Chapter 4: Footprints

Back in his apartment, Su Li put down the clothes drying rod. His mind was filled entirely with the bloated, mangled female corpse that had been gnawed on, and his thoughts were a mess. It took him a long time to calm down again.

“Now, should I stay here and wait for rescue, or should I try to leave and find a way out? Or are there other survivors like me in this city?”

Su Li took off his socks and the shoes that had gotten soaked from entering the water. He put on a clean pair and walked to the balcony window, deep in thought. Looking out at the water surface, he could see scattered high-rise buildings emerging in the distance. All of these structures were 30-story buildings or taller.

Looking at the buildings rising above the water, Su Li couldn’t help but wonder if there were other survivors like him inside. If there were, finding them would be better than being alone.

Of course, there were also unknown risks along the way. The corpse that had been gnawed on had left a psychological scar on Su Li, making him feel constantly uneasy.

“Or maybe I should stay for now and wait for rescue. It’s possible that a rescue team will show up soon.”

The only thing Su Li felt fortunate about was that, since he lived alone, he had stocked up on a few bags of instant noodles and some biscuits and bread for breakfast for convenience, all piled up in the refrigerator.

Just for himself, the food could last for four or five days.

After some thought, Su Li decided to prepare for two possibilities.

The first was to stay put temporarily, hoping for a breakthrough or the arrival of rescue personnel. The second was to start making a simple raft. If no rescue personnel appeared in the next few days, he would have no choice but to risk leaving on the raft and actively seek another path to survival.

Having made a decision, Su Li felt a little relieved. He took a bag of biscuits from the fridge, tore it open, and started working while eating. The only thing he felt fortunate about was that the water hadn’t stopped yet. He filled a kettle with water, then turned on the stove to boil it.

He was using an old-fashioned bottled liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), but he rarely cooked. He had only used it once this month, and that was when Wang Lan and a few friends came over for a meal; he barely used it when he was alone.

Now he was grateful for the LPG bottle; otherwise, getting a mouthful of hot water would be difficult.

“I need to boil and store more water. Although the water hasn’t stopped yet, since the power is out, the water supply could stop at any time.”

Su Li didn’t know the specific reason; perhaps it was due to separate utility lines, but although the power was out, the water hadn’t stopped for the time being.

In addition to preparing hot water, Su Li searched his apartment for various tools. He quickly found some iron nails, two screwdrivers, a pair of pliers, scissors, a lighter, and a hammer. He also collected the cleaver and fruit knife from the kitchen, piling them all onto the living room coffee table for future use.

After finishing the biscuits and drinking some water to fill his stomach, Su Li began his work. His plan was to first get to the roof and create thick smoke to attract the attention of outside rescue personnel—if, of course, there were any rescuers.

Afterward, he would work on creating the simple raft as a contingency.

He found some old clothes, including a quilt, a pair of plastic slippers, and a few plastic bags, bundled them all together, and grabbed the lighter, preparing to leave.

He planned to carry these items up to the roof and set them on fire, hoping to create a large amount of thick smoke.

If a rescue team were truly out there and saw the large amount of artificially created smoke rising from the building, they would surely know there was a survivor, and he would be saved.

Su Li opened the door, ready to step out with the bundle, but suddenly stopped. His eyes fell upon the corridor in front of him.

He saw wet footprints on the corridor floor. The footprints started from the end of the corridor and extended all the way to the door of the apartment occupied by the young couple.

Su Li’s heart began to pound wildly.

Looking at the wet footprints, Su Li knew they weren’t his. The footprints he had left earlier when his shoes got wet had long since dried. The wet footprints currently in the corridor were clearly left by someone who had just walked by, and they couldn’t be old, otherwise they would have quickly dried.

“Does this mean there’s someone else here besides me? Did someone just walk up from the stairs and enter the couple’s apartment? But the stairs outside are submerged, so how did this person get here?”

Su Li looked at the slightly ajar door, wanting to rush in and investigate, but deep down, a faint fear lingered. He felt that there was something inexplicably strange about the whole situation.

He didn’t act rashly. Instead, he quickly retreated to his apartment, put down the quilt and clothes he was holding, and then grabbed the cleaver and the hammer from the coffee table.

Armed with the cleaver and hammer, his self-defense weapons, he felt slightly calmer and his courage bolstered. He took a deep breath to steady himself and walked out again, determined to find out what was happening.

“I hope there really are other survivors,” Su Li thought silently.

Facing all the unknowns alone brought not only loneliness but also a constant dread of the unfamiliar, which weighed heavily on his mind and made him feel intensely suppressed. He was afraid that if things continued like this, he would soon break down. He yearned to see other living people, companions, or even just a dog.

Soon, Su Li walked to the couple’s door, looked at the slightly ajar security door, and the wet footprints in front of it.

Getting closer, Su Li noticed that there were large amounts of water marks on both sides of the footprints. Clearly, the person who left the footprints was not just wearing wet shoes but was completely soaked. As they walked over, they not only left a trail of wet footprints but were also dripping water all over, leaving large damp patches on the floor.

However, as time passed, these water marks were slowly evaporating. Su Li only noticed them now that he was close.

Su Li tightened his grip on the hammer and the cleaver. He didn’t immediately push the door open. His throat moved as he swallowed, and he finally managed to speak: “Is anyone there?”

Aside from his voice, the corridor and the apartment were completely silent.

Su Li paused for a few seconds and asked again, all while carefully listening for any movement inside the apartment.

Suddenly, he heard a sound from inside. It sounded like a chair being moved, a sound that became especially loud in the silence. It seemed like the noise was made by someone accidentally bumping a chair while turning around.

“There really is someone inside? But why won’t they answer me?”

Su Li finally couldn’t hold back. His right hand, holding the hammer, lifted, and he was about to push open the slightly ajar door.

(End of Chapter)