Since his parents weren’t home, Lin Po scavenged some ingredients from the fridge and cooked a simple bowl of noodles. He also fed a few grains of rice to “Brother Chicken” in its cage. While eating, he browsed forums for survival gear recommendations for the end of the world. To his surprise, he found several comprehensive lists.
It made sense; whether in film or literature, there was no shortage of post-apocalyptic creative works. There were even dedicated survivalist groups. Lin Po figured those people would probably fare quite well in the future environment.
He had already purchased most of the items mentioned in the threads. The remaining items were things an ordinary person like him couldn’t easily obtain. Fortunately, China was a country with strict gun control. Most people didn’t have access to high-powered weaponry; otherwise, the death toll among those who hadn’t awakened abilities would have been even higher during the subsequent chaotic infighting.
Thinking of this, Lin Po subconsciously touched the amber necklace hanging around his neck. He had worn it since he was a child and had never thought it particularly special. It didn’t even contain a fossilized insect or a leaf—just a faint, ghostly green swirl that looked quite ordinary. Now, it was a priceless treasure. Having a storage space would make everything much easier in the future.
He recalled the burning sensation on his neck when he first woke up, right where the amber touched his skin. Perhaps his rebirth was deeply connected to this piece of jewelry. He tucked the amber back inside his shirt; no matter what happened, he had to keep it safe.
After finishing his noodles, Lin Po decided to head back out. Besides the supplies he bought that morning, he needed to find other items: protective gear, helmets, and iron tools. Sometimes, the most useful items weren’t sold as “weapons” but were tucked away in hardware or specialty stores.
He spent the rest of the day wandering through various markets. If he saw something that looked remotely useful, he bought it. He also stocked up on common medicines. Prescription drugs were hard to get, but over-the-counter ones were easy to buy in bulk. He didn’t need a massive amount; once survivors awakened their abilities, their physical constitutions would improve drastically. Minor aches and pains wouldn’t be an issue. The real problem was infection, which ordinary medicine couldn’t cure. Only an encounter with a high-level Healer-type ability user could save a life in that scenario.
However, the price for a high-level Healer’s services was steep. Furthermore, even if the infection was stopped, the parts of the body that had already begun to mutate wouldn’t recover. Because of this, many people eventually gave up on treatment. Once treated, the effectiveness of their own abilities would drop significantly, making it nearly impossible to survive in the resource-scarce, treacherous world.
Even close relatives found it difficult to care for someone whose abilities had weakened under the constant pressure of zombies and food shortages. Most survival bases didn’t support “dead weight.” Lin Po couldn’t say whether such choices were right or wrong, but he had seen too much helplessness. If medicine for the extraterrestrial virus could be developed sooner, perhaps humanity could advance to a higher level.
After a two-hour drive, Lin Chuansen and Wang Yurong arrived back in their village at noon. Xiping Village was well-situated, surrounded by mountains and fields, with roads that had been paved long ago. Conditions weren’t bad, but because there was no local pillar industry, the youth were unwilling to farm and mostly left to work in the cities.
When these workers saved enough money, they usually returned home to build houses. Xiping Village was filled with self-built homes that the government had helped plan, giving the area a “garden villa” feel.
The Lin family house was somewhat isolated. Their original plot of land sat right next to their own fields and mountain. When they renovated, Lin Chuansen chose to stay there because it was quiet and the air was fresh—perfect for retirement. One neighbor had moved to the city to help their son with the grandchildren, and another had moved into town. The old houses remained empty, so almost no one ever passed by this area. Consequently, very few people knew the Lins were back.
As they neared the entrance, Wang Yurong found the remote for the electric gate. She pressed it, drove the truck straight inside, and immediately closed the gate behind them. It would be hard to explain if someone saw them hauling such a massive load of goods.
Neither of them had ever been this cautious in their lives; they felt like thieves entering their own home. Only after the gate was securely shut did Wang Yurong pat her chest and exhale. “This is too much stress. I was terrified of seeing a familiar face the moment we entered the village. Luckily, everyone was busy with their own work.”
Lin Chuansen unbuckled his seatbelt and checked their position. “It’s a good thing we built the first floor with a high ceiling so the truck could fit inside. Otherwise, we’d have to leave it in the yard.” A yard in the country usually had low walls, and anyone passing by would be able to see the cargo.
They immediately began unloading. The house was three stories tall. The first floor featured a spacious living room without furniture, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a storage room. The second floor had several bedrooms, and the third floor was an empty attic.
Wang Yurong initially wanted to put everything in the storage room, but Lin Chuansen stopped her.
“There are plenty of people in our village,” he whispered. “Even though many work away, some young people stayed. If what our son said is true and they can’t find food, they might try to rob others. If we put everything on the first floor, it’ll be too easy to find.”
Wang Yurong agreed. They decided not to put all their eggs in one basket. They moved like ants, transferring some items to a spare bedroom and the rest to the attic. Only a small amount was left in the first-floor storage room. By the time they finished, both were drenched in sweat and collapsed onto the floor.
“I’m choosing to believe our son now,” Wang Yurong panted. “Otherwise, all this hard work would be for nothing.”
“I should have had him come back with me,” Lin Chuansen said, looking at her. “I was afraid you were going to break your back carrying those sacks.”
“Forget it,” she waved him off. “I did plenty of farm work when I was young. Carrying a hundred pounds of rice during harvest didn’t break me then, and it won’t now.”
Lin Chuansen grew serious. “It’s different now. Think about what our son said about his dream. If we actually run into those things… do you think we’ll have the courage to fight?”
Wang Yurong fell silent. Truthfully, she didn’t know. Facing zombies—creatures that were human yet not human—how were they supposed to protect themselves?
Lin Chuansen suddenly sat up. “I’ve got it. I’ll go to the blacksmith’s shop later and buy a few shovels. In a fight, an inch of length provides an inch of strength. We can’t find spears, so we’ll use shovels instead.”
A new shovel is incredibly sharp, with a cold, polished silver edge. Since they are designed to cut through packed soil, they are very sturdy. Lin Chuansen had watched a few zombie movies and knew they were slow due to stiff joints. As ordinary people, they wouldn’t have an advantage in a direct brawl, but the long handle of a shovel would be perfect for keeping a zombie at a distance. He didn’t want his son to be a hero; he just wanted them to stay alive.
Wang Yurong praised him, “I didn’t think you were that smart, but you’ve actually got some good ideas.”
Lin Chuansen’s face turned red at the compliment, and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
While his parents were bonding, Lin Po was caught in a dilemma. He had confessed to Yun Zhuan, resolving his past regret, but a new problem had arisen: How could he convince Yun Zhuan to come to the countryside with him?
He couldn’t stand by and watch Yun Zhuan fall into danger. However, he had just confessed. He wasn’t sure what Yun Zhuan was thinking. If he invited him to his hometown now, would he be rejected?
Furthermore, there was his parents’ side. Lin Po hadn’t officially come out to them yet. Before this, he hadn’t met anyone he liked, so he simply kept his orientation to himself to avoid their nagging. But in this critical moment, if he brought Yun Zhuan back, his parents would surely realize Yun Zhuan was special. Even if they didn’t immediately guess his orientation, wouldn’t they be suspicious or uneasy?
Unable to find a perfect solution, he hesitated to extend the invitation. However, to keep track of Yun Zhuan’s whereabouts, he sent a text:
“Will you be at school for the next few days?”
Yun Zhuan had been waiting for a message all morning. He felt that since Lin Po had finally reached out with his “feelings,” he shouldn’t send anything that might scare him off. If anyone knew what he was thinking, they would wonder why the usually brilliant Yun Zhuan was being so dense. Someone had confessed to him, yet he hadn’t sent a single follow-up—wasn’t that the definition of a cold shoulder?
Fortunately, Lin Po was too busy to wallow in romantic angst, so he wasn’t hurt by Yun Zhuan’s “considerate” silence.
Receiving the text, Yun Zhuan replied immediately: “The museum in H Province is putting a rare artifact on display. I was planning to go see it.”
After hitting send, he hesitated, then added: “Do you want to come along?”
A moment later, a reply popped up: “Do you want to come play at my hometown for a bit?”
Yun Zhuan: !!!
Is it already time to meet the parents? Yun Zhuan wondered if his junior was moving a bit too fast. He still hadn’t decided if his “like” was the romantic kind.
But Lin Po quickly sent another follow-up: “I don’t mean anything by it. There’s an old temple in my hometown. It’s quite ancient and has a lot of old artifacts inside. I thought you’d like it.”