Apocalypse: After Being Reborn, I Stocked Up on All Supplies

Chapter 43: Chapter 43 The Only Living Thing That Walks

Zhang Qiqi was too shrewd not to see through Liu Dahong’s underlying intentions:

“Yes, only someone like Manager Liu, with such clear foresight, can accomplish great things. The resources provided by the government, I heard Qiming say, will last at most three days. Given the current heat, it’s already a blessing that they delivered this batch! After that, watch out.

Once the resources run out, this temporary underground shelter at Shallow Bay will be in chaos! By then, the property management and the owner’s committee interfacing with the government will inevitably become targets. It wouldn’t be surprising if they suspect you of hoarding the resources!”

Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this.

While listening to Zhang Qiqi’s words, Zhang Qiming was somewhat worried.

But the last statement ignited his desire for power and control, surging forth:

“So, with fewer people, we’ll be able to save some resources for ourselves. As for those resources, whether or not we redistribute them to the owners is for us to decide. Once we control the resources, we control everything, including the narrative! After that, isn’t all of Shallow Bay at our command? Wouldn’t you agree, Brother Liu?”

As Zhang Qiqi listened to him, she sneered silently to herself: This man is truly a spineless opportunist, with no principles at all!

Who wouldn’t be pleased to go from serving the owners to ruling over them and making a fortune from hoarded resources?

The property managers were somewhat beguiled, each rubbing their hands together, looking eagerly at Liu Dahong.

Liu Dahong, holding an unlit cigarette between his fingers, took a deep breath from it.

After pondering for a few seconds, he then coldly glanced at everyone and said in a deep tone:

“We can do this, but I must stress two points:

1. Only the few of us here are privy to this plan. All brothers under property management and the remaining members of your owner’s committee, Brother Zhang, must keep this confidential!

2. We strike after the official resource truck leaves, and we must not get caught!”

*

Elsewhere.

After leaving her residential area, Jiang Yan found a secluded corner to stash her backpack brimming with supplies.

She then pulled out two fully charged electric fly swatters from her “Space.”

These electric fly swatters had been previously bought online.

At the time, she hadn’t anticipated the mutation of the mosquitoes and hadn’t bought many.

There were only about a dozen or so.

Fortunately, they were all fully charged and ready to be used interchangeably.

However, some mosquitoes were bigger than the fly swatter, raising doubts about how many it could actually kill.

Jiang Yan, each hand gripping a fly swatter, hurried toward the nearby shopping center.

The scene was a complete mess.

Not a single living person could be seen on the roads.

If not for spotting a few shadows secretly observing her from some apartment windows, she would have thought she had entered a city of death.

Periodically, she could see charred skeletal remains of self-ignited cars.

Some buildings appeared to have previously caught fire as well, all blackened.

On the ground and scattered across the streets lay the desiccated corpses of animals and humans.

Among the animal carcasses, pigeons and stray cats were the most numerous, followed by some unidentified birds.

Swirling heat waves carried dark dust everywhere.

It was unclear whether it was road dust or ashes from the burned dead.

“Snap!”

Nearby, a corpse was tossed down from a building.

As soon as it hit the ground, a swarm of mosquitoes, behaving as if equipped with radar, “boomed” forward and surrounded it.

A window slammed shut with a “clang.”

Jiang Yan, now unfazed by such sights, didn’t even blink.

The time was nearing 5:30 PM.

The number of mosquitoes began to swell. @@novelbin@@

The irritating “buzzing” sound started emanating from all around.

And due to the mutation, this noise had grown significantly louder.

It was as if the wings were fitted with subpar megaphones.

When the mosquitoes hadn’t mutated, they were merely annoying.

But they were fragile, easily killed with a slap.

Now, having grown larger with furry antennas and sharp, long proboscides almost half the length of her arm.

Their white-striped hind legs, almost as long as one of her arms, looked even more frightening.

And if killed, their venomous, anticoagulant, and anesthetic-laced proboscides would break off, embedded inside the host’s body.

A truly horrifying thought!

No wonder these Blood Mosquitoes were so aggressive.

Jiang Yan furrowed her brow and quickened her pace.

She lived on the 32nd floor, where there were mosquitoes at night, but far fewer than on the lower floors.

Plus, the glass soundproofing didn’t make the sensation as intense as now.

Wearing an herbal mosquito repellent pouch and sealed in insulation clothes, she was less attractive to mosquitoes.

But that didn’t stop them from circling around her.

After all, it was rare to encounter a moving creature on the streets these days.

The mosquitoes had probably exhausted all their sources over the past couple of days.

The scant bodies discarded along with people who venture out at night for food or to move, couldn’t even suffice to lodge between their teeth.

“Buzz, buzz, buzz,”

“Buzz, buzz, buzz,”

Two Blood Mosquitoes couldn’t resist attacking Jiang Yan.

“Snap!”

“Snap!”

With a swing of her hands, both mosquitoes were stunned to the ground, their long legs twitching before they stilled.

Perhaps due to their size, these mosquitoes weren’t fried by the shock.

Meanwhile, other mosquitoes spotted Jiang Yan.

Whether deterred by her herbal pouch or the electric fly swatters, they flew close but didn’t attack immediately.

Instead, they buzzed irritably, just like the previous pair, circling overhead as she moved.

At first glance, it looked like she was wearing a moving black cloud over her head.

Jiang Yan’s heart skipped, mocking internally: Have these mosquitoes become cunning now?

Another street crossing and she would reach the shopping center.

Yet, Jiang Yan dared not slack off, her pace quickening.

She glanced briefly around, noting that the glass fronts of most shops in the shopping center, especially those selling food, beverages, watches, and phones, were shattered.

In reality, the extreme heat had only persisted for less than three days.

The owners of Shallow Bay could afford to stay quietly at home and even relocate underground tonight with government-delivered supplies.

But not everyone had such amenities.

Like the old residential area she had passed, lacking an underground parking garage suitable for taking refuge.

The options were either sweating it out at home or seeking nighttime shelter in government-erected refugee sites or nearby underground facilities like garages or supermarkets.

There were no other choices but waiting to die.

Some people didn’t even have a home to speak of.

So taking advantage of the chaos for some looting was hardly unexpected.

The mosquitoes continued to hover overhead, buzzing.

Hovering just out of reach, even if she raised her electric fly swatter.

After walking for over ten minutes, even though her insulation clothes preserved much of her stamina, Jiang Yan still felt completely drenched.

The dampness brought on by the sweat, mingling with her herbal scent, wafted into the sweltering air.

It was an irresistible lure for the mosquitoes.