Edge of the Apocalypse
Chapter 11: The Last Supper

Chapter 11: Chapter 11: The Last Supper

「Thursday morning.」

Three and a half days remained until the apocalypse. Someone had left a box at Yu Dong’s door.

Yu Dong’s heart leaped into his throat as countless worst-case scenarios flashed through his mind.

He pressed a hand to his racing heart and picked up the box.

It was a delicate, clear plastic box with a pink sticky note on it.

[To the upperclassman who just moved in]

[I’m your downstairs neighbor. I’m so happy to have you here! I know you just moved in and have a lot to do, so some noise is unavoidable, but... would it be okay if you took a little break tonight? My dad is coming to visit me, and this is really important to me. I’d love to have a wonderful evening with him. Pleeease?~~~]

[These are some butter cookies I baked myself. I hope you like them!]

[From your underclassman on the third floor, Liu Ye’ye]

Yu Dong opened the clear plastic box, and the rich aroma of milk and wheat wafted out.

Inside was a row of little bear-shaped cookies, still warm and delicate.

Yu Dong picked up a little bear cookie and popped it into his mouth. The crisp, dense texture was a profound satisfaction to his taste buds.

"Delicious."

A smile touched his lips, and the tension in his heart vanished.

Putting away the cookie box, Yu Dong had a new impression of Liu Ye’ye.

’She’s a good baker,’ he thought, ’and very polite.’

Yu Dong liked people like that. He hated how hostile the world was. The biggest difference between humans and animals was their ability to cooperate.

The moment primitive humans joined hands to form tribes, they became the most powerful mammals on the planet.

’After the apocalypse starts, I’ll go listen at her door. If she’s turned into a zombie, I’ll put her out of her misery quickly.’

’Liu Ye’ye might be a little chubby,’ he mused, ’but her natural lack of strength as a woman means she probably won’t be much of a threat to me.’

Yu Dong felt bad about disturbing Liu Ye’ye’s nights for the past few days, but what had to be done, had to be done.

Time was of the essence; every second counted.

He had to get everything ready in the shortest possible time.

’Then again...’ he thought. ’I’ve already finished with the big stuff. Tonight, I just need to organize the smaller items.’

As long as it was within his power, Yu Dong wouldn’t ruin a father-daughter reunion.

After all, for the two of them, this was very likely their last farewell.

At 9:30, the diligent Ding Ming arrived again.

"Your job today is to get the deliveries and put them all where they belong."

Sellers from nearby locations had already shipped their packages.

A large number of deliveries would be arriving over the next day or two.

’Starting today, no more online shopping, except for Jingdong’s same-day delivery. There’s just no time.’

The apocalypse was in three and a half days. Yu Dong wouldn’t schedule anything for the final day.

He had to get everything ready in these three days. The last half-day would be for constructing the four-layered blockade.

Also, the workers installing the solar panels arrived today and began the retrofitting.

He ran into the lead installer and took the opportunity to ask him about the tool usage problems he’d encountered while studying yesterday.

He supervised their work while practicing.

Any problems were solved on the spot, which was ten times faster than learning from the instruction manual yesterday.

During his breaks, he also wracked his brain for anything he might have forgotten.

For example, he had just remembered the three legendary "sacred tomes" for transmigrators.

He ordered the *Militia Training Manual*, the *Dual-Use Talent Manual for Military and Civilian*, and the *Barefoot Doctor’s Manual* on Jingdong, planning to study them thoroughly after the apocalypse began.

Yu Dong didn’t have Xufeng come over that evening. He could handle the smaller tasks himself, and he didn’t want to disturb the father-daughter reunion downstairs.

Besides, he had an important job for tonight, one he had to do himself.

The early autumn sea breeze was already getting chilly. Yu Dong put on a jacket, grabbed his notebook, and went downstairs.

On the lawn below, two very old men were walking their dogs, and a pregnant mother was pushing her daughter on the swings.

At the main gate, a couple who looked like college students entered the community, laughing and talking while carrying a bag of snacks.

The boy’s hand brazenly squeezed the girl’s round bottom through her jeans.

The security guard at the gate had been replaced by an old man.

One room in the property management office still had its lights on.

Looking up, most of the windows in Xiangti Bay’s three 29-story high-rises were dark, with only a few showing light.

Among them, the third-floor apartment in Building One—the one right below Yu Dong’s—was brightly lit. The occupant must have been very happy.

TWANG~~~

The notes of a guzheng rang out, the cheerful melody adding a peculiar filter to the otherwise ghostly apartment complex.

Standing on the lawn of the Xiangti Bay Community, Yu Dong silently recorded it all.

...

On Friday morning, two and a half days remained until the apocalypse.

Yu Dong watched as the solar panels generated a current to charge the large batteries, and he smiled with satisfaction.

’I wonder if electricity will be able to compete with canned food for the title of ’post-apocalyptic gold.’’

The thought of having electricity during his years of self-isolation put Yu Dong in an inexplicably good mood.

Even if it was only a few kilowatt-hours a day, it would let him hold on to a sense of modern society, unlike ancient people who could only rely on dim candlelight at night.

Thinking of this, Yu Dong called Ding Ming.

"When you come over, buy three boxes of candles from the convenience store downstairs and bring them up."

Today, they had a big job: applying blackout film to the windows of all three rooms.

It would prevent people from spying on him with binoculars and also block any light from escaping the apartment.

That way, if he turned on a small light at night, he wouldn’t stand out like a firefly among the surrounding apartment complexes.

Yu Dong and Ding Ming worked all day, finally finishing the blackout film just before sunset.

The brightness inside the apartment decreased slightly, but he could still see the outside scenery normally.

From the outside, however, even with the curtains open, the entire fourth floor was a hazy gray, and it was impossible to see inside.

"Perfect."

Just then, his phone rang. It was Huang Zhiqiang.

"Dongzi, what the hell? You just disappeared. We’ve been calling you in the group chat all day and you haven’t replied. You didn’t get busted soliciting, did you?"

"I’ve been busy. What’s up?"

"What’s up? Did you forget our tradition? It’s Friday night, dorm dinner night!"

"Oh..."

Yu Dong had been working at high intensity for five straight days and had genuinely forgotten.

His time was incredibly precious; he had to consider every possible oversight.

He found that no matter how much he prepared, it never felt like enough. There were always details he hadn’t thought of.

If he hadn’t been applying the blackout film today, he would have almost forgotten something as important as candles.

He was so focused on relying on solar power that he’d neglected the more reliable, traditional tool for doomsday lighting.

"Oh, my ass! Get over here, we’re waiting for you at the usual spot. Don’t worry about washing your hair or giving yourself an enema, just come."

"Huang, you really live up to your name. I’ll be there in a bit."

After hanging up, Yu Dong changed into a clean set of clothes and headed out.

Even though the apocalypse was imminent, he still had to go to dinner with his brothers.

This would be their dorm’s last supper.