Chapter 84
Jiang Cheng was so drowsy from Mr. Peng’s endless nagging that she nearly fell asleep.
“Caught a cold?” Mr. Peng asked with concern. “Go home and get some proper rest. Don’t come in tomorrow. Take a day off and see how you feel.”
Jixiang West Street was one-way, so Jiang Cheng got out at the intersection. “Thank you, Mr. Peng.”
“Get some good rest,” Mr. Peng called after her.
Dragging her suitcase, Jiang Cheng walked groggily toward the east gate of the residential complex. She had the persistent feeling that she had forgotten something.
There was a strange sensation in her heart, but she couldn’t figure out what it was.
An older woman greeted her warmly. “Little Jiang, long time no see!”
The woman was pulling a handcart and looked as though she had just returned from shopping at Maid uoduo or somewhere similar.
Jiang Cheng had no idea who she was. She was probably a resident of Jixiang Jiayuan.
Too many people in the New Technology District recognized her, and she couldn’t possibly know all of them in return. She merely nodded and greeted her. “Hello.”
The older woman walked alongside her for a couple of steps, muttering to herself, “The sky’s so overcast today. Why’s it this color?”
She pronounced the last word in her local dialect.
Jiang Cheng instinctively looked up.
Although the woman was elderly, she had danced in the neighborhood square for years and was remarkably spry. Within a few steps, she had overtaken Jiang Cheng.
After walking a little farther, she sensed something was wrong and glanced back.
The young woman called Jiang Cheng had stopped, her hand still on her suitcase. She was craning her neck toward the sky, completely motionless, as if she had turned to stone.
The older woman turned back around and continued on her way. She had to get home and prepare dinner.
Jiang Cheng stared at the sky.
That familiar, eerie purple.
At last, Jiang Cheng understood what she had felt she’d forgotten.
After the zombie crisis broke out, she had gone over everything that happened that Saturday.
Only then did she remember that the dizziness she’d experienced that day had not been the dizziness of a cold. It had been something else entirely.
It was as if something inside her mind that should have been able to expand and unfold had been gripped tightly by a pair of invisible hands. Air and blood could not pass through, leaving her in a constant haze.
And that thing being held tight was the memory of another world, which occasionally leaked out in the tiniest fragments!
If the sky’s unnatural purple had been the only sign, or if she had merely felt hazy and light-headed, perhaps it wouldn’t have meant anything.
But what were the odds of both things happening at the same time?
Besides, she had privately asked several people about it afterward and confirmed that everyone had suddenly passed out that day. She alone had experienced something resembling a fever.
After waking, no one else had shown any abnormalities. Only her strength had become far greater than it was in “Jiang Cheng’s” memories—even surpassing that of many men.
There was one more crucial factor to consider: she was a transmigrator from another world.
That factor was the key that tied everything together.
Jiang Cheng took several seconds to sort out her thoughts.
Because of her special nature as a transmigrator, she had entered an unusual state when the zombie virus first broke out.
And now, based on that state, she could conclude—
The zombie virus was about to return.
Jiang Cheng pondered for a second, then pulled out her phone. She composed a text message and sent it to everyone in her contacts.
Everyone.
That included colleagues, clients, and people from service industries whom she had met temporarily or dealt with regularly—such as the police officers, hotel staff, warehouse workers, and rental-car driver whose numbers she had added during this business trip to three different cities.
Every member of the Youth Apartments’ Interim Committee, as well as several residents who were not on the committee.
Master Luo, Yang Xinyan, and the other property-management staff.
Zhou Wang and several others from Jixiang Jiayuan.
A few contacts from Yu Jing Xiang Yuan, Deqingli, and several other residential complexes.
Vice Mayor Sun, Li Feng, Brother Dong and Guo Jun from Maid uoduo, and others.
Warning: The zombie virus will break out again today.
Return to a space where you can isolate yourself as soon as possible, and make preparations.
This is Jiang Cheng. The above is not a joke.
This message was sent to everyone in my contacts. Do not reply or call back.
More than two hundred phones chimed at almost the exact same moment.
More than two hundred people pulled out their phones and flipped them open to read the message, all of them freezing in confusion.
Mr. Peng had just reached a traffic light when he glanced at the message.
“Huh? What’s this supposed to mean?”
And she had even said it wasn’t a joke. If it wasn’t a joke, then what was it?
A young migrant worker who had come to S City to make a living was claiming she could predict a zombie outbreak.
“Has her cold given her hallucinations?” Mr. Peng wondered, genuinely concerned.
But the light had turned green, and the car behind him honked impatiently.
Mr. Peng hurriedly tossed his phone into the center console and focused on driving. He planned to call Jiang Cheng once he found somewhere to stop and check on her.
Since he intended to pursue a relationship with Jiang Cheng, he naturally had to be a little more proactive.
The clients, police officers, and warehouse managers who were in other cities read the message and frowned.
Which Jiang Cheng?
Oh—the one from the exhibition company. Now they remembered her.
What was this girl trying to do?
Although the message said it was “not a joke,” that was hardly enough to make anyone believe it.
She was just an employee at a private company. Did that mean a zombie outbreak would really happen simply because she said so?
Those who had only met Jiang Cheng once or twice did not believe the message. After reading it, they put their phones away again.
They didn’t take it seriously. Some were even annoyed that someone would joke about zombies. Nearly everyone had relatives or friends who had died during the zombie crisis.
It was a disgusting thing to joke about.
Several people at Yu Jing Xiang Yuan also saw the message.
They had first come into contact with Jiang Cheng and begun working with her after answering the nation’s call and leaving their homes.
They admitted that the girl possessed exceptional organizational and leadership abilities.
But the zombies were coming back...?
What nonsense.
Zhou Wang of Jixiang Jiayuan saw the message as well.
His first reaction was the same as the people at Yu Jing Xiang Yuan. He closed his phone, placed it back on his desk, and continued working.
Yet for some reason, he couldn’t settle down.
His mind kept replaying scene after scene of his dealings with Jiang Cheng.
When that girl turned cold, her eyes were filled with an intimidating pressure.
Zhou Wang couldn’t help glancing at his phone again.
The members of the Youth Apartments’ Interim Committee and several residents who had dealt with Jiang Cheng also received the message.
Most people were still at work at this hour.
Song Jingshuo was in the middle of a meeting. He wore a sharply tailored suit, a spotless white shirt, and a tie knotted small and tight. The air conditioning in the office building was turned up high, so a full suit was necessary to keep warm.
His gaze remained fixed on the screen of his phone.
The next moment, he snapped it shut.
Absurd.
That was the first reaction any normal person would have.
But this was Jiang Cheng.
This is Jiang Cheng. The above is not a joke.
Yes. Jiang Cheng would never make a joke like this.
Song Jingshuo lowered his eyes, then raised them again and swept his gaze across the conference room, where a group of impeccably dressed, polished-looking people sat around the table.
He stood up. “I’m sorry, but something urgent has come up.”
In the elevator, he ran into another colleague. Seeing Song Jingshuo press the button for the underground second floor, the colleague asked casually, “Heading out?”
He gave a perfunctory reply. “Yes.”
The colleague got off first and turned around outside the elevator, waving at him. “Bye-bye.”
Song Jingshuo gave an elegant little wave in return.
The elevator doors closed, freezing him in that pose as the car descended toward the underground parking garage.
Song Jingshuo strode toward his car.
Once inside, he took a pair of wired earphones from the center console and plugged them into his phone.
This year, smartphone manufacturers introduced wireless earbuds for the first time—no wires required. They were the most advanced and fashionable thing on the market, and all the stylish businesspeople bought a pair.
Song Jingshuo followed the trend and bought some too.
They were utterly impractical. The earbuds were bulky, hanging from his ears like hearing aids, and their battery life was terrible. They ran out of power after barely any use.
So Song Jingshuo still used wired earphones when he drove.
He called Jiang Cheng and started the car at the same time.
Although Jiang Cheng had told him not to call back, Song Jingshuo did not believe that applied to him.
Sure enough, Jiang Cheng answered immediately.
“Are you on your way back?” Jiang Cheng asked.
Song Jingshuo was equally concise. “I’m already driving.”
“Then that’s fine. I’m hanging up.”
No unnecessary words.
Song Jingshuo drove in circles around the exit ramp.
This is ridiculous, he thought.
It’s absurd. How could I believe something so absurd?
How could Jiang Cheng possibly have foreseen the outbreak of the zombie virus?
In fact, even now, aside from the initial announcement about a “virus,” the authorities had offered no explanation whatsoever about what the zombies were, how they had come about, or what principles governed them.
Song Jingshuo had always suspected that perhaps the authorities themselves had no explanation.
Zombies were a fantastical thing. Their very existence violated logic and scientific understanding.
If even the government couldn’t explain them, how could Jiang Cheng, an ordinary person, have the ability to predict their arrival?
How could I believe something so absurd?
At that moment, the car emerged from the underground garage, and the view suddenly opened up before him.
I don’t believe this absurd story, Song Jingshuo realized.
I believe Jiang Cheng.
The person who believed in Jiang Cheng even more than Song Jingshuo did was Li Jiangbing.
He had been negotiating with a client—a wealthy woman who looked very likely to sign up for a membership.
Li Jiangbing had been pulling out all the stops to persuade her to purchase a membership.
Then the text message arrived.
After reading it, Li Jiangbing froze for a moment before jumping to his feet.
The wealthy woman was startled.
Li Jiangbing abandoned the sales pitch and immediately told her, “Go home! The zombie virus is coming back!”
Then he turned around and rushed out of the consultation room.
“Everyone, go home! The zombie virus is coming back! Go home!” he shouted as he walked.
His voice was so loud that it even drowned out the gym’s background music.
It was a weekday afternoon, and there weren’t many people around. Only a sparse handful of customers were present, fewer than the employees.
The owner came over after hearing the commotion. “What are you talking about?”
“Have you gone crazy? What nonsense are you spouting?”
“I’m talking to you, Li Jiangbing!”
Li Jiangbing ignored him and waved his arms at everyone. “Go on, get out of here. The zombie virus is coming back!”
The owner was furious. He cursed at Li Jiangbing and told him to stop causing a scene.
“The zombies have all been killed! They’re dead and gone!”
The wealthy woman from the consultation room hurried after Li Jiangbing and called out, “Li!”
She stared at him intently. “Do you have some inside information?”
Thank goodness—someone was willing to listen.
Li Jiangbing said, “Yes. Someone I know warned me. He said the zombie virus is coming back and that we need to find somewhere to hide and isolate ourselves as soon as possible!”
The wealthy woman asked, “Is this person you know the son of some high-ranking official?”
Li Jiangbing was only a fitness instructor.
In the wealthy woman’s eyes, that meant he was either at the bottom of society or, at best, part of its lower ranks. He himself clearly had no special abilities. If he had access to inside information, then the person he knew must have connections and channels.
Even ordinary wealthy people wouldn’t have access to information like this. It could only have come through the government. That meant the person had to be the son of some high-ranking official whom Li Jiangbing had met through his work at the gym.
Why the son, specifically?
Because a son would be young. Because they knew each other. And because he might be thinking of giving Li Jiangbing a hand.
A genuine high-ranking official was a thousand-year-old fox. If he knew something, he would keep it to himself and never let a word slip.
Li Jiangbing had always possessed a keen sense of social survival.
Though he was somewhat agitated at the moment, he realized that if he admitted the person who had warned him was merely an ordinary white-collar worker, everyone around him might burst out laughing.
So Li Jiangbing stiffened his neck and confirmed, “Yes. His family has connections.”
“Believe me!” he said. “Everyone, go home right away. That’s all I’m going to say. I’ve done everything I can. I’m leaving!”
With that, he turned and headed for the changing room to retrieve his belongings.
The owner flew into a rage. “Where do you think you’re going? Your shift isn’t over yet!”
Without a word, the wealthy woman turned around and clicked away on her heels.
Several people who had been working out exchanged glances. One of them began moving, and the others followed, all heading toward the changing rooms.
The remaining instructors and the owner stared at one another.
Someone said, “Boss, maybe we should—”
The owner was speechless with exasperation. “You actually believe him?”
Li Jiangbing had worked there for nearly two years. Didn’t the owner know what kind of person he was? When had Li Jiangbing ever had access to inside information?
“What if?” someone said. “What if Jiangbing is telling the truth?”
The owner sneered. “There’s no ‘what if.’ If he had connections like that, he wouldn’t still be working here.”
Someone who could predict the outbreak of the zombie virus couldn’t possibly be an ordinary person. He might not even be an ordinary child of a high-ranking official. He would have to be the child of someone extremely, extremely powerful.
At a gym of their level, where would they possibly find someone like that?
Li Jiangbing felt that he had done everything he could. He had warned everyone, after all.
If they didn’t believe him, there was nothing he could do. He had to save his own life first.
He slung his bag over his shoulder and strode outside, calling Jiang Cheng as he went.
Yes, Li Jiangbing also believed that Jiang Cheng’s instruction not to call back did not apply to him.
That was how confident he was!
The first call didn’t go through.
He had no idea that Song Jingshuo was occupying the line.
Li Jiangbing unlocked his mountain bike, swung onto it, and steadied himself with one foot on the ground as he made a second call.
Jiang Cheng answered immediately.
“Is it true?” Li Jiangbing asked.
“It’s true. Are you on your way back?” Jiang Cheng replied.
“I’m already out!”
“Good. I’m hanging up.”
There was no unnecessary chatter.
Li Jiangbing put his foot on the pedal and began riding as fast as he could.
The gym wasn’t far from the youth apartment. He could get there in fifteen minutes.
All the members of the Interim Committee received the text message.
Of them, only Zhao Yi and Gao Yuxuan showed a moment of surprise. After thinking it over, they pushed back their chairs and stood up.
Zhao Yi went to ask his supervisor for leave.
His supervisor looked at him. “What’s going on?”
“The zombie virus is coming back today,” Zhao Yi said. “I’m going home to hide.”
His supervisor: “???”
“You should hurry home and hide too,” Zhao Yi added. “Ideally, everyone in your household should stay in a separate room.”
His supervisor: “???”
Zhao Yi turned to leave, then hesitated awkwardly. He didn’t really like being the center of attention.
Fortunately, the zombie crisis had given him some training. For a while, he had even become something of a public figure in his residential compound.
He cleared his throat and said in a soft voice, “I’ve received word that the zombie virus is coming back today. Everyone, hurry home and hide.”
After saying that, he lowered his head, slung his computer bag over his shoulder, and hurried away.
He left the entire office staring at one another in bewilderment.
As Zhao Yi stepped out of the elevator, his phone rang. It was Gao Yuxuan.
“Did you get the text message?”
“I did. I’ve already left the office.”
“Me too.”
“Good. Let’s go home!”
“Take a cab! Hurry up and get a cab!”
“Got it!”
What drives otaku men to believe something without hesitation and spring into action?
A sense of destiny.
Zhao Yi was faintly exhilarated.
After getting out of the taxi, he even kindly told the driver, “The zombie virus is coming. Get home quickly.”
Whether the driver believed him or not was his own fate. In any case, Zhao Yi had done everything he could.
Su Yu was astonished when she saw the text message.
She wanted to call Jiang Cheng, but hesitated when she saw the words: “Do not call back.”
If the message had been sent to everyone, surely a lot of people would be calling her. Her phone would probably be ringing off the hook.
So instead of calling, she opened the messaging app.
The app residents of the complex used to keep in touch was mainly for entertainment and casual socializing. Official business was usually handled elsewhere.
The moment she opened it and came online, she saw several group-chat icons flashing.
【Did anyone else get a text from Jiang Cheng?】
【I did. You got one too?】
【What text?】
【What are you guys talking about?】
Someone typed out the contents of Jiang Cheng’s message and sent them to the group.
The chat exploded at once.
【Seriously?】
【How did Jiang Cheng find out?】
【Does she have some kind of inside information? Didn’t she speak with the mayor on the phone before?】
【That was probably the emergency command center hotline. It wasn’t a personal connection.】
【If the mayor had inside information like this, he couldn’t possibly tell Jiang Cheng—or tell only Jiang Cheng.】
【I called Jiang Cheng. She didn’t answer and hung up on me immediately.】
【She said not to call back.】
【Maybe it’s just a prank?】
【Does Jiang Cheng look like the kind of person who would pull a prank like this?】
The group fell silent.
Because Jiang Cheng... was just too reliable.
Jiang Cheng was absolutely not the kind of person who would joke around or play a prank about something like this.
And yet everyone still felt that it was absurd. They all knew Jiang Cheng worked for an events company. Some of their own employers had even worked with that company on roadshows.
It was just an ordinary private company.
Jiang Cheng herself was simply an ordinary office worker.
There was no one especially rich or powerful—or anyone with a high-ranking official for a parent—living in Youth Apartments.
Song Jingshuo was probably considered quite elite. Even he had first relied on his family to buy him a small apartment, and only bought a large flat after he had earned enough money himself.
The residents of Youth Apartments might differ somewhat in education and income, but there was no fundamental difference in their social class.
They were all ordinary people.
Absurd. Completely absurd.
How could an ordinary person possibly predict something as momentous as a zombie virus outbreak?
Even the government couldn’t do that. If it had been able to, there wouldn’t have been a zombie disaster raging for more than a month.
So many people had died.
Su Yu also felt that it was absurd.
Jiang Cheng was just an ordinary person like the rest of them. Even the government didn’t dare announce that a virus was coming, so how could she?
And yet, while continuing with her work, Su Yu couldn’t stop glancing at her phone, again and again.
It was absurd—but that was Jiang Cheng.
Su Yu’s hand froze on the mouse.
A few seconds later, she abruptly rose to her feet and hurried off to find her supervisor. As she ran, she told everyone, “The zombie virus is coming!”
At that very same moment, Secretary Sun, who had since been promoted to vice mayor, also saw the text message.
He was stunned.