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墨書 Inktalez
In just one night, when the four of them got up the next day, they could hardly believe their eyes!
The entire road and the eaves were covered with a thick layer of ice. The rain mixed with hail from last night had not melted immediately but had turned into a layer of ice due to the sudden drop in temperature. After accumulating all night, the ice on the ground was thick enough to serve as a natural skating rink.
The outside temperature was unbelievably cold. Zhou Miao took a thermometer and placed it outside for a test. When he brought it back in, it sent chills down their spines: minus eighteen degrees. Although City A's climate was colder than the south, it had never dropped below minus ten degrees before. Fortunately, among the four at home, only Li Yan and Yu Tian were considered normal; the other two, one big and one small, didn’t seem to care at all after seeing the thermometer. They had fried rice for breakfast, which Li Ming and Zhou Miao enjoyed immensely.
Wonton and Dumpling were a pair of male and female Tibetan Mastiffs that Zhou Miao had managed to acquire through trickery and persuasion. When Old Master Zhou found out about this, he commented that it was the only meaningful thing Zhou Miao had ever done in his life. Dumpling was the male Tibetan Mastiff, while Wonton was the female. Rather than saying they were raised by Zhou Miao, it would be more accurate to say they were Old Master Zhou's proud creations.
From a distance, their fur color and size made them look imposing, and their alertness was unmatched by ordinary pet dogs. When Old Master Zhou sent Zhou Miao and Yu Tian away, he reluctantly included both Tibetan Mastiffs as well. Zhou Miao didn’t say anything, but Li Yan knew he was anxious. It was as if Old Master Zhou foresaw something and decided to send his precious pets away early, indicating his pessimism about the future.
As the weather grew colder day by day, the four of them hardly ventured outside. The neighborhood became increasingly restless; this was understandable given the circumstances. Food shortages drove some people to desperate measures, and with the weather getting colder outside, even beggars found it harder to ask for money or goods. In such conditions, it wasn't surprising that one or two people froze to death. Many began calling for concern for the homeless, while those filled with compassion criticized the government online for its incompetence and cold-heartedness, urging everyone to donate money and goods.
Li Yan sneered at these people; he had no comments on whether their concern was genuine or feigned—it had nothing to do with him. He browsed other forums where many expressed that their food supplies were running low. However, many grain merchants refused to release their stocks and deliberately raised prices. The forums were filled with malicious slander and curses directed at these grain merchants. The only silver lining was that the spread of X had slowed down; many speculated that X might have been transmitted by mosquitoes or some summer insect since why else would such an infectious disease decrease in cold weather?
Experts did not provide a definitive answer to most people's speculations. However, major television stations widely proclaimed that humanity would soon triumph over the virus, instilling confidence in the public that the government would not abandon them. As long as they endured this difficult period, life would still be beautiful. As the year-end approached, national leaders made stirring speeches that quickly garnered considerable support.
Regardless of whether these leaders' words were empty rhetoric, people desperately needed such assurances. Faced with natural disasters and confusion about life and uncertainty about the future plunged humanity into a low point. At this time, encouragement felt like timely help; controlling X Virus gave people hope for survival.
The government announced plans to establish free food distribution stations in every city within a month. Everyone could collect one hundred pounds of rice at local stations using their Household Registration Book and ID card. This news invigorated the nation; online praises for national leaders flowed freely as people expressed that they had not been abandoned by their country. After reading too much of this, Li Yan felt annoyed and stopped looking.
Zhou Miao managed to get decoding software that allowed access to foreign websites. Yu Tian surprisingly didn’t complain about Zhou Miao and gathered around the computer to check news updates. After reading for a while, her brows furrowed; conditions abroad were not much better than at home. Moreover, freedom of speech abroad meant that unlike in their country—where any dissenting opinions could lead to immediate censorship—people there could express themselves more freely.
A netizen from Y Country wrote a lengthy plea for help online that sparked widespread sharing. He described how their area had run out of food for quite some time; initially, everyone tried to share what little they had left for children and elderly people. However, as starvation loomed closer, human selfishness and cruelty began to surface. For just a remaining piece of bread, some even brazenly robbed elderly individuals living alone...
Scenes that seem unbelievable, yet when humanity truly faces desperation, Li Yan and Zhou Miao have reason to believe that these are undoubtedly the most real experiences. After shutting down the website, all three felt uneasy, especially since many doomsday messages were still being posted on foreign sites.
During this time, Li Yan received a phone call from his so-called father. The conversation was brief; the man urged him and Li Ming to come home, but Li Yan declined. After a minute of silence, the man spoke again: "This is not the time for you to rebel. Don't you think about Li Ming? He can't endure the suffering of hunger and cold."
"Thank you for your concern; we are doing just fine," Li Yan said with a smile before hanging up and adding the number to his blacklist. He and Mingming did not need this late-arriving affection.
This continued until January. Although life was tough in every street and alley, red characters symbolizing good fortune still adorned the surroundings. Li Yan and the others went to a supermarket, hoping to find wontons and dumplings at home.
However, they found the supermarket closed. Li Yan frowned, realizing he hadn't been online for about ten days, mainly because he found online content increasingly dull. It was surprising that even a large supermarket like Carrefour was shut down, leaving the four with no choice but to head back.
As they reached the city center, they saw a long line of people. Li Yan remembered that the government had announced free food distribution. When they approached, they noticed several makeshift stalls around, mostly selling canned goods and vacuum-packed meats. What surprised them most was a young man buying vegetables; the vibrant green leaves looked especially precious in such weather.
Many people gathered around the young man's stall, but most were unable to trade anything for food. Indeed, these temporary shops operated on a strict principle: only exchanges were allowed, no sales regardless of how much money one offered. It seemed humanity had realized that in this apocalyptic atmosphere, money was gradually losing its remaining value.
In truth, Li Yan and his group did not lack food; however, they still went to collect two hundred pounds of rice and exchanged some of it for canned goods and preserved items. Five fruit cans could be traded for half a pound of rice, while five meat cans could be exchanged for two pounds of rice. The vegetables from the young man were even more expensive—one pound of greens for two pounds of rice. This was indeed exorbitant by current standards, yet some were still willing to trade with him. After all, it was rare to obtain food containing chlorophyll; even if adults didn't eat it, children surely would.
Of course, their child was not included in this category; their space boasted a variety of vegetables since Li Yan had purchased hundreds of vegetable seeds—almost everything he could find online. Compared to the pale-faced youths on the street suffering from hunger, their child remained plump and healthy.
Most people were starving; thus, in comparison, the rosy faces of the four stood out as unusual. Li Yan and Zhou Miao naturally noticed this phenomenon; after collecting the rice, they headed straight to their vehicle. Fortunately, Li Yan's car was an off-road vehicle; driving slowly on icy roads proved much better than in an ordinary sedan.
After driving about a thousand meters, they saw several disheveled elderly women lying on the ground. If they had any ability, they could just run over them; after all, living was suffering for them anyway. Soldiers at the operational station observed this scene; these disaster victims had no options left but to wait here for those who collected rice to pass by in hopes of grabbing some food.
"Tiantian, keep an eye on Mingming," Zhou Miao said casually, though there was a cold glint in her eyes.
Li Yan remained calm as he confirmed that all doors were locked before coldly watching outside. Seeing that no one inside the car was getting out, several people began banging on the doors.
"Please give us some food! My granddaughter is about to die; she's only five years old! Please!" A woman in her sixties pleaded desperately while forcefully tugging at the car door with alarming strength. She couldn't see clearly inside but knew there was food within—just like that couple from a few days ago. If she cried harder and begged more earnestly, perhaps they would open the door for her. She didn't want much; amidst so many people fighting for food, she merely sought to take a small portion for herself.
The obliteration of conscience began with her selective amnesia about how that couple had died amidst the chaos just days ago. If it weren't for their compassion, that couple would not have attempted to drive out and distribute some food to those refugees on the brink of life and death. Perhaps they could have returned home safely to continue caring for their seven-year-old daughter.
The car shook more violently as nearly twenty or thirty people surrounded it. Each person opened their mouths to express their own miseries, all with a single purpose—begging for food.
These individuals were all from outside the area, lacking a Household Registration Book and money, making starvation an inevitable outcome.
"Please, my wife is about to give birth! Just give me a pound of rice. No, no, half a pound, just half a pound!" The man desperately pushed through the crowd around him. Six months ago, he had eagerly anticipated the arrival of new life, but now... it didn't matter; he needed food. He wanted his child to be born safely! That obsessive thought gave his eyes a predatory glint.
Li Yan started the car, and the loud roar of the Hummer's engine stunned the crowd outside for a moment. But it was only a moment; driven by the instinct to survive, they clung tightly to every corner of the vehicle, determined not to let it leave—there was food in that car!
More and more people approached. Yu Tian was already in shock. Although his city had been devastated by floods, he hadn't stayed long before being kidnapped by Zhou Miao and brought to City A, so he had never witnessed such a "big scene." As for Li Ming, he had earbuds in his ears thanks to Yu Tian and was engrossed in watching Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf, feeling that Brother Tian Tian was holding him too tightly.
"Tian Tian, just think of these people as individual carrots; it's fine," Zhou Miao kept reassuring him, though his eyes grew increasingly serious. If necessary, he wouldn't hold back.
Li Yan accelerated the car and suddenly made a sharp turn, shaking off quite a few people. Seeing that those inside the car had no intention of getting out but instead charged toward them, the refugees panicked. They did not want to die; they could only pick up stones or sticks from the roadside to strike against the car windows.
Li Yan's usually gentle eyes turned cold, radiating an aura of ruthless determination. He didn’t care if he killed one or two people; in this environment, ignorance was unacceptable even if one felt powerless.
Once they drove away from there and returned to their neighborhood, they got out of the car to find it covered in scratches. Zhou Miao patted Li Yan on the shoulder and said, "Brother, this car is solid! Look here; this spot seems like it was slashed with a knife, and this one was hit with a stone. Tsk tsk, I guess I’ll need to get one too for peace of mind."
Li Yan darkened his face and chose not to respond but thought it would be best to minimize going out in the future.
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