Chapter 5 (1/2)

Chapter 05

“Generally those infected would die within 24 hours, are you sure that mark wasn't left by a too-enthusiastic bed partner last night?”

Si Nan who was sitting behind the door with his arms on his knees shook his head.

Before Zhou Rong had the chance to say anymore, the doctor had put down the thermometer and said: “Your man have a fever, Captain Zhou. 37.9 degrees, one of the initial symptoms of infection, he should be isolated immediately.”

The people around them paled. Soon after, someone from the back started talking and ignited a spark of fear in everyone:

“He is infected…”

“He will become a monster?”

“Go out, stay away!”

“Get him out!” Cried a man courageously, ”There are many civilians here, what if he bites people?”

Following his echoed sound, Yan Hao shouted in anger: ”He is not infected! Otherwise, he should have changed immediately while we were on the road! There are zombies out there, do you still want to let him go?”

Someone whispered: “Maybe when they soldiers are not looking…”

”Right!”

Zhou Rong squatted in front of Si Nan's body and suddenly stretched out his hand to c.o.c.k up the young man's chin forcibly.

Si Nan's skin was very different from the usual pale white color commonly found among Asian people. His lips were chapped and he looked a bit tired. He somehow gave off a delicate feeling as he hung down his head, forming a sharp contrast with Zhou Rong's powerful-looking hands curently holding onto his chin.

Zhou Rong looked at him coldly for a moment, then suddenly he got up and said, “Put him in the warehouse office and keep an eye on him.”

The doctor disapproved: “Captain Zhou…”

Zhou Rong said: “He is my people, I will take responsibility.”

The warehouse office was a small 5 square meters sized single room separated by plywood. Before the virus outbreak, it was the place used by the staffs on duty to rotate their s.h.i.+fts. The thin, hollow, wooden doors contained old-fas.h.i.+oned spring locks and iron bolts.

Si Nan leaned with his back against the wall, sitting in a corner with his hands resting upon his bent knees. After a while, Zhou Rong pushed the door and closed it behind him, blocking Yan Hao and Chun Cao from entering.

”Hey.”

Si Nan raised his eyes, and was greeted by the sight of a loaf of bread in front of him.

“I took it from the storeroom, eat it.”

Si Nan looked at it for a few seconds before glancing away.

“Why, you have been shut here for half a day, don't you feel hungry?” Zhou Rong hummed and continued: ”You know, the thing I’m worst at in my life is protecting those more delicate than me, and the thing i’m most expert in is destroying pretty things. Once, there was this beautiful woman spy who joined us in training and started seducing my members one after another. Afterwards, the team leader Yan Hao took the lead in refusing to obey my command to take care of it, and I beat him within an inch of his life three times a day as disciplinary measures. So eat this… don't think I won't be hard-handed with you. ”

The two men looked at each other. After a moment, Si Nan told him the truth:

”…The supply is limited, don’t waste it.”

Zhou Rong's face exposed an undisguised mockery as he casually threw the bread into Si Nan's bosom and said: “Young lady, you are so sentimental like an Omega.”

Si Nan: “…………”

Zhou Rong then patted his hands and turned away.

It was late, and soon the sound of people walking around and distributing food could be heard from outside the door.

Si Nan thought for a long time before he finally ate the bread. Eating had soothed his nerves a bit, he leaned against the corner of the wall and unknowingly fell asleep not long after. His consciousness drifted between soberness and haziness, it felt like he was pa.s.sing through thousands of miles of damp, cold wind while watching as the land below him was overturned by flames of war.

After that, he seemed to have returned to the time when he was still young. The manor's heavy door was slowly opened in front of him. The crystal chandeliers hanging above were bright, and the hand-woven carpet laying up the marble spiral staircase was thick and complex-patterned. A boy wearing a black formal attire was hugging at his arm as he leaned on the handrail of the second-to-last staircase. He looked at him for a long while before saying meanly: “You are ugly.”

He felt the boy's nails piercing deep into his skin. He wanted to move back and leave, but as it was only a dream, he could not even turn around.

The boy jumped down the stairs and took a few steps until he was right in front of his face. Then, the boy suddenly reached out and grabbed his hair, forcing their eyes to meet:

“I’ll be your brother from now on, okay?”

Si Nan's chest began to heave, it felt like acid hot air was flowing and cutting into his trachea repeatedly. He tried to punch his a.s.sailant, but he was merely a young child, he couldn't hit the boy even if he reached out. The only thing he could do was glare at that arrogant face and those full-of-derision blue eyes.

I’m going to punch you… He thought.

One day, I will crush you under my feet.

Then the scene changed, the memory pa.s.sed like a movie. The boy's hateful face gradually matured, and his expression turned into one of surprise and astonishment as he was thrown backwards with a punch.

Bang！

A loud voice sounded. He picked up the man's collar, looking at the blood flowing constantly from his mouth; that pair of blue eyes which had been staring at him for so many years had now turned dark gray as stormy cloud….

”…… You’ve been trying to beat me for a long time, haven’t you?……”

Yes.

I have。

But he did not answer. Instead, he replaced his hold with a right uppercut, the move heavy and neat. The pleasant sound of broken nose was something he would remember for a very, very long time.

***

When the night fell, Si Nan had a fever.

He thought his body must be really hot, it felt as if he was drifting in a warm and empty deep sea. The sound of footsteps came and went, along with some quarrel and clamor. A voice he couldn't figure out belonging to whom said sharply: “You must send him away, he may mutate at any time!”

“For the sake of a soldier’s life, you are willing to put us all at risk?”

“What to do, he’s infected, we’re all screwed…”

He could heard pus.h.i.+ng and beating sound coming from somewhere, but he couldn't tell how far it was as his mind still felt hazy like he was underwater. After some time, a footstep was suddenly heard stopping at his side, and then he felt someone squatted down and put a thick clothes over his body.

Si Nan struggled in discomfort, but the man wrapped him tightly to his neck.

“It's normal to get sick. He is tired, that's humane. A beta's physique is not that fit, I'm afraid his temperature will not go down so easily. He should be supported constantly.”