"Crack, crack!"
Intense pain radiated from Ye Chen's chest. As he struggled to open his eyes, all he could see was a blood-red world. The sounds around him, a low, excited growl of some beast, combined with the chilling crunch of bones being chewed, were horrifying.
Was he going to die?
A bitter feeling welled up in Ye Chen's heart. He had struggled for a decade in the post-apocalyptic world, constantly on edge, even sleeping with a weapon in his arms, ready to spring into action at the slightest noise. Yet today, a small oversight—failing to erase the scent left behind after hunting a three-headed dog—had led to a bloodhorn beast tracking him down.
Perhaps letting his body be chewed bit by bit was not a bad way to go?
As this strange thought crossed Ye Chen's mind, he couldn't help but smile bitterly. Knowing there was no hope left, a sense of relief washed over him.
His parents had died in a car accident when he was in high school, leaving him with only his sister for company. But during the apocalypse, his sister had fallen victim to a zombie's fangs.
He didn't even know why he kept living.
Maybe, like most people, he lived just for the sake of living.
For the past ten years, he had lingered between life and death, like a dog struggling to survive, often wondering if he was still human.
Perhaps death was a form of release.
Having thought it through, Ye Chen felt a sense of liberation. His body relaxed completely.
"Sister, I'm coming."
His consciousness slowly faded, and he fell into a deep sleep.
…
"Brother, wake up."
A clear, pleasant voice echoed in his ears, followed by a small, cool hand pinching his nose. Ye Chen woke up with a start, flipping up and instinctively backing away, only to bump into a wall behind him, causing his back to ache.
What was going on?
As his mind cleared, Ye Chen realized he was no longer under the bloodhorn beast's jaws but on a soft bed.
Looking up, what he saw left him speechless.
By the bedside, in the lamplight, stood a lovely girl with long eyelashes and a smile on her face. She was beautiful, her eyes curving like crescent moons when she smiled, with two shallow dimples on her cheeks. The air seemed to hold its breath, and time stood still at that moment.
"Brother, why are you still in a daze? Get up; today is your college graduation. It won't be good to be late." The girl blinked her big eyes and pouted.
This familiar face, this familiar voice, was like raindrops falling on Ye Chen's heart. For a moment, he felt like he was dreaming, unable to believe that his sister, who had died at the start of the apocalypse, was standing alive in front of him.
Wait!
College graduation?
A shock ran through Ye Chen's heart. So today was July 1, the day the apocalypse began. Could it be that he had been reborn ten years earlier?
Ye Chen glanced around the room. The light was dim, the space cramped, and a ticking grandfather clock on the wall echoed like a death knell. The walls were adorned with faded posters and a couple of old photographs of a young, kind-looking couple. In the distance, a desk piled with books caught his eye.
This was his college dorm room.
Ye Chen stood there for a long moment, finally accepting that he wasn't dreaming and had indeed returned to ten years ago. Instead of panicking at this bizarre event, he quickly calmed down and got off the bed. He turned to his sister, Ye Zhu, and said seriously, "Sister, later, I need you to take our bank card and withdraw all the money."
Ye Zhu was taken aback, confused. "Withdraw everything? What are you going to do?"
Ye Chen patted her head, a touch of affection in his eyes. "Don't worry, I won't do anything foolish."
Ye Zhu looked at him suspiciously but didn't ask more. Since their parents' car accident, Ye Chen had raised her, paying for her school fees and accommodation by working odd jobs while studying. She remembered how, in junior high, when she envied a classmate's pretty wallet, Ye Chen secretly worked on a construction site for a week, exhausting himself to buy her a similar one.
Being a girl who cared about her appearance, Ye Chen always ensured she had nice clothes and accessories so she wouldn't be embarrassed in front of her classmates. He preferred to skimp on himself but never let her go without.
Thinking of this, Ye Zhu felt a lump in her throat and nodded gently, turning to the bed. She pulled out a dusty plank, revealing a hidden compartment where a clean bank card was kept, wrapped in a cloth. No thief would have thought to look there.
"I'm going," Ye Zhu said, carefully tucking the bank card into her jeans pocket with a smile.
Ye Chen nodded. "Be careful on the way."
Ye Zhu giggled, her laugh as clear as a songbird's, and left the room.
Once she was gone, Ye Chen's smile vanished, and he returned to his usual cold demeanor. He checked the time—it was 6:20 a.m. If he remembered correctly, the apocalypse was due to start around 7 p.m., giving him about twelve hours to prepare.
He thought calmly about what to do next. Now that he had been reborn, he wouldn't let the same tragedy repeat itself.
In his previous life, he had gone to his graduation ceremony, leaving his sister at home alone, where she had fallen prey to zombies.
On the desk, under the lamp, was an old family photo in a frame. The picture showed a young couple standing in the center, with a teenage boy and a young girl on either side.
"Dad, Mom," Ye Chen murmured, his eyes moist as he looked at the photo. "I will take care of Xiao Zhu, I promise."
He turned to the bed and packed the necessary belongings. After the apocalypse, 70% of the world's population turned into zombies, and a flimsy rental house wouldn't withstand the onslaught. He needed to find a safe place to stay.
It didn't take long to pack; all their belongings fit into a single suitcase, containing only a few changes of clothes. Other things, like quilts and textbooks, were unnecessary.
Ye Chen walked over to the desk, stared at the photo frame for a long time, then carefully put it into the suitcase. Sitting on the bed, he pondered the next steps.
This was no ordinary apocalypse. At 7 p.m., a lab in North America would explode, releasing a virus that would spread at the speed of light, covering the entire earth without warning.
People with weak constitutions or serious illnesses would instantly turn into terrifying zombies. These zombies weren't as fragile as in movies; they were immensely strong, with the strength of three adults. The iron door of this rental house wouldn't stand a chance.
Besides zombies, all the animals worldwide would also mutate into ferocious beasts, even more terrifying than the zombies.
As he was lost in thought, Ye Zhu returned, her jeans rolled up to reveal a hidden pocket filled with cash.
"Brother, where are you going?" she asked, seeing the suitcase in the middle of the room.
Ye Chen took the money from her, not bothering to count it. If he remembered correctly, it was about 12,000 yuan, enough to stock up on some food.
"Come with me; don't ask anything for now. I'll explain later." Ye Chen's tone was serious.
Ye Zhu was startled, sensing an ominous feeling from his solemn expression, but she didn't question him further. She trusted her brother completely.
No matter what he did, he would always be her brother.
And that was enough.
Ye Chen picked up the suitcase and led the way out. It was still early morning, and the streets were relatively empty. He headed straight to the usual bus stop.
Ye Zhu followed quietly behind him, her mind full of questions but keeping them to herself.
Soon, the bus arrived. Ye Chen calculated the time—it would take about four hours to reach the city center by bus and then by car from the station, leaving him with eight hours to prepare.
Once on the bus, Ye Chen paid for their fares and found a seat by the window, lost in thought as he watched the scenery pass by.
…
In the bustling city center of HZ City, towering skyscrapers loomed like a forest of steel. The streets were crowded with people and cars, lively and busy.
Ye Chen took Ye Zhu to a five-star hotel, booking the top floor. After settling their luggage in the four-bedroom suite, they had lunch together. Ye Chen then left Ye Zhu in the hotel, heading to the supermarket alone.
He didn't go to the meat or vegetable sections but headed straight for the snacks, grabbing two bags and filling them with candy and chocolate.
Sugar, with its high caloric content and long shelf life, was the best emergency supply.
He remembered that in the later stages of the apocalypse, a single candy could be traded for a piece of low-grade leather armor, illustrating just how precious candy was.
Besides candy and chocolate, Ye Chen also bought about 500 eggs, a move that left the surrounding shoppers and supermarket staff dumbfounded.