The Journey of Resident Evil - Chapter 17 - Prelude to Chaos

After Shen Wei’s father crushed the head of his former close friend, he erupted with a powerful presence, his booming voice echoing across the small square: “This is our reality now! Former friends, lovers, even family! Once they become zombies, we must not hesitate to put them down! If you want to survive, then fight!!”

The survivors who witnessed the bloody scene had varied reactions: some bowed their heads in contemplation, others covered their mouths and retched, while some remained indifferent. From the balcony, I saw the man who had once provoked me on the small bus; his presence here likely meant that Feng Hai was also around. Knowing his personality, it’s no surprise if he’s plotting something.

Shen Wei’s father deeply bowed to the zombie he had slain before sheathing his sword and walking towards Shen Wei’s mother, who awaited him below. Shen Wei’s mother smiled at this outwardly stubborn, determined, and cold man-her man-who in truth despised loneliness yet often embraced it. A woman helping her man isn’t about accompanying him to die or risking everything for him. It’s about encouraging, comforting, and providing reassurance so he feels important and not overlooked. She didn’t need to do anything more; a heartfelt smile was enough. Any man fortunate enough to have such a woman should be deeply grateful.

Liu Yonglin glanced at Shen Wei’s father’s sword and scoffed, “Using a sword to kill zombies is too inefficient.”

Xueqi shook her head at Liu Yonglin’s comment, “No, Liu Yonglin, you’re being too hasty!”

“But even the sharpest Japanese sword will dull if it cuts through bone. After three or four people, it’s useless!”

Xueqi smiled and continued, “Generally, that’s true, but if swordsmanship is involved, the outcome is different. The swordsman’s skill, the craftsmanship of the sword, and most importantly, a resilient spirit! As long as these three are strong, no matter how many are slain, the sword will not lose its potency!”

Liu Yonglin, still unconvinced, replied, “But if the blade gets stained with blood…”

Xueqi said, “It’s just like cooking.”

“Cooking?”

“When a good chef uses a quality kitchen knife, the blade won’t leave excess grease behind. It’s the same with the human body…”

“But, but…” Seeing that Liu Yonglin was about to argue further, I quickly intervened, “Alright, Liu Yonglin, let’s not continue this…” But Liu Yonglin shouted, “Don’t bother me! None of you even know how to use a gun!” With that, he stormed out, clutching a few guns.

I couldn’t understand Liu Yonglin’s strange behavior, “What’s with Liu Yonglin…”

Xueqi responded, “Give him a break; Liu Yonglin is a man too.”

“Of course I know that…”

Shen Wei sneered, “Tiankuang, don’t talk about Liu Yonglin, you’ve had moments like that too. You were just like him a moment ago.”

I said nothing. Seeing my helpless expression, Ye Ling covered her mouth and laughed. I was puzzled by her laughter, “Ms. Ye, you too…”

“Hehe, being with you all is wonderful.”

“Uh?”

“Even though this world is overrun with zombies, still… youth is just right.”

“…Why say it like that? Ms. Ye, you’re barely in your twenties!”

Ye Ling turned her head and leaned on the balcony railing. I didn’t notice the hint of sadness in her eyes when she turned back. Looking at the stains still marking the square, Ye Ling said, “Tiankuang, when I was reassigned as the school doctor at TP High School, I decided on something…”

“All of a sudden, teacher, you…”

Ye Ling’s voice trembled slightly, “Please, just ask me, what did I decide? Just ask me that, and then, I can be like I used to be, definitely…”

Looking at Ye Ling’s frail back, I understood she was unsettled. Though she was an adult, she was only a few years older than us. In recent days, she faced death more than anyone, seeing so much from the driver’s seat…

“I’m sorry, Ms. Ye, not now…”

“In that case, just let me be alone for a moment. I have to protect my principles, protect them well; let me be alone…”

As we were about to leave the balcony, Xueqi and I both sensed a keen gaze on us. We looked down and realized it was coming from Shen Wei’s father.

When I walked back inside from the balcony, Xueyang stopped me, “Did you and Yonglin-Ge¹ have a fight, Tiankuang-Ge?”

I smiled wryly, “You could say that…”

“Then let Xueyang teach Tiankuang-Ge a way.”

Looking at Xueyang’s innocent smile, I replied, “Sure, what is it?”

“Talk to Yonglin-Ge again, just talk until you figure it out.”

“Can I really do that?” I wasn’t confident about convincing others.

“Of course, you can!” Xueyang clenched her little fist with a smile, “Everyone felt relieved only after arriving at Wei Wei-Jie’s¹ house. I’ll help you talk to Yonglin-Ge, too.” With that, Xueyang ran off with Kiku.

Relieved? The Mutiny on the Bounty… That phrase suddenly crossed my mind. It was during the winter break in my second year of high school when our history teacher mentioned it. In 1778, after enduring a tough voyage, a British warship finally reached the paradise of the South Pacific-Tahiti. The Bounty stayed in Tahiti for half a year before setting sail again, but a mutiny occurred within a month after leaving. It was because the laid-back life in Tahiti weakened the sailors’ resolve. Our history teacher compared us to the Bounty’s sailors, the winter break to the life in Tahiti. Now, we’re once again on our own Tahiti at the Shen Family home. What should we do? Relax our tense nerves here or…

“Tiankuang-Ge, something’s wrong!” Just as I was deep in thought, Xueyang came running over, out of breath.

“What’s the matter, Xueyang?”

Xueyang grabbed my shirt and pulled me towards the small garden in the back. “It’s Yonglin-Ge, Liu Yonglin… he’s in trouble.”

“Stop causing trouble!”

“Hand over the guns now!”

“No way!”

From outside the garden, I could see four people dressed in guard team uniforms surrounding Liu Yonglin, demanding him to hand over his guns. But Liu Yonglin stubbornly refused.

“It’s a critical time. You can’t keep all these weapons to yourself.”

“Come on, kid, hand them over quickly.”

“No… no way. I borrowed these, and there’s no one here who can use them better than I can.”

“You, don’t think you can be so arrogant just because our captain is lenient!”

“Haven’t you been told that to protect everyone here, we need these weapons?!”

“…”

Seeing Liu Yonglin clutching the guns tightly, the guards began losing patience and were preparing to take them by force.

“Liu Yonglin!”

Damn, you can pick on me, but bullying my friend-no way!

I quickly stepped in front of Liu Yonglin, blocking the guards who were about to make a move. “I suggest you think again before acting recklessly,” I said with a cold snort. I’ve climbed through hordes of zombies; do you really think I’d be scared of a few humans? Ridiculous.

Just as the tension between us was reaching its peak, a commanding voice interrupted, “What’s all this noise about?” “Chairman!” Looking past the guards, I saw that the voice belonged to Shen Wei’s father, with Shen Wei’s mother following behind him. The guards immediately snapped to attention and saluted before stepping back behind him.

“I am Shen Fei, chairman of the organization! Boys, tell me your names!”

Such an overwhelming presence-standing before him felt like facing a majestic mountain, and his sharp gaze seemed to pierce through everything. Under this intense pressure, I had no choice but to respond bravely, “I am Zhang Tiankuang from Class Z of Senior Year at TP High School in FZ-HOPE City. And he is Liu Yonglin, my schoolmate.”

When Shen Fei heard my name, his expression changed slightly, but he quickly returned to his usual demeanor. Shen Wei’s mother softly spoke to him, “Dear, these two kids are our daughter’s…”

But Shen Fei waved his hand dismissively, “I could tell from their school. Tiankuang, right? I can hear the authority in your voice. But you two still refuse to hand over the guns?” His sharp gaze was back, making us feel like frogs trapped under the stare of a snake.

At this point, tears welled up in Liu Yonglin’s eyes as he clung to the gun, shaking his head vigorously, “No! I won’t! Without the gun, I’ll become who I was before again! I’ll receive the same treatment as before! I thought I had finally found a place where I was valued!”

Shen Fei looked at Liu Yonglin and coldly demanded, “A place where you’re valued? Then tell me what that is!” Liu Yonglin was taken aback by Shen Fei’s stern words and stammered, unable to respond.

“A place where he can protect your daughter!” I took a step forward, positioning myself in front of Liu Yonglin.

“Tiankuang, you…” Shen Fei turned his gaze to me. “You say to protect Wei Er?” His eyes pierced into me like those of a venomous snake, but I mustered the courage to respond, “Yes, ever since this hellish situation began, Liu Yonglin has been the one protecting your daughter.”

“Dad! Tiankuang is right!”

It turned out that Xueyang, sensing the tension, had called Shen Wei and the others over, even helping Qimeng walk over with support from Ye Ling. Shen Wei ignored Shen Fei’s imposing presence and sharp gaze, continuing, “Although he’s usually quite useless and has a major homebody tendency, without him, I would have already become one of the zombies! It was him, not you, who saved me!”

After a few seconds of exchanging looks with Shen Wei, Shen Fei finally relented and said slowly, “Alright, then these guns will be temporarily entrusted to you. But if anything goes wrong because of them, you will bear the consequences.”

Seeing that Shen Fei finally agreed to let him keep the guns, Liu Yonglin nodded excitedly, promising that there would be absolutely no trouble.

Shen Fei didn’t pay attention to Liu Yonglin but instead turned his gaze to Xueqi and me. After watching us for a moment, he said, “Tiankuang and Xueqi, you two come with me to the reception room. I have something to discuss.” Xueqi and I exchanged glances, unsure of Shen Fei’s intentions but had no choice but to follow.

Once everyone dispersed, a figure lurking in a corner, who had been secretly watching us, emerged. It was the spiky-haired student of Mr. Feng’s whom I had seen earlier on the balcony. He pulled out a walkie-talkie: “Mr. Feng, everything’s clear here. You can come over now.” After some female moaning sounds transmitted from the walkie-talkie, Feng Hai’s voice finally came through: “I understand.”

The school bus that Feng Hai was on was currently parked about two kilometers away from the Shen Family home. The students on the bus, brainwashed by Feng Hai, were all engaged in inappropriate activities. After setting down the walkie-talkie, Feng Hai flashed a sinister smile.

He clapped his hands to get the students’ attention and said, “Alright, everyone, your free time is over. Yu Qun, who went out scouting alone, has brought back good news. Up ahead is a survivor group that will welcome us.”

“Really, Teacher?” one of the students asked.

“Of course it’s true, but…” Feng Hai put on a pained expression, “as your leader, I do have a concern!”

“Just tell us, Teacher. We’ll support you.” The students were thoroughly brainwashed by Feng Hai.

“Thank you all,” Feng Hai said. “Unlike in school, I advocate free love here. Why? Because everyone here deserves it! It’s my pride and joy as your teacher to guide such talented individuals! But-look outside! Look at the chaos!”

Pointing outside at the blood-stained streets, roaming zombies, and scattered body parts, Feng Hai continued with righteous indignation, “Look closely at this world where people are being constantly devoured, filled with zombies! Most survivors think it’s enough just to be saved. How terrifying this reality is! Everyone lives like this, except us! No! The world has always been this way! That’s precisely why this vile world is collapsing under its own mistakes! But this doesn’t concern you! You, young as you are, are untainted! You are angels responsible for carrying the world into tomorrow! While I, a tainted adult, ask you to allow me to act, to purify my own sins! So let’s unite and create a new world together!”

The students, after hearing Feng Hai’s speech, were once again thoroughly moved to tears and further indoctrinated. However, Wang Yi, who had initially escaped with us but chose to stay back, didn’t seem entirely brainwashed. Instead, he frowned.

Noticing this, Feng Hai asked, “What’s troubling you, Wang Yi?”

Wang Yi hesitated, “I just find what you’re saying strange, Teacher…”

“Oh? Then what are your thoughts, Wang Yi?” Feng Hai inquired.

“I’m not interested in some new world. I just want to know if my family is alright…”

Before Wang Yi could say more, he was interrupted by a young man with dyed yellow hair, holding a scantily clad girl in his arms. “Family? What do they matter? They’re just annoyances when they’re alive! Besides, haven’t you been busy with women all this time?!”

The girl in his arms, rubbing her chest, playfully added, “Can you have this much fun with those old relics?”

“Exactly!” the yellow-haired boy grinned, giving the girl’s chest a squeeze. “Hahaha, following the teacher allows us to have this kind of fun. Mr. Feng is amazing! That’s why I’ve decided to follow Mr. Feng wherever he goes!”

Wang Yi wanted to argue further, but Feng Hai interrupted coldly, “Wang Yi, you’re really troublesome. How can I possibly satisfy you? Tell me, everyone, should we, like Wang Yi suggests, abandon everything we have now and return to a past world that robbed us of our freedom? Or should we follow me in pursuit of even greater freedom?”

A girl, with a dismissive look toward Wang Yi, suggested, “Teacher, why not just throw him off the bus?”

Immediately, the other students on the bus chimed in, “Throw him off!” “Throw him off!”

Wang Yi knew what fate awaited him if he were thrown off and desperately clung to Feng Hai’s pants, pleading, “Teacher, please don’t. At least let me get close to that camp…”

But Feng Hai adjusted his glasses and said, “Sorry, Wang Yi, though I’d like to help, this is everyone’s decision. What can I do?”

The blond man, clearly impatient, grabbed the frail Wang Yi, opened the bus door, and tossed him out, slamming the door shut. Feng Hai then started the bus. Wang Yi chased after it, yelling, “Teacher, I was wrong! Save me!” But before he could finish, a zombie attacked, tearing at his throat. As he lay dying, the last thing Wang Yi saw was the mocking smiles of those on the bus.

Apart from Feng Hai, another source of unease was the survivors in the small square, who were fervently discussing how Shen Fei had slain the zombies earlier.

A middle-aged man sporting a mustache, who looked disreputable, indignantly declared, “We’re just ordinary citizens, not members of their organization! How dare they demand us to fight! Isn’t it the government’s duty to protect its citizens? It’s outrageous!”

Beside him, a middle-aged woman chimed in agreement, “Exactly! We’re just little people. How can we be expected to handle such a bloody sight out of nowhere?!”

A younger man, glancing around at the patrolling guard team, whispered, “I’d suggest you keep quiet around them. The government should be up and running again soon.”

The middle-aged woman wasn’t convinced, sarcastically retorting, “Hmph, you’re just a coward. It’s people like you who get deceived by politicians!”

Such disputes would naturally be reported to Shen Fei. However, at that moment, Shen Fei was in the reception room with Xueqi and me.

Footnote:

1. -Jie(-姐):In Chinese culture, using “xx姐” (pronounced as “xx jie”) to address someone is quite common. The term “jie” means “older sister” and, when used in this context, typically carries a sense of affection and friendliness. It indicates respect and amiability towards the person, similar to calling someone “sis” or “big sister” in English.