Chapter Three: The World of the Undead (Revised)

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The first notice was issued at 12:15 a.m. today.

“A catastrophic disaster threatening the survival of all humanity erupted in the early hours of today. The cause remains unknown for the time being. The public is advised to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel. Governments across the country are accelerating rescue efforts. Citizens are urged to remain calm and await further instructions.” The news was brief but provided significant reassurance.

Many people in China habitually stockpile food, and with the traditional New Year festival approaching, households—except for those young people who work outside daily—had already begun preparing various foods to welcome the new year.

Moreover, since the apocalypse struck in the early morning hours, most people were still asleep. Thus, with personal safety guaranteed and food supplies sufficient, public order had not yet descended into chaos. Everyone was quietly staying home, consuming their reserves, and waiting for rescue.

For most Chinese, the timing of this disaster was a cruel stroke of luck. Had it occurred at midday in some countries on the other side of the globe, a nationwide massacre might still be unfolding.

The second notice was a government-issued public service announcement explaining the characteristics and behavior of zombies.

“Zombies, also known as action mutants who have lost human rationality, exhibit degraded vision but enhanced hearing and smell. Their movements are rigid and slow. They crave fresh flesh and blood. If a normal human is scratched or bitten by a zombie, they will be infected by the zombie virus and eventually become a new zombie.”

“The incubation period varies from person to person. Some mutate instantaneously, while others take over eight hours. This is believed to depend greatly on individual physical condition and the degree of infection.”

“The zombies’ weakness is the head. Only by destroying the brain will a zombie truly die. Experts therefore urge citizens to avoid zombies, stay indoors as much as possible, and remain quiet.”

There was little to argue with here. With such warnings, hardly anyone would rush out recklessly to confront zombies.

The third notice contained words of encouragement and comfort. It emphasized the sudden nature of the disaster and assured that the government and scientists were intensifying research on countermeasures. It called for unity among the people to overcome this crisis together.

Afterward, Qingqing Lin browsed various websites and forums. Most content was similar to the official information, except that many netizens vented their fears and speculated wildly about the apocalypse.

Some had compiled their own doomsday theories based on movies and novels, while others claimed to have awakened supernatural powers after the disaster—casting spells, tearing zombies apart with their bare hands, traversing heaven and earth.

“Isn’t supernatural power just a fictional trope from movies and novels? Can it really exist in reality?” Qingqing Lin was skeptical. She felt nothing unusual—her senses were normal, her strength unchanged, and certainly no magic.

“Although... now that I think about it, there might be a tiny difference.”

She looked at her own hands. “Does being skinny and turning into a glutton count as a supernatural power?”

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“If not, then does dying and coming back to life count as a supernatural power?”

She wasn’t sure and decided to withhold judgment on the matter.

For the rest of the time, Qingqing Lin lay quietly, both to avoid making noise and to conserve energy.

“I wonder when the rescue teams will arrive?” She stared blankly at the ceiling, her mind swirling with chaotic thoughts.

Online reports estimated that two-thirds of humanity in China had turned into zombies overnight, and the pattern of transformation was still unknown.

Men, women, old, young, strong, weak—all had succumbed indiscriminately, as if a random hand in the sky was deciding fate. Every person had only a one-in-three chance of survival.

“If that’s true, what if all the leaders in Jincheng turn into zombies? Who will save us then?”

Suddenly sitting up, she realized that while this was an extreme thought, hope could not be placed solely on rescue teams.

“I was wrong to think that waiting quietly guarantees safety. Even if rescued in time, there’s no promise of continued security.”

One cannot depend on others’ goodwill for safety. Self-reliance and self-rescue were the only true paths.

With this realization, Qingqing Lin could no longer remain idle. She quickly grabbed her phone and, while the internet still worked, began searching for self-help and survival techniques.

Wilderness survival? Useful—saved. Women’s self-defense? She had some training but needed more practice. Close combat, basic weapon use, first aid and bandaging, simple tool and weapon crafting—all went into her mental archive.

As dusk fell, she had downloaded a mountain of documents, videos, and tutorials. Rubbing her tired eyes, she began organizing the knowledge.

All the hard-learned lessons from before were now useless. As a survival novice who only knew basic women’s self-defense, Qingqing Lin felt a deep sense of dread.

“It’s only when you need knowledge that you realize how little you have. What’s the difference between a woman raised in peaceful times and one trying to survive the apocalypse?” She smiled bitterly, glancing at her packed phone storage.

This was almost equivalent to several years of university coursework. Time was short—food would last only five days, and danger might come at any moment. She even felt that lying down any longer was wasting precious time.

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“Surviving the apocalypse is truly brutal,” Qingqing Lin said, patting her face to steady her nerves before drafting a study plan.

She had always been a diligent student. Her ability to learn and think critically was one of her few strengths.

“Besides basic physical training, the most important thing is to have a reliable weapon.”

After listing her training plan, she searched thoroughly through her home for anything that could cause harm. She found a kitchen knife, a wrench, a clothes drying rod, and a mop handle. Finally, in a toolbox corner, she unearthed a folding shovel she had purchased long ago for Arbor Day tree planting.

She assembled the shovel and placed it within easy reach. Then she secured a sharp fruit knife to the clothes rod to serve as a long-range weapon. Lastly, she selected two handy meat cleavers to carry on her person.

Qingqing Lin was meticulous. Living alone for so long had taught her to plan ahead and make full use of every available resource.

She never believed survival was a matter of luck. Smooth paths were the result of careful thought and thorough preparation.

That night, she lay in bed without turning on the light, staring sideways out at the ink-black sky.

Tonight was special—unlike the usual hustle and bustle, the outside world was eerily silent, as if someone had accidentally muted it. The entire world seemed detached from reality, dreamlike and unreal. Even time appeared to slow.

Tossing and turning, sleep eluded her. The day’s events replayed relentlessly in her mind, reminding her that the apocalypse had truly arrived. The peaceful days were gone forever, leaving no chance to escape.

Her thoughts drifted to many things—family, friends, country—then to her own uncertain future. Anxiety and fear welled up again.

Forcing herself not to spiral into despair, she took two deep breaths and closed her eyes, silently rehearsing the tasks for tomorrow.

Her once-weak body was now at its limit. Gradually, drowsiness crept in, and her consciousness blurred.