As soon as Wu Meiling saw Zhao Zheng beside Yu Xi, she burst into tears, calling out his name loudly. However, she was held down as she hadn’t finished her inspection.
Zhao Zheng glanced at her but did not stop and walked away.
A few days later, Zhao Zheng went to the first island to find Wu Meiling and understand what had happened after he left. After he left, the team at the villa disbanded, demanding to split the supplies. They also insisted that the group of people Wu Tianqi’s martial arts gym had saved, who had never contributed, should not receive any supplies.
Those people, though afraid of facing zombies, had been receiving food every day and considered themselves part of the team. When they heard they wouldn’t get any supplies, they were naturally unhappy. However, the villa team had many capable fighters, and in the face of life and death, they were ferocious. Wu Tianqi had no choice but to agree to split the supplies.
Once the supplies were divided, the two teams went their separate ways. The group that had been saved continued to receive food and water from Wu Meiling, but Wu Tianqi intentionally reduced their share.
Living in the same tent area, those people watched Wu Tianqi’s group eating delicious instant noodles with sausages or luncheon meat while they could only gnaw on compressed biscuits, leading to discontent.
One time, when Wu Tianqi and his men went out to find new supplies, the usually timid group knocked out two guards and raided the supplies, eating voraciously. No matter how much Wu Meiling cried and begged, they ignored her.
That day, Wu Tianqi’s group returned early and caught them in the act. Seeing their supplies squandered, they were furious and wanted to kill those people. But the culprits hid behind Wu Meiling, pleading for her to save them.
After a chaotic fight and a lot of yelling, Wu Tianqi’s group also decided to split the supplies. Although they still had a lot left, including new supplies from a warehouse they found, Wu Tianqi refused to keep supporting the freeloaders. He told Wu Meiling to abandon them, but she looked at him in disbelief, questioning why even he had become so cold-hearted.
In fact, apart from a few troublemakers, most of the group were women and children, with several kids under five years old. But Wu Tianqi was resolute and hid the supplies, not even telling Wu Meiling.
When Wu Meiling couldn’t provide food, the group began to accuse her of being heartless. Finally, Wu Tianqi drove them out of the tent area.
But Wu Tianqi and his family didn’t expect that these people, who were too afraid to kill zombies or find food, would dare to kill humans. One night, they sneaked in, captured Wu Meiling and her mother, and threatened Wu Tianqi to reveal the hidden supplies. They not only took all the supplies but also stabbed Wu Tianqi during the chaos.
Blinded by the bloodlust, some men attempted to rape Wu Meiling, but were stopped by two women in their group and later rescued by the martial arts gym members.
The attackers fled with the supplies under cover of darkness, but Wu Tianqi couldn’t be saved. The martial arts gym members, who still felt some brotherhood towards Wu Tianqi, gave Wu Meiling and her mother some supplies so they wouldn’t be destitute.
Later, they learned about the wetland refuge and planned to move there. Wu Meiling pleaded with them, and they agreed to take her and her mother. But without Wu Tianqi, no one pampered them anymore. Mother Wu had to cook and do various chores, and Wu Meiling was forced to get off the vehicle and kill zombies.
Actually, they did this for Wu Meiling’s own good. In this apocalyptic world, if one can’t even muster the courage to kill zombies, how can they survive in the future? However, Wu Meiling was terrified. During one search for supplies, her panicked screams attracted a horde of zombies, ultimately resulting in someone’s death.
The others were furious, but out of respect for Wu Tianqi, they didn’t abandon her on the spot. They dragged her and her mother to the vicinity of the wetland refuge before finally kicking them out of the vehicle, feeling that they had done enough.
Wu Meiling cried and begged Zhao Zheng, thinking that if she told him the miserable truth, he would pity her as he had in the past and be willing to take care of and protect her again.
But Zhao Zheng just laughed, “You really are… Luckily, I left early. Otherwise, I might be the one dead now. Wu Meiling, no one is going to help you. Your brother is dead, and his friends have left because of you. I will definitely not help you. I pursued you for a month, and that was my fault for bothering you. Here are thirty pieces of bread, my final act of kindness. From now on, when you see me, just pretend you don’t know me.”
He didn’t think he was being cold-hearted. The fact that she managed to safely reach the refuge already made her luckier than many others. His parents, Leng Mian’s father, Wu Tianqi, and all those at the school who lost their lives in the early days of the disaster and turned into monsters—all of them were much more unfortunate than her.
In the days ahead, as long as she can wake up and face this apocalyptic world with both feet on the ground, she will find a way to survive.
Wu Meiling watched Zhao Zheng stride away. She wanted to run up and return the bread to him, to show him she could be strong and not be looked down upon. But her mother, famished, immediately tore open the bread and started eating.
Wu Meiling stood there, staring at the small packaged bread in her hand. Once, at the camping site, she had handed out such bread to others. At that time, she had the love of her brother, the care of her boyfriend, and a group of her brother’s friends surrounding her.
Dressed in white, she walked among the similarly displaced but far more haggard people, handing out food and finding comfort for her soul, finding value in her existence.
But now, as she became the one receiving food, truly feeling hunger and facing zombies firsthand, she realized that all that talk of soul comfort and existence value was nothing but her meaningless imaginings! It was worthless rubbish!
In this apocalyptic world, nothing was more important than the safety of family.
If only her brother were still alive…
If only she had another chance…
But, she understood it all too late.
xxx
Due to the advent of the solar panels, Yu Xi and her parents ultimately did not move to the island where the RV camping ground was located. She drove over to check it out, but besides the existing RVs, there were many more that had arrived later. There were trailer RVs, small integrated RVs like hers, and many large double-decker RVs with all kinds of people living in them.
Some were wealthy and powerful families who, after the disaster, retreated to their large RVs with abundant supplies. Others were RVs found in car dealerships or elsewhere, with mixed groups of men and women living in them, creating a complex environment.
The area had too many RVs, compressing private space. After considering, Yu Xi decided to stay next to the courtyard where the Lou family resided, just like on Island 2.
This courtyard was on Island 7, located in the center of the entire wetland park. The island was not large, with a main road running east to west and a bridge for vehicles at each end.
Besides these, there are also two pedestrian-only ornamental arch bridges, which are currently blocked off. Since Island 7 is not very large, the Lou family’s courtyard is close to the water, making the area look more like an island. In front, there is a vast expanse of water, with reeds lining the shore. When the wind blows, the reeds sway gently, creating a serene and beautiful scene, reminiscent of pre-apocalypse times.
Those assigned to Island 7 generally have some connection to the military, mostly family members. From the perspective of the military leaders, the safety and defense of this refuge are owed to the soldiers on the front lines, and their families should be well taken care of. Therefore, the leaders openly show favoritism, believing that in these apocalyptic times, resources should be distributed based on contributions, and favoritism is warranted and nothing to be ashamed of.
Thanks to the Lou family’s connections, Zhao Zheng and Leng Mian also moved into the courtyard. However, they both understood their situation and constantly sought to improve their combat power and physical fitness. They often went out to search for supplies and never used the Lou family’s food or water resources for their daily meals.
The Lou family also reserved a room for Yu Xi and her parents, but they preferred living in their RV as it was convenient for cooking their own meals. With the new solar panels, Yu Xi enlisted Lou Rui’s help to modify the RV’s roof. Now, the solar panels alone could power the RV’s air conditioning, microwave, and other major appliances.
Because the surroundings were very safe, Yu Xi would sometimes fix the RV in place, setting up a canopy between the RV and a nearby tree. Underneath, she placed folding tables, chairs, and lightweight loungers. Occasionally, she would set up an outdoor stove and enjoy the lakeside view while making tea or coffee.
Sometimes for dinner, she would use a solid fuel stove and grill, preparing sliced lamb, beef, potato slices, and occasionally some pork belly or marinated chicken wings. However, the portions were always kept small to avoid attracting too much attention.
Every time the aroma of grilled meat wafted through the air, a few young members of the Lou family would be drawn in, standing at a distance, hesitant to ask for some. Yu Xi would always pack a small portion on a disposable plate for them to take back and share.
In return, they would bring various convenience foods, sometimes canned luncheon meat, other times military rations. Yu Xi’s parents enjoyed sitting on the loungers, gazing at the expansive water and blue skies. They felt as if the apocalypse had little to do with them because, with their daughter around, they had no worries and only needed to avoid becoming a burden to her.
The busiest part of their days involved staying in the RV, continuing to prepare food from the flour, rice, vegetables, various meats, and seafood Yu Xi stored. Periodically, Yu Xi would drive the RV out with her parents, ostensibly to search for supplies. In reality, she would find a relatively safe spot with few zombies, clean it up, stay there for half a day, then fill the RV’s cabinets, fridge, and drawers before returning.
Her secret goal was to fill the space in the Star House storage, which was almost full. With only the three of them using it, there wasn’t much room to spare. Whenever some space was freed up, she prioritized storing gasoline.
The Lou family believed she was maintaining vigilance by regularly taking her parents out to face the apocalypse and search for supplies, preventing them from becoming too complacent and potentially unprepared for sudden dangers. Lou Lili often used Yu Xi as an example to teach her family members the importance of regular outings, regardless of age or gender.
Lou Rui was the most frequent traveler, and each time he returned, he would bring small gifts for Yu Xi’s family. Although these were not many, they were always thoughtful, and it was evident to everyone that he had feelings for Yu Xi.
However, every time Lou Rui brought something, Yu Xi’s parents would reciprocate, just as they did when Leng Mian and Zhao Zheng occasionally brought gifts. So, even though it was apparent to everyone, Yu Xi didn’t think much of it.
For her, the biggest concern was that she had been in this world for nearly three months but still had no news about Shelter 28. She had asked the system countless times, but the Star House system had stopped responding altogether.
She diligently listened to various broadcasts and subtly inquired with military personnel, but to no avail. While other numbered refuges had been mentioned, the highest number so far was Shelter 9 in the southwest, with no sign of Shelter 28 mentioned in her mission.
Yu Xi knew that even if the system announced the completion of her task, she wouldn’t necessarily leave immediately. However, staying voluntarily after completing the mission was different from being forced to stay now.
Her preoccupation with this matter made her realize Lou Rui’s intentions only after another half month had passed. Naturally, there could be no romantic development with Lou Rui, so the next time he brought them something, she subtly made this clear to him.
To her surprise, Lou Rui didn’t seem as disappointed as she had expected. Instead, he smiled, looking both wistful and relieved. Two days later, Lou Rui came to see her again.
They sat on folding chairs under the RV’s canopy, Yu Xi serving him pour-over coffee as they reminisced about their initial meeting and the incident when she saved them. It felt like a nostalgic chat about the past.
Before leaving, Lou Rui suddenly asked her, “This wetland park has become the largest and safest refuge around. If you were to name it, do you have any suggestions?”
Yu Xi was caught off guard, thinking he was joking. When she saw he was serious, she casually replied, “Why not call it Shelter 28?”
Lou Rui was taken aback. “Is there any special meaning?”
“No, it’s just the first thing that came to mind when you asked.”
“Alright.” He nodded, then smiled at her, “Yu Xi, I’m glad to have met you. Goodbye.”
Watching his departing figure, Yu Xi felt something was off. This feeling lingered until an hour later when the long-awaited system notification finally came, and she suddenly understood.
【Shelter 28 has been activated, covering an area of 30,000 square meters. The anti-zombie virus protective membrane is now in effect, duration: permanent.】
【World Task 2: Save the world identity parents and bring them safely to Shelter 28, completed. Host has earned 80 star coins. Current star coin count: 106.】
【Do you wish to leave the current apocalyptic world?】
Yu Xi: …!!!
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