Hot and noisy. The intense rhythmic sounds, like lightning flashing across the night, cleaved through the chaos before Yu Dong's eyes!
[ Remember this site's domain: Taiwan Novel Network, solve your book drought, 𝗍𝗐𝗄𝖺𝗇.𝖼𝗈𝗆 super reliable] "Huff! Huff! Huff!" Yu Dong sat bolt upright, panting heavily, instinctively touching his neck. Smooth and flat. Seeing the banner for the 2025 Freshman Welcome Party hanging on the stage, the cool street dance performance, and the enthusiastic cheers of his classmates, Yu Dong finally woke up from his dream. "It was just a dream." It was too real... The feeling of having his neck muscle fibers torn off piece by piece, blood gushing out, still made Yu Dong feel a faint phantom pain in his neck. Perhaps because it was so stimulating, he remembered everything that happened in the dream perfectly, like watching a week-long movie. After a peaceful week at school, a zombie outbreak occurred. He was tackled by his zombie-turned roommate, who bit his throat. "This dream..." Yu Dong shifted his stiff backside in his seat, preparing to continue enjoying the 25th freshman welcome party. The auditorium of Yanhai University was packed with students; the smells of sweat, perfume, and foot odor mingled into an indescribable, complex odor. "Dongzi, here." A bottle of ice-cold mineral water was handed to him. Yu Dong turned and instinctively took it, glancing at it. Quanyangquan. "This water..." "Never tried it before? It's a local specialty from my hometown, super cool!" His roommate Huang Zhiqiang, sitting next to him, said confidently. Yu Dong unscrewed the cap and took a sip. It was icy cold and sweet; the taste was indeed better than a certain other brand. But... Yu Dong looked down at the bottle of Quanyangquan in his hand. He'd seen this bottle of water and this scene in his dream... He was certain he'd never heard of or seen this brand of mineral water before, yet he'd dreamt of it, and it had just happened again! 'Strange...' Yu Dong tightened the cap, a vague feeling that something was amiss. The next few programs he watched only made him more uneasy, because everything was exactly the same as in his dream! 'Something's not right...something's really not right...' One or two coincidences were one thing, but everything was exactly as he remembered those seven days. He touched his neck; the piercing pain seemed to have just subsided. It was too real. It felt like...it really had happened. 'Could it all be real?' Yu Dong felt a bit confused. It was too noisy here, so he got up to go outside for some peace and quiet. "Hey! Where are you going, Dongzi? The next one is Liu Yeye's guzheng, such a beautiful piece, can you leave without watching it?" Huang Zhiqiang pulled Yu Dong, winking at him. While the concept of a "campus beauty" might be too abstract and difficult to definitively rank, the title of Yanhai University's number one talented woman is undeniable. Liu Yeye, president of the Guzheng Club, a 2010 guzheng player, has performed on the provincial Spring Festival Gala stage—a truly talented girl. Yu Dong looked at Liu Yeye sitting on the stage, dressed in a pale yellow ancient-style long dress. The dim stage lights illuminated her delicate oval face, making her appear as elegant as a noble lady from ancient times. "Next up is Liu Yeye's solo guzheng piece—'Reincarnation'!" the host announced from the stage. At that moment, the noisy environment instantly quieted down. Everyone looked at Liu Yeye with anticipation, wondering what kind of performance this "celebrity" from Yanhai University would deliver. "Three times," Yu Dong said. "What three times?" Huang Zhiqiang asked, puzzled. Yu Dong pursed his lips, offering no explanation. Then, Liu Yeye played the guzheng... but no sound came out. After three attempts by the students debugging the equipment, it was finally able to connect properly to the speakers, and the guzheng emitted an ethereal sound. Huang Zhiqiang listened, completely mesmerized. "Dongzi, how did our ancestors research this thing? It's so amazing the moment it touches your ears!" "Huh? Dongzi? Where's Dongzi?" Huang Zhiqiang turned his head and found that the seat next to him was empty. ... "It matches up, it matches up perfectly." "Every detail is exactly the same as in my memory." "I'm not dreaming, I've been reborn!" One or two coincidences were one thing, but even the performance accident was a one-to-one replica of what he dreamed of, which could only mean that it all really happened. He died on the day of the zombie outbreak, and then returned to 7 days ago. "It's 7:30 pm on Sunday afternoon now, and the zombie outbreak will probably be around 7 pm next Sunday afternoon." Yu Dong found that his memory of these 7 days was very clear, like a high-definition movie, and he could review which event happened at any time, with every detail crystal clear. "The good news is my memory has improved..." "The bad news is I died in the early stages of the zombie outbreak, surviving for less than half an hour, and I have almost no useful information..."
For the next seven days, his life was as uneventful as ever. He
spent most of the first half hour after the zombie outbreak hiding, but was eventually discovered and forced to move. He couldn't outrun the zombies and died on the road.
The only things he vividly remembered were a text message and a person.
About ten minutes after he discovered the outbreak, his phone received a striking message:
[National Emergency Notice!!!]
[A highly contagious S virus has broken out across the country. Infected individuals are spreading rapidly and exhibit extremely high aggression, posing a significant danger! All citizens are urged to immediately take the following actions: 1. Avoid contact with individuals exhibiting abnormal behavior; 2. Find shelter in the nearest building, lock doors and windows, and self-isolate; 3. Keep your phone charged and receive the latest updates.]
[All citizens are urged to protect themselves! Do not move! Await national rescue!]
[This notice is jointly issued by the Dragon Kingdom Emergency Command Center/Disease Control Center/Armed Forces.]
Yu Dong was discovered by zombies and killed just minutes after receiving this message.
This message essentially constituted his entire understanding of the zombie outbreak.
Back in the present, Yu Dong had a strong desire to report this news to the government, but after a moment's thought, he abandoned this immature idea.
"The source of the information is inexplicable, lacks verifiability, and might even disrupt my self-rescue efforts."
"This disaster has no cause, no warning. My best course of action now is to follow the government's instructions, protect myself... and wait for rescue."
Yu Dong believed the government was capable of handling this disaster.
Even if people had become cannibalistic zombies, they were still carbon-based life forms, vulnerable to heat weapons, and might even develop a vaccine to restore the infected to normal.
For the government, dealing with the zombies was only a matter of time.
"Until the government resolves the zombie problem, I need to find a safe place to hide and wait for the right opportunity."
He could leave the treatment and killing of zombies to the professionals; he would play the role of a mouse for now.
"Over the next seven days, I need to prepare a small shelter large enough to survive the disaster."
"I also need to prepare enough supplies to keep me alive until the country clears the zombies..."
"That'll cost a lot of money."
"So, the most urgent thing is to find a way to get money quickly."
Having figured out his primary task, Yu Dong arrived at the dormitory door.
Pushing open the door, Yu Dong froze.
He saw the 'zombie' that had bitten him to death after the apocalypse.
His roommate, Xu Feng.
-
+
Hearing the dormitory door open,
Xu Feng, sitting on the lower bunk, put down his dumbbells with his left hand, tucked them under the covers, and paused his IELTS class with his right hand, subtly switching to the "Don't Laugh Challenge" video.
He looked up, smiled, and saw Yu Dong just entering.
"Back so soon?"
Yu Dong looked at Xu Feng, who was sneaking out to practice his exercises again, with a complicated expression.
"Stop working out, go for a walk."
"Okay."
Xu Feng casually threw on a shirt to cover his well-developed chest and biceps, and followed Yu Dong out.
Xu Feng was the zombie who had killed him.
Xu Feng, who loved working out, was stronger than an ordinary person even after becoming a zombie... Yu Dong outran several zombies, eventually succumbing to exhaustion and being defeated by the fitness zombie Xu Feng.
His last image before dying was of the ferocious Xu Feng frantically biting his neck.
Blood spurting from his arteries stained Xu Feng's massive biceps.
But at this moment... Xu Feng hadn't been infected with the virus yet; he was still the familiar "King of Curls."
While his three roommates went to the freshman welcome party to watch the performances and flirt with freshmen, he stayed in his dorm, lifting dumbbells and studying for the IELTS.
He wasn't just randomly studying; he was... studying with flair. He
entered university, ran for class monitor, then became a party activist in one fell swoop, consistently received the highest scholarships, maintained a great physique, and after taking the IELTS this year, he'd graduate and go abroad to pursue a Master's degree in Business Administration.
This major isn't recommended for ordinary people, but Xu Feng's family really does have a company that needs management...
Xu Feng isn't just a spendthrift, his family is also rich
. His interpersonal skills are impeccable; almost no one in the entire major dislikes him.
Because he got his family's company to issue internship certificates to every student in the class...
a near-perfect classmate, roommate, friend, and bathhouse attendant.
Yu Dong really liked Xu Feng as a friend.
At this moment, he glanced at Xu Feng beside him and felt a pang of sadness.
He could start over, but Xu Feng didn't.
After the zombie virus outbreak, the promising rich second-generation Xu Feng turned into a zombie... Even if Yu Dong wanted to save him, he couldn't.
"Something on your mind?"
Xu Feng, unaware of anything, looked at Yu Dong strangely. In his memory, Yu Dong was the kind of person who rarely showed signs of confusion or vulnerability.
"Xu Feng, if you only had seven days left to live, what would you do?"
"Do you have a terminal illness? Or Yu Yu syndrome?"
"Don't guess, I was just asking casually. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine."
"Whatever the reason, don't be pessimistic. It's treatable, and money can cure it!"
"..."
Seeing that Yu Dong didn't speak, Xu Feng thought he had hit the nail on the head.
"How about this, let's take a day off tomorrow, and I'll go with you to the hospital for a checkup."
Yu Dong smiled helplessly. That's Xu Feng for you.
He doesn't think you're being dramatic; he thinks you're sick.
"Alright, alright, you're overthinking it. Don't you know my physique? Want to have another arm wrestling match?" "
No, no... I'm all dead muscle."
Xu Feng seemed to recall some unpleasant memory and waved his hands repeatedly.
"But... are you really alright? You seem a bit strange today, did something happen? Just tell me if you need help."
Yu Dong looked Xu Feng up and down.
"In that case... I do need some help." "That's right
, go ahead!" "
Lend me some money, I need it urgently." "
Oh... just borrow money? You scared me, I thought something serious had happened to you. How much do you need?"
"How much do you have?" "
A little over 50,000... this is all I painstakingly saved from my living expenses, for when I go abroad to meet some foreign girls."
"Lend me 50,000, I'll pay you back in a week, it won't delay your use."
"That's fine, can I transfer it to your WeChat?"
"Why don't you ask me what I need it for?"
"I'd definitely ask others, but with you, Yu Dong... I don't think it's necessary."
While they were talking, Xu Feng had already transferred 50,000 yuan.
"Why?"
Yu Dong was a little curious, because this was the first time he had asked Xu Feng for money in his three years of university, and he hadn't expected it to go so smoothly; the two excuses he had just come up with didn't even come in handy.
"Because you've been involved in production since your freshman year, and your finances have been very healthy for the past three years, I trust your character and vision."
Yu Dong was silent for a moment.
"Thank you."
"We're all buddies."
Late at night, after Huang Zhiqiang returned, the dormitory was filled with discussions about Liu Yeye, brimming with the hormones of college students .
Yu Dong, on the other hand, lay in bed staring at his phone, opening his mouth, blinking, and shaking his head.
He spent the entire night trying every online lending platform he could find.
In the end, he still didn't give up and added a few private student loan companies.
"Bro, do you really not accept naked loans from guys?"
"Get lost!"
At midnight, Yu Dong regretfully turned off his phone.
"Unfortunately... the amount I can borrow as a student is too small. Online lending platforms only offer 3,000 to 5,000 yuan. If all 12 platforms approve it, it'll add up to exactly 50,000 yuan... the same amount Xu Feng lent me."
Thinking about it... Xu Feng is really a good person.
Yu Dong sincerely hopes that the country can develop a vaccine in the future, so he can give him a shot and continue to be his brother.
"The online lending platform's review takes time. Tomorrow, I'll find a place that can serve as a shelter."
Yu Dong is an orphan.
He grew up in an orphanage, without inheriting his parents' estate or owning any property.
Apart from knowledge, he doesn't possess any means of production.
He's a pure proletarian warrior.
He already has some ideas about the location of the shelter.
The next morning, at 7 o'clock, Yu Dong climbed down from the top bunk.
He glanced at Xu Feng on the bottom bunk, who was secretly covering his vocabulary book with the corner of the blanket, pretending to have just woken up.
"Yawn~~ So early, Dongzi."
"Not as early as you, heading out already?"
"Haha, have a safe trip."
Yu Dong rode his bicycle straight to the beach.
Yanhai City is a coastal city with a pleasant climate and a developed tourism industry, and many sea-view properties have been built.
Xiangti Bay Community was one of the first to be built.
Once the most upscale seaside apartment complex in Yanhai City, Xiangti Bay has seen its prices plummet due to recent land reclamation projects. Even more luxurious seaside apartments and villas have sprung up in front of it, further
diminishing its appeal. Investors have sold off their properties, but few are willing to buy. The complex, which initially relied on its seaside reputation to attract wealthy out-of-towners, has gradually become a ghost town.
The permanent population is very low, with most apartments vacant. The property management company, acting on behalf of the owners, rents out units to students or tourists to make a living.
Yu Dong's strongest impression of the area is its pleasant environment, sparse population, and darkness at night.
Locals call it a ghost town.
And now... the ghost town is precisely the reason Yu Dong came here.
-
+
"Fewer people, fewer zombies, and... even if someone turns into a zombie, most will be locked in their rooms, posing little threat to me."
Yu Dong parked his bicycle at the entrance of the residential complex and strode over.
His eyes lit up when he saw the entrance.
It was two fully automatic iron gates, looking very sturdy.
And there were only these two gates; there were no barrier gates for vehicles. If sealed off, they could completely keep zombies out of the complex.
"Sir, are you looking for someone or renting a room?"
The security guard standing at the gate saw Yu Dong lingering and came over to ask.
Unlike the elderly security guards in other complexes, this guard was a strong young man, 1.8 meters tall, with a powerful physique.
His uniform was clean and tidy, clearly different from other complexes.
No wonder it was once a high-end complex in Yanhai City.
"Renting a room."
"Oh! Please come with me, I'll take you to Sister Zhang."
The security guard pressed a remote control, and an iron gate opened. The two went inside.
"Why isn't there a parking entrance here?"
"Because parking isn't allowed on the surface of our complex. There's a special underground garage entrance over there, and only registered owners' or tenants' vehicles can enter."
"Oh...not bad."
Yu Dong quickly met Zhang Jie, the property manager in charge of rentals, a plump woman.
The pungent perfume she wore couldn't mask her pungent body odor, causing Yu Dong to involuntarily frown, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Young man, are you a student? We don't rent daily."
"I'm renting long-term."
Hearing this, Zhang Jie perked up, her smile widening.
"Come, come, come with me, I'll show you the apartments. How many people are living here? How big are you planning to rent?"
"I want a big one, fully furnished, move-in ready."
"The largest one we have is 160 square meters. The apartments in our complex are all nicely decorated. Come on, shall I show you one?"
"Sure."
With a clatter,
Zhang Jie pulled a key tray from her A2 waistband, which was covered with keys to apartments in the complex. Yu Dong glanced at it; there must have been over a hundred.
As Sister Zhang walked into the residential area, Yu Dong also looked around. Located
in a prime coastal area of the city, where land is incredibly valuable, Xiangti Bay wasn't large, consisting of only three buildings, leaving relatively spacious public areas and excellent greenery.
After a short walk, he had a pretty good grasp of the area.
The wall surrounding the entire complex was about 3 meters high, enough to block the view from the outside; it would be difficult for an average person to climb it without assistance.
The complex was somewhat desolate; on a Monday morning, there wasn't a single person on the ground.
'No wonder it's called a ghost town…'
The occupancy rate was evident.
Yu Dong went to Building One first.
The elevator doors opened, and a fair, slightly childlike face came into view.
At first glance, Yu Dong assumed it was a middle or high school student, but as his gaze moved down…
her full, rounded breasts strained against her clothes, and the astonishing curves made Yu Dong take another look at the girl's slightly chubby oval face—it was like two completely different styles.
The stark contrast and her highly recognizable face made Yu Dong recognize the girl in front of him.
"Liu Yeye? What's she doing here..."
Liu Yeye seemed surprised to see two people standing at the elevator entrance, almost bumping into Yu Dong.
"Sorry, sorry..."
She hurriedly apologized and ran away, leaving a faint fragrance in the air.
"Come in, handsome?"
"Yeah."
Yu Dong followed Sister Zhang into the elevator, his mind replaying the events before his death.
Huang Zhiqiang paid extra attention to Liu Yeye, frequently sharing various news in the dormitory, and Yu Dong passively learned many rumors about her.
Liu Yeye was not only talented but also beautiful, with excellent academic performance; she was practically the queen of the "good girl" category, the number one talented woman at Yanhai University.
She was a junior this year, a year younger than Yu Dong and his classmates, and had never been in a relationship.
Many people had tried to confess their feelings, but Liu Yeye had rejected them all.
Later... many rumors about her appeared on campus.
The most frequently mentioned rumor was that... Liu Yeye, seemingly cute and innocent, was actually being kept by someone and living off-campus.
This news was even confirmed by Liu Yeye's roommate.
This led the guys to speak with an knowing look.
Huang Zhiqiang, her roommate who used to idolize her, even bluntly stated he wouldn't love her anymore and changed his WeChat Moments background to: "Working hard to make money!"
As everyone knows, someone with this as their WeChat Moments background...
Yu Dong met Liu Yeye here today and understood why people had said those things about her before... it wasn't unfounded.
But none of that mattered to him.
Looking at apartments.
After looking at apartments in the complex with Sister Zhang, Yu Dong was quite satisfied.
First, each apartment building had a sturdy electronic security door at the entrance, requiring a card or facial recognition for entry, and it was usually kept closed.
Then, each apartment had a combination of an outer security door and an inner wooden door, providing excellent privacy and security.
The interior decorations were mostly the same; for Yu Dong, basic living facilities were sufficient.
After sending Zhang Jie away, Yu Dong recorded everything he observed.
"Except for the limited space... everything is fine."
On the day of the zombie outbreak, Yu Dong cut the circuit to the first-floor door, locked it, and then propped it up with furniture... making it virtually impossible for zombies to break into the building from the outside.
Moreover, being on a high floor has an advantage that other places don't have... less noise.
The noise he makes daily won't be easily detected by zombies.
The last time Yu Dong died, it was because he made a tiny noise while moving... which was discovered by several zombies who chased after him.
He had good stamina and outmaneuvered several zombies before finally being defeated by the fitness zombie Xu Feng after exhaustion...
Afterwards, he went to a seaside villa and an abandoned air-raid shelter, but felt that neither was quite right.
"The villa's low walls and decorative gates are too easy to spot, the air-raid shelter's living conditions are too poor, it would take several days to clean it up, the comfort level is too low, and besides being spacious, it doesn't have any obvious advantages..."
After comparing these three locations, Yu Dong personally preferred Xiangti Bay.
Because there were fewer people there, it was easier to defend, and he was less likely to be caught by zombies... and he could still live like a human being.
"If only the space were a little bigger, the largest apartment here is only 160 square meters, not enough."
Yu Dong read a question on Zhihu, "What should ordinary people prepare if a zombie outbreak occurs?" and learned from it about the various supplies he needed to prepare.
If he wanted to live as long as possible, until the day the country could solve the problem, he had to prepare enough supplies.
Especially food and water!
Based on his previous experience, Yu Dong needed to prepare for at least three years of living at home...
160 square meters really wasn't enough.
Yu Dong then returned to the Xiangti Bay community and stood in the hallway of the apartment he had just chosen.
He saw two locked apartments across the street, and his eyes lit up!
The apartments in Xiangtiwan are three units per floor, with all three sharing a single hallway.
"I've fallen into a mental trap! There's no need to completely confine my living space to one apartment." "
Since 160 square meters isn't enough, I'll just get two more! I'll rent the entire floor!"
"Then I'll seal off the fire door on the stairwell side, and this floor will be my own private living area."
"This will also give me some room for strategic relocation."
In this way, the final weakness—space—is addressed.
Xiangtiwan becomes a pentagon!
It's the best place Yu Dong can think of to move into immediately.
With that in mind, Yu Dong no longer hesitates and directly confirms his requirements with the property manager, Sister Zhang.
"I want to rent three rooms on the third floor."
The third floor was a carefully considered choice by Yu Dong. Firstly, it was away from the potentially dangerous lower floors (first and second floors), preventing zombies from sneaking in through the windows at night. Secondly, it was close to the first-floor exit; a zombie outbreak would inevitably be accompanied by a power outage, rendering the elevator unusable. If he needed to go outside or was forced to leave, climbing the stairs would be much easier. He could move
freely in and out.
The property management lady was somewhat suspicious upon hearing he wanted to rent three rooms.
"Really, little brother? Don't tease me! What do you need three rooms for?" "
It's for our postgraduate entrance exam preparation group. Several of us want to rent."
"Oh, great! Postgraduate entrance exam preparation is good! I like you studious college students!"
College students are generally well-behaved, clean, and less troublesome—much better than typical tenants.
The property management lady loved to rip off college students' deposits.
She checked the current rental records.
"The entire third floor is sold out. Either there are tenants, or the owner isn't renting it out... How about we find you another floor? There's a fourth floor in Building 1, a second floor in Building 3, and a few other floors over 20 stories. Which one do you want?"
"The fourth floor in Building 1."
Since he couldn't get the third floor, the fourth floor was acceptable.
Yu Dong couldn't possibly choose a super high-rise; otherwise, if the elevator stopped, climbing up and down 20+ stories would be exhausting.
"Alright, little brother~ This floor has three rooms: a medium-sized room, a large room, and a super-large room, corresponding to 45 square meters, 100 square meters, and 160 square meters. Quarterly rentals start at 1500, 2500, and 3000 per month, with a deposit of one month's rent and three months' rent in advance."
Sister Zhang's chubby fingers tapped rapidly on the calculator.
"Just give me 28,000, little brother."
"Okay, I can agree to the rent on their behalf, but I have a small request."
"Go ahead, little brother!"
The property manager was in a great mood, thinking about how she had just closed three rental deals, and she found Yu Dong particularly agreeable.
"We don't have that much money on us. We'll have to ask our families for money to pay you all of it. We'll pay you one month's rent first, and we'll make up the rest in a week."
"This..."
It wasn't in accordance with regulations, but thinking about the commission from the three deals and the fact that the other party was a college student, the property manager felt relieved.
A week was nothing.
"Okay, I trust you. Pay up, and I'll give you the keys and the community access card."
[Expenditure: 7,000 yuan, Balance: 98,000.]
Yu Dong successfully acquired three apartments on the fourth floor of Building 1 in Xiangti Bay.
28,000 yuan was obviously out of the question; he only had 105,000 yuan in total, not even enough to buy supplies. He could just pay one month's rent and wait until the zombie outbreak.
After grabbing a quick bite of authentic Anhui-style noodles at the entrance of his residential compound, Yu Dong headed to the wholesale market.
He needed to use his 98,000 yuan to buy enough supplies to support himself for three years.
This would be a real test of his financial management skills.
Fortunately, this was something Yu Dong excelled at.