Apocalypse Star House Hoarding-Chapter 153

Based on the map they found online, Bai City has only one airport, located in the northeast. Judging from the path displayed, they couldn’t bypass the city outskirts, as both the northern and eastern sides of Bai City bordered the sea.
The sand dunes where they stood lay to the west of the city. Whether heading directly from the west or detouring south, they’d still need to traverse a large portion of the city. Inside the city, however, there might be “blood ghouls” infectees. If Yu Xi and Min Min’s earlier speculation was correct—that the “blood ghouls” are nocturnal with vulnerabilities to sunlight—it would mean traversing the city during daylight would be significantly safer than doing so at night.
Using a combination of binocular observations and a phone map, they outlined a relatively safe route through the city.
Yu Xi pulled out two sheets of blank paper and carefully sketched the route based on the phone map, marking the street names and identifying key landmarks for orientation. She also highlighted buildings to avoid, such as those marked by explosions or fires and those under police siege.
Afterward, she handed one map to the group of D country residents and gave the other to Kong Lin for safekeeping.
The young people from D country were still nervously checking news about L City and hadn’t participated in Yu Xi’s planning discussion. They were panicked—trapped far from home after the plane crash. By giving them the safer route to the airport, Yu Xi was essentially providing them with a lifeline.
Unaware that Yu Xi’s group had already tried to call for help and failed, the D country residents became visibly upset when they realized Yu Xi’s group was preparing to leave. They demanded to know how they could just leave the others behind, pointing out that many passengers at the crash site were injured—some gravely. Were they simply abandoning them?
“We’ve done everything we can,” Min Min responded in fluent D country language. “But the emergency line isn’t connecting. Bai City—and possibly all of D country—is in chaos right now. Where would the manpower come from to rescue people at the crash site?”
What Min Min didn’t say, but everyone understood, was that their own families might be in danger. After getting a signal earlier, they had called their loved ones and confirmed that their home country was still safe for now. However, no one could guarantee how long that safety would last. Naturally, everyone wanted to return home as soon as possible.
“So you’ve just found an excuse to abandon everything and walk away?” one D country youth accused angrily. “I get it now. You’re all from C Country, and you’ve formed this rescue group to prioritize your own safety. You’re selfish and irresponsible!”
“Yes, we’re leaving. So what?” Kong Lin replied calmly, stepping forward. “We don’t know anyone else on that plane, nor are we friends with them. Half of us are injured, yet we still joined this rescue group to find help for the plane crash survivors. It took us over four hours to get here. Now that the city is in chaos and there’s no rescue coming, why shouldn’t we leave?
“The people who stayed behind included many lightly injured individuals. They could’ve joined the rescue group, but they didn’t. They stayed back while others took the risk. So why should we now take responsibility for them? We’re victims too, also waiting for rescue. And as for you,” he glanced pointedly, “you’re even less qualified to criticize us.”
After finishing, Kong Lin grabbed the map Yu Xi had given the D country group and handed it back to her.
Yu Xi silently folded the map and put it away before leading her uneasy classmates toward the city. The D country youths didn’t follow.
Bai City’s condition was worse than expected. Only after stepping into the city limits did they begin noticing clues in the messy streets, damaged shops, and dried, dark stains on the pavement.
Those stains were likely blood, dried and solidified under the midday heat.
Many residential doors were wide open, and the lingering metallic scent of blood permeated the air. Yu Xi could tell immediately—it was the same smell as the one at the L City amusement park.
While she still didn’t know the origin of this mutation, it was clear L City wasn’t the first to experience an outbreak. Bai City’s situation was far grimmer.
The sound of explosions continued, and armed police were actively conducting raids. The once-distant sounds of gunfire and detonations now felt dangerously close, as though they had been thrust from an era of peace straight into a war zone.
The grim reality of the streets forced Yu Xi to confront an immediate issue. If the blood was indeed a vector for infection, her classmates—walking through this chaos without protection—faced a high risk of being infected.
She had plenty of protective suits in her storage, but not enough for twelve people. Taking them out would also reveal her secret. It wasn’t time to expose her resources yet.
Instead, she pulled out her phone and searched the local shopping directory. Eventually, she found Radek’s rain gear shop.
**
Radek brought out every raincoat and rainproof item he had in stock.
The group began layering up. The first layer was a windbreaker-style raincoat with long sleeves, a hood, and a buttoned front—though the buttons left gaps and didn’t provide full coverage.
To compensate, they added a poncho-style raincoat as a second layer. These lacked sleeves, limiting arm movement, but offered excellent coverage.
For further protection, some students stuffed the hem of the windbreaker into loose-fitting athletic pants, which another clever classmate had retrieved from their backpack. The others followed suit.
Finally, they donned knee-high waterproof shoe covers, gloves, and double-layered rain hoods. With masks and hats completing their ensemble, their protective gear was as comprehensive as possible.
Despite the sweltering heat and discomfort, no one complained. Safety was their top priority.
After gearing up, they gathered to rest, eat, and rehydrate while studying the map for quicker routes to the airport.
“What other options do we have? Either walk or drive. But with so many of us, we’d need a large vehicle—maybe even two.”
“Who’s going to drive, though? I was planning to get my license after this trip. Has anyone here actually passed their driving test?”
“I’ll do it! My dad taught me, even though I haven’t officially passed,” Wu You volunteered. He bristled at their skeptical looks. “What? I’m just scared of ghosts and the dark. Other than that, I’m awesome, okay?”
“…”
Before entering the shop, Yu Xi had already noticed an old van parked in a corner. It was big enough to fit everyone, albeit tightly. She asked the shopkeeper about its owner.
Radek, still holding his shotgun in one hand and their gold payment in the other, glanced at her and replied, “Mine.”
His words were halting, his accent heavy, but the meaning was clear.
Kong Lin stepped forward, asking if they could buy the van.
Radek’s eyes darted between them before he finally spoke, biting the words out: “Where do you want to go?”
Kong Lin furrowed his brow. Min Min, who had been paying attention, joined them. The three exchanged a quick glance.
Yu Xi, receiving their unspoken confirmation, answered: “The airport.”
“You’re planning to fly out of here?” Radek asked, his tone laced with disbelief.
“Yes,” Yu Xi confirmed.
Radek shook his head at them. “The airport is the most dangerous place in all of Bai City…”
Perhaps fearing they wouldn’t believe him, he stepped back behind the counter, turned on a small television, and switched to a news channel. Several local stations were covering the ongoing chaos, with one specifically ing on the situation at the airport. The footage revealed that most of the city’s infected blood ghouls were now concentrated there, prompting the deployment of nearly all the city’s police forces to contain them. Authorities were attempting to capture the crazed patients in one massive operation.
Listening to the er, Yu Xi pieced together the sequence of events. The chaos in Bai City had started in the early hours at the airport, sparked by a single long-haul flight. Onboard, all passengers except the pilots had succumbed—becoming either infected or dead.
Adding to the danger, Bai City’s airport featured the city’s largest underground facility. Given the blood ghosts’ aversion to light, most of them were now hiding in those dark recesses, while the police tried to eliminate them en masse. The airport had effectively turned into a biochemical battlefield, trapping many survivors inside while the perimeter swarmed with police and firetrucks.
Even though her classmates couldn’t understand the language on TV, the images alone made the situation at the airport abundantly clear.
The only viable escape route had fallen. Now what?
The students, already pushed to the brink after a series of terrifying incidents and relentless running, began to crumble under the weight of despair. Some broke down in quiet sobs, their spirits nearly shattered.
It was then that Radek spoke again. “Bai City may only have one airport, but there are other places with planes.”
Yu Xi looked up sharply and began searching on her phone. Before she could find anything, Radek continued, “I know where one is. I can guarantee there’s a plane there—but you must promise to take my family with you.”
His wife, overhearing from the staircase, cried out in alarm, asking why he was making such a decision.
Radek turned to her with a wry, helpless smile. “I have a bad feeling… I want you and the kids to survive. Let’s leave this place together.”
An hour later, Radek’s family of four squeezed into his old van alongside the students, their belongings hastily packed. Despite its worn appearance, the van had ample space. With everyone crammed inside, they managed to fit.
Radek took the wheel since he knew the local roads best, with Kong Lin sitting in the front passenger seat to keep an eye on him.
According to Radek, their destination was a private tourism company that owned two small planes used to transport high-end clients. While Bai City had many such companies, this particular one had a security guard he knew. The guard had been on night duty the previous evening and was still holed up inside, too scared to leave amid the citywide lockdown.
Radek, pragmatic and cautious, had already considered the worst-case scenario. If the monsters attacked, he doubted his ability to protect his family. But he knew that any escape attempt needed to happen before the broader population realized the danger. Otherwise, the roads would soon become gridlocked, and planes—or even the chance to leave the city—would be out of reach.
The sun blazed overhead as they drove through chaotic streets littered with debris, dried bloodstains, and the occasional body part. Fully armed police patrols appeared sporadically, but their numbers were few.
Thanks to Radek’s familiarity with the area, their progress was smooth—until they reached a crucial bridge. There, their van was stopped by a checkpoint.
The checkpoint guarded access to an affluent residential area. Guards were conducting thorough inspections, requiring passengers to exit vehicles for checks, and inspecting car interiors and trunks, likely fearing hidden infected patients.
“Can we take a detour?” Kong Lin asked.
“No, this bridge is the only way,” Radek replied.
“It’s fine,” Kong Lin reassured the group. “The inspections are quick. They’re just checking for abnormal eyes or skin. We’re all fine; they won’t hold us.”
The inspections indeed moved swiftly, and their van was nearly next in line when chaos erupted.
Several guards at the checkpoint suddenly turned toward a commotion behind them. A D country civilian, who had gone into a tent for a more thorough check, burst out screaming, followed by another man trying to escape—but his arm was being forcibly held by someone inside the tent.
Yu Xi heard the first man’s frantic cries: “There’s a blood ghoul inside! One of the guards! He scratched his own neck open, tearing off chunks of flesh—he’s one of them!”
“Monster! There’s a monster! Run!” The second man broke free and fled.
“I’m not a monster!” a man staggered out of the tent, clutching a gun in one hand and his bloody neck with the other. His eyes appeared normal, and his expression was one of desperation and terror.
Yet the moment people saw him, they screamed and scattered in panic.
The scene devolved into chaos. The other guards quickly drew their guns, yelling for him to drop his weapon.
“I’m not a monster!” the man sobbed, trembling as he held his gun tightly. “It hurts so much… Please, help me! Take me to a hospital. I’m begging you…”
“What do we do?” someone in the van whispered, voice trembling. “Should we turn around?”
“No,” Kong Lin said firmly, stopping Radek from reversing. “If we leave now, we’ll never make it to the airport.”
“Drive forward,” Yu Xi ordered, placing a steadying hand on Radek’s shoulder from behind. “Go! You want to save your family, right? If you hesitate now, you’ll lose this chance.”
Radek gritted his teeth. Her mention of his family spurred him into action. He pulled out of the queue, slammed on the gas, and sped toward the bridge.
“There are barricades—and people in the way!” someone shouted.
“Avoid the people, aim for the barricades,” Yu Xi instructed, pulling out an Air Hairdryer from her bag. Rolling down the window, she aimed the device at the roadblock ahead.