Seventeen young men were no pushovers; they swept away most of the two rows of shelves like a whirlwind, as if locusts had swept through a farmland. In just a few minutes, various packaging bags and empty beverage bottles were scattered all over the floor.
The male students, having gradually filled their stomachs, lay sprawled on the ground, slowly savoring the reality of their survival after the ordeal.
"Damn it, I'm finally alive..."
"I should have come out sooner; I've been suffering in the dorm these past few days..."
"Luckily, my buddy ran fast. Those guys from 317 were behind and didn't manage to break through."
"This university experience is just too much..."
Song Fei and the others were sitting in their household goods section, not too far from the food section, but not too close either. Separated by countless rows of shelves, it was like two separate worlds. They could vaguely hear the voices on the other end, but not every word was clear.
Qiao Siqi picked up a can of apple Fanta from the ground, popped open the tab, tilted his head back and took a big gulp. After finishing, seeing that his five friends were not moving, he burped and urged, "Hurry up and drink some, or you might not be able to get any in a few days."
Everyone fell silent.
What George said is true.
Opening a window to save someone is a basic human instinct, but humanity cannot be converted into food and water. In a situation where the total amount of food is completely fixed, the more people there are, the less food there is per person.
"I really don't want to move to another position," Zhou Yilu said frankly. "We're lucky to have made it through the dorms. If we had to do it again… we might not be so lucky."
"It's not that bad." Luo Geng also opened a can of beverage, the sweet carbonation bursting on his tongue, making him feel refreshed. "If we include those broad beans, spicy strips, melon seeds, and peanuts, and eat them sparingly, it should last for a week or two. If the rescue doesn't come by then, and we really have no other choice, then we can talk about evacuation."
"Alright," Song Fei slapped his thigh, setting the tone for the current situation, "Things will work themselves out!"
Qiao Siqi was still not completely at ease, but after listening to his friends' words, it seemed to make a lot of sense. After pondering for a long time without coming up with anything useful, he simply shook his head, throwing all the messy worries to the back of his mind, and cheered himself up: "So, what's the plan now? Continue having a happy Christmas Eve?"
Song Fei exclaimed in exasperation, "You don't have to be so carefree!"
The group chatted amongst themselves, oblivious to someone approaching until the person cheerfully greeted them, "You guys are having quite a lively time."
The person who came was the one who had spoken a few words to Qi Yan back then. At that time, everyone was standing, so it was fine, but now that they were sitting on the ground and looking up, they felt a sense of oppression.
Fortunately, the man was very outgoing and quickly plopped down on the cot, flashing a friendly smile and saying, "Yu Zisheng."
Since they're all from the same school and it's this kind of situation, no one will hold a grudge. The other person took the initiative to greet them, so the classmates immediately reciprocated with goodwill.
"Qi Yan".
"Zhou Yilu" (周律).
"Song Fei".
"Luo Geng".
"Josh."
"Lin Dilei".
Yu Zisheng was a little stunned, and finally scratched his head: "I really can't remember."
The friends were stunned for a moment, then realized that it was indeed true, and couldn't help but laugh.
The awkwardness and tension in the air gradually dissipated. Qiao Siqi handed the other person a can of Fanta, which the other person took naturally, asking while prying open the tab, "When did you arrive?"
"Four days ago." Song Fei still felt a little frustrated when he thought about it. "Before we ran outside, we shouted on the balcony for a long time, but no one responded. In the end, we had to force our way out. We almost didn't make it in."
Yu Zisheng frowned: "You shouted from the balcony? How come we didn't hear you?"
Song Fei: "Which building are you in?"
Yu Zisheng: "Number 5."
Song Fei: "That's it. We're in buildings 2 and 3. If you could hear us shouting, the zombies would probably have already rushed in."
"Those idiots, if they didn't come out with you guys, they'd be dead if they stayed in the dorm." Yu Zisheng clearly sensed Song Fei's frustration and naturally sided with him, speaking up for him.
But Song Fei felt it sounded awkward.
He secretly glanced at his friends, whose expressions were quite complicated. For a moment, no one spoke, and the scene became somewhat awkward.
"How's the dormitory now?" Qi Yan quickly came up with a question that was of concern to everyone and could keep the conversation going.
Yu Zisheng didn't notice anything amiss. When he heard Qi Yan ask, he immediately put down his drink, as if he had a bellyful of grievances to pour out: "They've all gone mad. There's no food! Who can stand this kind of hunger? At first, they would steal from the balcony, and later they would just rob people outright. They're all inhuman. Whoever has the strongest fist survives. There are even people jumping off buildings at night. My god, it's quite a spectacle. You guys left early. If you had left two days later, it's hard to say whether you would have come out alive."
Yu Zisheng spoke frankly and concisely. He didn't deliberately exaggerate anything, but those few words were enough for the six people to imagine that hellish place. Although they weren't actually there, they felt as if they were experiencing it firsthand. They couldn't say whether it was fear or sadness that made them feel a mix of emotions, churning within them, so much so that they couldn't utter a word.
"What kind of expressions are those?" Yu Zisheng was amused. "You guys are so lucky. You have food and drink here. You should be secretly happy."
"That's only temporary," Luo Geng sighed. "Who knows when the rescue will come? We're just sitting here and waiting for our savings to run out."
"This place isn't some natural barrier, it's flat and open, so the rescue will definitely be quick." Yu Zisheng sighed. "What I fear most is that our own people will turn against each other. When I knocked on the door, I was really worried that you would just stand by and watch us die."
"Unless we get bitten," Song Fei said in a low voice, enunciating each word clearly, "we will always be human."
Yu Zisheng was stunned for a moment, then pushed Song Fei's shoulder and said, "Stop fucking spouting motivational platitudes, haha."
After chatting for about ten minutes, Yu Zisheng went back. Not long after, a group of people came and swept away all the remaining bed sheets, pillows, air conditioner blankets, and other items on the shelves, seemingly intending to sleep on the floor as well.
Unfortunately, the quilts had all been used by Song Fei and his friends, leaving only thin and impractical ones on the shelves. Some of them seemed reluctant to leave, glancing longingly at Song Fei and his friends' quilts.
The six men knew exactly what was going on, but they all kept their eyes down and pretended not to see. Opening the window to save someone was a matter of principle, but giving someone a blanket and getting cold themselves was going too far. Besides, the supermarket with the air conditioning on wasn't actually cold. Sleeping on the floor might be a bit chilly, but these young men were full of energy; a little chill wouldn't kill them.
Perhaps the students' escape from the dormitory was too dangerous, and they were too upset to fall asleep. Even in the middle of the night, they could still hear some talking and playing around.
Song Fei and the others weren't actually asleep either.
This is a particularly delicate situation, like a new person suddenly joining a space that was once considered their own. Rationally, they know that the supermarket is shared by everyone, and the idea of treating it as their own territory is wrong in the first place. But emotionally, everyone would feel threatened by a new classmate who outnumbers and outmaneuveres them.
The result of not being able to sleep is that you always need to go to the toilet. Song Fei has already gotten up three times this night.
After her previous terrifying experience in the restroom, Song Fei was left with psychological trauma. Whenever she went in, she would always tiptoe around, keeping her eyes and ears open.
There are people in the toilet.
Song Fei could smell the smoke from two meters away from the door, and by the time he reached the door, he could clearly hear the conversation of several people inside.
"Did you see that girl? I swear on my life, she's the most beautiful girl in the School of Journalism and Communication. I saw her holding up the placard at the sports meet."
"Such big breasts, even a blind person couldn't see them. Tsk, they got off easy."
"Five against one, is that enough?"
"Damn it, stop talking, I'm already hard."
"Hahaha, well, there's nothing I can do about it, I'll just have to figure it out myself."
"Hey, do you guys think it would work if we just forced ourselves on him?"
"No way, those five haven't had their fill yet, why would you give them to them?"
"Girls are so great, you don't have to worry about anything, just spread your legs and everything's done..."
Song Fei silently retreated. He wasn't in a real hurry to pee, and estimated he could hold it for another hour or so, so he decided to hold it until those people dispersed before going, otherwise he felt nauseous.
Sexual fantasies are a biological instinct. Sometimes, after lights out, 440 would chat about which girl in the compound was pretty, and secretly gossip about who had gone to a hotel with whom. Their conversations were playful, frivolous, indecent, and even occasionally lewd and vulgar. Basically, once the door was closed, they'd chat without restraint.
But fantasizing in your mind and actually facing a girl are two different things.
When they rescued Lin Dilei, even he, a gay man, was stunned by her beauty. Lin Dilei's beauty was the kind that takes your breath away; she was truly beautiful. But after rescuing her, apart from Luo Geng, no one really had any feelings for her beyond that of a classmate. Even Luo Geng openly and honestly showered her with attention, displaying a firm "I like you, I want to pursue you" attitude.
Perhaps because he already considered Lin Dilei as a partner and comrade-in-arms in his heart, Song Fei thought, he had to leave quickly to avoid rushing in and beating her up.
Song Fei finally fell asleep just before dawn, and as a result, he felt groggy all day. Fortunately, the day passed peacefully. Although the six of them sensed the subtle atmosphere when they went to the food area to find something to eat, they ultimately maintained a facade of friendliness, spending most of the time in separate areas, keeping to themselves.
Before seven o'clock, Song Fei was already so sleepy that she lay down and slept until dawn.
Then, I was awakened by a tremendous sound like cannon fire ramming the door.
The five companions had already gotten up and were sitting around him. Song Fei looked around in confusion, still not understanding what was going on.
Zhou Lu patted his head and sighed as he coaxed him, "Putting your fur on your head won't scare you."
Song Fei's eyes remained blank: "What's wrong?"
Qi Yan said calmly, "They're breaking down the warehouse door."
Song Fei was even more confused: "We have the warehouse key."
Lin Dilei gave a mocking laugh: "They didn't come looking for us. No, they didn't communicate at all. They probably thought we didn't have the key, so they just broke in."
Song Fei: "..."
The saying goes, "The early bird catches the worm," and since the morning didn't start well, it's no wonder that Song Fei ran into trouble when he went to the food section to look for eight-treasure porridge at noon.Department Store
Just like yesterday, a dozen or so students almost filled the main food area. Some were standing against the shelves, some were sitting, and some were lying in the aisle. Although their postures were all different, when Song Fei walked over, a dozen pairs of eyes all looked over at him, instantly building an impenetrable wall that strangers could not enter.
Just like yesterday, Song Fei didn't follow the usual practice and continued walking in. But when he got there and found the shelves completely empty, even if he were the reincarnation of a celestial being, he would be helpless.
Thinking that even if the shelves were empty, there would still be some stock, I walked to the warehouse door and saw Yu Zisheng inside through the half-open door that seemed about to fall off.
Besides Yu Zisheng, there were two other classmates. The three of them sat on the ground, acting like the hosts.
"Song...Fei, right? See, my memory is still pretty good." Yu Zisheng sat on the ground without moving, greeting her with great enthusiasm.
"It's fine." Song Fei smiled at him perfunctorily, trying to walk around the three people and go inside. But as soon as she got to Yu Zisheng's side, she was tripped by his suddenly outstretched leg.
"Damn it, what are you doing!" Song Fei was a little angry; she couldn't greet people with a smile in this situation.
Yu Zisheng said apologetically, "I'm really sorry, but there's not much food left inside. You'll have to go outside and find some."
Song Fei felt his intelligence had been utterly insulted, so much so that he didn't know whether to be angry or laugh for a moment: "So many boxes, and you're telling me there's no food left?"
"I may not have explained myself clearly," Yu Zisheng stood up calmly, brushed the dirt off his pants, and smiled at Song Fei, "We found the place, and we broke down the door, so the things inside are our private property. There is food, but it's not yours."
Song Fei was genuinely amused this time: "Hey, do you guys think I look like a total idiot?"
Yu Zisheng tilted his head in thought, as if he had been racking his brains for a long time, and finally looked at Song Fei seriously: "If you want to fight us, then it's not just about what it looks like."
Rather, it is.
But Song Fei was definitely not an idiot. It wasn't just a question of whether he had a chance against three, but rather how many consequences his momentary gratification would bring. Against three, he might at most end up with a bruised and battered face, but against seventeen against six, it might truly be a matter of life and death.
The five friends all knew that Song Fei was looking for eight-treasure porridge, but he went towards the food section and came back from the warehouse direction, empty-handed and covered in dust. They all understood what was going on.Department Store
But understanding and accepting are two different things.
"Really not going to give it to me?" Zhou Yilu asked in a very soft voice, so soft that he could hardly suppress the anger beneath.
Song Fei shrugged and sneered, "They said they found the place and broke down the door, so the things inside are their private property. There's food, but it's not ours."
"Holy crap, this is insane logic!"
As Luo Geng was about to stand up, Lin Dilei grabbed his clothes tightly. He was unwilling to give up and kept trying to break free. Finally, Xiao Dilei glared at him and shouted, "Sit down!"
Luo Geng's buttocks immediately stuck to the ground and he didn't move an inch.
"If I could fight them head-on, I would have already started a fight with them in the warehouse just now." Song Fei said this to Luo Geng.
But Teacher Luo couldn't understand: "You're not going to fight head-on, you're planning to outsmart them? It's just a small piece of land, if you take it all, won't someone else steal it?"
"How about... we try to beg them a little?" Qiao Siqi suggested weakly.
Zhou Yilu's gaze swept over him with a sharp and intimidating air.
Qiao Siqi shrank back and remained silent.
As someone who had been robbed in his dormitory, Zhou Yilu never thought things would turn out well from the beginning, but he didn't expect them to deteriorate so quickly.
After a moment's hesitation, Zhou Yilu suddenly grabbed the weapon that had transformed from a sushi knife into a sushi gun, his fingertips gently scraping the blade, his eyes narrowing sharply: "If all else fails..."
"No way!" Although Qiao Siqi had made up his mind to keep quiet, this was a matter of principle, and he had to speak up even if he was glared at. "Those people are still living, breathing people, no matter how despicable they are. We can't take advantage of the dead of night to kill them all and then dump their bodies to be eaten by zombies. Even if no one finds out, we'll have to carry the blood debt for the rest of our lives!"
Song Fei: "..."
Qi Yan: "..."
Luogeng: "..."
Zhou Yilu: "What I mean is, if things really come to a standstill, we should just run away as soon as possible!"
Lin Dilei: "And why are your attempts to dissuade me filled with countless feasible details..."