Around ten that night, the windows suddenly began banging loudly. Ling Lan hurried over to look outside and saw that a fierce wind had started blowing.
She carefully closed all the windows in the apartment. Not long afterward, heavy rain began pounding outside, and the temperature suddenly dropped.
By eleven o’clock, the temperature had fallen directly from thirty degrees Celsius to seven degrees Celsius.
Ling Lan quickly put on a coat, replaced the bedding on her bed with a thick quilt, and turned the air conditioner up to thirty degrees.
Listening to the wind and rain outside, Ling Lan knew that this sudden drop in temperature was only the beginning.
The next morning, the temperature outside had actually fallen to minus three degrees Celsius. This was September, yet the temperature had already dropped below freezing.
The news on her phone reminded all citizens to pay attention to their safety because of the severe weather.
The rain was still falling outside. After eating breakfast, Ling Lan and Ling Yun obediently stayed at home.
With nothing else to do, Ling Lan used two large pots to boil eggs. She then accompanied her brother downstairs to visit Grandma Tian for a while.
By the afternoon, the electricity in the apartment building went out.
Fortunately, the internet was still working. A news notification on her phone informed citizens that because of the weather, the electrical system could not be repaired temporarily and everyone was asked to wait patiently.
After reading the news, Ling Lan opened WeChat and discovered several messages.
One was from her aunt Li Wanhua, telling the siblings to move out as soon as possible because she would come to collect the apartment in a few days.
Another was from her uncle Xu Jian. He had sent them a red envelope containing eight hundred and eighty eight yuan and told the siblings to buy themselves some good food.
Tsk, that couple really knew how to ruin her mood. Ling Lan blocked both of them immediately. She would let the apocalypse teach them a lesson.
There was also a message from her roommate Xia Xia, asking when Ling Lan would return to school.
Ling Lan replied that there were some family matters to deal with and that it would be a while before she returned.
She would not tell anyone that the apocalypse was coming. Other than being treated like an idiot, nobody would believe her.
Besides, once the apocalypse arrived, those who could survive would survive, while those who could not would still die even if they had been warned in advance.
Putting down her phone, Ling Lan took a flashlight downstairs and knocked on Grandma Tian’s door.
The door opened, and Grandma Tian came out wearing a padded jacket.
She typed on her old fashioned mobile phone and showed the message to Ling Lan.
“Xiao Lan, what happened?”
“Nothing, Grandma Tian. Put a few extra quilts on your bed tonight so you do not get cold. Do you have candles and a flashlight at home?”
“Yes, thank you!”
Grandma Tian smiled warmly and gently patted Ling Lan’s head. This child was truly well behaved.
“If you need anything, send me a message, okay?”
“Okay.”
After returning from Grandma Tian’s apartment, Ling Lan quickly drank a cup of hot water before crawling into bed and going to sleep.
When she woke up early the next morning, the rain still had not stopped.
The temperature continued to fall, and there was still no electricity.
The news announced that schools and factories would close temporarily and advised everyone to avoid going outside as much as possible.
Even after putting on thick clothes, Ling Lan still felt cold, and her hands and feet were freezing.
Little Ling Yun woke up as well, his cheeks rosy from sleep.
Ling Lan quickly put a thick down jacket on him. It would be troublesome if he caught a cold.
“Xiao Yun, you do not have to go to school today. Stay home and play, okay?”
“Okay.”
His soft little voice sounded incredibly sweet.
Ling Lan cooked a pot of plain rice porridge and took out some leek pancakes she had already prepared from the refrigerator and heated them up. That was enough for a simple breakfast.
It was simply too cold. Her hands were so frozen that she did not even want to take them out from under the covers.
After the siblings finished eating, one continued processing the food at home while the other held a carrot and fed the little white rabbit.
At six in the evening, the storm finally stopped. However, snow began falling, and the temperature started dropping sharply again.
The residents of the apartment complex were delighted by the snowfall.
Even though they were freezing, they still went outside to look at the snow.
People from the south rarely saw snow, so their excitement was understandable.
Ling Lan and Ling Yun also wrapped themselves up tightly and ran to the rooftop to watch the snow.
By nightfall, the outdoor temperature had dropped to minus ten degrees Celsius.
It was so cold that Ling Lan and her brother could only curl up under the blankets.
Fortunately, she had bought plenty of down quilts. She put all of them on the bed and filled two hand warmers with hot water. The bed became warm and cozy.
She had also bought a second hand tablet earlier and downloaded plenty of cartoons in advance. She could not let the child become too bored, although she would not allow Ling Yun to watch for too long.
When she picked up her phone, Ling Lan saw that people in the apartment complex group chat were cursing and complaining. The weather was far too abnormal, and some people were even asking whether the end of the world was coming.
Some people had also started exchanging supplies in the group chat. Since nobody could go outside, everyone could exchange whatever supplies they had for things they needed.
Early the next morning, Ling Lan discovered that the faucet had frozen. Not a single drop of water could be released.
Even the water she had collected in buckets had frozen. She quickly took out a bucket of hot water she had prepared and stored in her spatial storage, then used it to wash and cook.
The snow outside was incredibly deep. Perhaps because everyone still had some supplies stockpiled, very few people were willing to leave their homes.
On the third day of the extreme cold, the snow on the ground had already reached people’s stomachs.
Cars and pedestrians could no longer travel, and all the shops had closed.
There was certainly no possibility of getting food delivered.
Before long, people in the apartment complex group chat began saying that they had run out of food and wanted to buy some with money. However, nobody had extra food to sell.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
Ling Lan heard the knocking and assumed it was Grandma Tian. But when she opened the door, she saw Zhang Ling from the third floor standing outside, wrapped up tightly.
“Is something wrong?”
Zhang Ling was the person who had just asked in the residents’ group chat if anyone was willing to sell food.
“Little girl, do you have any extra food at home? I can pay you for it.”
Ling Lan was not close to her and did not want to exchange food for money. What use was money to her? Food was the most valuable thing now.
Seeing the woman constantly looking inside the apartment, Ling Lan frowned.
“Sorry, but I do not have any extra food at home either.”
“I will pay you twice the usual price. How about that?”
“We do not even have enough for ourselves. No amount of money would make a difference.”
The woman’s expression became unpleasant after hearing this, but she did not argue. She turned around and began knocking on another neighbor’s door.
Thinking of Grandma Tian downstairs, Ling Lan quickly sent her a message and reminded her never to give her food to anyone.
At noon, Ling Lan made a simple beef porridge and fried several egg pancakes. The siblings enjoyed a warm meal together.
When their grandmother was still alive, the family had not eaten particularly well. Ling Yun was very thin and short for his age.
Now that she had the chance, Ling Lan wanted to give Ling Yun plenty of nutritious food and make sure his body and immunity became stronger.
Otherwise, getting sick during the apocalypse would be extremely troublesome.
On the seventh day of the extreme cold, people’s patience had reached its limit. Many families had completely run out of food.
People cursed at one another in the residents’ group chat every day, and arguments could be heard throughout the apartment complex. Everyone was already close to breaking down.
The mental torment caused by the cold and shortage of supplies could easily push people to extremes.
A sharp scream suddenly shattered the residents’ final sense of security.
“Help! Someone has broken into my home and is robbing us!”
People had already started breaking into homes to rob them. Ling Lan quickly secured all the doors and windows in her apartment and then pushed a table firmly against the door.
She sent a message to Grandma Tian, telling her never to open the door under any circumstances and to contact her immediately if anything happened.
The residents’ group chat exploded.
A family in Building Two had not only had their food stolen, but the husband had also been beaten and injured. His wife had called the police, but nobody had come even after all this time.
After this incident, many people in the apartment complex became restless.
Someone even began smashing the door of Grandma Tian’s apartment, where she lived alone.
Ling Lan heard the sound of the door being smashed downstairs and immediately grabbed the pepper spray before going downstairs.
The people smashing the door were none other than Zhang Ling and her husband.
“What are you doing?”
Zhang Ling’s husband stopped what he was doing. When he saw that Ling Lan was alone, he viciously warned her not to interfere.
“Ahhhhhhh!”
Without wasting any words, Ling Lan sprayed pepper spray directly into the man’s eyes.
After a sharp scream, Zhang Ling’s husband covered his eyes in agony.
“You stinking woman, what are you doing?”
Zhang Ling helped her husband up and cursed as she supported him while he cried out in pain, rushing back toward their apartment.
Ling Lan repeatedly reminded Grandma Tian not to open the door easily before returning to her own apartment.
On the tenth day of the extreme cold, the sun came out and the ice and snow slowly began to melt. Everyone finally saw hope again.
However, some people felt that the weather was far too strange. It had still been freezing in the morning, yet by noon the temperature had risen to twenty degrees Celsius.
By the afternoon, the roads were already clear enough for vehicles to travel, and both the electricity and water supply had been restored.
The area outside the apartment complex became extremely lively. People rushed outside one after another to buy supplies.
After being trapped at home for so long, everyone naturally wanted to go on a massive shopping spree.
Many people also rushed into hospitals in a panic because countless people had fallen ill.
Ling Lan took her brother downstairs to play for a while because she was afraid that he would become bored staying at home for too long.
Looking at the lively scene around the apartment complex, she let out a soft sigh. After tonight, such a lively scene would never be seen again.
Ring, ring, ring.
Her phone rang.
Ling Lan looked at the caller ID and saw that it was her aunt Li Wanhua.
“Ling Lan, how dare you block me and your uncle? Tomorrow morning at nine, you and your brother had better move out of the apartment.
Otherwise, I will come over and throw all your things outside myself!”
“Fine. Come tomorrow and collect the apartment. But I suggest you look in the mirror first and see whether you have a green head.”
“What do you mean? Hello? Hello?”
Grandma Tian had been feeling unwell these past two days. She asked Ling Lan to help her buy some medicine and food because she was also running low on supplies at home.
“Grandma Tian, the weather is abnormal. Why don’t you stockpile more food and water? Use whatever money you have and buy as much as possible.”
Ever since Ling Lan had told her to stockpile food the last time, Grandma Tian had trusted her completely. She took out all her savings, twenty thousand yuan, and asked Ling Lan to decide what to buy.
Ling Lan first gave Grandma Tian some fever medicine. She then went out and bought the blood pressure medicine that Grandma Tian regularly took.
She spent the remaining money on food and water.
In the pitch black night, with no moon in the sky, the darkness suddenly lit up.
A white light illuminated the sky. Many people on the streets were still holding up their phones and taking pictures. Then the sky suddenly darkened again.
Looking at her sleeping brother, Ling Lan locked herself inside the kitchen.
The next moment, it felt as though needles were stabbing into her head, and she fainted.
She did not know how much time had passed before Ling Lan slowly regained consciousness. Just like in her previous life, she had not evolved into a zombie.
She hurriedly pushed open the door and saw that Ling Yun had not yet awakened. Her heart immediately rose into her throat.
When she was still one meter away from the bed, Ling Lan held a sharp Tang Dao in her hand and stared intently at the little boy lying on the bed.
Suddenly, the little boy opened his eyes. He rubbed his head and then looked at his sister standing beside the bed.
“Sis.”
Ling Lan finally let out a breath of relief and lowered the Tang Dao in her hand.
She hugged her younger brother tightly, so emotional that she almost cried.
“Ahhhhhhh!”
A miserable scream pierced through the night sky and startled the little boy in Ling Lan’s arms.
Ling Lan gently patted her brother’s back and comforted him, telling him to go back to sleep.
She raised her head and picked up the telescope to look outside the window. Zombies had already appeared on the streets, crazily tearing into pedestrians.
Anyone bitten by a zombie could become infected in less than half an hour.
The number of zombies would only continue to increase.
After the little boy fell asleep again, Ling Lan washed her face with cold water and drank a cup of green tea to wake herself up.
Screams and roars constantly echoed around her. Even though she had become accustomed to such sounds in her previous life, Ling Lan still could not stop herself from trembling as she hugged her body.
“Lan’er, live well.”
Her grandmother’s voice echoed in her mind.
Ling Lan took out her grandmother’s photograph from her spatial storage.
She stared at it for a long time, drawing strength from the memory before finally calming herself down.
She took out her helmet from the spatial storage and wrapped her body tightly with adhesive tape. She also put on thick leather gloves.
Holding her Tang Dao, she opened the door and carefully poked her head outside. She quickly looked around and saw someone at the end of the hallway.
The person had his back toward Ling Lan. His body was bent almost completely over, swaying strangely from side to side.
Suddenly, the man stopped moving and straightened his body. Then he turned around and looked at Ling Lan.
The thing with blood covering its face and white eyes was obviously a zombie.
The man smelled the scent of a living human and roared as he charged toward Ling Lan.
Ling Lan swallowed nervously and waited until the zombie was only one meter away. She quickly pulled the door open and swung her Tang Dao down toward the zombie’s head.
Her first strike only cut away a piece of flesh from the zombie’s neck. It was still alive.
The monster could not feel pain and roared as it lunged toward Ling Lan again.
She swung the blade down once more with all her strength and finally severed the zombie’s head.
The zombie’s body collapsed, while its head rolled to her feet.
Suppressing her nausea, Ling Lan struck the back of the zombie’s head again and rummaged through the mass of brain matter until she pulled out a crystal about the size of a fingernail.
After obtaining what she wanted, Ling Lan quickly closed the door and pushed a table against it to secure it firmly.
Not long afterward, footsteps and zombie roars came from the hallway.
Ling Lan let out a long breath, walked into the bathroom, washed the crystal in her hand, and swallowed it in one gulp.
She locked the bathroom door and quietly waited.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Three minutes.
Thump, thump, thump.
Ling Lan’s nervous heart was pounding so hard that it felt as though it would jump out of her chest.
“Ahhhhhhh!”
Ling Lan bit down hard on a towel, not daring to make the slightest sound.
Her body began convulsing. Her muscles hurt, and her head felt as though it were splitting apart. After enduring unbearable pain that pushed her body beyond its limits, she finally passed out.
She did not know how much time had passed before Ling Lan regained consciousness.
She took out a bottle of mineral water from her spatial storage and drank it all in one go.
After resting for a while, she stood up from the floor and pushed open the bathroom door.
When she stepped outside again, Ling Lan saw two more zombies wandering through the hallway. When they heard the door open, they roared and charged toward the scent of a living human.
This time, Ling Lan chose to attack first. She raised her Tang Dao and chopped down on the head of the nearest zombie.
Her strength had indeed increased. This time, a single strike was enough to sever the zombie’s head.
The other zombie rushed toward her as well. Ling Lan turned sideways to avoid it, circled around the zombie, and struck it in the head from behind.
She carried the two zombie heads back into her apartment and began digging out the crystals.
The second time she swallowed a crystal, her body’s reaction was not nearly as intense as the first time. Instead, she felt incredibly excited, as though her adrenaline was surging.
Ling Lan smiled with the corners of her mouth raised.
The crystals were truly valuable. Before the zombies underwent their second evolution, she had to kill as many of them as possible and collect as many crystals as she could.
Once humans discovered the use of these crystals, obtaining them would not be nearly this easy.
Outside the apartment complex, people were constantly trying to escape.
The scent of living humans attracted most of the zombies.
The building where Ling Lan lived had six floors. It was an old building without an elevator, and their apartment was on the fourth floor.
There were four apartments on this floor. Only the apartment closest to the staircase had its door open.
There were bloodstains everywhere inside, and belongings were scattered across the floor. Ling Lan entered with her knife in hand and immediately saw a corpse that had been eaten. Its intestines were spread across the floor.
Having experienced the apocalypse before, Ling Lan did not feel much emotional fluctuation anymore.
She struck the corpse’s head with her knife, but there was no crystal inside.
This had been an ordinary human who had never been infected.
There was plenty of food in the kitchen, which had probably been purchased by the owner earlier that day.
Ling Lan put the food into the empty space she had just cleared out. She had no need for anything else.
As she left, she casually carried the table from one of the bedrooms and placed it at the staircase leading from the third floor to the fourth floor.
Ling Lan carefully made her way toward the fifth floor.
As soon as she reached the corner, she saw a zombie lying on the floor and eating a corpse.
Ling Lan took one large step forward and chopped off the zombie’s head.
Splatter.
The zombie’s head fell to the ground.
After searching the fourth floor, Ling Lan dug the crystals out of the two zombie heads and put them into her pocket.