Ch 124: Opening a Survival School Before the Zombie Outbreak

【Your influence on this world has deepened!】

【You have received a reward of 300 teaching points】

【Keep it up!】

…

【Your influence on this world has deepened again!】

【You have received a reward of 200 teaching points】

【Keep it up!】

…

Soothing notification chimes kept sounding in Fu Qing’s ear.

Reaching the top of the trending list and being pushed across the entire internet was nothing like the earlier, smaller efforts.

Back when the @DormEscape account was at its peak, its total followers across platforms had been only around ten million, with heavy overlap, plus a portion of bot followers granted by some platforms. The true number of real followers was nowhere near that high.

This time, @FangzhouRescue surpassed ten million followers in a single day, and it was still skyrocketing at an astonishing pace.

After receiving over a thousand teaching points in one go, Fu Qing bought the groundwater extraction system. Once it was installed, she left all the remaining points for Zhao Yunxiao.

Quietly, she felt a little regret.

If the system was like a game, then on the “influence” progression path alone, China region had basically reached the highest level. The next step should have been to expand outward to the world.

But in the nearly week since the virus outbreak began, the situation overseas had already undergone earthshaking changes.

Most of the countries that had scoffed at China’s warning on the first day did not even hold out until the second before issuing mandatory quarantine orders. By then, they no longer cared about saving face, already terrified by the speed at which the zombie virus spread.

In contrast, the countries wise enough to heed the warning, though many were smaller nations friendly with China, had acted quickly enough that the virus spread far more slowly.

Public infrastructure such as hydroelectric stations, nuclear plants, and waterworks was rescued in time before falling, ensuring that key areas such as capitals and hospitals retained water and power.

Had those efforts been delayed even slightly, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

As for those who, due to political stance or other reasons, chose to stand by and watch, most paid the price for missing the golden window of action.

Some countries with chaotic internal situations fared even worse. With governments too weak to organize any meaningful response, they lost contact with the outside world entirely within two days of the outbreak.

With the storm crashing down, everyone was left fighting to survive.

Against that backdrop, China’s one hour of electricity per day and uninterrupted water supply became unimaginably precious.

With overseas conditions in such chaos, expanding Fangzhou’s influence beyond the country clearly had little hope. Fu Qing regretted it for two seconds, then stopped thinking about it.

Now that they had groundwater, they could finally bathe every day.

Even though showers still had to be limited to five minutes, at least they no longer had to sleep reeking of sweat.

That major good news naturally triggered cheers across campus.

Fu Qing glanced again at the current population on campus.

More than sixty percent of students had already returned. With the family and friends they brought, the number of people living on campus had risen to over four thousand.

After crossing the four-thousand mark, growth slowed dramatically. Only when another student returned did the number suddenly jump again.

Many students, like Song Rushuang, still had unused slots, yet had not decided whom to assign them to.

The students seemed to have reached a consensus: if the person they brought in was unreliable, it was better to leave the slot empty.

That said, after the @FangzhouRescue account was created, there were a few more newcomers on campus, scattered here and there.

Most were children brought back by students from outside.

Those half-grown kids had lost their parents in zombie attacks, surviving only because someone protected them, left as orphans.

With official shelters not yet fully established, they had no ability to protect themselves in this new world. The students could not bear it, and brought them back.

Aside from two or three very young children who could not be cared for properly, and were handed over to soldiers and armed police outside, the rest were partly turned over elsewhere and partly brought to Fangzhou, totaling around sixteen or seventeen.

No new resident in Fangzhou escaped Fu Qing’s notice. Translated on Hololo novels. She knew, and she did not object.

This was still far from the final moment of survival for the entire people. While they still had the capacity, no one should be abandoned.

And with the system, Fangzhou’s automation level was extremely high. It required far less labor than an ordinary shelter, while its average combat strength was far higher.

The students’ original drive to train so fiercely had been to protect others.

As long as they believed they could shoulder that responsibility, Fu Qing would not stop them.

Children ate less. They counted as half a laborer, and unlike adults, they were generally more obedient and less complicated. They were placed in an empty classroom in the teaching building, separated by gender, sleeping on shared bunks.

Grandma Liu liked children, and together with two other parents who were teachers by profession, she took charge of their daily care.

Every morning, they washed up and went to the track for exercise on schedule. After breakfast they studied together, and there were even three daily lessons in Chinese, math, and English, rotating each day.

After lunch, they helped with work in the afternoon, exercised again before dinner, and had free time at night.

With that schedule, anyone passing the teaching building in the morning could hear the clear sound of reading aloud.

It really did bring back the feeling of being on a school campus.

…

Yet as rescue missions continued and the number of people they encountered grew, the students gradually developed a new kind of distress.

They realized it was hard to turn away from others’ suffering.

When those they rescued begged the students to take them somewhere safe, to a shelter… how could they refuse? That became unbearably difficult.

Those people only wanted to live.

The more people pleaded, the worse their circumstances, the harder it became to speak that refusal.

Especially when elderly people with graying hair trembled and knelt before them, begging them to take their grandchildren away, or when severely injured, weakened parents pleaded for their children to have a chance to live, the students could not even bring themselves to meet the hopeless eyes of those asking for help.

Scenes like this played out constantly. They could help one person, two people, but they could not help everyone trapped in misery.

They began to understand the same pain Mo Chen felt.

For the students, that pain may have arrived later, but it was just as sharp.

…

On the morning of the seventh day after the outbreak, Bai Xianglei suddenly knocked on the principal’s office door.

The moment he entered, he beamed. “The official shelter is finished!”

Fu Qing lifted her eyes from behind the desk in surprise. “So fast?”

She remembered that in her previous life it had not been this fast. Many early shelters had been created by converting stadiums, air-raid shelters, and similar facilities. The priority had been taking in more homeless people wandering the streets and blocking zombies from outside. But due to lack of experience, they neglected the virus incubation period and failed to prepare adequate isolation space, leading to outbreaks from within and the collapse of entire shelters.

This time, after Fu Qing’s warning, the authorities learned from that lesson. They abandoned air-raid shelters and other spaces that were hard to retrofit and difficult to escape from, prioritizing stadiums or abandoned factories in the outskirts. While strengthening defenses, they also built large isolation zones, which greatly increased the workload.

So Fu Qing truly had not expected construction to be completed this quickly.

“The higher authorities set a hard deadline. It had to be finished within one week. The construction teams have been working day and night these past few days,” Bai Xianglei said, unable to hide his excitement despite his usually steady demeanor. “According to the latest update, emergency shelters in the major first- and second-tier cities have basically all been completed.”

He paused, steadying his emotions before continuing, “The engineering teams that finished early are already heading to other cities to help with construction. It shouldn’t be long before shelters across the entire country are operational.”

After a brief hesitation, he added, “We just received a notice. At exactly nine o’clock there will be a nationwide emergency broadcast. Could you use the campus broadcast system so everyone here can listen together?”

To ensure that most citizens could hear the announcement, the government had not only prepared shortwave broadcasts but also deployed communication vehicles to drive through streets broadcasting messages, along with drones carrying loudspeakers flying at low altitude.

However, Fangzhou’s location was too remote to receive any of those. They could only rely on personal radios and the campus broadcasting system.

“No problem,” Fu Qing nodded.

She opened the system and immediately sent a listening reminder to the entire campus.

Less than ten minutes remained before nine. People gradually stopped what they were doing. Worried that indoor reception might be unclear, many voluntarily gathered in open spaces such as the athletic field.

Before the broadcast began, anxious discussions spread quietly through the crowd.

“Do you know what they’re going to announce?”

“No idea… maybe the virus evolved again or something?”

“Come to think of it, today marks exactly one week since the outbreak.”

Many people suddenly realized it.

Without noticing, this nightmare had already lasted an entire week.

Living inside Fangzhou, shielded from outside changes, they were already far luckier than most people.

Yet the changes in daily life were still enormous. Some still woke in the middle of the night believing they were in their own homes, instinctively stumbling toward where the bathroom should be, only to bump into unfamiliar walls and realize they had long since left that place behind.

The immense sense of loss and uncertainty that followed was hard to share with others, something each person could only digest alone.

Soft conversations continued until nine o’clock arrived.

“Bzzzz—”

A sudden hum sounded, and everyone instantly fell silent.

Pairs of eyes stared at the campus loudspeakers, filled with both expectation and unease.

After a burst of harsh static, a woman’s voice gradually became clear.

“…This is the National Emergency Command Center… issuing an emergency broadcast to compatriots across the country…”

The announcer’s voice was calm and solemn. Someone whispered excitedly, “It’s working!”

Then, under others’ warning looks, they hurriedly fell silent and listened attentively.

“…First, with the deepest sorrow, we, on behalf of the government and the people, express our most profound condolences to those compatriots who have tragically lost their lives during the past seven days.”

The words dimmed everyone’s expressions.

Some lowered their heads quietly. Others closed their eyes, imagining what was happening across the world, their faces tense.

“…This has been the darkest week in the history of our nation and perhaps the world. In these seven days, we have endured loss, fear, and separation from loved ones. Yet we have never given up, and we have never surrendered.”

“At this very moment, countless brave soldiers, medical personnel, and workers from all walks of life continue to fight on the front lines, safeguarding the flame of hope with their lives.”

After a brief pause, the announcer’s voice grew firm and uplifting.

“We now officially announce that the national emergency shelter system in all major cities has been fully completed and is now operational!”

For a moment, silence blanketed the crowd, followed immediately by an uproar.

The announcer continued, describing the shelters’ comprehensive protection measures, isolation facilities, medical systems, and ample supply reserves, sending waves of excitement through listeners.

The shelters were finished.

They themselves might not need them, but those still stranded outside, homeless, surviving on dwindling food supplies, or suffering illness while facing death at any moment…

They now had hope.

Nearly everyone had friends or relatives trapped somewhere outside. Hearing the news, some wiped away tears.

Others were deeply moved by the nation’s efficiency.

The announcer added that cities with completed shelters would have their locations announced in subsequent broadcasts for public reference.

“To mourn the deceased and to open a path of hope for the living, at 14:30 this afternoon, air-raid sirens will sound nationwide.”

The crowd froze in confusion as she continued:

“When the sirens sound, all citizens are requested, while ensuring personal safety, to pause their activities and observe a moment of silence for those we have lost.”

“Please note: no vehicle horns are required. Personal safety must remain the priority.”

“After one minute of silence, the sirens will enter a cycle of 36 seconds sounding and 24 seconds silent, continuing for one hour.”

“During this hour, siren systems nationwide will operate at maximum power, using sustained high-decibel sound to attract the attention of infected individuals and redirect threats.”

“All citizens needing evacuation should use this one-hour safety window to proceed to the nearest community assembly point. Transport convoys and fully armed military personnel will be waiting there to escort you safely to shelters.”

“Assembly point locations will be repeatedly broadcast afterward. Please listen carefully.”

“Once again, the sirens will attract most infected individuals, but you must still maintain protective measures. Travel light, remain quiet, evacuate in an orderly manner, and do not stop midway…”

Everyone listened wide-eyed, afraid of missing a single word. Even after the announcement ended and the broadcast shifted into listing shelter locations nationwide, no one spoke for a long time.

Eventually, someone let out a long sigh, as if releasing all the emotion filling their chest.

Fearing loved ones might not have heard the broadcast, people pulled out their phones, sending texts and messages through every possible channel to spread the news.

Even phone calls were made in hushed voices.

…

Inside the administrative building’s conference room, the atmosphere was equally heavy.

Fu Qing broke the silence first, turning to Bai Xianglei.

“Has Xue Ran finished the training on his side?”

Xue Ran had been staying off campus these past few days and had not reported back yet, so she was unsure.

Bai Xianglei nodded instinctively. “It should be about done. Why…?”

He suddenly stopped speaking. Pulling himself out of the emotional weight of the broadcast, his expression darkened.

“You mean… the believers might ambush civilians heading to the shelters?”

“Very likely,” Fu Qing said with a nod. “I can’t think of a better opportunity for them.”

“During the gathering period, the city will have large numbers of patrol vehicles, and all major roads will be guarded by armed forces…” Chu Hai said.

Even that wouldn’t be enough?

After all, things were different now from the first days of the outbreak. Encountering infected individuals outside often meant immediate elimination rather than containment, because civilians had already learned how dangerous they were and no longer reacted as strongly to soldiers killing them.

Although zombie numbers had increased, elimination efficiency had improved significantly.

Fu Qing shook her head and cut him off.

“They don’t understand the believers well enough.”

“And those armed forces are obvious targets. After observation, they’re easy to avoid. A few zombies appearing inside a crowd would throw the entire evacuation into chaos.”

Chu Hai and the others’ expressions turned grim.

Since the outbreak began, the believers had remained inactive, and neither side had confronted the other directly. The special operations team only understood them conceptually, without firsthand experience.

But Fu Qing had never been wrong before.

Bai Xianglei stood up without hesitation.

“I’ll go find Commander Tian right now.”

₊˚.🎧📓✩