Everything will come back, won't it

Construction Bank, ATM.

There was no movement in the surroundings.

Aside from damaged vehicles and the occasional rotting corpse, there wasn't even a single zombie to be seen.

In the past, withdrawing money meant waiting in line, but now it was truly effortless; one could walk right in and take the cash.

Upon entering, an electronic voice greeted him.

It was a reminder to lock the door and press the button nearby if any issues arose.

He inserted his bank card, entered the PIN, and the screen transitioned, quickly displaying the withdrawal page.

The maximum withdrawal per transaction was five thousand. Considering the situation, he decided to take out ten thousand first. The sound of counting cash rang out—rustle, rustle—one stack of five thousand, followed by another. Ten thousand in total.

He didn't check the balance. People are naturally curious and like to peek at the unknown, but since this card wasn't his, he didn't even think about it. He packed the money away, retrieved the card, turned, and left the ATM.

Xinfeng Agency.

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

Seeing the still-handsome Gu Wen, Lin Fan greeted him with a smile. Whether the other party would respond or not, being friendly was his own choice.

The messy state of the shop didn't bother him. As long as the doors were open, it meant business was still being conducted; as for why it was so disorganized, that was a matter for the cleaning lady.

He searched for listings in the shop, unsure if he would find anything.

"Sunshine Residential Complex, Unit 2... Unit 2."

Suddenly.

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

The price was much cheaper than the one he had rented for Li Mei.

It must have had to do with the floor level. He tried calling the number listed, but it wouldn't go through; it seemed the owner had run into trouble during the apocalypse.

Without the owner's consent, he certainly couldn't rent it.

Fortunately, this was an agency, and the agent could make the call.

One month's rent as a deposit, three months' rent paid upfront.

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 placed it on the table.

"The money is here. I'll rent it for three months first."

Then, taking the keys, he spoke softly to the handsome boss outside the door.

"Boss, I'm heading off."

A certain residential complex, third floor.

Li Mei hid on the balcony, peeking outside. The apocalypse was truly a torment for women. Fortunately, her daughter was by her side, which gave her a constant belief in surviving.

If not for herself, she had to live for her daughter.

The man had promised to rent them a place and help run errands; to her, this might be the key factor in whether they could survive. She waited with bated breath, longing to see that familiar figure.

While waiting earlier, she had seen zombies stumbling through the streets from time to time.

At this moment, her eyes lit up as she saw that familiar figure. There was no mistake; in her eyes, that was a radiance—the light of survival, the only glimmer of human hope she could see in this apocalypse.

She didn't call out.

Only a fool would do that. Don't assume women are brainless; she had watched many movies and TV shows, and sometimes, seeing those infuriating scenes, she wanted to twist the heads off the screenwriters. Why did they have to portray women as so mentally handicapped?

The figure disappeared from view.

She wasn't the least bit panicked.

She knew he must have entered the complex.

Knock, knock!

A light tapping on the door.

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

Lin Fan's voice came from outside. He was very gentle, afraid that a loud noise would frighten the mother and daughter. After all, with the apocalypse descending, the oppressive atmosphere was already hard enough to bear; any further shock would surely have a negative impact.

The door opened.

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

"I've found a place for you. It's right above me, Room 804, two bedrooms and a living room. The environment is quite nice. See if there's anything at home you need to bring over, though you might want to avoid bringing too much for now. Just take some daily necessities; other things can be picked up next time."

There was too much stuff to carry it all at once.

Of course, there was no need to bring furniture; the rented place was basically furnished. They just needed toiletries, clothes, and other essentials.

"I know, I know," Li Mei nodded hurriedly.

Lin Fan said, "I'll wait for you at the door. Go ahead and pack up. I'll introduce you to the four elderly people later; they are the new tenants, and I just found a place for them, too."

Li Mei quickly began packing her daughter's things.

There was no need for many clothes; a few pieces would suffice.

She picked up a photo album—a very ordinary one containing pictures of their family of three. Looking at her husband in the photos, the corners of her eyes grew damp. She took a deep breath. Qingyang, rest assured, I will take care of Feifei and keep living well.

"Are you all packed?"

Lin Fan looked at the large bag Li Mei was carrying and felt it was a bit light, but then he reasoned that she was likely afraid that carrying too much would make them sluggish, or that it would be troublesome if they were spotted by zombies. In truth, there was no need for such worry; in his eyes, zombies were still quite easy to deal with.

"It's all packed. Everything that needs to be brought is here."

At this moment, Lin Fan noticed the little girl's hands were empty and asked in confusion, "Where is your schoolbag?"

"Huh?" Feifei blinked her bright eyes.

A schoolbag?

What schoolbag?

It wasn't just Feifei who was bewildered; even her mother, Li Mei, didn't quite understand.

"Even though it's the apocalypse now and schools are closed, you are still young and need to study hard. As it happens, there is an elderly woman where I'm headed who is a retired teacher; she can teach you."

"Study hard and strive for progress. Knowledge can strengthen you. I suffered quite a bit back in the day because I didn't study hard enough."

"Go on, go get your schoolbag."

Lin Fan hoped the child would keep studying. No matter how hard life became or how harsh the environment grew, one had to maintain a heart that loved to learn. As long as one had the desire to learn, no predicament could stand in the way.

After hearing these words, Li Mei agreed wholeheartedly. She also hoped her daughter would study hard; she was still so young, if she didn't study, what else could she do?

Feifei's mouth fell open, and she stood there, dumbfounded.

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

She didn't have much interest in school and had only been an average student. Now that the apocalypse had arrived, finding a way to survive was the only thing that mattered. As for studying, surely no one was doing that anymore.

Children are children, after all. When a crisis arrives and engulfs the entire world, they are bound to be terrified, but the thought of not having to go to school and study was likely even more exciting.

There were news stories of houses catching fire where the kids didn't even think twice before throwing their schoolbags into the flames.

Was it urgent that the house was on fire? Certainly.

But it was absolutely not as important as throwing the schoolbag in.

"Listen to your uncle. He makes sense. Studying is the only thing you can do right now." Li Mei was just like any other parent; as long as it concerned education, she would agree with anything said to ensure her child studied hard.

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

Lin Fan felt a sense of gratification. Being able to persuade a child to study hard was naturally a good thing. Often, a single sentence from someone could change a child's future.

At this time, Li Mei remembered the soft-shelled turtle she had prepared, which hadn't been put into the pot yet, so she hurried to the kitchen to pack it up.

"Let's go."

Lin Fan helped Li Mei carry the bags, Frostmourne in hand, and walked in the lead.

On the street.

Li Mei and Feifei's footsteps were very light, as they were afraid of making noise and attracting zombies.

"It's fine, just walk normally. Even if there are zombies, I'll handle them," Lin Fan said softly. He didn't mind, but he knew the mother and daughter behind him weren't as formidable as he was and were surely terrified of the zombies, so he didn't force his own bravery and fearlessness onto others.

People are the same, but their abilities differ.

Just like the group he had encountered at the library; although they hadn't followed the rules, he had only mentioned it in passing and hadn't forced them to comply.

Zombies were still quite dangerous.

For most people, that was the reality.

This was the first time Li Mei and Feifei had walked on the streets since the outbreak. Looking at the desolate surroundings, they felt an indescribable sense of misery. It was too quiet—truly, far too quiet.

Shattered glass, overturned cars, and rotting corpses...

These sights were assaulting their minds.

Lin Fan sensed their somber mood.

He spoke softly.

"Everything will return. With me, with you, and with other survivors, the Huang City of the past will return, won't it?"

He smiled, never having lost hope for this city.

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

As long as there was morality, a bottom line, and principles, the future would be full of hope.

Then everything would return.

A breeze blew gently by.

The afterglow of the sunset bathed the quiet street.

Three figures stood with their backs turned, appearing so dejected at first glance, yet the back of that one person stood like a towering mountain, radiating a dazzling brilliance.

It made one feel at ease.

PS: Seeking votes, hehe.

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