Chapter 43 The Supermarket Ends (This is not the end of humanity)

Some people are indignant, asking why they are considered unlawful insiders simply because Takahashi Group's internal information was accidentally leaked.

Several people worked together to thoroughly examine the information on the Takahashi Group's official Weibo account.

The investigation revealed that the blog post contained images of paper documents and reports, which did indeed contain the words "Evolution Game".

However, after finding it, everyone felt even more like crying. "A piece of paper covered with writing, the 'Evolution Game' only appeared once in total, who could have noticed it?"

"I've seen this picture before, but I only glanced at it and didn't look at it closely at all. How did I become someone who knows the truth?"

"You'd need a magnifying glass to read every single word to find that! I refuse to accept this!"

Some people also cursed, "Damn the Takahashi Group! Why did they write this kind of thing? Wouldn't it have been fine if they hadn't written the report?!"

His friend tugged at him and whispered a reminder, "This is someone else's internal document."

Logically, only authorized individuals should be allowed to access it.

The man froze, then cursed again, "Damn murderer! If you're going to kill someone, why release internal documents? Who wants to see them?"

You didn't say that a few days ago.

His friends were too embarrassed to expose him.

In the office, Ning Lu was startled by the government's statement.

"What...what is this? How did the real world turn into a game?"

Because of the extreme fright, he could only stutter when he spoke.

“It should be true,” Yun Xin analyzed. “People don’t joke around in this kind of situation.”

"So, anyone who hears these words could encounter an accident?" Ning Lu's face was blank. "From this perspective, the extinction of all mankind is just around the corner."

Yun Xin had a different opinion: "This is an evolutionary game, not a human extinction plan. There should be a way to survive."

"That's good..." Ning Lu visibly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Yun Xin's words.

Yun Xin lowered her eyes.

What she didn't say was that the game requires evolution. As for how many people die in the process, she probably doesn't care.

While I was pondering, the proprietress walked into the office wearing a thick scarf.

"Cough cough!"

Before he could speak, a suppressed cough broke out first.

The proprietress coughed for a while before she could barely suppress it. "Yunxin, come here for a moment, I have something to tell you."

"Okay." Yun Xin got up and followed.

The two walked to a corner, and the proprietress said slowly, "It's said that the weaker your body is, the more obvious the symptoms of this cold. Old Yang almost didn't make it... Luckily, his home is near the hospital, so we got him there in time. The doctor had a lot of effort to save him."

“I used to drink every day and didn’t feel anything. Now that I’ve encountered some problems, I realize that my body has really been drained.”

“He was on the verge of death twice in just one month. I was really afraid something would happen to him. After that, I planned to close the supermarket and make him go to the gym to work out every day.”

"After going through all this, I've come to terms with it. Money is just an external thing! If you're gone, no amount of money will help."

“That’s fine, I respect your decision.” Yun Xin readily agreed.

"I still feel so guilty thinking about how I persuaded you to come work here..." The landlady looked at Yunxin with remorse. "Don't worry, little sister, I'll make sure you get a generous severance package!"

"With so many things happening lately, who could have predicted this?" Yunxin reassured the shop owner. "I might not stay in this city any longer. Even if the supermarket continues to operate, I might not stay."

“Who says otherwise?” The proprietress, her thoughts exposed, suddenly burst into tears. “This damned flu is killing us! The government actually said there will be even more challenges ahead. Old Yang and I are already old; if we don’t start training harder, we won’t have a chance of survival at all!”

The proprietress had originally wanted to chat with Yunxin a bit more, but she caught a cold, had a cough, and a sore throat. Even a few extra words felt like torture.

Seeing this, she quickly ended the conversation, "When we settle the accounts, in addition to the money you're owed, I'll give you an extra six months' salary!"

"Thank you, boss lady." Yun Xin accepted the gift without hesitation.

The lights are coming on.

Braving the biting cold wind, Yunxin, having finished settling her accounts, was unemployed again.

Pedestrians were gathered together on the street, having a heated discussion.

"There was a hailstorm in the south. It is said that only one person was hit on the head and did not receive timely treatment, but the others were fine."

"The neighboring city is in a terrible state. In the foggy weather, there was a multi-vehicle collision at the intersection, which reportedly killed more than a dozen people and injured more than thirty."

"The worst affected area is the east. In temperatures below -20 degrees Celsius, the entire city went without power! The government is reportedly trying to restore power, but it may not be effective. In that kind of weather, if the power goes out for a week, I don't know how many people will die."

"And the reason these disasters happened all at once, I heard, is because of the 'misfortune' debuff!"

"Why couldn't I control myself and cast a vote of no confidence?!"

One man grabbed his right hand with his left and slapped it twice, his face full of remorse.

"With a 71% voter turnout, it's no use with just a few of us changing our votes." My friend sighed. "Things have come to this point, let's think about what to do next. I checked the official website, and it says that if we get an A rating, everything will be fine."

"Getting an A grade isn't that easy!" another person said in despair. "I can't even save myself, how can I save ten more?"

“In the past, a dozen or so deaths would have been considered a major accident!”

A sense of oppression is spreading.

The people present were increasingly distraught.

One of them forced a smile and comforted his companion, "Look on the bright side. The more you experience and the more people you save, the more your attributes will gradually increase. Once you awaken your superpowers, what's there to be afraid of not getting an A?"

"Besides, superpowers, aren't they cool?"

"I used to wish I were Superman! I never thought I'd have the chance to fulfill my dream in this lifetime..."

His intention was to encourage his companions, but as he spoke, he became frustrated and showed no trace of excitement about soon having superpowers.

"Why--"

The sighs seemed contagious; one after another, the group sighed, their frustration palpable.

Yun Xin didn't stop and hurried past them.

Yunxin hurried towards her rented apartment, but stopped abruptly in front of the complex—why was she in such a rush to get back? There was no one waiting for her at home.

Without realizing it, his right hand reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, stroking the screen.

Should we give him a call...?

With everyone under a debuff right now, maybe it would be safer to stay by her side?

Yunxin was unusually conflicted.

Just then, a warm voice called out from behind, "Xinxin!"

The voice sounded both unfamiliar and familiar.

Yun Xin was slightly taken aback and subconsciously turned around.

A familiar face appeared before her eyes, and the person who looked at her smiled and said, "Xinxin, it's been so long! I've missed you so much!"

Yunxin stared blankly, for a moment wondering if she was hallucinating from missing him too much.

"Xinxin, it's been six years, don't you miss me at all?" Xiao Wei asked, her face falling and her expression pitiful.

Yun Xin snapped out of her daze. "What are you doing here?"

"I saw your social media location!" Xiao Wei cheered again at the mention of this. "Anyway, it's the end of the world now, and I might die tomorrow, so it's okay for me to stay by your side, right?"

Yun Xin was speechless.

Along the way, seeing so many people dejected and desperate, this is the first person to show happiness.

"Knowing that the world is going to end, why are you so happy?"

Xiao Wei just smiled and didn't say anything.

Because I've always wanted to see you, but I couldn't find a suitable excuse.

With the end of the world approaching, I finally have a reason to come and see you.

"Grinning like an idiot again." Yunxin poked the puppy's cheek.

Xiao Wei not only didn't dodge, but also leaned down, bringing his face close to hers, letting her poke him. He muttered, "It's the end of the world! I have to see you before I die, right?"

“Yes, it’s like the end of the world.” Yun Xin’s eyes flickered, and she seemed quite shaken.

The nightmares I had before actually had a sequel.

After her grandmother's death, in order to help her adjust her mood and get over it as soon as possible, Xiao Wei suggested that she go on a trip.

Yun Xin agreed and personally chose the destination. The journey was enjoyable, and they had a great time exploring the local area. However, just before they were about to leave, Yun Xin noticed that many of the local residents were shrouded in black aura.

At first, Yunxin thought it was a major emergency, so she told Xiaowei that she planned to stay a few more days.

Yunxin was determined to prevent the accident, but later discovered that most of the residents died of a strange disease called "Minamata disease".

Minamata disease is a public health hazard caused by pollution from industrial wastewater discharge.

Organic mercury is discharged into rivers, and humans gradually develop chronic mercury poisoning due to long-term consumption of fish, shrimp, and shellfish contaminated with organic mercury.

Organic mercury can invade brain nerve cells, causing mild symptoms such as slurred speech, unsteady gait, facial dementia, numbness in the hands and feet, sensory disturbances, vision loss, and deformities of the hands and feet. In severe cases, it can lead to neurological disorders, excessive excitement, arching of the body and shouting, and even death.

Residents who had been consuming seafood contaminated with organic mercury for a long time were already terminally ill. The black mist appearing on their bodies was a sign that their death was imminent.

Yunxin was almost frantic after finding out the truth—she and Xiao Wei had been traveling here for days and had eaten plenty of local fish, shrimp, and shellfish!

She chose the travel destination, and she suggested staying a few more days after the trip. If Xiao Wei suffers permanent nerve damage as a result, she will never be able to forgive herself!

Without saying a word, Yun Xin dragged Xiao Wei to get a full body checkup. Fortunately, the results showed that he was very healthy.

Yun Xin then released Xiao Wei, seemingly exhausted.

"Xinxin, is everything done?" Xiao Wei pondered. "University is about to start, we need to go ahead."

"Luckily, we got into the same university, so we can..."

“Xiao Wei,” Yun Xin interrupted him, “I can’t go.”

Xiao Wei froze. "Didn't we agree to go to the same university?"

"The place I chose almost ruined you." Yunxin still feels a lingering fear when she thinks back on it.

Who would have thought there was something wrong with the water?

Who would travel and refuse to eat local delicacies?

But these seemingly insignificant little things almost harmed the person she cared about most.

Yunxin even began to suspect that she was death itself. Anyone who got close to her would not have a good ending.

"It was an accident..." Xiao Wei tried to explain. He didn't take it to heart at all, and he didn't mind that he would encounter such a thing while following Yun Xin.

“Being with me isn’t an accidental occurrence, it’s part of everyday life.” Yun Xin shook her head slowly but firmly.

You are the only one who cannot be harmed, no matter what.

"What are your plans?" Xiao Wei asked in a muffled voice.

Yunxin looked up at the sky. "I'm going to study philosophy in another city... Let's separate for now."

"I won't agree." Xiao Wei refused without even thinking.

Yunxin remained silent.

Despite Xiao Wei's repeated attempts to persuade her, Yun Xin remained resolute and finally had no choice but to agree.

They were forced to separate when they were eighteen.

After that, every now and then, Xiao Wei would post a message on social media.

Of course, what matters is not the content being posted, but the geographical location displayed when the post is published.

Yunxin understood what he meant. Occasionally, when she changed cities, she would also post an update on her location.

Time flies by like flowing water.

During her four years of university and two years of work, Yunxin was constantly surrounded by disasters, big and small, and she was never sure that she wouldn't implicate those close to her.

Just then, the end of the world arrived.

Yun Xin was still hesitating whether to go find Xiao Wei, but Xiao Wei came to find her first.

"Don't send me away, I won't leave."

Yun Xin sighed and embraced Xiao Wei as if embracing fate, "Alright, then we'll be together through life and death."

They would either live together or die together; in short, they would never be separated again.

(End of this chapter)