Chapter 1.Cannibal Banquet – Surveillance Captures a Zombie
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On the night of March 12th, the 110 emergency service in Pingjiang City received a distress call. The caller, a vegetable farmer on his way to the city, reported witnessing a horrific murder near a provincial road by a highway toll station. While driving, he suddenly heard a young woman's screams coming from the roadside bushes. It was dark, making it difficult to see what was happening, but the scream was chilling. The farmer stopped his car but hesitated for about five to six minutes before getting out, during which time the woman's screams continued.
Finally gathering courage, he picked up an iron shovel from his car and cautiously entered the woods. The screaming stopped abruptly. Holding the shovel, he tiptoed into the forest. Guided by the moonlight shining through the treetops, he saw a woman lying motionless in the bushes, her pants half pulled down, surrounded by blood splatters. Her face, obscured by her long hair, was resting on the ground.
Not knowing if she was alive, he used the shovel to move her hair and was horrified by what he saw. The woman's face was torn to pieces, leaving a bloody, unrecognizable mess. One of her eyeballs, ripped out and hanging by some flesh, was outside of its socket.
Terrified, the farmer collapsed on the ground, then quickly got up and ran back to his car, where he remembered to call the police. Unfortunately, he had been too far away to see the murderer or even catch a glimpse of the assailant.
The police arrived and searched the entire woods but found only an electric bike and no murder weapon or other evidence. Subsequent investigation of surveillance footage from the area revealed the victim riding an electric bike along the road from west to east towards Pingjiang City. When she reached the bushes where the crime occurred, she stopped and walked into the woods.
Many police officers were puzzled by her actions until a female officer suggested that the woman might have had an urgent need to relieve herself, a plausible explanation understood by women.
However, the footage then captured a strange figure wearing a tattered coat and riding an old electric bike, about 20 meters behind the woman, unnoticed by her. The person's walk was bizarre, particularly noticeable in the video. Their legs were stiff, as if unable to bend, dragging on the ground. Their arms hung rigidly at their sides, resembling a wooden figure moving.
However, the person quickly closed the distance to the woman and followed her into the woods, disappearing from the video. The woman, unaware of the danger, hurried into the woods and started to undress, squatting behind a tree, barely visible in the video.
At that moment, she unexpectedly turned her head, as if seeing something. Suddenly, the strange person emerged from behind a tree and pinned her to the ground. The video, obscured by trees and without sound, showed the woman struggling violently under the assailant. The attack, lasting about five minutes, was intense, and the woman's struggles suggested unimaginable torment. The screams heard by the farmer were likely from her.
The attack ended quickly, and the woman lay motionless. The attacker, maintaining their peculiar posture, left the woods, found their half-way discarded electric bike, and disappeared into the night…
The subsequent investigation presented unprecedented difficulties for the police. Firstly, the surveillance camera was too far away to clearly identify the victim and the attacker. Additionally, no footage of the two was captured on other cameras in the area.
Compounding the difficulty, no identification or even a cell phone was found on the victim. Without being able to determine the identities of either the victim or the assailant, and given the remote location of the crime, the detective team spent three months interviewing over a hundred people, but to no avail. The case thus remained unsolved.
Later, an astute journalist from the Pingjiang Evening News uncovered the story and published an article with an eye-catching title: "Zombie-like Night Assault on a Woman." The article, for the first time, used the term "zombie," a popular element in Western horror movies, to describe the assailant. It also focused on the peculiar gait of the attacker and the bizarre injuries suffered by the victim, making the crime report read like a horror story, which left the public both skeptical and intrigued.
The police did not clarify the situation. Unbeknownst to anyone, this terrifying scene would replay itself three months later...
Three months later, Ding Qian, carrying his books, entered the classroom of the Psychology Department at Donghua University. He taught psychiatry in clinical medicine. Although not a popular subject, his classes attracted many students because Ding Qian made them easy to pass and didn’t stick strictly to the textbook, discussing topics ranging from ancient to modern times, and from all corners of the world, much like a storyteller. Many students, especially females, attended his lectures just to listen, and it was rumored that many girls at Donghua University had written him love letters. Not yet thirty, Ding Qian was already a visiting professor at the university and a well-known psychologist in Pingjiang City. With his handsome and elegant appearance, he was a highly sought-after bachelor, which explained why many girls fancied him.
However, Ding Qian encountered a troubling student that day. She asked him, "Professor, do you believe in zombies?"
"Zombies?"
"Like those creatures in American movies that walk around, grabbing and biting people?"
"Well, let me correct a mistake first," Ding Qian said with a smile. "What you're referring to are not zombies, but rather 'zombies' in the American sense. Zombies and 'zombies' are two different concepts. Zombies in Chinese folklore are corpses that have undergone a transformation due to an accumulation of evil qi or an absorption of excessive yin energy, having some ghostly elements. 'Zombies', on the other hand, refer to living people who have been killed by a virus or radiation that destroys their brain nerves, leaving only primitive behavioral capabilities. They are commonly known as the living dead, or, in other words, moving corpses that will eventually decay and perish. If you're asking me about the existence of 'zombies', I'm sorry, I study psychology. That's a question you should ask a biology teacher."
The other students laughed at this explanation.
There was a girl who kept on persisting, "Didn't a zombie attack just happen in the US? A naked zombie grabbed a homeless man and bit him terribly, leaving him bloodied and in a ghastly state."
This girl looked innocent and lovely, with short hair and a small V-shaped face, her big eyes as lively as black grapes, a classic loli beauty. But her taste for macabre stories scared the girl sitting next to her, making her seem like a monster herself.
"I've heard about that case in America. Although the media referred to the perpetrator as a ‘zombie,’ strictly speaking, he wasn't the kind of zombie we think of. He was actually a drug addict, who had consumed a large amount of *bath salts, leading to his delusional state..."
"*Bath salts? What's that?" a bespectacled boy sitting next to her asked in confusion.
The girl glanced at him disdainfully, "You don't even know this, and you're sure you want to be a psychologist in the future?"
The boy's face turned red with embarrassment.
Ignoring him, the girl seriously asked Ding Qian, "So, Professor Ding, please tell us, what exactly are *bath salts?"
"..."
Ding Qian replied, "*Bath salts are a type of anesthetic drug, commonly known as ‘bath salts,’ with strong hallucinogenic effects. Taking this drug can cause body temperature to rise, loss of sanity, and extreme aggression. To outsiders, a drug abuser who has lost their sanity can indeed appear similar to the zombies in movies. But in essence, they are still human."
"So, it's ‘bath salts’ then. I've heard of this drug but never used it. I don't know if its effects are as you described, really turning people into zombies..."
The girls sitting near her all moved away. Even the boys who wanted her phone number hesitated. They just wanted to talk about love, not stir up life-threatening trouble.
"If it's domestic ‘bath salts,’ considering the rampant fakes nowadays, I suggest overdosing might achieve the effect you're looking for," Ding Qian also surprisingly replied.
"Is there no other way to become a zombie besides using drugs?" the little girl wasn't satisfied and continued to ask.
"Well... I suggest you watch some American blockbusters, then you'll get your answer."
"Professor, I'm serious."
"So am I."
Even the good-tempered Ding Qian was getting annoyed. This girl was obviously there to cause trouble. Such peculiar students were rare.
After class, as he was leaving the classroom with his books, he heard someone calling him.
Ding Qian turned around and saw the girl who had disrupted the class catching up to him.
"Do you have any more questions?" Ding Qian asked.
"The question I just asked wasn’t really answered by you, Professor Ding. I just want to know, besides using drugs or medicine, is there any other way to turn into a zombie? Or to put it simply, are zombies a physiological or psychological change?"
Looking at the girl's serious demeanor, Ding Qian didn't know whether to be angry or not. After thinking for a bit, he asked, "Do you not have a boyfriend yet?"
The girl was taken aback for a moment, "No."
"I suggest you find a boyfriend soon, so you won't have to think about these pointless questions."
Just as Ding Qian was about to leave, the girl frowned and pulled out an ID from her pocket, saying, "Let me introduce myself first, my name is Guo Rongrong, and I am a police officer from the Special Case Investigation Team."
Special Case Investigation Team?!
Ding Qian had never heard of this department. Guo Rongrong didn't seem like a fraudster.
Seeing Ding Qian's stupefaction, Guo Rongrong smiled slightly, "I heard that Professor Ding is also a famous psychologist, I thought you would have guessed my identity."
The girl stubbornly persisted, "Didn't a zombie attack just happen in the US? A naked 'zombie' grabbed a homeless man and bit him terribly, leaving him bloodied and beyond recognition."
She was a picture of innocence and charm, with short hair, a small V-shaped face, and eyes as lively as black grapes – a typical 'loli' beauty. However, her taste for gruesome stories scared off the girl sitting next to her, making her seem almost monstrous herself.
"I've heard of that case in America. The media called the attacker a ‘zombie,’ but technically, he wasn’t the kind of zombie we imagine. He was actually a drug addict who had taken a large amount of *bath salts, leading to his delusional state..."
"*Bath salts? What are those?" asked a boy with glasses, puzzled.
The girl sneered at him, "You don’t know this, and you’re planning to be a psychologist?"
The boy blushed with embarrassment.
Ignoring him, she turned earnestly to Ding Qian, "Then, Professor Ding, could you explain what *bath salts are?"
"..."
Ding Qian responded, "*Bath salts are a kind of anesthetic drug, commonly referred to as ‘bath salts,’ with potent hallucinogenic effects. Using this drug can cause a rise in body temperature, loss of rationality, and extreme aggression. To an outsider, a drug user who has lost their sanity might indeed resemble a movie zombie. But fundamentally, they are still human."
"So, it's ‘bath salts.' I've heard of this drug but never used it. I don’t know if its effects are as you described, really turning people into zombies..."
The girls nearby distanced themselves. Even the boys who wanted her number backed off. They were interested in romance, not life-threatening drama.
"If it's homemade ‘bath salts,’ given the prevalence of counterfeits, I'd advise overdosing to possibly achieve the effect you're after," Ding Qian replied, somewhat shockingly.
"Is there no other way to turn into a zombie, besides using drugs?" the young girl persisted.
"For that... I'd recommend you watch some American movies; you'll find your answer there."
"Professor, I’m serious."
"So am I."
Even the usually patient Ding Qian was getting irritated. Clearly, this girl was here to stir trouble. Such peculiar students were a rarity.
After class, as he left the classroom with his books, he heard someone call him.
Turning around, Ding Qian saw the disruptive girl catching up.
"Do you have any other questions?" he asked.
"You didn't really answer my earlier question. I want to know, apart from using drugs or medication, is there another way to become a zombie? Or simply put, is zombification a physiological or psychological change?"
Looking at her serious expression, Ding Qian wasn't sure whether to be angry. After a moment, he asked, "Don’t you have a boyfriend?"
She blinked, "No."
"I suggest you find one soon. That way, you won't have to think about such pointless questions."
As Ding Qian started to walk away, the girl's expression hardened, and she pulled out an ID from her pocket, saying, "Let me introduce myself. I'm Guo Rongrong, a police officer from the Special Case Investigation Team."
Special Case Investigation Team?!
Ding Qian had never heard of this department. Guo Rongrong didn't seem like a fraudster.
Seeing Ding Qian's astonishment, Guo Rongrong smiled faintly, "I thought you, a renowned psychologist, might have guessed my identity."
The photo was a close-up of a woman's face, or what was left of it. He could only tell it was a woman by the length of the hair, as her features were completely mangled into a mass of flesh, as if her face had been churned up by machinery. It was horrifying, especially with an eyeball grotesquely dangling out of its socket.
Guo Rongrong tilted her head, observing his reaction. Seeing that he was not panicking, she felt a bit surprised. Even as a professional detective, she couldn't bear to look at such a gruesome photo. It was a bit embarrassing, but Ding Qian's reaction was almost like that of their team's forensic expert – a pair of... well, lifeless, emotionless eyes. That was the most fitting description Guo Rongrong could think of.
"She was the first victim reported in the newspaper's zombie case. The second victim was also attacked in a similar manner.
"..."
"The case was initially handled by the Pingjiang City Criminal Police Team. They investigated for nearly three months without any results. Now that a second zombie case has occurred, they realized the seriousness and reported it to the province. Our Special Case Investigation Team specializes in handling such dubious cases... When you asked earlier why we concluded that both cases were zombie cases, we also didn't initially believe in zombies. Do you know how the killer mutilated her face like this?"
Guo Rongrong suddenly asked, causing Ding Qian to pause.
"Bitten. That's what the forensic conclusion was."
Only then did a flicker of unease cross Ding Qian's usually calm face.
"The second victim was also attacked with teeth. Just thinking about it is chilling, isn't it? The surveillance cameras on the street even captured more bizarre footage. Although the killer's face wasn't clear, his walking posture was captured, and it was completely different from a normal person's...
"…When the C City Criminal Police Team arrived at the scene, they found the female victim with her pants removed. They initially suspected it was a rape/murder. If it was a sexual assault case, it would be more understandable. But the autopsy found no damage to the lower body, and further investigation revealed that the pants were removed by the victim herself, as she was relieving herself at the time. This means the killer had no interest in her body or her money. This isn't a case we can understand in the usual sense. We can't figure out why the killer did this, or how he became like this."
"So you came to me to ask about this?"
"Director Song said you have a lot of research on psychological issues in people. I wonder what you think of this kind of anomaly."
"To be honest, I've dealt with sexual deviants, mental illnesses, autism, but I've never encountered a 'zombie' before."
"Do you think there really are zombies?"
"Well, it depends on how you define it. As I mentioned in class earlier, in the narrow sense, a creature whose brain is dead, completely rotting, and lacking any thought, like a walking corpse – I personally find it unlikely. Such things can only exist in movies and novels. After all, the human body is an extremely complex structure. The brain is the only center that controls behavior. If the brain is dead, the person is truly dead."
"Are there no exceptions?"
"Speaking more broadly, if a person’s brain tissue hasn’t died but has degenerated, they might exhibit certain zombie-like characteristics. The American case you mentioned is an example, where the perpetrator was also called the 'Face-Eating Monster.' His method of attack is similar to what you've described in this case. The reason is that the person had been abusing drugs for a long time, leading to a psychotic break and hallucinations, which resulted in violence against others. To those unaware of the truth, he was demonized and became the source of the zombie panic."
"Why did he bite people’s faces, though? Does everyone who takes 'bath salts' attack faces?"
"Well... although taking 'bath salts' can make people extremely aggressive, there’s no clinical evidence to suggest that drug users have a specific desire to bite and attack faces. I personally think the face-eating incident in the US was coincidental. If it happened in another place, the attacker might have targeted a different part of the body."
"What about this case?" Guo Rongrong pointed to the photo in Ding Qian's hand.
"Why couldn't it be coincidental? China and the United States are so far apart; these two cases surely can't be related. The occasional appearance of similar cases isn’t unusual. You police can't just attribute every case of facial injuries to zombie attacks."
Ding Qian's words carried a hint of contempt. He thought the police were being fanciful for believing in the existence of zombies. They must be desperate to solve the case and clueless about where to start; otherwise, they wouldn’t be seeking advice from a psychologist.
Guo Rongrong picked up on his tone but didn't show it. She said to Ding Qian, "I forgot to tell you, the victim in the recent case didn't die. Do you want to come with me to the hospital to see her?"
Ding Qian frowned slightly, thinking, since she's alive, she must remember what the perpetrator looked like. Then why are they asking for my analysis?
He was about to say this aloud but stopped. This was his first encounter with such a peculiar case, and he was somewhat curious.
...
Pingjiang City First People’s Hospital. Intensive Care Unit.
Guo Rongrong pushed open the door of the ward and tiptoed in, with Ding Qian following.
The spacious ward had only one patient, a woman whose body was emaciated to the point of being skin and bones. Through her clothes, one could see her frighteningly thin skeletal frame, making her oversized hospital gown look like a paper kite.
Her entire face was wrapped in layers of white gauze, making her head appear unusually large, like a bobblehead doll, with only her eyes and a small part of her face visible.
She seemed young but had her eyes tightly shut, apparently asleep. There were even some comic books by her bedside.
But as soon as Guo Rongrong approached the bed, the woman suddenly woke up, making a 'heh heh' sound and frantically moving to the corner of the bed.
"It's me, don't be afraid. I just came a couple of days ago, remember? I'm a police officer," Guo Rongrong pointed to her own face to reassure the woman.
The woman looked at her intently, her gaze filled with hesitation as if trying hard to remember. Then she turned her gaze to Ding Qian, showing a clear wariness towards him.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Ding Qian immediately drew this conclusion based on her behavior and expressions.
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