Chapter 0009 Preparation Before the Breakthrough

After a long time, Zhou Yulong's tears gradually dried. He knew that this was not the time for him to be weak. He was unaware if others had undergone mutations like him, but he understood that he must strive to survive and rely on his own strength to find his friends and family. As long as they were still alive, he would see them!

I remember that around this time last year, my mother was busily attending to guests both inside and outside, while my father, tying on an apron, entered the kitchen, humming a tune that no one could understand as he began to showcase his culinary skills. Meanwhile, my younger cousins gathered around him, the eldest, asking for red envelopes, and he happily distributed one to each of them.

The passage of time is always indifferent to human will, and another day has gone by. The next day, upon waking, Zhou Yulong inhaled the not-so-fresh air and stretched lazily; he had gradually become accustomed to this environment filled with the stench of decay. After all, humans are the most adaptable creatures.

As all the preparations were completed, the sky gradually darkened. Zhou Yulong decided to take a break, pulling out the last few pieces of fish stored in the refrigerator. He made fried fish paired with chili sauce and then cooked a large pot of rice, enjoying a hearty meal. No one knows what will happen tomorrow, but he knows what he can do today. Looking at the golden fried fish on the dining table, he hopes this meal will bring him good luck, wishing for abundance year after year. He hopes that on this day next year, he can continue to celebrate the Spring Festival... No one knows what will happen tomorrow, but he knows what he can do today. Looking at the golden fried fish on the dining table, he hopes this meal will bring him good luck, wishing for abundance year after year. He hopes that on this day next year, he can continue to celebrate the Spring Festival...

Those who have never experienced successful weight loss cannot imagine the sense of achievement that comes from watching fat transform into muscle. At least Zhou Yulong feels a great sense of accomplishment right now. His mindset has always been positive; even when faced with such difficulties, he can find joy in hardship. Looking at the days on the calendar, he suddenly took a deep breath. On this day in previous years, the whole family would usually be gathered together.

While searching, he suddenly made a surprising discovery under his parents' bed. It was a long-handled machete, with a streamlined blade approximately 1.5 meters long, glimmering with a sharp light, and engraved with a roaring azure dragon. This was something his father had kept for self-defense during his racing days. He had seen it many times in his childhood and heard that his father had secretly bought it during a trip to Tibet for racing. Ever since his father stopped racing, it had been stored away. He had always thought that his father had either thrown it away or given it to someone else, but it turned out to have been preserved. If he had discovered this treasure earlier, he wouldn't have needed to go through the trouble of making a short spear. However, it was good that he now had an additional weapon, which would enhance his safety. After experiencing being surrounded by zombies, he realized that while a short spear was more convenient for defense against large groups of zombies, it lacked the striking power. Nevertheless, with the addition of this machete, he felt more confident about breaking through the zombie encirclement.

Sigh, it seems that people are indeed shaped by their circumstances! Zhou Yulong looked at the increasingly prominent, streamlined muscles on his body and let out a satisfied sigh. Two months ago, he wouldn't have dared to imagine having such firm muscles; although he wasn't as extreme as a bodybuilder, from a normal person's perspective, it was already quite impressive, at least he could be considered to have some definition. Looking at his flat abdomen, which faintly revealed his abdominal muscles, he chuckled: "If I had had these muscles before, I probably wouldn't have had trouble finding a girlfriend! Haha"

Headache and a pain in the ass! Zhou Yulong muttered meaningless complaints while contemplating a way to break through. In fact, if there were a way, he would have figured it out long ago. He knew that zombies were afraid of fire, but his home was not an oil refinery; he did not have enough oil or gasoline to waste. The only cooking oil he had would probably not even ignite a few zombies, which was of no use at all. The liquefied gas was also running low, but even if it weren't, he did not dare to throw it out as a bomb. Although that was how it was portrayed on television, he really did not want to take the risk of being blown to pieces. What he was most grateful for now was that the zombies seemed to have calmed down a lot after the thunderstorm; otherwise, this building would likely have been torn to shreds by them. Another thing to be thankful for was that since he had seen a Licker that day, he had not encountered it again in the vicinity, probably having run towards the densely populated city center. It was only because of this that he had managed to survive until now.

On the evening of February 10, 2013, the earth welcomed the second thunderstorm after the apocalypse

On this day in previous years, the house was already bustling with noise. He walked back to the fifth floor, looking at the familiar furnishings inside the house, and the scenes from last year's Spring Festival seemed to reappear before his eyes

Finally, he dug out a mountaineering backpack he had bought during a previous camping trip, packing it with some leftover rice, seasonings, and chili sauce from home. Noticing there was still some space left, he poured a few bottles of his father's treasured liquor into plastic bottles. Although he wasn't particularly fond of drinking, having some in the wild could prove quite useful. This was something he had learned from "Survivor in the Wild"; strong liquor can invigorate the blood, resist cold, and even serve as a disinfectant. In dangerous situations, it could also be fashioned into a makeshift Molotov cocktail, making it an essential item for both home and travel, as well as for more nefarious purposes.

It is uncertain whether the infection caused by the virus has led to the mutation of the zombies. Since the outbreak of the virus, it has been nearly 50 days. However, apart from showing some signs of decay and having skin peeling off, the zombies do not seem to have undergone any other changes. They still emit a foul stench, still crave blood, and remain tireless.

After more than two hours of rummaging through boxes, Zhou Yulong discovered many valuable items at home that he had either never found or had overlooked before.

Just as he had finished his meal and was about to rest, a sudden rumble of thunder echoed outside, and the sky changed...

Tears fell onto the phone, and at that moment, Zhou Yulong felt particularly vulnerable. In the past, no matter what happened, he felt indifferent because he had a family supporting him. But now, with the apocalypse upon them, he had lost his home, and his parents and friends were nowhere to be found, leaving him all alone. ... He sat on the bed, hugging his curled-up legs with his hands, and began to cry silently ...

Zhou Yulong shook his head vigorously, as if this could alleviate his worries a little. He decided to temporarily set this issue aside; this was one of his greatest strengths—when faced with something he could not understand, he would not dwell on it, to avoid getting stuck in a rut and making himself uncomfortable. He had already made up his mind that if there was still no improvement after the Spring Festival, he would take some daily necessities and break out from Old Zhang's place, as this was the only option left.

Once Father has prepared all the dishes, Zhou Yulong will join Mother in setting the delicious feast on the table. The usually serious Uncle will rarely drop his stern demeanor, laughing and playing with them. The family will then gather to enjoy the meal together, filled with joy and harmony. After the meal, everyone will gather on the rooftop, where the adults will sit in small groups, chatting and playing mahjong, while the children, under his guidance, will set off beautiful fireworks and play around. Finally, in the evening, they will all sit in front of the television, watching the unchanging Spring Festival Gala, feeling the warmth of home.

After a day of routine training, I walked to the edge of the rooftop, rubbing my slightly sore shoulders. Looking down at the sea of corpses gathered below, Zhou Yulong furrowed his brow tightly. There were simply too many zombies; if there were only a hundred or even just a thousand, he could find a way to kill them one by one. However, there were at least over ten thousand zombies here. It seemed that the zombies from several streets had been attracted to this area, including those at the entrance of the supermarket across from the park, which had also begun to gather around his home. The sheer number of zombies was overwhelming; if there were only a hundred or even just a thousand, he could find a way to deal with them individually. Yet, there were at least over ten thousand zombies here. It appeared that the zombies from several streets had been drawn over, including those at the supermarket entrance across from the park, which had also started to encircle his home. He finally fully understood the saying that when the number of people exceeds ten thousand, it becomes boundless and shoreless, but this boundlessness was a sea of corpses, not a sea of people.

February 9, 2013, Saturday, New Year's Eve

As he pondered, Zhou Yulong suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness. He had always been afraid to think about how his uncle and parents were doing, fearing that his imagination would conjure up bloody and cruel images. He walked into his bedroom and silently sat on the bed. He opened his phone and scrolled through old photos. How he longed for his phone to receive even a single signal, how he wished to hear his mother's incessant nagging and his father's stern lectures... The things he once hoped never to hear again were now what he yearned for the most... How he longed for his phone to receive even a single signal, how he wished to hear his mother's incessant nagging and his father's stern lectures... The things he once hoped never to hear again were now what he yearned for the most...

Zhou Yulong lit the remaining rice at home, glanced at the calendar, and chuckled to himself: "Today is already the 29th of the lunar calendar, and tomorrow will be the Spring Festival." He then looked at his remaining supplies and clearly understood that this little rice would only last him for less than a week if he were to be frugal. If he couldn't come up with a solution in the next few days, he would be left with no way out.

Indeed, today is the Spring Festival, marking Zhou Yulong's first Spring Festival in the apocalypse, and it is also the first Spring Festival he has ever spent alone.

It has been 12 days since the night when Zhou Yulong fought against the zombie rain, yet the zombies downstairs show no signs of retreating; on the contrary, they seem to be increasing in number...

Zhou Yulong regained his spirits and comforted himself. At least, in a day when so many people have already turned into zombies, he is still able to live well

The today we do not cherish is, in fact, the tomorrow that people have longed for and which has already passed

He shook his head, silently reciting this phrase, and stood up from the bed. With little food left, he decided to pack all the usable items carefully, planning to find a time after the Spring Festival to prepare for a breakout.

He has considered the question of how to safely escape and obtain supplies many times. He has also thought about climbing to Uncle Zhang's rooftop next door and then breaking through from there, but the zombies' hearing is truly abnormal. He is not confident that he can climb over without attracting the zombies' attention. If he were to do that, it is likely that his last escape route would be cut off. He does not want to take this risk unless absolutely necessary.

He tried lifting the backpack; fortunately, it was not very heavy. For the physically enhanced Zhou Yulong, it posed no problem at all. Now, everything was in place, and he just needed the right opportunity. He placed the backpack in the bedroom, preparing to find a good moment to break through. Then, he took the machete and went to the rooftop to sharpen it. This was a life-saving treasure, and sharpening it a bit more would save some effort when dealing with zombies later. Since the battle on that rainy night, he had come to understand that in times of crisis, any bit of stamina saved could potentially save your life.

Dah ... ... dah ... ...

First, he found a waterproof diesel lighter under his father's bedside table, a gift he had given to his father long ago, and he never expected it would be useful at this moment. Along with the lighter was a small bottle of diesel. He did not know what situations he would encounter after breaking through, but he understood that regardless of the circumstances, a source of fire was absolutely essential. Therefore, he placed it in a sealed small metal box and secured it upside down on his belt. Along with the lighter was a small bottle of diesel. He did not know what situations he would encounter after breaking through, but he understood that regardless of the circumstances, a source of fire was absolutely essential. Therefore, he placed it in a sealed small metal box and secured it upside down on his belt

Before long, he rummaged through a storage cabinet on the rooftop and found an old military water bottle. This seemed to be left behind by his grandfather; it was quite sturdy and large. It could hold a significant amount of water, and in case of necessity, the spout could be removed for use in cooking soup. Moreover, the hard material could also serve as a weapon against zombies in dire situations. With the heavy weight of the filled bottle, it would be no problem to smash a zombie's head with a single blow. He carefully filled the bottle with water and placed it on the ground.