Chapter 32: Empty the Magazine!

On the neighborhood street, wrecked vehicles were scattered haphazardly along the roadside. Dozens of zombies wandered aimlessly across the two-lane road. Anything that stirred would instantly draw the attention of these bloodthirsty monsters.

This had been the case for Xu Wang and his two companions the moment they left the cover of their vehicle. Several nearby zombies twitched their noses, sensed the movement, and turned around immediately. However, upon seeing that it was two Black men and one Asian man, they lost interest instantly and wandered off on their own.

Andre and Meegan were no fools. They hadn’t noticed the pattern earlier due to their nerves, but now it was different. The zombies’ behavior was far too obvious. When Meegan passed by an elderly white female zombie, the creature clearly recoiled. Meegan was left in utter disbelief. Refusing to accept it, he reached out to grab the old woman zombie, who leaned back with all her might, clearly wanting nothing to do with his touch.

"Hey! Did you see that?" Meegan’s eyes widened.

Andre, who was busy trying to find an escape route, stopped in his tracks: "What is going on?"

"Haven't you realized it yet? These are racist zombies." Xu Wang looked quite relaxed. Seeing a zombie child pass by, he snatched the lollipop right out of its hand. The child's zombie parents hurriedly led the kid away. Unfazed, Xu Wang popped the lollipop into his mouth and added, "Can we find something to eat? I’m starving."

He really was hungry. Every time he focused on dying, he forgot that the 24 hours required for resurrection also consumed energy. Thinking of this, Xu Wang suddenly remembered that it wasn't just him who hadn't eaten; Tie Zhu hadn't either. Ever since the dog started following him, it had been starving more often than not. But there was nothing he could do for now; he would have to wait until he returned to the wasteland to get Tie Zhu some food.

Prompted by Xu Wang, Andre and Meegan finally realized that the zombies around them were indeed racist. This made the two men deeply annoyed, yet there was nothing they could do about it. As they passed a sedan, they even startled the family of zombies inside. The zombie father in the driver’s seat immediately locked the doors. Seeing this, the two men were so speechless they rolled their eyes to the heavens.

"Why are you locking the door! Your windows are already broken!" Meegan, incensed, reached his hand through the shattered window. Inside, the two zombies frantically raised their hands, doing their best to avoid him. This only made Meegan feel more furious and helpless.

"Oh! This is hell!" Andre turned back to look at Xu Wang, spread his hands, and said, "It looks like we're safe. Let’s go; I know where there’s some food. I’ll take you there."

"Hey! Brothers!" Just then, a heavy-set Black man wearing sunglasses and carrying a crate of beer walked over from the sidewalk. He had clearly realized the truth about the racist zombies and looked very excited and relaxed.

"Isn't this great? Look, they won't even attack us. Come on, we're having a party. Want to join?" The man was quite sociable, laughing and waving at Xu Wang and his companions to join the festivities.

"Let’s go. I’m hungry," Xu Wang said, rubbing his stomach. He was genuinely famished. He planned to eat his fill before dying again. Andre and Meegan exchanged glances; having nothing better to do, they agreed.

The party wasn't far away. A few turns later, they arrived at a villa that looked quite nice—likely the best house in the neighborhood. They heard it before they saw it; even before entering the yard, they heard cheerful music coming from the backyard. Once they rounded the corner of the house, the music became even louder without the walls to muffle it.

"Beer's here!" the heavy-set man cheered to a group of over a dozen Black men in the yard.

"Yeah!" the party-goers cheered back.

"Look who I brought! Three new friends!" The man turned back to usher Xu Wang and his group in. "Come on, don't be shy."

Xu Wang wasn't shy at all. As soon as he reached the backyard, he was drawn to the steaks grilling on the lawn. He walked straight up, grabbed a plate, and used the tongs to serve himself a fragrant steak. The cooking method was rather crude, but the meat itself was decent, so Xu Wang found it acceptable.

Halfway through his meal, Xu Wang noticed a zombie in a suit looking terrified, trying to climb over the wall to escape. Curious, he asked, "Where did this zombie come from?"

The heavy-set man, holding a beer, glanced at the zombie and said happily, "This is his house! Hahaha!"

"Good grief! You guys really are something." Xu Wang realized this short film was filled with racial tropes, mocking both sides. The homeowner zombie looked terrified, struggling to climb the wall, but being a zombie, his limbs were stiff and clumsy. He couldn't make it over despite his best efforts. Xu Wang, being a kind-hearted soul, couldn't bear to see the zombie struggle so much, so he decided to lend a hand.

"Come on, buddy, let me help you." With the steak still in his mouth, Xu Wang walked over, grabbed the zombie, tied him up, and tossed him back among the party-goers. The racist zombie was trembling with fear. Xu Wang patted his head kindly: "Don't be afraid. This is called exposure therapy. Once you get scared enough, you'll get used to it." The zombie turned his head and snarled at Xu Wang, clearly unhappy with the treatment. Xu Wang took it as a sign of gratitude.

"Do you have any spare charcoal?" Fed and watered, Xu Wang sought out the host again. The man nodded. "There's plenty over there. What are you doing?"

Xu Wang picked up some charcoal from the spot the man pointed to and began methodically smearing it all over his face. "To thank you for the food, I’ve decided to give you a lesson before I leave."

"What?" Xu Wang's actions drew the attention of the others. Everyone was confused about what this Asian guy was up to. Within moments, Xu Wang had covered his face and hands with charcoal. He now looked just like a Black man.

"Follow me," Xu Wang said, walking toward the street. The group looked at each other, confused, but curiosity got the better of them, and they followed him.

The street outside the community was still filled with wandering zombies. Xu Wang scanned the area, and upon spotting a zombie police officer, he nodded in satisfaction. He turned around, looked at the group of Black men with a grave expression, and said in a heavy tone, "Watch closely, boys! I’m only going to demonstrate this once! This is the destiny of a Black man!"

"What?!" The group was bewildered. Then, their eyes widened in shock!

Xu Wang suddenly accelerated, charged toward an elderly zombie woman, and snatched the purse from her hand with lightning speed.

"Roar! Roar!" Having her purse snatched, the old zombie lady shrieked in terror. The nearby zombie police officer seemed to have a program triggered; he reflexively drew his service weapon. He scanned the scene:

Element one: An old lady was robbed.
Element two: The robber was a Black man.
Element three: The Black man was fleeing!

"Roar, roar, roar!" The zombie cop instantly sprang into action, raising his gun and pulling the trigger repeatedly at Xu Wang's back! Within seconds, the magazine was empty. Xu Wang, riddled with bullets, collapsed to the ground with a satisfied smile. He was dead again.

"Holy shit!" The Black men nearby were stunned! The scene was all too familiar—the kind of familiarity etched into their DNA. Watching all the police zombies on the street turn their eyes toward them in unison, the group was instantly terrified.

"Shit!" Andre and Meegan cursed, turning and running for their lives. In that moment, they remembered the running under the sunset—it was their lost youth.