[edited]

Men express their emotions differently from women. Jiang Ning and Zhang Weili didn’t go in; instead, Lu Yu went in to keep him company and chat. 

Without going into specifics, they only mentioned that they found out he was at the Fengcheng Hotel once they reached the neighborhood. 

The shelter’s conditions were too poor, so Lu Yu suggested that he come to the Jinrong community. “We’re living next to Anning now, in a three bedroom, two living room apartment. You can move in with us, and we can discuss the rest later.” 

Jiang Ning called Zheng Weili to the end of the corridor by the window. “What are your plans?” 

Actually, Zheng Weili didn’t want outsiders to disturb them either, but it was a special occasion, and friends should help each other out. 

Without Jiang Ning, she and Lu Yu would both have to stay at the shelter. 

“Lu Yu is actually quite sentimental. You and Zhang Chao are his only friends. Besides, who doesn’t have difficult times? The flood will eventually recede. Let him stay with us.” 

There was enough food at home to last two or three months, and they could figure something out if things got really bad. 

Zheng Weili was straightforward and didn’t overthink things, especially since she firmly believed that the world would recover. 

As the two chatted by the window, Lu Yu and Zhang Chao walked out of the room. 

Zhang Chao walked up to them and forced a smile, “Weili, sorry to bother you.” 

Zheng Weili patted him on the shoulder, “We’re all friends. When the flood recedes, just treat us to a good meal.” 

They went downstairs and sat in the rubber boat to leave. Jiang Ning handed a packet of biscuits to Zhang Chao. 

Zhang Chao thanked her and tore open the packaging, eating hurriedly, with mist in the corners of his eyes. 

Lu Yu also contributed the last of the rice balls. 

“Sorry, I made you laugh.” 

Jiang Ning waved it off. “What’s there to apologize for?” She had worse in my past life. Nothing comes easy in this apocalypse. 

Back in the Jinrong community, everyone was exhausted. Jiang Ning took out the two pounds of rice and other items she bought from the supermarket. “Zhang Chao, don’t say I took advantage of you. When the flood recedes, you’ll pay me back a hundredfold. And from now on, for every delivery, give me an extra 1%.” 

With a playful tone and a snobbish face, it was still the familiar Jiang Ning that showed no disdain for him. 

Zhang Chao relaxed a bit. “I’ll give you 2%.” 

“What about me?” Lu Yu protested. “You have to cover me and Weili’s morning tea for a year.” 

“Deal, it’s on me.” 

After entering the house and changing shoes, Jiang Ning collapsed on the bed in pajamas, staring at the ceiling. 

Unlike Lu Yu and Zheng Weili, Zhang Chao, who worked in business, had a sharper insight. She needed to guard the secrets of her space and couldn’t afford to slip up. 

For the next two days, no one went out. 

Jiang Ning spent her time reading, training, and organizing things indoors. Exhausted, she finally managed to clear out all the supplies from the supermarket and stacked them up to the ceiling. 

She locked the main room and hid the key inside her space. 

During this time, Zheng Weili came over once. While chatting, Jiang Ning asked about Zhang Chao. “How is he doing now?” 

“He hardly talks, just sleeps in his room all day.” Zheng Weili had a bad feeling. “He was hurt deeply by that woman. Reality is so difficult; do you think he will be depressed?” 

“He was almost suicidal after the breakup, but he’s getting better these days.” Jiang Ning rummaged through the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of white wine. “This was given to him by his company to entertain clients, but he gave me one. Just let him drink it; he’ll be fine.” 

Men, they always need to vent. 

Despite being an orphan, Zhang Chao, coming from such a background, had a stronger resilience than the average person. 

Zheng Weili pondered over it. “The typhoon has passed for several days, why is the rain still not stopping?” 

Not only did it not stop, but it continued to rise and it’s causing people to feel suffocated and anxious. 

“Who knows? It might rise to the 18th floor one day.” 

Zheng Weili, “…” 

She was really scared! 

The next day, she slept in, but was awakened by a knock on the door. 

Zheng Weili called out, “Zhang Chao finished a whole bottle of white wine last night, had a night of binge drinking, and now he’s completely alive this morning. He wants you to come over for something important.” 

After changing clothes and shaving, Zhang Chao looked much cleaner. 

He looked serious as he addressed everyone. “I think the apocalypse is here.” 

Jiang Ning’s heart skipped a beat as she couldn’t help but look at him. 

“Don’t you find it very unusual?” Zhang Chao sat up straight and began his analysis. “An unprecedented typhoon, rain pouring down as if the sky were leaking.” 

“I’ve heard a lot of news in the shelter. The government is working day and night to salvage supplies from the grain and oil wholesale market. The bread or rice balls we eat are made from those grains. Even if our country doesn’t farm, we have enough grain stockpiled to last the nation for two years. So why are they salvaging spoiled grain from the water to feed us? And they’re only providing us with three meals a day, when they can easily dry and store all the food.” 

Lu Yu was surprised. “It’s raining heavily every day. The food can’t be transported in.” 

“No, don’t underestimate the power of the country.” Zhang Chao’s tone was firm. “If it were just the southern coastal areas affected, the national rescue teams would have arrived by now, unless…” 

This was a nationwide disaster, or even a global one. 

Before the internet went down, Zhang Chao had been following the news and browsing forum posts. Many other provinces were also affected by disasters. 

If a major disaster breaks out simultaneously, what else could it be if not the end of the world? 

Even if the floodwaters recede one day, it’s impossible to return to normalcy in a short period. That’s why the government is urgently salvaging and storing supplies. 

With his words, Zheng Weili and Lu Yu also felt uneasy. “Many people have been salvaging these days. Why don’t we go out and try our luck?” 

Zhang Chao looked at Jiang Ning. “Anning, what do you think?” 

“The water is too deep. Even professional divers would have difficulty operating, let alone ordinary people without equipment.” 

Jiang Ning rejected the idea outright. “Even if we’re lucky enough to salvage something, we may not have the means to bring it back. It’s better to think of solutions from the water’s surface.” 

“But the malls have already been looted. What chance do we have?” Zheng Weili pointed out. 

Jiang Ning reminded them, “We don’t necessarily have to look for food. As long as we have something that others don’t, we can exchange it for food later.” 

Lu Yu understood the concept of seizing opportunities before others, but what should they look for? 

“Medicine,” Zhang Chao suggested. “Everyone is searching in malls and underwater. We can try searching in office buildings instead.” 

Office buildings are companies and there are basically no supplies. 

Lu Yu shook his head. “Our unit had people sweeping office buildings yesterday. Most of the buildings in the city center have been cleared out.” 

“The office building where my company is located is relatively remote. The waterways there are complex, and even with rubber boats, it’s difficult to navigate. Some people don’t even have gasoline for their motorboats, so they’re stuck in the city center.” 

Jiang Ning agreed. “Both Zhang Chao and I are familiar with that area. We can try our luck there. If we can find medicine from his company, our days ahead will be much better.” 

Companies aren’t warehouses, but they often have exhibition halls. The quantity of medicine might not be large, but it would still be a significant gain for a small group. Moreover, that office building seemed to house more than one pharmaceutical company. 

Despite stocking up early, they only had about fifty thousand yuan worth of goods. But who would complain about having too little medicine? A single pill could save your life in a critical moment! 

So, they needed to act fast. If they waited too long, there might not be anything left for them. 

Upon hearing their discussion, Zheng Weili and Lu Yu became anxious. “Why don’t we discuss it with 1801? He has a motorboat”