The sound of the gunshot in the dream was vague, but the two gunshots that followed upon waking were very clear. Once the outside seemed to quiet down, Mu Nan pulled away from Qin Huai's embrace, took out his phone, and saw that it was 11 a.m. The sun was at its hottest and harshest. After taking a moment to gather himself, Mu Nan asked, "Was that from our building?"
Qin Huai replied, "It's from the building across the street. It's probably from the middle floors, so we hear it more clearly from here."
Awakened by the gunfire, Mu Nan couldn't go back to sleep. He listened carefully for a while and faintly heard shouting and crying. However, since their door was securely blocked, the sounds were not very clear. Mu Nan opened his phone to check their WeChat group for any updates.
As soon as he opened the group, it was flooded with messages. Scrolling from the top, he saw that the first message was from a resident on the 13th floor of the building next door. They were calling for help, saying someone was at their door. Initially, the intruders tried to pick the lock quietly, but due to frequent recent incidents of home invasions and robberies, the residents had installed additional indoor locks. Even if the main door lock was forced open, the indoor locks provided extra security.
When the indoor locks proved difficult to open, the intruders began to smash the door. Despite their panic, the family quickly piled up everything they could find in front of the door and grabbed the few knives they had, desperately calling for help in the group and continuously dialing the emergency number. Hearing the banging on the door, they were terrified and cried uncontrollably. However, since it was daytime, even if they called the police, it would take time for help to arrive.
Mu Nan was shocked to see that the criminals, who were once only seen in the news, had now come to their neighborhood and were so close to them. Neighbors who heard the commotion also started to block their doors, trying to barricade with anything they could move. They could only hope for nightfall and pray that the mob wouldn't target their homes. They felt helpless and could do nothing but wait.
Unexpectedly, the sound of the door being smashed stopped, but fighting noises continued. When they thought a neighbor might have ventured out to help, they heard gunshots again. They didn't know if the gunshots were from the mob or someone else and were too afraid to go outside. After a while, the commotion outside settled down, and they heard someone shouting that the mob had been subdued and everyone should stay calm.
A brave resident from their floor opened the door to check because the courtyard provided some separation, reducing the risk of the door being forcefully breached. They saw a group of soldiers in military uniforms restraining several people on the corridor across the courtyard. The resident took a photo and posted it in the group: "It's safe now! The robbers have been taken down by the soldiers!"
The family whose door had been smashed saw the photo and finally felt reassured that it was safe outside. They quickly opened their door, and in their excitement, they were almost moved to tears, thanking the soldiers profusely. They had narrowly escaped death and, if not for the soldiers' timely intervention, they might have made headlines for the wrong reasons tonight. Having lived a life of ordinary civilian experiences, they had never encountered such a serious situation before. Even though they were safe now, they were still in shock.
With the situation outside finally calming down, Mu Nan was still in disbelief: "So the end-of-the-world criminals were caught just like that?"
Qin Huai smiled and said, "They only had knives. How could they compete with those who have guns? The reason they were hard to catch before was because they were on the move. Now that it's daytime, they can't operate freely, making it easier to capture them. In essence, they are just a mob. The extreme environment has only amplified their murderous ambitions."
Qin Huai pinched Mu Nan's cheek and said, "Lucky you recognized them. Look, you saved a whole family's lives. How did you see them in your dream?"
Mu Nan replied, "I never saw them directly. I only saw them during the live broadcast of their execution after they were captured."
Qin Huai said, "Well, this was a crisis warning in its own way."
Mu Nan looked at Qin Huai and said, "But since the smog started, I haven't had those kinds of dreams. What if I can't provide warnings in the future?"
Qin Huai chuckled softly, "Not everyone has prophetic dreams. Just because someone can't see the future doesn't mean they can't live their life. We'll deal with whatever comes as it comes. It's better to prepare for the worst-case scenario, and it's fine if you don't have those dreams anymore. If you had too many, you might start confusing dreams with reality."
The reality was already harsh enough. If Mu Nan had to experience it again in dreams, Qin Huai was concerned that Mu Nan might not handle it well. Over time, even the strongest mindset could break down. So, he actually hoped Mu Nan wouldn't have such prophetic dreams in the future.
Mu Nan let out a small sigh of relief, realizing that maintaining a lie often requires more lies to sustain it.
Qin Huai suddenly leaned closer to Mu Nan and looked at him seriously. "Nan Nan, are you hiding something from me?"
Feeling guilty, Mu Nan pushed him away slightly and said, "What could I be hiding? Everything I do is right under your nose."
Qin Huai sighed silently, realizing that there was indeed a small secret.
With such a big incident happening, anyone who wasn't deaf would probably be awake by now. Jian Chu, looking at the constantly updated messages in the group, suddenly said to Yu Zibai, "Do you think Qin Huai found something? His warning before going home seemed a bit strange." Yu Zibai, still a bit shaken, was relieved that the violent criminals were caught: "Maybe. Anyway, our neighbor's brother is quite mysterious. We've never seen him since we moved here, and now he suddenly returns. It seems to be perfectly timed given the current situation."
Jian Chu wet a face towel and wiped his face. "Having some ability is good. In these times, it's tough for those without skills to survive."
After washing his face and placing the towel on the rack, Jian Chu remarked, "I regret not buying more wet wipes back then. They weren't much more expensive even when food prices soared. Now, finding a wet wipe is so difficult. One wet wipe can be used like a bath and saves so much water."
Yu Zibai replied, "Who would have thought? At that time, everyone was busy scrambling for food."
Jian Chu sighed, rubbed his stomach, and said with a pained expression, "I really don't want to go downstairs to use the bathroom."
They hadn't used the bathroom at home for a while due to the severe water shortage. With no water to flush the toilet, they had to use a face towel repeatedly for washing and bathing. However, everyone needs to use the toilet, so they had to go outside. The public restroom in their community had been overcrowded since the water shortage began. Its disgusting state was enough to make anyone feel nauseous even from a distance. Despite their best efforts to endure, they could no longer hold it. They even preferred to go hungry rather than use the restroom.
Yu Zibai suggested, "Why not use cat litter?"
The cat litter was something they had dragged from Xu Ming's clinic back then. They had planned to sell it, as they didn't have a cat. But Mu Nan insisted they keep it, saying it might come in handy one day. And now, it was coming in handy.
Jian Chu felt a bit awkward. "This is really..."
Yu Zibai calmly found a basin, poured some cat litter into it, and placed a plastic bag in the bathroom. He then nudged Jian Chu toward the bathroom. "Go ahead, there's nothing to be embarrassed about."
As Jian Chu reluctantly closed the bathroom door, Yu Zibai couldn't help but laugh. Keeping a chatty cat didn't seem so bad after all.
The existence of end-of-the-world criminals had a significant impact on today's world, pushing people with weak legal awareness to cross moral boundaries and harm society. Since the behavior of these criminals became rampant and brazen, even gaining a following online, some felt that given the state of the world, they might as well indulge themselves and seek a thrill, lest they live their entire lives feeling repressed.
These people were often those who had faced various hardships, injustices, and societal unfairness. With the removal of societal constraints, their outbursts became frenzied and irrational, and they were not a rare occurrence.
To sound an alarm to the world and help people realize that society was no longer the peaceful and lawful place it once was, the judgment for the end-of-the-world criminals was swiftly carried out. After capturing the accomplices of the criminals, a total of nine individuals were sentenced to death without exception, and, like Mu Nan's previous life, the entire execution process was broadcast live online.
The term "end-of-the-world criminals' death penalty" instantly became the most popular topic online. Even the government, which usually censored slightly bloody footage, was now broadcasting executions live, making people deeply aware that the world was no longer what it used to be. This bizarre and intense heat might not disappear like the smog did, perhaps it was the new normal for their lives.
What this new normal would bring was too daunting for many to even contemplate. The scarcity of food and water alone had already left people with no way to survive.
Although the death penalty had not yet been carried out, once the announcement was made, there would be no changes. When Mu Nan went downstairs again to collect water and supplies, he noticed that their neighborhood had become even quieter. Previously, there were some older residents taking walks downstairs, but now, not only were there no leisurely strolls, but even when passing familiar faces, people were hurrying along without exchanging greetings.
Every household had their doors and windows tightly shut. The vigilance towards strangers or even acquaintances had heightened to the point where any interaction could reveal something that might bring trouble.
The residents' behavior was increasingly resembling Mu Nan's memories from his past life, and those who had managed to grab supplies from online supermarkets were now wrapping their purchases tightly in black plastic bags. On their way home, they moved cautiously as if they were thieves, fearing that others would see what they had bought. People were torn between the desire to stockpile supplies and the fear of being noticed for hoarding.
Qin Huai and Mu Nan had stopped buying things long ago. They had almost spent all their money, with only a few thousand left, which couldn't buy much now. As everyone became more cautious, it was time for them to keep a low profile and stay indoors.
The lines for collecting supplies still had to be waited in, but now the gaps between people were widening, reflecting a general wariness of strangers. For young people who had never experienced such a sudden shift, the abrupt change made Xu Ming and Yu Zibai anxious. They even felt a sense of panic that the country might not be able to withstand the current crisis.
Jian Chu had also become more silent than when Mu Nan last saw him. Mu Nan glanced at them but said nothing. Such silence was indeed stifling and suffocating, but it was a necessary process when the familiar world was shattered.
After Qin Huai collected the supplies, the soldier he had previously contacted gave him a signal, and Qin Huai followed him to the side to talk. Mu Nan saw that the soldier handed Qin Huai something, but he didn't ask any questions when Qin Huai came back, it wasn't a place for conversation.
On the way back, Jian Chu finally broke the silence, "Do you think life will be like this from now on?"
Mu Nan thought it would only get worse, but he couldn't say that aloud. Instead, he reassured Jian Chu, "Maybe it will turn into a nighttime world. Technology might develop to the point where huge energy shields will be erected over cities to block out the excessive heat of the sun. Over time, it might evolve into technological cities. No matter what, as long as humanity doesn't become extinct, we'll find a way to adapt."
Jian Chu smiled at Mu Nan's optimistic vision and said, "And thanks for reminding us to keep the cat litter."
Mu Nan looked at Jian Chu and asked, "Is it useful?"
Jian Chu's face turned slightly red, but he nodded. "It's very useful. It's much better than using the public restroom. We don't have to endure the horrible conditions anymore. Though the cat litter is limited, we need to use it sparingly. Fortunately, we had bought a box of trash bags during a promotion. Even so, we have to conserve those as well. Life is really tough."
After returning home, Mu Nan quickly asked Qin Huai, "What did that person want from you?"
Qin Huai replied, "I provided some clues, and there's a reward. He gave me a contact number and asked me to add him."
Mu Nan asked, "A reward? What could it be? I hope it's not money. We've barely managed to spend most of it."
Qin Huai shook his head. "It probably won't be money. Money isn't worth much now. If it were money, we wouldn't want it, it's not worth the trouble of going out to collect it. Nan Nan, did you ever dream about the government's base? Did you see what it was like inside? If everyone goes to the base, will the houses that weren't damaged in the earthquake be left empty?"
Mu Nan said, "Not all of them will be empty. Not everyone chooses to live in the base."
Mu Nan opened his computer and found a real-time map of their city. Based on his memory, he located the area that would later be designated as the government's base: "It's here."
Mu Nan drew a rough circle on the map. "It's roughly this area. You see, this area is full of buildings under construction. These houses are equipped with floor heating, but it's gas heating. It seems they're being converted to electric heating. I remember later seeing that this area was leveled and a solar power station was built here to supply electricity to the whole district."
In his previous life, Mu Nan had entered a government base, but he went there too late. Initially, he had entered a private base, which offered good conditions with water and electricity. However, since it was private, it was unstable. Later, he had no choice but to join the government base, but by then, the better accommodation was already full. Being alone and with limited labor, he couldn't trade his space food for new currency to pay for rent, so he had to stay in a makeshift shelter on the ground.
During that winter, if he hadn't hidden from people and eaten high-calorie food to keep warm, he might not have survived the winter. But even if he had survived winter, he didn't make it through the summer. Few people with space would end up like him.
After his rebirth, he had considered buying or renting property in the base area, but the area he remembered was still under construction and not yet available. He was unsure if the buildings were rebuilt after the earthquake or modified later. The reality didn't quite match his memories, so he was hesitant to buy or rent, fearing that the place might collapse if his luck was bad.
Qin Huai looked at Mu Nan, who was lost in thought, and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Mu Nan replied, "I was thinking that if it weren't for you, I would probably be having a hard time."
Qin Huai smiled and said, "It's actually because of you that I'm doing well. I'm relying on you now."
Seeing that Qin Huai was asking about the base, Mu Nan got back to the main topic. "Are you looking to exchange for a spot in the base?"
Qin Huai said, "Besides that, we don't need much else at the moment. If the base housing has heating, it would definitely be better to live there. Regardless of how good the heating is, it's better than the cold here. I'm just not sure if the houses there are available for purchase or only for rent."
Although Mu Nan wasn't entirely sure, most of the bases later relied on rental housing. Given the increasing instability due to frequent natural disasters, especially after a major earthquake, people were worried that if they bought a house and then lost everything, they would have no way to survive. Therefore, many chose to rent instead, using the new currency introduced by the government. This new currency could be obtained by scavenging supplies outside or by finding work in the base. However, the supply of scavenged goods was limited and couldn't regenerate on its own, so most people ended up doing laborious work in the base, which didn't require specialized skills—just endurance to avoid starvation.
Understanding a bit more about the future bases, Qin Huai took out a note with a phone number and added the contact on WeChat. Presumably, the contact was waiting for him, as the request was quickly accepted. The WeChat profile picture showed a back view of someone in military uniform, and the name seemed to be the person's real name: Shi Yuanfei. Once Qin Huai's friend request was accepted, Shi Yuanfei sent a message: "Hello, my name is Shi Yuanfei. Thank you for providing useful information this time. The authorities have decided to award the informant accordingly. If you have any special requests, you can also mention them, and we will consider reporting them."
Qin Huai replied, "Hello, I'm Qin Huai. I'd like to know what the reward is if there are no special requests."
Shi Yuanfei responded, "Given the current situation, the reward will most likely be food, possibly 5,000 pounds of rice."
5,000 pounds of rice would be a very practical reward if considering it as a person's food supply. However, if the population is small and rice is consumed slowly, it might spoil or become a target for theft if stored at home. This is probably why they mention that it can be exchanged for special needs. After the recent frenzy of stockpiling, while the city dwellers might not have hoarded as much as those in rural areas, food isn't as scarce as it used to be.
Qin Huai said, "Can the reward be kept for now? It would be difficult for me to store so much rice."
Shi Yuanfei replied, "Yes, you can contact me anytime if needed. If I am reassigned, I will ensure your situation is handed over properly."
Qin Huai thanked him, and the conversation ended briskly. Mu Nan, who had been watching the whole exchange, remarked, "5,000 pounds of rice. I didn't expect such an unexpected gain. Doesn't this tell us that we should strive to be good people?" Even for a large household, 5,000 pounds of rice could last several years, and it could be traded for other things. According to past values, 5,000 pounds might not be worth much, but now, it was a substantial fortune, and the reward was indeed generous.
Qin Huai said, "Being a good person is about acting within one's means. For now, we don't need the rice."
Mu Nan hesitated, "But if we can't find anyone after the earthquake, won't that rice be lost too?"
It wasn't unreasonable for him to think this way. The earthquake was not just a local or provincial issue, but a national one. There were always uncertainties, and with communication cut off after the earthquake, finding people would be a challenge.
Qin Huai reassured him, "Don't worry. As long as the government hasn't collapsed, people can still be found. If one person isn't available, there will be others."
Seeing that Qin Huai had made up his mind, Mu Nan stopped worrying. After all, Qin Huai's thoughts were always more far-reaching than his own, which saved him some concern.