Chapter 25: The Free Shopping Spree Begins

These words acted as a rallying point for everyone, and they all felt that Lu Ruisheng was right.

At this moment, everyone was preoccupied with how to barricade their doors for the night and how to prevent fires. As for where the iron gates were installed, no one cared anymore; they all began consulting Lu Ruisheng about anti-theft measures.

The building manager no longer dwelled on the iron gates. Aside from how to prevent theft in their own homes, the matter of night patrols still needed to be organized. Normally, one person from each household would participate, but since some families lacked men—such as those in 501—or had elderly men, a new survey was required to determine the headcount and establish a rotation.

Because the internet was down and few phones had any battery left, the WeChat group was completely useless. She instructed every household to write down their situation and leave it at their door. Once she compiled the information and drafted the schedule, she would post it on the first floor the next morning for everyone to see.

With this settled, everyone headed home; it was, after all, bitterly cold. As they walked back in groups, they spoke of the thefts and wondered when the next food airdrops would come. Everyone had finished their previous rations and was on the verge of starvation again.

Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng didn't participate much in the discussion and followed the crowd home. Once inside, they didn't have to worry about anyone seeing the situation in their apartment. With so many iron gates installed, no one else could reach their door except for the neighbors across the hall. And those neighbors were sensible enough not to look inside. If they knocked, there was no need to open the door immediately; they could just have them wait a moment while they headed out.

Gu Pan took a home generator out of her space and placed it in the study. Afterward, she set up several electric heaters, and the room temperature quickly rose. The two of them no longer needed to wear down jackets at home, opting for coral fleece pajamas instead.

Once everything was settled, they sat on the sofa to chat. Gu Pan explained to Lu Ruisheng why she had mentioned his medical discharge earlier, recounting how they had been treated as easy targets in their past life. Lu Ruisheng understood the situation now; in this life, they would only do what was necessary. During this time, they continued their daily physical training. In the apocalypse, having the skills to protect one's own life was the most important thing.

***

The next day, after breakfast, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng went downstairs to check the duty roster. They planned to walk around the neighborhood; according to Gu Pan’s memory, chaos would erupt within these next two days. They needed to collect useful information to pinpoint the exact timing, so they could raid the shopping malls early before the best goods were gone.

What they wanted most was gold, which could extend the time their spatial dimension could function, ensuring that if they encountered sudden disasters requiring them to hide for several days, they wouldn't be kicked out of the space.

They had barely left their unit building when they heard crying and shouting coming from the building in front. They rushed over. A crowd had gathered at the entrance of that building. Gu Pan stepped forward and asked an older-looking woman, "Big sister, do you know what happened?"

The woman was a gossip by nature, otherwise, she wouldn't have been standing there in such cold weather. She quickly explained, "Girl, you have no idea. It's so cruel. An entire family, only one child left, everyone else was killed. It was a home invasion; they came in with knives. If the kid hadn't hidden in a wardrobe, they would be dead too. The child only ran out to call for help this morning, so everyone found out. If there hadn't been a survivor, in this weather, the bodies wouldn't have even started to smell—we wouldn't have known for ages."

Gu Pan wasn't interested in the gossip; she needed key information like the timeline and the status of law enforcement. She asked, "When did this happen? Why haven't the police arrived yet?"

The woman replied, "It happened in the early hours of last night. The child only dared to come out for help when it got light today. The building manager and the owners' committee are here now, trying to call the police, but the lines are dead. The manager went to the police station; they should be back soon."

Gu Pan grasped the key information: the police station wasn't answering. It was highly likely that other departments were abandoned as well. She remembered hearing about this incident in her past life sometime in the afternoon.

By noon the next day, they had heard that the major shopping malls had been looted and were left unmanaged. Everyone rushed to the malls to grab supplies, but it was already too late; there wasn't much left, and the good items were gone—they were just picking at the scraps. After that, total chaos ensued. With no order left, the true apocalypse had begun.

Thinking of this, Gu Pan thanked the woman and waited for the final piece of information: whether the building manager found anyone at the police station. Soon, the building manager came running back. Heavily bundled and flustered, he nearly tripped, but steadied himself and blurted out, "There isn't a single person at the police station! People are being murdered, and no one is in charge. What are we supposed to do?"

Hearing this, Gu Pan had the answer she needed. She immediately told Lu Ruisheng, "Let's go home."

Lu Ruisheng saw that his wife was urgent and that this wasn't the place to talk—it was clearly important and confidential. He agreed immediately and quickened his pace alongside her.

Once they reached home and locked the door, Gu Pan said, "Make the calls. Call all the relevant departments to confirm that none of them are answering. If they aren't, we can go to the mall for 'zero-yuan shopping'."

***

Lu Ruisheng understood her meaning. They had been waiting for this moment; this was the most important thing they had to do during this period.

Previously, the police had still been responding to calls—they might ignore minor issues, but they would respond to robbery and murder. The apocalypse required a transition period, and that time had now fully arrived.

He grabbed his phone and started making calls. He dialed every department he could think of, and after confirming that none of them were answering, the two of them changed into more cold-resistant gear and headed out.

When they reached a secluded area, Gu Pan took a snowmobile out of her space. Lu Ruisheng drove, and they headed straight for the nearest shopping mall. They didn't use the main entrance. Instead, they went to a spot near the side door they had scouted earlier, dug through the snow, pried the door open, and entered.

Their goal was clear: primarily the jewelry store on the first floor. However, as soon as they arrived, they saw two men—one tall, one short—frantically stuffing gold into bags at a counter.

Hearing their arrival, the tall one didn't even look over, exclaiming happily, "Brother, this is f*cking awesome! Who would've thought there'd be a day where we could just take gold as we please?"

Lu Ruisheng spoke up, "I am not your brother. We don't want conflict, so let's just stay out of each other's way."

The tall man stopped and looked at Lu Ruisheng, "Just the two of you, and you want to compete with me for supplies? I haven't killed anyone yet and don't want to start, so if you're smart, get out."

Gu Pan pulled out a gun and pointed it at them, "I have killed people. Do you want to try me?"

The tall man was so startled that a pile of gold chains fell onto his feet, causing him to jump. However, the shorter man realized Gu Pan was a woman and his apprehension lessened. He sneered at her, "You b*tch, don't think you can scare us with a fake gun. I'm not afraid of you. Since you don't want to leave, we'll just make you a pair of dead lovebirds."