"Oh my god, why has it suddenly gone dark in broad daylight?"
"This is the first time l've ever seen such a sight, I thought aliens were invading!"
"Are they expecting a heavy rain? The clouds look so dark and low."
A text message also chimed in, a yellow alert for torrential rain sent by the Meteorological Office, reminding citizens to reduce outdoor activities and suspend outdoor operations in the next three hours.
Annan put down his phone and took the opportunity, before the rain started, to collect the kitchen waste, carrying it outside the building to the trash bin.
After throwing away the rubbish, just as he was entering the elevator, he heard a shout:
"Wait a minute! Don't close the door yet."
It was the guy from the 15th floor and his mother.
The woman was lugging a large bag of vegetables and seeds, swearing at her son as she entered the elevator: "You little rascal, always causing trouble for me! I would've been better off giving birth to a piece of barbecued pork!"
"Mom, you're idle anyway, it's good character cultivation to do some gardening at home."
"Pah! You little rascal, you're just trying to trap me at home to be a nanny so you can play around with your junk comfortably."
"Don't make it sound so unpleasant, this is considered logistics work, it's also
contributing to the great cause of scientific research."
"Zhao Ping'an, you're talking nonsense! My Ni Ma..."
Seeing mom getting more and more vulgar, Zhao Ping'an embarrassingly explained to Annan beside him, "I'm sorry, Miss, my mom has manic syndrome, she speaks like this."
Annan smiled and indicated that it was okay.
The elevator quickly arrived at the 14th floor.
Annan walked out of the elevator and heard him still soothing his mother within.
"In the light of day, if the sky says it's black, it becomes black. Perhaps my articles will truly become reality, you should..."
The 15th floor was the top floor, only occupied by their family. Both apartments belonged to mother and son.
Annan had a profound impression of them. In their previous life, they were the only family in the community who lived relatively well.
They were not only not starved with pale complexions, but also nothing was stolen by thugs.
Even in the extreme heat, they left the community unscathed, and it was unknown where they moved.
When Annan got home and turned on the computer, she searched for Zhao Ping'an's name out of curiosity and actually found an article.
"The Twenty Possibilities of the Apocalypse," by Zhao Ping'an.
The article speculated on the probability of various apocalyptic scenarios, including extreme weather, large-scale plagues, and even explored strategies to escape from a cities besieged by zombies.
Incredibly imaginative.
Under the article, there were tons of comments, some saying he was troubled by reading too much fiction, and others enthusiastically discussing tools for survival in an apocalypse.
So, he's a post-apocalyptic survival enthusiast.
No wonder he had a fairly decent past life; his professional preparation is the right fit! Kuancheng District, Pagoda Tree Restaurant.
Bai Wenbin secured a spot on the second floor by the window, smugly waiting for Annan's arrival.
Block me out? No big deal, after this meal, she'll have to unblock me.
He stroked the drug in his pocket - he'd slip this into her drink later.
When the rice is cooked ...Bai Wenbin indulged in these delightful fantasies.
Suddenly, in the silent sky, a thick purple lightning bolt cut across, followed by a "thunderous" roar, as thunder broke out abruptly.
A gust of wind blew, and the leaves downstairs rustled loudly.
Following this, a downpour fell hard and fast, with dense raindrops pattering against the window.
It was as though the sky had been torn open, with the rainwater hammering violently down to the ground, eliciting a curtain of water mist.
Bai Wenbin jumped in fright: What is this... "Why is it suddenly raining so heavily?"
Bai Wenbin looked at his watch. It was already the agreed time, but An Nan still hadn't shown up.
To not miss this rare opportunity, he could only endure and wait patiently.
After waiting half an hour, An Nan still hadn't arrived. Watching the torrential rain outside, a sense of unease surged in his heart.
Bai Wenbin picked up his phone to call An Nan.
She was still blocking him. So, he had no choice but to borrow a phone from the waiter to make the call.
"Hello? Is this An Nan?"
"An Nan, it's me, Bai Wenbin. I'm at the Pagoda Tree Restaurant, when will you be able to arrive approximately?"
"Oh, I'm a bit tied up with something. I'll be a little late, please wait for me."
"Alright, Nan Nan."
After hanging up the phone, Bai Wenbin felt that her tone was not bad, thus he calmed down, waiting patiently.
As long as the business was successful today, he would be able to have a beautiful lady to return home with, and endless glory and wealth. It's just a wait, he still had this patience.
The heavy rain outside the window continued relentlessly.
Unknowingly, another hour passed.
"Ding"
"Buzz"
The cell phones of everyone in the restaurant rang simultaneously.
Bai Wenbin looked down and saw a message from the meteorological bureau.
Red Warning of Torrential Rain: A reminder for all citizens to stay at home, suspend all outdoor activities, and work and classes.
Personnel in hazardous areas should immediately relocate to a safe place.
"Oh my God! How is the car floating!" A woman at the next table suddenly exclaimed.
Only then Bai Wenbin looked out of the window, only to see that the accumulated rainwater on the street had already reached pedestrians' waists, with some small cars even starting to float.
What's going on?
Even in a typhoon, there has never been such ferocious rain before.