Ch 94: Opening a Survival School Before the Zombie Outbreak

Zhang Han and Sun Wei also used the chance to tidy their rooms privately to explain the apocalypse to their parents.

Because the three families had already witnessed the girls’ abilities firsthand, as well as the situation outside, they accepted the truth quickly.

And since their current environment felt safe, although they were still afraid, they were far calmer than they had been outside or while watching videos in the cafeteria.

They even found themselves recalling the girls’ earlier behavior.

Zhang Han’s fake crying, Song Rushuang’s serious-faced nonsense, and Sun Wei’s so-called “startup plan”…

So it had all been acting. All lies.

The parents didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Liu Zhen even poked Zhang Han’s forehead and said bluntly, “Quite the schemer. Used all your tricks on your own parents.”

The complaint sounded affectionate rather than angry.

If the girls hadn’t gone to such lengths, their households wouldn’t have stockpiled so many supplies. Running out of food at a critical moment could mean death.

Liao Yahui and Sun Miao suddenly remembered the supplies left behind halfway and began to worry, but Sun Wei tugged at their sleeves and explained that she had handed the truck keys to the principal.

“There’s already a lot stored in the underground cold storage and supply rooms. The school also has farmland and a breeding farm, enough food for us. Once the fresh meat is brought back, we’ll keep a small portion and share the rest with my classmates,” she said quietly.

“Go ahead and share it,” Liao Yahui said, gradually calming after the shock of witnessing a driver’s death. “If your principal hadn’t helped, the truck’s contents wouldn’t have made it back anyway.”

“We’re not short on food for now. And the cold storage you described probably can’t hold that much meat anyway. It’ll spoil quickly outside. Better to distribute it.”

Neither Liao Yahui nor Sun Miao felt reluctant.

On one hand, although they understood rationally that the outside world was dangerous, psychologically they hadn’t fully adjusted yet and didn’t feel overly possessive about food. Translated on Hololo novels. On the other hand, Sun Wei had already said she wasn’t the only one bringing supplies back.

She herself had received plenty of help from classmates, otherwise she couldn’t have stockpiled so much.

In the future, everyone would have to live together long-term. Only if the shelter as a whole became stronger could their own family survive longer.

These were things they understood clearly.

Seeing how quickly her parents accepted everything, the long speech Sun Wei had prepared to persuade them remained unsaid. She only silently disagreed with the first point in her heart.

Even without the principal’s help, if they had called Song Rushuang and the others and made another trip, they probably could have brought the truck back safely.

Her parents still didn’t fully understand how capable they really were.

But that was fine. There would be plenty of time for them to see in the future.

Talking about the girls’ earlier preparations reminded the parents of relatives and friends still outside the school.

Who knew whether they had encountered those biting monsters…

The thought made everyone anxious.

“I’ll make a call,” Liao Yahui suddenly said, her expression changing as she stood and moved to a corner. She dialed her secretary.

She ordered that everyone who had come in for weekend overtime leave immediately and return home. All employees were to exit the company within ten minutes.

Starting Monday, the entire company would begin paid leave, with the return date to be announced later.

“Tell them to be careful on the way home. Those with cars should give rides to coworkers who live nearby. Avoid public transportation if possible. Also, let them divide up any remaining food from the restaurant, R&D department, and sample rooms and take it with them. It’s dangerous outside. No one knows how long they’ll have to stay home, so anyone without food should prepare some.”

There were still quite a few people working overtime in such a large company. Liao Yahui spoke rapidly, then emphasized again, “Take whatever can be taken. Don’t leave anything behind.”

Who knew how long that office building would stand empty in the future.

They worked in the food industry. Food was the one thing they had plenty of. Translated on Hololo novels. She had specifically mentioned departments with larger food reserves, but in reality even break rooms, meeting rooms, and office refrigerators were stocked with snacks. Grabbing some could provide crucial calories and sugar when supplies ran out.

Taking that food meant employees wouldn’t have to risk going outside to stockpile supplies themselves.

The secretary on the other end stayed silent for a long moment before hurriedly agreeing. After hanging up, she let out a long breath.

The company was already in chaos. Few people were actually working anymore. Everyone was glued to their phones, growing more anxious with every scroll.

Yet almost no one dared simply grab their bags and leave.

When Liao Yahui suddenly announced leave at this moment, the secretary felt both shocked and deeply moved. She had been quietly following social media too and knew that almost no schools or companies had announced closures yet. Liao Yahui’s decision clearly placed employees’ lives first.

Having a boss like this felt like pure luck.

There wasn’t even time for an emergency meeting. After sending out the notice, worried people would pack too slowly, she called the security manager and ordered guards to go department by department urging evacuation.

“The faster the better!” she stressed.

…

While Liao Yahui contacted the company, Sun Miao called relatives from both sides of the family.

Other parents also began calling friends and relatives, confirming everyone’s safety while carefully avoiding revealing too much information. Instead, they hinted indirectly, urging people to find safe shelter quickly and prepare food and water.

Fortunately, much of this preparation had already been encouraged by Song Rushhuang and the others during the summer. Nearly every household already had food supplies. One of Sun Wei’s cousins had even canceled an overseas vacation after listening to her advice and was now safely staying home, feeling immensely relieved.

At the time, Sun Wei’s excuse had been that the country might soon experience a major earthquake, even backing it up with news articles.

“But experts say that every year anyway.”

At this point, though, no one cared about the truth anymore.

All that remained was gratitude toward Sun Wei, Zhang Han, and the others.

The calls went surprisingly smoothly, and they received many expressions of thanks. When everyone finally put down their phones, the tension weighing on their hearts eased at last.

The only person whose expression remained grim was Song Jianguo.

His call had been to his younger brother, Song Aiguo. Only then did he learn that his brother’s family of three was trapped at Song Xiang’s school.

When Song Rushuang had been warning people earlier, she hadn’t forgotten her cousin’s family. Even if she didn’t particularly like them, she wouldn’t deliberately leave them out. But perhaps resentment from the earlier pedestrian street surveillance incident still lingered, because her cousin responded with extreme indifference.

Song Rushhuang had tried several excuses without success. In the end, she could only buy supplies and send them under Song Jianguo’s name.

Since Song Jianguo often sent things to his brother anyway, it raised no suspicion. Song Aiguo accepted the free items without hesitation and didn’t even say thank you, leaving Song Rushhuang, who had secretly borrowed her father’s phone to delete the messages afterward, speechless for quite a while.

She had previously checked and learned that her cousin’s family had no travel plans that day, and Song Xiang’s school term didn’t start for another week. Why had all three gone to the school today?

Song Xiang’s school was located downtown, where buildings were densely packed and crowds far heavier than at Fangzhou. Saying they were trapped there was probably no exaggeration.

Song Rushuang frowned as she listened. “Going to school today… he wasn’t going early for a makeup exam, was he?”

She couldn’t believe it.

He was only a freshman, and Song Xiang already needed a makeup exam?

No wonder when she’d asked around before, Song Xiang’s family had all kept it from her, only saying they’d be staying home today. So it wasn’t that they didn’t know, they were just too embarrassed to say it.

Song Rushuang’s guess made even Song Jianguo flare up in anger. “That kid!”

He paced in anxious circles. Xu Mingyu and Song Rushuang exchanged a look, and Song Rushuang spoke first. “There probably aren’t many people taking makeup exams. And if I remember right, Song Xiang’s school isn’t open to the public. Once they shut the gates, if they just stay inside, it’s still relatively safe. Better to take advantage of the fact that there aren’t many infected yet and hurry to the campus convenience store to buy supplies and keep them in the dorm.”

“Right, right. I’ll tell Aiguo now,” Song Jianguo said, nodding repeatedly. Then he remembered something and hesitated, as if wanting to speak but holding it back.

Xu Mingyu, blunt as ever, said, “You’re not thinking of having Xiaoshuang go pick them up, are you? I’m telling you, impossible.”

“And you remember, Xiaoshuang called so many relatives before, even went to people’s homes. She’s already done more than enough. They’re the ones who didn’t listen.” Just thinking about it made Xu Mingyu furious. She clearly remembered passing by once and hearing them talking to Song Rushuang in that same sneering, sarcastic tone.

That familiar, annoying voice. Xu Mingyu had heard it too many times dealing with that family. Translated on Hololo novels. She had wanted to snatch the phone and hang up on the spot. Now she didn’t bother to hide it at all.

“Besides, Xiaoshuang said this shelter has a limited number of slots. We can’t take that many people in.”

Song Jianguo also grew urgent. “That’s not what I mean, and the city is too dangerous. There’s no way I’d let Xiaoshuang go. I’m just wondering if I could drive over myself and take them home.”

Song Aiguo had said earlier that parking near the school was difficult, and their family had taken a taxi there. Otherwise they wouldn’t have ended up trapped.

Xu Mingyu was about to argue again, but Song Rushuang had already opened a map app and handed it to Song Jianguo.

The area around Song Xiang’s school was jammed into a solid red mass.

“Driving there now would be suicide. Let them hide at school for now,” Song Rushuang said. “Have them stockpile supplies. A dorm building with few people is actually safer than a residential neighborhood.”

Many school buildings were functional, classrooms, sports fields, landscaping. They took up a huge area. The only places people truly lived were the dorms. As long as few people returned to campus, a school could actually be quite safe.

Even after some time passed and people went out to scavenge supplies, a campus wouldn’t be their first choice.

After Song Rushuang explained, Song Jianguo finally calmed down a bit. “Right. Tell them to be careful. At least they’re together as a family. Xiaoxiang isn’t little anymore. He can protect himself.”

He convinced himself and made the call.

He pleaded and warned them again and again over the phone, then hung up still uneasy, unable to stop himself from letting out a tired sigh.

A younger brother in his forties, and somehow he was more worrying than his teenage daughter. Truly…

The Shi household.

Shi Guangyao’s trembling hands could barely hold his phone anymore.

That principal hadn’t been wrong. She hadn’t lied. The apocalypse had really arrived.

At 2:30, exactly as she said, not even a second off. The trending list exploded within minutes. Even as automated moderation kept deleting posts, some bloody footage still began spreading online, yanking him instantly back into that terrifying afternoon.

If one prophecy had come true, then what about the rest?

Would humanity really go extinct within five years?

…How much longer could he live??

He didn’t want to die. He was still so young. He’d worked so hard, repeating a year just to get into university, and his new life was only just beginning. If he’d known… if he’d known it was all real, he never would have studied so miserably this past year… There was so much he still wanted to do, so much he hadn’t enjoyed yet…

Without realizing it, tears rolled down Shi Guangyao’s face.

From downstairs came the faint sounds of an argument, then screams. A commotion rose outside the bedroom door.

Shi’s father spoke first. “What’s going on? Are people fighting outside?”

Shi’s mother said, “Should we go down and take a look? Don’t let it disturb Guangyao…”

They deliberately kept their voices low while speaking. Shi Guangyao had been emotionally off all day, and they were afraid the noise downstairs would set him off again.

Shi Guangyao shuddered. Fear flooded his chest.

Zombies. It had to be zombies. Even their apartment complex had zombies now!

He stopped crying at once, burst out of his room, and shouted at his stunned parents, “No one goes out! No one leaves the house!”

“From now on, seal the doors and windows. We hide at home. We never go out again.”

Shi’s mother was at a loss. “What’s wrong? I went out this morning and it was fine… How about we go outside together, get some sun, clear our heads?”

When she went out to buy groceries that morning, Shi Guangyao, who’d stayed up late, had happened to be asleep and didn’t know.

Hearing that she’d gone out today, Shi Guangyao’s face twisted. He roared, “Who allowed you to go out?”

His expression turned dark. He yanked his mother toward him with force, forgetting entirely that the virus only broke out in the afternoon. He shoved up her sleeves and inspected her skin inch by inch, even trying to force her to take off her clothes.

“Do you have any wounds? Were you hurt?” Shi Guangyao demanded, over and over, like a madman.

His nerves had already been stretched to the brink by a year of torment, one thread away from snapping, and the zombie downstairs was the final straw that broke him.

Shi’s father reacted, gritting his teeth as he shoved his son away. “Calm down!”

Shi’s mother, hair in disarray, was stunned rigid with fear. She looked at the cherished son she’d raised from childhood with a strange, unfamiliar gaze.

Shi Guangyao, shoved back, steadied himself and glared at them. “Outside is already chaos. If you want to die, don’t drag me with you! Whoever goes out, I’ll lock the door from the inside and you’ll never come back.”

The screams downstairs grew even more violent, mixed with heart-rending sobs. Shi’s parents finally realized something was wrong. They rushed to the window and looked down, their faces changing drastically.

Meanwhile Shi Guangyao walked straight into the small room next door, turned the key in the lock, bolted it from the inside, then pulled the key out and slipped it into his pocket.

Their home had an extra north-facing guest room, usually unused, treated like a storage room. The supplies they’d bought earlier and yesterday were temporarily piled inside.

Shi’s parents had collapsed to the floor, nauseated by what they’d seen downstairs. Their minds had stopped working. They only stared blankly as Shi Guangyao finished doing all this.

“From today on, what we do at home, what we eat, all of it is up to me,” Shi Guangyao said, his face set. “We don’t have much. We have to ration, or we won’t last long.”

As for going out while zombie numbers were still low to find supplies, Shi Guangyao, already scared out of his wits, didn’t have that courage at all.

He had no combat ability. The only thing he could do was hide at home and survive one day at a time.

Thinking of that, he couldn’t help recalling the two girls he’d run into yesterday, Song Rushuang and Zhang Han.

If it were them, they probably wouldn’t be afraid to face zombies.

If he had stayed at Fangzhou back then, maybe he would know more, maybe he could live longer…

Shi Guangyao’s rage flared again.

There was no “if.” His chance to live had been cut off a year ago by Fu Qing. She had sent him down the road to death.

He cursed her in his heart, viciously, but he knew it was useless. No matter how much he hated her, it wouldn’t change anything. He had to rely on the supplies at home to hold on.

Unfortunately, yesterday’s time had been tight. He hadn’t bought much, and now there were two more mouths to feed…

Shi Guangyao glanced subtly at his parents huddled together. His expression didn’t change much as he gave a grim command. “Now go find containers in the house. Fill the bathtub, the fish tank, the basins, everything with water.”

Power and water would fail soon, but he didn’t know when. He could only prepare as early as possible.

Shi’s parents hurried to obey.

Watching their backs as they left, Shi Guangyao slipped a hand into his pocket, touched the key, and clenched it tight.

He hadn’t said it, and he never would.

Besides the storage room, there were several boxes of instant noodles and bottled water under his bed. Whenever anxiety or nightmares hit, he would climb down and drag them out, counting them one by one before he could sleep again.