Apocalypse Escape: Day One of Survival

”Let me ask you, do you even believe the words coming out of your own mouth?”

”Is there really such a thing as what someone ’should’ or ’should not’ do in this world? Just because Superpower Users are strong, they’re supposed to risk their lives to protect you? Come on out, I want to see your face. Oh, not even blushing? You really are shameless!”

The young man shrank behind the middle-aged woman, trying his best to hide.

The loudmouthed woman was displeased. She put her hands on her hips and said angrily, ”Hey, you damn girl, what’s with that attitude? How can you just attack people like that?”

”What’s wrong with attacking you? I’m attacking shameless, entitled people just like you!” Song Kexin tossed the Fireball in her hand. ”Are you moving or not? If not, I’m setting something on fire.”

”You!” The older woman’s face flushed red with anger, and she let loose a string of curses. ”This is lawless! So Superpower Users can just kill people whenever they want now?”

The person in charge of Zone A-3, who had rushed over, started sweating when he saw the scene. ”What’s going on? What is all this? Stop arguing!”

”What’s all this arguing about? Got nothing better to do? Full of energy, are we? Then go to the front lines and fight zombies.”

That one sentence quieted most of the crowd. Only a few blockheaded troublemakers kept clamoring, ”Chief, you can’t be so obvious with your favoritism.”

”Yeah, Yu Xiaofei’s mother is about to leave with these Superpower Users. Aren’t you going to do something about it?”

The official looked at the loudest men and women in the group as if they were idiots. ”Yu Xiaofei’s mother is leaving with someone else. What business is it of yours? You want to manage the heavens and the earth, your own parents, and now you want to control where other people go?”

”No, it’s that the mother and daughter are cutting in line for the infirmary right now. Won’t that delay our own children’s treatment?”

”We already said we’re not going to the infirmary! Don’t you understand plain language?” Su Xiyue was furious.

The young official was also speechless. ”Why do you care where other people are or are not going? What, are you planning to gang up and detain them? To restrict their freedom of movement?”

The bickering women pursed their lips, still unconvinced, glaring predatorily at Song Kexin and Su Xiyue.

”The old saying goes... you know, ’everyone who’s here gets a share,’ right! Since Yu Xiaofei’s mother’s friends are so capable, can’t they just help the rest of us out too?”

Song Kexin started walking. ”Yueyue.”

Su Xiyue, carrying Yu Xiaofei who was a head taller than her, followed with ease.

”Hey, how can you just leave like that? Don’t go, you’re not allowed to leave.”

The young official quickly waved for the guards to come over and help hold back the surging, unreasonable crowd. He tried to reason with them, ”What do you think you’re doing? They can help who they want to help. This is just mob-mentality moral blackmail, you know?”

”They’re helping their own friends. Why should they have to take a bunch of strangers and hangers-on like you with them? Don’t you blush saying that? Isn’t it ridiculous?”

”Chief, we don’t like the way you’re talking.”

”That’s right, what do you mean, ’blush’ and ’ridiculous’? What’s there to be ridiculous about? What’s there to blush about? We’re just trying to reason with them, aren’t we?”

”Exactly! Look at these Superpower Users. Their bags are clearly bulging with good food. They wander through our area and don’t even think to offer some relief to the masses?”

”Chief, do you think that’s right?”

”Superpower Users are part of the masses too!” The leader of Zone A-3 was getting a massive headache from their arguments. ”You want them to give you relief? On what grounds? Because you’ve got a lot of nerve, or because you’re ugly?”

After a moment of silence, the crowd erupted in an uproar.

”Hey, you’re the official! How can you talk like that?”

”You’re on their side, aren’t you! How outrageous! Calling us ugly, saying we have a lot of nerve... Do you even know how to talk to people? And you call yourself a leader? Are you even fit to be a leader?”

Song Kexin’s group fled Zone A-3 as if escaping for their lives. Even through the electronic gate, they could still hear the clamor inside.

”Those adults are so mean.” Su Xiyue puffed up her chubby cheeks and said angrily, ”Everything they said for so long was just for their own benefit. So mean, so mean.”

Song Kexin glanced at the younger girl, then at the frantic Yu Xiaofei’s mother, and sighed. ”First, let’s find someone to tell Xiao Yu to come take a look.”

She couldn’t help but sigh again. ’If my big sister finds out about this... she’ll definitely scold us for picking up strays and getting into trouble.’

Song Kexin wiped her face. In her mind’s eye, she vaguely saw Xie Ning’s stern, emotionless face flash before her, and she shuddered, instinctively straightening her posture.

”If it’s inconvenient for you, why don’t you let them stay at my place for now?” Lin Yiyi, who was adept at reading people, noticed the fleeting look of difficulty on Song Kexin’s face and quickly spoke up.

Song Kexin glanced at her but didn’t say anything.

”You have a place for them to stay?”

”Not really a proper one. I’m currently crammed into a small cubicle with Ms. Xu Yu and Brother Lei.” Lin Yiyi lowered her head and mumbled, ”But there’s a ring of sofas in our lobby.”

”The environment isn’t great, but it’s better than staying in the main camp with all those disorderly people.”

”Lead the way,” Su Xiyue urged.

A glimmer of hope appeared on Yu Xiaofei’s mother’s face. She hurriedly followed them, running all the way to the Superpower User’s rest area.

...

”I see we’re going through the rice balls, lunch boxes, zongzi, and steamed buns we made earlier pretty quickly. Since we have some free time these next two days, let’s make more to restock.”

No one objected to Xie Ning’s suggestion, and everyone readily agreed.

Early in the morning, everyone joined the army of cooks, mixing and kneading dough, cooking rice, and preparing dishes.

Xie Ning secretly pulled her mother into the small bathroom, looking at her with a serious expression. ”Mom.”

”Yes, dear? What’s the secret? Mom won’t tell a soul. I’ll remember to keep my mouth shut even in my dreams!” Comrade Song You’ai said with a serious face, making a zipping motion across her lips.

”Mom, close your eyes now. I’m going to take you somewhere.”

”Okay.”

Xie Ning grabbed her mother’s arm and took a deep breath.

When they opened their eyes again, the mother and daughter were standing in the living room of their own villa.

”Mom, it really worked! Hahaha!” Xie Ning jumped for joy, grabbing Song You’ai and spinning her in a circle.

Comrade Song You’ai stood there with a dazed expression, not moving for a long moment, simply rubbing her eyes.

Xie Ning was like an excited little girl, circling her mother and chattering nonstop. ”Mom, Mom, Mom, after my Space System broke through to the Sixth Rank, I had this strange feeling. I thought I should be able to bring you in here, and it really worked! Haha.”

”Look, look, look!” Xie Ning ran around the living room. ”Mom, what are you standing there stunned for? Come on.”

Comrade Song You’ai woodenly pinched her own arm, then grimaced in pain and started jumping up and down too. ”Oh my god, isn’t this our house?”

”Yep.” Xie Ning bounded over to her mother and spread her hands. ”Surprise! Weren’t you expecting that?”

Song You’ai felt it was more of a shock than a surprise.

She let her daughter pull her down onto the sofa in a daze. It wasn’t until a warm glass was placed in her hands that she finally came back to her senses.