Chapter 8: You Should Leave
Pei Zhi looked down at the little zombie absorbed in playing with his treasures. “Let’s go.”
The little zombie let out a soft “Awoo,” tucked the small gold ingots back into the pearl-inlaid box, and scrambled up to take Pei Zhi’s hand, following him up to the second floor.
Rows of clothing still hung on the racks. In the apocalypse, fashion was the least of anyone’s concerns; what mattered was having a full belly and staying alive.
Pei Zhi picked out a sturdy black backpack and packed two sets of tracksuits, two windbreakers, and two pairs of sneakers in the right size. Passing by the personal care section, he grabbed bottles of shampoo and body wash, intending to find a place where they could wash up properly.
On the top floor of the plaza were luxury hotel suites.
Pei Zhi led the little zombie upstairs, found a spacious room, and walked straight into the private bathroom.
The municipal pipes had run dry long ago, and the showerhead had rusted and peeled from years of disuse.
Pei Zhi grabbed a clean towel to wipe down the inside of the deep tub, filled it with fresh water using his water ability, stripped the little zombie of his soiled rags, and placed him inside.
The stench clinging to his own skin was just as unbearable. Pei Zhi quickly shed his clothes and stepped into the water as well.
The tub was spacious enough to fit them both comfortably.
The little zombie splashed around in the water for a bit, then pulled out a little gold ingot to play with under the surface. Pei Zhi scrubbed both of them thoroughly, using plenty of body wash and shampoo until every trace of grime and soot was gone, leaving them fresh and clean.
He pulled a fresh set of clothes from the pack and slipped them onto the boy. The little zombie cooed softly, staring down at the cheerful little sun print stitched across the chest of his new sweatshirt.
Now that his hair was washed clean, it felt soft and silky. In the ambient light, the light brown strands seemed to glow with a gentle sheen. His fair, delicate face was breathtakingly pretty, and his wide, dreamy eyes blinked with naive wonder.
Pei Zhi felt a subtle tug at his heart. The little zombie was undeniably pleasing to look at; with just a bit of grooming, his looks were extraordinary. Pei Zhi told himself he was merely admiring the youth’s appearance as an objective observer.
There was not a single impure thought in his head.
The boy sat on the edge of the mattress, fiddling curiously with the zipper at his collar. Pei Zhi crouched down before him, taking the pale, slender feet into his calloused hands. He slipped clean sneakers on and patiently tied the laces into neat knots.
Once the boy was dressed and Pei Zhi had changed into clean clothes himself, he set about preparing a meal. Finding a portable camp stove, he ignited the burner and cooked a pot of beef noodles. The ingredients all came from the boy’s spatial storage—dried noodles, a tin of beef, salt, and basic seasoning.
Pei Zhi found a bowl in the kitchenette, ladled the hot noodles, and sat beside the little zombie to feed him.
This will be the last time I feed him, Pei Zhi told himself.
The little zombie swung his legs happily and opened his mouth for the noodles Pei Zhi offered. But the second the food touched his tongue, it tasted completely bland and unappetizing. Spitting the noodles right back into the bowl, he shook his head furiously like a rattle drum, refusing to take another bite no matter what.
Pei Zhi frowned. “Aren’t you hungry?”
The little zombie turned his back on him in protest. Hungry or not, he refused to swallow that tasteless junk.
Pei Zhi poured the noodles into his own bowl and wolfed them down like a whirlwind.
After waiting quietly, the little zombie turned back around. Resting his chin in his hands, he sat beside Pei Zhi and stared intently as the man finished eating. As he watched, his empty stomach gave a loud, rumbling growl.
The moment Pei Zhi set the empty bowl down, the boy scrambled forward, climbed right into his lap, leaned in, and bit down on the man’s lips.
His sharp little fangs pierced Pei Zhi’s skin with ease. The instant warm droplets welled up, the little zombie greedily lapped them away.
Pei Zhi shoved him off, wiped the crimson droplet from his mouth with his thumb, and snapped coldly, “What are you doing?!”
Swallowing the sweet blood, the little zombie pointed at Pei Zhi’s lips, patted his own belly, and let out an urgent whimper.
I’m hungry! I want to eat!
Piecing together the meaning, Pei Zhi’s brow furrowed sharply. “If you’re hungry, eat real food! Who told you to drink blood?!”
Intoxicated by the intoxicating fragrance of blood, the little zombie paid no heed to the scolding. Scrambling to his feet, he paced around Pei Zhi with frantic whines. Seeing that the man refused to feed him, the boy grew desperately anxious. He was starving, and the sweetest delicacy was right within reach, yet he wasn’t allowed to have it!
Driven by ravenous instinct, all reason vanished. Forgetting entirely about the danger of electric shocks, he seized Pei Zhi’s arm, shoved the sleeve back, and sank his teeth viciously into the man’s muscular forearm…
The immediate result was an explosive jolt of lightning that fried his hair into a frizzy afro once more.
Worse still, Pei Zhi gave himself the exact same afro.
In his panic, Pei Zhi had unleashed the electricity while the boy’s teeth were clamped into his arm, conducting the charge straight back into himself.
In all the time since awakening his lightning ability, this was the first time Pei Zhi had ever electrocuted himself. For several seconds, he sat there utterly stunned.
Regaining his senses, he grabbed the little zombie by the collar, hauled him to the door, tossed him out into the hall, and slammed the door shut with a heavy bang.
The little zombie landed hard on his bottom. Staring at the closed door, he crawled to his knees, stretched out his hands, and extended his sharp nails, raking them down the wood with a screeching sound.
Scratch… scratch…
“Awoo… Awoo…”
Hungry… I want to eat…
Like an abandoned puppy, he whimpered continuously outside the door, sounding thoroughly heartbroken.
Inside, Pei Zhi walked into the bathroom and inspected the bite on his lip in the mirror. It hadn’t been deep, and the pain was already gone. Even more astonishingly, the wound was closing before his very eyes, knitting together until not a trace of a scar remained.
Pei Zhi lifted his arm. Sure enough, the fresh bite marks on his forearm were completely healed as well.
The little zombie’s healing ability didn’t require holding hands, hugging, or kissing after all.
The healing factor resided in his saliva, which carried the power to neutralize the zombie virus and mend torn flesh.
Pei Zhi pulled the door open again. The little zombie, who had been scratching at the panel just seconds earlier, quickly retracted his claws, hid his hands behind his back, and stared up at him with an aggrieved pout.
Pei Zhi looked at the pathetic figure, pulled a combat knife from his belt, and dragged the blade across his own palm.
Crimson blood welled from the cut, filling the air with a sweet, tempting scent. The little zombie’s eyes lit up instantly. Scrambling to his feet, he cradled Pei Zhi’s hand in both of his and drank the blood eagerly.
Soft, satisfied hums slipped from his throat as he drank.
Only when he had licked the palm completely dry and cleaned the pale edges of the cut did he reluctantly pull away, letting out a gentle, grateful squeak: “Awoo…”
Thank you.
Pei Zhi pulled his hand back. Watching the cut on his palm seal itself shut within seconds, his theory was proven beyond doubt.
“Full now?” Pei Zhi asked.
The little zombie nodded eagerly, patted his round belly, and even let out a soft burp to show he was satisfied.
Pei Zhi gave a low grunt of acknowledgement. Taking the boy by the hand, he led him out of the suite, down the stairs, and out of the shopping plaza into an open clearing.
Having eaten his fill for the very first time, the little zombie felt wonderful. Walking beside Pei Zhi with their hands joined, he radiated pure joy. He even bent down to pluck a fluffy stalk of foxtail grass from the roadside, holding it up proudly for Pei Zhi to see.
Pei Zhi slowly let go of the boy’s hand.
Looking down with an indifferent expression, he said calmly, “You should leave.”
The Food-hoarding Zombie Was Kidnapped by the Apocalyptic Boss
