Apocalypse Star House Hoarding-Chapter 222

The concerns of the survivors were also concerns for Yu Xi.
However, their worries were different—while they feared no one would come to rescue them, she was worried about whether she had enough time to get everyone out of this building before Starhouse reset.
It was already April 20th, and half of Starhouse’s stay in this location had passed.
Every day, some members of Zhuo Yun and Lu Yichen’s teams kept a radio running, constantly adjusting it in hopes of catching even a faint signal. But all they ever heard was static—nothing more.
In the first few days, fighter jets occasionally flew overhead, but after that, not even the shadow of an aircraft could be seen.
During this time, Zhuo Yun, Lu Yichen, and Shen Qiu discussed the possibility of sacrificing a small drone by sending it out in one direction to scout. The drone managed to fly six kilometers before running out of battery and crashing.
Before it fell, the footage it transmitted back showed nothing but an endless expanse of green.
Pine trees, spruces, aspens, locust trees, purple lindens, boxwoods, yews, cherry plums, yellow cassias, pearl flowers, heavenly balance flowers, pink laurels, snow willows… From evergreen trees to deciduous ones, from evergreen shrubs to deciduous shrubs, every kind of plant imaginable was growing out of control. Most of them were native to northern regions.
They had grown unchecked, with trunks thick and straight, canopies massive, and their overall size and height four to five times their normal scale. The sight resembled a prehistoric version of this planet from millions of years ago.
Seeing this footage, Yu Xi felt relieved that they were in the extreme north of the country. Although it had rained continuously for days, the temperature had never risen above ten degrees.
If this had happened in the southwest—where the climate was humid and hot—paired with the rampant fungal growth, an explosion of snakes, insects, rats, and ants would have made the situation even worse.
Just before the drone shut down due to depleted power, Yu Xi caught a glimpse of something unusual at the horizon—several thick black smoke plumes rising from the ground into the sky.
She barely had time to react before the screen went dark.
Quickly, she turned to the others. “Did you see that?”
“What?” Zhuo Yun and the others looked at her curiously, clearly unaware.
That made sense. The scene had appeared for less than a tenth of a second—far too brief for normal human eyes to catch. It was just luck that she had been present at the moment and had managed to spot it.
So, instead of repeating her question, she asked in a different way. “Which direction did the drone fly?”
“Due south.”
South—where there was smoke, there were people.
Judging from the distance and scale of the smoke plumes, they weren’t just from a forest fire. This likely meant that military forces or organized civilian groups were clearing the overgrown vegetation.
With this second surge of plant growth being far more aggressive than the first, it was obvious the authorities wouldn’t adopt a passive approach like last time.
After all, there was a huge difference between having one’s living space compressed and having it completely consumed, leaving survival under constant threat.
By now, humanity had no choice but to fight for its place in the world. Large-scale clearing efforts were inevitable.
Compared to the early days of mass animal and plant mutations, where humans were caught off guard, many mutated creatures had already been documented. Moreover, with plants now consuming other living beings as nutrients, much of the mutant animal population had already been wiped out.
If the authorities were taking action at this moment, it was a logical decision.
She needed to find a way to investigate the area around the smoke. There was a good chance she might locate a large official refuge.
**
Over the past two days, Yu Xi could sense that the rapid plant growth—after an initial pause—had begun accelerating again. But this time, it felt different, as if nature was making one final push before reaching a new equilibrium.
No species grows indefinitely. Just as humans were once rulers of the planet, when a certain threshold is surpassed, nature shifts, and a new balance emerges.
At this stage, the external plant life remained highly aggressive. Even toward her, it exhibited intense vigilance and resistance.
Vines and branches from other areas had slithered toward the base of their building, wrapping layer after layer around its perimeter. If not for the plants at the building’s foundation resisting their advance, those vines would have long since climbed up the outer walls.
Now, she was expending three to four times more plant energy daily than before, and even during rest, she had to remain alert.
After all, in this vast sea of greenery, this lone-standing building was glaringly conspicuous.
The plants could sense the nutrients inside, and they were desperate to claim them.
Besides maintaining the defensive resistance of the base-level plants, she also had to spare some energy to pacify the restless vegetation outside.
It was like animals during their mating seasons—certain behaviors became uncontrollable. Even domesticated pets exhibited unruly tendencies at specific times. So how much more chaotic would an entire “green ocean” that devoured all life be?
Amidst this constant tension and exhaustion, some people’s clueless behavior practically begged her to slap them with reality.
Through the food truck’s window, a girl wrapped in a face mask and hat looked down at the plain white bun in her hands and grumbled in dissatisfaction. “What’s this? Today’s standard meal was supposed to be pork dumplings with lettuce, so why did I get just a bun? I even gave you a hairdryer and a piece of candy…!”
Yu Xi lifted her gaze slightly and looked at her. “Do you want to be blacklisted?”
Mu Keli, who had been prepared to argue further, immediately froze.
She knew this strange shopkeeper did her trades based on mood, but usually, as long as someone brought clean items, they would at least get the same meal as what was visible in the steaming pot.
She also knew that Yan Ya had been looking for her.
That night, when she had left his team’s room with her backpack, she had initially just planned to find a spot to cook secretly. But not long after leaving, she had a stomachache.
She had intended to return to grab some shared toilet paper before heading to the makeshift bathroom on that floor.
However, before she reached the room, she overheard an argument—Yan Ya and the others were fighting again.
The subject was the same as always: they wanted him to divide the contents of her backpack.
It was clear that their patience with her private stash had reached its limit.
Mu Keli still had more than half of her supplies—canned meat, biscuits, chocolate, water. There was no way she would share them.
She had privately spoken to Yan Ya multiple times, saying she was only willing to share with him. But he refused, wanting to keep the group intact. That wasn’t her problem.
She knew that with the others completely out of food while she continued eating well, a conflict was inevitable.
So, she made a decision—starting that night, she would move between different floors and blend in with the newly arrived survivors.
Her plan was to find a hidden place to stash her backpack, then return empty-handed.
She had even prepared her excuse: she would claim that while she was out, someone had targeted her, stolen her food, and knocked her out. She’d say she had been too afraid to return right away and had gone two days without eating or drinking—painting a picture of pure suffering.
With a pitiful expression and some tears, even if Yan Ya got angry, there was nothing he could do about it since the food would already be gone.
The sudden appearance of the food truck, allowing people to trade for food, water, and medicine, had also been a relief to her. At least now, Yan Ya’s group had supplies to survive, and they wouldn’t keep pressuring her for her stash.
She had been observing quietly and noticed that, in addition to the pork dumplings, everyone also received two pieces of fresh, crisp lettuce.
Although she had plenty of food in her bag, fresh vegetables were a rare commodity. It was embarrassing to admit, but ever since they had been on the run, constipation had become a real problem for the girls.
In the end, she put on a mask and hat, covering her face tightly, and joined the queue.
However, to her shock, while everyone else in line successfully exchanged their items for dumplings and lettuce, all she got was a cold, dry steamed bun.
Mu Keli looked at the indifferent gaze behind Yu Xi’s mask and immediately recalled the special treatment Shen Qiu had received over the past two days—along with that bowl of curry chicken rice.
She wasn’t stupid. The moment she saw the food truck and the person inside, she knew instantly that the black-clad woman was the same person who had given Shen Qiu that meal.
She just couldn’t understand why. Back then, she and Shen Qiu had discovered the food truck together. Just because she got scared and ran away while Shen Qiu’s legs went weak and she couldn’t run—was that why Shen Qiu had become the lucky one to receive special treatment?
Or was it simply because Shen Qiu was better at appearing weak?
Since Shen Qiu had received that bowl of curry rice from her, she must have spoken with the woman, meaning she had recognized her from the very start. She must have known how powerful this person was. After that, she just kept up her act, playing the good girl in front of her.
At the shopping mall, when they had disagreed, she had still acted all self-righteous, even leaving a backpack for her before leaving…
No wonder. That whole big bag of supplies, given away so easily—it was all just a show, a performance to win favor with the black-clad woman and gain benefits in return.
Mu Keli looked at the cold, dry bun in her hands, her mind swirling with bitter thoughts.
But this time, she couldn’t do what she used to—throw the food back at someone and walk away, knowing they would chase after her and try to appease her.
That had worked with Yan Ya and Shen Qiu because she knew they would always come after her, making sure she got what she wanted in the end.
Mu Keli tightened her grip on the bun, recalling the way Shen Qiu had called the black-clad woman “sister.” She pulled down her mask slightly, her eyes instantly welling up with tears.
“Sister, I know I was wrong before. I shouldn’t have doubted you or thrown tantrums…” She sniffled, her voice trembling. “But—but I really understand now! I’ll go find Qiuqiu and apologize to her later. Please, don’t be mad at me anymore, okay?”
Yu Xi leaned lazily against the food truck’s window, resting her chin on one hand as she looked at her. “You really are something else… I’m not a man. Who exactly are you trying to fool?”
“…” Mu Keli had barely managed to squeeze out two tears before she froze, her nose still running.
“Get lost. You’re making me sick.” Yu Xi waved her off. Running the Starhouse shop while simultaneously channeling her energy to keep the invading plants at bay was exhausting—she didn’t have the patience to deal with this nonsense.
It was the first time Mu Keli had ever been told she was disgusting. Her mind buzzed, and before she could react, the people in line behind her shoved her aside.
“If you got your food, then move along. Be grateful you got a bun at all. What are you crying for?”
“Yeah, you’re covered in dirt and acting all cutesy—at least know your limits.”
“There’s a guy who comes here every day and only gets plain instant noodles without any seasoning. At least he doesn’t cry about it, and he looks way better than you do.”
The murmurs and judgment from the crowd made Mu Keli feel utterly humiliated.
She wanted to scream, to throw a tantrum, but she knew that would only make these people enjoy the spectacle even more.
Swallowing her frustration, she pulled her mask back up and hurriedly left the twentieth floor.
However, as soon as she stepped into the stairwell, someone blocked her path.
She looked up. It was Yan Ya.
He had been lying in wait for two days, seething over the breakup of his team, and now all that pent-up anger was written across his face.
Mu Keli, however, felt relieved—luckily, she had already found a perfect hiding spot for her backpack these past two days. Otherwise, she would have had to either fight him or hand over some of her food.
Before Yan Ya could speak, she threw herself into his arms and began sobbing, reciting the excuse she had prepared in the most pitiful tone possible.
Half an hour later, as she watched Yan Ya’s departing figure, she silently cursed him for being an idiot.
Men were just so easy to manipulate.
Whether it was the excuse about being robbed or her claim that she was going to find Shen Qiu, so she couldn’t go back with him right away—it all worked as long as she shed a few tears and played the victim.
Of course, Mu Keli had no intention of looking for Shen Qiu.
She still had plenty of food in her backpack. Even though she hadn’t gotten the dumplings and lettuce she wanted today, a white bun paired with some canned meat and a vacuum-sealed braised egg was still a decent meal. Plus, it saved her a portion of her staple food.
However, when she finally made her way back to her hidden stash, she discovered that her backpack was gone.
All the food she had carefully rationed to last at least another week, along with essential supplies like tissues, underwear, masks, lighters, candles, and blankets—everything had vanished.
Mu Keli’s hands and feet instantly went cold, and she collapsed onto the ground.
**
Later that evening, Yu Xi was standing at the rooftop’s edge, channeling energy into the surrounding plants when she overheard voices from the stairwell.
One of them was very familiar—whining and sobbing.
It reminded her of the scene she had heard many days ago.
But this time, the once-gentle voice that used to comfort her had clearly woken up.
“…So, you hid your backpack to keep Yan Ya and the others from getting any of your food, but in the end, it actually got stolen?”
“What does that matter?! That’s not the point! Qiuqiu, I miss you. Can we stop fighting?”
“…”
“I know it was my fault! I’m sorry. Please forgive me, okay?”
“…”
“And I want to apologize to your ‘sister’ too. When are you going to see her again? Can you take me with you? I think there was some misunderstanding between us, but if you’re there, maybe we can clear it up. Qiuqiu, I really miss the days when we ate and slept together…”
“I won’t take you to see her. If you need food or anything else, go trade for it yourself.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“Mu Keli, if you’re going to lie, at least make the effort to keep it going for a little longer.”
“What are you talking about? When did I ever lie to you? Oh, I see now. You’ve found someone to rely on, you’re doing well, so you don’t want to acknowledge me anymore, is that it?
Sob
… Shen Qiu, even you have changed. You used to be so good to me when we were in Yan Ya’s group, but now that you’re in another team, you don’t care about me anymore…
Sob
…”
After Mu Keli said this, Yu Xi didn’t hear Shen Qiu’s voice for a long time. She didn’t know if she would waver this time. Emotional manipulation was a form of psychological abuse—outsiders couldn’t help; only the person involved could save themselves.
Moments later, Shen Qiu’s voice finally rang out, still soft:
“So, just because I was good to you, that means I have to be good to you for life? But Keli, I was never good to you because I owed you anything, nor do I have to always give in to you.
I gave you half of all my food and supplies. You should have shared those with your boyfriend and teammates, just like they risked their lives before to find food and share it with you… I know you won’t understand what I’m saying, so forget it. That’s all I have to say.
The Starhouse opens every day. You won’t starve, but you also won’t eat as well as before. If you truly want to be friends again, you’re welcome to come find me. But if all you want is to use me to gain favor with my sister, then sorry, that’s impossible.”
Her last sentence was firm and final.
Shen Qiu didn’t mind trouble, but she didn’t want to cause trouble for anyone—especially not for the sister who had helped them so much.
In her mind, if Mu Keli had just been crying to get some supplies from her, she might have been willing to let herself be fooled.
But now that it involved someone else—someone very important—there was no room for discussion.
She might be soft-hearted, but she wasn’t stupid.
Shen Qiu pulled Mu Keli’s hands off her, stood up, and walked away, leaving Mu Keli frozen in disbelief.
Yu Xi listened to Shen Qiu’s retreating footsteps and curled her lips slightly before refocusing on controlling the plants outside the building.
The “Bean Sprout” wrapped around her wrist had been restless ever since it left the Starhouse with her. Yu Xi received its anxious messages and reached out to gently rub it.
“I know. I won’t sleep tonight. I’ll stay alert,” she murmured. She then let Bean Sprout hide inside her cloak and went downstairs to find Zhuo Yun and Lu Yichen’s teams, informing them that the plants might launch their final wave of attacks that night.
“Set up night patrols. There are two restaurants on the twenty-first floor. Their cold storage rooms are large, and the walls won’t be easily breached. If things go south, I’ll issue an evacuation order. You’ll need to get everyone inside—there should be enough room for everyone.”
As she spoke, she handed them two walkie-talkies and taught them how to use them.
Zhuo Yun and Shen Qiu were both sharp. They immediately caught onto her implication:
“So, as long as we get through tonight, the plants will finally calm down? That means we’ll have a real chance to escape this city?”
“Yes.”
Yu Xi’s definite answer filled both teams with excitement. They assured her they would give their all and follow her every command.
**
That night, Yu Xi stood fully armed at the tenth-floor window of the building.
Outside, the moonlight was bright, and the shadows of trees danced in the wind.
“Be careful.”
The usually silent Xing Min finally spoke.
“Mm.” Yu Xi tightened her grip on the high-temperature perfume in her hand. This was her original world, but she had the Starhouse as her sanctuary. Because of Xing Min and the Starhouse, she could do whatever she needed to without hesitation.
As midnight approached, the plants inside and outside the building, which she had tamed, suddenly released an overwhelming battle signal. It was far stronger than expected. Yu Xi immediately alerted Zhuo Yun’s team.
Zhuo Yun and Lu Yichen’s groups hadn’t slept. Earlier, they had issued a notice for all survivors to rest on the twenty-first floor in preparation.
However, the twenty-first floor was home to several restaurants, filled with rotting food and garbage that had been used as a dumping site. The stench was unbearable.
So, most of the survivors had settled on the twentieth floor. When they received Yu Xi’s message, they quickly woke everyone up and led them toward the twenty-first floor.
Outside the building, under the moonlight, the massive mutated plants surged through the sea of greenery like predators.
A giant carnivorous flower lunged toward the lone building, only to be whipped away by the vines clinging to the structure’s exterior.
The thick vines, which had been lying dormant on the building, suddenly unfurled like an octopus’s tentacles, weaving together to form a massive protective web.
The serrated teeth of the carnivorous plants, the piercing spikes of the mutated roots, and even the strangling vines—all of them became enemies the protective web had to fend off.
On the surface, it looked like a battle between two factions of mutant plants.
In reality, it was a battle between Yu Xi and all the mutated flora.
The fight consumed an immense amount of her energy, but it also significantly boosted her plant-based abilities.
Inside the building, the survivors who had taken shelter in the cold storage rooms trembled at the sounds reverberating through the walls. Those still running up the stairwell screamed as they quickened their pace.
The ceiling, walls, and floors shook violently, dust and debris crumbling down from above.
Even without looking outside, they could feel the chaos of the plant uprising.
One person passing by a stairwell window couldn’t resist glancing out—and what they saw was a scene straight out of a CGI-heavy disaster movie.
Compared to those colossal plants, humans were terrifyingly fragile.
Zhuo Yun and Lu Yichen’s teams stood guard at the cold storage doors, counting the number of survivors entering for shelter.
At that moment, Yu Xi’s voice came through again:
“Close the cold storage doors.”
“What’s happening?”
Yu Xi’s reply was brief:
“Toxic attack.”
Zhuo Yun didn’t hesitate. She immediately called over Lu Yichen, confirmed the final headcount, and had a few people help shut the heavy storage room doors.
“What’s going on?”
Inside the pitch-black room, the survivors were tense with fear.
“Don’t talk. You’ll waste oxygen. Breathe slowly. We will survive this.”
Zhuo Yun took the lead, sitting by the door. Shen Qiu sat nearby, turning on a flashlight and placing it on the ground. She reached out her hand—and Zhuo Yun clasped it firmly.
The other survivors, seeing the determined expressions of these two young women, slowly calmed down.
They leaned against the walls or sat cross-legged on the ground. Some hesitated, then followed their example—reaching out and holding hands with those beside them, drawing strength from one another.
One by one, every person in the room linked hands.
It didn’t matter if they were family, friends, or people who had once quarreled.
At this moment, they were one community, bound by a single shared hope for survival.