Chapter 88 It was just an ordinary summer afternoon…
Meanwhile, Song Rushuang and Zhang Han were driving one after the other, both of them on edge.
Song Rushuang had driven this route from home to school several times before, and she had intentionally taken different routes each time, just in case one of the roads was congested and she could switch to another route in time.
The two had also bought walkie-talkies in advance and kept them in the car, just in case they couldn't make a phone call in an emergency, so they could use them to stay in touch.
However, if you are too well prepared, you may sometimes encounter situations where you don't need the necessary preparations.
Song Rushuang and Zhang Han were just like that. They were nervous the whole way, but in the end they arrived at the school more than an hour early without any accidents happening on the way.
So much so that the parents thought they were so nervous because they weren't good at driving, and they even smiled kindly when they got out of the car.
"It's driving really well, much better than I expected," Song Jianguo encouraged his daughter.
Song Rushuang: "..."
She was exhausted and didn't want to explain.
The two had already entered the information of the four parents into the system. When they entered through the east gate near the underground parking garage, they rolled down their car windows and let the machine perform facial recognition, and then entered the school without any hindrance.
They parked the car in the underground garage and got out to retrieve their luggage.
Several parents wanted to step forward to help, but were stopped by the two.
Song Rushuang operated the bracelet a couple of times, and soon the small robot responsible for transporting goods came clattering over, using its mechanical claws to move the suitcases one by one onto the platform behind it.
The parents stared in disbelief at this "black technology" they had never seen before.
Zhang Han's mother, Liu Zhen, curiously tried to touch the little robot's head, but it nimbly dodged her and said in a muffled voice, "Please don't disturb me while I'm working."
Liu Zhen: "..."
Although the robot had no tone of voice, she automatically replaced the sentence with: "Work is already annoying enough, why are customers touching you inappropriately?"
This made her feel ashamed: "I'm sorry."
Zhang Han explained with a smile, "This is a robot that our school uses to transport things. Students can borrow it when they have free time; they can make a reservation on their wristbands."
They arrived early, and there weren't many students, so the little robot wasn't busy and came as soon as Song Rushuang called it.
The little robot pulled away with a mountain of luggage, leaving behind a message saying it would help them put the luggage into their dorm room.
Song Rushuang glanced at the time again, exchanged a look with Zhang Han, and said patiently, "Mom and Dad, Uncle and Aunt, let's go to the cafeteria to get something to eat first."
On the way to the cafeteria, Zhang Han was in charge of introducing the campus to the four of them. Fortunately, she was able to make up several stories about campus life that she had never experienced before. To Song Rushuang, it was all nonsense, but the parents listened with great interest.
Seeing that their attention was drawn to Zhang Han, Song Rushuang took the opportunity to send messages to Shen Qingqing and Sun Wei.
Song Rushuang: [We've arrived. Where are you?]
Sun Wei was driving and replied after a while: [Still on the highway. There was a traffic jam due to an accident ahead, but the wrecked cars have been towed away. The navigation says I'll be off the highway in half an hour. Almost there!]
[I have to do a live stream, so I'll stop here for now.]
When Song Rushuang clicked into the live stream, sure enough, all five people had started broadcasting one after another. Sun Wei couldn't wear a head covering because she was driving, so she only wore a mask and had a headband made with her name, "Green Fish @Dormitory Battle Royale," making her look like a walking advertisement.
Many viewers in the live chat were surprised that Greenhead Fish had such a beautiful face hidden under his mask—even with most of his face covered by the mask, his delicate features were still evident.
A small number of viewers from her previous account, "Sister Wei," thought she looked familiar and asked her about it in the comments.
At this point, Sun Wei was clearly no longer afraid of being exposed.
Seeing that she seemed quite at ease in the video, Song Rushuang breathed a sigh of relief. She then went to check on Shen Qingqing and found that she still hadn't replied.
Song Rushuang suddenly felt something was wrong. She scrolled up the chat history and was shocked to find that Shen Qingqing hadn't said a word since the group chat last night.
Her last sentence was that "something went wrong" on her end.
At that time, Song Rushuang wanted to ask her what was going on, but Zhang Han knocked on the door and interrupted her. Then the two met Shi Guangyao and, upon returning, completely forgot what Shen Qingqing had said.
How could she be so careless?!
Song Rushuang suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Zhang Han, who was walking ahead, noticed and turned around to ask in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
Song Rushuang quickly explained, saying that she had already sent a private message to Shen Qingqing to inquire about the situation. Zhang Han also hurriedly took out her phone, saw the unread messages in the group, and felt a pang of regret: "I was busy asking for directions last night, and then I was checking my luggage after I got back, so I haven't checked the group..."
Sun Wei is probably in a similar situation. She has to prepare for the live broadcast and get up early to load goods and drive, making her busier than the others.
At times like these, nobody has the time or inclination to look at their phone.
Of course, this is also because they assumed that in case of an emergency, Shen Qingqing would contact them directly using the bracelet with more obvious prompts rather than the chat software on her phone, so they ignored the messages in the group.
It now seems that Shen Qingqing only intended to tell them and had no intention of seeking help at all.
The two were extremely anxious, but fortunately, Shen Qingqing replied at that moment.
Shen Qingqing: [It's nothing, it's just that my dad fell ill.]
Shen Qingqing: [I'll stay and take care of him for a while, and then I'll set off once he's felt a little better.]
Shen Qingqing: [I rented an SUV today and bought some gas, so I won't be taking a car; I'll just drive there.]
Shen Qingqing: [Don't worry, I'll definitely be back on time.]
...
Shen Qingqing put down her phone and looked at Shen Mingjiang lying on the bed.
His face was flushed, and he wasn't sleeping soundly, but he didn't seem to be in as much pain as he had a few days ago.
Zang Lijun sat by the window, fanning Shen Mingjiang with a fan. Seeing her daughter's slightly serious expression and pursed lips, she said apologetically, "Qingqing, you could have gone back first. Don't miss the start of school. Mom will come over to visit again next time..."
She assumed Shen Qingqing was unhappy about canceling the trip.
Shen Qingqing glanced at her watch, walked over, took the towel that had become warm from Shen Mingjiang's forehead, rinsed it again in the basin of water, wrung it out, and put it back on Shen Mingjiang's forehead. Then she shook her head and said, "Mom, don't overthink it."
Shen Mingjiang suddenly fell ill a week ago.
In the hot summer, Shen Mingjiang did manual labor outdoors, working under the scorching sun every day. When he came back at night, he would first drink a large vat of cold water before eating. This unhealthy habit continued until one day he suddenly collapsed to the ground halfway through his meal.
Shen Qingqing carried him to the car and took him to the hospital where he received intravenous fluids for three days before recovering. The doctor advised him to stay home and rest for the foreseeable future.
Shen Qingqing asked in detail and learned that Shen Mingjiang had been overworked over the years and his health was not good to begin with, which was why he was so sick this time. He was in a daze for several days and couldn't even get out of bed.
Under these circumstances, it was absolutely impossible for Zang Lijun to go to school with her.
Shen Qingqing herself really had no choice but to leave.
Although she was worried about the principal and her teammates in the elite team, she tossed and turned for several nights, unable to sleep...
But when I get up during the day, I still have to keep working.
When Shen Mingjiang collapsed, Zang Lijun and Grandma Shen felt as if their family had lost its pillar. The two women worked tirelessly, taking on almost all the household chores, but when they had free time, they felt lost and dejected, as if their backbone had been removed.
Shen Qingqing was angry at his lack of ambition, but there was nothing she could do.
Looking at the dilapidated house in front of her, she felt as if she had been left here by some mysterious fate, in this village that had trapped her for eighteen years.
"Qingqing, you should leave." Zang Lijun, oblivious to the situation, advised with concern, "Grandma and I are here."
"Her grandfather isn't dead yet!" Shen Qingqing slammed the towel down, almost blurting out this sentence.
Zang Lijun was startled by the sudden surge of anger on her face: "Qingqing?"
Shen Qingqing's chest heaved twice as she looked at the old man lying on the bed in the inner room, slowly exhaling smoke rings, and she forcefully suppressed her anger.
She made a decision in an instant.
Shen Qingqing suddenly forced a very faint smile: "Mom, I'm not leaving."
"You don't need to do this for us..."
“I’m not doing this for you.” Shen Qingqing sat back down. “I still have things to finish. I can only leave after I finish them.”
A year ago, she could make her way out on her own; now, a year later, she will only make her way out even more beautifully.
"Now, it's my own choice to stay."
*
Shen Qingqing's reply filled Song Rushuang and Zhang Han with unease.
But they couldn't show anything unusual in front of their parents, so they could only force a smile and eat in the cafeteria with Xu Mingyu and the others.
A few students and parents were still scattered around the cafeteria. As time ticked by, the ticking of the clock on the wall became increasingly jarring, each tick feeling like a heavy blow to people's hearts.
Click.
Someone pressed the remote control and turned on the hanging television.
We hope that in the event of an emergency, this will be the first place to switch to live news coverage.
The parents paid no attention to the background noise from the TV, but the students across from them pricked up their ears one after another.
The countdown to the end of the world has only ten minutes left.
Everyone's wristband projections popped up automatically, and the floating countdown turned a glaring scarlet red.
In the conference room of Fangzhou Administration Building, the teachers' eyes were dry from looking at the screen.
Seemingly feeling the atmosphere was too oppressive, Zhao Yunxiao suddenly spoke up: "What were you all doing at this time last time?"
“Let me start. I was on my way back to school from my internship. The sun was blazing, and I was complaining about when this hellish commute and work would end.” He smiled bitterly. “And then it really did end.”
Bai Tang: "I was holding my cat and drawing, listening to my mom nagging on the phone."
“She was always anxious about my future, afraid that I wouldn’t last long as a freelance artist, afraid that if they left, there would be no one to support me…” She scratched her ear. “But as it turns out, sometimes you shouldn’t think too much. Many times, thinking is pointless. You never know what will happen next.”
Xu Mingyue: "I should be... at work, right? It was just an ordinary day, but that night, I was supposed to go to the courier station to pick up the chili sauce my mom sent me."
Lu Yan thought for a moment: "I was playing a game, and halfway through, the other player suddenly went offline. I thought I had defeated them, and I was so happy for nothing."
He paused for a moment, then muttered to himself, "If I had known... I should have killed him a couple less times back then."
Liu Yingchun was stunned: "I... was video calling my granddaughter, but she didn't answer."
Hao Zhenye didn't say anything; he just raised his hand and touched the scar on his face.
Seeing the atmosphere growing increasingly tense, Zhao Yunxiao chuckled dryly, "Looks like it hasn't eased the tension at all... What about the principal?"
After saying that, he wanted to slap himself. He had already failed so badly in trying to change the subject, why did he even have to ask Fu Qing?
Fortunately, Fu Qing didn't intend to add fuel to the fire. She looked down at the countdown and said calmly, "It's been too long, I forgot."
Everyone fell silent.
For Fu Qing, six years have passed.
It has been far too long.
With only a few minutes left, no one spoke.
...
At the same time.
In Fangzhou Cafeteria, Zhang Han anxiously kept checking her watch while biting her chopsticks: "Why hasn't Weiwei arrived yet?"
Song Rushuang gently shook her head and looked down at the live stream.
"We'll see how it goes. If she really can't make it back in time, we'll go pick her up."
Zhang Han's father, Zhang Feng, looked at his daughter, then at her classmate, and realized the tense atmosphere between them was about to erupt: "Hanhan, what exactly have you two been talking about since just now?"
"Is there anything Mom and Dad can help with?" He patted Zhang Han's shoulder affectionately, but then suddenly stopped.
Zhang Feng was surprised to find that his daughter, who usually snuggled into his arms, was now looking down at her watch with an unusually calm and focused expression.
...She doesn't seem to need her parents' help anymore.
...
In the live stream of @DormitoryBattle, Su Huaijin, who remained in the dormitory, calmly ended her interaction with the previous viewer.
Thank you for your participation! Please send a private message in the background to enter the lucky draw!
As soon as Su Huaijin finished speaking, Zhuo Xiaoliang and Yue Yuxuan quickly followed up, chatting away and making the atmosphere in the live broadcast room very lively.
Su Huaijin then diverted some of his attention to the small window in the lower right corner.
That was Sun Wei's window.
Because she needed to travel quickly, Sun Wei's regular live streams were all conducted inside the truck while she was driving, with very little interaction. However, her fans didn't mind and thought it was some kind of special design.
After all, the five people are in different locations, and all of them fit the theme of post-apocalyptic survival.
The live stream has been going on for almost an hour and a half, and nearly twenty viewers have been connected via voice chat, showcasing their diverse and varied doomsday preparations. Many more registered viewers are still waiting in the live stream room, hoping to be selected before it ends.
Therefore, they dared not leave their homes at all.
The propaganda team has achieved its goal.
As the countdown drew near, Su Huaijin finally couldn't resist getting distracted and started paying attention to her classmates' situation.
She noticed that Sun Wei had not yet arrived in Fangzhou.
...
Shen Qingqing's home.
She ignored the countdown and focused on tending to the vegetable leaves in the field, with a sharpened sickle beside her.
...
Shi Guangyao's family.
With the doors and windows tightly shut, Shi Guangyao hid behind the closed curtains, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the pedestrians strolling downstairs, looking almost manic.
...
Grandma Zhang's house.
The electric fan turned slowly, and Grandma Zhang sat comfortably asleep in front of the turned-on television, emitting soft snores.
Beside her, boxes of supplies were piled up against the wall.
...
In an unknown, dark room, a group of people stared silently at a brightly lit screen, their shrunken pupils reflecting the countdown on the screen.
Saliva dripped from the unconsciously wide-open mouth of the hungry hunter, who could no longer conceal his murderous desires.
...
Students from Fangzhou, whether at home, on the road, or at school, are all paying attention to the smart bracelet.
For many, many more people, it was just an ordinary, sun-drenched summer afternoon.
————————
The end of the world did not arrive as dramatically as one might imagine.
No one can say for sure where on Earth the first anomaly occurred, or who uttered the first scream.
It arrived quietly and silently.
In the first minute after the countdown reached zero, no one spoke. Even though everyone knew that there couldn't be any zombies in Fangzhou, they remained silent, seemingly waiting for something.
The TV was still playing a melodramatic period drama that made people drowsy and lethargic. It was unclear whether the news hadn't caught up yet or if there were too many events happening at the same time, and the TV didn't know where to begin reporting.
In situations like these, the internet often reacts faster than traditional media.
About five minutes later, one after another, people's cell phones started vibrating.
One urgent news item after another popped up in the pop-up windows.
A multi-vehicle collision occurred at an intersection in a certain city; the driver responsible for the accident was unconscious.
[Breaking News! A man in X city, suspected of being mentally unstable, bit people in the street, behaving like a zombie!]
[A netizen uploaded a video of a woman assaulting and pinning down people on the subway. Even after being stopped, she continued to struggle, displaying incredible strength that even three men could not subdue her...]
[Live Broadcast: A group fight breaks out in Province A; the scene is extremely bloody. Viewer discretion is advised!]
Then, the homepages of various platforms, such as Weibo, Douyin, and others, gradually started pushing videos that netizens had just posted.
After clicking, a cacophony of sounds erupted: onlookers discussing the scene, screams, gasps, and groans of pain...
Chinese people around the world uploaded videos expressing the same fear in different languages.
It was the middle of the night in one of the areas where she lived. She got up to get some water because she was thirsty, but through the French windows she saw a figure crawling across her yard on all fours... She screamed and her water glass shattered on the ground.
In the early morning, someone was filming with a phone in one hand and pointing a handgun at a person who had lost their mind in front of them, shouting a warning: "If you come any closer, I'm going to shoot." But the person seemed not to hear and kept approaching. The video ended the second after the gunshot rang out.
On the black screen, the Chinese man let out a final sob: "Oh my god, I actually killed someone... Is he insane? Is he insane?!"
Some tourists happened to capture footage of someone stepping out of the group of tourists and jumping straight into the crater.
Before jumping, the person looked back at the camera, and only the whites of their eyes remained...
Clearly, this chaos is erupting simultaneously around the world.
Countless netizens posted questions online, bewildered, and some gradually realized that something was also happening in their vicinity. Panic swept across the entire internet like a tsunami.
Group chats exploded, with a massive amount of information almost overwhelming people's minds.
Finally, about twelve minutes later, the TV show was cut off and replaced with an emergency live broadcast.
In the conference room, Fu Qing also watched the live broadcast on a tablet.
The same platform, the same time of broadcast, except this time the person in charge of the live broadcast was no longer the female anchor, but a male anchor who was unfamiliar with the face.
Fu Qing frowned slightly.
...
In the cafeteria, parents were originally there to spend time with their children, but more and more people were being distracted by push notifications on their phones.
The buzzing whispers gradually grew louder until everyone was talking about it.
"What exactly is going on?"
"It can't be real, today isn't April Fool's Day, but why are there suddenly so many events..."
"Is the phone broken?"
"It's a virus, isn't it? Could it be a hacker attack from country A?"
"Look at the news!"
Fangzhou's safety, ironically, confused them, leaving them only able to observe the chaos outside through the small screens of their phones and televisions.
On TV, the male anchor was just dragged into a chaotic crowd. It was real, yet it felt like an absurd horror movie. Xu Mingyu and Song Jianguo covered their mouths tightly, then, realizing what was happening, frantically tried to cover Song Rushuang's eyes, only to find that she wasn't watching TV at all.
Song Rushuang stared intently at Sun Wei's live stream on her phone.
Ten seconds earlier, a loud crash from a car collision was heard through Sun Wei's camera lens. The phone, which was fixed to the windshield, was shaken off and fell to the ground under the passenger seat.
The camera lens was positioned so that it was tilted upwards, capturing the passenger-side window perfectly.
At that moment, a bloody handprint was clearly visible on the car window.
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