Chapter 10 - 009 I’m off to work

Chapter 10: Chapter 009 I'm off to work After a busy day, night fell. It was another fulfilling day. After watching a movie, he took the zombies outside to the trash bin. Without the help of the cleaning lady, all the chores were up to him, but that made him wonder, doesn't that mean he wouldn't have to pay the property fee anymore? The annual property fee was more than a thousand, quite a lot, and he felt a sharp pain in his heart whenever it was time to pay, as if something important was leaving him. He had wiped out the lunch he prepared. "Forget it, I'll just have to work a bit harder tonight and settle for instant noodles." He rummaged through the fridge and found some ingredients. An egg, a sausage, both essential for cooking instant noodles. Sizzle! Bubbles were boiling around the edge of the pot. Lin Fan skillfully opened the instant noodles and poured them into the pot, then tore open the seasonings packet and sprinkled it on top. Holding the egg, he gently tapped it against the edge of the pot, the shell cracked and the soft egg white and yolk spread out over the noodles. The sliced sausage was artistically scattered about. "Cooking instant noodles is a technical job, it requires control over the heat and timing, not everyone can make a perfect bowl of instant noodles," Lin Fan said quietly while standing in front of the gas stove, waiting and controlling the heat at all times. Before long, the distinctive aroma of the instant noodles wafted out. The egg turned out quite well, not fully cooked, you could see the flowing yolk when torn open. Fully cooked eggs don't taste good, but this kind of runny egg, mixed with the noodles, is the tastiest, not only does it have the flavor of the broth, but also of the egg. The fusion of the two is what makes it truly delicious. Clack, he turned off the heat. He picked up a cloth and carried the pot with the noodles to the table. Seeing the cilantro, he washed it, cut it into small pieces, and sprinkled it on top of the noodles. A simple bowl, but quite extraordinary noodles, were finally ready. In this post-apocalyptic world, it could probably count as a delicacy. He slurped the noodles listlessly. Night. Zombies were roaming everywhere outside, much more active than during the day. Every once in a while, he could hear the zombies' roars, and in his sleep, Lin Fan dreamed that he worked hard, earned the appreciation of his boss, had a salary spike, made over ten thousand a month, bought a little car, even found a girlfriend, and then... Roar! Bang! Bang! Violent noises came from a distance. Lin Fan was awakened by the piercing sounds. He discovered that the nighttime zombies behaved as if they were on drugs. Even without people, they were unusually active. Throwing off the covers, he couldn't stand it any longer and went to the balcony, shouting into the darkness. "Can't you all show some quality? Look what time it is, it's already... 2 AM, if you don't sleep, can you please not disturb others' rest? I have to go to work tomorrow." He felt hopeless with these zombies. Quality, where had it gone? No mistake, it was the apocalypse. But the apocalypse is no reason for your lack of quality. Roar! The endless roaring continued in response, wave after wave, accompanied by the sound of running. The zombies, hearing the noise, seemed even more excited. "Sigh." "Such poor quality." "Clearly a failure of the nine-year compulsory education system." What else could he say? There was nothing more to say. He was one of the calm ones; had he been hot-tempered, he surely would've gone down to have a big fight with them. But he wouldn't, the compulsory education system taught him: Endure a moment of anger and you'll find calm waters; step back and you'll see a wider sky. You should not go teaching others a lesson just because they are outrageous. Win the fight and lose money, lose the fight and go to jail. He once had a friend over a mahjong dispute, for just twenty bucks, who crushed another player's "eggs," leading to the man's death. 20=two "eggs" + one life. Just thinking about it was terrifying enough. "Do what you want, I'll sleep on my own," Lin Fan shook his head, what could he do about such low quality zombies? Really, there was no way. Just as he was about to go to sleep with his head under the covers. Bang! Bang! The security door was being hammered loudly. Lin Fan took a deep breath, constantly reminding himself... Endure a moment of anger and you'll find calm waters; step back and you'll see a wider sky. Bang! Bang! Bang! Lin Fan: ... He went to the door, knife in hand, opened the security door, and saw a bunch of zombies climbing the stairs towards his place, wandering in front of his home. "Can't you be less outrageous? I didn't even want to bother with you." "But now you're pounding on my door, disturbing my sleep." "I'm so pissed..." Having said that, he didn't get an apology from the zombies, but instead, their ferocious roars continued. Pfft! Lin Fan swung his knife again and again, strike after strike. "Get lost, all of you get lost! I've already called the cops, and they said it's self-defense, I'm not in the wrong." He rarely swore because he was a polite young man. But now he was enraged, at the end of his patience, just wanting to sleep well. Was that too much to ask for? Black blood stained the floor and the walls, bringing him a great deal of cleanup work. After a while. Lin Fan returned to his room, slapped the security door shut, and placed the kitchen knife on the shoe cabinet. He went back to his room, covered his head and fell asleep. Suddenly, a hand reached out from under the covers, grabbing the teddy bear from the bedside table with a whoosh and pulling it under the covers. Early morning. Sunlight streamed in. The alarm clock read 6:20. "Time to go to work." Lin Fan got up, dressed and washed as usual. The company's policies were strict: leaving early cost you money, so did being late—two hundred a time. A few of those, and a month's salary could disappear. But he liked the atmosphere of the company. Everyone was nice. Just not the boss. But he understood. The boss was under a lot of pressure, so many expenses, so he needed to cooperate well. He took two eggs from the fridge, boiled them, added a bag of milk, and that was breakfast. Standing in front of the mirror, he tidied himself up quickly. He looked spirited, the epitome of an excellent office worker. He wanted to get to the company early to explain to the boss, "I was really watching a movie yesterday." Holding the kitchen knife, he opened the security door. The hallway was quiet, not a sound. Last night's zombies must've partied themselves out, found a place to sleep off the exhaustion. Downstairs. Breathing in the fresh air, there was a unique aroma to the morning air—untainted by exhaust fumes, one deep breath, and the spirit was invigorated, ready for a day full of energy. There should still be zombies in the neighborhood. But he didn't provoke them, nor did he make any loud noises. After partying so hard last night, they'd be exhausted. A quiet environment meant better rest—that's what a good person should allow. Seeking them out, slashing at them with a knife? That's not what a law-abiding citizen would do. "Shush!" As he was about to leave the complex, a faint noise reached him. He stopped, looking quizzically in its direction. From a building over there, on the fourth floor, a window creaked open, and a man in poor mental condition made a gesture toward him, his expression gradually becoming agitated. He wanted to say something but didn't dare to raise his voice. "Good morning," Lin Fan waved, flashing what he thought was his friendliest smile. A beautiful morning capped with the loveliest smile made for a good start. "Off to work now, bye." After the greeting, he left without another word. "You freaking..." The man struggled for words after hearing Lin Fan, and after a moment, he muttered, "This guy must be crazy." "Good morning?" "Going to work?" He felt a touch of madness, shaking his head and rubbing his eyes. It had to be an illusion, that was no person. He was greeting a figment. Zombies were wandering outside his door, occasionally banging against the security door—he didn't know how long it would hold. He wanted to leave, but had no idea how to go about it. Last night, the terrifying howls had kept him awake, his spirit tormented with the fear that zombies might break in and consume him. An illusion—all illusions. There were no zombies. All illusions. The man wobbled as he opened the security door, and seeing two zombies outside, he cracked a smile. "You're just hallucinations, right?" Roar! The zombies roared, their eyes glowing as they pounced on him. "So quiet." Lin Fan stood at the entrance of the complex, taking in the stillness with no trace of the usual bustle. Storefront windows shattered, bodies piled up on the road, blood everywhere had turned congealed and black. Even though the current situation made him uncomfortable, he had gotten used to being alone. "Time for work." He would normally take the bus to work, but given the current circumstances, that seemed unlikely. Luckily, there were shared bikes on the street. He scanned a bike with his phone, paid successfully, and then with his backpack on and the kitchen knife in hand, he rode towards the direction of his company. One yuan an hour, not expensive at all. Later, he could ride it back home too. On the road there were many overturned cars. Luxury ones, as well as more affordable ones. In many cars, drivers still sat in their seats but without any signs of life. They hadn't turned into zombies; they died during escape attempts, in collisions with other cars. Some cars were burnt out, leaving only the shell with charred bodies inside, a ghastly sight. He pedaled at a pace neither too fast nor too slow, noticing some zombies staggering on the roads. His silent biking didn't attract attention. Occasionally, a zombie noticed his figure. Instantly, they lunged at him like mad dogs, only to be swiftly cut down by his knife. "Self-preservation is what I should be focusing on right now." He only wanted to get back to the company where a month's salary awaited him from the boss. No matter the outcome. He had to claim the hard-earned wages. He still had a life to live. PS: Hey, I haven't sold my account, don't jump to conclusions. I've just been in a bad place recently, playing games, drinking, living in a daze. As for changing the protagonist, writing this book is a way to ease my state, thanks for everyone's support. PS: Oh, right, I've signed a contract now, so you can give me monthly votes. Folks, let's see some monthly votes, or donations are also welcome!