Chapter Twenty-Two: The Milk Tea Shop 6 (Not wasting a single second, truly...)
Yun Xin looked at the little yellow dog that was still howling wildly, and saw that both the dog and its owner had death countdowns on their bodies.
Occasionally, pedestrians would pass by, keeping a safe distance from the dog, which even had a death countdown on its body.
A quick glance around the room revealed that almost everyone—Zhu Lin, Zhou Rui, the barbecue restaurant owner, the waiters, and the other customers—had countdown timers on their clothes.
Only one child didn't have it.
The child, about seven or eight years old, was probably the owner's son, and was sitting in the corner, engrossed in playing with his toys.
Zhu Lin waited for a while, and when she realized that no one was laughing, she looked at Yun Xin in confusion, "Why don't you laugh at me for thinking too much?"
Yunxin, however, said, "Don't underestimate a woman's intuition. A sixth sense isn't unique to me; many girls have it."
Zhu Lin, having drunk some alcohol, was a little slow to react and didn't immediately understand. When she finally realized what was happening, she was shocked. "You mean, I also..."
The conclusion was so frightening that she shuddered and became more alert.
Zhu Lin shook her head vigorously, "No, no, I've never had that talent since I was little... Besides, I was just talking nonsense."
"So-called intuition is simply a person's first reaction." Zhou Rui realized for the first time that listening to people chat could make him lose his appetite. Fortunately, he had eaten a lot beforehand and was already about 80% full. "The more subconscious a thought is, the more it aligns with your sixth sense. Conclusions drawn after thinking have already incorporated logical thinking and subjective judgment."
Zhu Lin was stunned.
She suspected she had drunk fake alcohol.
Otherwise, how come she couldn't understand when everyone was speaking the Common Language of the Federation?
Zhu Lin wanted to drink some beer to calm her nerves.
But as soon as he picked up the beer can, he thought, what if what Yunxin said was true? That drinking alcohol would make him slow and confused, making it difficult for him to escape.
So I quickly put it down, poured myself a glass of warm water, and took a sip.
Then, she looked at Yun Xin and asked with concern, "Are you serious about this? Or are you just joking to scare me?"
As they were talking, several delivery drivers entered the store.
The barbecue restaurant owner probably runs both a physical store and a delivery business. He chatted with the delivery drivers for a few minutes before handing them the packaged food.
Five deliverymen in a row, three of whom had countdown timers on their clothes.
Yunxin could sense that if she continued to stay at the barbecue restaurant, she would be in danger.
As for the level of danger... if danger is divided into five levels, S, A, B, C, and D, with S being the most dangerous and D being the least dangerous, then it should be level C at this moment—if we don't take precautions in advance, we might suffer minor injuries.
"When I saw the dog barking like that, I thought it was going to be a major earthquake, and that it was about to happen. That's why it tried to break free of its leash and run away as quickly as possible," Yun Xin said.
Zhu Lin stared at Yun Xin for a long time before finally managing to say, "This is a serious matter; you can't just talk nonsense."
Yunxin looked back and said, "When I looked at the dog, I just had that feeling. I'm not making this up."
Zhou Rui added at the opportune moment, "If the barking really is because of an earthquake, it's said that dogs can give a warning half an hour before an earthquake occurs."
"Holy crap!" Zhu Lin jumped to her feet. "Boss, the bill!"
While calling Yunxin and Zhou Rui to follow, she took out her phone to call her parents. "Dad, Mom, I'm out playing, and the dog is barking like crazy. A knowledgeable friend said that an earthquake might be coming soon. Whether it's true or not, you should find a safe place to take shelter first."
"If an earthquake really happens, please be careful..."
At this point, she hesitated. She had wanted to offer some constructive advice, but when the time came, she realized she knew nothing and couldn't do anything.
How do you protect yourself during an earthquake? What does the safety training say?
Zhu Lin tried hard to recall.
Firstly, she had just drunk alcohol and her mind wasn't working properly. Secondly, while watching a TV series on her computer, she noticed a safety education segment that she couldn't skip, so she took the opportunity to play on her phone and continue watching when the series resumed.
Not wanting to waste a single second, he can be called a "time management master".
I was quite proud of myself at the time, but now that something has really gone wrong, I haven't memorized the key points and I'm completely lost. It's even more despairing than failing an exam or being about to fail a course.
After hesitating for a while, knowing that there was no time to waste, she simply told her parents, "You guys search online for how to protect yourselves during an earthquake. Anyway, the most important thing is that you're safe."
"I see."
After hanging up the phone, Zhu Lin quickly went online to search for earthquake-related information and made the most of her time to catch up on her studies.
Zhou Rui also called his parents. Although he was from out of town and his parents didn't live in the city, who knew if something might happen to him? He wanted to make a call while he was still alive.
Yun Xin dialed the police, saying, "The cats and dogs on the street are all restless; it looks like an earthquake is about to happen. Can we evacuate the crowds in advance?"
The operator was stunned. "We haven't received any notification. The earthquake bureau uses professional equipment; if there's a tremor, they'll respond immediately..."
“Earthquake warnings can only be issued 17 seconds in advance. What can you do in 17 seconds? You can’t even run away.” Yunxin interrupted, “Why don’t you send someone to check if there are any abnormalities in the groundwater? If the well water is also heating up, changing color, changing taste, bubbling, or churning, the probability of an earthquake is quite high.”
“Agree to her.” The leader suddenly appeared. “This number was specially marked. It was called before the New World Hotel building collapsed. You can trust what she says.”
The operator didn't understand, but still said, "Thank you for informing me. I will have my colleagues verify and arrange for the residents to evacuate as soon as possible."
The call ended.
The operator looked at her supervisor, slightly bewildered, as if waiting for an explanation.
Unexpectedly, the leader said, "The situation is urgent. It will be too late to evacuate residents after verification. We will broadcast this to the whole city now, telling everyone to retreat to open areas. If it is ultimately confirmed that there was no earthquake, I will take full responsibility."
"yes."
Hearing him say that, everyone sprang into action.
Soon, broadcasts blared throughout the city: "Emergency notice: An earthquake is imminent in this city. Please move to open areas immediately. Please note: Do not crowd or trample. Protect the elderly and children. Again, emergency notice: An earthquake is imminent in this city..."
Upon receiving the notification, the school immediately took action, and teachers quickly organized the students to move to the playground.
At the same time, shopping malls and office buildings began evacuating people.
Only then did people realize how many high-rise buildings were built so densely. There were so many people that the parking lots were almost overflowing.
Seven minutes after the broadcast, the leader received a report from his subordinates: "The well water is indeed abnormal. Not only has it changed color and given off a strange smell, but it's also bubbling and churning. The livestock in the village are also acting strangely; chickens are flying into trees, pigs are running around everywhere, and dogs are barking incessantly. Apparently, feeding them doesn't help; they won't eat and can't calm down."
These are all signs that an earthquake is imminent.
The leaders were more confident and issued instructions one by one, making sure everyone was notified to take precautions.
"Don't go near buildings, trees, or utility poles. Don't go near buildings, trees, or utility poles." Zhu Lin muttered to herself, repeatedly memorizing the guide she had just found.
The weather was already hot, and more and more people were gathering around.
Zhu Lin, having drunk some alcohol, felt increasingly agitated. "I feel like I'm going to get heatstroke before the earthquake even starts."
Yunxin had no choice but to pull her along.
As soon as they took hands, Zhu Lin looked at Yun Xin in surprise, "Your hands are so cool, it feels so good. There are so many people here, and everyone's breathing is so hot, aren't you hot?"
Yun Xin replied, "I'm naturally prone to feeling cold; even in summer, my hands are always cold."
"That's wonderful," Zhu Lin said enviously.
At this point, twenty-one minutes had passed since Yun Xin first saw the death countdown.
"Don't go near buildings, trees, or utility poles," Zhu Lin continued reciting her secret. Of course, the reason she kept repeating it was because her mind was currently blank; she knew nothing else besides this.
Before he could finish the sentence, the ground shook violently, and people standing on flat ground almost lost their footing.
Fortunately, Yun Xin grabbed her arm. Yun Xin was as steady as Mount Tai, which allowed Zhu Lin to barely maintain her balance.
Zhou Rui, who was standing next to Yun Xin, was too embarrassed to grab her and stumbled and fell to the ground.
"boom--"
Houses with substandard construction quality and those that are old are the first to collapse.
Then came another violent shaking; trees on the street fell, utility poles collapsed, and newly built buildings teetered on the brink of collapse.
Zhu Lin clung tightly to Yun Xin's arm and wouldn't let go.
Young people who grew up in peacetime have never seen anything like this. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the end of the world has come.
The chaos was mixed with people's cries and curses.
"I told you your life was at stake, run! Why did you have to pack your things?! Now that you're too late, what if your legs are buried and you can't move?!"
"Didn't I tell you not to go near buildings, trees, or utility poles during an earthquake? Can't you see there are utility poles here?"
"Help! My child is buried inside! Who can save her?"
Before he could finish his plea for help, the earth shook violently once more.
Zhu Lin inexplicably imagined a long table piled high with skyscraper models. Then someone frantically shook the table, and the models fell apart, their fragments scattered haphazardly across the surface.
The feeling was that the table was shaking so badly it seemed like it was about to fall apart, and it would be illogical if the mold didn't collapse.
Nearby, a girl was hugging her boyfriend's waist, crying loudly, "What should I do? My heart is suddenly beating so fast, I'm so scared. It feels like something bad is about to happen again."
Her boyfriend kept reassuring her, "It's okay, don't be afraid. We're very safe standing here, we won't get buried."
At the same time, Yunxin saw a countdown appear on the girl who was speaking: "Expected to die in 3 minutes and 21 seconds."
On her boyfriend's body, a countdown timer read, "Expected to die in 3 minutes and 23 seconds."
Looking around, countdown timers appeared on the bodies of the people around me, with their death times varying by about 1 to 5 seconds.
At the same time, Yunxin sensed that her level of danger had increased from C to B.
Yun Xin's expression changed drastically, and she shouted, "Get out of here! Don't stay here! It's not safe!"
Zhu Lin glanced at the direction Yun Xin was heading and quickly warned, "Danger! There are many buildings there!"
"That's still safer than this!" Yun Xin said, releasing Zhu Lin and giving her a chance to choose again. "If you don't want to die, run! Don't stay here!!"
Zhu Lin instantly forgot about the strategy and jogged to catch up, saying, "I'll do whatever you say."
Zhou Rui followed without saying a word.
The girl who had spoken earlier broke down and screamed, "I feel terrible, really terrible, absolutely terrible! I'm sorry, I really can't stay here any longer."
With that, he ran off in another direction.
"Hey!! You can't run around like this!" her boyfriend exclaimed, quickly chasing after her.
"Running out now is just foolish!"
"What's wrong with young girls these days? Why don't they all listen to advice?"
"Where is there a safer place nearby? Running around will only lead to trouble."
"Oh, poor young man, he chased after her because he was worried about her. I wonder if he'll survive..."
Before the words were finished, an explosion rang out.
Everyone around was caught in the blast; some were thrown far away, others coughed up blood, and the next second their heads lolled to the side, their eyes wide open, their movements frozen.
Screams rang out one after another.
Someone shouted, "The natural gas pipeline has burst! Gas is exploding! Run!!"
Zhu Lin heard a commotion behind her and couldn't help but turn around. She saw flames shooting into the sky and explosions erupting everywhere. The open space that everyone had considered a safe zone had instantly turned into a sea of fire.
Zhu Lin was startled, exclaiming, "How come there's a fire again?!"
The moment she turned around, a small tree by the roadside fell. Just as it was about to hit her, Zhou Rui stepped in to block it.
"What are you standing there for? Run!" Zhou Rui urged.
Zhu Lin seemed to wake up from a dream, and then she started running again.
Once she had run far away, Zhou Rui let go of her hand, letting the shrub fall to the ground.
On the other side, the girl's boyfriend was still shouting, "Don't run around! You'll get into trouble."
Before they could catch up, a wave of heat surged behind them.
The boyfriend was stunned and stopped in his tracks to look back.
If the girl hadn't run away, they would be standing still and get blown up right now...
The girl finally stopped running around. She cried and shouted, "How many times have I told you! Standing there feels awful, but you just won't listen!"
Her boyfriend felt a chill run down his spine. "I'm sorry! I'll listen to whatever you say from now on! Don't run around like that, okay? Let's find some open space to hide somewhere else."
The girl sobbed as she agreed.
"Alright, everything should be fine here now." Yun Xin stopped running after a while.
Zhu Lin felt her legs go weak.
On the one hand, it's about running a long distance in one go.
On the other hand, witnessing earthquakes, explosions, and fires one after another left her pale and somewhat overwhelmed.
Yunxin couldn't bear to see this, "Sit down and rest."
Zhu Lin felt relieved when she heard Yun Xin say she could rest, and immediately collapsed to the ground.
Yun Xin looked at Zhou Rui, "What happened to your hand?"
Zhou Rui mumbled, "A tree fell down by the roadside and blocked the fall, but I got hit by it."
Zhu Lin realized, "Is it because of me?"
Zhou Rui simply said, "It's a minor injury, nothing serious. I'll be fine after a few days of rest."
Fear, frustration, lingering fear—a mix of emotions welled up inside me.
Zhu Lin burst into tears, "I couldn't help at all, how useless am I? I didn't mean to be a burden to you, I was just... distracted..."
“I know. I didn’t think much of it, I just saved it on the spur of the moment.” Zhou Rui said nonchalantly, “You weren’t the only one who looked back at the time, there was me, and other people too. You were just unlucky, there was a tree falling in your blind spot.”
Zhu Lin is still crying.
Zhou Rui deliberately said, "If you really feel bad about it, you can cover the medical expenses, provide meals during your recovery period, and reduce the rent for a year. That should be enough."
He thought he'd get beaten up for saying that, but who knew—
"Okay, let's do it that way." Zhu Lin agreed.
Yunxin tried searching for information online, but the interface displayed "no signal".
"It seems the communication equipment has also been damaged."
Ultimately, the only way to get the latest news is through word of mouth.
"I heard the casualties were manageable, and most people were evacuated in time."
"The natural gas pipeline over there just exploded, killing several people and causing a fire."
"Firefighters have rushed to put out the fire. But a nearby water pipe has also burst, so it won't be able to be extinguished in a short time."
"Earthquakes and fires in this sweltering heat are truly terrifying! I saw an elderly person faint while fleeing and was carried away by their son to save their life."
"I just saw an ambulance, probably on its way to rescue someone. But the road was full of gravel, utility poles, and abandoned cars, so the ambulance couldn't get through at all!"
People kept fleeing here to seek refuge, sharing what they had seen and heard along the way with others.
The survivors listened with deep emotion.
At that moment, a rumbling sound came from the abdomen.
One person clutched their stomach, looking somewhat embarrassed, "I didn't eat enough for lunch, I'm hungry."
It would have been better if we hadn't mentioned it, because once it was brought up, everyone remembered that they hadn't eaten dinner yet.
But looking around, there were collapsed houses and ruins made of sand and gravel everywhere. Where could one find food?
Everyone was suddenly at a loss.
"We barely escaped the earthquake and the gas explosion, but are we going to starve to death in the end?" someone muttered.
Zhu Lin ate and drank her fill before starting her escape, and she didn't feel hungry at the moment. She was thinking about something else: "With the city in this state, where will I sleep tonight?"
She wanted to go home, but her car was still parked near the barbecue restaurant, some distance from where she was standing.
Even if the earthquake shook for two minutes, it couldn't guarantee the car would be undamaged.
Even if it were intact, it wouldn't be possible to drive on it given the current road conditions.
If I walk home... I'm afraid I'll lose my legs.
Zhu Lin looked around blankly, not knowing where to go or what to do.
(End of this chapter)
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