Chen Ming swept his gaze up and down over the two newcomers, his lips pursed in a tight line. "Have you ever been bitten?" he asked coldly.
"N-No, never!" The two shook their heads frantically, even rolling up their sleeves to prove it.
In some ways, the two of them mirrored our situation. If Chen Ming hadn't agreed to join forces with us back then, we probably wouldn't be much better off ourselves.
I looked at the two trembling figures. Even though a part of me wanted to offer shelter, the truth gnawed at me — we could barely feed ourselves. We were already carrying the burden of survival. If we added two more people on our own terms...
I turned to Chen Ming, who remained silent, lost in thought. After a moment's hesitation, I addressed the two strangers, laying down our harsh reality: "You should already understand the situation. We're ordinary people, just like you. Just because we can hack down a few of the walking dead doesn't mean we can guarantee food, safety, and comfort for everyone. Even if you stay with us, you'll have to venture out just like we are now — finding food, supplies, whatever's needed."
At my words, the girl instinctively shrank behind the man, whispering, "Brother..."
They looked alike — same dark hair and wide, wary eyes — but the man, who seemed close to thirty, carried a more mature air, while the girl looked about my age. Siblings, no doubt.
Seeing his sister's fear seemed to harden the man's resolve. Though he was shaking moments ago, he steadied himself, patted her hand gently, and looked me straight in the eyes. "We understand. You're right. More people... means a better chance at survival."
Before Dad or Chen Ming could speak, I stepped forward, extending my hand. "I'm He Mo. This is my father. And that's Chen Ming — he's with us."
The man gripped my hand firmly. "I'm Xu Yiwen. This is my sister, Xu Qiqi."
Although Chen Ming's expression darkened at the news of them joining, their addition solved a big issue — transporting our scavenged supplies back. We scavenged several large backpacks from the supermarket corner and began loading them up, stuffing them to bursting with supplies. Each of us carried a pack by the end, even if most of the bags contained less-useful junk foods like potato chips. Still, with the power out and nothing else to distract Tiantian, gathering some treats might lift his spirits.
I found an empty plastic bag, tore open all the chip packets, and dumped them together, twisting the end and shoving it into another pack to protect it from moisture.
Dad slung the chip bag over his shoulder. Xu Qiqi clung tightly to Xu Yiwen's clothes, refusing to let go. Dad spoke gently, trying to coax her apart, but the moment we mentioned separating even slightly, Xu Qiqi burst into tears.
The standstill dragged on for minutes. Chen Ming grew impatient, shooting her a sharp look. "If you don't want to go, stay here."
Knowing this wasn't helping, I took a deep breath and walked over to Xu Qiqi, softening my tone. "How about this — your brother walks ahead of you, I'll stay right behind you. Just stay quiet in the middle and follow us, alright?"
She hesitated, but in the end, she agreed. Clutching her brother's sleeve tightly, she followed us toward the door.
Outside, a few corpses were already shuffling aimlessly nearby. As we approached the glass entrance, their heads snapped towards us, mouths gaping open in low, guttural moans.
Chen Ming pulled his knife without hesitation, glancing at me and signaling with quick, practiced gestures. I didn't know if it was official police training or just his own system — but I understood it well enough.
Two corpses for me, three for him. Move fast.
As soon as Chen Ming burst through the door, Dad followed, wielding his heavy iron spatula like a warrior charging into battle. "Dad's got your back!" he called.
The first walking corpse lunged straight for me, its snarling face barely inches away. I stumbled back instinctively, clamping down on a scream. It tumbled to the ground at my feet. I stomped its chest to pin it, and Chen Ming drove his blade straight through its skull.
Xu Yiwen and Xu Qiqi had no weapons. They froze in horror, Qiqi cowering behind her brother. Their wide eyes tracked every movement, stunned into paralysis.
Meanwhile, Dad and Chen Ming brought down two more with quick, brutal strikes.
Seizing the opportunity, I dashed towards the siblings, grabbing Xu Yiwen's arm. "Move now! Head for the cars by the sidewalk. Stick close and don't set off any alarms — don't attract the others!"
Xu Yiwen understood immediately, dragging his sister with him as they dashed toward the parked cars.
Another corpse lunged toward Dad. I swung my knife, slicing into its skull, the blade jerking as it met resistance. But it worked — the thing dropped like a sack of stones.
Dad seemed to finally grasp it — these creatures weren't people anymore. Each kill brought him closer to accepting that hard truth.
The return trip was surprisingly smooth. We made it into the hospital grounds, slipping through the side door and avoiding attention.
But once inside, we couldn't lower our guard. The hospital, even with the doors shut, wasn't safe. Corpses might still wander its dark halls.
We sprinted through the outpatient building, listening intently. The Xu siblings huffed and puffed behind us, their stamina clearly lacking.
For once, my terrible stamina wasn't the worst in the group — and I couldn't help but smirk internally.
As we approached the entrance to the building, Xu Qiqi hesitated, anxiety plain on her face. I checked carefully before coaxing her inside.
But just as we stepped into the lobby, a frail figure stumbled from the shadows of the abandoned pharmacy — an old woman, or rather, what remained of one.
Xu Qiqi screamed — only for Chen Ming to clamp a hand over her mouth. I reacted instantly, yanking my knife free.
The withered corpse was smaller than me. I gritted my teeth, aimed high, and slashed. The blow landed. Blood and brain matter splattered — sickening but necessary.
The encounter made us far more cautious. Climbing the stairs, we moved slowly, ears straining for the slightest noise. We blocked off the side exits earlier, but with Qiqi's earlier shriek, we feared more might be drawn our way.
The building wasn't fully secured. We couldn't seal it tight — if something rushed down the stairs, we'd have to be ready to run. We could only hope to reinforce the doors upstairs later.
Finally, we reached our temporary haven on the second floor. My mother stood at the door, peering anxiously through the reinforced glass.
Her expression shifted to surprise when she saw us bringing two newcomers along. After all, we hadn't seen another living soul for days — and now, we'd brought back three in two days.
After a brief meal, Xu Yiwen looked around, a faint frown creasing his brow. "You live... here?" His eyes flickered towards Grandma and little Tiantian, surprise clear on his face.
I nodded. "We cleared this area today. The corridor door's locked — it's safe for now. But the upper floors aren't cleared yet, so best to avoid moving around."
Before he could question further, I introduced our family. "This is my grandmother, my mother, and my younger brother."
The siblings immediately straightened and offered polite greetings, earning a nod of approval from Mom and Grandma.
Soon after, Qiqi and Tiantian struck up a conversation, whispering to each other with the natural ease of children. Tiantian's wary face lit up in a way I hadn't seen in days.
Mom smiled warmly at the scene. "Look at those two... one big, one little — they're already thick as thieves."
Qiqi beamed up at her shyly, her earlier fear forgotten for the moment.