The silent foreign night was broken only by the cool breeze on the balcony, where two childhood friends stood, maintaining a cautious distance between them. They watched each other intently, the weight of their conversation settling like a fragile truce.
Hearing her words, Kong Lin froze momentarily, then chuckled softly. He looked at her and sighed. “Xiao Xi, what are you talking about?”
For a long moment, Yu Xi said nothing, nor did she move closer. The faint smile on his lips dimmed. “Then, what about you? Are you really Yu Xi?”
“Of course, I’m Yu Xi,” she replied decisively, so naturally that it almost convinced him.
However—
“How could you be Yu Xi? Yu Xi was just an ordinary 18-year-old girl. She was a premature baby, her parents passed away early, and she had no elders to care for her. Her health wasn’t good… She couldn’t even run fast, let alone have the strength to confront a mutated ‘Blood ghoul’ head-on. You carry advanced weapons, can execute precise shots, and dare to stab a ‘Blood ghoul’ in the heart. How could you be Yu Xi?”
Kong Lin’s gaze softened, filled with resignation. “Be honest, will you? The name Yu Xi means something to me. I’d rather no other taskers use her face while stealing her identity.”
His words were cryptic, seemingly implying a familiarity with Yu Xi. But apart from Lin Wu and Ya Tong, Yu Xi hadn’t encountered any acquaintances in the System Tower.
In truth, back in Bai City, Yu Xi had planned to find another plane to leave on. She knew there were multiple small aircraft at the company she had chosen. It would have been easier to split from the group—less restrained, whether for stockpiling or using supplies.
She had escorted them safely onto the plane, fulfilling her obligation. Even in the hangar, she could have easily escaped the encircling mutants before they fully converged. But she had deliberately slowed her pace.
What she hadn’t expected was that the person who had silently observed her with conflicted eyes and unspoken words would risk exposing himself to save her.
Although she had already suspected, his actions still surprised her.
Just a little, though.
Yu Xi narrowed her eyes slightly. “Who are you? I don’t recall us crossing paths.”
Her insistence on her identity seemed to catch him off guard. For a moment, Kong Lin appeared to ponder the truth of her words.
Finally, he spoke up, his tone casual yet probing: “If you had to name a shelter, what would you call it?”
The question seemed absurd, out of place, and abrupt, but it made Yu Xi raise an eyebrow slightly. “…Shelter 28. Lou Rui?”
His pupils contracted sharply, the uncertainty and resignation in his gaze replaced by joy. “You’re really Yu Xi!? But… how? Your face? Are you a native or a tasker?”
“That’s complicated to explain, but the zombie world one was also me.”
“So… you are a tasker after all.” Lou Rui’s gaze turned complicated, filled with a mixture of emotions. It wasn’t just the familiar face—it was also the memory of a long, long time ago, of himself in the zombie world.
Back then, he was still idealistic and passionate, untouched by betrayal or near-death experiences. Back then, he could feel his heart race for someone, liking them for simple reasons he could no longer recall. Those pure feelings had become impossible to reclaim as time passed.
Yu Xi studied him and asked again, “When did you arrive here? And you’re not actually Lou Rui, are you?”
She remembered clearly that Lou Rui in the zombie world had a mother, a sister, and many other family members. It was only after he left that she realized he was a tasker. The name Lou Rui couldn’t possibly be his true identity.
“Just call me Lou Rui. I’ve grown fond of the name,” he replied, pausing before countering, “When do you think I got here?”
“The crash landing?”
“Why that moment?”
Why? There were too many reasons. She had realized later that the real Kong Lin wouldn’t have looked at her with such conflicted, hesitant eyes. He wouldn’t have doubted her, nor would he have left her alone in the cockpit, or sat silently behind her when she fainted.
But Yu Xi only smiled faintly. “Just a hunch. Was it then, or was I mistaken, and it was earlier?”
“It was on the plane. When you woke me and handed me a mask.” Because of that, when he saw her familiar face, he had a moment of stunned disbelief.
Even though he was somewhat prepared, he hadn’t expected the person he would see to be her. “It’s been a long time, Yu Xi. It’s good to see you again.”
In N Country, the situation was still under control. Radek’s family and Hanla planned to settle there for the time being. The other classmates had purchased the earliest available flights back to C country, but even the soonest departure wasn’t until evening.
With a whole day free, everyone initially wanted to rest. However, Yu Xi suggested they use the time to stock up on local delicacies before returning.
Wu You didn’t understand. “How can you still think about shopping? We’re escaping, not on vacation.”
Yu Xi didn’t respond, but Min Min caught on quickly. “It’s not about tourism. It’s precisely because we’re escaping that we need to prepare. Infectious outbreaks are terrifying mainly because of their contagious nature. While N country is small and easier to control, C country is enormous. If there’s a slip or an outbreak… Any disaster requires forethought. Waiting for it to happen is too late.”
“So even if we make it home, we might not be safe?” another classmate asked hesitantly. The answer was obvious.
“But C country is fine right now,” Wu You muttered irritably, tugging at his hair.
When they had called home from the sand dunes outside Bai City, their families hadn’t even known about the outbreak in L City. They had been surprised the group had canceled their study trip to return home.
Not knowing when they could safely return, they had agreed not to mention the outbreak to avoid worrying their families unnecessarily.
“Before last night, I didn’t understand why my parents knew nothing about what happened in L City. But now, I do,” Xiao Nan said, pulling out her phone. “Have you been online since arriving in N Country? Videos, photos, and posts about what’s happening in D Country, F Country, and Y Country are no longer accessible. Ever since we landed here, they’ve disappeared. Even though N Country has set up quarantine zones at the airport and is checking everyone entering, the public doesn’t seem to have access to the truth about what’s happening in those countries. I think C country is likely doing the same thing.”
“Exactly. An incident of this scale couldn’t possibly go unnoticed by governments, even if the general public remains unaware. In normal disasters or disease outbreaks—regardless of the country involved or the severity—there’s always some kind of news coverage. But now, our families know nothing about what’s going on. It’s clear that the authorities are deliberately blocking information. If it were a controllable disease, there’d be no need to suppress the news…” Min Min frowned, voicing her analysis. “So don’t assume that returning to C country means we’ll be safe. We’ve been racing against life and death this whole time, witnessing everything imaginable. Don’t cling to false hope that home will be any safer. This world is no longer safe…”
The thought was chilling. This disease, coming so quickly and turning people into horrifying monsters, left everyone imagining the nightmare of infecting themselves or their loved ones. The vision of people tearing off their own skin haunted them. The hope of recovery seemed like a distant, impossible dream.
It was nothing short of an apocalypse.
Reflecting on everything they had gone through, a classmate finally voiced the question everyone feared the most: “We… We’re not infected, are we?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. We were all thoroughly checked after getting off the plane. Plus, we changed clothes, and all contaminated items were disinfected.”
“Yeah, stop saying scary stuff. We’re fine. No one’s infected,” Wu You interjected nervously, visibly uncomfortable with the idea. Just imagining himself infected and becoming one of those creatures made him feel he’d rather not live at all.
The discussion left everyone tense again, despite the slight relief they had felt earlier. They quickly began looking up nearby shopping centers on their phones, agreeing to make group purchases.
N Country was a popular tourist destination, and many shopping centers offered packaging and airport delivery services. It wasn’t unusual for tourists to stock up on local goods before leaving, so their actions wouldn’t attract undue attention.
Finally, Hanla’s friend volunteered to guide them, as both Hanla and Radek needed to buy daily necessities and food. Yu Xi had overheard Radek discreetly asking Hanla earlier about places to exchange gold. After some discussion, Hanla suggested a reliable local contact.
Yu Xi quietly noted the address and exchange process, planning to tag along later. Once Radek and the others left, she went to the shop, used Hanla’s contact as a reference, and secured a fair exchange rate. The resulting funds were enough to sustain her supply purchases in this world for years.
After leaving the gold shop, Yu Xi crossed two streets and, ensuring no one was following her, contacted Lou Rui. He arrived in a rented small truck, picked her up, and the two set off to stockpile supplies.
She had exchanged the gold for international currency, usable in both N Country and C country. However, instead of depositing it into a bank account, she stored the money in her Star House.
“There’s a food street nearby. Let’s place some food orders first, then go to the shopping mall on the next street for supplies. We can pick up the food on our way back,” Yu Xi explained her detailed plan, far more organized than any of her classmates’.
In other areas, she was modest and cautious, but when it came to shopping, Yu Xi was unmatched. Years of experience across different worlds had honed her skills to perfection. She was confident that no one could rival her in this domain now.
Lou Rui parked in front of the first restaurant on the food street. She turned to him. “How many portions should I order for you?”
“These kinds of meals aren’t convenient for me. I’ll stock up on supplies at the mall. You handle the food.”
“Are you sure?”
Lou Rui nodded with a smile.
Satisfied, Yu Xi got out of the car. She didn’t plan to share her stockpile with anyone else unless necessary, so she asked out of courtesy. Sometimes, politeness helped establish boundaries.
The first restaurant specialized in budget-friendly local cuisine. After sampling the food, Yu Xi ordered 100 portions of hand-grab rice—a typical meal that included vegetables, curry chicken or beef, soup, rice, and fruit, much like boxed meals in C country.
She privately negotiated with the owner, explaining in fluent local dialect that she was catering for a large tourist group. She paid a deposit and promised to return in a few hours to settle the bill and collect the meals. The owner, thrilled with the large order, quickly provided her with a receipt.
When Yu Xi returned, Lou Rui assumed they were heading to the mall next. However, after driving only 20 meters, she had him stop again.
The smell of roasted lamb wafted through the air. This time, the restaurant specialized in cumin-grilled lamb served with fried rice cakes, vegetable salad, and yogurt.
“Do you want me to get you some roasted lamb?” she asked.
Lou Rui: “…”
“Really? Not even a little?”
“Fine. Get me two portions.”
Yu Xi nodded and went inside, ordering 202 portions of the lamb combo. Her order was so large that the owner temporarily closed for lunch to focus on fulfilling it.
She continued along the food street, visiting four more stores—a shop selling local pizzas, crepes, and fried dumplings; a specialty milk tea shop; an international premium daily goods store; and a fruit shop. At each, she placed orders for 100 portions of food or drinks, while stocking up on boxed goods like toiletries and fruit, filling half the truck.
At each stop, she offered to include Lou Rui’s share, but he only requested daily essentials, indifferent to the food.
Later at the mall, the dynamic reversed—Lou Rui’s efficiency shone. He bought crates of instant noodles, canned goods, biscuits, chocolate energy bars, bottled water, and some replacement clothing. Seeing his confidence in his stockpile, Yu Xi quietly filled her cart with a variety of snacks she hadn’t stocked up on in L City—chocolates, candies, vacuum-sealed meats, chips, and biscuits.
For clothing, she focused on practical, durable sportswear for her and her world’s “brother,” sticking to internationally available brands also found in Hua Country.
The mall also had a pharmacy, and both Yu Xi and Lou Rui stocked up on masks, gloves, and disinfectants. There were a few boxes of protective suits available, and they bought them all. Every item was carefully loaded into the truck, after which Lou Rui retrieved the portion he had purchased, while the rest was stored by Yu Xi in her Star House warehouse.
Afterward, they drove to pick up the pre-ordered food from the four restaurants.
Lou Rui hadn’t realized the extent of Yu Xi’s orders until now. He had already been surprised by the truckload of snacks she bought at the supermarket, but seeing the restaurant staff loading package after package of meals into the truck left him utterly stunned.
One hundred portions of hand-grab rice, pizza and snack combos, specialty milk teas, and two hundred portions of roasted lamb combo meals…
Aside from keeping a few for their dinner and their classmates, Yu Xi stored the rest in her Star House. Watching her satisfied expression, Lou Rui felt he had gained a new perspective on her.
The group gathered at the airport in time for dinner. Everyone had purchased plenty of goods, many opting to pay for additional luggage to be checked in. By contrast, Yu Xi and Lou Rui, each carrying just an extra travel bag, seemed relatively restrained in their shopping.
The flight back to C country from N Country took less than five hours. They were scheduled to land in Guang City, followed by an hour-long train ride to their home city of Zhou City, a second-tier city without direct international flights.
To avoid complications during re-entry into C country, Lou Rui had arranged things in advance using the network of Kong Lin, a wealthy second-generation friend.
Kong Lin’s mother had passed away early, leaving him as the only child in the Kong family. His father, doting on him, didn’t question his request, even though it seemed unusual. After discreetly pulling some strings, Kong Lin’s father discovered that all international flights were now subject to mandatory entry checks and quarantine.
Given C country’s population of just over a billion, international flights were relatively few. Hotels near airports had been repurposed into quarantine facilities, though the public remained unaware of the situation. Kong Lin’s father sensed something was amiss but prioritized his son’s safe return over getting to the bottom of it.
Thanks to his efforts, Kong Lin’s group was processed as returning tourists from N Country, receiving a shorter quarantine period in a separate facility. They only had to stay six hours before being allowed to leave.
To Yu Xi, this was already fortunate. Given the circumstances abroad and their connection to L City, a sensitive location, she wouldn’t have been surprised if they had faced extended quarantine.
The N Country flight was delayed by two hours, but the rest of the journey proceeded smoothly. After landing, completing the checks, and six hours of quarantine, the group’s belongings—disinfected and inspected—were returned to them.
Instead of taking a train, Kong Lin’s father arranged a private bus to bring them comfortably back to Zhou City.
Once back in the familiar city, the group finally relaxed. Everyone hugged and bid farewell before heading home.
Yu Xi’s home was near Kong Lin’s—hers was a luxury villa, while his was a high-end apartment building, just a 15-minute walk apart.
Yu Xi’s parents had been acquaintances of Kong Lin’s father, and her brother, an accomplished lawyer, often had work dealings with him. After Yu Xi’s parents passed away, Kong Lin’s father took extra care of her, given that his own son had lost his mother at a young age. The two families maintained close ties, with Yu Xi and her brother occasionally visiting the Kong residence.
When the bus arrived in Zhou City, Kong Lin’s father personally drove Yu Xi and Kong Lin home in his car. During the drive, he shared some news with Yu Xi:
Her brother, Yu Zhengqing, was in the hospital.
He had been hospitalized for several days. His illness wasn’t new, but he had hidden it from her, not wanting to disrupt her carefree student life or make her worry.
Yu Zhengqing had been admitted the day after Yu Xi left the country. He specifically instructed the hospital not to inform her, believing there was no point in worrying her since his condition wouldn’t change whether or not she was present.
That morning, Yu Zhengqing had finally regained consciousness and was moved to a private room. He was still unaware of what Yu Xi had experienced abroad.
Kong Lin’s father explained, “He doesn’t know what happened to you over there. You should decide whether or not to tell him.”
Aware of the challenges Yu Xi was about to face, Kong Lin’s father sighed, “If the ‘Blood ghoul’ outbreak spreads to C country, you’ll have to protect not only yourself but also care for a terminally ill brother. It’s a lot for an 18-year-old to handle.”
He dropped her off at her apartment building, offering reassurance: “You’re not alone. Kong Lin and I are here for you. Don’t hesitate to ask for help.”
Yu Xi glanced at Lou Rui, who played his role as Kong Lin flawlessly, then smiled at Kong Lin’s father. “Thank you, Uncle Kong. I’ll head up to get organized and then visit the hospital. I appreciate everything you’ve done these past few days.”
As the car pulled away, Lou Rui leaned out the window. “Call me if you need anything.”
Yu Xi smiled back and nodded.
She went home intending to organize her belongings—moving all necessities and valuables into her Star House warehouse, ensuring she could leave at a moment’s notice. She also wanted to evaluate the apartment’s security to see if it could serve as a long-term refuge.
However, Yu Zhengqing’s illness was an unforeseen variable. It meant the hospital, with its medical facilities, would be the best place for him in the short term. She needed to figure out what medications he required and stockpile them, possibly acquire equipment for his comfort and mobility, such as hospital beds and wheelchairs.
Other essentials—monitoring devices, a suitable vehicle—would also need to be arranged. A regular car wouldn’t suffice; she needed a larger off-road vehicle for supplies.
As she mentally sorted through her plans, Yu Xi quickly moved items from her apartment into the Star House. She retrieved a pot of nourishing soup prepared by Fan Qi, poured it into a thermos, packed a few apples in a bag, and headed to the hospital by taxi.
What Yu Xi didn’t expect was how quickly chaos would descend upon C country.
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