Edge of the Apocalypse
Chapter 20 - 18: If You’re Hungry, Please Come Find Me on the Third Floor

Chapter 20: Chapter 18: If You’re Hungry, Please Come Find Me on the Third Floor

He brushed a thin layer of oil in the rice cooker, then spread 100g of rinsed rice on top.

He sprinkled on about twenty beans and added a few chopped dried shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots.

He drizzled on a little soy sauce, then opened a 200g can of braised beef. He poured the entire contents in, broth and all, just enough to submerge the rice and dried ingredients.

Without adding a single drop of water, he put on the lid and let it cook for 30 minutes.

PSSSH~

When he opened the lid, a fragrant aroma instantly filled the entire room!

The meat broth had completely soaked into every grain of rice, leaving it perfectly moist. The aromas of rice, meat, and dried vegetables blended together flawlessly.

He scooped all the rice from the pot into a bowl. At noon on the second day of the apocalypse, Yu Dong sat down to a healthy, nutritious, and delicious meal of braised beef with rice.

After Liu Ye’ye had taken care of the zombie outside, Yu Dong could finally cook for himself in peace.

The process didn’t attract any unwanted attention, either.

Yu Dong reasoned that, for the time being, there were no more zombies roaming the hallways of Building One.

The vast majority of people who turned into zombies were, as he predicted, trapped in their own homes.

Yu Dong sat by the window, holding the bowl of rice and devouring it one large mouthful after another.

He consumed every last bit, wasting none of the precious nutrients and calories from the ingredients.

This would become his new normal. He had to consume as many calories as possible.

He set the bowl aside, took out his notebook, and began to summarize his morning’s observations of the zombies.

Ever since Liu Ye’ye had taken out that zombie early in the morning, Yu Dong had been using the vantage points from his three apartments to mark and analyze the zombies in and around Xiangti Bay.

He focused primarily on their behavior.

This would influence his next moves.

The sun was bright and the visibility was clear, allowing Yu Dong to gather a lot of useful information.

’Okay, I can confirm that a zombie’s physical condition is directly related to what it was before infection. The physically stronger the person was, the stronger the zombie is. The weaker they were, the weaker the zombie.’

’Young and elderly zombies are a prime example; there’s a clear difference between the two groups.’

’Most of the younger zombies are faster and stronger than the elderly ones, making them far more dangerous.’

Of course, there were a few exceptions. For example, the elderly zombie downstairs—the one who used to do Thomas flairs on the horizontal bar every day—was incredibly formidable. Yu Dong had marked him as a major threat.

He was second only to the athletic-student zombie and the middle-aged-woman zombie in the property management office.

At this thought, Yu Dong narrowed his eyes and looked toward the property management office.

’Why are some of the zombies from the community gathered around the property management office...?’

Yu Dong knew that in such a confined space, zombies would be incredibly lethal. If even one person like Liangzi turned, it would be enough to wipe everyone out.

Besides, there had been quite a few people in there—Yu Dong recalled about eight or nine of them.

’Unless they got extremely lucky and only a few of them turned...’

’Could Liangzi have made it? If it was him... he might actually have been able to handle a few zombies.’

’But it’s more likely that the zombies inside the property management office bumped into something, and the noise attracted the others...’

Zombies were sensitive to sound; any distinct noise would make them rush over to investigate.

Yu Dong had tested this himself. He’d thrown a few things down from the fourth floor, and the moment they hit the ground with a distinct noise, the surrounding zombies had swarmed over like a pack of mad dogs.

Only after finding nothing did they slowly disperse.

This characteristic of zombies would greatly limit Yu Dong’s actions; the slightest sound would attract nearby zombies.

’But every trait is a double-edged sword. I can use the zombies’ own abilities against them...’

Yu Dong already had a few ideas on how to deal with the zombies.

In addition, Yu Dong focused on observing the zombies’ speed.

’The zombies’ speed... they wander pretty slowly when they don’t have a target. But once they spot one, they go into a frenzy, like a rabid dog hunting its prey.’

Yu Dong compared the zombies’ speed to that of a rabid dog.

Suppose you divide a person’s run into three phases: a jog, a run, and a sprint.

A jog maintains a decent speed for a long time with low energy expenditure. A run is more tiring but gets you to your destination faster. A sprint is that adrenaline-fueled burst... which can only be sustained for a very short time.

Every zombie’s physical condition was different, and so was their speed. But when they ran, they were all in a permanent ’sprint’ state, able to keep it up indefinitely without tiring.

’So, when it comes to running, we’re at a huge disadvantage...’

’Fighting them in the open will be extremely difficult.’

’Using cover and traps is the best way to deal with them.’

Beyond that, Yu Dong also made some basic assessments of the zombies’ attack methods, strength, durability, and movement patterns.

He now had a basic understanding: these zombies, officially designated ’S-Virus Infected,’ were significantly superior to humans in speed, perception, and strength. For now, at least, they didn’t seem to have evolved any strange new abilities.

At 8 PM, Yu Dong turned on the radio to listen to the official channel.

Although he was holed up in the Xiangti Bay Community, he paid close attention to official announcements. They were key to understanding the progress of resolving this apocalyptic disaster.

"KSHHH... KSHHH..."

"This is the dedicated broadcast channel of the National Emergency Armed Response and Control Center. Today’s live broadcast is about to begin..."

"To all survivors currently listening, please adjust your radio volume. Use headphones if possible to avoid attracting the attention of the S-Virus Infected..."

"Tonight’s broadcast will cover how individuals can acquire survival supplies in complex environments, such as rural areas, cities, and the wilderness."

"In the coming days, the entire country will experience widespread power and water outages..."

"..."

The broadcast lasted an hour. There was no filler, no empty platitudes—just the most concise and direct language possible, informing the nation’s survivors of the coming crises and how to deal with them.

It was incredibly useful.

Even with all his preparations, Yu Dong still learned a great deal.

If he could do it all over again, he’d be even better prepared.

For example, the government broadcast taught people how to build an obstacle called a cheval de frise at the entrance of their hideouts. It could significantly slow down zombies, giving survivors ample time to react.

’Still not as good as a steel plate, though.’

After the broadcast ended, Yu Dong had a small meal and began his daily workout.

Spear thrusts.

The 175 cm spear was just a little shorter than he was. To wield such a long weapon fluently, Yu Dong would need some real skill.

Yu Dong pulled up the *Basic Spear Techniques* guide the Taobao seller had sent him.

"As a key polearm, the spear’s techniques are characterized by long range and flexible application. There are four core actions: thrusting, swinging, chopping, and blocking."

Yu Dong mimicked the two-handed grip shown in the guide and began practicing the most basic movement: the thrust.

Again and again, he thrust the spear, gradually getting a feel for how to generate force and how to strike his intended target.

The training was difficult, but fortunately, time was one thing Yu Dong had in abundance.

「Morning, Day Three of the Apocalypse.」

Yu Dong had a quick meal and began organizing his gear.

Today, he planned to go down and meet Liu Ye’ye.

Liu Ye’ye’s performance yesterday had exceeded his expectations. He would have considered taking her on as a teammate even if she were just an average person, to say nothing of the fact that she was clearly intelligent.

Yesterday, Yu Dong had spent ten minutes banging on the fire door—CLANG CLANG CLANG—but the massive noise hadn’t attracted a single zombie.

He planned to try it again in a bit. If still no zombies appeared, it would prove the hallways were clear, and he could safely go downstairs for their first meeting.

Yu Dong was very curious about this woman, known as the "top female prodigy of Yanhai University." What kind of person was she, really?

If they could work well together, he wouldn’t mind sharing some of his food and water with her. He had purchased his supplies with roughly a 20% surplus, and for carbohydrates in particular, he had at least 50% extra.

Supporting one more person for a while wouldn’t derail his three-year isolation plan.

Just as he had everything ready...

BZZZZ~

Suddenly, the sound of a drone buzzed by the window.

This time, there were no little wings attached, just a folded piece of paper.

The drone hovered outside the window, clearly heading for him.

Yu Dong reached out and plucked the paper from the drone.

"Senior, I’m Liu Ye’ye from the third floor. I’m the one who sent you the cookies..."

"The hallways are clear of zombies now."

"I have plenty of food. If you’re hungry, please come find me on the third floor."