With a furrowed brow, Hu Xiaodong glanced back at Tang Xiaoquan, appearing quite cautious. He didn’t hurry to respond but quietly took a drag from the cigarette in his hand.
The glow of the cigarette flickered subtly, just like Hu Xiaodong’s thoughts at the moment, rising and falling, fluctuating unpredictably.
Gradually, his bright eyes became increasingly dazed, as if he had once again returned to that thrilling morning.
"That day~, as usual, I went to the shop early in the morning. Probably because it was the weekend, after a short while several groups of customers came in, including Tiger and his mother."
"Normally, I hardly pay attention to the looks and personalities of customers coming and going, but Tiger left a strong impression on me that day."
"This little guy was not only cute but also incredibly polite. From the moment he entered the store, he called everyone ’uncle’ and ’auntie,’ without any typical childish pampering."
"Furthermore, if I remember correctly, it was his birthday that day. His mother brought him to the store to fulfill his birthday wish."
"You probably wouldn’t expect it, but such a young child even knew Jordan, so having his own basketball was his long-cherished wish!"
Tang Xiaoquan kept an eye on the changing expression on Hu Xiaodong’s face. He could sense from his naturally warm smile that this man genuinely liked Tiger.
Hu Xiaodong continued with his monologue: "I introduced Tiger’s mother to a few popular styles of the time, but unexpectedly, a young man browsing the shelves suddenly erupted and with a scream slammed into sidelong racks!"
"Honestly, everyone there was shocked. My first thought was whether the young man had a medical condition like epilepsy, but before I could think more, he turned his sight and rushed straight toward Tiger’s mother."
"I don’t know how to describe the situation; the young man, he... he~" Hu Xiaodong made a gnashing gesture.
Tang Xiaoquan immediately caught on and interjected: "He wanted to bite Tiger’s mother, didn’t he?"
"Exactly!" Hu Xiaodong affirmed with a slap of both hands: "That fellow really intended to do just that, charging at Tiger’s mother, while I was stuck behind the counter, unable to intervene immediately, so..."
Frustratedly punching the air, Hu Xiaodong was evidently exasperated by his performance at that time.
"So Tiger’s mother couldn’t avoid it and was caught by that guy. Originally, I thought she was sure to be bitten, but unexpectedly, Tiger he..."
Pitch rising sharply, Hu Xiaodong’s eyes snapped open wide.
"Tiger actually bit down forcefully on the young man’s arm! Holy moly, this bite made the guy howl in agony, allowing Tiger’s mother to escape."
"Afterward, a few of us hurriedly subdued the young man, but..."
Held a pause gesture with his palm, Tang Xiaoquan’s brows furrowed intensely.
"Brother Hu, you just said Tiger bit the young man to save his mother, right?"
Hu Xiaodong nodded dumbly, staring at the other with a puzzled look, but suddenly he gasped with realization: "You mean... Tiger’s bite?"
With a calm nod, Tang Xiaoquan replied, "Yes, according to the mutation case of Huang Yaru and A-cheng’s father, it’s certain the zombie virus can spread through bodily fluids. From the young man’s erratic behavior in the shop, we can deduce he was already infected when he entered, so Tiger’s bite provided a perfect route for the virus transmission." ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novel⟡fire.net
Tang Xiaoquan’s explanation was straightforward and easy to understand, and as his words settled, the truth behind Tiger’s transformation was completely exposed.
The right hand holding the cigarette froze, Hu Xiaodong slowly closed his eyes.
If only I had reacted a bit quicker, if only I had noticed the young man’s abnormality earlier, perhaps all of this...
How much I wish time could go backward, but time flies away like spilled water, never to return.
With a heavy heart resembling a boulder weighing down upon him, Hu Xiaodong never imagined he would indirectly cause Tiger’s transformation.
The scorching and venomous sun outside failed to warm Hu Xiaodong’s increasingly cold heart.
Watching the motionless Hu Xiaodong, Tang Xiaoquan unsure how to offer comfort.
The two men stood side by side, with their slowly burning cigarettes silently narrating everything.
In the days that followed, the survivors sank into a mundanely boring lifestyle.
Eating, sleeping, and blowing smoke became their daily routine.
Finally, out of sheer boredom, they reluctantly used the shell of a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes from the storage room to DIY two decks of cards, adding a splash of color to their orderly lives.
That day, Hu, Wang, Wu, and Wen gathered in a circle as usual, placing strips of saliva-stained white paper beside each.
These strips were mainly used to punish the losers, besides which they ruled the final loser was responsible for washing all the clothes.
So, driven by such ’tempting’ measures, the group played cards with true zeal.
"910JQK, anyone wants it?" Wang Qiang mumbled around a cigarette in his mouth.
Seeing his cards put down, Wu Chao’s palm-sized face immediately gave a sly smile: "Hehe, bomb, four sixes!"
"Damn, don’t be so ruthless!" Wang Qiang clicked his tongue and spat twice, secretly cursing his bad luck!
"Looks like, Wang Qiang, you’re bound to wash clothes for us today!" Sending a subtle glance to Wu Chao, Wen Quanxin didn’t forget to land another blow on Wang Qiang.
"F***, stop talking sh*t, it’s not over till it’s over!"
And so, with their banter and jabs back and forth, the group seemed to almost forget they were amidst an apocalypse.
Time slipped away in hand after hand, and the originally clean faces of the group were now plastered with notes.
Today probably will be another uneventful day, Tang Xiaoquan thought to himself.
Just when he thought everything would proceed as usual, a sudden screech of brakes sounded from not far away, followed by a deafening crash erupting on the street outside his window.