Chapter 99

“This world is beyond saving. The disasters won’t end. The apocalypse has already arrived. The world is about to be destroyed…”

Back then, these words were everywhere. Fear and despair spread like wildfire, turning people reckless and violent. The once-organized migration teams fell into chaos—robberies and brawls erupted multiple times in a single day, and some even ended in murder.

Wherever large crowds gathered, it became yet another disaster zone.

Her family of three was no match for those groups made up entirely of young and strong individuals. In the chaos, they lost their luggage, which was quickly snatched away. But they didn’t try to fight for it—they all knew that if they wanted to survive, their priority had to be staying away from the crowd. Their lives were the most important thing.

Later, they hid in a nearby small town. Those few months were the most chaotic period in Huagou. The military and rescue teams were heavily deployed for disaster relief, leaving most of Xiangzhou Province in disorder, except for a few major cities where large troops remained stationed.

It wasn’t until the tsunami relief efforts were nearing completion and some rescue teams were reassigned that efforts to restore order in smaller cities, towns, and counties began.

But peace didn’t last long. Soon, border issues arose, and some of the personnel were redeployed once again.

Xiangzhou Province would be stable for two days, then fall into chaos for one. It was too unpredictable. Her family didn’t dare to move and stayed hidden in that town, surviving off the gold jewelry they had kept hidden and the skills her parents had to offer.

During that time, her phone broke, and there was nowhere to repair it. Her parents’ phones had been in their stolen luggage. Later, they managed to buy a basic old-model phone, but the signal was so poor that she couldn’t access her old accounts. After struggling with it for a while, she gave up on trying to contact her friends.

Eventually, order was gradually restored in Xiangzhou Province. After discussing their options, her family decided to continue westward.

By then, it was October. Their original migration group had long since disappeared, and the outside world changed every day. They had no choice but to rely on themselves. They had no vehicle and could only carry limited belongings, facing endless hardships along the way.

Finally, they reached a major city in central Xiangzhou Province. By sheer luck, they ran into Xun Huiming there.

He had joined a rescue team and was on a mission to assist civilians with westward migration.

The encounter was unbelievably fortunate. With Xun Huiming’s help, their family of three quickly re-registered and joined the westbound migration team.

It was early November, before the tsunami struck. At that time, the westward migration wasn’t as urgent as it is now. Even if people reached the western towns of Xiangzhou Province, they often had to wait for their turn to continue moving.

Xun Huiming told them he could arrange things for them. If they traveled with his team, they could move faster than if they had to wait in line for a spot.

Yao Ruoyun had already noticed that Xun Huiming liked her. Honestly, she was touched. In this apocalyptic world, there were hardly any people who would still keep someone else in their heart and go out of their way to help them. No matter what, at least he was willing to make an effort for his feelings.

In the end, Yao Ruoyun agreed to Xun Huiming’s suggestion and traveled with his rescue team. The route was winding and indirect—it took them half a month, and they still hadn’t reached the western towns of Xiangzhou Province. But the journey was much safer, and they could occasionally hitch rides.

“At the time, we never imagined that a tsunami—just one tsunami—could destroy half of Xiangzhou Province. The floodwaters surged deep into the inland areas… The only lucky thing was that we weren’t in a city directly hit by the tsunami. But in the aftermath, disaster after disaster kept unfolding…”

If the original natural disaster had been at a level 2, it had now escalated to level 6—tripled in intensity.

Raging storms poured down like collapsing rivers.

Hailstones, larger than fists, struck without warning.

The wind and rain escalated unpredictably, water spouts formed over lakes, and tornadoes ripped through the land.

Floods raged, mountains collapsed, mudslides poured down, and roads were buried.

For half a month, they felt like they were being chased by disasters. They were just about to escape the tsunami’s reach when, for some reason, the bus they were on got into an accident.

The last thing Yao Ruoyun saw before losing consciousness was both her parents reaching out to shield her—
And Xun Huiming’s panicked face as he rushed toward them…

She must have been unconscious for a while. She still didn’t know how she ended up in Wei County. It was possible that the military rescue teams had arrived in time and saved her, or maybe the rescue team she had been traveling with had brought her here.

She had only woken up today—just moments ago, in fact. She didn’t even know how many days she had been unconscious. Fortunately, she was in a clinic, and there was a rescue station downstairs. Through their computer, she was finally able to check the survivor list and confirm that her parents were still alive.

She didn’t know how they had made it to Zhicheng. She also didn’t know how to contact them. The only thing she could think of was to head to Zhicheng immediately.

At this point, Yao Ruoyun suddenly remembered something she had forgotten. She quickly put down the cup, slipped on her slippers, and, still wrapped in the thermal blanket, rushed down the stairs to the rescue station’s front desk to inquire about available seats on the next vehicle.

But it was too late.

Several convoys were indeed leaving Wei County tomorrow, but the only one with an available seat was departing at around 3 PM—the last trip of the day. And the seat had already been booked.

Just a moment ago, Yao Ruoyun had embraced Shu Fu so enthusiastically that the rescue workers mistakenly thought she had already found her family. After calling out twice and receiving no response, they just moved on to other tasks.

Then, other survivors came over to inquire about the transfer vehicles, and the seat was quickly taken.

Yao Ruoyun knew that she couldn’t blame anyone for this—she could only blame herself for always being so careless. She apologized to the rescue workers and asked them to check the available vehicle schedules.

The rescue worker told her that if she missed tomorrow’s bus, she’d have to wait another two days. Waiting an extra couple of days wasn’t too bad, and there were more available seats on the buses in three days. She could travel with Shu Fu, but she needed to check with Shu Fu first. She had been so focused on her own situation that she hadn’t considered Shu Fu’s.

She turned to call Shu Fu over, but when she looked back, she found Shu Fu standing just a few steps behind her. When Yao Ruoyun called her name, Shu Fu didn’t respond. She stood sideways, seemingly looking at something.

Shu Fu was watching a pregnant woman, who had just passed by the seating area. The woman looked very young, and her belly was already quite large. Her husband was beside her, helping her take off her raincoat as they entered the indoor area. He crouched down to undo her jacket, apparently trying to help her adjust it.

At first, Shu Fu just glanced at them, but then something didn’t sit right with her, so she glanced back as she walked behind Yao Ruoyun.

That’s when the situation changed. She saw the man take two small glass bottles out of the woman’s clothing. They seemed to be filled with liquid and attached to strips of cloth. The pregnant woman was holding something in her hand and quickly reaching toward the bottle’s opening—

Molotov cocktails!

Shu Fu barely had time to think. As soon as she activated her shield, she predicted the direction the Molotovs would be thrown. She shouted “Watch out!” while pushing Yao Ruoyun a few steps to the side. She swiftly yanked the thermal blanket off Yao Ruoyun’s shoulders, unfurled it behind them, and wrapped them both up together.

All these actions were almost simultaneous. She had even considered the possibility of cameras being in the area—she not only needed to save Yao Ruoyun, but also to do so without leaving a trace.

Luckily, the thermal blanket was made of foil, providing both insulation and basic fire protection in an emergency.

She tightly hugged Yao Ruoyun, who still didn’t understand what was happening. She wrapped the thermal blanket around them both, covering their heads. Just as the explosion went off behind them, her hands tightened around Yao Ruoyun. At the same time, her shield protected both of them.

Bang—Bang—Two explosions rang out behind them, accompanied by the screams of others. Due to the proximity, Shu Fu could even feel the blinding light and shockwaves from the blasts. She could hear the sound of things exploding at the rescue station’s service desk.

The attackers’ target was clearly the service desk!

Shu Fu had only glanced briefly earlier and noticed that when the man was lifting the woman’s clothes, his gaze was sweeping sideways, not focused on the pregnant woman in front of him. Also, the woman’s bulging belly seemed to shift with the man’s movements, which didn’t seem right. Having interacted with women in late-stage pregnancies, Shu Fu knew the woman’s posture wasn’t natural.

All in all, a brief glance was enough to raise her suspicion.

The chaos erupted in an instant. People screamed in panic, others cried out in pain, and some yelled angrily, “Don’t let them escape!”

By the time Yao Ruoyun reacted, pulling Shu Fu up with her and turning around, patrolling officers had already drawn their guns and were rushing toward the attackers. The two assailants were trying to take nearby civilians hostage and escape. The woman pretending to be pregnant pulled out a gun, but she was immediately shot in the wrist by a rescue worker behind the service desk.

The rescue worker, having reacted quickly due to Shu Fu’s warning, had jumped out of the service desk area, and only now was she able to save herself. Though injured, with blood dripping from her forehead, she didn’t lose her accuracy with the gun.

The woman screamed as her wrist was hit, and she instinctively loosened her grip, causing the gun to fall. A second shot rang out, and the woman’s thigh was hit. She screamed again and collapsed. The man, realizing it was too late, turned and attempted to jump out of the window. But it was already too late. His shoulder and calf were both shot, rendering him incapable of fleeing.

The officers rushed in and subdued the man and woman, who screamed in agony but continued to laugh maniacally. They kept chanting “Evolution, eternity” over and over, their expressions disturbing and unnatural.

One of the officers moved forward and knocked the two of them unconscious with a swift strike. Then, the others quickly dragged the pair out of the room.

The attack had been sudden, but it was over quickly. Fortunately, it was still early, and the lecture hall wasn’t crowded. Aside from the rescue worker at the service desk, only two civilians were injured.

One had been knocked unconscious when the shockwave from the explosion hit him, causing his head to slam into a nearby table. The other had been burned by the fire, with singed hair and clothes, though the flames had already been extinguished. They had minor burns that required treatment.

Meanwhile, Yao Ruoyun and Shu Fu, who had been closest to the service desk, managed to react in time and avoid the blast. They fell to the ground and used the thermal blanket to shield themselves. When they got up, they found themselves unharmed.

“Thank you!” The rescue worker, who had been sitting at the service desk, said to Shu Fu as her colleague helped her move to the side to treat her wounds. Although the service desk had been completely destroyed in the explosion, with the computers and some supplies ruined, at least she was safe.

“Very smart,” another team member, who had brought a medical kit, glanced at Shu Fu before asking, “How did you notice something was wrong?”

Shu Fu could sense that while the other person’s eyes held praise, there was also a hint of caution. She then explained what she had noticed earlier.

In truth, if someone else had been in her place, they might have also sensed that something was wrong, but it was unlikely that they would have reacted so decisively without any self-doubt or hesitation, immediately issuing a warning and thinking to use the thermal blanket for protection.

To others, this might seem like a quick reaction from Shu Fu, but in her heart, she knew it was due to the heightened awareness required for the mission.

If the mission’s completion notice hadn’t come through, she wouldn’t have dared to relax for even a second. Moreover, having been in this place for two days and just meeting a potential target, she had sensed the situation was off, which naturally made her reaction faster than most.

Her explanation was reasonable, so the team member didn’t press further.

Yao Ruoyun, who had been unconscious for several days, had just woken up when a series of events unfolded. She felt disoriented, especially as she relaxed, a strong sense of hunger overwhelmed her, but her head was dizzy, making her feel nauseous.

Earlier, when she had inquired about the transportation schedule, she had learned about the free supplies and water from the rescue workers. But seeing the service desk destroyed like this, she began to worry about whether she would still be able to receive the supplies.

As she hesitated, wondering whether to ask the rescue workers, another round of explosions suddenly sounded outside. This time, the noise was even louder. Yao Ruoyun doubted whether she was hearing things due to hunger. What was happening? Another attack?

It wasn’t until she saw other team members rushing out that Shu Fu grabbed her and pulled her along.

Shu Fu’s anxiety hadn’t subsided. Her wristband hadn’t given any signals, indicating that the mission was still ongoing and that there were still some things left to unfold. She pulled Yao Ruoyun down the hallway toward the stairs and rushed up to the third floor.

When they arrived at the window facing south on the third floor corridor, they saw that the other side of the corridor had been converted into hospital rooms, now used to house people relocated from the West. There weren’t many people, but nearly everyone was gathered in the hallway at that moment.

Their faces were filled with fear and unease. The explosion from downstairs had been loud but not particularly serious, yet the noise from this latest one was much greater. Everyone had gathered at the window, peering out toward where the sound had come from.

Shu Fu and Yao Ruoyun rushed to the window as well. Through the low-rise buildings of Wei County, it was easy to spot the source of the disaster.

There were two explosion sites. One was on the mountain, where a signal tower had been, and the other was in a building within the county. According to an informant, it was the location of a heating boiler installation.

Wei County had never been a district with heating systems. The area, while at a higher altitude, was located in the southwest of Huaguo, with a dry climate and plenty of sunshine. The coldest winter temperatures had never gone below 1 to 2 degrees Celsius, and most of the time, temperatures were around 7 to 10 degrees.

However, this long rainy season had brought cold and damp weather, and with few buildings having air conditioning, combined with continuous natural disasters damaging the electrical circuits, power supply had become unreliable. That was when the military decided to install heating boilers.

Boiler heating was more energy-efficient than air conditioning, and now the buildings around the First Clinic relied on that for heat. While the heating wasn’t always consistent, it was enough to keep them warm for half the day.

But now, the boiler station had been bombed, triggering a series of subsequent explosions. The building had been damaged, with half of its walls shattered, and the entire county had heard the deafening sound.

“Did… did those people do this too?” Yao Ruoyun clutched Shu Fu’s hand, her voice trembling. “Isn’t this enough disaster? What are these people trying to do?”

Shu Fu didn’t know how to answer. The man and woman from the earlier attack, repeating the same words as they bled, reminded her of the group who had attacked Jixing Community in Lou Yuncheng years ago, as well as the lunatics behind the large-scale experiment site for people with ichthyosis in the northern district of Youcheng.

In the end times, there would always be such groups, driven by incompetence and fear, doing things even more horrifying than natural disasters.

Beside them, Yao Ruoyun, exhausted by hunger and cold, couldn’t hold on any longer. As another round of explosions echoed, she fainted.

**

By the time the day passed, Shu Fu’s wristband still hadn’t given any sign of completion.

Yao Ruoyun had been sent back to the medical building for treatment. Her injuries weren’t serious, but the main issue was that she had suffered a concussion from the earlier blow. After being rescued and transferred to Wei, she had caught a chill from the rain and had been running a high fever for several days, unconscious until now. She had woken up determined to find her parents, but it was all just sheer willpower that kept her going.

The subsequent attacks and explosions had completely drained her energy. She had passed out in the third-floor hallway because that final bit of strength had left her.

Yao Ruoyun had not woken up all day. The doctor had given her nutrient fluids. As her designated caregiver, Shu Fu stayed in the medical building, and she had also spent the night in the hospital room the previous evening.

The next morning, she went to the restroom, hid in a cubicle, and checked her wristband, confirming that the mission was still unfinished.

On her way back to the hospital room, Shu Fu turned her head and looked out at the gloomy, gray sky. The rain had been falling continuously. The recent explosions in Wei seemed to be coordinated attacks by members of some organization. They appeared to be solely aimed at causing destruction.

The base station had been destroyed, interrupting Wei’s network; the heating system had been damaged, making the nights in Wei even colder and more unbearable; the computers and some supplies at the service desk had been ruined, forcing the registration and relocation work to be paused for half a day…

Although the attacks had caused significant trouble, overall, these events hadn’t affected the progress of Wei’s relocation.

Because the vehicles, roads, supply warehouses, and clinic’s power systems remained intact, the scheduled relocation of the citizens and necessary supplies continued as planned.

Moreover, the explosions occurred on the fourth day of the mission period. The reason she had been able to save Yao Ruoyun during the attack was that she had received the new mission when she was not far from Wei, so she had arrived at Wei First Clinic on the second day of the mission period.

However, since the mission was set for five days, even if she had arrived at Wei First Clinic on the fifth day, it would have still been acceptable.

But if she had only arrived on the fifth day, she wouldn’t have been able to save Yao Ruoyun during the fourth day’s explosion. Of course, the attack on the service desk hadn’t been serious. Yao Ruoyun might have been injured, but she likely wouldn’t have died. Besides, this was a clinic with doctors and medical supplies, so she could have been treated in time.

So, was it possible that the key event hadn’t really happened yet?

Drawing on her past experiences, Shu Fu carefully analyzed the situation and ultimately confirmed that the explosion attack wasn’t the key point of this mission.

Then, what could it be?

What could be an even more troublesome event than a close-range bombing attack? What could it be?