Listening to Sun Ya's account, Su Jin felt a deep jolt of shock and fell into a heavy silence.
Fu Hu had said Sun Ya was an experienced researcher in medical device manufacturing.
But now, he had blacked out every window in his apartment and was holding a hunting gun.
Together with his analysis, that suggested there was more to the old man than met the eye.
"Old sir, my name is Li Haocheng. Do you mind if I take a seat?"
Sun Ya stared him down, slowly lowering his gun before giving a stiff nod.
Su Jin stepped forward cautiously, pulled over a chair, and sat across from him.
"How did you know the rain infected animals? And why cover the windows? What made you think the army was in trouble?"
"I used to work in military manufacturing," Sun Ya sighed, stroking the hunting gun. "When I saw people starting to mutate, I collected some rainwater and tested it on the family dog... The dog went mad, so I put it down. I figured avian carriers were a risk, so I sealed the windows."
"Only when the state announced yesterday that its functions had ceased did I realize how bad things were. We can no longer count on the army."
"You know how things work inside. How can you be sure the army is finished? Even with widespread infection, the state would not normally announce its own collapse. Cities could still organize a response, but once people lose trust, that becomes much harder," Su Jin pressed, his brow furrowing.
Sun Ya mused, "Logically, yes. If large numbers of soldiers were infected, the state still would not give up for that reason alone. I can think of two possibilities."
"First, insects might also be infected. If bugs can carry the infection, human extinction is just a matter of time. The leaders might have decided they could only save themselves."
"Second... the rain may have effects beyond the obvious ones."
"No natural virus could cross species so easily and cause changes this fast. This was a supernatural disaster, not an ordinary virus."
Saying this, Sun Ya buried his face in his hands, letting out a hollow, defeated sigh.
Su Jin remained silent, an icy knot of paranoia tightening in his gut.
Taking a ragged breath, Sun Ya rubbed his tired eyes and looked up. "I've answered your questions. Now it's your turn to answer mine."
"Go ahead."
"You preemptively locked the tenants in. I wasn't the only door you glued shut, was I?"
"I sealed every door in our building."
"Why?" Sun Ya's gaze drilled into him.
"A little girl on the fifth floor said the apocalypse was coming. I took her word for it."
"Heh... So you really are crazy. No wonder you have a butt plug tied to your waist." Sun Ya scoffed, though his expression quickly sobered as he muttered to himself. "That kid Qingdai... I know her situation. I thought she had a mental illness. Now it looks like there's more to it. How did she have advance intel?"
"Do you believe in nature?" Su Jin asked quietly, casually shoving the emergency suppository into his pocket.
"Nature?"
"I believe in the scientific method, but I also believe nature balances itself. Even with civilization collapsing under a disaster of this magnitude, there must be some way to counter it," Su Jin said, holding Sun Ya's gaze. "I believe there must be some force to counter this disaster. Qingdai is evidence of that. Old sir, you're sitting here with a loaded gun, which means you do not want to die, do you?"
"Come with me. I'm putting together a team and need people now. I've got a cage full of lab rats. You're a research specialist; you can help me run more reliable experiments."
A little life returned to Sun Ya's eyes. He eyed Su Jin up and down.
"Build a team? Are you up to it? Why should anyone trust you?"
"Because I have someone who can foresee disaster, and I am director of the National Key Risk Intervention and Execution Bureau."
Sun Ya narrowed his eyes. "Bullshit! The government has no such agency."
"It does now."
Sun Ya scrutinized him for a long, calculating moment before a grim realization dawned on his face.
"Yes... you're right. It can exist now. I can help you."
Then his tone hardened. "But let's get one thing straight. I'm knocking on seventy's door. With the world in the toilet, whether I live or die makes little difference to me."
"If you want me to follow you and risk my life, prove you are capable. If you are a fool, I would rather shoot myself now!"
"What do you want me to do?"
Sun Ya didn't hesitate. He tossed his shotgun to Su Jin.
"This is a shotgun. I have thirty shells left. Go downstairs and clear out those zombies."
"Their primary weak point seems to be the heart. They respond to sound, light, and smell. There are stray cats and dogs in the complex, so be careful. Complete the task, and even if you are a certified lunatic, I will follow you!"
"That was my plan anyway. Watch from up here!" Catching the weapon, a cold, ruthless glint flashed in Su Jin's eyes.
He took the shells and headed for the door. "Old sir, the tenant across the hall from you is also a specialist, right? I sealed his door with glue. I'll leave you the glue remover. If you can do it safely, let him out. Otherwise, wait for me. It's freezing in here; go wait at Fu Hu's apartment."
"Understood."
Su Jin nodded, pulling the door open before abruptly freezing in the frame.
He glanced back over his shoulder, flashing Sun Ya an incredibly awkward smile. "Uh... how do I use this gun?"
Sun Ya barked out a laugh of pure exasperation. "Jesus Christ... and here I thought you were a professional! Come back here. I'll show you!"
...
Forty minutes later.
Su Jin stood in the shadows of the first-floor stairwell. Beneath his heavy down jacket, he was wearing a crudely sewn suit with protective inserts against zombies.
He wore gloves and a motorcycle helmet.
He tied the Silver Gun and shotgun to his waist with cords and tucked a machete at his side.
He was a novice with guns. If panic made him drop a gun, retrieving it could be difficult. He wanted to be prepared.
In the gloom of the corridor, Su Jin bowed his head, forcing his ragged breathing into a steady rhythm.
Once his heartbeat had calmed somewhat, he kicked the building entrance door!
Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound rang out beyond the door.
Outside, zombies coated in a thin layer of ice stirred at the sound!
The fragile ice crusts over their joints shattered as they lurched toward the source of the noise.
Soon more than a dozen zombies approached the entrance.
Right on cue, a firecracker went off in the distance.
The mob congregating at the door immediately pivoted, shuffling aggressively toward the sudden burst of noise.
At the same time, someone struck the stairwell handrail in quick succession.
Su Jin did not hesitate. He yanked the heavy security door open!
Exposed before him were the backs of over a dozen infected targets.
Bang, bang, bang... Nine shots rang out from the Silver Gun, exhausting its ammunition.
Su Jin slammed the door and retreated into the stairwell.
"Hoo..." Exhaling a trembling cloud of white vapor, he turned and sprinted back up to the fifth floor.
Waiting for him on the landing was Fu Qingdai. She held a string of firecrackers in one hand and a heavy wrench in the other, smiling with excitement.
"Brother, did it work?"
"Yeah... it worked. I think I bagged three of them? I couldn't see clearly. We'll do a few more rounds." Su Jin reached out, gratefully ruffling Fu Qingdai's hair. "You did well!"