Chapter 22: The Truck

The next day, Lin Wanmei appeared with dark circles under her eyes.

"Did any of you hear knocking on the door last night?"

"We did."

Having received confirmation from Sheng Anyu, Lin Wanmei was certain she hadn't misheard. However, Grandma Lin and Lin's parents, who were sleeping in the inner rooms, hadn't heard a sound.

"Does that mean someone was outside our hallway door knocking in the middle of the night?" Lin's father asked, his voice heavy.

Who could it be? His first thought was the bald man. But that seemed impossible; they were sure they hadn't been exposed, so why would the man come looking for them without reason?

Lin Wanmei pulled out her phone and opened the residents' group chat. She hadn't checked it since the day before yesterday. Now, she saw over a thousand unread messages. Scanning through them, she saw people complaining and trying to comfort one another, using the chat to alleviate their terror. The most distressing messages were about someone having a mental breakdown and jumping from the building, which had caused morale to plummet before others managed to calm the group down.

The latest messages were from their own residential unit.

Unit 302: "Did you guys hear anything last night? It was so creepy, it scared me to death!"

Unit 301: "Yes, yes, yes! Someone knocked on my door! Damn, I was so scared I hid under my covers and didn't dare to peek out!"

Unit 401: "Who has nothing better to do? My door was knocked on too! Aren't they afraid of being snatched by zombies in the dead of night?"

It turned out it wasn't just them; others had their actual front doors knocked on. Fortunately, they had locked the hallway door. As people complained, Lin Wanmei noticed that only residents from the fourth floor and below were speaking; those on higher floors had not been disturbed. She also noted that Unit 402 had remained silent.

No sooner had this thought crossed her mind than 402 spoke up.

"I'm sorry, everyone... it was me."

Unit 401: "Huh?? Why are you knocking on doors in the middle of the night?"

Unit 402: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you... but my daughter suddenly developed a high fever, and we ran out of medicine before I could buy more. I wanted to ask if anyone has fever reducers. I can pay a high price!"

So, that was it. Lin Wanmei sighed and relayed the information to her family. All that worrying for nothing, and she hadn't even slept well. But money was useless now—who would spend it in front of a zombie? Regardless of how much 402 begged in the group, no one was willing to sell their fever medicine.

Unit 101: "I'm so sorry, I really want to help, but I don't have any in stock. I do have some cold medicine, though. If you don't mind, you can come and take it."

Unit 402: "Thank you, thank you! Thank you so much! Medicine is enough. My daughter is only two; she’s been burning up all night. If this keeps up, I don't know what I'll do..."

In the end, Fang Zhaoyu from the first floor provided the help, and the conversation in the group finally ceased. Of course, cold medicine wouldn't reduce a high fever; the mother in 402 was simply grasping at straws in her desperation.

Lin's mother sighed. "In times like these, children are the most pitiful." They didn't understand anything yet, yet they had to suffer along with everyone else.

Lin Wanmei lowered her eyes. Though they couldn't bear to see the suffering of others, they lacked the power to be saviors. Setting those thoughts aside, the family sat around the dining table for a simple, nutritious breakfast, even splurging by having a boiled egg each. Given their previous supplies, they would never have eaten like this, but since they had brought back so much from the supermarket yesterday—including numerous eggs—they decided to eat half and pickle the rest before they spoiled.

Lin's mother and Grandma Lin began working right after breakfast. They needed to pack and organize the supplies to save space, planning to lock them away in a room rather than leaving them exposed in the living room.

Lin Wanmei prepared to head out again to find daily necessities. With some spare time, she had to think about the future. While the tap water system wouldn't stop immediately, there was no guarantee the source wouldn't be contaminated. She planned to set up a water purification system to ensure everyone could drink safely. She also needed to stock up on outdoor survival gear like tents, moisture-proof mats, sleeping bags, portable stoves, and solar-powered generators. They wouldn't stay home forever; they would eventually have to leave, and they would need these tools sooner or later. This was also her father's wish.

She had compiled a list based on her experience reading apocalyptic novels, and after her father added a few suggestions, the plan was set. Moreover, since "zero-dollar shopping" meant they didn't have to worry about a budget, they could take as much as they wanted—which was quite satisfying.

When she mentioned going out, Sheng Anyu offered to join her, and the family agreed. After all, Lin's father needed time to finish making those protective collars.

The siblings set off again, moving with more familiarity than the day before. Today was the third day of the apocalypse. As they flew over the streets, they could see bright red cloths hanging from windows of high-rise buildings, along with bedsheets painted with "SOS."

These were cries for help from people who had been trapped outside and couldn't make it home in time. Though the siblings felt deep sympathy, they flew straight past, pretending not to see.

This time, aside from two backpacks, they brought nothing else. The items they needed were large, and their containers wouldn't be able to carry them. Lin Wanmei scanned the area until her gaze locked onto a box truck.

They flew lower. Here and there, zombies wandered among the traffic, paying them no mind for the moment. Lin Wanmei quietly opened the truck's cargo hold; it was filled with construction materials. She decisively used the Rooster Talisman to control the cargo, shifting it to the side of the road. Then, she focused all her attention on the empty truck, attempting to lift it into the air.

She had specifically chosen a small truck, but it still weighed 1.3 tons. Controlling such a heavy object was significantly more difficult. Lin Wanmei gritted her teeth, clenching her fists with all her might, her face contorting with the effort.

Sheng Anyu watched with a furrowed brow, almost wanting to tell her to give up and just carry things back trip by trip. But in the next second, the truck actually moved. To their surprise and delight, it slowly hovered into the air.

"Success!"

Lin Wanmei was overjoyed. Although the pressure remained intense, once she had successfully controlled such a weight, it felt as if she had broken through a ceiling, and her body quickly adapted. With this truck, transporting supplies back would be much faster!

They flew over, Sheng Anyu handled the tethering, and the truck was successfully cloaked.

Next, they headed to the supermarkets on the snack street. Yesterday, they had left too much behind—rice, flour, cooking oil, and bottled water were simply too heavy. Now, they could finally take it all home! Lin Wanmei’s heart no longer ached. She didn't empty the supermarkets completely—they didn't have the space at home—but she picked out the most essential daily items.

They made five trips with the heavy truck before everything was moved home. Afterward, the two visited a hardware store to gather daily tools and effective weapons, such as crowbars, chainsaws, hoes, and sickles.