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Natural Disaster Apocalypse (BL)

In a world ravaged by natural disasters, only the fittest survive. Having been reborn, the protagonist seizes the opportunity, determined to live well in the despairing end times. Mu Nan returns to the world three months before the apocalypse. He sells all his savings to stockpile supplies, hoarding everything he can like a hamster. Then, he remains hidden in his home, living discreetly while cautiously awaiting the gradual onset of the end times... The anticipated disasters include: epidemics, heat waves, earthquakes, extreme cold, pests, floods, droughts, famine, tsunamis, and sandstorms. With a special space for farming during the disasters, the story moves at a slower pace, focusing on the mundane aspects of life, readers who are sensitive to this should consider carefully!

Xeion · LGBT+
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93 Chs
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Chapter 90

Wu Zheng's father, Wu Huizong, was a product of the city, but being a city dweller didn't necessarily mean he was better off than rural folks. Apart from having a city household registration, he had very little to his name. His living conditions were shabby, he hadn't received much education, and his entire life had been spent working for others. He lacked foresight and ended up living an increasingly miserable existence. Wu Huizong's parents had sold their dilapidated house for two thousand yuan to start a small breakfast business in the city, thinking they were making a great deal. In their time, renting a small place cost next to nothing—often less than ten yuan a month. Selling a leaky old house for two thousand was something they could only dream of.

Not long after, the area was redeveloped, and those old houses were replaced with modern apartments. The breakfast stall made enough money to buy two new properties and continue thriving, while Wu Huizong's family was left struggling to rent one place after another, growing poorer with each move.

Growing up in such a poor household, Wu Huizong was slightly better than his parents he managed to go to school, albeit only until junior high, so at least he could read and write. However, lacking education and exposure, he didn't have many skills to earn a living. He ended up following the family's path and found work in a factory, where he met Wu Zheng's mother. She was from the countryside, and although Wu Huizong was poor, he had a city registration, which might have attracted her. Whatever the reason, they ended up together.

However, the year after their marriage, the factory closed down. Faced with the responsibility of supporting his wife and soon-to-arrive child, Wu Huizong had no choice but to join the ranks of those laid-off workers seeking jobs at construction sites. Initially, the construction sites were close to home, allowing him to return each day. But as projects moved farther away and the expenses of raising a child increased, he found himself returning home less frequently—sometimes only once a year. Yet, each time he returned, he brought home a considerable sum. During those years, housing prices soared, and a decent apartment could be bought for around ten thousand yuan. Wu Huizong worked tirelessly, hoping to save enough to secure a home for his son.

All of this changed when he discovered that his wife had been unfaithful. After working tirelessly to provide for his family, the revelation devastated him. In a fit of rage, he nearly killed the couple involved.

Eventually, they divorced, and Wu Huizong's wife didn't want their child either. Every time he laid eyes on Wu Zheng, he was reminded of the disgusting images of his wife with another man. The son he had once cherished and sacrificed for now became a thorn in his side. Wu Huizong even twisted his anger and humiliation at his wife's betrayal into a perverse satisfaction, directing his resentment toward Wu Zheng.

Wu Zheng was his son, and Wu Huizong never doubted that, but that didn't stop him from taking out all his anger on Wu Zheng. After remarrying and having a younger son, Wu Huizong treated Wu Zheng even worse, often showing favoritism towards his younger son to provoke Wu Zheng, as if he could repay his previous humiliation.

Despite everything, Wu Huizong never truly wished for Wu Zheng's death.

He felt entitled to everything Wu Zheng had, expecting him to support him and the family. When he unexpectedly ran into Wu Zheng, he felt a sense of relief wash over him, believing he no longer had to worry about making ends meet. With Wu Zheng around, he could provide for his younger son and himself. Even though his younger son was already a college graduate, Wu Huizong felt it was only natural for Wu Zheng to support them all. Seeing Wu Zheng bundled up in a thick coat only fueled his entitlement.

However, he never considered that Wu Zheng could freeze to death. How could that happen? Wu Zheng had worn so many layers beneath that coat, and there was even a down jacket on top of it. How could he possibly die from the cold?

Returning home in a daze, Wu Huizong found that what he called home was merely a temporary warming shelter—a cramped space just big enough to sleep in, with a shared bathroom outside. He had been rescued and brought there after the weather turned frigid. The decent housing had already been filled, leaving him with no other choice but to stay in this warming house. Even so, staying there cost three points a month, and daily necessities required points to purchase.

After the earthquake, his new wife had been unable to escape from their home. Meanwhile, he and his younger son had wandered the streets, hoping to break into a store and steal something to sell. By sheer luck, he survived, but when the weather turned, he nearly froze to death. Eventually, he was brought to this shelter, and upon settling in, he encountered his eldest son, Wu Zheng. Wu Huizong thought this was a sign of better days to come, but now, all he felt was despair with the loss of his son.

Upon entering the shelter, he saw his younger son wrapped in Wu Zheng's coat, and all he could think was that this coat was responsible for his eldest son's death.

Before he could fully process the guilt and horror of having caused his son's demise, he noticed his younger son shivering under the blanket. Rushing over, he opened the coat to reveal a feverish face, the child's skin burning red, and his consciousness fading. It dawned on him that he had gone looking for Wu Zheng today to ask for points his younger son was sick, but he couldn't let anyone take him away. He had hoped to secretly buy some fever medicine, but without points, he had lost his elder son.

In the temporary housing, the newcomers were tested for temperature regularly, more so than those in apartments or villas. Due to the crowded living conditions, their temperatures were monitored twice daily, and those with fevers were taken away.

Not long after he returned, it was time for the temperature check. Wu Huizong hid his younger son behind the door, planning to tell the inspectors that he had stepped out and hadn't returned yet. However, the inspectors weren't fools they pushed the door open and entered, immediately spotting the feverish child. Without a word, they took him away.

Wu Huizong rushed forward, pleading, "He's just got a cold! We don't have warm clothes, and it's too cold out. He's not contagious! If it was an epidemic, I would be infected too, but I'm fine! He's just cold!"

The inspector, noticing the thick winter coat on the floor, said, "Is this what you call lacking warm clothing? Take him away, and you too." He then instructed another person beside him to record the data, "Seal the door and arrange for disinfection."

Wu Huizong was convinced that his younger son was merely suffering from a cold and fever. He felt he must stay with him during the isolation, as he had only this one son left. He couldn't let anything happen to his younger son too.

The isolation area was a large hall, a makeshift warming room, different from the living quarters. Instead of individual rooms, it was a single large space divided into sections. The floor was heated, but there were no beds or mats, forcing people to sleep directly on the ground. The patients sent here were primarily those with fevers but no other symptoms. Although both mild and severe cases were in the same hall, transparent isolation curtains separated them to minimize cross-infection. Whether one could leave after entering depended on their luck.

Despite Wu Huizong's insistence that his younger son was merely suffering from a common cold, the authorities placed them directly into the severe cases' section. Wu Huizong demanded to accompany his son, but the staff had seen many families like his. They no longer needed to persuade those who wanted to live; those who wished to die were beyond help. So, they sent both of them to the same area.

There were no injections available with the temperature dropping so low, there were no conditions for transporting liquid medicines. The only available medications were oral ones. Those sent to the severe area were at least given a fever-reducing suppository, but whether the fever would subside depended on the individual.

Holding onto his elder son's coat, Wu Huizong sat by his younger son, who remained in a daze from the fever. After being given medication, his younger son didn't wake up. Wu Huizong covered him with the coat, praying the medication would take effect, that he would sweat it out and be fine. But each time he looked at that coat, he saw the curse of his deceased elder son. As he stared, he felt as if he were losing his mind; suddenly, he threw the coat aside. He couldn't let his younger son wear it—it might be this very coat that brought his elder son's resentment seeking revenge.

Meanwhile, unaware of what was happening elsewhere, Song Jia cleaned the house thoroughly. They had one frostbitten patient and a dog; if the environment wasn't sanitized, it would be easier to catch illnesses. After scrubbing down the house, he went to check on Wu Zheng, who was awake.

"Hey, you're awake! Why didn't you call me? Do you want some water? Need to use the bathroom? I'm making porridge, but it's not ready yet. Are you hungry?" Song Jia asked anxiously.

Wu Zheng shook his head, looking weak with a pale face but at least coherent.

There was no bed in their room, but fortunately, they had exchanged for several blankets before the cold set in, allowing them to lie on the ground covered with blankets. Squatting beside Wu Zheng, Song Jia said, "Your dad came by today. He didn't recognize me, so I told him you had frozen to death. Jian Chu helped too, saying you owed him points. We figured your dad must know him, so he would help pay it back. That guy ran off like he was escaping."

Song Jia lowered his head, tears dripping onto the floor. "Mu Nan and the others helped too. Mu Nan said his brother was ready with a crossbow, watching from upstairs. If your dad dared to come in and cause trouble, they'd shoot."

Niu Niu, lying beside Wu Zheng, got up and gently licked the tears off Song Jia's face. Wiping his tears, Song Jia said, "They're all good people. It was freezing that day, with sudden drops in temperature and heavy snow. They were worried about me being alone and even helped me look for you. You were out there frozen and unconscious, and they didn't sleep all night."

Wu Zheng turned his head to look at Song Jia, remaining silent for a long while before hoarsely saying, "I'm sorry..."

Song Jia sniffed and turned to him. "Let's just focus on living our lives, okay? We don't need to care about those who don't treat us well."

Wu Zheng nodded in agreement. He had walked away from that man not out of kindness, but to avoid further entanglement, not wanting the man to know where he lived. After giving him points, he thought he could sever the last thread of their so-called blood relation and be rid of him for good.

At the time of his departure, his father insisted that he leave the coat behind. Wu Zheng had nothing he couldn't even exchange points for warm supplies, and his younger brother was already suffering from the cold. That younger brother had once been quite good to him, sneaking him pocket money and saving his snacks from childhood. But as they grew older, influenced by their parents, they had drifted apart. Yet, he was the only one in that family who had shown him any kindness.

Wu Zheng had underestimated the severity of the cold outside, thinking he was layered up enough with several sweaters and a down jacket. It was just a single coat, after all. He had given it away, only to nearly freeze to death on that night of minus thirty degrees.

Let them think he was dead, he decided. From now on, it would be a clean break, with no more ties.

After two days of recuperation, Mu Nan's first meal after the restrictions was dry meat—sizzling barbecue paired with his favorite dipping sauces, tender beef, juicy lamb, chewy beef tongue, crispy pork belly, and succulent Wagyu beef, all wrapped in lettuce and pickled vegetables. A bowl of radish stew with beef completed the satisfaction of life.

As Qin Huai grilled the meat for him, Mu Nan remarked, "After all this, meat is truly the best. I just pray that with this wind and snow, all the scents are carried away and the neighbors don't catch a whiff."

"Don't worry, they won't smell a thing," Qin Huai reassured him. The wind outside was so strong it could blow someone away any scent that escaped would vanish in an instant.

Mu Nan sighed, "When will I be able to eat freely? Even at home, it feels like I'm sneaking around like a thief."

Qin Huai chuckled, "That's exactly why we cherish every meal. I heard they're planning to re-register identities and start vaccinations soon."

Mu Nan paused, surprised. "Is there a vaccine available now?"

Qin Huai nodded. "The hospitals can't handle the scale of this earthquake, but some virus research institutes in our country can manage. They have enough equipment to develop plague vaccines. Once the production conditions are met, the process is quite quick. After all, these plagues aren't unknown viruses; the two most significant infectious diseases are the plague and malaria. The severe deaths are due to the collapse of medical conditions. As things gradually stabilize, the priority now is to vaccinate as many people as possible to save lives."

Mu Nan nodded, feeling reassured. "So, are the vaccines they're administering now fully developed? Do we need to wait?"

Qin Huai replied, "Anything that's released will be mature. Even if you want a shot, you'll likely have to wait. The first batch will go to medical personnel and soldiers since they come into contact with patients the most; their safety is the priority."

Hearing this, Mu Nan felt a wave of relief wash over him. He hadn't been vaccinated in his previous life, so he hoped to receive it this time around!

Since the cold snap hit, the snowfall outside hadn't ceased. The temperature seemed to drop by an average of one degree each day, and fewer people could withstand the biting cold to work outside. Construction on the temporary housing had nearly come to a standstill. However, rescue efforts continued relentlessly; whenever survivors were found, they were brought back, leading to an increase in the population in the shelters. Consequently, supplies at the exchange points began to dwindle. With heavy snowfall, many people couldn't even step outside due to inadequate winter clothing, let alone go out to exchange for food. Eventually, the exchange points were temporarily closed.

All developments were driven by necessity. As people's needs grew, new solutions emerged. Following the earthquake, the authorities had planned across provinces, introducing a new currency system. As for the currency's exchange rate internationally, that no longer mattered; few countries remained intact like theirs.

With the need for new identification cards, the new currency began to circulate, with a direct exchange rate of one point equaling one yuan. However, the new currency wouldn't be physical; it was said to be tied to one's identity information. Spending would be conducted through identity verification, and once linked to a mobile device, purchases could be made through official channels. The specifics would likely only be known after implementation, but at least for now, the authorities had signaled to the public that even in extreme weather, life was gradually returning to normal.

Currently, the most critical task was clearing snow. If they didn't remove the snow from the rooftops and the yard, they would be completely blocked from leaving their homes. They could exit through the side door onto the street, where they cleared a path toward the riverbank. By piling the snow onto a tricycle, they could dump it into the river.

The riverbed had been baked dry by the sun, leaving no water at all. Even with continuous snowfall, the river only rose to about a third of its height, making it suitable for dumping the snow.

The four girls, who had previously been invisible since moving in, slowly began to join in the snow-clearing efforts. Perhaps they felt guilty for always asking the men to do all the work. Whenever the boys ventured out to clear the yard, two of the girls would come out to help.

The guys didn't make the girls do any heavy lifting; they only asked them to help pile the snow together. For the rest of the work, like loading it onto the tricycle and taking it outside, they managed on their own.

After a few interactions, Jian Chu, the social butterfly of the group, struck up a conversation with the four girls. They were from the same university but different majors, and they had met because they were renting a place together. Their living situation wasn't a typical one-bedroom apartment; instead, it had been converted into small rooms with attached bathrooms, leaving only a tiny living room and a shared kitchen. Being of similar ages and personalities, they got along well. They had started renting together in their second year and continued until graduation.

The university housing was primarily geared toward students, making those small rooms quite affordable. If they moved, rents would skyrocket. So even after graduation, without significant savings or a good job to change their circumstances, they opted to continue sharing a place, as long as they got along well.

When the smog hit unexpectedly, they had to stay locked inside, supporting one another through shared meals and helping each other financially when possible. What began as a simple renting relationship unexpectedly deepened through their mutual support.

When asked why they didn't go home during the heat, one girl chatting with Jian Chu shrugged, "Well, you need to have somewhere to go home to."

Jian Chu responded with an "oh" but didn't probe further, respecting her privacy despite his curiosity.

However, Sun Sisi, one of the girls, didn't seem to mind sharing. "Xuanxuan, the girl who came down with me, had to get married as soon as she got home. When she was in high school, her family had already arranged a marriage for her. Can you believe that? This kind of thing still happens today! So when it got hot and there was no work, and we could only rely on government relief, she was adamant about not going home. Who knew an earthquake would follow?"

Seeing that she was open about her situation, Jian Chu casually asked, "Why didn't you go home too?"

Sun Sisi laughed, "I don't have a home to go back to. My parents divorced and remarried, each starting new families. Which one should I go back to?"

Jian Chu nodded, helping Sun Sisi shovel the piled snow onto the tricycle. As Yu Zibai took the tricycle away, Sun Sisi nudged Jian Chu with her elbow, leaning in closer. "So, do you guys know each other well?"

Jian Chu replied, "Some of us have known each other for years, while others are newer acquaintances. Why do you ask?"

Sun Sisi pointed toward Qin Huai. "What about that handsome guy over there? Does he have a girlfriend?"

Jian Chu instinctively looked up and then redirected his gaze back to Sun Sisi. "You can tell he's handsome even with all those layers wrapped around him?" They were bundled up more than Qin Huai, who had on so much gear that even his eyes were covered by wind goggles. How could anyone see past all that to discern good looks?

Sun Sisi smirked, "Don't underestimate a woman's radar for handsome men! Plus, with that height, he must be good-looking. Does he have a girlfriend? Given the current situation, he probably doesn't, since I haven't seen any other girls around here."

Jian Chu pointed toward Mu Nan on the other side. "What about him?"

Sun Sisi replied, "What about him?" She had just heard that guy call the handsome man "brother" and his voice was pleasant enough, though not as magnetic as the other guys. It had a bit of a youthful softness to it perhaps those who liked "cute boys" might be into that.

Jian Chu said, "He's his boyfriend."

Sun Sisi fell silent for a moment and then said, "Oh, internal competition, huh? Well, I guess that's fine. Ugh, women these days have it tough—competing with each other for men and then competing with men for men."

Noticing Sun Sisi's gaze drifting toward Yu Zibai, Jian Chu interjected, "Don't look over there, he's my boyfriend."

Sun Sisi: "..." The internal market was truly leaving her with no options!

Sorry, I’ve been very busy lately with my studies but don’t worry I am still continuing this one along with the other novels T 〰️T

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