Fu Erdie called the dog back and instructed it not to engage with zombies anymore, but rather to wait until they reached the 16th floor.
As for the mutated plants in the other rooms of Building 7, Fu Erdie felt that they had been growing for so long and had been watered with the water from 16-1 for months, so they shouldn’t be easily trampled by zombies wandering around.
After all, zombies didn’t eat plants, so what did it matter?
The elderly lady felt very sorry and wanted to bring the plants back.
But as Fu Erdie had said, these mutated plants were indeed growing well and large. The water from 16-1 seemed to have a magical effect, making each of them “fertilized”.
Now, even if the elderly lady’s physical strength and mental energy were good, she couldn’t lift these plants that were as heavy as artificial mountains.
So, reluctantly, the elderly lady had to give up.
There were plenty of fruits on the balcony at home, enough for two people and a dog to continue eating.
In this inexplicable manner, everyone started to lie low.
The small house was a two-bedroom apartment; Fu Erdie slept in the master bedroom, while the elderly lady slept in the second bedroom.
Every day, the elderly lady used the stored food to cook millet porridge for Fu Erdie, saying that taking care of her daily life was like paying “rent” for her stay here.
Fu Erdie didn’t mind much, letting her tire herself out if she wanted to. She could still get by on fruits. And with the millet porridge, she had something to eat.
Days passed by peacefully and calmly, which seemed unbelievable.
Fu Erdie estimated that the zombies should have reached the 16th floor by September 20th and would knock on their door, provoking her to take action.
But as she waited, by the end of September, there was no sign of any activity.
Fu Erdie: …
Fu Erdie felt that something was not right.
She listlessly picked up a hammer and slowly descended the stairs.
15th floor, no one.
14th floor, no one.
13th floor…
She kept walking until the 3rd floor, but there were no zombies in sight.
Fu Erdie: ?
It wasn’t until she reached the 2nd floor that Fu Erdie finally understood what was going on.
The succulents that the elderly lady had placed in the room on the 2nd floor had somehow moved to the adjacent vacant room without a door.
And now, the stout succulent, standing in the centre of the room like a lotus throne, its roots squirming around like thick python snakes, entangled and rolling with zombies until it accidentally twisted off their heads or directly exploded them, turning the zombies into “agate” snacks, ready to be slowly consumed.
Fu Erdie: …
Was this her version of Plants vs. Zombies in Building 7? A live-action version!
When Fu Erdie was anxious before, she enjoyed playing Plants vs. Zombies. Whether defeating zombies or having her brains eaten, it was all stress relief.
Now, after a silent and dull half month, she was feeling a bit restless again.
Observing from the 2nd floor, she suddenly noticed not only the roots of the succulents but also many other roots of varying lengths, thicknesses, and colours, all different, crawling down from some unknown floor.
Fu Erdie tilted her head.
If she remembered correctly, even the spider plant could barely reach other rooms on the same floor before and couldn’t sustain it for long before withering. What was going on now?
Fu Erdie walked up to a green branch and gently poked it. “Gardenia?”
The gardenia, happy to be recognized, bloomed a small flower and then pointed in the direction of the upper floors.
Fu Erdie went upstairs and saw in an inconspicuous corner on the 3rd floor, there was a gardenia leaf…
The leaf continued pointing upwards.
Fu Erdie followed its guidance and arrived at room 8-8 on the eighth floor.
This was a spacious three-bedroom apartment with good orientation, filled with ample sunlight.
Surprisingly, inside this sunlit room were over a dozen mutated plants.
The plants currently inhabiting this room were just a portion of the mutated plants. They seemed to be resting here before using it as a springboard to reach even farther places.
Among them were familiar faces: cucumber and tomato.
These two shameless ones, relying on their plant characteristics, had climbed onto branches that others had painstakingly grown, continuing their scuffle.
Fu Erdie called the dog and the elderly lady, and after a thorough inspection from the 24th floor to the 2nd floor, they finally understood how these mutated plants had ended up on the first floor.
Their branches indeed couldn’t stretch very far, but their roots could grow indefinitely.
Unlike their branches, which reached lengths to accomplish specific tasks, their roots spread slowly in one direction, much like vines, under their own adjustments.
Fu Erdie wasn’t sure if they were inspired by the cucumber and tomato, but regardless, their roots and stems had grown in a concerted effort toward one direction.
Over these few months, they had figured out that the first floor was most likely to provide food. So, even plants like the cucumber and tomato, which had been fighting all along, didn’t focus solely on their battle.
They still aimed for the first floor.
Room 8-8 must have had good feng shui, and coupled with some leaking upstairs, the ceiling had been soaked, making it easier for roots to pierce through. Hence, like a group of kindergarten children, these mutated plants had spontaneously gathered here.
Fu Erdie widened her horizons and realized she had much to learn from these plants.
Their roots and stems were still fragile; they had only just managed to reach the second floor. Here, they could grow some branches and leaves to ambush and besiege zombies. The main force on the second floor remained the succulents.
Fu Erdie stumbled home, took a shower, and lay down on her bed.
Then suddenly, she sat up.
“When God closes a door, He always leaves a window open.” So, that’s what it means?!
Because she wasn’t a psychic and had no combat skills, she had resigned herself to lying low and waiting to die. But then, the mutant plants compensated for the lack of offensive capabilities!
The gloom lifted a bit and gradually dispersed.
Unable to sit still, she joyfully paced back and forth in her bedroom.
“No, the bedroom is too small,” she decided and moved to the living room.
But even the living room felt too confining.
She couldn’t resist stepping out into the hallway and breaking into a run.
The hot wind brushed against her face, and Fu Erdie began to feel increasingly exhilarated, her pent-up frustration dissipating.
She wasn’t an ability holder.
But she was loved by many and favoured by heaven, after all!
She was overjoyed, the pressures of recent days melting away in this moment.
From the 16th floor, she charged up to the 24th floor, then opened the door leading to the rooftop terrace, shouting silently with her mouth wide open in the 35-degree heat.
Yes, she realized it—she was loved by this world!
No worries about food, drink, or attacks from outsiders. What more did she have to worry about!
Mutant zombies? Bring them on—one by one!
Evil ability holders? Blow their heads off—all of them!
The dandelion seeds from the 24th floor drifted slowly in the warm breeze, gently floating away from under Fu Erdie’s feet towards an unknown distance.
Fu Erdie was in high spirits, full of vitality and vigour.
She took out her little notebook again and started recording everything: the weather, zombies, buildings, mutant plants—every detail and change.
No longer tightly wound, she no longer patrolled and exercised tirelessly every day like before, fearing she might miss a step, pushing herself to the limit.
She personally watered the plants up and down the stairs, busy and exercised until she felt comfortable enough to stop. Then she would go home, take a shower, and read the comics and novels she had bought before the apocalypse.
At the perfect time of day, when the sun was just right, she would take her spider plant and potato—these two were the only ones left that could retract their roots—and sit with them in their pots, moving the mutant plants to the roof to sunbathe.
Next to her would be a fruit platter with juicy cherries glistening under the inviting sunlight.
Life’s breath suddenly became lively and vivid.
Fu Erdie was happy every day, chatting with the mutant plants. She would even take out pen and paper to sketch the daily changes in the mutant plants. In this context, even the corners of the sketches showing dismembered zombie limbs being consumed looked cute and amusing.
This leisurely mood continued until the end of September. Fu Erdie felt her little companions at home needed more food, so she cast her gaze towards several nearby buildings where there were zombies.
Through daily observations and records, she confirmed that there were no mutant zombies in the several buildings around the neighbourhood that were within her sight.
The temperature was now within the range where zombies were active. If Fu Erdie were to go there now, she would easily attract a group of zombies to come deliver food.
Fu Erdie wasted no time. Dressed in rags, she walked straight to Building 6, circled around the ground floor without making a sound, without causing a major disturbance.
But at least twenty or more zombies saw or smelled her scent.
Fu Erdie smiled and quickly headed back to Building 7.
Ordinary zombies naturally couldn’t catch up to her, but they still followed her, rushing towards her direction.
Two minutes later, thirty zombies entered Building 7.
Salivating, the mutant plants eagerly seized the opportunity and began feasting heartily, sharpening their blades like they were going after pigs and sheep.
On that day, the mutant plants had a hearty meal, and each one was very content.
After eating their fill, they grew taller, their main bodies enlarged, and the agricultural output of the crops increased accordingly.
The elderly lady, seeing more and more food, grew a few more white hairs out of worry.
Fu Erdie comforted her, “If we can’t finish it, we can feed it to our plant friends, it’s okay.”
The elderly lady replied, “But they’re already full from eating zombies!”
Fu Erdie hesitated for a moment before reassuring her, “It’s okay, it’s not a big problem.”
Having more food was better than having none at all.
And so, every day, Fu Erdie went out to attract hate, luring dozens of zombies over to feed, then waited for the plants to digest them before repeating the process the next day.
Just the zombies from the neighbouring Building 6 could feed her little friends for a whole month, which made Fu Erdie feel quite relieved.
As the little friends grew larger, their root systems became more solidly entrenched within the buildings. One day, Fu Erdie suddenly noticed that the temperature inside Building 7 was two degrees lower than outside.
By mid-October, it was 30 degrees outside but only 28 degrees inside Building 7. They didn’t need air conditioning or fans anymore, and the unpleasant smell in the air was gradually diminishing.
Fu Erdie realized that what had happened in Apartment 16-1 was now replicating throughout the entire building.
It was impossible not to get excited.
Fu Erdie repeatedly reminded herself to stay calm, to think long-term, to analyse potential weaknesses. Barely managing to maintain her composure, she resisted the urge to go to the rooftop and shout, “This is my house, and we’re all becoming enlightened!”
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