Chapter 36: Rescue

Chapter 36: Rescue

Early the next morning, the hallway was deathly quiet. Gu Pan and the others ignored the silence, repaired the damaged iron door, and then headed to unit 901 to practice self-defense. Cheng Yang’s living room and dining area had been cleared out, with all belongings moved to the study, leaving the space feeling vast and empty.

Lu Ruisheng taught the men, while Gu Pan taught the women. They focused entirely on self-defense and lethal strikes; there was no time for basic training. Their current goal was simple: survive and kill when necessary. Cheng Yang and Chen Lang were young and learned quickly, but the older individuals struggled more. A simple fall required a long recovery before they could get back up, yet, having witnessed the horrors of the previous night, they forced themselves to stand despite the pain.

Chen Shaonan, rubbing his aching back while sitting on a stool, suddenly had an idea. He stood up abruptly. "Our physical stamina isn't great, but we can craft weapons. I have materials at home to make small stun batons. If we get into close-quarters combat, we can electrocute them first—that would give us the upper hand!"

This was something Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng had never considered. Knowledge truly was useful in any situation. Gu Pan was fully supportive. "That’s a great idea. If we’re missing any materials, we’ll figure it out together."

Chen Shaonan nodded. "Good. I’ll draw up the diagrams tonight and let you know what we need."

With that decided, they headed out to scavenge for supplies after their training. Duan Shumei and Lu Xuerong joined them as well; having steeled their hearts, their mental state had improved significantly. They understood that in this apocalypse, one had to be capable of survival, not just a burden to one's family. As they walked, they discussed future plans—what they would do if the disaster lasted for years.

Passing a shopping mall, they spotted over a dozen wounded people near the entrance, with blood staining the ground. Among the injured, a middle-aged man pleaded for help: "Please, do us a favor. Just pass a message to our families so they know where we died. The robbers are gone; you’re safe here."

Feng Zhekai, being an emergency room doctor, was the first to step forward to assess the wounded. Gu Pan remained vigilant. In the apocalypse, one had to be wary of everyone. She stopped Lu Xuerong and the others, saying, "Don't go over yet. Dr. Feng is a doctor; he’s unlikely to be targeted as an enemy. We aren't so lucky, so we must ensure the surroundings are safe first."

She looked at Lu Ruisheng. "Let’s check the perimeter."

Lu Ruisheng nodded. "Right." He then addressed Chen Shaonan and the others, "Stay put and protect yourselves."

Chen Shaonan understood perfectly. "We understand."

Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng circled the area and, confirming it was secure, signaled for the others to help. It was a matter of helping those in desperate need. These people out scavenging were simply trying to stay alive; if they could lend a hand, they would. Whether these people survived would be up to fate.

Feng Zhekai treated the man with the most severe head injury first, using the gauze and medication he carried in his pockets—a habit he’d kept since the world turned upside down. Gu Pan directed Lu Xuerong and Duan Shumei to gather materials to start a fire, knowing that without warmth, the injured wouldn't last long.

They quickly gathered enough fuel, and Gu Pan helped them build a fire inside the supermarket. Lu Ruisheng and the others carefully moved the injured toward the flames, but four of them passed away before they could even be relocated. Chen Shaonan attempted CPR on a young man, but the youth died shortly after.

Chen Shaonan sighed. "If we hadn't become neighbors with Lu and Gu, we might have ended up just like them at any moment."

Duan Shumei agreed. "Indeed, we are the lucky ones."

Hearing this, Gu Pan thought back to her previous life, when her family had gone out and simply vanished. It was highly likely they had met a similar fate.

Once Feng Zhekai finished treating the survivors, he told them, "Your wounds are serious, and there’s no way to stitch them up. In this temperature, you cannot leave the fire until the wounds have completely healed, or the frostbite will be fatal. Stay by this fire tonight, and only go home once the wounds have scabbed over tomorrow."

The middle-aged man who had first called out to them finally caught his breath, tears streaming down his face. "We thought today was our end. We only hoped to get a message to our families. We never expected to meet such kind people in such an apocalypse."

Gu Pan replied, "Even in the apocalypse, we have our bottom lines. We can’t just stand by and watch people die. But this is all we can do; the rest is up to you."

She took several packs of compressed biscuits and bottles of water from her bag and left them behind. Cheng Yang and Chen Lang gathered more wood and piled it nearby to ensure the fire would last until morning. The people thanked them profusely; even if they weren't sure they would survive, they felt the warmth of human kindness.

If not for the apocalypse, an ambulance would have arrived quickly, the weather wouldn't be this brutal, and most of these people wouldn't have died—nor would they have been robbed in the middle of the street.

Gu Pan and the others bid them farewell. The mood was somber as they departed, but the experience only strengthened their resolve to become more powerful. Only by being strong could they avoid being bullied.

They were even more cautious for the rest of the day, scavenging in groups of two or three rather than splitting up, to avoid any accidents. Their haul was small, which they had anticipated. Scavenging would only get harder as time went on; resources were finite, and with daily consumption, they would eventually run out. They had to work harder to find and hoard what they could now. Although Gu Pan had her spatial storage, they couldn't cut themselves off from society entirely—especially since she couldn't stay inside the space indefinitely—so they had to integrate into the lives of normal people.

Since they had time, they moved the supplies they had stashed outside to the base in the mortuary before heading back to the apartment complex. At the entrance, the building manager was waiting for them.

Seeing them return, the manager said with a fawning smile, "You're back! You weren't hurt last night, were you?"

Gu Pan smiled. "It's been a whole day. Is it a bit late to ask?" She then added, "By the way, we won't be participating in the patrols anymore. Your patrols didn't serve any purpose, so we're pulling out."

The manager was caught off guard. "Those people last night were desperate robbers; the patrols couldn't fight them head-on, but at least the patrols prevented petty thieves from getting in. It’s still useful."

Gu Pan replied, "Our defenses prevent thieves from entering. We are guarding against armed robbers. Our objectives are different, so our methods don't need to be the same. We are pulling out."