Chapter 2, The Failed Battle

This was the only entertainment for Leng Yang in a day, reciting the phrases from the survival manual while inventorying the items in his home

In the following days, Leng Yang reinforced the windows of his home and sealed the balcony. He completed all the necessary tasks. Most importantly, he painstakingly transcribed the survival manual for the apocalypse by hand from the electronic devices that still had a bit of power left.

As the zombie lunged forward, Leng Yang felt as if his hands had grasped something. Without a moment to think, he quickly tightened his grip, his body darting aside, causing the zombie to miss its target. It flew off the rooftop, landing with a dull thud as it fell down the building. The zombies below were drawn to the sound, but soon after, they all wandered away.

After observing the relatively clear water in the tank, Leng Yang filled half a bucket to take home. Then, after resting for a while and organizing his thoughts, he opened the door and filled the entire staircase leading downstairs with various items such as sofas and cabinets. Although his recent encounter with the zombies had been quite unsuccessful, he realized that the zombies were not invincible. He had hope, the hope of survival.

However, the situation is different now compared to the past. Back then, it was possible to habitually avoid issues by simply changing companies, but now, there is only one "zombie company" in the world.

Cold Yang was half outside the building, gripping an old, discarded antenna with both hands, his entire body sprawled across a space the size of a brick at the baseboard. His mind was blank as he rolled over and gasped for air. He did not know how he had won, but just moments ago, he and the library had been terrified.

After preparing several times at home and finally achieving the goal of not being too heavy while trying to protect oneself as much as possible, Leng Yang steeled himself, gripped the large iron bucket in his hand, and stepped out of the house

Isn't this just an alternative server restart? Leng Yang once saw a joke online: "Everyone is playing a game called Earth, which has been going on for over 5,000 years. Those with many friends and high levels, along with a large number of alternate accounts, have caused strong dissatisfaction among players. It has now been decided to restart the server."

Leng Yang spat forcefully, as if expelling something unnecessary, and began his journey of self-discipline. From that day on, after his three daily meals, Leng Yang had to complete various exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, and frog jumps, and then in the afternoon, he would memorize the doomsday survival manual.

Leng Yang is actually a smart person; he thinks a lot when doing things. However, he tends to overthink, which makes him feel overwhelmed. But this time is different; he must go find water. Otherwise, if he waits too long and the water gets contaminated, he will be doomed. After a day of repeated contemplation, he realizes that he does not want to die

Leng Yang initially thought of ending it all quickly, thinking that death would be the end of it. However, the tossing and turning of last night, along with the memories that surfaced, all reminded him of the beauty of life. He realized that he actually did not want to die. Indeed, with 6 billion people in the world, who knows how many have turned into zombies? He felt fortunate enough to be alive, so how could he choose death?

He suddenly had a jolt of realization, rushed into the kitchen, turned on the faucet, and while the water did flow, it had a strange odor. Having read many novels, he speculated that this water was undrinkable. This was a problem.

The Leng family home is an old residence, lacking an elevator, and the stairway is quite narrow. He listened intently to the sounds in the stairway, making his way step by step to the rooftop

Human habits are actually not easy to change, yet they can change quite easily. After half a month, Leng Yang had already adapted to this way of life. He lived each day fully, with no time for idle thoughts, because the increasingly heavy stench of decay in the air constantly reminded him.

Throughout one afternoon, Leng Yang cautiously moved back and forth between the rooftop and his home, repeatedly transporting water and some vegetables from the rooftop. Although the sound of zombie footsteps echoed from several rooms, Leng Yang discovered through experimentation that they could not come out. Each time he watched the clear water being brought back home, Leng Yang grew increasingly confident that he could survive

Leng Yang retreated step by step until he reached the edge of the skirting board on the rooftop. At that moment, he turned around and looked; the height of the nine-story building made him feel dizzy. He instinctively reached out his hands as if to grasp something. He suffers from acrophobia.

Isn't it often said in novels that Mongolians wear silk underwear, allowing arrows to be shot in and easily retrieved without fear of barbs? Aren't zombies also just spreading infection through their claws?

In the morning, during various exercises, there were many times when Leng Yang collapsed to the ground, no longer wanting to move. According to his previous character, he would have slacked off after three days of fishing and two days of sunbathing. However, he was fortunate that when he first fell asleep from exhaustion, he dreamt of several zombies eating his arm. He was suddenly awakened, and in a fit of anger, he resolved that he would not let the zombies bite him to death, and surprisingly, he persevered.

The more Leng Yang thought about it, the less he wanted to die. Once he shed that ostrich mentality, he began to plan for the future. First, he needed water; there was a water tank on the rooftop, and the restaurant downstairs also had water.

The "battle" that day left Leng Yang feeling extremely embarrassed. Whenever he thought of his timid demeanor on that day, he felt uncomfortable all over, much like the times he had made mistakes at the company, which would occasionally resurface in his mind, each recollection bringing a wave of frustration.

This is sufficient, Leng Yang rummaged through his belongings to find his military-style coat and high-top leather boots, wrapping himself up tightly. Finally, he also found a silk shirt to wear underneath. This was a gift from his parents when he entered a Fortune 500 company in the past

I want to survive! Cold Sun gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand up. He needed to fetch water, to hurry back home, to prepare many things; otherwise, he would have no chance to survive in the future. His whole body trembled, but after repeated efforts, he finally stood in front of the water tank

Standing before the iron gate on the rooftop terrace, he forcefully smashed the iron lock with a hammer, kicked the door open, and indeed, as he expected, there was a zombie on the terrace. He had long heard that someone was growing vegetables up there, but at this moment, Leng Yang had no choice. Although he was not familiar with his former neighbors, they would still nod at each other when passing by. However, the creature before him, with its darkened skin and strange eyes, would certainly not nod back at Leng Yang.

In total, there are three large barrels of water, five basins, and more than a dozen various beverage bottles in the house, all filled with water. Additionally, there are several clusters of vegetables such as small bok choy, green onions, and chives.

It was morning again, and Leng Yang did not experience any natural awakening this time; he was full of energy, or rather, excitement. Upon getting up in the morning, he unconsciously went to turn on his computer. As a result, it had no power.

After counting his spoils, Leng Yang began to check his other belongings. Fortunately, the tablet is charged daily and can still be used for 10 hours. The phone and the laptop are also in good condition. Grateful for the battery. The food at home is still sufficient. He needs to quickly work on his fitness in the coming days

Ling Yang ran away in a panic, only to realize that he had unknowingly reached the rooftop, while the zombie stood at the iron gate.

He had also memorized the survival manual that he casually downloaded online. Looking at the densely packed notes written on notebook paper, Leng Yang self-deprecatingly remarked that he hadn't worked this hard in many years, only doing so during the college entrance examination. He casually recited, "A dagger, a watch, a mask, two boxes of matches, a bag of substandard phosphorus-containing laundry powder"

On that day, the weather was not hot, but cold Yang was sweating profusely, shivering all over. As he watched the zombies approaching, he acted like a woman, grabbing anything he could and throwing it. However, these actions were of no use against the zombies

When a person has a goal and focuses solely on achieving it without considering anything else, it is actually the time when days pass the fastest. As the days go by and the seasons change, the cold sun also transforms day by day. No longer does he sleep until he naturally wakes up; every day, at the break of dawn, he energetically rises and runs laps around his small room

Then he had breakfast, consisting of milk and raw eggs. Such a diet is not suitable for someone with a weak stomach, but Leng Yang had no other choice; not eating meant waiting for death, while eating might offer a chance to leave this city

This is quite enjoyable; there is only one exit on the rooftop. The zombies clawed at the iron barrel a few times before throwing it down, gradually closing in on Leng Yang.

At 7 PM, when the corridor was pitch dark and nothing could be seen, Leng Yang finally concluded a day of struggle. He succeeded, regardless of how difficult the process was; for the first time after living as a recluse, he accomplished something he had never dared to do before.

At last, Leng Yang filled the corridor with clutter once more and nailed the doors and windows shut with wooden boards. Only then did he fall into a deep sleep, utterly exhausted. For some reason, he slept soundly, much like the days leading up to the college entrance examination in the past.

From time to time, strange noises can be heard from some rooms, yet there is indeed no sound in the corridor. At this moment, Leng Yang regretted his laziness; having stayed at home for several years, his health had deteriorated.

It was as if the arrival of Leng Yang was sensed, and the zombie that had been wandering in circles on the rooftop suddenly turned and charged straight at him. Leng Yang initially thought he could unleash his strength and dominate the scene, but upon seeing the zombie's appearance, his legs went weak. He barely had time to raise the iron bucket in his hand to block, only to have the powerful zombie snatch the bucket away.