The Journey of Resident Evil

While I was discussing the estate with Shen Wei’s mother, an upset Shen Wei ran into the storage room where tools and some spare parts were stacked. Liu Yonglin was there, fully absorbed in the routine maintenance of the Type 99 Sniper Rifle, completely oblivious to Shen Wei’s presence.

“You seem to be quite happy,” Shen Wei sighed, leaning against the door and speaking to Liu Yonglin, who was both wiping the gun and grinning stupidly.

Only then did Liu Yonglin realize Shen Wei was standing behind him. “Huh? Wei Wei, when did you get here?”

“…” Shen Wei rubbed her slightly aching head and resignedly said, “Never mind, you’re a total gun fanatic. You can’t seem to part with those metal toys, so just enjoy yourself while you can.”

Enjoy himself while he can? Black question marks popped up over Liu Yonglin’s head. “But we’re living in a mansion that’s like a fortress now…”

Shen Wei mercilessly interrupted Liu Yonglin, putting her hands on her hips, “Have you ever thought about the importance of water and power supplies?”

“Uh… so you mean…?” “To maintain such a vast network for water and electricity, even in normal times, requires a highly organized team of experts to provide maintenance! The people at the Water and Electricity Bureau are not the army! And now, there are zombies everywhere!”

At this moment, Shen Wei’s mother and I were also discussing the same issue.

“You’re right,” Shen Wei’s mother nodded approvingly and continued, “That’s why we’ve already deployed a significant part of the professional guard team to protect the power plant and the water treatment plant. As you know, zombies are drawn to things that make noise, and those machines make a lot of it when they run.” I completely agreed with Shen Wei’s mother’s words.

“But, Aunt, while what you say is true, this can only be maintained for a while, right? It’s still uncertain how long those people can hold on. The maintenance personnel have families too, and it’s impossible for them to bring their families into the power plant, so they’ll need vehicles like buses, and the journey is fraught with countless dangers.”

Shen Wei’s mother didn’t directly answer my words but instead walked to the window and said with determination, “We must take the people we’re responsible for-no, the people who are ready to survive with us!”

I could surely feel this overwhelming urge to survive. With this desire to live, our companions and we have managed to survive until now!

In the storage room, Liu Yonglin and Shen Wei were discussing survival issues while adjusting the scope on the gun. Just as Liu Yonglin was about to bring up some “natural” issues with Shen Wei, a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard walked in carrying a toolbox. Seeing Liu Yonglin holding the gun, he spoke in an unfriendly tone, “Hey! Kid, that’s a real gun, right? That’s not a toy for kids! Hand it over!”

“Uh… no, it’s…” Liu Yonglin was about to explain, but Shen Wei interrupted, “What? Is that all you have to say, Mr. Mechanic? He’s my friend.”

It was then that the bearded man noticed Shen Wei standing beside him, and he instantly switched to a fawning demeanor, “Ah, so he’s a friend of the young miss? No problem then. I just wanted to report that the Hummer you left outside the buffer zone has been successfully retrieved, and I’ve already repaired it. Here are the keys.”

Shen Wei took the keys, responding coolly, “Thank you, I understand. You can leave now; I want to talk with my friend.”

“Yes, yes, right away.” With that, the man quickly exited the storage room.

After the door closed, Shen Wei let out a disdainful snort, while Liu Yonglin stared at her with admiration, “Wow! You really are the young miss, so commanding!” Shen Wei pouted, “I just didn’t want him talking to you like that. By the way, what do you think you can do with that in your hand?”

“You mean the gun?”

“No kidding. From that guy’s reaction, didn’t you pick up on anything?”

“Nope.”

“Well, that’s straightforward. Everyone here is an ‘adult.’ What do you think we are to them?”

After a brief silence, Liu Yonglin looked up and said, “I get what you mean. I’ll go talk to Tiankuang.”

At this moment, I was filled with frustration, with no outlet for it. I couldn’t understand what was going through Shen Wei’s mother’s mind when she asked me to persuade Shen Wei to follow her arrangements. She even said she really believed I could do it, but I have no idea how to understand the ever-changing thoughts of women, especially those in their teenage years!

Besides, Shen Wei was probably still upset. Asking me to find her now was basically sending me to my death. Moreover, Shen Wei’s sharp tongue was not something the average person could handle. My chances of persuading her were practically in the negative; I’d be lucky if I didn’t end up being convinced by her to side against her mom.

“Bang!”

While I was pondering how to persuade Shen Wei, a loud thud interrupted my thoughts. I looked around and realized that two men were carrying items into the house, but it seemed they had dropped a large box due to an unstable grip. “Idiot, you’re moving too fast!” one of the men yelled, “Alright, I got it.”

Just as I was about to go over and help, Ye Xiang suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It seemed he didn’t notice me, and he immediately went over to help them carry the load.

“Sorry about that.”

“Alright, hold it steady, young man, you can let go now.”

“Oh no, let me help you with that.”

“No worries, no worries, this is adult work. You can just relax and take it easy.”

Watching the two men walk away, Ye Xiang seemed lost in thought.

“Don’t worry about it.” Xueqi appeared from somewhere, seemingly out of nowhere.

“Xueqi, you…” Ye Xiang was utterly speechless as he looked at the transformed Xueqi. She was simply stunning, a stark contrast to the fierce image she usually portrayed while cutting down zombies without mercy. Now, Xueqi resembled the purest of girl-next-door types. It was like standing next to a beautifully serene, incredibly gorgeous girl-a fairy-like figure whose every smile and gesture captivated your attention effortlessly.

Noticing Ye Xiang’s gaze, Xueqi blushed and asked, “What’s wrong with my clothes?” Ye Xiang, flustered, looked down and stammered, “Uh… n-no, nothing. I just meant that this outfit really suits you.”

After a few seconds without a reaction from Xueqi, Ye Xiang cautiously glanced up at her. She simply looked away, her face still flushed. Worried that she misunderstood him, Ye Xiang hastily explained, waving his hands about, “Ah, Xueqi, I-I-I didn’t mean anything strange!” Seeing Ye Xiang so flustered, Xueqi giggled softly and said, “I know, it doesn’t matter what you meant.”

They both laughed, and standing off to the side, I couldn’t help but grin mischievously, whistling a tune. Hey, Ye Xiang, usually you’re the one whistling at me-now it’s my turn to laugh at you.

Xueqi didn’t seem to mind my whistling, but Ye Xiang came over, pretending to be ready to hit me. While we were horsing around, Xueyang came over with Kiku, saying, “Big brother, what’s up? Is there something good? I want to join!”

I patted Xueyang’s head and smiled, “We were just talking. It’s great to see you so full of energy.” Xueyang nodded earnestly, hugging Kiku, and said, “Yeah! Xueyang is full of energy!”

Indeed, Xueyang seemed energetic now, but last night, she was repeatedly startled awake by her nightmares. It was Qimeng who held her until she finally fell asleep. The real Xueyang was still trapped in her personal hell, the hell of losing her parents, whom she relied on so much…

Looking at Xueyang’s innocent smile, my heart ached deeply. The sudden outbreak of Resident Evil had turned a little girl, who should have been snuggling in her parents’ arms and enjoying a carefree childhood, into someone who had to endure the tragedy of losing both her parents. Who should we blame for this? I didn’t know, but I knew for sure that it couldn’t be chalked up to bad luck-what a disgusting excuse that would be!

And what about me? Orphaned since childhood, I don’t even know what my parents looked like. Are they alive now? I have no idea… How do I compare to Xueyang? Perhaps I’d fare a bit better. Are my parents alright? If we realized that we had lost our mother, wouldn’t we also be jolted awake in our sleep by our own grief?

I believe we would be…

While I was lost in my chaotic thoughts, I noticed Liu Yonglin approaching with a large bag on his back, accompanied by Shen Wei. Before I could start persuading Shen Wei, she beat me to it, saying, “Tiankuang, I think we need to have a serious discussion.”

“Huh?” Before I could respond, Xueyang rushed over, clinging to Liu Yonglin and pleading, “Brother, can Xueyang join too?” Liu Yonglin smiled, “Of course, Xueyang and Kiku are part of our team!”

…

Fifteen minutes later, in Qimeng’s room.

Qimeng, covered with a blanket and lying on the bed with a displeased look, grumbled, “I mean… did you really have to gather everyone in my room?” Despite Qimeng’s discontent, Ye Ling hummed a tune while peeling a banana, smirking, “Hehe, it’s a full meeting. Since you can’t move yet, we didn’t have a choice but to gather here.”

“Shen Wei, is there a reason you called us all together?” I asked, puzzled. Shen Wei ignored my question and simply asked, “Are we still partners from now on?”

Without hesitation, Xueqi replied, “Of course we are. We’re an unbreakable unit now. But… are you saying…”

Shen Wei pushed open the room’s French windows, turned around, and said, “You’re right! We only have two choices: either stay here or…”

“Or leave this place,” I said, finishing her sentence.

Ye Ling frowned and asked, “But do we really need to leave?” Shen Wei strode to the balcony and pointed outside, exclaiming, “See for yourselves what’s out there!”

Taking the binoculars that Liu Yonglin handed me, I looked outside. The street was a horrific sight. Some zombies were devouring mutilated corpses, while others dragged their dangling pieces aimlessly down the road. Inside the buffer zone, within the Shen Family estate, the survivors were busy with chores, lining up for aid, or more often just sitting in a daze, staring blankly.

“Having leaders of a strong group as parents sure is something, isn’t it? Impressive, huh!” Shen Wei said with tears in her eyes, a touch of self-mockery in her voice. “They were my pride. Even now, they can get so much done in just a few days. But… if they can manage it…” I couldn’t agree with Shen Wei’s sentiment. Those with parents can’t imagine how it feels for someone who’s never even seen theirs. “Shen Wei, you shouldn’t think of your parents that way; in times like these, everyone is struggling.”

Shen Wei snapped back, “You really sound just like my mom!” Ye Ling tried to mediate, “Shen Wei…” but Shen Wei cut her off before she could finish.

Shen Wei took a deep breath and then screamed hysterically, “I know, I know already! My parents are the best! In such dire circumstances, all they care about is the safety of this estate, their subordinates, and their family! Of course, they won’t forget about me, their daughter! In fact, I was probably their first consideration-but as soon as they thought I couldn’t survive, they abandoned me right away!”

“Shen Wei, you…”

“Just as expected from my parents. Truly impressive, haha!” Watching Shen Wei trying to act strong while crying, an inexplicable anger surged within me. I grabbed her collar and lifted her up, shouting, “Don’t do this! Shen Wei!!!!” No one had anticipated my sudden outburst, and they all looked at me with shocked expressions.

Liu Yonglin exclaimed, “Tiankuang, no matter what, Shen Wei is still a girl-” I ignored Liu Yonglin and continued, “You’re not the only one! Everyone is in the same situation! No, you’re fortunate to know your parents are safe!”

Our eyes locked, and in each other’s gaze, we saw something significant. Shen Wei returned to her usual calm and said, “Let go, you brute.” I quickly released her and stepped back. “Sorry, but I’m not a brute.”

Shen Wei straightened her rumpled collar and smiled, “You should apologize, but it’s fine. We should get to the main point now.” But Liu Yonglin pointed to the street and said, “Wait, look at that…”

Following Liu Yonglin’s direction, we saw a large road clearing machine paving the way. A black Hummer was in the center, flanked by two Mercedes-Benz vehicles, followed by a large fuel truck, and with five Dongfeng heavy trucks bringing up the rear.

Shen Wei stared at the black Hummer and said slowly, “That’s right, it’s the renowned organization’s elite leader, that domineering man-my father.”

After the luxury motorcade drove into the Shen Family estate, everyone in the small square seemed to be buzzing with excitement and chatter. The balcony of Qimeng’s room was right next to the small square, providing a clear view of everything happening there.

Some men who looked like part of the guard team unloaded a metal cage from one of the Dongfeng trucks, causing even more commotion among the crowd in the square. The reason for the chaos was that inside the cage was a zombie! A forklift lifted the cage onto a temporary platform erected in the square, and at that moment, Shen Wei’s father slowly ascended the platform. He was a powerfully built man, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and thin lips pressed into a straight line. His straight nose gave his face a more gaunt appearance. His visage resembled granite-stubborn, resolute, and indifferent. He wore only a thin uniform, standing with perfect posture, a long sword similar to a Japanese katana sheathed at his waist, with the handle to the right. Even from at least 300 meters away, we could sense his overwhelming aura-like thunder, swift as lightning, vast as the wind, and lofty as the clouds-a regal presence that dominated everything. One doesn’t need to be particularly handsome or suave; such an overwhelming aura is sufficient, provided one has the strength to back it up.

Faced with the noisy crowd below, the aura of Shen Wei’s father completely overpowered them. He pointed to the zombie in the cage and spoke in a deep, resounding voice: “This man’s name was Xiang Song! He worked with us for a long time as a friend and comrade! During this mission, he was bitten by zombies while rescuing his subordinates! The ability to sacrifice oneself for others’ sake is the noblest human act! However-he is no longer human.”

Shen Wei’s father slowly drew the long sword from his waist and continued, “He was my best friend.” He raised the sword high and declared, “So here, I show my final act of friendship! Open the cage!” With a commanding shout, the metal cage was opened, and the zombie inside immediately lunged at Shen Wei’s father. But no matter how fast the zombie was, it was not faster than the sword in Shen Wei’s father’s hand! The blade flashed, and blood splattered! The zombie’s head was instantly severed from its body! The scene reminded me of the clean, decisive strikes from the Fantasy Warrior…

Looking at the still-biting head on the ground, Shen Wei’s father merely said, “Goodbye, my friend!” With one swift motion, he smashed the head.

Silence engulfed the square!

The waters of the Shen Family run deep…

As I observed the varied reactions of the people in the square and caught sight of a familiar figure, I couldn’t help but ponder.