Life after that day was no longer just about food. For the four of them, safety had become the greater concern.
"Since it's already happened, we need to face it head-on," Lan Jin said. Even if they wanted to avoid it, could they run? Where would they go? They had no destination in mind, no guarantee that the road would be safe.
In a world where everything was unknown, the most stable choice was to stay where they were.
After a pause, Lan Jin added, "I think we should first figure out the pattern of this thing. Do they stay in that crazed state once they lose control, or do they calm down after a while?"
From what Lan Jin had seen, Lao Gao had recovered after his frenzy, even after being shocked with electricity. If recovery was possible, then he couldn't be an exception.
So was this recovery purely a matter of time, or did it require intervention?
And after one bout of madness, was it over for good, or would it return in intervals?
If they went mad, would they turn on each other?
If they didn't, and had no food, would they starve?
After all, no matter how crazed they became, they were still human. Humans still needed energy. Without food, how many days could they last?
Lan Jin's questions were exactly what they needed to understand next.
They were still planning their next move when a loud bangshook the air. All four of them flinched, their words cut off at once.
A moment later, just as Huang Jinghe was about to speak, another crash came. Judging by the direction and volume, it had to be something slamming against the 31st floor security door.
Their eyes widened. Could it already be here?
"I didn't damage the door earlier, right?" Lao Gao asked nervously.
"You never even went near it." But then came the uneasy follow-up, "Still… this door was tampered with before. Can it handle that kind of force?"
Ling Jiang quickly pulled out the walkie-talkie to call Grandma Ling. "Grandma, did you hear that? Don't open the door. No matter what you hear, do not open the door."
Grandma Ling, already familiar with using the walkie-talkie, sounded anxious. "What was that noise? You kids are hiding something from me. You're making me worry."
"I'll explain when we get back," Ling Jiang said firmly. "For now, just remember—don't open the door. Hide in a room and keep quiet."
Her words had barely left her mouth when a terrible howl rose from below, followed by another violent crash.
The sound left Lao Gao staring in disbelief. "That… that sounds just like the zombie noises from the movies. Was I making that same noise earlier? And that impact… was my strength like that too?"
A wry smile crossed Lan Jin's lips. In truth, Lao Gao's strength was probably even greater. Those muscles of his were not just for show.
Still, Lao Gao's curiosity was piqued. "I want to take a look downstairs. We can't just hide in here forever. If they break the security door, this door won't hold either."
"You're quick to forget pain once it's gone," Ling Jiang snapped. But she knew he wasn't wrong—hiding forever wasn't a plan.
Lan Jin said, "Before we do anything, let's test our strength. After I drank that water, my strength became incredible. My dog and Qiao Qiao too. Let's see if you've changed."
The memory of Lan Jin lifting something with ease earlier had Huang Jinghe suddenly excited. "Sister Lan, what's the heaviest thing you've lifted?"
"My double-door fridge. Picked it up without even trying."
Unfortunately, Lao Gao's home didn't have a fridge. "No fridge here. But my treadmill's really heavy. Want to try that?"
He led them into the spare bedroom. To the left stood a large treadmill. In the past, even with both Lao Gao and Ling Jiang working together, they could barely shift it. Now, Lao Gao hooked his arm under the front and lifted it with ease.
Most of its weight was concentrated at the front, so raising it proved his strength had truly changed.
"My strength really did increase!" Lao Gao said quickly.
Huang Jinghe hurried over to try, and easily lifted it too. "So light. It's really so light!"
But when Ling Jiang tried with both hands, the treadmill didn't budge. She shook her head. "No use. Can't lift it."
Tests with other objects confirmed the result—Lao Gao and Huang Jinghe had grown stronger, but Ling Jiang had not.
Lan Jin said, "So not everyone gets stronger after drinking the water. Fine. We'll take the lead downstairs. If we can, we should reinforce that door."
But while they had been testing their strength, the noises from below had stopped completely. No howls, no crashes. The sudden silence made them uneasy.
Without hesitating, the three of them headed down.
Yet when they reached the 31st floor, the corridor beyond the security door was empty.
Lao Gao stepped up to the small glass window and peered left and right. "Nothing," he started to say—when a face, twisted with the same symptoms he had once shown, appeared right on the other side.
Lao Gao staggered back, his legs giving out so that he fell straight to the floor. Pointing at the thing ramming the security door, his voice cracked. "That… thing… me? I was like that?"
All three nodded.
And it wasn't just Lao Gao. Everyone with those symptoms had monstrous strength. Each impact made the entire doorframe shudder.
Lan Jin's worry deepened. "That door won't last…"
Before she could finish, the creature slammed its head into the glass, shattering it. With an opening at last, its hand shot through, clawing toward them with all its might.
It howled and thrashed, moving exactly like the undead from the movies.