C3 July Snow

Shen Faang no longer had time for regrets; he quickly imparted a few more instructions to his parents before ending the call.

He hurriedly led the three people from atop the water tower down to the rooftop. They descended one flight of stairs to the sluggish elevator in the stairwell.

Whether the biohazard had started earlier than expected was still unknown to Shen Faang. If it had indeed started early, the exact timing of the outbreak was uncertain, leaving Shen Faang unsure of how much time he had to prepare.

If he failed to collect enough supplies during this time, the onset of the biohazard would put Shen Faang and his three roommates in grave danger!

At this urgent juncture, something went awry with the elevator below. They waited half a minute before it finally began its slow ascent from the first floor, its sluggish speed fueling Shen Faang's anxiety.

Shen Faang took several deep breaths, striving to remain calm.

Knowing his parents were prepared, Shen Faang didn't need to worry about their safety for the moment. It was crucial for him to keep a clear head and devise a comprehensive plan to counter any unforeseen events.

By now, Lin Hao and the others had shed their wild demeanor from the dance floor, all wearing serious expressions. They trusted Shen Faang, who had been the dorm's pillar for the past three years, always able to devise sensible solutions to any problem. And the zombie threat was no small matter – unlike the playful theme of their dance party, these creatures were real and deadly!

They were confident that Shen Faang wouldn't conspire with his parents to trick them – after all, what would be the point?

The elevator finally reached their floor at the top of the building. Accompanied by the ding of the elevator and the squeak of its doors, the old elevator gate opened slowly. A horde of zombies surged out, nearly scaring Lin Hao and the others out of their wits.

"Move!" Shen Faang commanded, snapping the trio out of their stupor as he led them into the elevator.

The three still appeared dazed, particularly Lin Hao, who had been mistakenly grabbed by Shen Faang earlier. His hands shook uncontrollably as he gazed at the elevator floor, murmuring a question under his breath.

"Shen Faang, is the end of the world really upon us? I..."

"There are some things I can't disclose to you yet, but one thing I'm certain of is that the future will be a much more arduous and treacherous journey. Danger to our lives could strike at any moment!" Shen Faang spoke with conviction, pressing the button for the first floor as the elevator doors sealed shut. He stared ahead at the doors, deep in thought.

"Shen Faang, it's not that we doubt you. It's just that we've never faced anything like this before. How do we even begin to explain it to our families, to make them believe?" Zheng Ziqing interjected.

Shen Faang remembered that Zheng Ziqing was born into wealth, his family owning a lucrative chain of supermarkets across numerous coastal cities – the very support Shen Faang needed at this moment.

Turning to face him, Shen Faang's eyes sparkled with renewed vigor.

"With your family's resources, a little inquiry by your parents should suffice. I refuse to believe that the buzz in White River City hasn't reached them! Hand over your car keys; we're heading to your family's supermarket now!"

"Of course!" Zheng Ziqing had an epiphany, swiftly swapping the phone with Shen Faang and handing over his car keys, then made an urgent call to his family.

Exiting the library, they were met with a fierce wind that chilled them to the bone, causing Zheng Ziqing and the others to shiver uncontrollably.

The response from Zheng Ziqing's parents on the call only solidified the reality of the situation for them. His parents didn't even wait for him to speak before instructing him to have someone bring the keys to the supermarket branch in Cloud Pass City, where they would meet to collect them.

Despite it being a sweltering July night in Cloud Pass City, to their astonishment, snowflakes began to drift down from the night sky. They rubbed their eyes in disbelief, making sure they weren't mistaken.

Snow in July?

This bizarre natural occurrence, on top of what they had already learned, sent a shiver down their spines. Stunned, they sat in the car, at a loss for words.

Snowflakes danced in the air, accompanied by the distinctive roar of the sports cars as they sped across the campus and down the city's wide avenues.

At that point, no one was concerned about Shen Faang's speeding. Even if it meant losing all the points on Zheng Ziqing's driver's license, Shen Faang was willing to accept the consequences.

As they reached their destination amidst the thunder and lightning, the snowfall intensified. A slender figure, hearing the car, stood up from the supermarket steps and approached briskly.

Shen Faang quickly exited the car, handing over his keys, all his cash, and his bank card to Zheng Ziqing. He urged Lin Hao and the others to do the same.

Zheng Ziqing was initially puzzled, but once he grasped Shen Faang's plan, he and Lin Hao hurriedly set off in the car to scour the city for hardware stores that could supply large quantities of finished steel rebar.

In that moment, everyone tapped into their deepest reserves of energy and sprang into action. The figure, having apparently completed his task, turned to leave but was stopped by Shen Faang.

The nearby intersection was shrouded in darkness. A low growl emanated from the shadows, and Shen Faang realized what was happening. Then, a chilling figure emerged slowly from the dark.

Illuminated by the light, it was a humanoid creature. Its neck crooked, its murky eyes swaying as it staggered toward them.

It moved like a toddler taking its first steps, tumbling to the ground after only a few paces, then rising to continue its approach, seemingly drawn to something on Shen Faang and his companions.

Wang Mengyan watched the creature, attempting to pull away from Shen Faang to offer assistance. Wu Qi, standing nearby, stepped forward without hesitation.

With a roar, the creature's excitement peaked upon seeing Wu Qi. But after it fell and failed to rise, a trash can lid appeared above its head and crashed down with brutal force, mangling its flesh and scattering its brains.

"Shen Faang, did you... did you just kill someone?" Wu Qi's face went ashen with shock, his words barely forming as gore splattered his face.

"Are you asking for trouble?! Take a good look at this thing! Can you even call it human?!" Shen Faang ripped away the clothing from the creature's body, exposing the blackened and rigid skin beneath.

Yet, what truly stunned Wu Qi wasn't the skin, but something on its belly...