Chapter 208: The Phoenix Man Who Soared Before the Apocalypse (13)

The food street was packed with people, a steady stream of crowds weaving through the stalls.

Delicacies from all over the world had gathered here, and every vendor was surrounded by a lively throng.

None of the food-seekers had the slightest clue that tomorrow would be the end of the world. Everyone wore a blissful smile, delighted by the sight and smell of good food.

“Boss, give me two hundred skewers of grilled squid.”

“Whoa there, buddy. That’s a lot. Are you sure you can finish all that?” The vendor looked at the man across from him in surprise.

“Don’t worry, we’ve got a big group. We’ll finish it.”

That man was none other than Shen Xiuyan. His arms were already full of bags and boxes, drawing curious glances from passersby.

Damn, who shops like that?

Is he here to stock a warehouse?

“Alright then, I’ll get it ready for you.”

The vendor clicked his tongue in disbelief, shaking his head as he worked. Just looking at the pile of food in Shen Xiuyan’s hands, it was enough to feed at least a hundred people.

But sending just one guy to buy all this? Poor kid.

“Xiuyan, are you hot?” A woman strolled over from a distance, holding several cups of milk tea in one hand and sipping from another as she walked.

Ah, so he wasn’t alone. There were two of them shopping.

But honestly, it was no different from being alone.

The vendor couldn’t help but grumble inwardly.

“I’m fine.” The man was clearly drenched in sweat, but he still smiled at her with patience and warmth.

The woman held a cup of milk tea up to his lips. “Here, have a sip. It’s nice and cool.”

“Okay.” He lowered his head and took a drink, his eyes softening with affection.

Ugh, that stench of romance. No wonder he’s carrying everything.

The vendor turned back to grilling squid, determined to ignore the public display of affection.

“Here you go, young man. Your squid’s ready.” The vendor enthusiastically handed over a heaping tray of grilled squid.

Su Mingyue reached out and took it. “I’ll carry this one.”

“No need, I’ll take it. It’s greasy, might stain your clothes.”

“So what if it does? It’s just a stain. Look at you, you’re already exhausted.”

The vendor: “…”

Looks like there’s no escaping this dog food.

He rubbed his temples. These two better pay and leave soon, or he was going to get a headache just watching them.

Just as they finished paying, a scream rang out from the distance.

It was shrill and desperate, bone-chilling.

The crowd began to panic. People surged toward them in waves, pushing and shoving in a frenzy.

“What’s going on? What happened?” the vendor asked anxiously, grabbing a passerby.

“Run! Run now! Someone’s eating people!”

“What?!”

The vendor trembled in fear. He grabbed his stall and began dragging it inside, shouting at Shen Xiuyan and Su Mingyue, “Quick, get in here! I’ve got a rolling shutter door!”

The two exchanged a glance and followed him inside.

Seeing this, others nearby also rushed in. One after another, people poured into the shop. A few of them worked together to pull down the shutter and lock it tight.

Only then did everyone finally breathe a sigh of relief.

The vendor was still shaken. “What the hell is going on? In broad daylight, and people are eating each other?”

One man, who had just run over, clutched his chest as his heart pounded. “I don’t know either. A few people just started biting others out of nowhere. There was blood everywhere. It was horrifying.”

“Could it be that new virus they mentioned on the news yesterday?”

“Now that you mention it… it really does sound like—” His voice cracked mid-sentence.

The person across from him asked what was wrong.

He didn’t answer. Instead, his face twisted in terror as he pointed behind the other man.

The man turned around slowly. Just one look, and he leapt behind Shen Xiuyan in fright.

“Th-th-th…” He stammered, peeking out from behind Shen Xiuyan and pointing at the window, unable to form a full sentence.

A twisted, grotesque face stared at them through the glass. The figure was drenched in blood. Seeing their fear, it gave a jerky, unnatural smile. But that smile was anything but friendly—blood still dripped from its teeth.

For a moment, no one dared to breathe.

“It’s okay,” Shen Xiuyan said calmly. “There’s a window between us. It’s locked. He can’t get in.”

The room was sealed tight. Even though everyone knew the thing outside couldn’t get in, fear still gripped them.

Seeing the man behind him on the verge of fainting, Shen Xiuyan spoke again to reassure him. “He’ll leave soon. Don’t be scared.”

“I’m not scared! Wh-who said I was scared?”

Shen Xiuyan sighed. “No one said you were scared. But could you let go? That really hurts.”

They both looked down and saw the man gripping Shen Xiuyan’s arm so tightly it had turned purple.

He quickly let go and gave an awkward laugh. “Ah, sorry, bro. I got a little too worked up.”

Shen Xiuyan shook his head helplessly and said nothing.

Su Mingyue stepped forward, gently touched his arm, and blew on it. “Does it hurt?”

Shen Xiuyan immediately replied, “A little.”

The man: “…”

Still, after all the commotion, the tension in the room eased somewhat.

A few minutes passed. Just as Shen Xiuyan had said, the figure at the window slowly wandered off. Everyone finally let out a breath of relief.

Then a broadcast echoed through the market.

【Please lock all doors and windows. Do not go outside. Market management has contacted the police. Officers will arrive shortly.】

Hearing that, everyone felt a bit more at ease. As long as they stayed inside, they would be safe.

Since there was nothing else to do, Shen Xiuyan looked at the vendor, then at the food cart that had been pushed inside, and asked, “Well, since we’re stuck here anyway, how about making me some more squid?”

The vendor wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He was still shaken, but his hands didn’t stop. He lit the stove and picked up his tools.

“More squid? You already bought so much. I can also make grilled cold noodles, you know.”

Given the situation, it didn’t look like he’d be able to do much more business today.

He couldn’t afford to lose out on today’s earnings. With such a big customer standing right in front of him, he had to make the most of it.

At the very least, he had to hit his sales quota for the day.

— Translator’s Notes —

• dog food: Chinese internet slang referring to public displays of affection that make single people feel jealous or uncomfortable, as if they’re being forced to ‘eat dog food’ while couples enjoy romance.