Chapter 16: A Moment of Spring

Chapter 16: A Moment of Spring

They took a cursory look at the entire neighborhood. The drone wasn't able to thoroughly enter the residential area, only flying over the villa district. By now, the sky had turned pitch black.

Although the drone had night vision capabilities, its field of view wasn't ideal. Seeing various zombies slowly coming out to forage, and not a single living person in sight, there wasn’t much point in continuing the search. They maneuvered the drone to return.

Guan Yuanfeng looked somewhat wistful. "We didn’t find a single survivor. I wonder if there's anyone still alive inside the residential buildings."

Zhou Yun said, "It's unlikely. Most people have probably evacuated to the rescue centers. In times like these, people instinctively follow the crowd." But in the early days of the apocalypse, before they had figured out the patterns of the zombie virus, crowded areas were the first to fall.

As far as he remembered, that red mist which triggered psychic powers never came back after that.

Zhou Yun looked at the map he had just marked and drew a large circle with a red pen next to the fountain square’s commercial area. "Once we're rested, we should find a way to collect the supplies here. But we'll need a temporary storage place; it'll be too troublesome to keep moving everything upstairs."

Guan Yuanfeng said, "Power will likely be cut off soon, making the elevators unusable and it harder to get downstairs."

He adjusted the video footage captured by the drone with his mouse and pointed to the lakeside hillside villa area next to the shops. "Here, this is my house. We can store the supplies we collect down there for now, in the basement. I've installed iron doors, iron windows, and a security system."

Zhou Yun said, "That's great. We'll need a car to move things conveniently."

Guan Yuanfeng zoomed in on the video. "Here, this is my car."

Zhou Yun's eyes widened. "You have such a cool car!"

Guan Yuanfeng smiled.

Zhou Yun murmured, "You're so rich."

Guan Yuanfeng replied, "I don’t throw money around like you do. I spent my money on important things like houses and cars."

Zhou Yun paused and said, "I spend my money on myself."

Guan Yuanfeng thought of how his house and car were occupied by his parents and younger brother. He touched his nose and didn't argue, just coughed. He knew that with his family overseas, they were unlikely to have survived. Even though he’d had conflicts with his family recently, even some resentment, the thought of losing them in the apocalypse made him feel a pang of sadness.

Zhou Yun, seeing his expression, quickly added, "Actually, my parents passed away due to illness. No one took care of me."

Guan Yuanfeng didn’t dwell on it and pointed to the off-road vehicle. "Bulletproof glass and doors, reinforced wide tires, a very superior configuration. But it's a real gas guzzler. We can collect all the gasoline from the open-air parking lot, but we'll need a lot of oil drums. Also, this car is equipped with the latest solar panels and can run on both gasoline and electricity."

Zhou Yun murmured, "How did you afford such a fancy setup? Do soldiers get paid that well?" In his previous life, he had ridden in this car but thought it belonged to his comrade. He never expected it to be Guan Yuanfeng's.

Guan Yuanfeng explained, "I went on an international rescue mission and saved a prince from a small country. He was very wealthy and insisted on repaying me. Originally, he wanted to give me money, but I declined, citing discipline. So, he gave me this car instead, which he had used personally. He considered it unlucky after being kidnapped and was due for a replacement anyway, so he gifted me this second-hand car. It was reported upwards and approved, and we used it as the official vehicle for our team's external missions."

Guan Yuanfeng gazed at the sleek, shiny, and imposing off-road vehicle in the video, reminiscing about the passionate days of the past. "But this car is a real gas guzzler. We have solar panels... but I hardly drove it a few times. Later... after I retired, my superior submitted a report, explaining about this car and with the prince's gift letter as proof, they transferred the car to my name, and I brought it home."

Zhou Yun knew he must have achieved great merits to receive such compensation and joked, "You’re like James Bond! So, did you get the girl with this ride?"

Guan Yuanfeng was amused. He actually wanted to propose going down to search for supplies tomorrow. But with so many zombies around, it was safer to stay on the rooftop where they had food and water, rather than risk Zhou Yun’s safety. Zhou Yun had just recovered from illness and wouldn’t agree to let him go alone. If he knew Zhou Yun would insist on coming along, he wouldn’t want to go.

They needed more intel on the zombies—how they moved, what they wanted, and how to take them down—to ensure they weren’t walking into a death trap.

As someone who had led a team, despite his inherent adventurous spirit, he restrained himself. "Let’s keep observing for a bit, see how the zombies move during the day and night, and whether they’ll leave if they can’t find any prey."

Zhou Yun said, "Yes, we should practice with bows and arrows more. I bought a lot of steel arrows that can be reused."

Guan Yuanfeng nodded, thinking of their practice sessions over the past days. He needed to become even stronger.

The two of them looked at the map again, planning further. Zhou Yun suddenly remembered something. "Actually, although we can't get the supplies downstairs for now, there’s another place we can check out."

Guan Yuanfeng was startled. "Where?"

Zhou Yun pointed at the top floor of another unit in their building on the map. "Look here, this is the rooftop of another unit in our building, the Skytop Restaurant."

"It's separated by just a wall from our rooftop. You can climb over with a ladder. We can set it up ourselves. The glass dome of the restaurant is perfect for a greenhouse, and it's very spacious. We could clear it out and I can plant more things there. It's spacious, and it would give you more room to practice archery."

The idea of practicing archery intrigued Guan Yuanfeng. "You make a good point." The current rooftop was indeed too cramped for proper practice.

Zhou Yun smiled and drew a line on the map casually. "The zombie outbreak happened in the middle of the night. There probably weren't any customers in the restaurant, so there's a good chance there are no zombies there. Even if there are, it might just be one or two employees or security guards who were infected."

"As long as we prepare thoroughly, use the drone to scout the area first, and then find a way to lock down the passage to the lower floors, or even wall it up. I have some leftover lime and bricks from when I built a fish pond."

Guan Yuanfeng was impressed. "You have everything."

Zhou Yun smiled but said nothing.

Guan Yuanfeng added, "In the apocalypse, you're the one still thinking about farming."

Zhou Yun said, "There's no choice. The weather has been abnormal since the apocalypse began. It rained for half a month and then was dry for many days. The temperature during the day is quite high. This glass-domed restaurant is perfect for a temperature-controlled greenhouse to grow medicinal herbs."

Guan Yuanfeng nodded. "Alright," he agreed, admitting that Zhou Yun's suggestion appealed to him, helping to ease the anxiety gnawing at him.

He wanted to do something, but he couldn't. The frustration of being wheelchair-bound was almost unbearable.

He leaned back and noticed the pillow behind him.

Zhou Yun said, "Let's go down to eat. I just stewed a chicken. We can have it with wontons."

Guan Yuanfeng, feeling both hungry and tired, drove the wheelchair. "Alright, if you haven't fully recovered, don't push yourself. I can make it."

Zhou Yun laughed. "I look much better than you. Later, I'll give you another acupuncture session, and you should get a good sleep."

The rich, golden chicken broth was aromatic, with delicate, translucent wontons bobbing gently in the soup.

Guan Yuanfeng felt that even if it was just frozen wontons, Zhou Yun's cooking tasted better than his own.

While Zhou Yun was sick, Guan Yuanfeng had been relying on instant noodles. Watching Comet chow down on the chicken bones without looking up, it was clear even the dog was getting tired of its usual kibble.

Zhou Yun explained, "The broth is good. Can you smell the coconut? I added five-leaf ginseng to it. It's good for strengthening the spleen, nourishing the lungs, promoting qi, and enhancing immunity." The chicken fat was also used to braise pea shoots, which were exceptionally fragrant.

As Guan Yuanfeng slowly ate the wontons, he watched Zhou Yun turn on the TV, only to find no signal. Zhou Yun then opened the player's optical drive and asked, "There are no TV programs anymore, but we can play a DVD. Do you have any favorite movies or TV shows on DVD?"

Guan Yuanfeng said, "I don't mind. You can choose. Don't worry about it. Just play what you were already playing." It was just about having some background noise so the meal wouldn't be too quiet and awkward without conversation.

Zhou Yun hadn't watched a DVD in a long time. Since his rebirth, he'd been so busy stockpiling that he'd forgotten what was in the player.

He took out the disc and looked at it. "*The Seventeen Moments of Spring*... might not suit your taste."

It was probably something he had watched for leisure before and hadn't finished, leaving it in the drive.

Guan Yuanfeng didn't care and thought the title was just some artsy film. "Don't worry about it. Just play it."

Zhou Yun turned on the player, inserted the disc, and adjusted it to play. The opening scene showed faded images of a forest, a highway, a car, and a solemnly emotional baritone singing a foreign song.

It was an old foreign film, which surprised Guan Yuanfeng.

Guan Yuanfeng was taken aback by the wistful look on Zhou Yun's face as he watched the screen.

Zhou Yun turned to look at him and smiled. "This song became quite famous later. The lyrics are poetic."

Guan Yuanfeng watched the subtitles as the grayish-white text scrolled past: "Sometimes it's really hard to know whether this is the beginning moment or the final instant." He had thought it was an art house film, and in his mind, Zhou Yun did seem quite emotionally delicate. He nodded and said, "It looks like an old film. You must like poetry, huh?" Sure enough, Zhou Yun had a wide range of interests.

Zhou Yun replied, "Yes. The plot is actually a bit slow, with a lot of intrigue, and the character names are long and hard to remember."

Not long after the main part of the film began, Guan Yuanfeng was greatly surprised by the plot. The handsome male protagonist started deciphering intelligence after listening to a coded radio transmission and accepting a mission. This was the story of a nameless hero.

Guan Yuanfeng was quickly drawn in, fully engrossed in the film.

Typically, he was quiet and serious, giving off a reserved and authoritative vibe, but at this moment, as he focused on the television, his demeanor softened, showing a hint of warmth.

Zhou Yun glanced at his profile, lost in thought, remembering the lyrics he had just seen on screen:

"Sometimes you spend your whole life waiting, anticipating, and when it finally comes, it hits you like a storm."

The plot was slow and delicate, and by the time they finished dinner, they had only made it through most of the first episode. Guan Yuanfeng wasn’t one to get lost in entertainment; his self-discipline and work ethic were deeply ingrained. He simply collected the bowls to wash them and casually chatted with Zhou Yun, "What’s so special about this film? Is it the plot?"

Zhou Yun thought for a moment and said, "Maybe it’s the way the film contrasts the grand sweep of history and heroic sacrifice with the small, personal emotions that really resonate with people." The wheel of history rolls relentlessly, and the fate of individuals is like that of ants and fleeting ashes. The hero's achievements, honor, and the real pain of personal sacrifice...

Guan Yuanfeng: "..." Could you speak in plain language?

Zhou Yun smiled at Guan Yuanfeng as he turned off the TV, and in Guan Yuanfeng's eyes, the smile contained a bit of mischief, appearing lively and vivid.

His heart skipped a beat.