Donna was quite helpless, but she wouldn't give up easily. If she were defeated like this, she wouldn't have gotten this far; she would have been eliminated from the ranks of reporters long ago. Since she couldn't get any information from the manager, Donna would try to find information from the coffee shop's regular customers. With that thought, Donna smiled at the manager: "Okay, I admit I didn't get what I wanted, but I'm thirsty. You won't mind if I sit down and have a cup of coffee, will you?"
The manager smiled slightly: "Anyone who comes to our store is our valued customer. Please feel free to make yourselves at home."
Donna chose a relatively secluded spot to sit down. The photographer, Tom, said, "Donna, let's leave as soon as possible. I feel like the atmosphere in here is a bit strange. I hope nothing bad will happen."
Donna said to Tom, "You coward, can't you act like a man?"
Tom said, "It has nothing to do with how brave you are. You don't want anything to happen, do you?"
Donna said, "What could possibly happen? It's broad daylight, don't scare yourself. Okay, just do as I say. Go to the seat over there and be careful to record. Don't let the customers see your recording equipment. I don't want any more accidents to happen during the interview."
Tom had to listen to Donna, so he reluctantly stayed. However, his anxious look suggested that if another madman appeared, he would be the first to rush out of the coffee shop, because the scene caused by the madman who bit people in the coffee shop that day was said to be extremely cruel.
Although this corner seat is secluded, it offers a view of the scenery outside the window. The large, transparent floor-to-ceiling windows are refreshing. If Donna comes again, she will definitely ask for this seat. It's quiet and suits the mindset of a coffee drinker.
After waiting for less than half an hour, a middle-aged man walked over, glanced at Donna, frowned, but eventually sat down. Donna smiled at him, and the middle-aged man returned the smile when he met such a beautiful woman.
"Did I take your seat?" Donna asked. As a journalist, she must have some knowledge of psychology.
The middle-aged man chuckled and said, "Not really. I didn't reserve this seat; I'm just used to sitting here."
Donna smiled and said, "Since we're destined to meet, let's share a table. What's your name?"
"Evan, what about you?"
"Donna, uh, an unknown writer, and you?"
Evan said, "Me? An office worker."
Donna said, "Going to work is great, there's no pressure."
Evan looked miserable: "What? Office workers are under a lot of pressure, unlike freelancers like you, it's so easy."
Donna also said with a bitter face, "Things are not as simple as you think. For example, right now, I'm so desperate that I'm about to jump off a building because I have no inspiration and no material. By the way, I heard that there was a case of a madman biting someone at this coffee shop yesterday, so I came to check it out. Maybe it will help my writing."
Evan said mysteriously, "You've really come to the right person to ask about this. I witnessed it with my own eyes. My god, it was so cruel. It was the first time in my life I had ever seen such a bloody scene. If I hadn't gotten used to coming here for coffee in the afternoons these past few years, I would never want to step into this place again in my life."
Donna feigned interest: "So you've seen it before? Tell me about it, I need that kind of material. I'll buy you coffee." Donna gave Evan a playful and cute expectant look. Although Evan was middle-aged, he still couldn't resist the charm of a beautiful woman. He said, "Sure, but you'd better not make a fuss about it, or I'm afraid the boss will kick me out. He doesn't want to hear anyone talking about this."
Donna beckoned for a waiter to bring coffee. Evan took a small sip and then began to speak: "It happened very suddenly. I was sitting in your seat drinking coffee when there was a man in his late twenties over there, a little inside by the door. He was pale, and I thought he was sick. Why would he come out to drink coffee like that? But before I even finished my coffee, his eyes suddenly turned red. You have to be careful about that. I'm telling the truth because I was just observing him out of boredom. Suddenly, his eyes turned red, and then he stood up, grabbed a woman in her early thirties next to him, and bit her neck. You can't imagine how terrifying it was. He actually bit through her neck, and blood gushed out."
Donna gently bit her lip. "Oh, bite off a neck? How is that possible?"
Evan said, "That's absolutely possible. Would I lie to you? Do you think you're a reporter? I'm just trying to help you gather material."
Donna said, "Yes, yes, you definitely won't lie to me. I'll write it all down and definitely put it in my novel. If my novel becomes a hit, I'll definitely treat you to a meal."
Evan said happily, "Okay, I'll continue with what happened. That madman bit off the woman's neck and then actually swallowed the flesh and blood in his mouth. It made me so disgusted that I threw up, but the man actually ate it with relish, with a silly smile on his face. At this point, the customers in the store started running out, and the waiters went forward to try to stop them. But who would have thought that the madman was so strong that he pushed the waiters all over. Then he squatted down, grabbed the woman's breast on the ground, and with a ripping sound, tore off one of her breasts."
At this point, Evan glanced at Donna's chest. Donna was wearing a low-cut dress, and her cleavage was alluring.
Donna swallowed hard, feeling a sense of dread, as if she were the one whose breasts had been ripped off. A sharp pain shot through her chest. Evan continued, "Do you know how the police subdue a madman after receiving a call?"
Donna shook her head: "I don't know."
Evan said, "Let me tell you, I was sitting in this seat and didn't have time to escape from the coffee shop, so I hid under the table. I saw everything that happened after the police arrived. At first, the madman was still gnawing on the woman's body, but the police shot him when they arrived."
Donna said, "A shot was fired? There's no news about that."
Evan said, "If there were reports, why would I be telling you this? Actually, the shooting is nothing. There's something even more amazing. Do you know where that shot hit the madman?"
Donna shook her head: "How would I know?"
Evan said, "Chest, but this madman wasn't killed. It's like that shot didn't work at all."
Donna exclaimed incredulously, "How is this possible?"
Evan said, "I saw it with my own eyes. Later, the police brought a net, covered the madman with the net, and then dragged him out."
Donna asked, "So, according to you, this madman might be dead now?"
Evan said, "I don't know about that. If he's dead, you'll definitely be able to find the bullet hole in his chest."
Donna said, "Hmm, if I have the chance, I'll look into his current whereabouts. This is really good material; I think I have an idea."
Evan said, "I suggest you go find that madman. If he's really dead, it's not surprising. But what if he's not dead? Wouldn't that be big news?"
Donna said, "You should become a reporter."
Evan smiled and said, "I don't have that kind of brain."
Donna said, "No, I think your idea is very novel."
Evan said, "I agree. It seems there's a virus that can drive people crazy, and you can't kill them with a gun. Only destroying their brains will make them die completely."
Donna laughed and said, "Oh dear, you should talk to the police and have them check if it's this kind of virus."
Evan said, "I wouldn't dare. If I went to the police and said that, I'd probably be locked up like a madman, or even charged with spreading heresy. Okay, I've finished my coffee, I should go now. You can drink yours slowly."
Volume 2 [675] Wounded
[675] Injured
Evan put down his cup and stood up. Although Donna was a great beauty, Evan's age was a factor, and he wasn't a man who was too casual about it. He was content with just having his eyes feast on her; he had to leave. There were things at the company waiting for him to do. If he didn't work, how would he earn money to support his family? The mortgage and car loan payments were coming up and wouldn't wait a moment longer.
A waiter with a band-aid on his hand walked by. Donna's male waiter approached, and she was so frightened her legs went weak. She tried to escape, but her path was blocked. In a panic, Donna could only crawl under the table. Boom! The waiter punched the table, shattering the solid wood. Shards hit Donna's back, and she screamed in pain again. But even in that pain, Donna dared not linger. She lowered her head and leaped forward, the spot where she had just been standing now trembling under the crazed waiter's foot.
The entrance was crowded with people, and Donna wouldn't have enough time to escape through the main door. So she climbed onto the table. The window that Tom had smashed open earlier had conveniently opened for Donna, but the waiter reacted quickly. He was furious that Donna had disappeared under the table, and when he saw her on the table, he immediately chased after her. Just then, Donna leaped out, and the waiter grabbed her ankle. Donna lost her freedom halfway through her jump, and her chest was squeezed against the broken windowsill. Her head buzzed, and the pain was excruciating, as if her chest was about to burst. At that moment, the pain from her foot seemed insignificant.
With a whoosh, the madman pulled Donna's foot backward forcefully, sending her sprawling onto the table, unable to move for a moment. She was in pain; her chest had been cushioned by the windowsill, and now she'd been thrown again. How could a girl endure that? But the madman didn't care. He only wanted to eat the freshest human flesh, and Donna happened to be that type. Judging from her half-naked breasts, the two large mounds inside were probably the most tender parts of her body. So the madman grabbed at her breasts, the likely result being the same as yesterday's woman—one breast torn off and eaten by the madman.
Bang! Suddenly, a gunshot rang out. Just as the madman was about to grab Donna's chest, his body was violently thrown backward, followed by an explosion. Blood splattered all over the walls like dye being ejected by high pressure.
Donna was still in shock when a man appeared before her. "It's you?" Donna recognized him. Wasn't this the Chinese man who had helped her escape during the tunnel explosion? How could he be here, and save her life again?
Zhao Qiang put away the compression gun. The male waiter had been reduced to minced meat. He reached out to pull Donna up. "Get up. We can't stay here. We should go back to your TV station."
Donna breathed a sigh of relief and grabbed Zhao Qiang's hand as she climbed up from the table. "How did you get here?" Donna asked while rubbing her chest, which was in excruciating pain. Her buttocks and legs were badly injured from the fall, especially her buttocks, which she didn't know if they were broken.
Zhao Qiang glanced at Donna's breasts, which were deformed from being kneaded. They were really big, and the cleavage was unusually deep and tight. It was rare to see such breasts among Chinese girls; it was a matter of race.
Zhao Qiang withdrew his gaze, coughed, and said, "You're really lucky to be passing by here; I always seem to run into you."
Donna said, "Shouldn't I be the one saying this? You really have an excuse, 'just happened to be passing by'? Why is it that nothing good ever comes of running into you?"
Zhao Qiang shrugged. "This has nothing to do with my character, but I can say for sure that nothing good ever comes of running into you."
Donna wasn't going to argue with Zhao Qiang. She pointed to the blood and bone fragments sliding down the wall and asked, "What's going on here?"
Zhao Qiang frowned: "He has been infected with the virus, and the virus is spreading very quickly, probably beyond human control."
While Zhao Qiang was worrying about the country and its people, Donna said carelessly, "I was asking why it exploded."
Zhao Qiang said, "Ask him. How would I know? He probably drank too much coffee."
Donna pointed at Zhao Qiang's waist: "I think it was caused by your gun. You can't even come up with a reason for lying."
Zhao Qiang said, "Are you planning to wait here for the police to arrest you and take you back for questioning?"
Donna realized what was happening, pulled Zhao Qiang up onto the table, and then the two jumped out of the window. The jolt made Donna's chest hurt even more, and she could only support herself with her hands. Not long after the two left the coffee shop, police cars arrived with sirens blaring, and the entire coffee shop was surrounded. Everyone nearby was taken into custody and quarantined. The police also began to realize that madness is contagious, so they were all on high alert.
Zhao Qiang and Donna watched the coffee shop from a distance. Donna, who had narrowly escaped death, collapsed to the ground. Luckily, she hadn't wet her pants, or she would have been incredibly embarrassed. Donna touched her ankle; the madman had hit her with tremendous force, and since Donna wasn't wearing socks, there were large bruises on her ankle.
Zhao Qiang observed the police's actions for a while, then sat on the ground silently, deep in thought. Donna, on the other hand, was a restless woman. She asked, "Now you should tell me your name, right?"
"Zhao Qiang."
Donna extended her hand: "My name is Donna, it's nice to meet you."
Zhao Qiang shook hands with Donna, and Donna said, "To be honest, I'm very curious about you now."
Zhao Qiang said, "Don't you think that a madman biting someone is what should pique our curiosity the most?"
Donna's expression turned serious: "That's right, that's the most important thing right now. You just said that Evan was infected with the virus, what exactly happened?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I don't know the specifics either. Most of the results are my own speculation. It's been less than 48 hours since the first case of a madman biting someone, but so far there have been more than 20 publicly reported cases of madmen biting people again. Moreover, most of the subsequent madmen have appeared in the same places where the madmen appeared last time. According to my observation, the madmen who appeared a second time were mostly injured in the previous incident. For example, the waiter in that coffee shop, his hand was injured by the madman last time, so he got infected."
Donna's expression changed drastically. She pulled her legs further into her skirt, but Zhao Qiang had already seen it and said, "No need to hide it anymore. You were scratched by the madman, but your skin isn't broken. Whether you get infected or not depends on your luck."
Donna burst into tears. Even if foreign women are independent, they can't help but be afraid when it comes to life and death. "I...I need to go to the hospital, I need to see a doctor." Donna struggled to get up. She hadn't felt anything wrong with her feet before, but after Zhao Qiang's words, she felt like she couldn't walk anymore. Both of her ankles were burning with pain.
Zhao Qiang said, "If you go to the hospital now, you will be treated as an infection sample. You will have even less control over your life and death in the future. You might as well just die a quick and painless death now."
Donna said, "No, no, doctors in our country are not like those in your country. We have a lot of human rights here."
Zhao Qiang chuckled: "No human rights are more vulnerable in the face of this crisis."
"Crisis? What crisis is this? With our country's technology, we'll be fine." Donna was still trying to reassure herself.
Zhao Qiang asked, "Have you seen Resident Evil?"
Donna nodded: "I've seen it."
Zhao Qiang said, "If this incident is not handled properly, it may be the beginning of a global biochemical crisis."
Donna said angrily, "You're exaggerating."
Zhao Qiang said, "Even if that's true, it's a fact."
Donna said, "I absolutely don't believe it, I'm going to the hospital."
Zhao Qiang said, "Okay, if you want to go to the hospital, I'll take you."
Thinking of how Zhao Qiang had saved her twice, Donna became polite and said, "Thank you."
Zhao Qiang didn't say anything, but pulled Donna up. After taking only two steps, he noticed that Donna had difficulty moving, so he carried her on his back. Donna, having lived in an open country like Europe and America, wasn't shy about being on Zhao Qiang's back. The two quickly arrived at the hospital, but the scene before her surprised Donna. She wasn't in a hurry to let Zhao Qiang carry her into the hospital, but instead found a corner to observe.
"The hospital is under lockdown," Donna said. Although there were only a few police officers guarding it, it was still a show of force.
Zhao Qiang said, "When have you ever seen such a state of high alert if things weren't serious?"
Donna nodded: "Things have developed so fast, I can hardly believe it."
Zhao Qiang said, "Facts do not change according to human will."
Donna looked somewhat dejected. "Is my injury beyond cure? Will I go insane sooner or later?"
Zhao Qiang said, "No, I never said that. Your skin isn't broken, so whether it will get infected is still unknown."
Donna said, "Are you giving me false hope?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Let's say that's true."
Donna gritted her teeth: "Even if it kills me, I'll get to the bottom of this. Let's find a chance to get to the hospital."