XG 21 - A ticking bomb
In the other timeline, Suzie Yap only realized her daughter was in trouble when the housekeeper informed her that she had not returned. It was approaching midnight at that time, with Wong Xue Guo and Chen Yibo's phones unreachable. It was only from her housekeeper's mouth did she finally know her daughter was in the shopping mall where news of infected people was running amok in it.
Suzie Yap had scolded everyone, including Nana, her daughter's chauffeur, for not obeying her orders not to let Wong Xue Guo stay out after her curfew hours. She also blamed herself that she had forgotten that her daughter had informed her in advance about the after-school gathering. It was her mistake for not asking about the date of the gathering, and it was especially distressing when the next hour would be the familiar date that had haunted her for years.
If it was not because she had some dealings with the army force, she would not be able to enter the shopping mall to search for her daughter. Thanks to her interference, the shopping mall was allowed to continue standing until sunrise.
But she still failed to save her daughter, unable to defy fate.
As for this new timeline, the bombing had also been delayed. Suzie Yap checked her phone and confirmed that the delay was extended to sunrise as a reciprocity act. Her husband had called the army ahead, using the past favour of contributing medicines to the army force. The army was willing to spare some time for Ms Wong to maintain their business relationship.
"When sunrise comes, the bombing squad will take down this building, regardless of any survivors," Suzie Yap revealed.
It was cruel for the survivors, but the government had to pass down this order for the sake of the rest of the citizens.
Wong Xue Guo's eyes flashed. "They are not afraid of the family member's anger? Or… they plan to lie that everyone in this building is infected?"
Suzie Yap rubbed the speck of dry blood on her daughter's forehead. "Every human's life in this country is in the government's hands. The prime minister had to do drastic actions just to contain the infection while they could still do so. They do not need to worry about finding the cure, as other countries with the best technology will do it for them."
"Surely not all will agree with the order?" Vihaan frowned. "Some of their family members might be inside here."
"You are right." Suzie Yap chuckled and stared at Low Lin Ya who unconsciously flinched under her gaze.
In the other timeline, Suzie Yap knew from Chen Yibo's mouth that her daughter was bitten to save Low Lin Ya. She succeeded in saving her friend, but her friend developed mental depression after watching both of her best friends die because of her choice. After a few years passed, Suzie Yap heard she had committed suicide.
Moving her eyes away, Suzie Yap continued, "That's why some higher-ups will work together to have a private jet land on the rooftop to get their family members out."
While there were some politicians that agreed to stop the infection, some would secretly rescue their family members that were stuck inside the mall behind others' backs. They did not care if their action might bring out the infected from the red zone, all for the sake of rescuing their loved ones.
As the apocalypse had barely started, not everyone was in a panic, choosing to wait for the government to settle it. Just as not everyone takes infectious disease seriously, thinking the news was hyping it to scare people.
"Lin Ya, soak them with water to lower Hanani's temperature." Chen Yibo passed a stack of towels and Low Lin Ya took it without fully processing his words, used to listening to their class monitor.
"... Ok! Ok!" Low Lin Ya finally caught up with the rationality in doing so.
"Mother, go and change. You must be uncomfortable." Wong Xue Guo handed the clean clothes, which Suzie Yap accepted happily.
Wong Xue Guo then went to help Low Lin Ya. While wiping Nurul Hanani's forehead, she accidentally pushed the tudung until it revealed the hairline.
Momentarily shaken from the sight of white hair, she glanced at Low Lin Ya who happened to be wringing the towel and soaking it with water they got from mineral water bottles. She lowered her gaze to adjust the tudung to hide it and pretended she did not see it.
Among them, it was her mother that knew the most about these zombies and their characteristics, yet she only revealed the information if necessary. However, everyone that had survived long enough could easily notice the zombies had white hairs and might generalize it.
But her mother would definitely not allow a ticking bomb to stay close to them. The white hair must be a side effect left behind from the zombification.
Chen Yibo and Chen Jiang An wanted to search for ice to help reduce Nurul Hanani's temperature, but Suzie Yap told them not to. Everyone was suspicious, as ice would definitely work better than water, but kept silent about it.
Luckily, it took an hour and forty minutes for Nurul Hanani to wake up with her body temperature lowered to a safe degree, but it was still much higher than normal temperature. Seeing Nurul Hanani smiling, looking energetic with her mind working normally, her two good friends also finally put down their worries.
Low Lin Ya checked Nurul Hanani's phone and cheered. "My dad says the helicopter will be arriving soon!"
Swallowing the last bite, Suzie Yap tossed the empty energy bar wrapper. "It's time to move."
Vihaan unlocked the metal lid with a key and pressed the button to stop the elevator from working. Although they would not be using the elevator, he did it to lock the zombies inside the elevator, as well as disable them from visiting other floors.
No one in the group commented on his actions and Vihaan did not explain either.
They had yet to reach the moment where they would be cold-hearted to another person's plight. If they could help without risking anything, they would not mind doing it.
Vihaan frowned. "Something's blocking the door." He had unlocked the door to the rooftop but met resistance when he tried to push it open.
Someone had gone to the rooftop and sealed the door, but they do not know if the ones on the rooftop were infected or not.
"Gentlemen, we will be counting on you to push." Suzie Yap smiled charmingly and the men in the group had no reason to refuse.
After a few hard shoves, they managed to push away the blockage at the other side of the door. They saw it was a large advertisement lightbox, which fortunately was the only thing blocking them.
"Are there monsters…?" Low Lin Ya timidly shuffle closer to Nurul Hanani.
"Should not be," Nurul Hanani replied with her own guess. "They would have already charged over from the sound we made."
"There is another door ahead," Vihaan told them.
Before moving forward, they locked the door behind them in case zombies found their way here.
"We are locking ourselves in!" Low Lin Ya whispered in panic, grabbing Nurul Hanani and Wong Xue Guo in each hand.
Wong Xue Guo turned to Low Lin Ya and smiled creepily under her mask. "Then let's make sure we survive whatever is up there."
Low Lin Ya expresses her desire not to talk to Wong Xue Guo anymore by flinging her hand away. But she grabbed it again the next second.
"We can't go back anymore," Nurul Hanani said seriously. "Our way to safety is the rooftop. We had to get there."
Fortunately, there was no danger on their way up and they easily unlocked the door to the rooftop. Surprisingly, there was nothing blocking the door.
As they expected, there were people on the rooftop, already standing on guard from the noises coming up their way. Two of them were male, one wearing a smart-looking suit while the older man wore an attire suitable for a forest visit.
"Mr Kumar?" The younger man with his hair thickly gelled back did not ease his wary gaze trained onto them even after discovering they were human. After all, they had more numbers than them, along with their weapons that could easily overpower the two people.
"Mr Kwan, it's good that you are safe," Vihaan greeted the chief finance officer of Diamond mall with dutiful politeness. Although one doubts his sincerity, it does not warrant hostility.
Both Vihaan and Mr Kwan do not have the authority to hold the key to the rooftop. But neither of them questions the other about it, tacitly letting the matter go.
Side Theater:
Author: Where did you throw the wrapper…?
Suzie: Floor. Got a problem?
Author: Don’t litter around, ah…
Suzie: Who would care about rubbish at this time?
Author: Me.
