Chapter 94 His chances of survival had long ago…

Zhang Han and Sun Wei also took the opportunity of cleaning their room alone to tell their parents about the apocalypse.

Having witnessed the three men's skills and the external situation firsthand, all three families adapted quickly.

Considering that the environment I am in now is very safe, although I am scared, I am much calmer than when I was watching videos outside and in the cafeteria.

He even had the mood to recall the previous behavior of several girls.

Zhang Han's feigned crying, Song Rushuang's serious-sounding nonsense, and Sun Wei's so-called "grand entrepreneurial plan"...

It was all an act/a lie all along!

The parents were both amused and exasperated. Liu Zhen even poked Zhang Han's head and said bluntly, "You've got some tricks up your sleeve, but you've used them all on your parents."

Despite the complaints, the tone was affectionate.

If it weren't for their painstaking efforts, they wouldn't have been able to stockpile so much food. Food shortages in critical moments can be fatal.

Liao Ya Hui and Sun Miao realized what was happening and, worried about the supplies that had been left behind, Sun Wei tugged at their sleeves and explained that she had given the car keys to the principal.

“We’ve already stocked up on a lot of things in the underground cold storage and storage rooms. The school also has farmland and breeding farms, which is enough for us to eat. We’ll keep a small portion of the fresh meat for ourselves, and I plan to share the rest with my classmates,” she said softly.

“Let’s split it, it’s better to split it.” Liao Ya Hui gradually recovered from the shock of witnessing the driver’s death and regained her composure. “If it weren’t for your principal’s help, we wouldn’t have been able to get the things out of the truck anyway.”

“We don’t need any more food for now, and besides, the cold storage space you described can’t hold that much meat. It will spoil soon if left outside. We might as well divide it up.”

Liao Yahui and Sun Miao didn't feel sorry for her.

Firstly, although both of them rationally knew that the external situation was bad, they hadn't fully adjusted psychologically and weren't that concerned about food. Secondly, Sun Wei had just said that she wasn't the only one bringing things back.

She herself received a lot of help from her classmates, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to stockpile so many supplies.

They will have to live together for a long time to come, and only when the shelter as a whole becomes stronger can their family endure for longer.

The two of them understood these principles.

Seeing how quickly the two accepted it, Sun Wei swallowed back all the persuasive words she had prepared, and only silently refuted the first sentence in her heart.

Even without the principal's help, if Song Rushuang and the others make another trip, they should be able to bring the truck back to school safely.

Parents still don't have a clear enough understanding of their children's abilities.

But that's alright, there's plenty of time in the future for them to see for themselves.

The conversation turned to the preparations the three had made, which reminded the parents of their relatives and friends who were still outside of school.

I wonder if they encountered any monsters that bite...

Thinking about it this way, everyone became a little anxious.

"I'm going to make a phone call." Liao Ya Hui thought of something, her expression changed, she got up, found a corner, and dialed her secretary.

All employees who came to work overtime today are to go home immediately, and everyone must leave the company within ten minutes.

Everyone will be on paid leave starting Monday. The return-to-work date will be announced later.

"When they leave, please make sure they are safe. Colleagues who have cars and live nearby should give each other a ride and try to avoid taking public transportation. Also, if there is any leftover food in the restaurant, R&D department, or sample room, please have them share it with them. It's too dangerous outside, and they may have to stay at home for a long time. Those who don't have any food should prepare some for themselves."

Despite the company's size, there are still quite a few people working overtime on Saturdays. Liao Ya-hui finished speaking quickly and then emphasized, "Take everything you can, don't leave anything behind."

That office building may remain vacant for a long time to come.

They're in the food service business, so food is never a problem for them. She mentioned places with plenty of food reserves, but in reality, refrigerators in places like the break room, meeting rooms, and offices are stocked with all sorts of snacks. Grab a handful and go; when you're really out of food, the high sugar and calories in snacks can help you last for several more days.

With these food items, at least those who come to work overtime won't have to risk going outside to stock up on supplies.

The secretary on the other end of the line remained silent for a long time. Liao Ya Hui asked again before she hurriedly answered and let out a long sigh of relief when she hung up the phone.

The company was in chaos at this point; few people were working seriously, and everyone was busy scrolling through their phones, becoming more and more anxious the more they scrolled.

But very few people actually dare to just pack their bags and leave.

When Liao Ya-hui suddenly ordered a holiday, her secretary was shocked, but a warm feeling welled up inside her. She had also been secretly following social media and knew that at this time, not many schools or companies had announced holidays. Liao Ya-hui's actions truly showed that she put the lives of her employees first.

Meeting such a boss is her good fortune.

There wasn't even enough time in ten minutes to hold an emergency meeting. After issuing the holiday notice, she was worried that everyone would be too slow to pack up, so she called the security manager and asked the security guards to go to each department to announce the evacuation.

"The faster the better!" she emphasized solemnly.

...

Liao Ya-hui was responsible for contacting the company, while Sun Miao was responsible for contacting both families separately.

The other parents were also calling their relatives and friends to confirm their safety. At the same time, without revealing the information they knew, they gave them some indirect advice, telling them to find a safe place to hide and prepare some food and drink.

Fortunately, Song Rushuang and the others had already done some preparations during the summer vacation. Everyone's family had enough food. In fact, Sun Wei had a cousin who canceled his overseas travel plans after listening to her advice. The whole family was now staying at home, and they couldn't be more grateful.

Sun Wei's reason at the time was that the country might experience a major earthquake soon, and she even provided news reports to support her claim.

—"But in fact, every year experts say they will have an earthquake."

Fortunately, things have come to this point, and no one cares about the truth anymore.

All that remained was gratitude towards Sun Wei, Zhang Han, and others.

The call went exceptionally smoothly, and they received a lot of thanks. When they put down their phones, they finally felt relieved.

The only one with a bad expression was Song Jianguo.

He called his younger brother, Song Aiguo, and learned from the call that the three of them were trapped at Song Xiang's school.

When Song Rushuang was reminding everyone, she naturally didn't miss her cousin's family. Even if she didn't like them, she wouldn't deliberately overlook them. But perhaps because the resentment from the previous pedestrian street surveillance incident hadn't subsided, her cousin's attitude towards them was extremely perfunctory.

Song Rushuang tried several excuses but failed, so in the end she had to buy some things and send them over in Song Jianguo's name.

Song Jianguo would occasionally send things to his younger brother, which didn't arouse suspicion. This time, Song Aiguo accepted the free gifts without a second thought, without even saying thank you. This left Song Rushuang, who had secretly taken her father's phone to delete messages and destroy the traces, speechless for quite a while.

She had inquired beforehand and learned that her cousin's family had no plans to go out today, and that Song Xiang's school started a week later than theirs. So why did all three of them go to school together today?

Song Xiang's school is in the city center, where the building density is extremely high and the flow of people is incomparable to that in Fangzhou. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he is trapped.

Song Rushuang frowned upon hearing this: "He went to school today... could he have gone to take a makeup exam early?"

She couldn't believe it.

Song Xiang is only a freshman, and he already has to retake an exam?

No wonder when she inquired before, Song Xiang's family kept it from her, only saying that they were going to stay at home today. It turns out they were just too embarrassed to say it.

Song Rushuang's guess infuriated Song Jianguo: "This child!"

He was pacing anxiously. Xu Mingyu and Song Rushuang looked at each other, and Song Rushuang spoke first: "There shouldn't be many people taking the make-up exam. Besides, I remember that Song Xiang's school is not open to the public. Once the gate is closed, it's relatively safe for them to stay in the school. Why don't we take advantage of the fact that there aren't many infected people now and quickly go to the convenience store to buy some things to put in the dormitory?"

"Yes, yes, I'll tell Aiguo right now." Song Jianguo nodded repeatedly, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

Xu Mingyu bluntly said, "You don't mean to ask Xiao Shuang to bring them over, do you? Let me tell you, that's impossible."

"You remember how many relatives Xiaoshuang called and visited recently? She's done everything she could, but they just wouldn't listen." Xu Mingyu was furious just thinking about it. She clearly remembered once passing by and hearing Song Rushuang talking sarcastically to her.

Xu Mingyu had heard that familiar, annoying tone of voice far too many times while interacting with this family, and she wished she could snatch the phone and hang up right then and there. So this time, she simply stopped trying to hide it.

"And Xiaoshuang also said that the refuge has a limited number of places and can't accept that many people."

Song Jianguo also got anxious: "That's not what I meant. Besides, the city is so dangerous, I can't possibly let Xiaoshuang go! I was just thinking about whether it was possible for me to drive there myself and take them home."

As Song Aiguo just mentioned, parking is difficult near the school, so his family took a taxi there; otherwise, they wouldn't have been stuck.

Before Xu Mingyu could say anything more, Song Rushuang had already opened the map software and handed it to Song Jianguo.

The area around Song Xiang's school was completely blocked in traffic.

“Driving there now would be suicide. Let them stay at the school for now,” Song Rushuang said. “Stock up on supplies. Dormitories with few people are actually safer than residential areas.”

Many buildings on campus are functional; teaching buildings, playgrounds, and various green spaces take up a large area, with only dormitories being actual residences. As long as the number of people returning to campus is low, the campus is actually quite safe.

Even if some people go out to scavenge for supplies after a while, the campus will not be their first choice.

After Song Rushuang explained, Song Jianguo finally calmed down a bit: "Yes, let them be careful. At least the family is together, and Xiao Xiang is not a child anymore; he can protect himself."

He convinced himself and made the call.

I gave him a long and earnest pep talk on the phone before finally hanging up, feeling a bit uneasy. I couldn't help but sigh wearily.

My brother, who's in his forties, is more of a worry than my teenage daughter. It's really...

*

Historian.

Shi Guangyao's trembling hands could barely hold the phone.

The principal wasn't wrong; she wasn't lying! The end of the world has truly come!

At exactly 2:30, not a second off! The trending topic exploded within minutes. Even with the intelligent moderation system constantly deleting posts, some bloody images still began to circulate online, instantly pulling him back to that terrifying afternoon.

One prophecy has come true, but what about the others?

Will humanity really become extinct within five years?

How much longer can he live?

He didn't want to die! He was so young, and he had finally managed to get into university after repeating a year of high school. A new life was about to begin. If only he had known... if only he had known this was all real, he definitely wouldn't have studied so hard this past year... He still had so many things he wanted to do, so many things he hadn't yet enjoyed...

Shi Guangyao himself didn't realize that tears were already rolling down his cheeks.

The faint sounds of arguing rose from downstairs, then turned into screams, and a commotion broke out outside the bedroom door.

It was Father Shi speaking: "What's going on? Is there a fight outside?"

Mother Shi: "Should we go down and check on things, so we don't disturb Guangyao anymore..."

They deliberately lowered their voices as they talked. Shi Guangyao had been in a bad mood all day, and the two were afraid that he would lose his temper again because of the noise downstairs.

Shi Guangyao shuddered, fear creeping into his heart.

It's zombies, it must be zombies—zombies have even appeared in their neighborhood!

He dared not cry anymore, and suddenly rushed out of the bedroom, yelling at his astonished parents, "Don't go out! Nobody is allowed to leave the house!"

"From now on, we'll keep the doors and windows tightly shut, stay at home, and never go out again."

Mrs. Shi was at a loss: "What's wrong? I went out this morning and there was nothing wrong outside... How about we go out together to get some sun and clear our heads?"

When she went out to buy groceries in the morning, Shi Guangyao, who had stayed up very late, happened to be asleep and was unaware of what was happening.

Upon hearing that she had gone out that morning, Shi Guangyao's face contorted in anger, and he roared, "Who gave you permission to go out?"

His expression was sinister. He used a lot of force to pull his mother over. He didn't even remember that the virus had broken out that afternoon. He rolled up his sleeves and examined her skin inch by inch, even forcing her to take off her clothes.

"Are you wounded? Are you injured?" Shi Guangyao asked repeatedly, as if he were a madman.

His nerves had been stretched to the limit by the torment of the past year, and they were just a hair's breadth away from snapping. The zombie that appeared downstairs was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Realizing what had happened, Mr. Shi gritted his teeth and pushed his son away, saying, "Calm down!"

Mrs. Shi's hair was disheveled, and she was completely stunned. She looked at her beloved son, whom she had raised since he was a child, with a strange gaze.

Shi Guangyao was shoved, and after regaining his balance, he glared at his parents with hatred: "It's already chaotic outside. If you want to die, don't drag me down with you! Whoever goes out, I'll lock the door from the inside and never come back."

The screams downstairs grew even louder, mixed with heart-wrenching cries. Mr. and Mrs. Shi realized something was wrong, and they went to the window, looked down, and their expressions changed drastically.

At this moment, Shi Guangyao went straight to a small room next door, turned the key on the door, locked it from the inside, and then took the key out and put it in his pocket.

They have an extra north-facing guest bedroom that is usually unoccupied and is used as a storage room. The supplies they bought earlier and yesterday are temporarily stored there.

Mr. and Mrs. Shi were so frightened by the scene downstairs that they collapsed to the ground, retching incessantly, their minds blank, just staring blankly as Shi Guangyao finished doing all this.

"From today onwards, whatever you make and eat at home is entirely up to me," Shi Guangyao instructed with a stern face. "We don't have much food, so we must eat sparingly, otherwise we won't last long."

As for taking advantage of the current low number of zombies to go out and search for supplies... Shi Guangyao, who was already terrified, simply didn't have the guts.

He had no fighting ability whatsoever, and all he could do was hide at home and try to live one more day as long as possible.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but recall Song Rushuang and Zhang Han, whom he had met yesterday.

If it were the two of them, perhaps they wouldn't be afraid to face zombies.

If he had stayed in Fangzhou back then, perhaps he would have known more information and lived longer...

Shi Guangyao's anger reignited.

There are no "what ifs." His chance of survival was cut off by Fu Qing a year ago; she was the one who sent him to his death.

He cursed her in his heart, but he knew that cursing her would not help. He had to rely on the family's supplies to survive.

Unfortunately, he was pressed for time yesterday and didn't buy much, and there are still two mouths to feed at home...

Shi Guangyao glanced at his parents, who were huddled together, his expression unchanged, and ordered in a gloomy tone, "Now go find containers in the house and fill the bathtub, fish tank, and washbasin with water."

The electricity and water will be cut off soon, but he has no idea when that will happen, so he can only prepare as early as possible.

Mr. and Mrs. Shi hurriedly did as instructed.

Watching the two figures leave, Shi Guangyao reached into his pocket, found the key, and gripped it tightly.

He didn't say it, and he couldn't possibly say it.

Besides the storage room, he also kept several boxes of instant noodles and bottled water under his bed. When he felt uneasy or had nightmares, he would get out of bed, drag them out, and check them one by one before he could fall asleep again.

With these things, plus the supplies in the storage room, he could survive for a long time.

Longer than anyone else.

A fierce glint suddenly flashed in Shi Guangyao's empty eyes.