Apocalypse Escape: Day One of Survival

Ji Taixian quickly raised his hands over his head, his expression earnest. ”Sis, I’m with you!”

”My brother said everyone from our residential compound was evacuated to the safe zone right away, including my parents and grandparents. I don’t have to worry about any of them!”

”My brother also said that I’m the one who’s particularly weak, so it’s a good thing for me to follow you around, Sis, and get some training.”

Wang Zongxuan pursed his lips, his expression filled with disdain for Ji Taixian.

But when Xie Ning’s gaze shifted to him, Wang Zongxuan quickly said, ”Sis, I don’t have anything else going on at the moment, so I’ll head to the Lanshan Tower Lake Safe Zone with you all for now.”

”Then it’s settled.” Xie Ning nodded. ”There are three guest rooms on the first floor. Take your pick.”

”I’m going upstairs to organize my things. Hey, Tai Xian, do you guys know how to chop firewood?”

”Yes, yes, I do!” Xiao Huang Mao raised his hand, eager to answer.

Xie Ning smiled as she looked at Ji Taixian and Wang Zongxuan. ”Xiao Yuan, why don’t you teach these two young masters how to chop firewood. Chop plenty. I’m worried the power might go out tonight.”

It had to be said, Xie Ning’s ability to jinx things was truly uncanny.

It wasn’t even evening yet. At half-past three in the afternoon, the power suddenly went out.

The roar of a car engine came from the front of the house next door.

Song Youzhi’s voice carried from outside the gate. ”Ningning, open up!”

This iron gate was really something else!

There wasn’t even a place to knock; sharp Metal Spikes jutted out from it, each one a full ten centimeters long. Just looking at it from a distance was intimidating.

Ji Taixian, who had been chopping firewood to the point of questioning his existence, ran to pull the iron gate open.

Seeing him looking like death warmed over, Song Youzhi jumped in surprise. ”What happened to you?”

”It’s nothing, Uncle Song. I... I’ll be fine in a minute.” Ji Taixian flopped onto a nearby rattan chair.

Seeing him drenched in sweat, Song Youzhi eyed him suspiciously and gave him a disdainful look. ”You’re a bit out of shape, young man!”

”Come kill zombies with your uncle tomorrow!”

”Thanks, Uncle. Thank you.” Ji Taixian wiped away his sweat, took the bottle of water Wang Zongxuan handed him, and chugged a large gulp. GULP GULP.

Xie Ning ran out of the house. ”Uncle!”

”My favorite niece!” Song Youzhi opened a large burlap sack as if presenting a treasure, showing Xie Ning its contents. ”Look what your uncle brought you! It’s all snacks that you and Kexin love! Chocolate! HAHAHA.”

”That Xiao Gu is a really good kid. After he came back with his men, our speed at clearing zombies from the villas increased by more than tenfold! Haha, and we’ve gathered way more supplies!”

”There are two more sacks here! It’s all good stuff. My dear niece, you and Kexin get first pick.”

”Ah, that Xiao Gu. He’s sharp-looking and efficient. He’s just so darn likable.”

Xie Ning: ???

’Her uncle was only gone for half a day, and he’s already been completely brainwashed by Xiao Gu?’

’Xiao Gu this, Xiao Gu that... He’s starting to sound just like her mom...’

”What about Xiao Gu? Is he done with his work? Tell him to come over to our place for dinner.” Song You’ai peeked her head out from the second-floor balcony, waving at Song Youzhi.

”Sis, I brought back a ton of snacks, and spices and stuff. Hurry down and help me sort through it.”

”Coming, coming! I’ll be right there.”

Xie Ning rolled her eyes, speechless. She turned to Ji Taixian. ”Have you sent those seeds in your Space to your brother yet?”

”I’ll go deliver them now.”

”Then hurry up. They’re probably waiting to load the trucks and do a count,” Xie Ning urged.

”Oh, okay.” Ji Taixian dragged his battered, ox-like body, shuffling toward the door one step at a time.

Just as he reached the door, he heard Song You’ai shout from the balcony, ”Hey, Tai Xian, tell your brother and his men to come over for dinner!”

”Okay!” Ji Taixian called back as he headed out.

A little while later, Song You’ai came running down from the second floor, wiping the sweat from her forehead. ”Everything is mostly packed up.”

She was beaming. ”Kexin and Shijun have really grown up. They were a huge help carrying and moving things.”

She grabbed a small folding stool and sat down next to Song Youzhi. ”Why does it sound like there’s activity next door? Did someone arrive?”

”Uh, the military assigned them that house after registering them.” Song Youzhi sighed and lowered his voice, whispering to Song You’ai, ”Sis, did you hear? Number 83 next door... everyone is gone.”

”What?” Song You’ai’s face fell. ”Oh no... what about... what about the six-year-old twins?”

”Gone.” Song Youzhi shook his head grimly, turning away and clenching his jaw. ”You didn’t see the carnage. I couldn’t bear to look.”

”What about Number 81?”

”Only the two little ones from Number 81 are left. The military took them in, but they’re apparently still under observation. It’s not clear if they were bitten.”

”That’s just too tragic,” Song You’ai murmured softly.

This row of four detached villas all had odd numbers: 85, 83, 81, and 79.

It seemed that only their family and Ge Liang’s family at Number 79 were in a slightly better situation.

”Does that mean... the casualties across the entire city are that severe?”

”I heard some news today. They’re saying... in the future, the number of zombies could reach half of the world’s population.”

”That many?”

”They said they’re already trying their best to contain it. We’re actually considered lucky here. Some cities, counties, and even provincial capitals have probably been completely wiped out.”

Song You’ai looked at her younger brother in shock.

”Don’t repeat this to outsiders. It’s enough for our family to know.”

Song You’ai nodded. ”Then the people who moved in next door are...?”

”Oh, they’re... people from some research institute. They’ll probably only be here for a day or two.” Song Youzhi scooted closer to Song You’ai. ”A little while ago, Xiao Gu secretly asked me if we wanted to leave with them.”

”I told him I had to ask Ningning first.”

”Ask me what?”

The two heads, huddled together and whispering, froze at the same time and slowly turned around.

There was Xie Ning, squatting right next to them. There was no telling how long she had been listening, but she was now staring at them with a completely blank expression.

’Xiao Gu this, Xiao Gu that. How long had her uncle even known Xiao Gu to be this familiar with him?’

’Is Xiao Gu some kind of family-member collector?!’

”Hey! You!” Her uncle sputtered, feigning annoyance. ”Don’t scare people like that!”

”It’s just, Xiao Gu’s suggestion was... we have a car anyway. When they evacuate the people from the research institute, we could follow along behind them.”

Xie Ning shuffled a couple of steps closer on her haunches. ”And the other villagers won’t riot?”

”Well, it’s not like we’d be abandoning them. Other military units are supposed to come later specifically to evacuate them!”

”Those in the village who have cars can come along. The ones without will just have to wait!”

”Besides those people from the research institute, Xiao Gu’s group definitely can’t take anyone else. He has to haul a lot of cargo, too!”

Xie Ning thought for a moment. ”I was planning to start your training tomorrow at six o’clock. Ten laps around the village!”

Song You’ai said with a perfectly straight face, ”Your mother thinks it would be safer and more convenient to go with Xiao Gu’s group. We wouldn’t even have to get out of the car to move obstacles on the road.”

”Then we’ll just do our running on the road from now on.”

”What??”