Chapter 2

Huang Ming rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn't seeing things. That person was indeed his girlfriend, Gao Weiwei.At that moment,Weiwei was being led into the hotel by a man, his hand resting on her waist. Huang Ming's eyes turned bloodshot, his pupils narrowing to pinpricks. His teeth clenched so hard they seemed to grind against each other as he stared at Weiwei, watching them step into the elevator.Ten minutes later, Huang Ming called Weiwei."Hey, Weiwei, where are you?""Huang Ming, I'm out shopping!"Over the phone, Huang Ming could hear Weiwei's heavy breathing, and faintly, the rhythmic thud of a headboard hitting a wall."What a coincidence, I'm out too. Where are you? I'll come find you.""No need, I'm with my girlfriends. Maybe next time. Gotta go, bye!"Before Huang Ming could say another word, the line went dead.Huang Ming now remembered who that man was—Liu Gui, a well-known rich kid in Tianhai City and Weiwei's senior from the same club they were both part of.Huang Ming sneered inwardly:*"You two can enjoy yourselves for now. In 15 days, we'll see who's laughing."*He had originally planned to share the shocking truth about the apocalypse with Weiwei, but now, thanks to fate, he had seen her true colors.*"D*mn it, in my past life, I got infected because of her. I should've never let her in!"*Back then, he had hesitated about whether to kick her out. If he had been more decisive, he wouldn't have been scratched.*"I've got more important things to deal with now. Let's see who comes out on top in the end."* His voice was firm, a strange smirk curling at the corner of his lips.As night fell, Huang Ming was navigating the bustling city when he received a text from Weiwei:"Huang Ming, let's break up.""Sure."Huang Ming couldn't care less about Weiwei now. As far as he was concerned, she was already a dead woman.But to Weiwei, Huang Ming's response felt off. Normally, he would've begged and pleaded for her not to leave him.Weiwei muttered to herself as she read the text:*"Did he take the wrong pills or something?"*A strange feeling gnawed at her, as if she had lost something important. But she quickly brushed it off. Now that she had dumped Huang Ming, she could finally be with Liu Gui without any worries.Days passed.Huang Ming had skipped classes entirely, spending every waking moment outside, except for five to six hours of sleep each night.By now, he had mastered his spatial ability. He no longer needed to be near objects to store them. As long as they were stationary and non-living, he could transfer them into his spatial dimension from up to 30 meters away, all without anyone noticing.Wherever there were supplies, Huang Ming was there. Shops, markets, warehouses—he took a little from everywhere.On the evening of May 14th,The sky was pitch black, thick clouds blotting out the moon.After a lavish dinner, Huang Ming returned home early. He had already reinforced his windows and doors with multiple layers of thick steel plates. Without heavy machinery or explosives, no one was breaking in.He took a hot shower and then settled in, waiting for the apocalypse to begin.Over the past two weeks, he had amassed an unimaginable amount of supplies. To put it in numbers, he had enough to last him over a dozen lifetimes—resources worth billions, including food, clothing, medicine, machinery, metals, and chemical materials.**May 15, 2035, 12:30 a.m., overcast.****Arctic Ocean, no-man's land.****Poseidon Island**, a place perpetually covered in ice and snow, served as both a mysterious biological research facility and a hidden military base.Inside the base,A hunched old man in a white lab coat stood before a row of large glass chambers, each containing snarling zombies.Suddenly, the old man received an encrypted message:*"Dr. Liao, proceed with the plan at 1 a.m. tonight!"*Dr. Liao glanced at the message, tucked his phone away, and smirked, a sinister grin spreading across his face.At the same time,Huang Ming had already locked his doors and windows. Standing by the window in just his boxers, he held a chilled bottle of Budweiser, taking hearty gulps.He watched the world outside calmly. After days of contemplation, he had concluded that the zombie virus outbreak was man-made, likely spread through the air. So, he decided to stay by the window and observe the changes as they unfolded.At 1 a.m.,Nothing unusual seemed to be happening outside. People still walked under the streetlights.Huang Ming grew tired of standing. With a thought, he pulled a small sofa from his spatial dimension and lounged on it, keeping an eye on the window.By 2 a.m.,A thick fog had rolled in, blurring the outside world like a mosaic. Huang Ming immediately retrieved a biochemical mask from his spatial dimension, not taking any chances with the fog seeping into his room.He then put on an infrared night-vision device and continued observing.At this point,There were still a few people on the streets, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.By 2:30 a.m.,The number of people on the streets dwindled. Huang Ming faintly heard a scream.The fog grew denser, making it hard to see. His instincts told him something was wrong—this fog was dangerous.He tried to spot anyone still moving outside, but those he could see were staggering aimlessly, their movements far from normal.By 3 a.m.,The fog remained thick, and occasional screams and wails echoed from the streets.These were likely students returning from late-night outings, unfortunate enough to run into the infected.Just then,Huang Ming's phone buzzed. He opened it to find several group chats blowing up—classmate groups, family groups, dorm groups, and more.*"Attention everyone: Lock your doors and windows. Do not go outside. There's a suspected virus outbreak. Many people are already infected."**"Oh my god, look outside! It's terrifying—they're eating people! What do we do? Someone help!"**"Wang Er, wake up! Stop sleeping, something big is happening!"**"Is anyone willing to go out with me to get some food? If we stay locked in, we'll just be waiting to die. Let's hit the cafeteria before things get worse!"*Everyone was panicking, sharing their opinions. Some were too scared to go out, while others were ready to risk it. The chaos was palpable.Meanwhile,Huang Ming remained calm, sipping his Budweiser and watching them scramble like ants on a hot pan. He felt a strange excitement.Before long, he noticed noises coming from the hallway near his door. He leaned in to listen:*"Let's get more people. Safety in numbers. Bring weapons. While everyone's still confused, let's raid the cafeteria and supermarket for supplies."**"Yeah, while there aren't too many of those monsters yet, we need to stock up and wait for official rescue."*They all agreed on one thing: go out, grab supplies, and wait for help.Huang Ming shook his head. These people were likely walking to their deaths. He didn't bother playing the hero and stopping them.In the apocalypse, a few more or fewer people didn't matter.And most importantly, there was no room for mercy. His hesitation in his past life had cost him dearly—he had been infected because of Weiwei.