XG 11 - Please think of us mere mortals

 

From the monitor screen, Vihaan had seen a group of youngsters with the same plan of using the elevator to escape. But they had not foreseen that there would be monsters waiting for them inside the elevator, with the amount too large for them to handle. Two of the survivors were instantly attacked, with the others screaming as they ran away. 

 

He does not know where they were now, or whether they managed to survive.

 

"I'm talking about the staff's elevator. This mall has it, right?" 

 

Vihaan sighed and shook his head. "The staff's elevator was broken down for days and yet to be fixed. Everyone had been using other ways to get to their office."

 

"That staircase beside the elevator, does it go down?" 

 

"No. The design of the staircase is only towards the rooftop so that no random people could go there for reasons unknown." Vihaan had heard from the grapevine that the owner of this mall had done that to avoid people using his building to commit suicide. That would instantly destroy Diamond mall's reputation and sales.

 

Even if the real reason was typical of business-minded men, it also prevented dangerous cases so no one complained about it. 

 

"There is another staircase for staff that could reach down the parking lot," Vihaan added.

 

"I know. I used that to come up, but I would not advise that path. It’s compromised." At that time, Suzie Yap was annoyed at how slow the elevator was and decided to use a lesser occupancy stairway to rush up to the highest floor. 

 

Her act of running up was in contrast to other people that were rushing down to escape. Some good-hearted people advised her to turn back but she just smiled and thanked them before continuing on. It was only thanks to her honed reflex and sharp instinct she managed to bypass the failures she met halfway up. Some of them changed targets to her and chased her relentlessly, which also led to even more failures towards her.

 

Unfortunately, that staircase could not be used anymore after she locked the door and barred it with heavy equipment. Those failures might still be banging on the door, or going away after being distracted by other sounds. She would have used that route again regardless of the danger, but she was considerate of her baby's stamina and running skills. 

 

"Well, even if you did successfully make your way to the parking lot, it might be even more dangerous there," Vihaan said solemnly.

 

The parking lot was naturally one of the places where survivors would go because most of their car was parked there. Vihaan does not dare to think the situation there was any better than inside the mall. The thought of those monsters managing to leave the shopping mall and infect everyone in the city was too horrifying to imagine. He only hoped the rumoured army that had surrounded the building was true.

 

"As long as they can be killed, there's nothing to be afraid about. Arm yourself with some weapon that can kill those zombies. We will be leaving soon," Suzie Yap said.

 

While the adults were talking, Wong Xue Guo had her ears on them and her eyes on her mobile phone that had lit up to inform her she received a message.

 

Nurul Hanani had replied to her message!

 

However, she could see that the sender was actually Low Lin Ya, who likely had her phone destroyed and borrowed Nurul Hanani’s.

 

Lin Ya: Hani has been bitten and she does not look good. We are hiding in a big sports shop. Outside is full of those zombies. Guo Guo, you are out of the shopping mall, right?

 

Unfortunately, no.

 

Since Low Lin Ya had the time to reply to her message, Nurul Hanani must have not turned into a zombie yet, even if it should have been more than fifteen minutes since the live-streaming incident. There should be more conditions on how fast a person would turn into a zombie as well as whether there were humans with immunity towards it.

 

For Low Lin Ya’s sake, Wong Xue Guo hoped Nurul Hanani was a special human with immunity to the virus.

 

"Where is the sports shop?" Suzie Yap asked. "I have someone I need to pick up."

 

Wong Xue Guo's fingers stopped moving and raised her head to look at her mother. Such a coincidence? 

 

Xue Guo: Who else is around you?

 

Lin Ya: Yibo and Jiang An.

 

Lin Ya: They helped us and stayed with us when everyone ran away because Hani got bitten.

 

Lin Ya: I saw them get eaten by those zombies in the elevator. It's so freaking disgusting! 

 

"That shop is near the elevator, if I remember correctly, two or three shops away," Vihaan furrowed his brows and scrutinized the screen. Then he tapped at a spot on the screen. "There."

 

The sports store was dark with its shutters down, which stood out from the other stores that were still open with brightly lit lights that were left unattended. It was a high possibility that there was someone hiding inside if one judged from sight alone.

 

"That will save time." Suzie Yap nodded, pleased that both places were in the same direction.

 

Wong Xue Guo guessed that the person her mother wanted to save was Chen Yibo. 

 

Aside from being the class monitor of Class 5-1 and a prefect, he was also Wong Xue Guo's next-door neighbour and good at karate. He was also the reason why she was allowed to go out without any bodyguards today because he would help to look out for her. He must have contacted Suzie Yap to make sure Wong Xue Guo was telling the truth that her mother will be picking her up and that the message was not faked.

 

If Wong Xue Guo was really lying to do something else secretly, she would be terribly pissed. But since it was the truth, she just felt a little annoyed.

 

Xue Guo: Stay there. We will be coming for you.

 

Lin Ya: What?

 

Lin Ya: What do you mean???

 

Lin Ya: Aren't you at home now?!?!?!

 

Xue Guo: No. Haven't left yet. Mother picked me up just now and we are still inside the mall. 

 

Xue Guo: Don't go anywhere. We are still on the same floor, no worries.

 

Lin Ya: Telling me not to worry will make me worry!!!

 

"I will clear the path to the staircase first. You and that boy can leave after that," Suzie Yap said.

 

"Are you sure you don't want to follow us?" Vihaan asked.

 

"I still need to pick up someone from that shop and our final destination isn't the same. The owner of the helicopter will not waste time sending us back to our house. I have the strength to choose my path of escape."

 

Wong Xue Guo could guess that too. The helicopter would be going wherever the owner wanted, and the passengers that asked for a free ride would have to go along with it. The mother and daughter had already made an appointment with Charles Wong to meet up at Penang Island.

 

"It won’t take much time if you are just picking up someone. We can go along with you," Vihaan volunteered. Either way, the shop was near the staircase and they still needed to deal with the zombies.

 

He would also feel better if he could help her out instead of only asking Suzie Yap for help. 

 

"How about… we distract them?" Wong Xue Guo suggested. "Putting loud music in the opposite direction?"

 

The elevator scene had told them that the zombies were attracted to sound and no longer have the ability to think more than the surface.

 

"The speakers are all connected and can't be chosen on which hub to stop the broadcasting," Vihaan dropped the bad news. "Only different floors have separated radios."

 

"Don't worry, baby," Suzie Yap reassured. "Mommy can deal with them all."

 

You can, but please think of us mere mortals.

 

Suzie Yap did not let them continue thinking up some other plans and had them ready to set out. Vihaan found a metal bar used by the shops to pull up or down the metal shutter gate as his weapon. Kim Sung-ho was given a black baton they found hidden inside a drawer. There were also stun guns to be found, which Wong Xue Guo kept in her sling bag. They could test if it works on zombies, but she wondered just how the security guards were allowed to have those stun guns.

 

Had I misunderstood that only the police force could have those legally?