Ch 21: Opening a Survival School Before the Zombie Outbreak

As she was about to leave the cafeteria, Fu Qing was drawn by a commotion not far away.

A girl who looked noticeably younger than the others, small in both height and build, stood surrounded by a group of students, speaking confidently.

“It’s not enough to rely solely on the shelter. We have to prepare on two fronts… I know everyone wants to protect their parents and keep them as far from danger as possible, but once the apocalypse comes, there will always be unexpected situations. And we’re nowhere near capable of resolving every crisis at any given moment.”

“If a real danger arrives and we fail to show up in time to help, then all that protection beforehand will only place them in even greater danger.”

“We’re not even twenty yet. Most of our parents are only in their forties, still in their prime. With some training, they can absolutely become part of our combat strength. At the very least, they need the ability to protect themselves.”

The students around her listened intently, nodding repeatedly, clearly thinking of their own parents.

“My dad’s beer belly… he’s out of breath just climbing stairs. If zombies really attack, he won’t even be able to run. I’ve got to make him drink less,” one girl said anxiously.

“My mom’s always glued to her phone listening to audiobooks, but it’s all CEO romance wish-fulfillment stuff. I’ll recommend some apocalypse novels to her,” a boy said, then sighed. “Just hope she actually listens.”

Another girl immediately offered advice. “I’ll teach you. You can secretly use her phone and search for apocalypse novel recommendations on different platforms a few times, then delete the search history. Within a couple of days, the algorithm will start pushing them to her.”

She added proudly, “That’s my exclusive trick. I don’t usually tell people. Last time I wanted an e-ink reader for novels, I secretly pushed a bunch of articles to my dad about how e-ink screens protect your eyes, and how buying a high-end notebook improves productivity…”

Subtle marketing was the deadliest.

The boy stared at her in awe. “I stand corrected. You can actually do that?”

Noted, noted.

They tossed around ideas enthusiastically, not noticing that Fu Qing had been standing nearby for who knew how long, her brows gradually relaxing.

She looked at the petite girl in the center and realized why the earlier analysis had sounded so familiar.

It was Su Huaijin.

The sixteen-year-old top scorer in liberal arts.

Only after their conversation had mostly wound down did Fu Qing step forward and call her by name. “Su Huaijin, do you have a moment?”

The girl had been clearing her tray. When she looked up and saw Fu Qing, her expression froze visibly. Two seconds later, she shot to her feet.

Her hand slipped instinctively. The stainless-steel bowl clattered loudly against the tray before she hurriedly steadied it. Looking at Fu Qing, she stammered, “Y-yes, Principal.”

She looked exactly like a student caught slacking off during evening study hall when a school leader suddenly called their name from the back door. Fu Qing almost hallucinated her own school days.

Even top students had moments like this.

Since enrollment began, this was the first time Fu Qing had singled out a student by name. Su Huaijin’s roommate Wen Yu looked equally startled, afraid of being implicated, and quickly lowered her head to wipe the table. “You go. I’ll return your tray.”

The others also put on serious expressions, lowering their heads to wipe tables or pick up trash, as if extremely busy.

Su Huaijin swallowed and walked obediently toward Fu Qing.

Fu Qing found it amusing. “Come to my office.”

“Huh?” Su Huaijin blinked. “We have to go to the office?”

Fu Qing nodded. “Do you have something else to do?”

“N-no…”

Her voice was soft, completely unlike the confident tone she had just used. After a moment’s thought, she grabbed something from the table and hid it behind her back before following Fu Qing out.

When they entered the principal’s office, Su Huaijin could not resist sneaking a glance around.

She had often been in school leadership offices before in middle and high school. Those rooms always smelled of leather and sometimes lingering cigarette smoke, making her dizzy and uncomfortable.

Fu Qing’s office was different. There was a faint scent in the air.

Not from perfume or incense. Just something refreshing, like wind from the mountains.

Su Huaijin relaxed unconsciously and sat on the sofa at Fu Qing’s gesture. “Principal, did you need something from me?”

“Yes.” Fu Qing went straight to the point. “What you just said—can you organize it and post it on the forum?”

The forum had originally been created for exchanging information. So far, though, students mainly used it for chatting and gossip.

When Fu Qing was organizing her thoughts that afternoon, she had already considered something similar: use the students to hint at apocalypse preparation to their parents, then let that influence subtly spread through the parents’ social circles.

The more people it reached, the better. Even a small ripple counted as contributing to “changing humanity’s doomed ending.”

She needed someone to take the lead. If she could not find a suitable candidate, she had planned to do it herself. But now, the perfect person had practically walked into her office.

Su Huaijin’s logic was clear. She was intelligent. Most importantly, she had a strong desire to share her thoughts. She was ideal.

Fu Qing could see that Su Huaijin enjoyed praise. Each time someone complimented her, she lifted her chin slightly like a proud little hen. That trace of unconcealed pride made the smart girl seem more vivid.

Fu Qing was confident she would not refuse.

And Su Huaijin did not disappoint.

“I’d be happy to!”

“My roommates and I have discussed lots of ways to prepare for the apocalypse. When other students ask during meals, I talk to them too. But I’ve always felt this method of sharing is too inefficient,” Su Huaijin said thoughtfully. “You’re right. I can post it on the forum.”

“For the first topic, how about focusing on how to prepare for the apocalypse?” she asked for Fu Qing’s opinion.

Her acceptance speed and execution exceeded Fu Qing’s expectations.

Fu Qing nodded. “That works. After you finish writing, send it to me via private message for review. Open your wristband. My contact information is in there.”

“Once it’s approved, post it under your own account. For future topics, you can also discuss them with me through private messages.”

Every student’s wristband contained the campus contact directory. To avoid disturbance, contact was not real-time by default. Messages were sent as private mail to the recipient’s backend and viewed when convenient.

Only if both parties agreed could the wristbands enable real-time communication, including but not limited to instant messaging, location sharing, file transfer, photos and videos, and even voice and video calls like a phone.

Students could see the small envelope icon next to “Principal Fu Qing’s” name in the directory.

But very few dared to send her a private message.

Some did not even dare to tap on it, afraid she might somehow use it to track them.

The shock left behind by the opening mock drill and the speech that followed still lingered in every student’s heart.

And now, the principal was allowing her to send private messages and had even said she would personally review her article.

The moment Su Huaijin realized that, her eyes lit up. She straightened her back even more. “Got it! I’ll have the first article ready very soon.”

Fu Qing smiled at her, while also realizing the advantage of having a large group as a kind of “cheat code.”

They did not exist merely as a collective. Within the group were also capable individuals.

Perhaps she should conduct a survey of the students’ family backgrounds ahead of time. If there were doctors, nurses, electricians, and similar professions among them, they would be invaluable once the shelter was established…

Fu Qing’s thoughts wandered briefly before she refocused. “If doing this alone feels difficult, you can also find people to share the workload. For example, you can outline the structure and recruit a few writers. They can also send drafts to me via private message.”

“Treat it like a group project.”

Fu Qing knew exactly how heavy Fangzhou’s academic load was. The daily five-kilometer run alone was already a huge burden for many students. Not to mention the other teachers showed no mercy when assigning homework.

They all understood that if they wanted students to transform within a single year and adapt to the brutal changes after the apocalypse, the teaching approach had to be tough.

Fu Qing had more than once passed by Granny Liu’s room late at night and seen the light still on. The elderly woman, white-haired and slightly hunched, sat at her desk with reading glasses sliding down her nose, painstakingly deciphering bold-font homework submissions on her wristband screen.

Fu Qing had even asked the system to add a zoom function for her.

But what Su Huaijin was doing was entirely extracurricular. It would take up her personal time.

Fu Qing considered this for a moment. “At the end of the semester, everyone who participates in this group will receive five additional points.”

Su Huaijin hesitated instead. “Wouldn’t that… be a little unfair?”

After all, she had been personally selected by Fu Qing. It felt a bit like taking a backdoor route to earn points.

“It won’t be unfair if recruitment happens through a forum post,” Fu Qing said. “You’ll conduct the initial review, and I’ll do the final review. Only those who pass will join the group. As for you, you’ve already passed my interview.”

In other words, the forum was public. Everyone would have an equal opportunity to compete. Su Huaijin was not a preset insider. She was simply the first to pass.

Su Huaijin thought it over and accepted. “Alright.”

After that, the room fell quiet. Su Huaijin sat with her hands neatly on her knees, blinking up at Fu Qing.

Looking at her youthful face, Fu Qing suddenly felt like she was employing child labor. She coughed lightly. “If there’s nothing else, you can head back to the dorm.”

“Oh. Okay.” Su Huaijin reacted half a beat late. “Um, Principal…”

“Yes?”

“Could you sign my book?”

She looked a little shy.

From behind her back, she slowly brought out… an e-reader. Along with a signing pen.

Fu Qing stared at the white leather case on the device. Times had changed. Even books for autographs had evolved into electronic ones?

This was the first time anyone had asked for her signature. And what did she have to do with the books inside it? Why sign this?

Su Huaijin explained sheepishly, “I’ve collected tons of apocalypse novels. But when I think about real-life apocalypse survival experts around me, you’re the only one, Principal.”

Fu Qing had never told the students that she was a reborn apocalypse survivor. But her obvious familiarity with doomsday scenarios and zombies was enough for imaginative students to draw their own conclusions.

What they concluded varied from person to person.

Ever since the hoarding class had opened up a new world for Su Huaijin, she had fallen in love with apocalypse fiction. She had secretly bookmarked so many novels that her favorites list was almost full, and she stayed up late every night reading under the covers.

Recently, their dorm room had frequently echoed with faint midnight giggles.

If her roommates were not also night owls, it might have turned into a ghost story rumor or even sparked a dorm-wide social crisis.

Faced with the younger girl’s eager gaze, Fu Qing had no choice. For the first time in her life, she awkwardly signed her name.

Su Huaijin hugged the device with the two bold characters written in sweeping strokes and stood up happily. “I’ll treasure this forever!”

After a pause, she added with a soft giggle, “Hehehe, hehehe…”

Fu Qing: “……”

*

With the power-up of an autograph, the little academic star worked at explosive speed. That very night, she sent Fu Qing the first article. After approval, she quickly posted it on the forum.

Title: [Starting from the Classroom: Besides Studying and Training, What Can We Do in Daily Life to Prepare for the Apocalypse?]

Su Huaijin chose an avatar of a bespectacled little girl. She did not post anonymously, instead creating her own ID: CheeseIsPower.

When replying elsewhere, she could choose to continue using that ID or reply anonymously.

Main post:

[It’s been half a month since school started. Everyone’s probably calmed down by now, right? I think the forum shouldn’t just be for chatting. We should expand its use and turn it into an information exchange hub.

I’ve organized some thoughts and decided to share them here. Hope it helps.

(Hoping this can get more people to step forward and share their ideas XD)

A few key points we should start implementing now:

1. Stockpiling
2. Health checkups
3. Getting a driver’s license

First, stockpiling. Food items with expiration dates, like canned meat, can be purchased later. But items that are harder to obtain, like knives or prescription medications for specific individuals, should be prepared gradually starting now. Move like ants carrying food, little by little, so as not to attract attention from the relevant authorities.

Second, health checkups. This one doesn’t need much explanation. Many of us are young and rarely have health issues. If the school doesn’t organize it, we might never think about going to the hospital ourselves.

What’s important is not just your own checkup, but your parents’ and elders’ too. Even if their workplaces offer routine physicals, the items included vary depending on benefits. If something isn’t covered, consider paying out of pocket to complete it for peace of mind.

Our parents are at an age where many illnesses become more common. Once the apocalypse arrives, even common or non-fatal chronic illnesses could significantly shorten life expectancy. We absolutely cannot take this lightly.

Finally, getting a driver’s license. Learning to drive takes time. Signing up for driving school and taking exams is troublesome and expensive. But I advise everyone not to try to save this money. Sure, like in apocalypse novels, we could theoretically learn quickly after the world collapses and just grab a car on the roadside. But we’re not protagonists… After the apocalypse, medical systems will collapse. If you get into a car accident, that’s basically the end. Better to train your driving skills in advance.

All of these require time. They can’t be crammed at the last minute. Beyond that, you can also encourage your parents to exercise. If your home is in the countryside, consider reinforcing your courtyard walls. We can’t guarantee we’ll earn enough points or secure shelter spots, so we need backup plans. But I believe the three points above are especially urgent.

If anyone has different opinions, feel free to add on. The whole point of the forum is to unite classmates and help one another.]

To write this post, Su Huaijin had looked up plenty of information. She had even circled around the topic to ask her parents about workplace physical exams and related details.

Only after thorough preparation did she dare show it to Fu Qing.

Reality did not disappoint her efforts. Less than five minutes after the post went live, replies were already flooding in.

[Oh my god, OP is a saint!!]

[dd, this kind of post is way more important than gossip. Let it stay on the front page longer so more people can see it.]

[Thanks for the reminder! I’m booking a physical right now. Hopefully I can get it done this weekend.]

[Going home to check my parents’ health reports immediately…]

[Anyone want to sign up for driving school together? I found one in S City. Two people get a discount, four or six get even better deals. We can go back and forth on weekends together for safety and convenience. DM me on the forum to team up.]

It was not that the other students were not smart or had never thought of these things. They had simply been overwhelmed by heavy coursework and temporarily overlooked them.

With Su Huaijin’s gentle nudge, everyone’s minds immediately became active.

53L: [My whole family works in medicine. I specifically asked my parents and they sent me a very detailed checklist of physical exam items by age group. Sharing it here as a small contribution.

Once your reports come out, if there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to DM me. I’ll ask my parents to take a look. They both work at top-tier hospitals, so they should be reliable.]

[Bookmarking this.]

60L: [Thank you 53L for your selfless help. A medical family is so cool. Angels in white for the apocalypse.]

63L replied to 60L: [We’re all classmates. It’s nothing. I was originally admitted to a medical major too TAT… family tradition ends with me. Hope my parents don’t beat me when I go home for break.]

66L (CheeseIsPower, OP) replied to 53L: [Marking this. Everyone, check here. A user shared a physical exam checklist.]

After posting, Su Huaijin did not go off to do her own work. She opened her computer, continued drafting another post to recruit teammates, and refreshed the forum from time to time.

Text or images edited on other devices could be synced directly to the wristband through a Bluetooth-like function, making homework submissions and forum posts extremely convenient.

Whenever she saw a particularly helpful reply, she would bump it as the original poster so that classmates using the “view only OP” function could quickly catch key points.

Once again, she felt grateful that ever since the principal expelled those troublemakers at the start of term, both campus life and the forum atmosphere had become exceptionally harmonious.

With the principal “quietly watching” from behind, dorms hardly argued, and the forum lacked the hostility common in anonymous communities. Communication felt incredibly comfortable.

…

After nearly half an hour of lively discussion, the thread took an unexpected turn.

[Guys, help! I just called my parents to persuade them to get a checkup, but they refuse to listen. They said kids shouldn’t worry about adult matters. What do I do?? No matter what I say, they get mad. I’m about to cry.

Usually they say I’m grown up now that I’m in college, but at times like this they treat me like a child. They’re so stubborn.]

[Ahhh I ran into the same problem! I even offered to pay for their checkup with my own money and they scolded me for wasting it…]

Su Huaijin froze. She had not expected this complication.

She had matured early, skipped grades, and her parents had always respected her opinions. They listened to her on both major and minor matters. So when writing this post, she had even considered possible scrutiny from relevant authorities, yet somehow failed to anticipate parents simply refusing.

What now?

She stared at the floating virtual keyboard, fingers hovering, unable to type a word. For once, she was at a loss.

Before she could respond, someone else jumped in.

101L: [Isn’t that easy? Wait for me. I’ll write a few public account articles. When the time comes, pretend you stumbled upon them and just forward them to your parents.]

???

What was happening?

Su Huaijin blinked in confusion.

Barely an hour later, that same user reappeared.

[Wrote something simple. Using a public account I registered ages ago but never used. Might as well use it specifically for posts like this.

Link: “A Must-Read for Middle-Aged and Elderly People! 108 Health Secrets You Didn’t Know! First tip: Get a checkup at a regular hospital…”]

Seeing this reply, Su Huaijin went from:

“???”

to

“!!!”

Hidden experts really did exist among the people.

That familiar tone. That winding, layered strategy…

For some reason, an image popped into her mind. She had a strong suspicion this was the same girl from the cafeteria earlier who had enthusiastically taught someone how to manipulate big data algorithms.

This was the power of collective brainstorming.

Su Huaijin felt deeply that posting this thread had been the right move. She immediately shared the article to her own social feed as well.

When she returned to the forum, she noticed her thread was still floating at the top of the homepage, now marked with a red stamp labeled “Featured.”

Her spirits soared.

The principal.

…

Ten minutes earlier, Fu Qing had used her administrator privileges for the first time to feature the thread she had approved.

Once featured, the title turned red and gained higher visibility, frequently appearing on the homepage and drawing more exposure.

In the forum’s administrator section, there was only a single gray default avatar with an unknown ID. But everyone quickly guessed who it was.

The only administrator. Who else but the principal?

Soon, the OP “CheeseIsPower” popped up again:

[!!! I hereby announce to the world that I’m the first lucky goose ever noticed by the admin!! (spin) (jump)]

Even though she and the principal were technically “in on it” together… no one else in the entire school had the principal’s autograph. She could not flaunt that, but she could show off this, right?

Su Huaijin thought righteously.

A wave of question marks followed.

[Just one second ago I was praising OP for staying rational while everyone else drowned in gossip. Now my filter has shattered.]

[Confirmed by the look in her eyes. Another fangirl.]

[(Video attached) Watch the principal climbing the building and you’ll understand. Admiring strength is a human instinct.]

[Wait what, this is my first time seeing this video. Is she Spider-Man? How did she shoot up three or four meters in a blink?]

[No but seriously, I was stunned watching it live. You actually had the presence of mind to secretly film it? That’s ruthless.]

[Saved it to watch on repeat. Why can’t we share this with friends outside the school, ugh TAT. I will mourn for everyone who hasn’t seen this masterpiece.]

A perfectly good informational thread had suddenly gone wildly off-topic for dozens of replies.

Su · Calm-and-Rational OP · Chief Derailer of This Thread · Huaijin cleared her throat, feeling inexplicably guilty.

She sent the drafted post via private message to the gray-avatar account. After it passed review, Fu Qing published it directly under the administrator account and pinned it to the top.

Pinned Post: [Recruiting Forum Maintenance + External Outreach Team | Review Required | Members Receive Point Rewards | Apply Within]

The main post listed requirements succinctly: preferably experience in writing or self-media on any platform, active-minded, willing to dedicate extra time to content creation, and so on.

At the end, it noted that anyone interested could send a private message to @CheeseIsPower.

— All applicants would undergo preliminary review by Su Huaijin, and those deemed suitable would then be forwarded to Fu Qing for final approval.

Tagged by the post, Su Huaijin quickly popped up in the thread and replied, making it easy for students to find her.

Seeing this, Fu Qing nodded slightly, satisfied that she had chosen the right assistant.

Whether it was bumping useful replies or responding quickly to developments, Su Huaijin was clearly putting her whole heart into the task.

…

This was Fangzhou University’s first official extracurricular activity. The moment the post went up, the forum exploded.

[Am I seeing this right? Point rewards???]

[We run drills like crazy all semester just to get 5 points, and joining this group gives 5 directly? I’m here. I’ll work like a beast for you QAQ]

[So the admin really is the principal.]

With no clear conversion rate yet between points and shelter slots, 5 points might mean one shelter spot, one chance to save a friend or family member.

No one was willing to miss that opportunity.

Su Huaijin’s inbox was instantly flooded.

She stared at the message count and went blank.

After a moment’s thought, she carefully sent Fu Qing a message: “Um, Principal, can I recruit one more helper to assist with preliminary reviews?”

The gray avatar replied after a short pause: “Yes. Send me their information first for review.”

“Any official member has review authority.”

Su Huaijin exhaled in relief. She located the anonymous genius who had written the public account article in the thread and, after some consideration, sent a private message:

“Hello, are you interested in joining an extracurricular team?”

…

In a dorm room on the same floor as Su Huaijin’s, a girl with slightly darker skin and small freckles across her face was scrolling through the forum.

If Su Huaijin were here, she would instantly recognize her as the “big brain strategist” she had run into at dinner.

All four girls in the dorm were sitting at their desks, scrolling the forum in identical postures.

“So jealous!” one roommate sighed. “Who even is this Cheese person? She got pulled straight into the outreach team by the principal?”

“But the post she made today was genuinely useful. I already booked health checkups for my whole family,” another said fairly.

The third roommate chimed in, “Still… that’s 5 points. And once you’re in, you get to interact with the principal. She doesn’t teach classes. We barely ever see her.”

Roommate number two snorted. “Like you’d have the courage to talk to her anyway.”

The third stuck out her tongue and asked instead, “Did you all apply?”

“I did. But with that many applicants, I probably won’t make the cut.”

“Same.”

The freckled girl was about to speak when her wristband vibrated discreetly. A small red dot appeared at the top right corner of the projected forum page.

Someone had sent her a private message.

She opened it and read the first line. Her eyes widened instantly.

An extracurricular team? The one she was thinking of?

Then she saw the sender’s name—CheeseIsPower.

She froze.

She could easily imagine the other person’s inbox exploding with applications. She herself had submitted one on a whim, without expecting a reply.

And yet now, Cheese had extended an olive branch to her directly.

The happiness hit so suddenly that the freckled girl felt dizzy.

Could it be… because of the article she wrote earlier?

Cheese’s message confirmed it:

“The method you proposed today—using a ‘disguised’ public account article to persuade elders—was excellent. Having you join would be a great help to us.”

She had only casually helped her classmates, and now she was being offered 5 points in return.

The girl stared in disbelief.

Snapping back to her senses, she quickly replied, “I’m willing!”

…

On the other end, Su Huaijin looked at the prompt and decisive response. A warm sense of fulfillment rose within her.

It was the kind that came from seeing kindness rewarded as it deserved.

She suddenly realized that she herself had been chosen by the principal for the very same reason—because she had shared her thoughts at dinner.

“…”
Su Huaijin pressed her lips together, then broke into a bright smile.

Fangzhou was the kind of place where if you reached out a helping hand, it would be met with one in return.

₊˚.🎧📓✩