Chapter 9 Snow in June

Chapter 9 Snow in June

No one knew what the three people said in the room at the end, but it was known that the couple called someone and angrily drove the car away.

Shenchi lay on the bed, his hand clutching a crumpled piece of paper. The black ink on white paper stated one thing: Shenchi had severed all ties with the Shen family couple; there would be no further contact for the rest of their lives.

A series of images flashed before Shenchi's eyes, as if from two months ago, or perhaps from an eternity ago.

That day, Shenchi, who was working at the company, suddenly saw his parents come to visit him. Before he could entertain them, they asked him to help his cousin by negotiating a contract.

This was a ridiculous request; they were not even from the same company, and it made no sense to have someone else handle his business.

But his parents were insistent, so he agreed.

Glass after glass of alcohol was consumed at the dinner table. He thought it was a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for him, but the next morning, the disarray in the hotel room and the state of his body left him completely shattered—he could not believe that he had been tricked into bed with a man by his cousin and his own parents!

He was terrified and furious, desperately needing someone to explain that none of this was real, that his parents had nothing to do with it.

However, after a long journey of a day and a night, he faced only accusations and threats from his parents waiting at the door, and the disdainful gaze of his cousin, now dressed in designer clothes.

Even when he was kicked out of the house while running a high fever, he could not accept the reality, and upon returning, he could only numb himself with constant drinking.

From start to finish, his parents always favored his cousin. Whenever his cousin was around, Shenchi was pushed aside, even when his cousin took over the house, forcing him out.

In the end, even his parents, who had once abandoned him during the apocalypse, chose his cousin over him, betraying their own son.

Shenchi touched his belly. He could forgive being deceived and betrayed, but his unborn child did not deserve such suffering!

Shenchi covered his eyes and laughed aloud. He had initially wondered if only blood relatives could enter his space, so he went to Shen Tian to verify it, only to receive a negative result.

He had given up on that idea, but just now, he successfully threw his biological parents into the space while blindfolded.

This meant that his child could enter his space, which filled him with joy.

Giving the car to his parents was essentially giving it to Shen Tian. Shenchi did not care about the few thousand dollars, but he was not that generous either.

He knew Shen Tian would not look twice at that small car, and the old couple could not drive. Even if they cleverly took the car documents and sold it, they would not spend the money. When the apocalypse came, how would they feel, guarding a pile of useless papers?

Even if they did not sell it, the car had a tracking device, so finding Shen Tian would not be a problem.

Afterward, Shenchi bought a powerful motorcycle, learned the basics from a mechanic, and took it for a test ride, which went well, so he hit the road immediately.

The house at Huayuan New Mansion was cleaned by the evening of the next day, and Shenchi moved in that night, as there was nothing worth taking from his rental apartment.

Remarkably, the housekeeper prepared a sumptuous dinner before leaving, leaving the rooms spotless. Shenchi paid double the usual fee.

That night, the roaring motorcycle arrived downstairs. Such noise would attract zombies, so Shenchi planned to have it modified to reduce the sound the next day.

As Shenchi climbed the stairs, he noticed a man in a black suit with a short haircut standing outside the door opposite his new home, his long legs encased in straight trousers.

The man turned around, his downcast eyes filled with impatience. His broad shoulders filled out the open suit jacket, the top three buttons of his white shirt undone, revealing a patch of tanned skin, and his loosely tied tie added a touch of wild abandon.

"Are you the new neighbor?"

Cao Kun spoke first. A month ago, the opposite apartment belonged to a newly married couple, both easy to get along with, but they had emigrated after less than a month.

Two days ago, the constant hammering alerted him to the arrival of a new neighbor, but he did not expect to meet them today, and certainly not someone so unexpected.

Shenchi frowned at him and the door behind him.

Cao Kun's slanted eyes fixed on Shenchi, his lips curling slightly as he pushed the door open and said, "Would you like to come in for a drink, new neighbor?" The last three words were spoken slowly, with a hint of something unspoken.

Shenchi, with his sensitive nature, sensed the probing.

He walked past Cao Kun without expression. As soon as Cao Kun finished speaking, both men simultaneously launched attacks—

Cao Kun's long leg swung sideways, Shenchi's punch quickly turned defensive, and his left leg swept toward Cao Kun's knee. Cao Kun stumbled, crouched low, and grabbed Shenchi's neck while thrusting his knee upward!

Shenchi reacted swiftly, dodging the attack by tilting his head.

The confined space limited their movements, yet within a minute, they exchanged over a dozen blows, each move leaving only a blur. Finally, Shenchi was captured by Cao Kun, losing any chance to fight back.

He knew Cao Kun had held back; otherwise, the test would have ended much faster and more decisively.

"You're really weak, aren't you?" Cao Kun released him, admitting he had held back because he sensed Shenchi's poor physical condition. He could tell Shenchi's true strength was far greater.

Shenchi glanced sideways, "Get any closer, and I'll kill you."

"Tsk, quite a temper." Cao Kun smiled, watching Shenchi disappear, then looked up at the camera on the ceiling before turning back inside.

Two days later, Shenchi went to ShuShang City to collect the ordered off-road vehicle and store it in his space. Thereafter, he focused on enhancing his physical abilities.

Time flew by, and over a month passed in a sweat-drenched blur.

August 3rd, the twenty-second day of the sixth lunar month, sunny.

The temperature soared to 37 degrees Celsius in the morning, with everyone wearing T-shirts and shorts under umbrellas.

After lunch, a sudden gust of wind swept through, sending countless umbrellas flying into the air. Large snowflakes began to fall, causing everyone to stop and stare in astonishment.

The weather had been unusually hot since April, and it was expected to continue into autumn, but instead, a sudden snowfall in June caught everyone off guard.

Thick snowflakes melted on noses, and by the time people realized they needed to add layers and handle emergency situations, the relentless snow had already blanketed the entire earth in a layer of silver.

At a residence in Huayuan New Mansion, the interior was warm despite the freezing cold outside, thanks to the air conditioning.

A man with slender limbs was doing push-ups, drenched in sweat. The TV screen showed an emergency weather news broadcast, featuring three experts from different fields explaining the sudden snowfall to the public.

Three hours later, the man finished his workout, rested briefly, and sank into a warm bathtub, closing his eyes. Soft music played through his headphones, and his hands unconsciously moved to his abdomen, gently tapping.

The apocalypse began with this heavy snowfall, which would soon trigger a widespread flu. Within days, there would be fatalities, and by the night of August 10th, these dead would "resurrect," becoming the living dead.

A snowfall in June is a rare sight, and social media was flooded with news and videos about the snow. Many were delighted and amazed, while others expressed concern over the mysterious snowfall and scoffed at the experts' explanations.

They engaged in heated debates online, quickly making it the top trending topic on various platforms within just three hours.

Fortunately, the snowfall lasted only one day and one night. By the next morning, it had stopped, and some sanitation workers, who woke up earlier than office workers and students, were already clearing the slush along the roads with snowplows, while traffic police patrolled back and forth.

An hour later, a sanitation worker suddenly collapsed in the snow and never got back up.

On August 4th, the weather returned to normal, and people continued their daily routines, discussing the beautiful snow scenery from the previous day.

In contrast to the lively conversations in reality, online discussions began to emerge, with people reporting that someone around them had a persistent fever and had been hospitalized. At first, such topics didn't attract much attention, but as more and more people reported similar symptoms, panic over the flu virus spread, causing widespread anxiety.

Shenchi put on a light jacket, carefully locked the door, and rode his modified motorcycle to the People's Hospital.

Due to the sudden heavy snowfall yesterday, there were an unusually high number of people with colds and fevers today. When Shenchi arrived at the hospital, it was filled with patients being supported by their family members, mostly children and the elderly.

Shenchi showed no surprise at the current state of the hospital. He headed straight for the obstetrics department, where a nurse approached him with a notebook in hand, making notes. Shenchi stopped her and said, "Hello..."

The nurse's eyes widened slightly.

After obtaining Xia Yi's latest duty roster, Shenchi left the hospital and drove to the supermarket. The supermarket was as bustling as usual, and Shenchi bought enough food to last two months before returning home.

For now, he could still go out normally, but in two days, it wouldn't be so easy.

By the time Shenchi returned and turned on the TV, many channels were broadcasting an urgent news update.

The anchor on screen looked solemn. "Following the heavy snowfall, a new type of flu virus called 'C1S9' is rapidly spreading from north to south. The origin of the virus is unknown, but there are already large-scale infections across the country, with the highest proportion of cases in the North Latitude Autonomous Region, followed by Qinyao Province. The initial symptoms of this new flu include chills, high fever, nausea, coughing, sore throat, weakness, and loss of appetite. Citizens experiencing these symptoms should seek medical attention immediately. It is also advised to reduce unnecessary outings, avoid gatherings, and limit prolonged stays in public places. Maintain personal hygiene, wash hands frequently, and drink plenty of water. Next, we will report on recent water pollution issues. Experts say..."

Shenchi did not turn off the TV, letting it play while he entered the gym. He charged into a six-meter-long corridor surrounded by eight humanoid wooden dummies!

Each dummy was placed with Shenchi's precise calculations. When one dummy was struck, it would sway and collide with adjacent dummies, triggering a chain reaction, creating a four-sided enemy situation.

Shenchi's task was to inflict fatal damage on each dummy while dodging attacks and safely passing through the six-meter corridor within a limited time.

This was a physically demanding simulated combat practice. Only by being swift and decisive, without any hesitation, could he execute moves cleanly and efficiently, conserving energy to end the fight quickly.

In the evening, the sound of urgent sirens echoed below. Shenchi opened the window and saw an ambulance smoothly entering Huayuan New Mansion and then speeding towards the hospital with its siren blaring.