Chapter 212: The Phoenix Man Who Soared Before the Apocalypse (17)

A bolt of lightning tore through the sky, illuminating the heavens in an instant. A deafening thunderclap followed, shaking the earth to its core.

Outside the window, the world had turned eerie and unpredictable. Rain pelted down like strings of pearls snapping loose, crashing relentlessly to the ground.

Staring at the scene, Shen Xiuyan murmured softly, “It’s begun…”

The two of them gazed out the window, their expressions tinged with a sorrowful compassion, as if mourning the fate of the world.

Just then, a lively ringtone broke the heavy silence of the spacious living room.

They turned toward the sound. It was Su Mingyue’s phone ringing.

She quickly got up and picked it up.

A familiar voice came through the receiver. “Hello, Mingyue? I saw the news. I can’t believe everything you said before was true. This virus is really that serious. Are you two okay at home?”

Su Mingyue responded quickly, concern in her voice. “We’re fine. What about you?”

“We’re fine too. We’ve been staying in the villa. After seeing the news, your mom and I sealed up all the doors and windows. You should do the same. Lock everything up tight, and don’t go outside unless the news says it’s safe.”

“Mm, we’ve already locked everything.” Su Mingyue continued, “Is it just you and Mom at home? What about Auntie and the driver?”

Father Su replied, “The driver took Auntie out to buy groceries. They haven’t come back yet.”

Su Mingyue’s worry deepened. She warned again, “When they come back, make sure to check them carefully. If either of them is injured, don’t let them in. I saw people saying that even a small scratch has a high chance of infection.”

Father Su took a sharp breath, disbelief in his voice. “Oh wow, it’s that serious? Got it. I’ll check them thoroughly.”

Su Mingyue’s tone grew more serious. “Mm. Also, keep an eye out for anyone with a fever. If someone has a fever, isolate them immediately. The chances of mutation are high.”

“Alright, alright, I got it. That’s enough about us. What about you two? Are all those people still at your place?”

Father Su sounded worried. With so many people living at his daughter’s place, the risk of something going wrong was much higher. He couldn’t rest easy.

Su Mingyue picked up on the concern in his voice and quickly reassured him. “No, no one else is here. We were planning to go on a trip these past few days, so we gave everyone time off. But then Xiuyan heard something strange and we decided not to go out. Right now, it’s just the two of us in the villa.”

“Good, good. That’s for the best.”

Father Su was satisfied. In times like these, the fewer people you came into contact with, the better. That way, he could finally feel at ease.

“Ding dong~”

The doorbell rang.

Father Su quickly said, “Oh, someone’s at the door. I need to go check if they’re back. I’ll talk to you later, okay? Let’s keep in touch.”

“Alright, we’ll stay in touch!”

After hanging up, Su Mingyue sighed heavily. “I wonder how much longer the signal will last.”

Shen Xiuyan thought for a moment. “At most a week. After that, everyone will be too busy trying to survive to worry about signal…”

“Yeah. Who knows what’s coming next.”

“We’ll watch the news for the next couple of days and make plans based on what we see.”

“Okay. That’s all we can do.”

At the moment, the news on TV hadn’t updated. It kept repeating the same broadcast over and over.

Even those who hadn’t paid much attention before could tell that the situation was escalating.

The two of them sat in silence for a while longer. Then Shen Xiuyan’s phone rang.

“Hello? Is that Da Wa?” The voice on the other end sounded hesitant, as if the speaker lacked confidence.

A woman’s voice chimed in nearby, splashing with sarcasm. “How could that be his number? He only calls you when he wants something. When have you ever been able to reach him? Honestly, you should be glad he hasn’t blocked you.”

“You child, what kind of talk is that?” came the voice of an older woman in the background, along with the clear sound of something being knocked.

Shen Xiuyan froze for a second. “It’s me. Dad, what’s going on?”

The person on the other end clearly breathed a sigh of relief, his tone lightening.

“Er Wa was just saying this wasn’t your number. But you called yesterday, didn’t you? How could it not be your number?”

“It is my number.”

Hearing that confirmation, Father Shen was satisfied. His voice faded slightly as he turned to the others. “Hear that? It’s your brother’s number. Don’t talk about him like that. What kind of sister talks about her brother that way?”

“What?!” The girl’s voice was full of disbelief. “You actually got through?!”

Then Shen Xiuyan heard the rustling of clothes, like the girl was leaning in to verify it for herself.

“Hey, move aside. Grown-ups are talking. What are you listening in for?” Father Shen scolded her, then turned back to the phone. “Your mom and I just saw the news. This virus is serious, huh? Someone in our village went crazy all of a sudden today.”

Before he could finish, Shen Xiuyan interrupted anxiously. “Are you okay? No one got hurt, right?”

Father Shen paused, then laughed heartily.

He clearly enjoyed his son’s concern. “No, no, we’re fine. We listened to you. We’ve been staying home since yesterday and haven’t gone out. When it happened today, we climbed up the wall to watch from a distance.”

“Good. Don’t get involved. Just stay home,” Shen Xiuyan urged.

“I know, I saw it all. The person who got bitten went crazy too. It spreads from one to another just like that. Who would dare go outside now? Everyone’s locked their gates with three bolts. No one’s taking any chances.”

“That’s exactly what you should do. Don’t interact with anyone.”

“Got it. I just wanted to call and let you know. I was worried you hadn’t seen the news.”

“I saw it. I’m staying home too.”

“Good, good. I’ll hang up now. We’ll talk again if anything comes up.”

“Okay.”

The second and third days passed in a flash. The world outside showed no signs of improvement. On the contrary, the danger level of the situation kept escalating.

In just a few short days, things had spiraled completely out of control.

The government, which had been struggling to hold on, finally collapsed. The news broadcasts began reporting new developments.

— Translator’s Notes —

• locked their gates with three bolts: A Chinese expression emphasizing extreme caution, meaning to secure everything thoroughly and take no risks.