RIACMET Chapter 1

“Anyway, he’s just a useless burden now, dragging resources wherever he goes. He’ll only slow us down. It’ll take at least half a month to reach Base S from here. Who knows what might happen along the way? Who has time to deal with him…”

“My brother needs a better recovery environment after receiving the Super Power Core. Weiwei told us to take good care of him on the journey. His car is too small. We can’t transport someone who’s almost dead easily.”

“That makes sense, but I’m worried Mr. Chen won’t agree to this…”

“Don’t worry, Doctor. My mother will take care of my father. Besides, by agreeing to the transplant surgery, he’s already accepted the death of this worthless trash. He knows the difference between losing one person and losing the entire family. Without my brother, we won’t make it to Base S. When the zombie mob attacks the next base, we’ll all die!”

“All right then… I’ll stop giving him the medicine.”

“All right. There’s no need to waste the medicine anymore. Doctor, hand over the rest to me. You can go.”

In the dimly lit basement, Jiang Nian lay nearly unconscious on a dirty metal bed. His face was as pale as paper, and his breath was faint.

His emaciated limbs were shackled with rusty chains, and his oversized medical gown was stained with blood around his abdomen, which might not have been changed since the surgery. The sheets beneath him were stained beyond recognition.

He couldn’t move. All he could do was try to turn his head toward the half-open door. Nothing was visible except the cold voices of a man and a woman arguing about “disposing of him.”

His stepsister, Chen Lin, was speaking with the family doctor.

Their words cut through the air like whispers from the devil, filled with cruelty.
Jiang Nian wasn’t sad. Ever since his Super Power Core was removed two days ago, he had accepted that he would be discarded like trash. Now, he finally felt relieved—he would soon be free. Two years of pure hell were more than enough.

Explosion!

The iron door was slammed open from a hard kick. Chen Lin stepped inside, wearing black-and-white athletic attire and with her hair tied back in a ponytail. She held a syringe as thick as a toddler’s wrist, filled with a pale yellow liquid.

Jiang Nian knew exactly what it was—the nutrient solution used in post-apocalyptic hospitals to keep special patients alive. For two years, it had been the only thing keeping him alive.

She approached him brutally, opening his jaws and forcing the liquid down his throat. As a newly awakened superhuman, her strength was overwhelming. He struggled weakly as the chains gripped his skin. He choked and nearly suffocated as he fought to swallow.

Clinking.

The syringe pulled from his mouth fell to the floor. Chen Lin stood towering over him. Her beautiful face was twisted with sadistic joy as she watched his pale face contort from choking.

“Enjoy your last meal!”

“Hah…”

Jiang Nian gasped and clenched his teeth. He glared at her with pain-filled eyes.

“Why waste that damn nutrition? I’m already dying.”

Why not just leave him alone? Let him end this faster.

“Ha ha ha…”

Chen Lin suddenly laughed. Her eyes sparkled with the same pity you’d give to a starving stray dog.

“You said we wouldn’t die easily. Now, I’ll show you exactly what that means! This nutrient cocktail mixed with a special anesthetic will keep you alive here for ten days. Experts say the horde will raid the base in a week…”

Now, Jiang Nian understood. He tried to speak, but his mouth was numb and his tongue was stiff—the effect of the anesthetic. Even if he wanted to bite his tongue and end it all, he wouldn’t have had enough strength to draw blood.

Seeing the terror in his eyes, Chen Lin’s laughter grew more mocking. She continued cruelly.

“The central district of Base Z is being evacuated to Base S tonight. Our family will be the first to leave, so we won’t see the zombies coming. You can stay here and enjoy the show—watch how those disgusting creatures make sure you die a miserable death! You’re useless!”

She spat on the iron bed, turned, and walked out. But she stopped at the door to say one last thing.

“Oh, and thank you for the superpower core you gave me. My brother is recovering faster now. We’ll make good use of it. Rot here.”

The door slammed shut. Footsteps faded away, and Jiang Nian closed his eyes in despair. He couldn’t even choose how to die—how unfair! But he was powerless.

Anger and exhaustion overwhelmed him, and he soon fell into a half-sleep.

Jiang Nian didn’t know how long he had slept when a deafening siren blared throughout the base. He heard gunfire and screams from above.

Moments later, the basement door opened. The stench of decay filled the basement. Zombies with twisted faces swarmed in. They growled as they charged at him. They bit and tore at his body.

Fortunately, the pain didn’t last long. One zombie tore into his throat, and his consciousness began to fade. His body grew cold, and all he could hear was the ravenous roar of the undead.

Brrrr—

The sound of gunfire right beside him snapped his scattered thoughts back into focus. The zombie above him was shot in the head and pushed aside.

“Jiang Nian!”

“Jiang Nian…”

A man in tactical gear carrying an AK called out his name. The voice sounded familiar. It took him a moment to remember. Cheng Jing was his ex-boyfriend. He had broken up with him unilaterally before the apocalypse.

Cough…

Cough…

Jiang Nian tried to speak, but blood flowed from his mouth. Cheng Jing’s face turned panicked as he pressed his hand against Jiang Nian’s neck, hugging him tightly and saying something—too many things—but he couldn’t respond. The sounds around him grew fainter. The last thing he heard was Cheng Jing’s coarse curse:

“You fool! Why didn’t you come to me?!”

“Why didn’t you come to me…?!”

“Jiang Nian!”

“Jiang Nian—”

Hearing Cheng Jing’s heart-wrenching screams and curses, Jiang Nian felt an overwhelming urge to cry. For over two years since the apocalypse began, he had prayed for death. But now, in his final moments, he desperately clung to his desire to live.

Yes, before his mother died, he had wanted to go to Cheng Jing. So why was he looking for a father who didn’t take responsibility for him and didn’t care about him?

Why didn’t he fight harder to reach Cheng Jing?

It was the apocalypse—why couldn’t they make peace?

If only he had gone to Cheng Jing, he wouldn’t have ended up like this…

The last voice faded away. Jiang Nian fell into darkness, drowning in regret.

…

A low humming sound could be heard…

“Bzzzt… bzzzt…”

In the morning, in a room with dark curtains tightly closed, the melody of a pleasant ringtone vibrated on the phone on the bedside table.

After shifting slightly under the air-conditioned blanket, a hand reached out to pull the phone up.

“Hello?”

A soft female voice came through the phone:

“Hello, this is Anxin Loan customer service. We noticed that you applied for a loan on our platform, but you haven’t completed the final verification process. Are you experiencing any issues? If—”

“I don’t need it anymore. Thank you.”

Before the representative could finish speaking, Jiang Nian hung up.

A moment later, he yawned, pushed aside the blanket, and sat up. While rubbing his neck, he suddenly froze.

“Huh?”

The next second, his expression changed drastically. His face turned panicked as he looked around frantically. His gaze finally settled on the still-active phone screen.

Tianhe City, East District, August 13, 2036, 9:25 a.m.