in my life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t know how well he was doing now, but all I remember is what we all called him in the unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brother Qinren.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xiaoyun put down the newspaper onto the table, he couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear Zhaoxun’s friend was a spy for Renqin, or at least had a connection to him, considering how unique the two characters’ names are.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one would ever coincidentally use the same two uncommon letters as their name and then switch the order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention, the destination is Luoping. That name had no reason to be that far up north in Henan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least based on the timeline of the story. Guangzhou would have been more of a random, normal big city destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weirdly suspicision money influx that Zhaoxun’s partner had despite having the same job as him just added to the fuel of the possible outside connection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it could all just be a trader that had gone up north, and all of this was just a pure concident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Excuse me, Mr.Governor. Sorry to interrupt you, but can I have my computer space back?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a voice appeared behind Xiaoyun, it instantly snapped him back to the moment. He quickly closed the newspaper before restarting the computer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sorry. I’ll move out now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After walking out of the cubicle, he sat back down onto the resting area as he resumed reading the newspaper once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s only been ten minutes. I can finish the four more pages...\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1538,"2026-06-10T06:59:52.732Z",1,"novelbin.me","3cd695fc91cd3aed4d3837e2b722eeddf2017c442c7de98a22604fe77aedb431","zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-574","zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-572",829,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fzombie-apocalypse-creation-cover.jpg"]