3
I was right.
It seemed the pandemic had flared up again locally.
I scrolled through the comments.
People were sharing news about the outbreak's locations: schools, hotels, neighborhoods, even prisons.
Opinions varied wildly, with no consensus.
November 17th, 7:17 PM.
The lockdown was official.
It had really come...
After returning to my apartment complex, I paid the delivery driver extra to help carry everything upstairs.
After a long day, I finally sat down for dinner, but I didn't feel any relief.
The government's measures were even stricter than I had anticipated.
I ate while browsing on Reddit, and a few posts quickly caught my attention.
One posted yesterday afternoon was discussing the water cut in Q district.
After several rounds of widespread water cuts, the issue had finally gained traction online.
Someone posted photos of the Q district water plant being sealed off.
The images were blurry, but you could still make out the yellow and black caution tape and staff in white protective suits.
After the announcement of the lockdown in Springfield, some superstitious posts shot to the top.
Unsurprisingly, they sparked enormous panic.
I reread the posts several times before closing the page.
"Something's not right."
I re-evaluated today's shopping list.
If water and electricity couldn't be guaranteed, gas and food supplies might also be at risk.
Winter was coming. The weather would get colder, and the nights longer.
Afraid of losing focus, I decided to consult a nutrition chart.
I bought some rice and dried noodles, and a few large bags of oatmeal as a supplement for grains.
Protein would primarily come from canned goods and long-lasting frozen meat.
Canned goods like Hormel, Mountain House, and Libby's seemed substantial.
After the canned goods, I also bought some bacon and ham.
Fish and seafood were out.
Eggs only have a shelf life of about a month, so they couldn't be stored long-term.
Milk and yogurt, however, could be bought in several cases.
As for other oil and seasonings, I had some at home. I restocked a bit and bought some vitamin supplements.
For medications, I only picked up common ones, along with iodine and disinfectant alcohol.
I added 50 more bottles of drinking water.
Theoretically, each person needs about 2 litres of water per day.
But considering the necessary washing and cleaning, I had no idea how long this water would last.
Electricity and gas problems were much more troublesome.
I bit the bullet and selected a 6000w solar generator.
The complete system, including batteries, inverters, and controllers, could connect to 220v household appliances and USB devices.
I also bought two portable gas stoves.
The matching butane gas canisters weren't expensive, so I bought several boxes, having heard they're better than alcohol stoves.
I also prepared some outdoor supplies: two large capacity backpacks, three solar flashlights, several batteries, a bundle of rope, and two pairs of gloves.
After thinking it over, I also bought some vegetable seeds.
Lettuce, cabbage, soybeans, peas, spinach, mizuna, chili peppers, ginger, and garlic. These have growth cycles of about a month.
I also ordered gardening tools, potting soil, fertilizer, and planting boxes.
To maximize space, I bought a lot of storage racks and boxes.
During this time, I wanted to stop this ridiculous act more than once.
But whenever I did, a voice would creep up on me.
"You know," it said, "you know what's going to happen... just do it... while there's still time..."
Did I... really know?
Feeling uneasy, I quickly cleaned up the dishes and prepared to reorganize my apartment to make room for the incoming supplies.
I wasn't a native of this city.
After losing my job, I moved from District A, near the city center, to District J, where my current apartment was located.
District J is an old neighborhood, but the living facilities aren't bad.
However, with Springfield's economic center shifting north, District J is practically a semi-suburban area now.
My current rental is over 100 square meters.
Two bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and two balconies. The master bedroom and larger balcony face south, while the second bedroom and small balcony face north.
I went around each room, deciding to clear out the furniture in batches.
When I appeared in the lobby for the fourth time, dragging the TV cabinet, the cleaner who had been watching for a while finally couldn't help but ask, "Moving out in the middle of the night?"
I nodded. "Yes. I'm getting rid of all this. Will it bother anyone if I leave it here?"
She quickly waved her hand. "No problem, sweetie. I'll take care of it. Do you have any other furniture to get rid of?"
I thought for a moment. "There are also two beds, a sofa set, and some cabinets and tables."
The cleaner patted her chest, assuring me it was no problem.
Maybe these items were worth quite a bit, and she was afraid I might change my mind. Before long, she brought some guys to move all the furniture out.
The house, which had felt a bit cramped before, suddenly felt empty.
After cleaning up, I did a daily disinfecting with alcohol.
"This will be my fortress from now on,"
I thought as I climbed into my warm bed.