Chapter 85: Shi Guangyao's Efforts to Stockpile Goods

Shi Guangyao was the boy who only cared about escaping during the opening exam, leaving Song Rushuang and two others outside the door, and was eventually expelled by the principal.

Shi Guangyao's behavior was indeed excessive, and his personality was extremely despicable. Being expelled from Fuqing was already a huge punishment for students who had studied hard for twelve years. The three of them vented their anger and then forgot about him.

So much happened in the following year that Song Rushuang and Zhang Han almost forgot about this person.

Upon meeting him, the two felt that his ugly face looked somewhat familiar, and it took them almost half a minute to remember his name.

But it is clear that Shi Guangyao has not forgotten them.

The moment he saw them, his expression turned venomous, and he strode towards them.

Shi Guangyao didn't dare hide the news of his expulsion and immediately told his parents.

At that time, the entire Shi family was stunned.

Back when the college entrance exam results came out, they even joyfully invited all their relatives to a banquet to celebrate their son's excellent results.

Before long, Shi Guangyao was expelled from school on the first day of the semester... This was a disgrace to his entire family.

Due to system limitations, Shi Guangyao tried several times but was unable to describe what had happened to his parents. In the end, he could only vaguely summarize it as: the principal thought he had done something inappropriate to his classmates.

In addition, twenty other people were also dismissed.

The parents banded together and made a huge scene at Fangzhou, but they couldn't even get into the school.

They tried calling the police and hiring lawyers, but for some reason, every time the call connected, their minds went blank, and they couldn't even properly describe their needs. They tried posting online, but their posts disappeared without a trace, with zero views.

As time went by, seeing that their efforts to protect his rights had been fruitless, they had no choice but to let Shi Guangyao go back to repeat his studies.

Afraid of running into acquaintances and losing face, Shi Guangyao, a local, didn't even dare to enroll in a school in S City. Instead, he found an agency in another city and fled there in a panic.

For him, who had always had excellent grades and had been well protected by his parents and had never left home, the year of repeating a grade was like hell.

The institution for repeat students was extremely strict, requiring students to live on campus and not allowing parents to visit during the week. No one was washing his clothes or cooking for him, and Shi Guangyao was going crazy.

At first, he had nightmares every day, dreaming of zombies rushing at him, dreaming of his classmates' bloodied and mangled faces, and dreaming of Fu Qing's indifferent tone when he announced the expulsion list.

The last thing I remembered was how Song Rushuang and the others brushed past him as he left the lecture hall in a disheveled state.

It was clearly their fault... but at that moment, it seemed as if he had embarked on a completely different path in life from them.

On what grounds?!

The parents of Shi Guangyao and others cried, made a scene, and even organized a large-scale protest at the school gate with banners, but these messages did not even reach the ears of Song Rushuang and the other parties involved.

Seeing their blank expressions, as if they had almost forgotten him, Shi Guangyao felt a surge of hatred.

But beyond hatred, he also harbored a fear that no one could tell him.

He remembered the principal's speech that day, saying that the end of the world would come in a year.

Even the students from Fangzhou took a long time to accept this, let alone Shi Guangyao, who hadn't even been granted access to the forum. Throughout his speech that day, he was in a daze, fearing he would be expelled, so much so that many details were blurry when he later recalled them.

Even the few vague details he could remember were impossible for him to verify or discuss with anyone.

These fears were suppressed in his heart and turned into nightmares at midnight. Sometimes, the pressure of repeating the year was so great that Shi Guangyao would even feel that he was hallucinating.

Shops on the street are open on time, office workers are commuting with their bags, and students are studying hard day and night to strive for a future—away from Fangzhou, the whole world is running normally, so what makes that woman make such a crazy prediction of the end of the world?

Shi Guangyao could not believe it, nor dared to believe it.

But that year, he still quietly bought a lot of survival supplies and hid them under his dormitory bed and in his wardrobe.

After returning home from the college entrance examination, he secretly stocked up on some goods at home.

As the date of the apocalypse drew closer, he became increasingly uneasy, even taking his parents to the supermarket several times to bring back more food and bottled water for their home.

His parents felt sorry for him studying hard for his senior year, so they used it as a way for him to relieve stress and gave him whatever he wanted. They came to this mall today to buy Shi Guangyao some new clothes to help him relieve stress.

Unexpectedly, they ran into the very people who were behind it all—Song Rushuang and Zhang Han.

The store was crowded. Seeing Shi Guangyao walking towards them with a clear goal in mind, Zhang Han whispered to Song Rushuang, "What is he going to do? There are so many people around. Does he want to make a move?"

Song Rushuang gave a forced smile: "Isn't that perfect?"

Zhang Han chuckled: "That's true."

She casually picked up a small ornament from the side and showed it to Song Rushuang: "This is quite pretty. How about we buy it and put it in the dorm?"

The voice wasn't loud, but the dismissive attitude twisted Shi Guangyao's expression.

"You two, having a good time shopping, huh?" he said through gritted teeth.

"Otherwise what?" Zhang Han deliberately teased him, "You've been gone for a year, and even at a funeral you don't cry for this long."

Shi Guangyao's parents, still unaware of what was going on, stood there, thinking their son had run into an acquaintance, and looked in that direction.

Song Rushuang glanced at the shopping baskets hanging on their arms and noticed that they contained things like toothbrushes and pillowcases. She immediately understood: "Are you buying things for school registration? That doesn't seem right."

She quietly approached Shi Guangyao, whose face was ashen, lowered her voice, and said with a provocative smile, "...Didn't you still have a batch of unused goods from last year?"

These words struck a nerve, and Shi Guangyao's anger surged to the top of his head. Suddenly, he reached out and shoved Song Rushuang hard, yelling, "Fuck your grandpa!"

Song Rushuang nonchalantly took a half-step back, releasing her strength, but Zhang Han was enraged and grabbed Shi Guangyao's forearm: "What are you doing! What are you doing! You want to hit me in broad daylight!"

Shi Guangyao was so angry that his face turned red and his neck bulged. He roared, "She's asking for it..."

As he spoke, he tried to break free from Zhang Han and continue to attack Song Rushuang, but unexpectedly, he couldn't break free even with a forceful effort.

Before he could react, he glanced to the side in astonishment and saw the little girl who had grabbed his arm with a face full of anger, but her round eyes suddenly curved imperceptibly, flashing a hint of mockery.

The next second, Zhang Han, her face pale, shouted, "Help! This man is going to hit someone!"

As he spoke, he exerted force on his hand, and Shi Guangyao felt a sharp pain running through his shoulder and arm, as his arm was twisted behind his back.

The force continued to increase, his joints cracking, and he screamed in pain, "Let go! Ah... let go now!"

Shi Guangyao's parents also realized something was wrong and hurriedly stepped forward to pull Zhang Han away.

One family member struggled desperately, while two others pulled with all their might. Zhang Han, standing firmly in the middle, remained as steady as a mountain. Even with all three of them working together, they couldn't pull her away.

—Just kidding, in terms of strength alone, neither Xiaoshuang nor Qingqing can compare to her.

Even though it was easy for her, Zhang Han pretended to be struggling and shouted, "I won't let go! What if you hit my friend again after you let go?"

As she spoke, her voice even crackled with tears.

Song Rushuang: "..."

Zhang Han is truly the best actress in her dorm!

Not only did her superb acting skills fool her family, but now she's even learned how to stage an accident on the spot.

I really want to record this scene and send it to the group chat so that Weiwei and Qingqing can see it...

The people in the shop were drawn to the farce and turned around to see a family of three bullying a little girl. Some well-meaning people were immediately indignant.

"What are you doing, bullying a young girl in public? Have you no shame?"

"Why are two adults grabbing at a child?!"

A girl took out her phone and said indignantly, "I saw it all. The guy pushed her friend first, and the girl rushed in to protect her friend. Then the guy's parents saw that things were going wrong and came over to pull the girl's friend away."

Shi Guangyao was already tall and strong, and his parents fed him so well that he looked very nutritious. In addition, he got a lot tanned during the summer vacation, making him both dark and fat. He didn't look like someone the same age as Zhang Han and Song Rushuang at all.

Even though Song Rushuang and Zhang Han had become much stronger through exercise over the past year, their features hadn't lost their youthful innocence; they still looked like teenagers who had just come of age.

So, in the eyes of onlookers, it looked like a man who tried to bully a little girl but failed, and then even called his parents for help.

—This is outrageous!

This is absolutely outrageous!

A passerby angrily exclaimed, "This family is utterly shameless! Shouldn't someone call the police?"

Upon hearing that the police were to be called, Shi Guangyao's father immediately stopped.

Shi Guangyao has already been dismissed, so he cannot leave anything that might affect his file.

Besides, the store has security cameras, and they themselves saw that it was their son who pushed the other person first.

Seeing that righteous passersby had stepped forward to help, Zhang Han reluctantly released Shi Guangyao, who was now screaming in pain without any dignity.

The excruciating pain in his arm joint made half of his body numb; he had genuinely thought his arm was about to be forcibly dislocated.

As soon as Zhang Han let go, he immediately hid behind his parents, looking at her with lingering fear.

With such strength, what kind of monster is this!

She's so amazing... why was she shut out of the assessment last year?

Was it just luck, or was it because Zhang Han wasn't this good last year?

Shi Guangyao's mind was in a mess. He recalled his chance encounter with the three people on the way to the auditorium after the assessment.

At that moment, the three women's expressions towards him clearly showed anger mixed with a sense of helplessness—they were angry, but had no way to retaliate. It was precisely because they realized this that he was so smug, believing he would escape punishment.

But just one year later, both Zhang Han and Song Rushuang looked at him differently.

It was a look of effortless superiority, a gaze that looked down upon ants that were not worthy of its attention.

What did they experience this year?

The prophecy of the end times resurfaced in my mind, clearer than ever before.

"The virus...is highly lethal and contagious..."

"...One month after the outbreak, the global population decreased by 90%..."

Five years later... the last human died...

His trembling pupils reflected the figures of Song Rushuang and Zhang Han.

They stood tall with straight backs and their skin was tanned to a wheat color by the sun, exuding a well-trained demeanor even when relaxed.

Both mentally and physically, they were ready for what to come.

What... is it that they are about to face?

Shi Guangyao's calves trembled involuntarily. The fear of death overwhelmed everything; his parents' concern and the whispers of those around him became unimportant. Suddenly, he grabbed his face, let out a terrified gasp, and then, unable to control himself any longer, ran out of the store.

Shi Guangyao's parents, who were initially protecting their son and preparing to argue with Zhang Han and his companion, were startled by what they saw. Without saying a word, they glared at Zhang Han and chased after Shi Guangyao's fleeing figure.

The crowd was left talking amongst themselves.

"He must have been scared when he heard the police were called."

"What kind of person is he? His own son started it, and he's still glaring at him."

"The whole family is insane."

Some people comforted Zhang Han and Song Rushuang, saying, "Don't be afraid, it's all over now."

Zhang Han and Song Rushuang thanked the passersby who spoke up for them, but they lost their mood for shopping. They quickly picked out a few items, paid, and left the mall.

Before parting, the two made sure to confirm the meeting time for the next day.

The end of the world will come at 2:30 PM – that’s the exact time given by the system.

Although the students were unaware of the system's existence, they trusted the principal's confident provision of the time and prepared accordingly.

It takes about an hour and fifteen minutes to drive from Song Rushuang's house to the school. Considering the possibility of traffic jams on weekends, the two decided to leave two and a half hours earlier. Zhang Han's family would arrive at Song Rushuang's house at noon.

After confirming everything, the two prepared to go home and to their respective hotels.

They said goodbye, but neither of them moved first.

Song Rushuang said solemnly, "Go to bed early tonight and conserve your energy."

Zhang Han nodded, remaining silent for a moment.

She looked up at the myriad lights around her, and her voice suddenly choked with emotion as she spoke.

"I still hope this is all fake." This time, Zhang Han really wanted to cry. "I'd rather we'd just wasted a year, that tomorrow would just be an ordinary summer afternoon, that after 2:30, the apocalypse wouldn't come, that no one would turn into zombies, and that no one would die..."

Song Rushuang said in a low voice, "I hope so too."

The two stood together for a while, and finally Song Rushuang reached out first and gave Zhang Han a hug.

"Go back," she said, suppressing her surging emotions. "See you tomorrow."

Zhang Han buried her face in her shoulder and mumbled, "Yeah, see you tomorrow."

Tomorrow is destined to be a long day.

They had been preparing for this day for a whole year.

*

Meanwhile, Shi Guangyao ran home like a madman.

His parents, panting and exhausted, finally followed him home. As soon as they entered, they saw their son rummaging through drawers and under the bed, pulling out numerous boxes of instant noodles, canned goods, and bottled water—

Some of them, even the two of them didn't know when Shi Guangyao bought them.

The two men gaped in horror and called out their son's name, but Shi Guangyao ignored them. He then opened a drawer and pulled out a gleaming dagger that he had hidden away sometime earlier, right in front of them.

Mrs. Shi let out a low scream in fear, and Mr. Shi said in a panic, "Son, what are you doing? Don't be impulsive!"

"What's going on with those two girls? What did they do to offend you? If you don't understand, tell Dad, and Dad will help you find them."

“Yes.” Shi’s mother knelt down and cried, trying to pry her son’s arm off. “Don’t ruin yourself for them! You’ve already sacrificed an extra year! Think about how you got through this year, it breaks my heart to see you like this.”

The two men thought that Shi Guangyao was angry and wanted to take a knife to seek revenge.

Shi Guangyao was provoked by these words. He turned his head with bloodshot eyes, which startled his mother into silence.

Shi Guangyao roared, "It's them! They're the ones who got me fired!"

"What?!" The two men were stunned. Mr. Shi's face turned red with anger, and he was about to leave. "I'm going to find them and ask them what exactly happened back then!"

"You didn't do anything wrong, and even if you did, it doesn't deserve to be fired!"

Fuqing's initial expulsion left them no room for maneuver; the parents weren't even able to see the victims, let alone discuss reconciliation.

Therefore, this was the first time they had met Song Rushuang and Zhang Han.

“It’s no use.” Shi Guangyao wiped his face. “It’s no use, and the focus isn’t on that right now.”

He then nervously began to inventory the family's supplies, when suddenly remembering something, he got up and stumbled to the kitchen: "How much food do we have left? Oh right, and a flashlight, in case the power goes out..."

He wanted to prepare, but with less than a day until the end of the world, it was too late for many things.

Moreover, he had never systematically learned what he should prepare. The only preparations he had made before were buying some food and water to calm his anxiety whenever he felt anxious.

He didn't know what the zombies' weaknesses were, nor when the power and water would be cut off, and he didn't know what other easily overlooked but very important things there were besides the essential food, water, and medicine if he stayed at home for a long time.

At this moment, Shi Guangyao blindly rummaged through the family's inventory, and then rushed to check whether the doors and windows were sturdy. Like a fly buzzing around aimlessly, his crazy behavior frightened his parents so much that they dared not approach him.

Finally, he collapsed to the ground with a thud, completely overwhelmed by immense fear and bewilderment.

Mr. and Mrs. Shi rushed over and hugged their son, crying loudly, "Guangyao, what happened to you?!"

"Don't scare Mom and Dad!"

“I…” Shi Guangyao opened his mouth to talk about the apocalypse, but felt a familiar sticky feeling in his throat, preventing him from speaking.

His helplessness made him burst into tears.

After a long while, Shi Guangyao finally managed to stop his tears, propped himself up, and murmured, "Dad, get in the car, let's go to the nearest supermarket again..."

Mr. and Mrs. Shi dared not ask any more questions and followed their son out the door.

It was just past nine o'clock, and many neighbors were still taking a walk downstairs. Many people saw the Shi family rushing back from outside. When they saw them come out again not long after, some neighbors who knew them greeted them: "Just got back? Why are you going out again?"

After speaking, he looked curiously at Shi Guangyao, whose emotions were clearly not right.

The Shi family naturally kept Shi Guangyao's decision to repeat a year of high school a secret from everyone, but secrets can't stay hidden forever. Someone happened to see the banners they had made during their protest, and the news of Shi Guangyao's expulsion spread. Furthermore, their grand celebration of his college admission, which included many neighbors, made them a laughingstock to many.

Mr. and Mrs. Shi knew this too. They glared at the man fiercely and took their son to get the car.

The other person was baffled. Watching the three figures leave, he angrily cursed at the people around him before continuing his walk.

To everyone's surprise, more than an hour later, the family returned with a car full of things.

When Shi Guangyao got out of the car, he deliberately blocked everyone's view and carefully carried his things home. When he found that his parents were not covering their way while carrying things, he angrily cursed them out, not realizing that this only attracted more attention.

A keen observer noticed that they were carrying box after box of instant noodles.

Why would this family keep so much instant noodles?

They were puzzled, shook their heads, and didn't take it seriously, only adding another example to the list of the Shi family's bizarre behavior in their minds.