Everything will come back, won't it?

Construction Bank, ATM.

There wasn't a sound anywhere nearby.

Aside from the damaged vehicles and the occasional rotting corpse, there wasn't even a single zombie in sight.

Back when people wanted to withdraw money, they had to wait in line. But now it was so easy. They just had to walk in and withdraw cash.

As soon as he entered, an electronic voice sounded.

It reminded him to lock the door and told him he could press the button beside him if he ran into any problems.

He inserted the bank card and entered the PIN. The screen changed, and the withdrawal page appeared in no time.

He could withdraw five thousand at most in one go. After thinking it over, he decided to take out ten thousand first. The machine began counting the money: whir, whir... One stack of five thousand, then another stack of five thousand—ten thousand in total.

He didn't check the balance. Everyone was curious and liked to take a look at the unknown, but this wasn't his card. Without a second thought, he put away the money, retrieved the card, and turned to leave the ATM.

Xinfeng Agency.

"Boss, I'm looking at listings for four elderly people. Do you have anything in the building where I live?"

Seeing that Gu Wen still looked as handsome as ever, he smiled and greeted him. Whether or not the other man replied was up to him; asking in a friendly manner was his choice.

The messy shop didn't bother him. The fact that it was open meant business was carrying on as usual. As for why the place was such a mess, that was a matter for the cleaning lady.

He searched through the listings, not knowing whether he'd find anything.

"Sunshine Residential Complex, Unit Two... Unit Two."

Then—

He spotted a listing: Building 2, Unit Two, Room 603, 1,800 a month.

It was much cheaper than the place he'd rented for Li Mei.

It was probably because of the floor. He called the number listed, but it wouldn't go through. It seemed the owner had run into trouble during the apocalypse.

Without the owner's permission, he obviously couldn't rent the place.

Luckily, this was an agency. The agent could make the decision.

One month's deposit, paid three months in advance.

One times three is three; one times four is four; four times eight is thirty-two. That made seven thousand two hundred.

He counted the money and set it on the table.

"Here's the money. I'll rent it for three months first."

Then he took the keys and spoke softly to the handsome boss at the door.

"Boss, I'm heading out."

A third-floor apartment in a residential complex.

Li Mei hid on the balcony, secretly watching the street outside. The apocalypse was truly a torment for women. Thankfully, her daughter was by her side, giving her a reason to keep on living.

Even if she couldn't live for herself, she had to live for her daughter.

He'd said he would rent them a place and help them out. To her, that might be the key to whether they could survive. She watched anxiously, desperately hoping to see that familiar figure.

While waiting earlier, she'd seen zombies shambling along the street from time to time.

Her eyes lit up. She saw that familiar figure. There was no mistaking it. In her eyes, he was a beacon, a light of survival—the only glimmer of hope for humanity she could see in this apocalypse.

She didn't call out.

Only a fool would do that. It wasn't as if women had no brains. She'd seen plenty of movies and TV dramas, and sometimes the scenes were so infuriating she wanted to twist the screenwriter's head off. Why did they always portray women as such idiots?

The figure disappeared from view.

She didn't panic at all.

She knew he must have entered the residential complex.

Knock, knock!

A soft knock came at the door.

"It's me. I'm here."

Lin Fan's voice came from outside. He spoke gently, afraid that a loud noise might frighten the mother and daughter. The oppressive atmosphere of the apocalypse was already hard enough to bear; a sudden scare could have a bad effect on them.

The door opened.

Lin Fan noticed a look in Li Mei's eyes—a look of anticipation.

"I found you a place. It's upstairs from me, Room 804. It has two bedrooms and a living room, and the surroundings are nice. Take a look and see if there's anything at home you need to bring. But don't bring too much for now. Just take some daily necessities. You can come back for the rest later."

They wouldn't be able to carry too much.

Besides, they didn't need to bring furniture. The rented place already had most of what they needed. They just had to bring toiletries, clothes, and other essentials.

"Okay, okay." Li Mei nodded hurriedly.

"I'll wait for you at the door. Pack up, and then I'll introduce you to the four elderly people. They're the new tenants. I just found them a place too."

Soon, Li Mei began gathering things with her daughter.

They didn't need many clothes. A few changes were enough.

There was also a very ordinary photo album, with a family picture of the three of them. Li Mei looked at her husband in the photo, and her eyes grew a little damp. She took a deep breath. Qingyang, don't worry. I'll take good care of Feifei and keep living.

"Have you packed everything?"

Lin Fan looked at the large bag Li Mei was carrying. It seemed like she'd brought too little, but then he thought about it: she was probably afraid that too much would become a burden. If zombies saw them, they'd be in trouble. There was no need to worry so much, though. In his eyes, zombies were easy enough to handle.

"We're all packed. We brought everything we need."

Just then, Lin Fan noticed that the little girl's hands were empty. He asked in confusion, "Where's your schoolbag?"

"Huh?" Feifei blinked her bright eyes.

Her schoolbag?

What schoolbag?

Feifei was confused, and even her mother, Li Mei, didn't understand what he meant.

"Even though it's the apocalypse and school is out, you're still young and need to study hard. There's an old lady where I live who's a retired teacher. She can teach you."

"Study hard and make progress every day. Knowledge makes you stronger. Back then, I suffered because I didn't study hard enough."

"Go on. Get your schoolbag."

Lin Fan hoped the child would keep studying. No matter how hard life became or how harsh the conditions were, she should keep a love of learning in her heart. As long as she wanted to study, no difficulty could stop her.

After hearing this,

Li Mei wholeheartedly agreed. She also hoped her daughter would study hard. She was still so young. If she didn't study, what else could she do?

Feifei opened her mouth and stared in astonishment.

"Mom, Uncle, it's the apocalypse. Do we still have to study?"

She wasn't very interested in studying, and her grades were only average. Now that the apocalypse had arrived, finding a way to survive was the important thing. Surely nobody would be studying now.

Children were still children. When danger swept over the whole world, they were bound to be scared. But the thought that they wouldn't have to go to school or study probably excited them even more.

She'd seen the news about a child who, when his house caught fire, had tossed his schoolbag into the flames without a second thought.

Was a house fire urgent? Of course it was.

But it still wasn't as important as throwing the schoolbag into the fire.

"Listen to Uncle. He's right. Studying is the only thing you can do right now." Li Mei was just like all parents. When it came to anything related to studying, whatever they said to get their children to study was bound to be right.

"All right, then. I'll go get my schoolbag." Feifei ran into the room to gather her books.

Lin Fan was delighted. It was a good thing to persuade a child to study hard. Sometimes, a single remark from someone else could change a child's future.

Just then, Li Mei remembered the turtle she'd killed but hadn't cooked yet. She hurried into the kitchen and packed it up.

"Let's go."

Lin Fan helped Li Mei carry the bag and held Frostmourne as he walked ahead.

The street.

Li Mei and Feifei walked softly, afraid that any noise might draw the zombies over.

"It's okay. Just act normally. If there are any zombies, I'll handle them." Lin Fan spoke softly. He didn't mind at all, but he knew that the mother and daughter weren't as capable as he was, and were probably afraid of the zombies. So he didn't force his own bravery and fearlessness on them.

People were the same, but their abilities were different.

It was like the group of people he'd met at the Library. They hadn't followed the rules, but he'd only casually reminded them. He hadn't forced them to obey.

Zombies were still dangerous.

At least, they were dangerous to most people.

Now,

this was the first time Li Mei and her daughter had walked on the street since the zombies appeared. Looking at the desolate surroundings, they felt an indescribable sadness. It was so quiet—too quiet.

The shattered glass, overturned cars, and rotting corpses...

It all battered their minds.

Lin Fan sensed that their spirits were low.

He spoke softly.

"It'll come back. With me, with you, and with the other survivors, the Huang City we knew will return, won't it?"

He smiled, having never lost hope in this city.

Because the hope of the city lay with those of them who were still alive.

As long as they had morality, principles, and a sense of right and wrong, the future was full of hope.

Then everything would come back.

A breeze swept gently past.

The evening glow filled the peaceful street.

Three figures walked away. They looked so dejected, yet the back of one of them stood like a mountain, shining with a dazzling light.

It made them feel safe.

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Thanks to Er Fa Liang Le for the generous reward.

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