Apocalypse Escape: Day One of Survival

”For the X Realm, Zombie Crystal Cores are probably a new kind of energy source, right?”

Xie Ning looked up at the ceiling and asked softly.

”What do they want with something like that?”

Little Spider crawled out from under her arm and, with a SNAP, opened a light screen and played an animation.

Xie Ning stared at the animated screen, watching a group of people in white lab coats in the X Realm cut open a Zombie Crystal Core and place it on a light-sensitive transmission device.

The device conducted the energy, which suddenly opened a door ahead. The view then moved forward down a corridor.

Xie Ning shot up in bed, muttering to herself, ”They want to come here? Why?”

’Does this scene mean that if they gather enough Crystal Core Energy, they can open a ”gate” to our world?’

’That must be what it means, right?’

Xie Ning looked down at Little Spider, uncertain, and poked it with her finger. ”I want to see all the data on the X Realm again.”

”Hello, Host Ningning. Because your body has just undergone a high-fever viral flush, this unit recommends that you get some proper sleep now to recover.”

Xie Ning yawned. ”Show me the data first.”

Little Spider muttered and grumbled, then abruptly opened a high-tech-looking slideshow.

Xie Ning stared at the metal sphere floating in the air and leaned in, surprised.

”A city in the X Realm?”

It looked like a metal sphere hanging off a dilapidated building.

”The technology in the X Realm is very advanced. Everyone gets around using Flying Devices.”

”Also, due to environmental factors, buildings in the X Realm are now constructed upward into the sky.”

Xie Ning quickly browsed through the information until dawn, only then telling Little Spider to turn off the slideshow before crashing for a few hours of rest.

...

”Mom, what are you all moving?” Xie Ning asked as she came down the stairs, spotting Song Kexin and the others bustling about, carrying all sorts of bags into the house.

”Oh, Xiao Gu’s men just stopped by. They said they were here to apologize to you for what happened the night before last. They dropped off a bunch of stuff and ran off before I could even stop them.”

Song You’ai came forward and felt her daughter’s forehead. ”The fever’s finally gone. Honey, you’ve been a bit weak these past two days. Mom will make you something nourishing later to build you back up.”

”I’m fine.” Xie Ning tilted her head, looking down at the large and small bags at her feet.

Song Kexin walked past her with a blank expression, holding a fish tank. Xie Ning glanced over. ”What’s this?”

Song Kexin rolled her eyes irritably. ”Brother Gu Chen’s little buddies sent over two fish.”

She had been happy at first, thinking they could have fish soup for dinner, but then Ji Taixian secretly told her they weren’t for eating—they were ornamental!

Xie Ning said, ”Oh.” ”Then let’s take it to the kitchen for our uncle later.”

Song Shijun, who was following behind Song Kexin while carrying a bag of rice, almost burst out laughing.

’His two older sisters’ first instinct upon seeing fish was to think of the kitchen.’

”They’re not for eating,” Song Kexin huffed, carrying the fish tank inside.

Xie Ning walked down the last two steps and frowned. ”If they’re not for eating, why send them over?”

”Xinxin, I’ll help you carry that.” Ji Taixian hurried to follow and help.

Xie Ning eyed the boy’s back suspiciously as he drifted past. ”Mom, has that doofus Tai Xian been a little too interested in my sister lately?”

Song You’ai glanced at her daughter and lightly tapped the back of her head. ”You’re such a blockhead.”

Xie Ning looked completely baffled. She stared speechlessly at her mother’s retreating figure.

’We were just talking, why’d she have to hit my head?’

Everyone moved the things into the living room, temporarily piling them to one side.

”Youyi, where were you so early this morning?” Song You’ai asked as she wiped her hands, looking up to see her younger brother walk in through the door.

Song Youyi sighed. ”I went to talk with Brother Ge Liang for a bit and ask about Xiao Long’s situation.”

”Ever since Mom saw Xiao Long on the plane that day, she’s kept mentioning that we need to talk to him.”

”What’s the situation with his family?” Song You’ai asked, quickly following her brother into the living room.

The old madam and Song Yaoguo were sitting in the living room drinking tea. When they saw their youngest son come in, they gestured for them to sit.

”How did it go? Did you see Xiao Long?”

”I saw him, but the kid wouldn’t say anything.” Song Youyi shook his head. ”But I talked with Brother Ge Liang, so I have a general idea of the situation.”

”Did something happen to Third Brother’s family?” Song Yaoguo sighed.

Ever since the apocalypse, their family had been constantly on the run for their lives. After finally managing to settle down in Golden City, they were hit by a once-in-a-millennium ice-age cold snap. It was safe to say they had no time to worry about others.

”How did Xiao Long end up in Li Dawei’s group?”

Song Youyi sighed. ”Dad, Third Uncle... he apparently passed away the night they were fleeing from Lanshan Tower Lake.”

Although Song Yaoguo had been mentally prepared, he was still heartbroken to suddenly hear the news.

”Brother Ge Liang said that Xiao Long’s family, by a strange twist of fate, ended up at a small base. While they were fleeing, they were attacked by zombies, and Xiao Long’s parents... well...” He sighed.

”After that, Xiao Long and his mother kept on living at that small base. His mother, not wanting to be a burden on him, and perhaps because she missed Third Uncle too much, she...” Song Youyi sighed again. ”She committed suicide by swallowing gold.”

”What?” The old madam clutched her chest, barely able to breathe.

Song You’ai hurried forward to help calm her down, bringing a cup of hot water for her to drink. ”Mom, please don’t be too sad.”

”We never could have predicted things would turn out this way,” Song Youyi said with emotion. ”Third Uncle may have been a bit of a flaky pushover, but he was genuinely good to Third Aunt.”

”Your Third Aunt, back then, fell for him because he was such a pure and filial man,” the old madam said after a sip of water, a trace of sorrow on her face. ”It’s a shame. A lifetime is so short, and in the end, they couldn’t walk the path together to the very end.”

”What Brother Ge Liang meant is, Xiao Long has been blaming himself this whole time. He keeps blaming himself for being useless, thinking that if he had just been more capable, his mother wouldn’t have killed herself.”

”Does Xiao Long resent us a little?” Song Kexin asked bluntly.

”He probably resents himself more than anyone,” Xie Ning said, looking thoughtful.

Xie Ning felt she could understand that feeling of powerlessness—of wanting to protect someone but being unable to.

”Then is there anything we can do to help him?” Song Shijun asked.

Xie Ning got up and walked to the entrance. The moment she pulled the door open, she saw Zhai Ruobai standing there, his hand raised as if about to knock.

”Ningning, something’s happened.” Zhai Ruobai froze for a second, then said quickly, ”Chen sent me to pick you up and take you to the research institute.”

Xie Ning nodded, said a quick goodbye to her family, and got into Zhai Ruobai’s car.

On the main roads inside the base, the ice and snow had been mostly cleared, so the drive was very smooth.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the entrance of the research institute.

Two researchers, who had been waiting for them at the entrance for some time, immediately led the two of them upstairs.