Apocalypse Escape: Day One of Survival

"The noodles are delicious." Yu Tianfeng must have been starving after a long day; everything tasted amazing to him.

So, as they held their bowls, a chorus of slurping rose and fell.

By the time Fang Jiawen came over, the pot had long been emptied and was even being wiped clean by a young soldier with a rag.

Xie Ning broke into a bit of a cold sweat. ’Boys are just so careless when they’re away from home. A quick wipe and they call it a day.’

Song You’ai really wanted to take it and wash it properly, but there was no water on hand, and they certainly couldn’t waste bottled water.

Fang Jiawen stared at the greasy, shining pot, gritting her teeth in anger. "Captain Gu, the doctors haven’t had dinner yet! We’ve all been starving all day."

Xie Ning was still eating her noodles; her bowl was still about half full.

Seeing Fang Jiawen speaking so loudly beside her, she silently turned her back, bowl in hand, to avoid getting hit by the woman’s spittle.

Everyone was using disposable paper bowls, but Xie Ning saw the soldiers collecting them after they finished. ’Are they planning to use them again?’

’That’s a bit too... frugal.’

Seeing that his captain was about to retort, Lu Wei quickly stepped forward. "We have some compressed biscuits here. You can take them to share."

"Compressed biscuits?!" Fang Jiawen raised her voice, her face a mask of fury. "Is this how you serve the public?"

They were having hot soup, noodles, and meat, while she and her people were expected to gnaw on dry, bland biscuits?

Xie Ning had no patience for such sanctimonious drivel.

’It’s the apocalypse, but this lady is still living in a fairy tale.’

"This is all we have. Take it or leave it." Gu Chen snatched the biscuits from Lu Wei’s hand and waved them in front of Fang Jiawen.

His attitude was atrocious!

Fang Jiawen’s face flushed red with anger. "You... what unit are you from? I’m going to file a complaint against you!"

Xie Ning nearly choked on her noodle soup.

’From the looks of it, all communications will be down by tomorrow.’

’A complaint? Is anyone even manning the complaint hotline at a time like this?’

"Capital 9166 Special Warfare Unit, Special Operations Team A, ID Number 0006." Gu Chen nodded with a smile. "Complain all you want."

Lu Wei was speechless. ’The Sixth Master really isn’t afraid of anyone’s complaints.’

’But what’s the point of arguing with this woman from the research institute?’

"Bro." Lu Wei gave him a helpless look.

"Get over here," Gu Chen said, displeased. "Don’t waste your breath on her."

’Why should his teammate be yelled at over and over by this unreasonable woman? He wasn’t having it!’

He couldn’t control what happened to others, but he had to protect the people he led.

His teammates all knew how to handle their moody master.

Lu Wei quickly went over and soothed him in a gentle voice, "Bro, I’m fine. It was just a few nagging words."

Xie Ning quickly finished her noodles in three bites. A young soldier immediately ran over, took the disposable instant noodle bowl from her hand, and gave her a shy smile.

Xie Ning desperately wanted to just throw the dirty, greasy bowls away, but seeing how much they seemed to cherish them, she didn’t have the heart to do it.

"I’m going to head up front and see if I can get any news," Song You’ai said, pointing at the congested street.

In just that short time, a few more buses had pulled up behind them, blocking the road in both directions.

"Mom, it’s too late now. You shouldn’t go," Xie Ning said, holding her back. "Go rest in the car for a while. I’ll drive when the road clears."

Xie Ning led her mother back to the car and took out the two Metal Knives she had just made. "Junjun, you stay here with Auntie."

"Got it, Sis."

Xie Ning walked over and ran into Ji Taixian, so she gave one of the knives to him.

Ji Taixian was ecstatic. He took the Metal Knife and swung it around a few times.

Xie Ning quickly stopped him. "It’s pitch black, don’t stab someone! The blade is very sharp, so be careful yourself."

"Thanks, Ms. Ning."

She gave the remaining one to Gu Chen.

When Xie Ning walked over, the grumbling Fang Jiawen was already gone, probably back on her bus. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Looking at this situation, I doubt the traffic will clear in the next hour or two." Gu Chen frowned. "You and your aunt should get some sleep in the car. I’ll wake you when the road is clear."

Xie Ning was indeed a bit tired, so she nodded.

Gu Chen watched her with a smile. "Don’t worry, we’ll be back soon."

Xie Ning paused for a moment, then gave a light nod and turned to go rest in the car.

She actually managed to sleep for a full two hours.

Xie Ning was so exhausted that she fell into a deep sleep, despite the considerable noise outside.

When she woke up, it was a little past 2:30 in the morning.

Screams were erupting from up ahead, and the convoy and the crowd seemed to have suddenly descended into chaos.

"Mom, Junjun, get out of the car," Xie Ning quickly called for them to get out with her.

"Prepare for battle," Gu Chen ordered in a low voice, striding over to Xie Ning and Song You’ai’s side. "Some civilians up ahead turned into zombies and bit a lot of people."

"You two stay here. This will be over quickly."

"Be careful, Xiao Gu," Song You’ai urged, worried.

Gu Chen had said it would be quick, and it truly was.

About fifteen minutes later, they returned. They must have used suppressed weapons to end the fight quickly.

They had a string of stragglers trailing behind them, a dozen or so people looking dusty and disheveled.

"You can’t just abandon us! These are our international friends from R Country. The military should ensure their safety!" The man speaking originally had his hair slicked back with so much grease it shone.

But now, his hair was matted with who-knows-what, and his well-tailored white suit was a complete mess.

Song You’ai muttered under her breath, "Here comes another group of guilt-trippers."

Xie Ning watched the group with cold eyes.

The one speaking was likely acting as a translator. Behind him were about seven or eight panicked-looking people from R Country, conversing in their native language.

It was a stream of gibberish, but Xie Ning could understand about seventy or eighty percent of it.

"You can’t be so irresponsible," the translator in the white suit said, his face contorted with anger. "We’re going to file a complaint against you."

Xie Ning nearly rolled her eyes into the back of her head.

Song You’ai was indignant. "Poor Xiao Gu and his men. They save people only to get complaints! They shouldn’t have saved them in the first place."

Lu Wei was an incredibly patient man, always polite and courteous to everyone.

Seeing him being swarmed by several people from R Country and still trying to soothe them gently, Xie Ning felt a surge of irritation.

"Our vehicle is damaged and can’t be used anymore. You should be responsible for transporting us to a safe place! We have nearly ten friends from R Country on this bus. If something happens to them, can you bear the responsibility?"

Unexpectedly, Song You’ai had an even shorter fuse than she did. She ran forward, poked the young translator in the nose, and started scolding him. "Where do you get the nerve? What kind of time is this to be pulling this guilt-tripping crap? Everyone was born from a mother and father, what makes you think you can force others to protect you?"

"Besides, you’re from Country C. Why are you constantly going on about ’R Country, R Country’? Are you a traitor and a running dog?!"

The young translator’s face flushed crimson. "Ma’am, what kind of way is that to talk? We are communicating with the military. What gives you the right to interrupt? Who do you think you are?"

"Communicating? You call ordering people around and lecturing them from your high horse ’communicating’? You traitorous mutt, I’m the kind of auntie who’d give people like you a good smack."