Ch 83: Opening a Survival School Before the Zombie Outbreak

News spread through the village even faster than Shen Qingqing had expected. Not long after dinner that very evening, several people came knocking at their door.

When Shen Mingjiang called her out of her room, confusion was written all over his face. “Qingqing, your Uncle Zhao and the others are looking for you. They said you mentioned the relocation housing construction has been suspended. Did you get something wrong?”

Shen Qingqing had been browsing the forum. Hearing this, she instinctively covered her glowing wristband, then remembered her father could not see it anyway and calmly stood up.

“I’ll go talk to them.”

When she stepped into the courtyard, she saw several people had indeed gathered there. Zhao Hailin was among them.

Everyone looked anxious. The moment they saw Shen Qingqing, they immediately began asking what was going on and where the news had come from.

Zhao Hailin looked especially skeptical. “Qingqing, this isn’t something you can joke about.”

Shen Qingqing first soothed the worried uncles and aunts, then replied unhurriedly, “Why would I joke about something like this? Or does Brother Hailin think I’m lying?”

“I never said the relocation housing had stopped construction. Aunt Li and the others were just chatting casually with me. As for what to do, that’s something each of you should decide for yourselves.”

She looked unwilling to elaborate further, even frowning slightly, clearly displeased.

That reaction only confirmed what people already suspected. Shen Qingqing knew something, but she could not share it openly with too many people.

Anyone used to following gossip knew that the more secretive and evasive a piece of news seemed, the more it fueled imagination.

Several people’s expressions immediately shifted. Their eyes darted about as if silently reaching decisions. Uncle Zhao even cast a suspicious glance at his own son, Zhao Hailin.

Shen Qingqing remained perfectly calm. She had not lied. She truly had never said construction had stopped. Everything was simply Aunt Li and the others’ interpretation.

Even if villagers tried to verify it, they would find nothing conclusive.

Less than a month remained before the apocalypse. Shen Qingqing’s only goal was to get everyone to stockpile seeds, resume farming, and prepare food and supplies before that time. For this, she was willing to use any method, even deception, and did not mind coaxing people into following her advice.

Once the virus outbreak began, no one would have the energy to investigate whether her words had been true or false anyway.

In a village that emphasized collectivism so strongly, looking out only for oneself was never the smart choice.

Among those present, only Zhao Hailin looked displeased.

In fact, during the half year they had not seen each other, he had gotten married.

The Zhao family had hoped the wedding would overshadow the embarrassing memory he left with the villagers that night.

But during the ceremony, the hall had been decorated entirely in festive red. Yet when villagers saw that color, all they could think of was Zhao Hailin’s red underwear from the night the wild boar entered the village. The entire wedding had taken place amid suppressed snickering.

Looking down from the stage, every guest’s face was red from trying not to laugh.

Only the bride and her family had no idea what was going on. After the wedding, they learned the truth from others. Her parents became furious, and the newly married bride was so humiliated she stayed indoors for three full days.

From that moment on, Zhao Hailin held a grudge against Shen Qingqing, though entirely one sided.

Originally, his embarrassment might not have been so severe. After all, anyone facing a full grown wild boar would look frightened while fleeing. But Shen Qingqing had appeared midway, escaping the boar unharmed and even cleverly luring it into a septic pit, successfully subduing it.

Her actions only made Zhao Hailin look even more incompetent by comparison.

Under normal circumstances, he might have considered the relocation housing news more carefully if it had come from someone else. Translated on hololo novels. But now he seemed determined to oppose Shen Qingqing directly.

“My source is absolutely reliable,” he declared firmly. “We might even move next year, at most within half a year. If you’re not afraid of wasting effort, then go ahead and keep farming.”

Shen Qingqing gave a light laugh. “Fine. Let everyone decide for themselves.”

They held each other’s gaze for a moment. Zhao Hailin snorted and turned away.

Shen Qingqing watched his retreating back, then calmly withdrew her gaze.

He was not worth her attention, nor was he any real opponent.

Her thoughts were focused far more on distant S City.

Someone was still waiting for her there.

While the two argued, the Shen family stood nearby watching, stunned by the unexpected turn of events.

At noon they had still been praising Zhao Hailin’s capabilities. Yet in the blink of an eye, Shen Qingqing now seemed to stand in opposition to him, each with their own group of supporters.

She had only gone out for one afternoon. What exactly had she done in such a short time?

*

In City A, inside a certain villa, the air conditioner hummed loudly as Sun Wei sat with a laptop in her arms, typing rapidly on the keyboard.

The door opened and sounds came from the entryway. Sun Wei snapped her laptop shut, jumped off the sofa, smoothed her hair, and walked forward with a bright smile.

“Dad, Mom, you’re finally back! I missed you so much,” she said sweetly.

Her parents, who had been away on a business trip for days, were startled by their daughter’s sudden enthusiasm. Sun Wei’s mother, Liao Yahui, rubbed the goosebumps on her arm and said sternly, “Speak normally.”

Sun Wei: “…”

Her movement to cling to her mother’s arm froze awkwardly. She cleared her throat. “What’s wrong?”

Liao Yahui replied, “Ask yourself. Usually only Erniu comes to greet us when we get home. When have you ever been this proactive? Go on. What are you planning this time?”

Sun Wei: “…”

Erniu was the border collie their family kept.

Sun Wei’s father, Sun Miao, craned his neck and looked around. “Where’s Erniu?”

“I sent her to a dog training school…” Her parents had been away on a business trip for half a month, yet the first thing both of them did upon returning home was look for the dog. Sun Wei felt exhausted, suddenly realizing just how “distant” her own family relationships were compared to people like Zhang Han.

Her parents were always busy with work, and Sun Wei had often stayed home alone growing up. Later, after she started working in social media, she became busy herself, and communication with her parents grew even less frequent. During high school, under the pressure of adolescence and college entrance exams, she had even had a major argument with them over it.

Liao Yahui and Sun Miao had wanted her to major in business management and enter the family company after graduation. Sun Wei insisted on continuing in science and finding her own career path. The disagreement escalated into a serious conflict, ending with Sun Wei throwing the income from her side business in front of them as proof.

Her parents did not understand the emerging social media industry and feared its instability, while Sun Wei could not be bothered to explain. Their relationship remained tense until she graduated from high school.

After she entered university, physical distance ironically brought emotional closeness. Though they rarely spoke when sitting at the same dinner table before, they now occasionally called each other on video to check in.

Since returning home for summer vacation, Sun Wei had been thinking constantly about how to bring her parents to Fangzhou.

Her combat skills were only slightly better than Zhang Han’s. Translated on hololo novels. Compared to ordinary people she was already quite capable, even able to hold her own against specially evolved zombies for a long time and sometimes eliminate them. But she still lacked confidence in escorting both parents safely across cities alone during the apocalypse.

After all, she was only one person. If zombies entangled her, her unprotected parents would be in serious danger.

Many students in the same city were already forming teams on the forum to travel together when the time came. Still, if possible, Sun Wei wanted to “trick” her parents into going to S City before the virus outbreak.

She had planned this for a long time. Now that Liao Yahui and Sun Miao had finally returned from their trip, the perfect moment to act had arrived.

Under her parents’ questioning gazes, Sun Wei sighed. “Alright, I really do have something I want to discuss with you.”

…

The three sat at the dining table.

Sun Miao asked, “What is it?”

It was rare for his daughter to ask them for help, and a quiet sense of happiness rose in his heart. Beside him, Liao Yahui maintained a proud expression and resisted asking first, though she unconsciously sat up straighter.

Sun Wei said, “Before I explain, take a look at the map around my school.”

She swiftly pulled out a printed Gaode map she had prepared in advance.

Fangzhou appeared isolated on the map. Nearby were only auto repair shops serving long haul freight trucks. To the west stretched a barren plain, and beyond a river further west lay mountains. The entire map looked desolate, with barely any labeled locations. There was not even a convenience store near the campus.

Sun Wei had enrolled alone, and her parents had never visited, so they had no idea the area around her school was so remote. They looked surprised and confused.

After laying the groundwork, Sun Wei finally reached the main point. “You know our campus is newly built. The surrounding area hasn’t been developed yet.”

In the fabricated impression shared between her and her parents, “Fangzhou University” was supposed to be a century old prestigious institution, so she could only explain the discrepancy as a different campus.

“We can’t even order delivery most of the time. Only on weekends can we go into the city for decent food. The cafeteria food is terrible, there aren’t many dishes, and the campus store barely stocks anything.” She paused, then emphasized guiltily, “We eat terribly. Terribly!”

“Look at me, I’ve lost weight!”

She stood and spun around to demonstrate.

Liao Yahui looked at her daughter with a complicated expression. She felt Sun Wei had not become thinner at all, but noticeably stronger and healthier compared to before.

But Sun Miao could not tell the difference.

In his eyes, even if his daughter gained more weight, she would still only be “just right.”

After examining her carefully, he could not hide his concern. “You have lost weight. Why didn’t you tell us earlier? I could’ve mailed you food!”

Sun Wei sat back down, looking troubled. “I do buy food for myself, but online orders are mostly convenience foods. Tasty but unhealthy. And it’s not just me. You haven’t seen my roommates, they’re all pale and skinny…”

Thinking of Shen Qingqing and Song Rushuang, who could now punch down small zombies, and Zhang Han’s muscles from digging fields, she felt slightly guilty.

“And not everyone can afford to buy food online. Most people still rely on the cafeteria,” she added. “There are quite a few financially struggling students at our school.”

Now Liao Yahui began listening seriously.

The couple were traditional entrepreneurs who believed wealth came from society. Every year they donated significant sums and provided aid supplies to children in mountainous regions. Topics involving disadvantaged students always caught their attention.

Sun Wei changed direction. “So, I decided to contract a cafeteria stall to improve students’ meals. I already contacted the school. As a student entrepreneurship project, they allow individual students to lease cafeteria stalls. Before the holiday, I signed a contract, and renovations have already started.”

Her parents exchanged looks, clearly surprised that their daughter had secretly accomplished so much.

In truth, Sun Wei was completely making this up, but she spoke with such seriousness and had real earning experience from her profitable high school side business, so Liao Yahui and Sun Miao were actually convinced.

She continued, “My stall will officially open next semester. But I wasn’t satisfied with the local suppliers I contacted, so I was wondering if you’d be interested in working with me.”

“I’ll handle operations. You could manage sourcing and supply. Profit sharing can be discussed,” she said in a businesslike tone.

Liao Yahui was the chairwoman of a well known catering group in City A.

Sun Miao laughed. “So after all that, you just want to do business with us?”

Sun Wei was still so young.

Yet her sharp business instincts, quickly identifying student needs and taking action, filled him with pride.

The income from a single university cafeteria stall meant little to them, but Liao Yahui suddenly realized this might be an opportunity to spark her daughter’s interest in business.

Since they would not be local, Sun Wei would handle most operations herself, which could also train her. A win win situation.

City A and S City were close enough that transportation costs would easily be covered by their supply pricing.

She nodded. “No problem.”

Once Liao Yahui agreed, the matter was essentially settled. Sun Wei suppressed a smile and said seriously, “If we’re doing this, we should do it properly. How about you come with me for an on site inspection? I can also show you around my campus.”

If she had simply invited them to visit her school, the busy couple would almost certainly refuse. At best, only one might come.

But once business was involved, their attitude changed completely, becoming intensely serious.

Sun Wei had precisely targeted their weakness.

“As for when to go… renovations are still ongoing, so it’s dusty right now,” she said thoughtfully. “Let’s go together to S City at the end of August. The weather will be cooler then, and I can drive you there.”

As expected, both nodded again.

Holding back laughter, Sun Wei coughed lightly and continued, “Since we’re going anyway, we might as well bring the supplies along. I’m thinking of opening a barbecue stall. For the first week’s stock, maybe about five hundred kilograms of chicken, eight hundred kilograms each of beef and lamb to start, plus charcoal, sauces, vegetables…”

Liao Yahui shot upright in disbelief. “…How much?”

A medium sized barbecue restaurant would only use that much in an entire month!

She could not help blurting out, “Are the students at your school reincarnated starving ghosts?”

Sun Miao sat there blankly, murmuring, “Just how bad must that cafeteria food be…”

₊˚.🎧📓✩

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