The fierce battle left everyone exhausted, but it also left their minds with no energy for idle thoughts. The eight students from Class 1 quickly cleaned up, then covered themselves with the warm clothes they had salvaged from the courier station, and fell into a deep sleep in the long-awaited warmth.
I slept soundly through the night, without a single dream until dawn.
The next day, the children awoke to the warm, comforting aroma of rice. The scent was initially tranquil and serene, but over time, it developed a rich and lingering aftertaste. It was so comforting that it created a sense of temporal displacement, as if they were lying in their own bedroom, basking in the long-awaited sunshine outside the window, and savoring the aroma of their mother's porridge wafting through the crack in the door.
The seven people opened their eyes one after another. The stainless steel tables, stoves, pots, pans and bowls pulled them back to reality with their cold luster.
The only thing that could neutralize the chill was Lin Dilei, who was standing not far away in front of the stove.
Humming a song with headphones in, stirring the food in the pot with a spoon, lively, cute, bright and cheerful.
She had long since replaced her original wool coat with a down jacket with a fur-trimmed hood. Her uneven short hair was tucked behind her ears, revealing her fair profile, which looked so beautiful in the light and shadow filtering through the blinds.
The seven male students sat up one after another. The space on the floor was limited, so no one moved. Thus, they formed a line, shoulder to shoulder, gazing into the distance.
"There's a girl, that's wonderful…" Luo Geng's eyes lit up, his heart fluttering.
Zhou Yilu, who always maintained a sophisticated and high-class lifestyle, had long been fed up with his behavior: "Stop acting like a pervert all day long. With your sleazy appearance, even if I were a landmine, I wouldn't bother with you."
"I was just speaking from the heart, how is that lewd?" Luo Geng looked puzzled, his eyes honest and innocent. "There's a girl in the team who's pleasing to the eye, comforting, and always smells wonderful, like fresh flowers in a room. My praise came from the bottom of my heart, it was genuine!"
"Hey, I've noticed that your language skills improve by leaps and bounds whenever you talk about Xiao Dilei." Qiao Siqi, always eager for excitement, forcefully interjected with his comments, "I admit Xiao Dilei is really great, but you can't just praise her and put us brothers down. What do you mean by 'it's great to have a girl'? You're making us guys so sad."
Luo Geng was speechless, his expression conflicted, as if he wanted to explain to Qiao Siqi but didn't know how to organize his thoughts.
"He means that having a girl makes it feel more like home," Wang Qingyuan said, understanding Luo Geng's point.
Qiao Siqi frowned: "Does a house full of boys not feel like a home?"
"You can try it," Wang Qingyuan shrugged, tilting his chin slightly toward Lin Dilei, "Imagine that it's not Lin Dilei cooking porridge over there, but Zhao He."
Qiao Siqi: "..."
Wang Qingyuan: "Humming a little tune, swaying her waist gently, a smile on her lips, and tender eyes."
Others: "..."
Wang Qingyuan: "How do you feel?"
All comrades: "We swear to protect the small landmine to the death!"
Second floor, Korean restaurant kitchen.
Zhao He: Achoo—
Huang Mo: "You have a cold?"
Zhao He: "No, my nose suddenly started to itch."
Feng Qibai: "Someone misses you."
Zhao He: "...Hehe."
Wu Zhou: "Damn it! I told you to borrow a mask from downstairs. Now, when you sneeze, all your saliva and snot go into the pot!"
Zhao He: "If you're so good, then you do it!"
Wu Zhou: "I didn't lose the dish name chain game again."
Zhao He: "If you're so capable, let's arm wrestle!"
Fu Xiyuan: "Brother, instead of making a fuss, stir the porridge a bit more. It smells burnt to me."
He Zhiwen: "Adding scallions can remove the burnt taste."
Zhao He: "Where can I find scallions? How about kimchi?"
Huang Mo walked to the window and quietly gazed into the distance in the morning light—when the male classmates volunteered to share the kitchen work for you, but ultimately chose the executor through a duel, you should know that a disaster is about to strike.
On the twentieth day after the zombie outbreak, the martial arts troupe members all cooked porridge early in the morning. Upstairs, they cooked white rice, and downstairs, they cooked eight-treasure porridge—it was Laba Festival.
For a cell phone that has lost signal, the only things that continue to flow and update are time and the perpetual calendar.
The chaotic, irregular sleep schedule of sleeping during the day and being active at night, along with the terrifying, unreal environment outside, blurred the group's five senses. It was as if they had unknowingly floated into the air, and only when they saw the exact changing date did their dazed hearts find peace.
At 6 p.m., Zhao He, Wu Zhou, Feng Qibai, and He Zhiwen arrived as scheduled.
Song Fei, Qi Yan, Zhou Yilu, and Qiao Siqi downstairs were also fully equipped.
—The departure time for Gewulou is set for tonight.
Despite having just visited the courier point yesterday and then having another battle afterward, the team was unwilling to wait any longer. Or rather, the circumstances didn't allow them to deliberate further. In this survival battle where unexpected situations, even death, could occur at any moment, time is life.
The eight people were fully armed, with masks, goggles, weapons, and backpacks—Zhao He and the others had also been carrying backpacks when they escaped from the dormitory.
If there's one thing in the first-floor kitchen warehouse that truly delighted everyone, it's the variety of canned goods—luncheon meat, black bean dace, braised pork, and more, each sold by the case. Compared to other foods that require cooking, canned goods, with their smallest volume, highest density, and ease of carrying and consumption, are naturally essential for long journeys.
In addition, Lin Dilei also made some pancakes for everyone. They are easy to store and filling, although they are a bit dry and may require more water to eat.
"Actually, if all goes well, it should only take two nights to go back and forth, maybe even one night," Song Fei said, weighing his backpack, which was already eight-tenths full, with a wry smile. "Is it really necessary to pack so much?"
Lin Dilei insisted: "It's better to be prepared."
Song Fei reluctantly compromised, but added, "Hopefully, I won't need it."
If we really have to wait until these food reserves are exhausted before we can return, then it would truly be like going on a pilgrimage to the West.
But what if they haven't returned by the time these food reserves run out...?
Shaking his head vigorously to shake off the bad thoughts, Song Fei retreated to the group of seven and said to the remaining four friends, "Wait for our victory news."
"Whether or not the radio can be found," Wang Qingyuan said, emphasizing each word, "please make sure you come back."
Song Fei stared at him intently, then suddenly grinned: "But it would be best if we could still find it, wouldn't it?"
Wang Qingyuan returned his smile with a rare playful tone: "Of course."
The north wind was biting, and the night was cold.
The deserted campus was eerily quiet. No matter the main road or the side paths, there was not a soul in sight. Only the streetlights shone silently, adding to the eeriness, as if everyone had vanished in an instant, leaving only empty roads, silent buildings, and increasingly cold air.
The eight people carefully hid in the shadows of the streetlights and walked eastward along the road at a steady pace toward the department building area.
From the cafeteria to Gewu Building, there are basically no side paths; they are all paved roads that are flat and wide. The only difference between the different paths is that you either pass by the main entrance of the department building or the back of the department building. In any case, you have to pass through several department buildings such as Yixin Building, Luban Building, and Qiushi Building before you can reach Gewu Building, which is located at the very end.
The downside of a wide asphalt road is that it's not easy to find a place to hide. Fortunately, there are big trees planted on both sides of the road. Although the leaves have all fallen, the thick trunks of the trees, which are spaced a few meters apart, still give the group a sense of security. So everyone walked close to the trees.
Walking alone won't get you to your target area. Not to mention Gewu Building, you're still a long way from even the nearest Yixin Building. It's really exhausting.
The only thing that could comfort the group was that they hadn't encountered any zombies along the way.
But that's how strange people are; the less they've encountered something, the more uneasy they feel.
"Tell me," Joschi said, his voice barely audible, "where are they all hiding?"
"Inside the building," Zhou Yilu replied. "Just like in the cafeteria, when it gets cold outside, people go inside to hide."
Johns' heart was filled with a huge shadow upon hearing this: "According to you, the department building has become a vast ocean of zombies?"
"The possibility is very high."
"..." Qiao Siqi felt like he couldn't walk anymore.
"Whether you stick your neck out or not, you'll get stabbed anyway. I'd rather plunge into this sea as soon as possible." As Song Fei spoke, he unconsciously frowned, half puzzled and half complaining, "Why didn't I realize this road was so long before? I remember it wasn't that long coming from the dormitory."
Qi Yan's tone was indifferent and deliberate: "You always rush here at the last second before the class bell rings, so it's understandable that you don't feel the distance is far."
Song Fei suddenly realized: "So that's how it is... Did I need you to explain it to me?"
Qi Yan unconsciously smiled, feeling a surge of joy.
Although Song Fei felt upset by the criticism, he thought about it again and realized that the other person wasn't wrong. Back then, he really would rather sleep in for an extra minute than get up for a second earlier. Even in the department head's class, he treated everyone equally without any discrimination. Later, Qi Yan somehow found out that he not only neglected his elective courses but also treated all required courses the same way. So, just to correct his attitude towards learning, Qi Yan scolded him countless times.
At first, Qi Yan probably genuinely wanted what was best for him, but later, realizing it was useless, she just started criticizing him for the sake of criticizing. Anyway, he's hopeless, so it's good to vent her anger.
Previously, Song Fei thought Qi Yan was just nitpicking.
But now he understands, it's the kind of anger that comes from watching someone waste their time and being powerless to do anything about it.
"You're right..."
The sudden outpouring of sincere words made Qi Yan think she was hallucinating, and she asked uncertainly, "Huh?"
Song Fei simply said bluntly, "You're right, I shouldn't have been wasting my life like that."
Qi Yan was speechless: "If I remember correctly, the last time I said something like that was back in the summer."
Song Fei: "The principle is too profound. You need to give me time to understand it."
Qi Yan: "..."
Qi Yan didn't know what had suddenly gotten into Song Fei. She looked up unintentionally and found a banner strung between several trees on the left side of the road ahead. It had red background and white characters: "There is a path to the mountain of books, and diligence is the way; the sea of learning is boundless, and hard work is the boat."
These promotional banners are ubiquitous on campus, aiming to foster a healthy and positive campus culture.
Did you see this?
Qi Yan pursed her lips, rejecting the deduction—this banner had been hanging here for eight hundred years, exposed to the sun and rain, faded and wrinkled, it really didn't look like something that could stir people's hearts.
But Song Fei was indeed reflecting on his actions.
Moreover, she said it frankly even though she knew she was very likely to be criticized by him.
In comparison, his earlier sarcastic remarks seemed particularly despicable.
[They fundamentally lack the ability to bring joy to their loved ones.]
Simply put, you don't respect him.
Wang Qingyuan's words suddenly flashed into Qi Yan's mind.
Although the other party explained it very clearly at the time, it was only now that Qi Yan truly understood the meaning behind it.
rear.
Zhao He: "What were you talking about up there?"
Wu Zhou: "I can't hear you."
Feng Qibai: "It seems like the zombies are hiding in the building, and Song Fei seems to be talking to Qi Yan about summer memories?"
He Zhi asked, "Summer? They knew each other before?"
Feng Qibai: "Who knows?"
Zhao He: "Their class is really too strange."
Wu Zhou: "From the moment that Li something-or-other smashed the pot down, I wouldn't be surprised if anything else happened in his class."
He Zhiwen: "Li Jingyu."
Wu Zhou: "Hmm?"
He Zhiwen: "His name is Li Jingyu."
Wu Zhou: "Look, I don't even feel anyt
hing when I hear such strange names anymore."