May 15, 2035, Overcast.
Tianhai City, Tianhai University.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
Huang Ming slowly woke up to the sound of sharp knocks on his door. Glancing at the clock, it was only 6 a.m. He groaned, annoyed, and shouted toward the door,
"Who is it? It's so early! Can't you give it a rest?"
*Knock, knock, knock.*
"Seriously, who is it?"
Still, no one answered, but the knocking continued, the rhythm growing more urgent. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Huang Ming stumbled to the door and peered through the peephole. Outside stood a girl, her face filled with panic, her eyes darting around as if she were being watched.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
She kept pounding on the door, her urgency unmistakable. Huang Ming thought to himself that if this wasn't something serious, he wouldn't let her off the hook for disturbing his sleep.
As soon as he opened the door, she slipped inside and slammed it shut behind her. She let out a long sigh, as if she had just escaped death itself.
"Hey, what's your problem? It's so early! Do you have no manners?" Huang Ming snapped, irritated.
When she turned around, Huang Ming's groggy eyes finally recognized her—it was his girlfriend, Gao Weiwei.
Weiwei looked at him like he was an idiot, leaving Huang Ming completely baffled.
"Huang Ming, it's the apocalypse outside, and you're still sleeping? Just check your phone!"
"Hahaha! Weiwei, are you here to tell me a joke this early in the morning?" Huang Ming yawned lazily.
Weiwei ignored him and walked straight to the window. She pulled back the curtains and pointed outside, gesturing for him to come and see.
Huang Ming stood still for a few seconds, then slowly walked over. When he looked out the window, the scene before him was something he had only ever seen in TV shows.
The campus was in complete chaos. Most people had turned into zombies, and the streets were littered with blood, severed limbs, and carnage.
The zombies were frantically chasing the few remaining survivors, their screams echoing everywhere. It was a horrifying sight.
Huang Ming stared in disbelief, his mind reeling. By the time he snapped out of it, Weiwei was already sitting on the couch, her face pale and pained.
As he got closer, he noticed her lips were slightly purple, her dark circles heavy, and beads of sweat forming on her forehead. His eyes scanned her body, and he spotted two faint scratches on her arm. The wounds had turned purple, almost black.
Huang Ming's heart sank.
*Oh no... Did she get scratched by one of those zombies outside? But she's my girlfriend... How can I just kick her out? What should I do?*
He tried to stay calm, but panic was bubbling beneath the surface.
As Huang Ming hesitated, time ticked by. Before he could make a decision, Weiwei's body suddenly began to convulse violently. He stumbled back in shock.
Moments later, Weiwei staggered to her feet, her face twisted into a grotesque snarl as she lunged at Huang Ming.
Now a zombie, she pounced on him, catching him completely off guard. They tumbled to the ground, wrestling fiercely.
She desperately tried to bite him, but Huang Ming dodged her attacks, punching her head repeatedly. After what felt like an eternity, a thick, pinkish liquid splattered everywhere.
The stench of decay assaulted his senses as he slowly got up from the floor. But before he could even feel relief, he noticed the scratch on his arm—she had infected him.
"Hahaha..."
Huang Ming laughed bitterly, tilting his head back. "Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. I got infected by my own girlfriend."
He sat quietly on the couch, waiting for the inevitable countdown to his death.
Soon, his consciousness felt like it was being invaded, replaced. His sense of self faded as his body convulsed and twisted in agony. His face contorted in pain and despair.
But then—
A sharp gasp.
Huang Ming jolted awake, sitting up in bed, breathing heavily.
"That... was... a dream?"
His forehead was damp with sweat, his chest heaving. He got up, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and gulped down half of it before finally calming down.
He checked his phone. It was May 1st, 6 a.m.
Suddenly remembering something, he rushed to the window and pulled back the curtains.
The campus was quiet, with only a few students out for their morning jog.
When he looked at the orange glow on the horizon, his eyes stung, as if something inside him was stirring—a strange, indescribable feeling.
Following this sensation, Huang Ming suddenly found his consciousness entering a vast, endless white void.
"What the hell?"
"Is this another dimension? Was that not just a dream? Did I... get reborn? Did I gain some kind of spatial ability?"
Huang Ming's excitement grew. He tried storing the couch in front of him into this space, and sure enough, the couch vanished in an instant.
With just a thought, the couch reappeared in its original spot.
After experimenting with other furniture and appliances, Huang Ming confirmed it—he had awakened a spatial ability.
This made him even more certain that it wasn't just a dream. He had been reborn 15 days before the apocalypse.
Naked, Huang Ming muttered to himself,
"So, on May 15th at 6 a.m., Weiwei will come knocking again, right?"
"But how did the zombie virus start? Why was I reborn? Is this spatial ability connected to the disaster?"
A flood of questions overwhelmed his mind, his brain working overtime but finding no answers.
Then, Huang Ming realized he was missing something even more important—how to survive the apocalypse. He stroked his chin, deep in thought.
"First, I need to secure my safety. With less than 15 days left, building a safe room is out of the question. I'll reinforce my doors and windows for now and look for a better shelter later."
"Next is supplies. With this powerful spatial ability, I don't have to worry about storage space. I should use this time to gather as many resources as possible."
The spatial dimension was static—anything stored inside would remain exactly as it was when taken out.
The list of supplies was extensive: food, clothing, shelter, transportation, energy, materials, medicine, machinery, weapons, and more. He grabbed a piece of A4 paper and started jotting everything down.
Huang Ming continued experimenting with his spatial ability, testing its limits.
"My spatial ability works with just a thought. I can store stationary objects from a distance without needing to touch them. At my current level, I should be able to manage up to 10 meters or so." His tone was firm, his eyes gleaming with determination.
After breakfast, Huang Ming headed to Tianhai Pharmacy.
Hands in his pockets, he casually walked past the entrance, but the shelves inside seemed to lose a few items.
He moved through the crowds, taking whatever he needed as he went, his haul growing by the minute.
Over the next 15 days, while the city buzzed with rumors of mysterious thefts, no one suspected him. Who would think a young guy strolling around with his hands in his pockets could be responsible for so many disappearances?
At lunchtime, Huang Ming visited several high-end restaurants. He walked in like any other customer, but many of the freshly prepared dishes or meals on carts mysteriously vanished.
Huang Ming wasn't worried. Even if someone investigated, the places were always crowded, and he looked completely calm and innocent. No one would suspect him.
Just as Huang Ming was about to leave one of the restaurants, he spotted a familiar figure stepping out of a Porsche.