Grandpa Chun drove the car to the hospital. Lijuan got out of the car. Yeey looked at her and said, "My mom is being discharged today. Help take care of her, and don't tell her what we're going to do."
Lijuan nodded. "I will."
Yeey smiled at her. "Thank you."
Lijuan smiled back and walked into the hospital. Grandpa Chun drove off toward Korya. As Yeey turned and sat properly, Liu Ly looked at him and said, "About what happened earlier… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lost control and hit you."
Yeey shook his head. "It's okay. I kind of enjoyed being hit by you."
Oye frowned at Yeey. "Didn't expect you to be such a pervert, Yeey."
Kaize looked at Yeey and said, "If you like being hit, I'll hit you every day."
Yeey hugged Kaize tightly. "Come on then, hit me."
Liu Ly looked at Oye, and Oye looked back at her. Liu Ly said to him, "You'd better stop liking me."
Oye looked at her with disappointment. "Why?"
Liu Ly wanted to laugh but also wanted to cry. "Because the last person who liked me… is already dead."
Oye looked at her deeply and said, "If I die for you, I'd have no regrets in this life."
Liu Ly shyly pushed him and asked, "What about your parents?"
Oye gave a bitter smile. "They still have my younger brother. It's fine."
Liu Ly hugged Oye, and Oye hugged her tightly. From the trunk, Jianhuo shouted loudly, "Can you drive faster? It's really hot back here!"
Hearing this, Grandpa Chun pressed a button in the car. The trunk popped open. Jianhuo was startled and quickly slammed it shut again.
Jianhuo shouted in shock, "Old Chun, are you crazy?!"
Grandpa Chun asked calmly, "Cooler now?"
After that, he smiled and continued driving toward Korya.
Curiosity 3
Chapter Seven: The Zombie King
They arrived at the iron gate they had entered before. They looked at each other, then charged in fully armed.
Soon, they reached the place where they had fled last time. Chen Kai was still sitting beneath the giant tree, surrounded by a circle of zombies.
When Chen Kai saw Kaize, he curled his lips into a smile and said, "Hello, Kaize. I knew you'd come back, because you still love me, don't you?"
Yeey stepped forward and shouted, "Bullshit! We're here to kill you. No one in this world will ever love you."
The zombie dog beside Chen Kai began barking wildly, and Chen Kai stood up angrily. At that moment, Jianhuo stepped forward and stared at Chen Kai, too shocked to speak. Chen Kai looked at him in confusion and said, "Dad?"
Jianhuo trembled and said, "Son…"
Chen Kai asked, puzzled, "Why are you here?"
At that moment, Liu Ly spoke up. "We're here to kill you together."
Chen Kai lowered his head and looked at Jianhuo. "So you're with them too."
Jianhuo hurriedly explained, "No, no, no."
But Chen Kai no longer wanted to listen. He began controlling the zombie horde with his mind. Very soon, all the zombies charged madly toward the iron gates around Korya, pressing tightly against them, blocking anyone from entering or leaving. Grandpa Chun, Yeey, Kaize, Oye, Liu Ly, and Jianhuo stared in shock.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Lijuan was helping Fumei load things into the car. After finishing, Lijuan began pacing anxiously. Fumei came out and asked, "What's wrong?"
Lijuan shook her head. "Nothing."
Fumei looked at her suspiciously, then seemed to remember something. "Where did Yeey and the others go?"
Hearing this, Lijuan hesitated. "Uh… they… they went to…"
Seeing her reaction, Fumei stepped forward, held Lijuan by the shoulders, and looked at her firmly. "Tell me. Tell me honestly where they are."
Lijuan froze.
The scene returned to the cemetery. Jianhuo rushed forward, trying to hug Chen Kai, but Chen Kai slapped him on the head, sending him flying several meters away. Jianhuo fainted.
Yeey glared at Chen Kai in rage. Suddenly, several zombies appeared beside Chen Kai. Liu Ly looked on in shock and fear. Among them were Haoyi, Yanping, and Teacher Xu, all turned into zombies.
Another adult female zombie ran out. Kaize stared at her in despair. It was his mother, Xiaowen. Kaize looked at her with both fear and fury. Then a one-legged zombie crawled out—it was Fanling. Liu Ly staggered back a few steps. Just as she was about to fall, Oye caught her from behind. Yeey looked at the scene around him, his mind in chaos.
Chen Kai spoke calmly. "Sorry, I couldn't find Mr. Kong. He was probably killed by some beast."
Yeey's eyes burned with rage as he stared at Chen Kai. At that moment, Grandpa Chun raised his cane and fired at Chen Kai. As the shot rang out, a strange demonic wind swept in, blowing the bullet slightly off course and hitting the dog Chen Kai loved most.
Chen Kai looked down in shock at his dead dog, then slowly raised his head to look at them.
Suddenly, the zombies charged at the group. Yeey shouted loudly, "Remember this—these people are already dead. They're not who they used to be. Don't hesitate. Kill them!"
With that, Yeey charged forward with his sword. Oye glanced at Liu Ly and rushed in as well. Kaize and Liu Ly stood still for a moment, looking at each other. Their eyes hardened, and they shouted together as they charged forward.
Zombie Haoyi rushed at Yeey. Yeey split his head open with a single strike, and Haoyi collapsed. Zombie Yanping and Zombie Teacher Xu rushed at Oye. Oye slashed Yanping's neck with his dagger and kicked her away. Zombie Teacher Xu pinned Oye to the ground and was about to bite him when Liu Ly smashed her face with the spiked club, mangling it beyond recognition.
Meanwhile, Fumei was driving toward Korya with Lijuan. On the way, the news broadcast announced, "The zombies inside Korya have gone berserk and are surrounding the entrance."
Fumei glanced at Lijuan. When they reached the iron gate and saw the swarm of zombies, she charged forward without hesitation.
"Hold on tight!" Fumei shouted.
Lijuan grabbed the handle tightly. Fumei smashed through the gate, knocking several zombies away and crushing others, barely keeping control as they broke in. Fumei laughed wildly when she saw Lijuan's terrified face in the rearview mirror. After snapping out of it, Lijuan started laughing too.
Zombie Teacher Xu stood up and lunged again. Kaize decapitated her with his twin blades, and she collapsed. Then Zombie Fanling and Zombie Xiaowen charged at them. Liu Ly and Kaize froze, unable to strike. From afar, Grandpa Chun aimed and fired twice. With two gunshots, Zombie Xiaowen and Zombie Fanling fell.
Everyone gasped for breath. Seeing their courage, Chen Kai summoned dozens more zombies. Yeey straightened his posture and said, "Come on."
Dozens of zombies charged at them. At that moment, Fumei drove straight through, plowing down the incoming zombies. She rolled down the window and shouted, "Get in the car!"
Soon, Oye, Liu Ly, and Grandpa Chun got in. Lijuan looked at Yeey and said, "I'm sorry."
Yeey and Kaize stayed outside and shut the door. Fumei anxiously shouted, "What are you doing? Get in!"
Yeey looked at her firmly. "This all started with Kaize and me. Now, Kaize and I will end it."
Fumei said anxiously, "But—"
Before she could finish, Yeey said quietly, "Go."
Everyone in the car looked at him. Seeing that Fumei still hadn't driven off, Yeey roared, "Go!"
Fumei grabbed the steering wheel and floored the accelerator. As the car drove away, Oye threw his dagger out the window, watching Yeey and Kaize grow farther away.
Yeey and Kaize watched them leave. Under the tree, Chen Kai sneered. "So naïve. Do you really think it's that easy to escape?"
Yeey and Kaize turned to face him seriously. Chen Kai summoned no fewer than a hundred zombies around him. Yeey said, "How about this—just you against the two of us. No zombies."
Chen Kai laughed mockingly. "Do you think I'm stupid? Haven't you watched enough movies? Don't you know how villains usually die?"
Yeey smiled. "You're just a bully who picks on the weak. I was weak before, so you dared to bully me. Now that I'm stronger and you know you can't beat me, you hide behind zombies."
Chen Kai was instantly enraged and charged at them. Yeey looked at Kaize and said, "Let's end this together."
Kaize nodded, and the two rushed forward.
Fumei tried to escape, but zombies swarmed in from the side. She swerved sharply, sending everyone inside spinning. With nowhere left to go, she reached a broken bridge. She drove straight toward it and flew off. Everyone inside made shocked, awkward faces as the car soared through the air.
The car landed on the other side with a blown tire. Everyone was thrown around by the impact. The car began sliding out of control toward the edge. Slowly, it tipped over. With a loud crack, the rear wheels caught on the railing, leaving the car hanging upside down in midair.
Chen Kai confronted Yeey and Kaize. Yeey swung his sword at him. Chen Kai caught it and snapped it in half. Kaize slashed Chen Kai's legs with his twin blades, making him cry out in pain. Yeey stabbed Chen Kai in the abdomen with the broken sword, knocking him down, then punched him hard in the face.
Enraged, Chen Kai kicked Yeey, sending him flying several meters, then grabbed Kaize and threw him. Both slammed into the ground, writhing in pain.
Meanwhile, the people in the car climbed out one by one. Grandpa Chun climbed up first. Fumei crawled out through the window and reached out. Grandpa Chun pulled her up, and together they pulled Lijuan and Liu Ly up as well.
When it was Oye's turn, the car began to loosen. The shaking nearly sent him falling. Liu Ly reached for him. Just as Oye's fingertips brushed hers, the railing and the car collapsed together. Oye fell.
"No!" Liu Ly screamed helplessly.
As Oye saw Liu Ly growing farther away, tears streamed from his eyes, floating in the air. His final joke echoed as he fell. "Looks like everyone who likes you ends up dying."
He plunged into the raging river below. Liu Ly stared after him, unable to recover, her tears falling into the river as well.
Chen Kai walked toward Yeey. Kaize tried desperately to get up but couldn't. He could only watch from afar. Yeey struggled to his feet when Chen Kai suddenly drove his sharp claws into Yeey's back, lifting him slowly into the air. Yeey screamed in agony.
"No!" Kaize cried in despair.
Chen Kai tossed Yeey aside and walked toward Kaize.
Fumei helped Liu Ly to her feet. At that moment, Lijuan, Grandpa Chun, Fumei, and Liu Ly stared in shock at the other side of the broken bridge. The zombies were using their bodies to connect the two ends of the bridge in a way that defied physics. Other zombies stepped across their companions, crossing the bridge toward them. The four turned and ran.
As Chen Kai approached Kaize, Kaize spotted the small dagger Oye had dropped. An idea flashed through his mind. Chen Kai advanced step by step. Kaize dropped his twin blades and stood up to face him.
Chen Kai smirked. "Giving up already?"
Kaize rushed forward and hugged him. "Chen Kai, I still like you."
Chen Kai looked at him speechlessly. "Is this really necessary just to survive?"
Kaize looked up at him. "It's true. Now that Yeey is dead, we can finally be together openly."
Chen Kai looked into Kaize's shining eyes. "Really?"
Kaize nodded with a smile. Chen Kai crouched down in front of him. Kaize hugged Chen Kai's waist, then glanced at the dagger behind him and slowly picked it up.
"I knew you still loved me," Chen Kai said.
Kaize released him and stared at him expressionlessly. Chen Kai asked gently, "What's wrong?"
Suddenly, Kaize stabbed the dagger into Chen Kai's heart several times. Chen Kai staggered back in pain and stared at him in shock. "What are you doing?!"
Kaize cried in rage, tears streaming down his face. "Who would ever love something worse than a dog like you?!"
In the distance, the unconscious Jianhuo began to wake and looked toward Chen Kai.
Chen Kai slowly knelt down, crying in pain. "I really thought we were true love."
Kaize simply watched him. Chen Kai's body began to turn into soil, collapsing until it became a pile of earth.
Seeing this, Jianhuo collapsed weakly to the ground, crying out in agony. "No… my son…"
Meanwhile, a group of zombies was still chasing Fumei and the others. Fumei suddenly slipped and fell. Turning around, she saw the zombies rushing toward her and thought she was going to die. She closed her eyes silently. After a long moment, nothing happened. Grandpa Chun shook her shoulder. She opened her eyes in confusion to see that all the zombies were gone, leaving only soil behind. The broken bridge returned to its original state.
Hearing a click beneath the tree, Kaize knew the mechanism had shut down. He walked over to Yeey and saw blood pouring from his back, his lower body completely paralyzed. Yeey looked at Kaize through tears and said, "I thought you were going to abandon me and be with him."
Kaize smiled through tears.
Liu Ly ran to the riverbank and shouted, "Oye! Oye, where are you?! Oye!"
She collapsed to her knees. Fumei and Lijuan stepped forward and held her tightly.
Two Days Later
Liu Ly and Fumei stood beside Yeey's hospital bed.
Fumei held Yeey's hand and asked, "Are you sure you don't want to see Kaize?"
Yeey stared at the ceiling. "I don't want him to see me like this. Go out. Let me rest for a while."
Liu Ly and Fumei looked at Yeey, then left the room.
When Kaize saw them come out, he said, "My turn."
Fumei stopped him. "You can't go in."
Kaize asked, confused, "Why?"
Fumei said softly, "He said he doesn't want to see you. If you force it, he'll get angry."
Kaize turned away in resignation. Fumei and Liu Ly walked ahead of him. Suddenly, Kaize turned and rushed into Yeey's room. Realizing this, Fumei and Liu Ly hurried after him.
Seeing Kaize, Yeey turned his head away angrily. "Why did you come in?!"
Kaize walked up to him. Fumei and Liu Ly stood at the doorway.
Kaize held Yeey's hand. "Turn around. Let me see you."
Yeey cried, "Go away."
Kaize stood up and shouted, "I promised I'd be with you for my whole life!"
Yeey turned to him and snapped back, "I'm paralyzed for life now! Get out! You won't want to be with me!"
Kaize lunged forward, held Yeey's face, and kissed him. Yeey's tears wouldn't stop.
After the kiss, Kaize looked into his eyes and said, "Even if you're paralyzed for the rest of your life, I still want to be with you. I'll help you pee, poop, shower—whatever habits you have, I'll help you with them. I just want to be with you."
As he spoke, Kaize began to cry as well.
Yeey laughed and cried at the same time. "You said it."
Kaize nodded vigorously. Yeey smiled. "Wipe my tears."
Kaize used the corner of his shirt to gently wipe the tears from Yeey's eyes. Fumei watched them with relief. Liu Ly thought of Oye, and a single tear fell from her lifeless eyes.
—End of Volume—