In the bomb shelter, it was cool in the summer and warm in the winter. In the shower, cold water was heated by an electric heater, making it feel comfortably warm on the skin. Originally prepared to set up tents at the subway station or a large public bomb shelter, Yu Xi felt extremely relaxed.
Her family in this mission world was incredibly reliable. She didn’t do much—just told a story, demonstrated the “spatial retrieval” trick, and provided a supply list. After that, Yu Qi and Ya Tong handled everything else.
A large supply of goods, a truck, ample self-defense weapons, and a bomb shelter…
If it weren’t for Mission Task Two, where she had to safely escort Yu Qi back to their country, she felt she could stay here until the mission ended.
But this was just a thought. The mission target’s face was so similar to Ms. Fan Qi’s younger self. Even without the mission requirement to return home, she couldn’t just leave after three months.
Yu Xi changed into clean cotton loungewear, applied some skincare products, dried her hair, and put the clothes they had changed out of into the washing machine to be cleaned.
As she stepped out of the bathroom, she was immediately drawn by the smell of food in the air.
Since arriving in this mission world yesterday morning, she had been constantly on the move, racing against time. Apart from sandwiches and coffee, she hadn’t had a proper meal.
Now, the aroma of steak made her mouth water.
In the semi-open kitchen, Ya Tong, having taken off her jacket and put on an apron, was busy cooking, while Yu Qi stood beside her, chatting and occasionally handing her a spoon or a jar of seasoning.
Yu Xi peeked inside and saw steaks sizzling in the pan, pepper-salted shrimp already plated, garlic roasted chicken wings in the oven, mushroom cream asparagus, and salmon vegetable salad on the counter. The soup pot was boiling with tomato borscht—an impressive fusion of dishes.
Ya Tong glanced back at her. “Hungry?”
“A bit…”
“The steak’s still cooking, and the soup’s not ready yet. Have some shrimp and salad first,” she said, handing a plate to Yu Qi, who then put three large shrimp and some salmon vegetable salad on it for Yu Xi.
Ya Tong was indeed the best cook among the three.
Yu Qi, always career-focused, worked long hours and never had time to learn how to cook.
“Yu Xi” could only cook instant noodles. When she traveled for work, staying in hotels, Ya Tong often took care of her meals. She was nominally her agent but practically did the work of an assistant. Being Yu Qi’s sister, unlike other artists who could order takeout, Yu Xi needed even simple meals cooked in the suite’s kitchen.
“Thank you, sis. Thank you, Ya Tong.” Yu Xi loved being taken care of, reminding her of the time with her parents in the zombie world.
Yu Qi patted her sister’s head and left the kitchen.
Ya Tong covered the borscht pot and turned to look at the girl beside her.
The same young and beautiful face, but the domineering and arrogant look in her eyes was gone, replaced by a firmness and gentleness when she looked at Yu Qi. Why hadn’t she noticed before?
She always thought Yu Xi was acting, planning some grand scheme to mess with them and annoy Yu Qi.
What did it feel like to die and be reborn? That must be a terrifying nightmare…
Ya Tong raised her hand and gently patted Yu Xi’s head. “I’m sorry for scolding you earlier. I didn’t know the reason for your stockpiling and even suspected you wanted to harm your sister…”
“So… you know now?”
Seeing her nod, Yu Xi was surprised. She hadn’t expected that in the time she spent showering, Yu Qi had resolved the biggest issue. “Anyone would scold me for buying so much perishable food. As long as you always stand by my sister’s side, I’ll never get angry. When it comes to my sister, you and I are always on the same team.”
Ya Tong stared at her for a moment, then smiled and ruffled her hair. “You’ve really grown up.”
Yu Xi pushed the hair out of her eyes just as the oven beeped, signaling the garlic chicken wings were ready. The rich aroma filled the space.
“The steak is done too. Call your sister to help bring the food over.”
“Okay~”
The three of them enjoyed a sumptuous dinner, finishing around 7 PM.
Yu Xi and Yu Qi cleaned the kitchen while Ya Tong retrieved three small tubs of ice cream from the refrigerator and a plate of cut fruit, setting them on the coffee table in front of the sofa. She turned on the TV and tuned it to the meteorite channel.
They had turned off the TV during dinner to avoid distractions. Now, nearing 9 PM, they all felt tense and wanted to get updates on the outside world through the news.
On the screen, several experts were fiercely debating. A few moments ago, several small meteorite fragments had landed near the eastern seaboard, significantly smaller than the ones from earlier in the afternoon. Since the afternoon, s of meteorite strikes had also been coming in from other countries, although the meteorites there were much smaller than those in M country.
Some experts insisted that the disaster was over and that the upcoming event at 9 PM would still be a meteor shower with tiny meteorites, not a meteorite storm. However, other experts disagreed, with a young expert arguing that the meteorites wouldn’t just fall today—this was merely the beginning, or a precursor. He suggested that the entire planet might soon face periodic meteorite attacks.
This statement sparked immediate backlash, with nearly everyone condemning his apocalyptic rhetoric. They argued that his claims were unfounded, pointing out that meteorite storms historically had a clear duration. There had never been an endless meteorite storm recorded in history. Achieving the conditions for a meteorite storm was rare and could never become a norm. His statements were dismissed as baseless fearmongering.
Unfazed, the young expert turned his computer screen to show data supporting his argument. He clarified that he wasn’t suggesting an endless meteorite storm but rather a repeating phase. Based on recent cosmic anomalies, this transformation from a meteor shower to a meteorite storm was a warning sign. He believed that, with enough time and support, he could develop a predictive program for these meteorite disasters.
The debate became heated, leading to a cutaway from the contentious conference room to footage from a helicopter flying over N city. N city had not experienced any meteorite strikes today, but it had issued a warning for residents to take shelter. Despite this, the streets were crowded. Many people had painted their faces with “meteor explosion” makeup and wore clothes with meteor explosion prints, parading in the streets, claiming that the time of divine cleansing had arrived.
They believed that divine stones from beyond the Earth would judge whether a person was guilty. If someone was innocent, they would remain unharmed even if meteors struck everyone around them. Therefore, they saw no point in hiding, as one’s innocence or guilt was preordained…
Yu Xi: …
Yu Qi: …
Ya Tong: …
The three were left speechless. Ya Tong sighed repeatedly and instinctively reached for a cigarette, only to remember yet again that she couldn’t smoke in the bomb shelter.
Yu Xi fetched a box of coffee-flavored cookie sticks from her spatial storage and handed it to her, suggesting it as a substitute. Ya Tong stared blankly at her hand and asked her to put it back. Yu Xi complied, puzzled.
Ya Tong mouthed a few silent expletives. Although Yu Qi had already explained it, seeing it with her own eyes was something else entirely. She examined Yu Xi’s hands, asking if retrieving items hurt.
Yu Xi: …
At Ya Tong’s insistence, Yu Xi repeatedly took out and put back items several times.
Yu Qi: …
It’s only the first day in the bomb shelter, and they’re already this bored?
Luckily, they had moved all loose items from their apartment in L City into Yu Xi’s space. Yu Qi remembered this and asked Yu Xi to bring out her DVD player and desktop computer, along with some books and DVDs. She began arranging their temporary living space.
Their harmonious time didn’t last long. The two news anchors on the TV, who had been discussing the meteorite strikes and the protests, suddenly let out screams of terror.
On the small screen behind the hosts, the once festive crowd in N City, celebrating as if at a carnival, was struck by a falling meteorite. Though not large, it exploded upon impact. The densely packed crowd was immediately hit by the fiery fragments, spreading like bullets. No one within the immediate vicinity was spared.
People screamed and fled in panic, but the outer edges of the crowd were also packed with people, making it nearly impossible to escape. Those who avoided the meteorite fragments were ignited by flames from others. Skin was seared by the intense heat, and those huddled together had no chance to avoid it, resulting in agonizing screams.
The er on camera turned around in shock, unsure whether to continue broadcasting or to leave immediately. The camera was jostled by the fleeing crowd, resulting in shaky footage that finally ended with the camera falling to the ground, the image frozen on the chaotic scene of trampling feet.
The two news anchors in the studio struggled to maintain composure, their expressions betraying their difficulty. The footage then switched to aerial shots of the meteorite strike in N City, showing a less intense view due to the distance.
The difference between disaster scenes in movies and real-life disasters is stark. The short, close-up footage from a minute or two earlier left everyone watching the news with a deep sense of dread. Even those who lived in areas not hit by meteorites felt increasingly anxious.
People began making phone calls.
“Honey, we’re far from the meteorite impact zones. The experts didn’t even list our area as a meteor shower zone… Has your husband heard any updates? … What! You’re already in the bomb shelter? … But why, earlier this afternoon you told me not to worry! … What do you mean you never said that? If it weren’t for your advice, why would I still be at home!”
The caller hung up angrily, heart racing, and started yelling at their husband and son to pack up and take shelter.
In an office building where work hadn’t yet ended.
“Everyone, let’s keep pushing! We must publish this before ‘XX Magazine.’ Once we’re done, drinks are on me!”
Someone agreed: “Yes!”
But someone else, after receiving a call from family, nervously mentioned that everyone was taking shelter because a meteorite storm was imminent.
“What are you afraid of! If ‘XX Magazine’ beats us to the punch, that’s the real end of the world! Focus on your work. Anyone who mentions meteors again can pack up and never come back!”
…
Similar situations were happening across the country.
Later, statistics showed that between 7:00 and 7:30 PM that evening, a dozen or so meteorites fell across M country. The number of meteorite strikes per hour was twice that of the afternoon.
The government issued another disaster warning, urging everyone to seek shelter in basements or bomb shelters.
However, not everyone had access to this information, especially those living in remote towns without access to modern communication technologies. Many people never saw a meteorite or knew that a meteorite storm was approaching.
After the sporadic afternoon meteorite strikes, at least half of the population either didn’t know or didn’t believe that a large-scale meteorite storm was coming.
Even after 7:30 PM, despite repeated warnings on news channels, about one-fifth of the population remained unaware or underestimated the severity of the disaster.
Yet, many others, desperate to seek shelter, found themselves stuck on highways, unable to move…
At around 9:20 PM, just when most people started to relax, thinking the worst was over, the meteorite storm arrived as predicted. Starting from the east, it swept across the M continent from east to west, following the planet’s rotation.
The next day, a large-scale meteorite storm hit the other side of the ocean.
By the third day, seventy percent of the countries on the planet had been struck by meteorite storms.
The areas hit by meteorites were not uniformly dense. Some towns were lucky, with only three or four hits, while others were less fortunate, with entire buildings destroyed. Those seeking refuge in underground parking lots were buried with no survivors.
Most meteorites were ten to several dozen centimeters in diameter, often exploding mid-air into smaller, fiery fragments. These fragments crashed into buildings, cars, trees, and roads, causing explosions and fires.
On an island renowned for its beauty, a few meteorites landed. Though not many, they miraculously avoided the tourist hotel areas. However, a volcanic eruption soon followed, revealing that this was not good fortune, but rather impending doom.
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