Chapter 27: Unknown Peril

The two of them began gathering supplies immediately. Since there were no outsiders around, they simply stored everything in their spatial storage, which made things much easier. This time, Gu Pan even put the store shelves inside; otherwise, with so much stuff, it would have been a hassle to sort through later.

Afterward, they went upstairs. Gu Pan grabbed a selection of high-end cosmetics from the counters, thinking they would be useful for dealing with the wealthy in the future. They then headed to the second floor, where they collected a significant amount of branded clothing, which could later be traded for money or gold.

By the time they left, the sun was already dipping below the horizon. They knew they had to be efficient, as more people would be venturing out tomorrow, making today the golden window of opportunity. They headed to a larger shopping mall, one located further away from their home.

Upon reaching the entrance, they found the doors wide open. They planned to go in and negotiate with whoever was inside, just as they had done at the first location—agreeing to take what they needed without interfering with each other, as these goods didn’t belong to anyone in particular.

However, the moment they stepped inside, a gun was pointed directly at Lu Ruisheng’s head, an attempt to take him hostage.

Lu Ruisheng was quick. He grabbed the man’s wrist, twisted it backward, disarmed him, and aimed the gun back at the assailant’s head. Gu Pan immediately drew her own weapon, chambered a round, and prepared for a firefight.

Within moments, a dozen armed people emerged from the shadows, all aiming their weapons at them. Gu Pan knew that if they fought, they had a high chance of winning, but an open conflict was not a wise choice. If a fight broke out, the risk of injury was too high, and in this climate, an injury meant a death sentence. It wasn't a risk she needed to take.

Gu Pan raised her hands and said, "If we fight, both sides will inevitably suffer injuries. In this temperature, an injury is a death warrant. This isn't a wise choice. Let us go, and we won’t bother each other. How about that?"

The leader hesitated for a moment before saying, "Let them go."

He recognized the logic in Gu Pan's words. He had seen the man's reflexes and knew he was no ordinary person. A fight would certainly result in casualties on his side, and since the other party offered a way out, he might as well take it. There was no need to push his luck.

Lu Ruisheng didn't let go of his hostage until he said to Gu Pan, "Go bring the motorcycle over."

Gu Pan agreed and stepped out through the mall's iron gate. In a secluded spot, she pulled out the snowmobile and rode it back to the entrance. Having ridden it in her past life, she remained highly skilled.

Seeing Gu Pan arrive, Lu Ruisheng pushed the hostage back toward the group and quickly retreated. He hopped on the back of the snowmobile, and the two sped away like the wind.

They didn't stop until they were a long distance away. Gu Pan sighed, "I didn't expect the first day to be this thrilling."

Lu Ruisheng got off and playfully tapped her head. "You call this thrilling? This is called dangerous."

Gu Pan laughed. "I have the memories of three years from my past life. We killed twenty-six people in those three years; this really is nothing."

Lu Ruisheng pulled her into his arms. "Why is it that I don't remember these bad things, but you have to carry them all?"

"It's better that I remember. At least I ride the snowmobile pretty well, right?"

"You certainly ride well. And you're right—at least having been through this, you won't be as afraid anymore."

"There are gains and losses. Let's not dwell on it. Next stop? Today is the golden hour."

"Then to the next stop."

"Get on, let me get used to driving."

Lu Ruisheng sat back on the passenger seat, smiling. "I never thought I'd be riding on the back of my wife's snowmobile."

"Hold on tight, I'm accelerating." With that, Gu Pan started the engine and sped off.

Inertia forced Lu Ruisheng to press even closer against her.

By the time they reached the next shopping mall, people were already inside, and the jewelry counters had been picked clean. This was the last remaining place in the city with a gold shop, and it was gone.

With the gold taken care of, they moved on to another priority: finding weapons. Since the military would have taken all the armaments when they evacuated, the local police station was the best place to look.

They searched everything they could. While some had been there before them, they still managed to find over a dozen handguns and plenty of ammunition—far more powerful than the homemade weapons they had. They also gathered riot shields, stun batons, and bulletproof vests; whatever they could carry, they took, as the spatial storage had plenty of room.

Seeing that it was getting late and they had enough supplies, they decided it was time to let their friends know they needed to hurry and secure food.

They rode the motorcycle to Guo Gang’s house and told him that the supermarket was currently unattended, urging him to go quickly. They also warned him not to bring everything home at once to avoid drawing attention, suggesting he hide the items outside and bring them back bit by bit.

Afterward, they visited Tian Zhenzhen and gave her the same notice.

Gu Pan didn't go to Dong Mingyue’s place. If Dong Mingyue knew, her mother-in-law would surely find out and lead the entire apartment complex to raid the supermarket, which wouldn't be fair to others. She only wanted to alert her few friends without disrupting the balance of things.

After informing Tian Zhenzhen, they headed home. The snowmobile saved them a great deal of time.

On their way back, they stopped at the sixth floor and knocked on a door. Feng Zhekai opened it.

Lu Ruisheng said, "Dr. Feng, could we have a word?"

Feng Zhekai invited them inside. A charcoal brazier was lit in the room, making it much warmer. His wife, a woman of great poise, came over to greet them.

After the pleasantries, Lu Ruisheng told him about the situation at the supermarket and urged him to go quickly. He took off his own hiking backpack and lent it to Feng Zhekai, saying it would make carrying things easier, and added that he had already managed to secure enough supplies for his own household for now.

Feng Zhekai asked, "Is Teacher Chen going? If he is, I’d like to go with him for company."

Lu Ruisheng replied, "He should be able to go. I’ll tell him when I get back and have him come down to find you."

Feng Zhekai thanked them, touched that they thought of his family.

After leaving, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng returned to their floor. They went to Chen Shaonan’s place, told him the news, and had him meet up with Feng Zhekai. Gu Pan also lent her hiking bag to Chen.

They gave them the same advice: don't bring everything back at once to avoid being targeted. It was better to hide the supplies and bring them home gradually during their night shifts or whenever they went out to take out the trash.

For Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng, these two families were essentially their allies. A doctor was indispensable, and a physics and chemistry teacher would be very useful in the apocalypse. Furthermore, Chen Shaonan’s family wasn't overly sentimental or naive, which made them worthy of being allies.

Chen Shaonan thanked them and hurried to prepare. Not long after Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng got home, they heard Chen Shaonan leaving.

As Lu Ruisheng was halfway through changing his clothes, he remembered something. "Right, should I tell that young man in 901?"

Gu Pan agreed. "Tell him. He’s always respectful, and he trusts you. It doesn't cost us anything to let him know."

Lu Ruisheng put his clothes back on and went upstairs to 901. Since the young man in 901 wasn't close with Chen or Feng and wasn't part of their alliance, he simply passed on the information; what the man did with it was his own business.

The young man was incredibly grateful, telling Lu Ruisheng that once the weather warmed up and his parents could reach him, he would be sure to properly thank them.

When Lu Ruisheng returned, Gu Pan had already changed into her fleece pajamas and prepared dinner. The electric heater made the room quite cozy.

They had Sichuan food that night; it had been cold outside, and they wanted some spice to work up a sweat. After Lu Ruisheng changed and washed up, the two sat quietly, eating while watching a downloaded TV series on their screen.