Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Confronted with a three-year-old too terrified to cry, Ji Yanqing was at a loss for how to console him.

He placed the biscuit beside the child’s foot before rising. "Eat if you’re hungry."

With that said, Ji Yanqing took his axe and turned to walk away.

Having decided to camp here, he needed to ensure it was safe. He resolved to take another round around the vicinity.

The previous Survival Team had camped here, indicating that the place should be secure, but Ji Yanqing trusted his own judgment more.

Xia Shenshu and the others noticed this and began checking their surroundings as well.

The area was filled with unfinished high-rise buildings. From afar, they appeared verdant, like sprouting buds brimming with life in a steel jungle. Yet beneath the green camouflage lay cores of steel and concrete.

Ji Yanqing silently returned to the corner where he had encountered the zombie. There were no new zombies there, suggesting that there weren’t many in the vicinity.

Relieved, he followed the shade back into the building.

This row of houses had just been poured with floors and constructed with load-bearing pillars. Most areas were still empty, lacking walls and only covered by a layer of green protective netting outside.

After circling through the pile of construction materials on the ground floor, Ji Yanqing found the stairs leading upstairs and proceeded upward.

Upon reaching the second floor, he observed that it was particularly spacious and quiet.

Ji Yanqing moved as cautiously as possible as he toured the second floor, then went up to the roof to check. Confident that the entire building was free of zombies, he descended.

Below, Sun Haifeng, who was injured and hadn’t joined the inspection, had already found a spot to rest. Xia Shenshu and three others had returned, while the other two were still nearby.

In the corner, the biscuit Ji Yanqing had placed on the ground remained untouched.

The younger child was still asleep, while the older one watched him with teary eyes from a distance, like a wounded young beast yet to grow its claws.

"Should we take this opportunity to search for supplies nearby?" Xia Shenshu surveyed their surroundings as he spoke.

The previous Survival Team had been stationed here, and with their numbers, they likely scavenged all available resources. Their chances were slim.

Ji Yanqing shared the same intention. "Our food is running low, and so is our water."

At this, Ji Yanqing felt a headache coming on.

Food wasn’t a major issue, but water was becoming problematic.

During the hottest part of the day, temperatures could reach over seventy degrees Celsius. After a day of scorching sun, the ground resembled a frying pan, capable of melting rubber shoes within seconds. Even the air carried a searing heat. Without timely hydration in such an environment, they wouldn’t survive for more than two days.

"Can we conserve enough to catch up with the team ahead? Didn’t they say we could catch them in as little as three days?" Sun Haifeng interjected.

Both Ji Yanqing and Xia Shenshu looked at him.

There was another Survival Team ahead of them. Judging from the traces left behind, the group numbered at least five or six hundred. Such a large Survival Team would theoretically be relatively safer, given their size and presumably organized structure and combat capability.

That was why they had been following them. If possible, they wanted to join.

Footsteps echoed from around the corner as the other two individuals who had gone to inspect nearby returned.

Rejoining the group, both shook their heads. They hadn’t seen any zombies, and the area was relatively safe.

"Let’s search for supplies first, then decide tonight," Ji Yanqing decided.

Xia Shenshu nodded, calling everyone over and assigning tasks based on the number of people.

Excluding the two children, there were seven of them in total. Sun Haifeng, who had been rescued two days ago, was injured and unable to move, so he was excluded. The remaining six headed in six different directions to search.

"You must return here before nightfall, at the latest by dawn," Xia Shenshu’s gaze swept across everyone. "If you haven’t returned by dawn, we won’t wait any longer."

Everyone exchanged glances, took a deep breath, and nodded.

With the virus outbreak and the apocalypse, the world outside was now overrun with infected zombies. These zombies were extremely sensitive to light and sound. Any noise or light in the darkness was like an aphrodisiac to them, driving them into a frenzy.

And if a normal person was bitten, they would turn into a zombie within five seconds without exception.

No one spoke. The six individuals each shouldered their backpacks, armed themselves, and set off in their assigned directions.

Before leaving, Ji Yanqing glanced at the child who had been watching him.

The moment the child noticed him looking, he quickly averted his gaze.

The biscuit Ji Yanqing had given remained on the ground.

"Watch over them for me," Ji Yanqing instructed Sun Haifeng.

Sun Haifeng’s injury made movement difficult, and his bloodied scent might attract zombies.

Sun Haifeng glanced over, not entirely willing. "Alright."

Ji Yanqing adjusted his goggles and turned to leave.

The building was unfinished, with open sides covered only by green netting.

Ji Yanqing found a gap in the netting and squeezed through.

Stepping out from the netting into the sunlight, the intense heat immediately stung his skin. Even with his goggles on, he couldn’t help but blink.

Adjusting to the high-intensity sunlight, Ji Yanqing surveyed the area. Ahead lay a cluster of unfinished buildings wrapped in green netting.

Perhaps because it was nighttime when the virus broke out nearby, the workers had already gone home, making the streets unusually quiet with no sign of zombies.

Gripping his axe tightly, Ji Yanqing cautiously moved along the wall in silence.

Ji Yanqing stopped after crossing the entire building complex, which took over twenty minutes. Along the way, he had encountered a zombie wandering aimlessly on the road, but he chose not to provoke it.

Beyond the buildings lay an old district, nearing its demolition. Such places typically featured numerous illegal self-built rental houses, carports, and warehouses, compressing the roads into narrow, winding alleys. With a dense population, one could easily stumble upon surprises around every corner.

Navigating through such areas required utmost caution.

Ji Yanqing furrowed his brow and headed toward a small alley.

They had no other choice; if they couldn't find food and water, especially water, within the next two days, they would face dehydration by the day after tomorrow.

In this scorching heat, dehydration was tantamount to a death sentence.

Upon entering the old district, Ji Yanqing soon spotted zombies on the streets. He avoided them without drawing attention.

In an environment swarming with zombies, even the slightest noise could attract a horde from the vicinity.

The more zombies gathered, the louder the commotion, potentially alarming all the zombies in the old district. In that scenario, even his formidable skills wouldn't be enough to survive.

Ji Yanqing sidestepped the zombies and entered a nearby courtyard by swiftly scaling the wall. Upon landing silently, he crouched and surveyed his surroundings.

Seeing no signs of life in the courtyard, Ji Yanqing turned his attention to the house within, pinpointing the kitchen's location before quickly entering.

The kitchen had been ransacked multiple times, with cabinets and refrigerators left open, and utensils scattered across the floor.

Ji Yanqing searched thoroughly but found nothing.

His brows furrowed slightly. Other members of the Survival Team must have already visited this area, suggesting that the surrounding region might have been completely scavenged.

Leaving the courtyard, Ji Yanqing looked deeper into the old district. The district was vast, and there might still be unexplored areas further inside, despite the increasing danger.

Ji Yanqing checked the time; it was around 1:00 PM. Nightfall would arrive at 6:00 PM, leaving him with only six hours.

He needed to reserve half of that time for the return journey, giving him a maximum of three hours.

Ji Yanqing secured his backpack and fastened his axe to his back before heading directly deeper into the old district.

Since the nearby areas were empty, he decided to venture further in.

As 6:00 PM approached, the sun seemed eager to set, unwilling to linger in the sky even a moment longer.

Darkness enveloped the sky rapidly, while the heat on the ground persisted. The city plunged into darkness so thick that one couldn't see their hand in front of their face.

The city under the cloak of darkness was even more unsettling than during the day. Without streetlights or sunlight, it resembled a ghost town from a horror story—deep, cold, silent, and perilous.

The indiscernible shadows lurking in the darkness seemed to harbor entities more terrifying than zombies.

Ji Yanqing lifted the netting and bent down to pass through the opening.

He made his way toward their makeshift base on the ground floor, moving silently like a specter born of the night. His silhouette appeared at the edge of the firelight, catching the attention of those inside.

"Who's there!" Xia Shenshu jumped, grabbing his weapon instantly.

The others did the same.

Ji Yanqing emerged from the darkness into the light.

Night fell too quickly, and Xia Shenshu and the others had lit a small fire, barely larger than a candle.

Recognizing Ji Yanqing, everyone breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

Their eyes then lit up at the sight of the additional backpack hanging from Ji Yanqing's chest.

"I didn't find much," said Ji Yanqing as he placed the backpack beside the fire.

He spent over two hours traveling deep into the old district, expecting a good haul, only to discover that the area had already been scavenged.

He spent nearly two hours searching, ultimately finding only some snacks, bread, and two small packets of dried goods.

Ji Yanqing was somewhat dissatisfied; this amount of food wasn't enough to last them a day. However, Xia Shenshu and the others wore smiles, as they hadn't found anything at all.

"This area has been searched by multiple groups," Xia Shenshu said with a bitter smile.

Another person couldn't help cursing, "Those bastards didn't leave anything for their fathers, scavenging everything so thoroughly."

Ji Yanqing remained unmoved by the curses.

In such extreme conditions, who would think about others when they were starving themselves?

Ji Yanqing glanced at the corner where the younger child was still sleeping, while the older one watched him with even more timid eyes than during the day.

The cookies he had left on the ground were gone.

Ji Yanqing removed his goggles, revealing a pale, clean face. As he exhaled, he instinctively curved his lips into a smile.

His smile was pure and warm, especially his eyes, which resembled a tranquil summer stream reflecting willow branches.

Xia Shenshu cleared his throat and called for dinner. They needed to extinguish the fire quickly after eating, as the light could attract zombies.

Dinner consisted of dividing the items Ji Yanqing had brought back.

The bread and snacks could be eaten directly, while the dates and dried mushrooms were returned to Ji Yanqing for safekeeping. They currently lacked water, making the mushrooms inedible.

When distributing the food, Xia Shenshu set aside a small portion for the two children.

After dividing the food, Ji Yanqing took his share and the portions for the two children and walked toward the corner.

Approaching, Ji Yanqing placed the children's portion on the ground: two small bread rolls and two packets of fish tofu.

In the current environment, they could only ensure they didn't starve to death; having a full meal was a dream.

The younger one was still asleep, while the older one, seeing the small loaf of bread placed by his feet, involuntarily swallowed.

"Eat up and get some sleep; we'll be leaving at first light tomorrow, and you'll have to walk on your own—no one's going to carry you." Ji Yanqing unwrapped his own bread and ate it slowly, savoring each bite. Chewing thoroughly helped create a fuller sensation.

The awake child looked at Ji Yanqing, who, without his glasses, suddenly seemed less intimidating and even rather handsome. Then he glanced at the small loaf of bread by his feet, swallowing hard.

He wanted to look away, to say that he was strong enough to walk far on his own, but his throat, parched from days without water, could barely form sound.

He was truly starving.

He looked at Ji Yanqing, then back at the bread by his feet, sniffled, and couldn't resist grabbing one quickly.

He didn't tear into the bag and devour the contents immediately. Instead, he nervously glanced at Ji Yanqing again, ensuring that he wasn't angry or planning to hit him. Only then did he hurriedly start tearing the packaging.

His limbs had grown weak from prolonged hunger, and several attempts failed to open the bag.

Ji Yanqing quietly ate his own food, showing no intention of helping.

After several tries, the bag finally tore open.

The aroma of the bread wafted towards him, and his stomach growled in response.

He stole another cautious glance at Ji Yanqing before taking a small bite of the fragrant, soft bread.

The sweet taste filled his mouth, making his saliva flow and his eyes well up uncontrollably.

After carefully chewing and swallowing, he placed the bread, now missing a corner, back in its original spot.

Ji Yanqing noticed.

The child's dark, moist eyes were fixed on him, filled with tension and unease.

"Done eating?"

The little head nodded; he was full.

Ji Yanqing paused before realizing that the boy only dared to eat a little bit because he knew that eating more would result in being abandoned.

He had been discarded once, and he didn't want to be thrown away again.