Lin Chen pushed open the glass door of the noodle shop, and the familiar scent of greasy smoke—a mix of rich pork bone broth and frying oil—washed over him.
The owner was still the same Uncle Wang—balding, round-faced, with wrinkles crowding the corners of his eyes whenever he smiled.
"Lin Chen? Haven't seen you in a while!" Uncle Wang exclaimed as soon as he spotted him, immediately setting down the strainer in his hand and greeting him warmly, his smile as genuine as the broth in the bowl.
"Yeah, I was away on a long business trip," Lin Chen replied casually, taking his usual seat by the wall. "The usual: a bowl of Fresh Shrimp Wonton, an order of Radish and Beef Brisket Noodles, plus a plate of Fried Wonton and a glass of iced plum juice."
As soon as he finished speaking, the familiar clatter of pots and pans and the sizzle of high-heat stir-frying erupted from the kitchen. Before long, the four delicacies were served—
The wonton skins were thin as silk, revealing the faint pink outline of the shrimp inside; biting into one released the springy, sweet freshness of a whole shrimp.
The beef brisket was stewed until tender and flavorful, the dark brown chunks immersed in a rich broth, with the subtle aroma of star anise and hoisin sauce weaving through.
The Fried Wonton were golden and crispy; dipped in a bit of special chili sauce, the charred fragrance of the outer layer and the tender filling burst in the mouth, a simple happiness that shot straight to the top of his head.
He ate extremely slowly, each bite like a silent farewell ceremony.
After the apocalypse, all this would become an unattainable dream.
This was no exaggeration. Once the Blood Rain fell, water sources and farmland would be contaminated, and the global supply chain would completely collapse.
Forget a bowl of freshly made wonton noodles like this—even an unexpired pack of instant noodles would be enough to trade for a fully loaded Glock.
He had personally witnessed a man, for half a moldy piece of bread, use his trembling hands to strangle his own ten-year-old younger brother.
Thinking of this, he picked up the last wonton in his bowl, gently placed it in his mouth, closed his eyes, and chewed slowly.
The delicious flavor spread across his tongue, as if he were swallowing the last remnants of a warm era about to vanish forever.
Full and satisfied, he pulled out his wallet. Inside were only a few crumpled bills totaling a little over three hundred.
"The money... it's finally all gone," he muttered, forcing a wry smile.
Over twenty-some days, what had originally been 860,000 in cash had been exchanged for mountains of supplies piled up in his Ability Space: ten-thousand-ton grain silos, fully stocked armories, entire shiploads of fuel, even several modern warships... Yet, in reality, his pockets were nearly empty.
How ironic—before the apocalypse, without money, you couldn't move an inch; after the apocalypse, cash would become utterly worthless.
"All done, Lin Chen? Don't worry about the change, thirty will do!" Uncle Wang said cheerfully as he briskly wiped down a nearby table, his honest face full of sincerity as always.
Lin Chen didn't refuse, simply placing thirty dollars gently on the table.
Before leaving, he paused, lowered his voice, and said to Uncle Wang, who was tidying up with his head down, "Uncle Wang, remember, on the 16th, don't go anywhere. Stay at home and lock your doors."
After speaking, before the shopkeeper could react from his confusion, he had already turned and pushed open the door, merging into the bustling street outside.
Standing under the bright afternoon sun, he gazed at the still-thriving snack street before him:
Steam rose gently from the rice noodle steamers, the sweetness of desserts wafted from the dessert shops, clay pot rice sizzled over the flames, and double-layer milk pudding trembled delicately in its bowls...
Each one was a final gift of tenderness and warmth this world could offer before the apocalypse descended.
"If only I had a bit more money," he murmured to himself, looking at the dazzling array of stalls. "At least I could stock up on more ready-to-eat food like this."
Unfortunately, reality was harsh—these delicious, lively treats couldn't be acquired for free. With a tinge of regret, he reluctantly gave up the idea.
Turning to head home, his steps seemed light, but his heart felt heavy.
Only four days remained until the apocalypse.
The old district where he rented was less than one square kilometer in area, yet it was densely packed with nearly fifty thousand people.
Buildings stood shoulder to shoulder, windows facing windows, and the alleys were so narrow that two people walking side by side had to turn sideways.
In his previous life, this place had become a breeding ground for zombies and a living hell the moment the Blood Rain fell, completely overrun on the very first day.
If he hadn't been fortunate enough to awaken the A-grade earth-based Special Ability "Earth Tunneling" back then, he would never have survived the chaotic and desperate first seventy-two hours.
In this life, thanks to the Creation Pearl, he had gained a more powerful space-based Special Ability in advance. Yet, he didn't know if the "Earth Tunneling" ability, which had saved his life countless times before, would still arrive as promised.
Yangcheng, this supercity with over twenty million people, was destined to face a hellish start on the very first day of the apocalypse.
According to his memories from his previous life, the Blood Rain that changed everything would last for three full days.
Anyone touched by the raindrops would begin showing symptoms of Corpse Transformation within five minutes at the earliest, or no later than an hour, and within ten seconds, they would completely transform into zombies driven solely by killing and devouring.
Only a very few lucky individuals would awaken Special Abilities during this terrifying transformation, with odds of less than one in a million. The process was perilous, with most facing near-certain death.
A safer way to awaken a Special Ability was to hunt zombies, extract the grayish-white Energy Crystal Nucleus from their brains, and consume it—this method had a higher success rate and relatively controllable risks.
However, in the early days of the apocalypse, humanity knew nothing about this. By the time this hard-earned knowledge, paid for with countless lives, spread, it was already the third day of the apocalypse, missing the most crucial period for development.
In later times, Special Ability talents were ranked from low to high into seven tiers: F, E, D, C, B, A, and S.
In his previous life, Lin Chen had been an A-grade, relying on his self-taught "Earth Tunneling" skill to survive with great difficulty even in the perilous fifth year of the apocalypse.
The mastery of Special Ability skills was closely tied to an individual's insight, experiences, and even obsessions. A higher grade didn't guarantee the acquisition of powerful skills.
As for zombies, their levels were intuitively distinguished by the color of their eyes: black, white, blue, yellow, green, red, and purple.
The lowest-tier, first-grade zombies had pitch-black eyes. They moved slowly and had low intelligence, but their physical strength far exceeded that of ordinary humans. They could only be permanently killed by destroying their heads.
Through devouring living humans, Mutated Beasts, or absorbing the eerie energy permeating the world, they could continuously evolve.
The highest-level seventh-tier "Corpse Emperor" possessed purple pupils, a terrifying existence Lin Chen had only encountered just before his rebirth.
Starting from the "Zombie King," high-level zombies possessed partial intelligence and could command zombie hordes; while the "Corpse Emperor" already possessed wisdom no less than that of ordinary humans.
More frighteningly, all food and water sources directly contaminated by the blood rain, or later soaked by polluted water, would cause infection upon consumption.
Though the blood rain lasted only three days, it was immediately followed by a globally sweeping "Extreme Cold Ice Age."
The second year seamlessly transitioned into a year-long "Scorching Heat Barren Land Period."
The third year saw sea levels begin to rise wildly, submerging all coastal cities worldwide within a month. Eventually, sea levels surged by a kilometer before stabilizing... Human living space was drastically compressed.
Each year, different and increasingly severe natural disasters ravaged the world in succession.
Coupled with endless zombies and mutated beasts on land, and countless terrifying mutated sea monsters lurking in the deep oceans...
In such a cataclysmic era, "surviving" itself was already a form of torture.
Only the truly strong could barely qualify to discuss "living."
What troubled Lin Chen most was that even by the fifth year of the apocalypse, right before his rebirth, humanity still hadn't uncovered the true source of this global doomsday disaster.
In this life, he wouldn't just survive - he would live long enough and grow strong enough to witness the day the truth was revealed!
He scanned the crowded, noisy yet vibrant old city district once more, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Choosing this place as his starting point for the apocalypse? It would be like voluntarily jumping into a high-speed meat grinder.
With his current strength, he naturally had no fear, but there was no need to deliberately put himself in danger.
Yet completely avoiding densely populated urban areas wasn't feasible either. He needed zombies, needed the Crystalline Cores in their brains, needed to quickly upgrade his Special Ability and enhance his power.
He had to find a delicate balance:
Relatively sparse population, with controllable initial zombie density; proximity to the city for easy access to various resources;
Sturdy buildings that could be easily fortified and modified;
Convenient transportation to allow for future expansion or relocation.
He sat back at the old desk in his rented room, his fingers unconsciously tapping the surface as if unfolding a detailed electronic map of Yangcheng in his mind, thinking rapidly.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up, his finger pausing at a specific location on the map -
The university town in the eastern district!
The population structure there was unique. During the semester, the concentration of students and faculty would indeed create an initial zombie horde; but if cleared out, the surviving university students would make excellent labor and had great potential.
Even better, adjacent to the university town was a newly built low-density villa area with high greenery coverage, uniform and sturdy walls, mostly standalone or townhouse units with good privacy.
It perfectly met all his requirements.
The advantages of the villa area were obvious.
The houses were solid and reliable, most with basements that could be quickly converted into strong fortifications in special circumstances;
The community roads were spacious, allowing unimpeded vehicle access;
Adjacent to the university town, it provided a controllable initial "Crystalline Core and labor supply point," making it convenient to quickly retreat to safety after killing zombies and collecting Crystalline Cores during the early stages.
Most importantly, the villa area itself was relatively spacious with a low population density, and zombies were scattered in the early stages.
It was perfectly suited for someone like him—a "foresighted individual"—to clear the area house by house, develop steadily, and turn it into a solid early-stage stronghold.
"That's the place." Lin Chen stood up. He had nothing to pack; there was nothing left in this rented apartment worth taking.
If he could successfully find a suitable villa, he could practically "move in with just a suitcase."
Outside the window, the setting sun slowly sank behind the rows of towering buildings. Streetlights began to glow, adorning the city with a shimmering, colorful brilliance.
On the streets, couples strolled arm in arm, children chased and laughed, and elderly people walked their dogs leisurely... a scene of peaceful, everyday life.
No one knew that in just four days, this vibrant, tangible prosperity before their eyes would plunge into an endless hell.
Night deepened. Lin Chen took a taxi to the outskirts of the villa area in the eastern part of the city, which he had already pinpointed.
He paid and got out of the car, his figure silently blending into the darkness by the wall like a drop of ink dissolving into water.
His fortress for the apocalypse would begin construction tonight, starting right here.