Apocalypse Star House Hoarding-Chapter 203

This supermarket district, located near the high-speed rail tracks on the outskirts of District 18, was part of a shopping hub catering to the surrounding low-cost residential buildings. Due to its distance from the city center, housing prices here were low, and most residents before the apocalypse were ordinary people with modest means.
Later, a branch unit of the military in District 18 escorted civilians from the central area during their retreat. Separated from the main force, they temporarily rested here. After regrouping and tending to the wounded, they planned to continue evacuating to a safer location to rejoin the main force—until the gray mist arrived.
Attempts to scout the mist proved fatal, as none of the dispatched personnel returned, and all communication equipment failed. Trapped, the unit abandoned plans to regroup and fortified the area instead. They connected the basements of several supermarkets to create a shelter from the disasters.
Thanks to the large supermarket, resources weren’t immediately scarce. Contact with headquarters became infrequent, save for an early plea for aid after the mist cleared. A small team from headquarters delivered medicine and winter supplies, but that team, like Cheng Fang’s group, became stranded due to relentless ice blades and freezing temperatures.
The leader of that supply team, He Mo, had briefly served with Cheng Fang in the same unit. While they weren’t close, they knew each other. He Mo recognized Cheng Fang by name when he contacted the shelter, which reassured him enough to head directly there.
After passing a green park, the scenery opened up. The supermarket and residential buildings flanked the park on either side. Once lush forests now stood as bare, scarred branches, ravaged by successive disasters.
The supermarket, with cheap land prices, was only two stories tall but covered a large area. Its windows, shattered by the ice blades, revealed the chaos inside: collapsed shelves, scattered food remnants, and dark stains where spilled beverages had dried.
The survivors had relocated to the underground levels, accessing them via the former parking garage entrance. A Jeep awaited the group outside, guiding their armored vehicles into the underground garage.
Inside the vehicle, Yu Xi glanced at the green park and closed her window before using the radio to contact Cheng Fang in the lead car.
“Be careful.”
“Why? Did you notice something?”
“There’s a lingering metallic smell of blood here, suggesting a large-scale conflict.”
“You think this place has already been overrun by the Subordinates? That doesn’t make sense—when I contacted He Mo earlier, he seemed normal.” Cheng Fang referred to the supply team leader they had previously interacted with.
Despite Cheng Fang’s reassurances, Yu Xi’s warning heightened his vigilance.
The Jeep led the armored vehicles into the underground garage. Once parked, Cheng Fang instructed his team to stay alert at the vehicle’s machine gun stations. Equipping himself, he stepped out and discreetly checked the necks of the Jeep’s occupants for the black triangular mark of Subordinates. None were present—they were natural humans.
“Captain Cheng! Still as cautious as ever,” a robust man in his forties greeted Cheng Fang with a knowing smile, having discerned his intentions. It was He Mo himself.
Seeing He Mo approach unharmed eased half of Cheng Fang’s tension. He returned the smile.
“Can’t be too careful with the current situation. Many Subordinates have rebelled. Just a few days ago, the ones at the mountain shelter also turned against us… I don’t even know what the situation there is now.”
He Mo’s expression darkened at the mention.
“The mountain shelter? I know a bit about that. They harbored a lot of ownerless Subordinates—it was only a matter of time before they rebelled. Frankly, they should’ve never taken them in without proper control!”
Yu Xi, exiting the second armored vehicle, overheard this remark and frowned, her gaze sweeping the surroundings.
The shelter was in the supermarket’s second underground level, originally a parking lot. The space was vast but poorly lit, likely to conserve power, leaving much of the area shrouded in darkness.
Conditions here were far more basic than at the mountain shelter. Tents of various sizes were scattered along the walls and support pillars. Recently discarded winter clothing lay piled outside many tents.
Water scarcity was apparent; most residents were unkempt, their clothes dirty, and the air reeked of sweat and decay. Cooking pots and camping stoves were set up by the tents, with many preparing food as dinnertime approached. Yu Xi noticed someone stirring a pot of unidentifiable soup, watery and far removed from the instant noodles she had anticipated.
Xing Min hesitated as he stepped out of the vehicle, his heightened senses likely more affected by the unpleasant odors. Yu Xi handed him a mask, then distributed masks to Xi Yuan and the others. Compared to the people here, they were too clean and conspicuous, making it prudent to cover up.
He Mo had never met Zhou Zhitong, and with Xing Min partially obscuring his face, he naturally didn’t recognize him.
Cheng Fang and his team had come to trade vehicles. After a few pleasantries, they quickly got to the point. He Mo, appearing quite hospitable, suggested they stay for dinner and rest overnight before leaving.
“Apologies, Captain He, but we’d like to check out the vehicles first,” Cheng Fang replied. They hadn’t seen any low-altitude hover vehicles on their way through the area.
“Understood, no problem. I’ll take you to see them myself,” He Mo responded, seemingly intending to take Cheng Fang alone.
At that moment, Yu Xi spoke up: “Shall we all go together?”
He Mo, already turning to lead the way, stopped and glanced back at the woman standing by the second armored vehicle. She wore a black T-shirt and army-green track pants, her long hair tied up neatly. Her clean, fair complexion and striking appearance suggested she had been well-protected.
To someone like He Mo, such individuals were typically dismissed as dependents without a voice. He squinted slightly, then looked at Cheng Fang as if waiting for him to make the decision.
“This armored vehicle is partially mine. Since we’re trading it, I should at least take a look, right?”
Cheng Fang, having worked closely with Yu Xi recently, knew she wasn’t the type to fuss over trivial matters. Her insistence now clearly had a purpose. He addressed He Mo, “Apologies, Captain He. This vehicle isn’t solely mine. She has a stake in it, so there’s no problem if she comes along, right?”
“Of course, she’s welcome,” He Mo replied with a smile.
Yu Xi sensed numerous glances gathering from the shadows, all directed at the four Subordinates behind her. She turned to them and instructed, “Stay in the vehicle, lock the doors, and be ready to leave at any moment.”
She also directed Yinyin and her family to join the Subordinates in the armored vehicle, ensuring they were all together.
Finally, she turned to Xing Min. “You stay behind as well. I’ll be back shortly.”
She added telepathically:
If something feels off, let me know. Leave immediately, and I’ll meet you at the park outside.
Xing Min’s telepathic reply came instantly: Understood. Be careful. Let me know if you need anything.
He Mo led them up the stairwell from the basement, through locked fire doors, to the first underground level. This level, part of the shopping area, was noticeably cleaner and more organized than the ground floor. Shelves were still stocked with items, which explained the locked doors.
They continued upstairs to the ground level, arriving at the supermarket’s storage area. The warehouse, with reinforced walls and no windows, was secured tightly. He Mo personally unlocked the door, revealing a narrow corridor that led to two massive storage rooms.
In one of these rooms were four low-altitude hover vehicles. The large storage space had a mobile gate leading directly outside. The gate was robust and tall, designed to allow hover vehicles to exit smoothly while protecting against ice blade disasters when closed.
Given the limited resources of the shelter, these hover vehicles were undoubtedly valuable assets, stored securely indoors.
Cheng Fang carefully inspected the vehicles to ensure they were operational and undamaged. Only then did he relax fully.
He wasn’t sure what had made him so uneasy—perhaps the relentless disasters, Yu Xi’s cautious attitude, or the responsibility of escorting their current group. Whatever it was, he couldn’t help staying vigilant, even when dealing with an old comrade.
Cheng Fang thanked He Mo and mentioned retrieving personal items from the armored vehicles before departing.
“Why leave so quickly? It’s rare to see you. Stay for a meal and spend the night,” He Mo said. “What’s the rush, Captain Cheng? Do you dislike it here?”
Cheng Fang smiled. “Aren’t you planning to return to headquarters? Where’s the original commanding officer here?”
“He sacrificed himself during the ice blade disaster to save others. As for me, I can’t just leave. Too many people here depend on me.”
“Have you considered taking the survivors to headquarters? The ice blade weather has stopped, and it’s safer outside now. This is the best time to travel.”
“What’s the point? They’re used to living here, and going to headquarters doesn’t guarantee a better life. Headquarters has plenty of Subordinates too. If something happens, these unarmed civilians would still die.”
Cheng Fang respected He Mo’s sense of responsibility, knowing how difficult it was to bear the weight of others’ lives. The conditions here were far worse than at headquarters, and it wasn’t easy to stay and shoulder such a burden.
He Mo hadn’t interacted with Zhou Zhitong before, and with Xing Min partially obscuring his face, he naturally didn’t recognize him.
Cheng Fang and his team, focused on trading vehicles, quickly got to the point after a few pleasantries. He Mo, appearing welcoming, suggested they stay for dinner and rest overnight before heading out.
“Sorry, Captain He, but we’d like to check the vehicles first,” Cheng Fang said, not seeing any hover vehicles nearby.
“No problem. I’ll take you to see them,” He Mo replied.
He seemed to want to lead Cheng Fang alone, but Yu Xi interjected, “Let’s all go together, shall we?”
He Mo paused, glancing at Yu Xi standing by the armored vehicle. She wore a black T-shirt and army-green track pants, her clean, fair skin and striking appearance giving the impression of someone well-protected. People like her were often dismissed as non-contributing dependents in the eyes of someone like He Mo. He looked back at Cheng Fang as though waiting for his decision.
“This armored vehicle is partially mine,” Yu Xi continued, “so I think I have the right to see what we’re trading for.”
Cheng Fang, knowing Yu Xi’s prudence, immediately backed her up. “Sorry, Captain He. The vehicle isn’t solely mine. She has a stake in it, so there’s no issue with her joining, right?”
“Of course, she’s welcome,” He Mo replied with a polite smile.
After checking the hover vehicles, Cheng Fang and Yu Xi returned to the second underground level to help transfer items from the armored vehicles. Days of travel had significantly depleted their supplies, so moving the remaining items took only a few trips.
Meanwhile, the refugees in the shelter kept watching them, especially Xi Yuan and the Subordinates, whose clean and striking appearances made them stand out.
“This place doesn’t seem to have any Subordinates,” Xi Yuan muttered quietly. “Why do I feel like a panda in a zoo?”
As Cheng Fang and his team finished loading the last few boxes, they too felt uneasy under the constant stares. Cheng Fang decided to inform He Mo that they were ready to leave.
However, when Cheng Fang reached the warehouse door, he found it locked. The door, previously open, was now secured.
“What’s going on?” He pressed the intercom on the wall near the door, where the guards outside appeared on the monitor. “Why is the door locked? We’re ready to leave. I just need to let Captain He know.”
The guards smiled amiably but replied, “Sorry, you might not be able to leave. After all… it’s almost dinnertime.”
Though the words seemed ordinary, a chill ran down Cheng Fang’s spine.
Before he could react further, the guards pressed a button, releasing thick white smoke from the four corners of the warehouse. The smoke quickly filled the room. Cheng Fang inhaled a mouthful before he could avoid it, immediately choking and coughing violently as dizziness overtook him.
Realizing the danger, he shouted a warning to his team at the other end of the warehouse, fumbling for a mask in his pocket. But his limbs failed him, and he collapsed to the ground.
In his blurred state, he felt someone lifting him, placing a mask on his face while calling his name.
Yu Xi secured the gas mask on Cheng Fang’s face as Jian Shou swiftly carried him on his shoulder. With the others’ help, they quickly retreated to the warehouse with the hover vehicles.
Both vehicles had been activated, as He Mo had straightforwardly provided them with access permissions earlier, which had lowered Cheng Fang’s guard. However, Yu Xi had remained vigilant. At the first sign of smoke, she distributed gas masks and had everyone board the hover vehicles immediately.
With their group of 14 divided evenly between the two vehicles, Yu Xi ensured everyone was seated before retrieving a [High-Temperature Perfume]. Aiming at the mobile gate that connected the warehouse to the outside, she set it to maximum and began spraying.
The extreme heat melted the reinforced gate, creating a large opening. Alarms blared throughout the shelter as the gate broke. Yu Xi could hear footsteps and the sounds of heavy machine guns being loaded from the opposite end of the corridor.
“Go now!” she commanded, leaping into the vehicle. In her hand, blocks of ice appeared, instantly melting into water and forming a protective layer over the hover vehicles before freezing into solid ice.
As the enemy rushed closer, they opened fire on the fleeing vehicles. Bullets that could penetrate Jeeps couldn’t breach the hover vehicles’ reinforced windows.
The hover vehicles shot through the melted gate, one after the other. Outside, several Jeeps equipped with small missiles approached from the sides.
Yu Xi opened the door of her vehicle, one foot on the edge and the other braced against the seat. A rocket launcher appeared on her shoulder. She aimed without hesitation, firing and flipping two of the Jeeps before they could launch their missiles.
The deafening explosions jolted Cheng Fang awake. Pulling off his gas mask, he looked out the window. The hover vehicle was rapidly ascending, leaving the supermarket shelter far behind.
Below, another rocket launched from Yu Xi’s vehicle struck the warehouse gate, destroying the enemy’s hover vehicles just as they prepared to give chase. The explosion lit up the sky with flames.
Cheng Fang turned to the doorway of their vehicle, where Yu Xi stood, expressionless, with the rocket launcher resting on her shoulder. He stared at her in shock, utterly speechless.