Chapter 4
Checking out is a torturous process. Chao Youqian arrived at the dormitory in the morning. It took him two hours to pack out three large boxes, including the bed, desk, and cabinets.
Wu Gu came back at noon, and seeing his face full of despair, he teased him, "Where's your brother? Why didn't he come to help you move?"
When they first met, Lang Xin took care of everything in the dormitory, leaving Chao Youqian with a hands-off attitude. This was particularly memorable, not to mention Lang Xin's subsequent instructions to Chao Youqian that if anyone showed interest in him, he must tell him, as minors are not allowed to date. He was truly a patriarch, a brother who was like a father to him.
Chao Youqian slumped down at his desk and said unhappily, "He went to Country R for a meeting. And he's not my brother. He still treats me like his younger brother even after graduation."
"I can't help it. You were only 16 when you were a freshman, and you've only been an adult for less than two years now." Wu Gu didn't have any academic pressure at the moment, so he just followed his tutor and helped him. "How about we go to the cafeteria for lunch together? I have nothing to do this afternoon, so I can help you move."
Chao Youqian slowly stood up from his chair. The food in their school cafeteria tasted pretty good. As a top university, it received a lot of subsidies, and the dishes were rich and reasonably priced.
The TV hanging above the cafeteria was always broadcasting the news channel. I listened to the host's clear voice and ordered a plate of golden soup boneless pickled fish and kimchi fried rice for lunch.
There was no pressure chatting with the gentle Wu Gu. When he asked when he planned to start his graduation trip, Chao Youqian didn't want to lie and said, "It's likely that I won't be traveling around the world..."
Before I could come up with a good reason, the TV host started interrupting with a breaking news brief:
"It's been reported that an underwater volcano on a small Pacific island in Country T has awakened. The extent of the eruption is still unknown. Country X's chief meteorologist has warned that a tsunami could reach magnitude 6, triggering a tsunami..."
Both of them shifted their attention to the TV. After finishing this segment of the report, Wu Gu didn't ask any further questions and said, "It's better not to go abroad. There are volcanic and tsunami disasters abroad. You can have some fun in China first."
In order to quickly end the topic, Chao Youqian nodded perfunctorily and asked him how long he would stay in school.
Wu Gu excitedly replied that his supervisor had not required it but he himself wanted to stay in school so that he could start his graduate student life early during the summer vacation.
He scooped up a spoonful of fried rice from Chao Youqian and said, "It would be great if your tutor didn't ask you to go home during the summer vacation. It's hot in City B in the summer and there's no hot water in the dormitory during the holidays." The result of the persuasion was not ideal. Wu Gu was not angry, but just changed the subject.
Finally, he had no choice but to give up persuading others. Chao Youqian thought depressedly that before Lang Xin went abroad, he told him not to tell the news of the end of the world to anyone because no one would believe it and it might even be against the law. At most, he could only hint at it.
This was completely ineffective. He knew that even if he told Wu Gu or his other friends the reason, they wouldn't care. Who would change their plans based on someone else's words? No one else would do that, except that idiot Lang Xin.
Chao Youqian stopped talking and concentrated on finishing his meal.
After returning to the dormitory that afternoon, Wu Gu helped carry the packed boxes downstairs, and Chao Youqian ran to the administration building to complete the check-out procedures. He hadn't felt the reality when he received his diploma a few days ago, but it wasn't until he stamped the check-out form that he realized: his student life was officially over.
Chao Youqian took the subway to school, as the school didn't allow outside vehicles to enter. He borrowed a small cart from the dormitory office, carried his luggage to the school gate, and then gave the cart to Wu Gu to take back.
The truck driver, who had been booked, chatted enthusiastically along the way. Chao Youqian was too tired to talk, but the driver didn't get angry. He turned on the radio and the host was talking about the awakening of an underwater volcano in Country T.
The guest speaker, a meteorological consultant, discussed the 1816 Year Without a Summer during a presentation on volcanic grading. This year, triggered by the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia, resulted in severe weather anomalies in the Northern Hemisphere. Disasters struck Europe, North America, and Asia, with unusually low summer temperatures. Agricultural production in Europe and America was particularly affected, while Asia's climate was also affected, leading to famine in Yunnan, China.
The meteorological consultant used humorous and vivid words, and also analyzed the impact of frost and famine caused by this type of climate on the course of history. It is said that some diseases in Europe are related to this abnormal climate.
The broadcast just ended when we arrived at the apartment door. The driver cheerfully helped us carry our luggage out of the car and joked that the volcanic eruption in Country T might cause another year without summer.
Chao Youqian frowned. Could this be a sign of the end of the world? The original novel didn't mention anything about the month before the virus outbreak. The school was closed at the beginning, and the timeline began after the virus outbreak.
However, all major disasters have signs before them. In the apocalyptic movies we have seen, there are often natural disasters such as earthquakes first, followed by a devastating disaster.
The current trend is somewhat similar. Chao Youqian bought a cart downstairs from his apartment building, hauled a few boxes up, and immediately sat down to carefully search for the "Year Without Summer" mentioned on the radio.
While records from over 200 years ago were scarce, current research indicates that the Tambora eruption was one of the largest in human history, reaching a magnitude 7 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index. The eruption spewed 150 cubic kilometers of ash, reaching as high as 44 kilometers in the stratosphere. This massive impact significantly impacted human life, causing epidemics of typhoid fever and reduced food production.
Suddenly, the phone rang. It was Lang Xin. When Chao Youqian picked it up, his face paled. "Chao Chao, the R Country Meteorological Agency just issued a tsunami warning. The volcano in T Country has erupted. Don't worry, experts predict the eruption will peak at magnitude 6. China will be fine, and I won't be greatly affected here inland."
Chao Youqian's computer screen was still showing news about the 1815 Tambora eruption. He clutched his phone and asked, "When will your meeting end? Can you come back now? I'm not feeling well."
Lang Xin became anxious instead. His tone towards Youqian sounded uneasy. "I'll buy a plane ticket right away. You wait for me at my home in City B! Take good care of yourself." He made up his mind. This time when he returned, he would accept the olive branch offered by the big company for the merger. Things would easily change if they were delayed for too long.
After the merger, matters in Country R would be handled by a higher-level supervisor. Lang Xin didn't want to waste time here, so he dismissed the person in charge of the meeting with a few words, saying that the company had some recent changes and would need to be dealt with later. He then rushed to the airport with two assistants and boarded a plane back home.
Chao Youqian felt relieved after receiving the assurance, but he felt a chill in his back, thinking that this volcanic eruption might be more than just a magnitude 6, and the end of mankind was really approaching.
The boxes were piled up in the living room and he didn't want to unpack them. Chao Youqian cheered up and started shopping online again. He chose the most energy-efficient home appliances and had them delivered the next day. He paid extra money to the decoration team to deactivate the original natural gas pipeline in the kitchen, replace the gas stoves on both floors with gas cylinders, and install a multi-stove induction cooker.
It is impossible to store large amounts of fuel and gas. Chao Youqian thought about it and realized that if there were extremely low temperatures and no sunlight, air conditioning and floor heating would have limitations.
Lang Xin was still on the plane, so Chao Youqian took a bath and changed into clean clothes. He had lived primarily in the south in both his previous and current lives, and while City B had state-run heating and air conditioning in winter, he knew nothing about other heating methods.
After I started looking up information, I was surrounded by the people's survival wisdom. Energy-saving graphene heaters come in various styles and can meet the needs of large-area heating. I bought six sets and placed three on each side; outdoor multi-purpose stoves that burn coal, oil and gas are also good, and they can also be used to boil water and cook. I bought two for eight large flats and six for villas.
Both the gas stove and the multi-purpose stove use canned gas, and one can burn for three hours. Without blinking, I bought 20 boxes of 960 cans. I also bought the most expensive electric blanket and electric heated carpet, which are more energy-efficient than air conditioning and floor heating.
He uses three accounts, namely computer, tablet and mobile phone, to buy things. He is afraid that the total number is too large and he is afraid that the accounts will be abnormal.
There were also some items not available online, so Chao Youqian made a separate list and would wait for Lang Xin to return before purchasing them at offline hardware markets and other places. Unfortunately, Lang Xin hadn't stayed in Country R for more than two days, so he probably didn't buy the restricted items he was supposed to buy.
Lang Xin called him as soon as he landed: "I'm at the airport in City B. I'm going to the company first to run some business. Then I'll go to that Cantonese restaurant tonight. See you at 7 o'clock. We'll talk when we meet."
Chao Youqian glanced at the time. It was 4:30 p.m. His online stockpiling had come to an end, and he began selling his previously invested liquor and new energy stocks. He then used some of the proceeds to invest in pharmaceutical and grain and oil stocks. He also invested the rest in a pension fund with low but extremely stable returns.
This money can be regarded as a consolation. There are still several hundred million in the bank card. It seems that I am not spending it enough. What you bring into this world you cannot take with you when you die. When the end of the world comes, all will turn into a string of useless numbers.
I got a ride. Chao Youqian didn't like driving, and even though he had a driver's license, he used Lang Xin to pick him up. This restaurant didn't have a Michelin star, but it was the best Cantonese restaurant in City B.
After arriving at the reconnaissance location, Chao Youqian saw Lang Xin, a familiar figure. The moment he saw him, Chao Youqian finally felt relieved. Lang Xin didn't question why he was so overly concerned about an unofficial eruption of an underwater volcano. He simply ordered his favorite dishes and waited.
A girl at the next table walked up to him and seemed to want to exchange WeChat. Lang Xin’s expression could not be seen from behind, but the girl walked away feeling a little embarrassed and disappointed.
An unprecedented feeling surged in his heart. Chao Youqian didn't have time to sort out his complicated thoughts. He quickly walked behind Lang Xin and patted his shoulder.
Lang Xin's eyes lit up the moment he saw him, and Chao Youqian felt a special shock for the first time. He had thought of him as a younger brother who needed care, but before he knew it, he had grown into a handsome, wealthy, and thoughtful mature man.
Hastily avoiding his gaze, she asked Youqian, "What are you going to do if you haven't finished handling the matters in Country R?"
Lang Xin gave him a piece of his favorite sizzling chicken hotpot and said, "I plan to accept the merger and take the dividends from the shares. I'll let my future boss handle the affairs of Country R. I won't worry you anymore."
Chao Youqian blushed at the corny words he was used to hearing, and then he choked on a chili side dish and started coughing. Lang Xin quickly poured him a glass of juice, and the cool drink dissipated his blush.
At this time, the TV news broadcast in the restaurant mentioned the volcano in Country T, saying that the highest level of the eruption this afternoon reached Level 6. Many countries issued tsunami alerts, and tsunami waves were monitored in my country's coastal waters.
His mind was preoccupied with this news, and Chao Youqian recalled the list he had given him. Lang Xin chuckled and said, "There are no meetings on the first day in Country R. I've already bought everything, but I'm going back through another channel. It might take three days to arrive."
He urged again, "Eat quickly. You must have found some fast food to eat while I was away. After you finish eating, we can talk about other things later."
After eating until his belly was full, Chao Youqian couldn't wait to continue, "I bought everything I could buy online, but I just get annoyed by the thought of sorting it out."
"When the time comes, find a team of organizers and pay them well to come to H City. Even if the apocalypse comes, they won't be able to say anything wrong." Lang Xin, still looking unfazed, pinched Chao Youqian's belly with a wicked grin and said, "The renovations will be over in a week. Have your assistant go buy the remaining supplies and send them to the warehouse in H City. Don't you think there's something you forgot?"
Lang Xin licked his lips at Chao Youqian's puzzled face. "I signed us up for a seven-day apocalypse training camp run by a survivalist in City B. We're going to learn some basic skills. They also offer floor-to-ceiling descents. We live on the 26th and 27th floors, so mastering this skill is essential."
Looking at Chao Youqian's disgruntled face, and knowing that he hated exercise the most and had set up his own gym at home, Lang Xin's resolute heart wavered for a moment before hardening again. "Don't you want to be a doomsday prepper? I'll learn with you and share the hardship."
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