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That night, the storm intensified once again. Thunder and lightning followed one another relentlessly. Just as they were having dinner, the lights in the room suddenly went out. Through the balcony window, they could see that the entire outside world was plunged into darkness.
Without electric lights and with no moonlight, for a brief moment, it felt as if the whole world had fallen into an endless abyss of darkness, devoid of even the slightest glimmer.
A sudden flash of lightning tore through the blackened sky, casting a cold, eerie glow on everyone’s faces, sending a chill down their spines.
The power was out. This thought crossed everyone’s mind at the same time.
Shu Xin turned on her phone’s flashlight, got up, and pulled the curtains in the living room. Yan Mo and the others headed to the storage room to retrieve the generator. When choosing the curtains, they had specifically picked ones with strong blackout properties to ensure that not a trace of light would leak outside.
With light restored, none of them had the appetite to continue eating. They quickly finished their meals and retreated to their respective rooms to rest.
Lying on her bed, Shu Xin stared at the ceiling, completely sleepless. The power outage had come later than she had expected. She had originally thought it would happen days ago, yet their neighborhood had managed to hold out until now.
This was likely because their community was newly built, with more modern electrical wiring. Unlike older neighborhoods, their circuits were on a different grid, delaying the inevitable blackout.
A power outage was not a good sign. It meant that all surveillance systems had stopped working. It also meant that soon, there would be no internet, no signal—complete disconnection from the outside world.
The darkness in people’s hearts could not withstand temptation. Without any constraints, the beast caged within would break free at any moment.
On the first day of the blackout, everyone’s phones still had battery power. Occasionally, messages of distress would appear in the group chat, but they all sank like stones into the ocean—no response, no help. That was until someone ventured outside and discovered that a large supermarket near the neighborhood was still open. The chat immediately became lively again.
C Building, 1501: “The large supermarket near our neighborhood is still open. If anyone needs supplies, you can still go and buy some, but they only accept cash. [Image] [Image] [Image]”
E Building, 801: “Bro, I’ll pay three times the price if you can bring some food back for me. What do you say?”
A Building, 2001: “I’ll pay ten times the price! Bro, help me out!”
F Building, 701: “What’s the situation outside? Any rescue teams? @C Building, 1501”
…
D Building, 2201: “Is there still a lot of stock left? If I go now, will I still be able to buy anything?”
C Building, 1501: “There are a ton of people there. If you need anything, you’d better hurry. Any later, and it’ll all be gone.”
After that message, C Building, 1501 ignored all further mentions and never replied again.
Shu Xin also read the messages in the chat and relayed the news to the other three. “Someone in the group said there’s a supermarket nearby that’s still open. Should we go?”
“We’ll wait for the rain to ease up a bit, then I’ll go with Xiang Wen to check things out. You and Qi Mai stay here and don’t go anywhere,” Yan Mo decided after a moment of thought.
Previously, he had already passed some information to the authorities. It didn’t make sense that there was still no response from the government. Something felt off.
This was a good opportunity to assess the situation outside. Staying cooped up in the house all day, knowing nothing, wasn’t a viable option.
Bu Xiang Wen was the first to agree. He had been cooped up in this limited space for days. Given his personality, it was already a miracle he hadn’t gone out earlier. Mu Qi Mai, on the other hand, was the complete opposite—calm and patient, perfectly content staying put.
Knowing their personalities well, Yan Mo chose to take Bu Xiang Wen instead of Mu Qi Mai.
Besides, there was another reason—Bu Xiang Wen had a naturally likable face and a way with words, which would be useful for gathering information. Additionally, Shu Xin and Bu Xiang Wen had only been training for half a month and were still inexperienced. If they were left home alone, Yan Mo worried they wouldn’t be able to handle any emergencies.
The outside world was far more dangerous. There could be countless unforeseen situations. That’s why he and Bu Xiang Wen would go while Shu Xin and Mu Qi Mai stayed behind. It was the safest arrangement.
Once the rain let up slightly, Yan Mo and Bu Xiang Wen pulled out an inflatable raft and set off. Shu Xin stood on the balcony with binoculars, watching as people in the neighborhood tried various ways to leave.
Some people sat in oversized laundry tubs wearing raincoats. Others tied together three rows of empty water bottles, lying on top and paddling with their hands. Some, braver or more desperate, simply put on diving suits and jumped into the water.
Swimming through floodwaters was an extremely dangerous choice. The heavy rains had persisted for half a month, causing severe flooding in the city. Countless objects left outside before the storm had been submerged, creating many unseen hazards beneath the water.
If someone was unlucky, they could easily get injured. In these bacteria-filled waters, even a minor wound could become infected. Medicine was no longer available, and hospitals had long since shut down. A simple injury could quickly turn life-threatening.