Chapter Five: Return to School

The once sturdy asphalt road had now become somewhat soft, and Liu Chang could not fathom what kind of vitality enabled these seemingly delicate blades of grass to break through the pavement. Yet, in this world as it was now, he did not have the luxury to dwell on such questions. Step by step, he moved forward along the rutted road, hoping he would not run into any more trouble.

After ten minutes of uneventful progress, he noticed that the street was far less crowded than before; he had no idea where all those people had gone to hide. Just as he was pondering this, the sounds of a scuffle caught his attention.

The noise seemed to come from afar, but Liu Chang knew that the red mist dampened sound waves, so what sounded distant was likely happening very close by. He looked around anxiously, but the thick, blood-colored fog stifled his vision; with visibility at only three meters, no one could expect their eyes to gather much information from afar.

Liu Chang’s first instinct upon hearing the fight was to go see what was happening—a primal urge common to all primates, humans included. His second reaction, however, was to get away from the scene—human social wisdom told him that, in times like these, nothing good could come from indulging one’s curiosity.

He decided to quietly move away from the source of the commotion, but the rules of this world had never cared for human wishes. The sounds of struggle drew sharply closer, and then, with a heavy thud, a figure flew out of the depths of the mist—a man in a police uniform, bloodied and battered.

Seeing this, Liu Chang quickly ducked aside with his crowbar in hand. Fortunately, the fog was thick enough that, after only a few steps, the policeman’s figure had already blurred into little more than a silhouette.

Crouched behind a roadside car, Liu Chang observed the situation with care. Just as he had concealed himself, three more shapes emerged from the mist—three stray dogs, one of which was the very same animal he had seen earlier.

But now, there was no trace of fear toward humans in that wild dog’s eyes. Baring its teeth, saliva dripping, its blood-red gaze fixed unwaveringly on the policeman who was struggling to get up from the ground.

The officer, upon regaining his footing, carefully drew his pistol from his belt. He appeared to be experienced in dealing with animals; though wounded, his movements were not frantic, nor did he draw his weapon with reckless haste, even when confronted by such dire peril.

He understood that any sudden movement of the body could immediately provoke an attack from animals. So, with unwavering eyes fixed on the three wild dogs, he slowly reached for his waist, gently unfastened the holster, gradually drew his gun, disengaged the safety, raised his arm, and aimed at one of the dogs.

In that instant, as the barrel’s dark maw was leveled at them, the dogs’ animal instincts screamed of mortal danger. Spurred by this primal fear, they launched a ferocious assault.

A gunshot cracked through the air at almost the same moment the dogs leapt, the report mingling with the rush of air as two of them covered the two-meter distance in a single bound, bringing the officer down even as one of their number fell from the bullet.

Then came the muffled grunts of biting, the sounds of human struggle, the dogs’ guttural growls, and, at last, the hollow clicks of an empty gun. The dog that had been shot soon joined its companions—it had not died.

Though his view was blurred, Liu Chang could see blood streaming from below the wild dog’s neck. It should have been a fatal wound, not as instant as a shot to the head or heart, but deadly nonetheless. Yet the animal did not die; its resilience and toughness far surpassed the fragile dogs he had once known.

This realization halted Liu Chang’s impulse to rush to the officer’s aid—he doubted he could handle even one such beast, let alone three. The policeman’s gun had been useless; what could he hope to achieve with a battered kitchen knife and a rusty crowbar? Rushing in would be suicide.

Thus, for the second time in his life, Liu Chang bore witness as a living person was devoured by animals—the first had been San’er.

The policeman, beset by three wild dogs, lasted only a few moments before he ceased to move. Then came the sickening sound of flesh being torn by teeth—a wet, ripping noise like fabric being shredded, but with a sticky, visceral undertone.

After that, the dogs began to feast—smacking and slurping sounds filled the air. Liu Chang, who had once kept dogs himself, was not unfamiliar with these noises, but now they made his stomach churn.

He stayed hidden behind the car, scarcely daring to breathe, knowing all too well how keen a dog’s hearing is; he suppressed every sound, holding his breath to the bare minimum.

Yet, Liu Chang still underestimated the sensitivity of animals. Once the three dogs had eaten their fill, they turned simultaneously toward his hiding place—they had known he was there all along.

Clutching the crowbar so tightly that his palms were slick with sweat, Liu Chang felt cold perspiration trickling down his back despite the summer heat. He wanted to run, but reason told him that mad dogs, wild dogs, even domestic dogs, would instinctively chase anything that fled. And, crucially, humans have never been able to outrun dogs.

Running meant certain death. Facing them was almost as bad, but he chose to stand his ground.

The three wild dogs approached, stopping a meter away, their crimson eyes fixed on him. Liu Chang stood motionless, forcing his features to betray no fear as his heart pounded violently in his chest. The dogs, perhaps sated, made no immediate move to attack, simply staring at him with vacant, bloodstained jaws.

The leader sniffed the air, its sensitive nose assaulted by the acrid scent of cologne on Liu Chang. It sneezed several times, then lost interest, wagged its tail, and turned away. The other two, seeing their leader depart, also melted back into the fog.

With a heavy sigh, Liu Chang finally expelled the breath he had been holding in his chest. After several deep inhalations, he walked toward the policeman’s corpse.