Chen Jiayang brought a backpack full of food and water, as well as a backpack full of equipment and parts, most of which were used for his robot research.

He was also surprised by the abundant supplies in our three rooms.

"I knew my older brother and sister had supplies, but I didn't expect there to be so much."

I poured a glass of water for him sitting on the sofa.

"Are your parents... out looking for supplies?" I asked tentatively.

Jiayang nodded, seemingly reminded of something sad.

"My parents have been working outside for years, and most of the time it's just me and my third-grade brother at home. Two weeks before the outbreak of the zombies, I had just returned from the capital after participating in a robot competition. My brother was placed at our grandmother's house in City B. Two days before the zombie outbreak, after the news released information about the epidemic, my parents' work also temporarily stopped and they came back. They thought my brother would be safe at our grandmother's house, and the news also said not to wander around during the epidemic, so they didn't go to pick up my brother. Until two weeks ago..." He paused, his words faintly tinged with a sob, "We couldn't contact our grandmother's family anymore, and my parents were very anxious. They decided to take the risk and personally bring my brother back. And then... they never came back, and even their phones went from no one answering to being switched off."

I was moved and handed a tissue to the young boy in front of me who was crying uncontrollably.

Lin Yan stood silently by the side, smoking a cigarette.

Since the outbreak of the zombies, he had been smoking more and more frequently.

Lin Yan extinguished the cigarette butt and patted Jiayang's trembling shoulder as he spoke, "They must still be alive." He sighed and looked out the window, "Sometimes, no news is the best news."

The three of us reorganized the supplies and cleared a small guest room for Jiayang to stay in.

In the afternoon, the rain stopped. The sky was orange-red, and the sun looked much larger than usual. The temperature suddenly rose to 35 degrees Celsius.

Lin Yan and Jiayang installed the solar generator and solar water pump in the vacant space on the terrace, braving the high temperature. Lin Yan had originally prepared a thick instruction manual, but with Jiayang joining in, there was no need to read the instructions. They quickly installed the machines.

The electricity and water in the house were restored. I installed thick blackout curtains on the terrace door and all the windows to prevent other survivors from discovering that we still had power.

After spending a day together, we got to know Jiayang better.

He was a science prodigy who made the news last year because of his performance in an international robot competition. If it weren't for this unexpected incident, he would have been sent to a world-famous university abroad for further studies.

He knew that Lin Yan was researching the virus, so he volunteered to join the research.

When Lin Yan first mentioned studying the virus, he had surrounded the other living room in the house with isolation cloth, using it as his makeshift laboratory. He would sterilize the inside and outside multiple times a day, and even wear protective clothing and masks when entering the lab.

The two of them stayed in the "laboratory" the whole afternoon, and it took some coaxing and inviting on my part before we finally came out to have dinner.

Unfortunately, there was still no breakthrough progress.

Days passed by peacefully for a whole week, and the military helicopters that patrolled the city every day finally brought news.

The military issued an announcement that the mass refuge and survival area the country was building would be completed soon. They urged everyone to wait a little longer, not to wander around, and to ensure their own safety. Rescue teams would come for search and rescue to ease the emotions of the survivors who had been struggling for almost two months.

It had been exactly forty-two days, and I didn't know how many people would see this message. All I knew was that there were more and more zombies on the streets every day, and the only sound in the neighborhood was the group of zombies downstairs chanting "aba, aba."

Since the city's power outage, the internet had also been cut off. Previously, there would be residents reporting their safety in the homeowners' group every day. Until two days before the power outage, the homeowners' group went from dozens of households reporting in to only seven oreight households reporting. After that, there was no more communication.

On the 43rd day after the outbreak, we decided to leave the apartment and head towards the designated refuge and survival area.

Lin Yan had carefully studied the map and found a route that seemed relatively safe. It involved avoiding main roads and sticking to the back alleys to minimize the chance of encountering large groups of zombies.

We packed our backpacks with essential supplies, including food, water, medical supplies, and weapons. Jiayang also brought some of his robot parts and tools, hoping to utilize them in some way during our journey.

As we stepped out of the apartment building, the reality of the situation hit us. The streets were eerily quiet, with empty cars and debris scattered everywhere. The stench of decay filled the air, a constant reminder of the danger lurking nearby.

We moved cautiously, staying close together and scanning our surroundings for any signs of movement. The first few blocks went relatively smoothly, but as we ventured deeper into the city, the number of zombies increased.

We encountered small groups of them, which we managed to avoid or take down quietly. However, there were moments when we had to sprint to escape larger hordes that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

After several hours of tense and exhausting travel, we reached a bridge that led out of the city. The bridge was partially destroyed, but it was still passable. As we crossed it, we saw the outskirts of the city and the vast expanse of wilderness beyond.

Hope surged within us as we realized we were getting closer to the refuge and survival area. We knew the journey ahead would be challenging, but we were determined to reach our destination.

With renewed determination, we continued our trek, leaving the desolate city behind and venturing into the unknown.