Hua Zhen was adamant about keeping his circumstances concealed.
From a distance, it was impossible to distinguish between the uninfected and the infected by appearance alone; one could only discern based on behavior and attire.
This was the reason for staining his hoodie with blood; the contrast of white with red was strikingly conspicuous.
Moreover, zombies, lacking a target, moved slowly and with an eerie gait, akin to a marionette clumsily manipulated by an inept puppeteer.
Hua Zhen arrived at the convenience store without incident.
He chose the convenience store over a better-stocked supermarket due to its proximity, allowing him to effectively survey the surroundings.
Survival in the apocalypse hinged on three essentials:
Food and water.Medicine.Mental fortitude.
With these three secured, one could hide away and survival was assured.
Experiencing the privilege of 'zero-cost shopping' for the first time, Hua Zhen was brimming with excitement, his enthusiasm bordering on euphoria.
However, upon arrival, the state of the convenience store was less than ideal.
The display window bore signs of vandalism, with glass shards scattered across the floor, and the shelves inside were in disarray, with only a few items strewn about.
Essentially, there was hardly anything left.
It seemed people had reacted swiftly to the disaster.
Hua Zhen shrugged.
Indeed, after fifteen or sixteen days, everyone knew to stock up on food and drink at home…
It was time to check elsewhere.
Just as Hua Zhen was about to leave, he paused.
Wait a moment, this suggested that the convenience store and nearby shops must have been looted in the early stages of the outbreak after the disaster warning was issued.
After all, if the infection had already spread, people would be too busy fleeing to loot supplies, and the presence of zombies outside would deter them from venturing out.
The only plausible time would have been the onset of the infection.
Hua Zhen raised an eyebrow.
Everyone knew to hoard supplies, and it was unlikely that the convenience store owner was unaware.
The owner, living alone on the second floor of the convenience store, would have had the advantage of proximity.
Perhaps there were hoarded supplies upstairs.
Hua Zhen entered the store, passed through the curtain, and saw a wooden ladder to the right of the door.
Climbing up, he found himself in a loft-like space.
There was no door, and the owner was absent. A bed was present, surrounded by numerous cardboard boxes sealed with clear tape.
Hua Zhen took out his cleaver, sliced through the tape, and opened the boxes.
Inside, they were filled with supplies.
Snacks, household supplies, condiments, and more…
Hua Zhen meticulously selected items with a long shelf life, such as canned goods, instant noodles, and rice seasoning sauces—foods that are convenient to store and calorically dense. He feasted as he foraged.
Naturally, he did not overlook the toilet paper.
A myriad of items filled his backpack to the brim.
As he was about to depart, Hua Zhen discovered a note beside the bed.
It read:
"Damn this wretched apocalypse, it's utterly terrifying. I've lived for decades and never witnessed such a calamity. Zombies, of all things, are real, and I nearly wet myself watching them (crossed out) devour people.
Thankfully, I was prepared and had stockpiled some essentials early on, so they weren't all snapped up by others. But my elderly mother is still in the countryside. After much deliberation, I cannot abandon her. She's aged and not so nimble, and those cursed creatures are swift.
I'm driving to fetch my mother. I've taken enough supplies; there's no time to wait for rescue. I must hurry; I don't even know if there will be time to lock the door… If someone finds the stash I've hidden, remember it's mine. At least leave me a bit… if I ever have the chance to return."
Hua Zhen surmised he likely wouldn't make it back.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have left such a foreboding message.
As he exited the convenience store, Hua Zhen instinctively reached for his phone at the sight of the QR code by the door.
But moments later, he shook his head.
The owner was gone; what was the point of paying?
Besides, money, especially digital payments, was now obsolete.
There's still electricity and signal, but soon there will be power outages and communication breakdowns.
Hmm… It seems I'll need to devise a way to ensure power.
One must live comfortably, even in the apocalypse, right?
But before that, I need to procure some medicine from the pharmacy.
Even if zombies don't require medication, it will be valuable for trading later on.
There's still ample space in the backpack to utilize.
Like the other compartments and the side mesh pockets.
Medicines and food that can't be collected now can be stashed away for later.
Hua Zhen doesn't intend to linger here.
An apartment building is not an ideal residence.
If the rescue in three days falters, it's likely that after some time, survivors will be unable to resist hunger and will come out searching for food. Besides supermarkets, these buildings will probably become their prime search locations.
After all, when the disaster struck, not many people had the time to empty their homes.
Although I can switch to being a zombie, one can't fight off many alone!
When the time comes, I'll use a vehicle to transport all these supplies.
Hua Zhen has solidified his subsequent plan of action.
First, gather enough supplies within the city, such as food, medicine, vehicles, generators, and other essentials for living.
Then find a suitable place to reside, one that doesn't require guarding against zombies but must be vigilant against humans, preferably a location inaccessible to the average person.
Finally, move all the collected supplies to the new dwelling.