The Fiercest in the Apocalypse
Chapter 41: Uninvited Guests

Chapter 041 Uninvited Guests

"Unlimited enhanced hearing… could it be tied to the challenge level? A-rank gets a permanent upgrade, while C-rank is just a trial with limited uses?"

As he pondered, he unzipped and started relieving himself. Looking up at the bathroom’s all-in-one fixture, he suddenly jolted as if struck by electricity, his whole body shuddering—causing the stream to veer off outside the toilet.

The indicator light, which was always on as long as there was power, had gone out?

"Ah, f**… power’s out? You guys didn’t notice?"*

He barely had time to shake off the excess before hastily pulling up his pants and rushing out of the bathroom, addressing the two women doing push-ups.

"Power’s… out?"

Zheng Xinyu exhaled sharply, unable to hold it in. The news was so shocking that she lost her balance and face-planted onto the floor with a thud.

Zhong Xiaoshan, on the other hand, shot up and ran to the light switch, flicking it on and off frantically. Nothing. She sighed in frustration. "Yeah, it’s really out."

Zhang Su slumped onto the floor, exhaling deeply.

Forget about computers and phones—without the internet, those were already half-useless—but now, even their food supply was a problem. Most of their stored food needed hot water to cook. If the gas was out, they could still use the electric stove, but now that electricity was gone too… a deep sense of unease crept in, as if a layer of security had been stripped away.

The excitement of unlocking a new ability had barely set in before it was completely overshadowed by the blackout.

"So… all that river snail noodle stockpile is basically useless now?" Zheng Xinyu frowned, looking toward her room, feeling a pang of regret.

Zhong Xiaoshan quietly returned to the couch and muttered, "Actually… if it’s just about cooking, I might have a way."

"What way?"

Both Zhang Su and Zheng Xinyu turned to her simultaneously.

Under their sudden scrutiny, Zhong Xiaoshan hesitated, feeling slightly embarrassed. But being taken seriously for once, she quickly explained, "It’s nothing fancy… just making a fire to cook."

"Right!" Zhang Su’s eyes lit up. "We’ve been so used to modern conveniences that we forgot about the basics!"

Zhong Xiaoshan raised a hand. "I know how to start a fire, but… it makes a lot of smoke."

Zhang Su got up and thought for a moment. "Zombies aren’t drawn to smoke. In fact, it might even mess with their sense of smell. Plus, with all the fires already burning around the city, no one’s going to care about a bit more black smoke. Let’s do it in the hallway—it has windows for ventilation. Think that’ll work?"

When it came to combat, Zhang Su had the upper hand, but survival skills weren’t exactly his forte.

Zhong Xiaoshan considered it and nodded. "Anywhere’s fine, as long as we have wood."

Zhang Su checked the time and rubbed his stomach. "Alright, we’ll cook this meal over a fire. Tonight, we’ll stick to ready-to-eat stuff!"

They had plenty of snacks, but food that didn’t require cooking was limited—they had to ration carefully.

No time to waste. The three of them sprang into action.

To gather wood, Zhang Su and Zheng Xinyu raided Li-ge’s place in 902, breaking down a TV cabinet and stripping off the painted exterior. The particleboard inside would burn just fine.

Meanwhile, Zhong Xiaoshan repurposed Zhang Su’s kitchenware to build a makeshift cooking rack. It looked rough and makeshift, but it held a pot securely.

Zhang Su, being a smoker, always had lighters on hand. He even had two bottles of lighter fluid. Getting a fire going was the easiest part.

After about an hour of work, a steaming pot of river snail noodles was finally served.

"Dinner’s ready!"

Zhong Xiaoshan beamed. This was the first time she had made a meaningful contribution to the group—preparing a meal for everyone.

Zhang Su looked at her soot-covered face and chuckled bitterly. "This isn’t a long-term solution. We need to pick up the pace."

"Pick up the pace… to leave this place?"

Zheng Xinyu’s expression turned serious.

Zhang Su nodded, motioning for them to eat. "In a city—or even just a residential area—survival relies on stable utilities: water, electricity, gas, and the internet. Once those are gone, it’s only going to get harder."

"Especially now that the power’s out. Every fridge in this complex will turn into a biohazard in three to seven days. And how much ready-to-eat food does anyone really have?"

Zhong Xiaoshan nodded in agreement. "Zhang-ge’s right. One time I was away for five or six days, and the power tripped in my apartment. By the time I got back… ugh, I had to junk the whole fridge. The smell was unbearable."

"So where do we go after we leave?" Zheng Xinyu asked the most pressing question.

"The plan is to head somewhere with fewer people, while also considering access to water and food. That means the suburbs or countryside. And most importantly, we need a vehicle."

Zhang Su mulled over the situation as he spoke.

Zheng Xinyu glanced toward the street, her face filled with concern. "What if the roads are like the one outside? We won’t be able to drive through."

"Unlikely. Most explosions happened in residential buildings, not out on the streets. Look around—aside from the mess downstairs, most of the area is still passable. A car gives us options… Hmm?"

Mid-sentence, Zhang Su suddenly froze. His ears picked up faint rustling noises.

"Damn, what’s that smell? So f**ing rank… don’t tell me this zombie is rotting already."*

A rough male voice grumbled.

"Haha, looks like that little chick is still alive! Xiang-ge, that’s river snail noodles—it stinks, but lots of young people love it."

Another voice, with a cocky tone, chimed in.

"F**, they actually barricaded the hallway? That’s some bullsh**."*

The rough-voiced man, Xiang-ge, didn’t dwell on the smell. Instead, he turned serious. "We didn’t come all this way for nothing, Chongzi. You better not have gotten it wrong. If this was a wasted trip, I’ll break your damn legs."

The cocky man, Chongzi, quickly reassured him, "No way, Xiang-ge! I scouted this place multiple times. That streamer chick lives in 801. And with that river snail noodle smell, I’m a hundred percent sure it’s her!"

"I already know she lives here, dumbass. I’m talking about food. You get it? FOOD!" Xiang-ge snapped, clearly not risking his life just for a girl.

"No worries, no worries! She showed it off during her livestreams—she stockpiled a ton of self-heating meals for a survival challenge. Damn, she prepared for a game, and now she’s actually living it. One girl sitting on a mountain of food… lucky as hell."

Chongzi licked his lips greedily.

"Heh… well, her luck’s about to become ours." Xiang-ge sneered. "How’d you find this ‘treasure’ of a streamer anyway?"

"Local search—nearby streamers. She was the closest. At first, she tried to fool me into thinking she lived in Building 10. Turns out she was just in the next unit over, hahaha!"

Chongzi let out a lewd laugh.

"Cut that creepy sh* out. Listen up—if there’s food, you get first dibs. If not, you can go entertain yourself with your damn hand."*

Xiang-ge growled, barely restraining his irritation.

"Of course, of course, Xiang-ge! I wouldn’t dare compete with you, hahaha."

"Good. Now get to work and—hold up."

Just as he was about to move the barricade, Xiang-ge noticed something—several metal spoons tied to the legs of a vanity table.

"Hah! A DIY alarm system? Looks like there’s more than just the streamer in there."

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