Apocalypse Escape: Day One of Survival

They gave them anything they asked for. If the kids wanted to climb on the roof, they’d hand them a ladder; if they wanted to jump in a well, they’d hand them a rope.

The two siblings had been a pain in the neck since childhood.

The grandson, Li Dawei, had dropped out of junior high to stay home and play video games all day. He constantly switched girlfriends, with no relationship lasting more than three months.

The granddaughter, Li Xiang, was even more of a character. She turned in a blank exam for her junior high entrance test and simply quit school, just like that.

When Xie Ning was in junior high, Li Xiang found a bald, rich businessman.

When Xie Ning was in high school, Li Xiang became a "princess"—at a KTV.

When Xie Ning got into university, Li Xiang got the wild idea that she should go too. Her goal was to snag a wealthy guy, since universities were full of promising young men.

Uncle Li and Aunt Li brought two fat hens to Xie Ning’s maternal grandfather’s house, begging him to pull some strings and get Li Xiang into a university—preferably the same one as Xie Ning...

At that time, it caused such a ruckus for the Song family that they had to shut their doors and refuse all visitors for a full three months.

Of course, it didn’t work out, and the Li family came to resent the Song family for it.

Xie Ning’s maternal grandfather had only been a minor station chief back in his day. He had a bit of power, but he was nowhere near all-powerful.

Besides, the old man had already been retired for ten years.

If her grandfather really had the ability to get Li Xiang, who only had a primary school education, into East University, then he wouldn’t have just been a minor station chief...

And besides, why should he? Her grandfather wasn’t an idiot. He wasn’t about to risk his reputation in his later years to help an unreliable neighbor.

And so, the two families had a complete falling out.

Li Xiang always told outsiders that she and Xie Ning were best friends—childhood besties who grew up as next-door neighbors.

After the falling out, she would tell everyone that best friends were toxic, refusing to help with even a small favor, and just couldn’t stand to see her, Li Xiang, do well.

If she weren’t afraid the smell of blood would attract all the nearby zombies, Xie Ning couldn’t be bothered to even set foot in the Li family’s place.

Song Youzhi acted quickly, already starting to bury the two elderly bodies on the spot, filling in the graves and covering the bloodstains.

Li Xiang turned her head and immediately shrieked, "Bro! Bro!"

Li Dawei ran out of the house, shirtless. "Sis, what’s wrong?"

"Bro, Uncle Song’s niece killed our grandparents. You have to demand an explanation from them."

Xie Ning couldn’t help but roll her eyes. "Li Xiang, I’m pretty sure I’ve told you this many times, right? He’s my uncle on my *mother’s* side. That makes me his niece through his sister, not his brother."

Hearing this, Li Xiang’s face flushed with anger and she shouted, "Xie Ning, what’s that supposed to mean? You think you’re so great just because you went to university? Looking down on us country folk for being uncultured, is that it?"

Song Youzhi nodded as he shoveled dirt. "Well, you’re not wrong about that."

"Ningning has told you I don’t know how many times, and you still can’t remember. I’ve seen you count cash, though. You’re pretty quick with that."

"Uncle Song, what kind of talk is that?" Li Dawei’s expression soured, his neck stiff. "Uncle Song, are our two families about to go down the irreversible path of sworn enemies?"

Song Youzhi rolled his eyes so hard he nearly saw heaven. "I told you to watch less trashy soap operas and read some real books, but you just won’t listen."

’To be fair, those two kids were alright when they were little. Sigh. But they were spoiled rotten by Uncle Li and Auntie Li, and just grew up more and more crooked.’

"Xie Ning killed my grandparents. So, tell us what you’re going to do about it!"

Xie Ning looked up at Li Dawei. "Oh, I get it. So this is a shakedown?"

"You knew the old folks had turned long ago. You waited until the Rescue Federation came to register people, then you deliberately let them out to bite someone."

Li Dawei’s eyes flickered. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Well, how about this. In the past, our grandparents did all the cooking and laundry for us."

"Now that you’ve killed our grandparents, from now on, you’ll be responsible for taking care of me and my sister—our food, our lodging, everything."