Chapter 8: The Housekeeper Turns Into a Zombie

The villa was filled with a nauseating stench—a sickening mixture of blood, rot, and ammonia. Jiang Qiyu fought back her discomfort, tucking her HK MP7A1 submachine gun back into her storage space and swapping it for an M1911 pistol, which she tucked into her waistband before cautiously beginning to search the villa.

The second floor was deathly quiet, the smell of decay seemingly even more pungent. Jiang Qiyu stepped lightly, her M1911 tracking with her gaze as she scanned the surroundings vigilantly. The doors to the rooms on both sides of the corridor were tightly shut, with wisps of revolting black blood occasionally seeping from the cracks.

She searched them one by one: the master bedroom, the guest rooms, the study, the walk-in closet—all were empty, save for items discarded in a panic scattered across the floor. In the children's room, Jiang Qiyu discovered a slow-moving zombie.

The room was covered in Disney stickers: Snow White, The Little Mermaid, Queen Elsa... A family portrait hung on the wall; the girl in the photo was smiling brilliantly, nestled between her parents, radiating happiness and warmth. Various toys and storybooks sat on the desk.

Jiang Qiyu’s eyes dimmed. Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger. With a single gunshot, the zombie collapsed.

"Bang—bang, bang—" Several more shots rang out, dispatching zombies that had wandered out of other rooms. Jiang Qiyu frowned. Their movements were sluggish, their reactions delayed—clearly, this was the initial stage of the viral infection. In two months, the virus would undergo its first mutation; by then, their speed and bite force would increase significantly, evolving into Level 1 zombies, Level 2 zombies, and beyond.

Jiang Qiyu remembered that the cleaning service she had hired consisted of more than just these few people. She continued upstairs, a faint sense of unease stirring in her heart.

The third floor housed the staff quarters and storage rooms. As she reached the top of the stairs, she heard a faint sound. She immediately raised her gun, held her breath, and slowly approached the source of the noise.

"Who? Who's there?" a trembling voice asked.

Jiang Qiyu tightened her grip on the pistol and cautiously peered around the corner, only to find a middle-aged man huddled in the corner, staring at her in terror.

The man’s complexion was sallow, his eye sockets sunken, and his face covered in stubble. His clothes were ragged, stained with filth and dust. His lips were cracked and bleeding, his eyes hollow and lifeless. He breathed in shallow, rapid gasps, his body trembling so violently it seemed he might collapse at any moment. He clutched a shovel tightly, as if it were his only lifeline. Fear and despair were woven into his features, like a wild beast trapped in a cage, desperately awaiting its fate.

The man was startled to see Jiang Qiyu. He hadn’t eaten in two days; hunger was gnawing at his stomach like a beast, leaving him so weak he couldn't even stand. Prolonged mental strain and terror had brought him to the brink of a breakdown. He didn't know how much longer he could hold out or where else he could hide. He had initially assumed she was another zombie, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was the benefactor who had paid them that morning.

"Waa—" The man burst into tears, lunging toward Jiang Qiyu, snot and tears streaming down his face. "Ms. Jiang! It’s you! You’ve come back!" He dropped the shovel, scrambling to her feet as he wept uncontrollably. "Ms. Jiang, you’re finally back! You scared me to death! Wuu wuu wuu..."

"Don't come any closer! Stop right there!" Jiang Qiyu quickly stepped back, pointing her gun at him. "Who are you?"

"Ms. Jiang! It’s me, Old Li! From the cleaning company!" The man wailed, pointing at his uniform. "Don't, don't you remember?"

Jiang Qiyu frowned and pulled him up from the floor. "You are... from the cleaning company?"

"What happened? Where are the others?" Jiang Qiyu holstered her gun and scanned the surroundings warily.

"Ms. Jiang, something terrible has happened! The delivery truck driver, he—he turned into a monster! He bit Xiao Zhang, Xiao Wang, and Xiao Liu to death! And they, they turned into monsters too!" Old Li spoke incoherently, his body still shaking uncontrollably.

"We tried to fight back at first, but then we realized that those bitten also turn into monsters! It’s too horrific! We’ve been hiding in the main building, afraid to go out..."

"Now, there are only about ten of us left alive. We tried calling the police, but no one answered..." Old Li’s voice grew faint, his eyes filled with despair. "Ms. Jiang, are we... are we all going to die?"

"The world outside is the same as it is here." Jiang Qiyu took out her phone, pulled up the video she had recorded on her way, and handed it to him. "See for yourself."

Old Li took the phone with trembling hands. As he watched the hellish scenes in the video, his face turned even paler.

His eyes rolled back, and he fell straight backward. Jiang Qiyu was quick to catch him and lower him to the floor.

Old Li was deathly pale, his lips turning purple; he looked as if he were fading fast. Jiang Qiyu quickly retrieved a bottle of glucose injection and a pack of compressed biscuits from her storage. She inserted the IV into Old Li’s vein.

Old Li drifted in and out of consciousness, feeling his strength slowly returning. He opened his eyes, his dizziness and nausea subsiding slightly.

"Ms. Jiang... thank you..." Old Li whispered weakly. "If not for you, this old life of mine would have been over..."

"How do you feel now?" Jiang Qiyu asked.

"Much better... just still a bit hungry..." Old Li said, his voice faint.

Jiang Qiyu handed him another pack of compressed biscuits and a bottle of water. "Eat something to fill your stomach first. I'll get you more food later."

Old Li took the food and devoured it, as if he hadn't eaten in three days and three nights. When he finished, he looked at Jiang Qiyu with gratitude, bowing slightly and clasping his hands together subconsciously.

"Ms. Jiang, you truly have the heart of a Bodhisattva! If it weren't for you, we all would have been done for..."

"Now is not the time for this," Jiang Qiyu interrupted. "You said there were others alive. Where are they now?"

"They are all hiding in the basement of the main building..." Old Li said hurriedly. "Ms. Jiang, you must save them!"

Jiang Qiyu raised her hand to signal Old Li to be silent. Her eyes swept the area sharply as she said in a low voice, "Lead the way." Old Li nodded and stood up to guide her. Jiang Qiyu followed behind, observing the environment calmly, her slender fingers tapping rhythmically against the side of her thigh.

When they reached the entrance of the main building, Old Li stopped. Pointing at the tightly shut doors, he said with a trembling voice, "They... they are inside..."

Jiang Qiyu didn't speak. She stepped forward, raised her hand, and gave a gentle push. The heavy metal doors slid open as easily as paper, emitting a low, booming sound.