Food Crisis

After lunch, Yang Xiao took a walk around the area. So far, no one else had entered this mountain forest yet, so he was still safe for now. After all, there was no food in the mountain, and people didn't usually take refuge here.

After a brief stroll, Yang Xiao returned to the large rock to take his afternoon nap.

Although he tried his best to adjust his biological clock, his daytime sleep was still fitful, waking up three or four times as usual, making it impossible to sleep soundly through the day.

Today was the third day after the earthquake. The people at the mountain's base were growing restless. Many had already run out of food and water after scouring the academy grounds. Collapsed buildings covered most of the remaining food supplies. What little they could still scavenge was limited.

Due to the many corpses buried in the rubble, after three days they had started to rot, giving off a stench that made rummaging through the ruins for food a miserable task.

The taps had long run dry. There were a few small lakes on campus, but their water was filthy, usually green with a rotten smell. It was undrinkable.

Once struck by disaster, the fragility of a modern city's ecosystem was fully exposed.

More worryingly, by the third day after the calamity, the government's promised rescue teams still hadn't arrived, crushing everyone's hopes, a torture for all.

Fear began to creep upon them.

If this were the countryside, they may have found a clean river or vegetables and fruits in the fields.

Some students began discussing an exodus to the villages outside the city in search of food and water.

A few doubtful students walked into the Gene Store to ask Gu Bo, "Mr. Gu Bo, is it true that the genes of Earth's creatures will mutate in seven days?"

"Hehe, of course it's true! Today is the third day. You'll see in four more. The question is whether you'll live to see the seventh day!"

Gu Bo spoke casually, as if he was merely an observer in all this, uninvolved.

So far, the Gene Store had not offered any help. The two guards at the door stood all day long, never tiring.

The store's doors remained open 24/7 to all. Gu Bo, the little old man, would chat with people, his manner affable. Of course, he mostly discussed genetic fragments, telling them how to hunt mutant beasts after the genetic mutation to harvest fragments to sell him.

To everyone, Gu Bo was here solely to buy genetic fragments. As for what they were, no one had a clue.

Dozens of students banded together and left the academy, heading for a village dozens of kilometers away in search of a new refuge.

Food scavenging was beginning to spark bloody conflicts.

Xiao Zhe's group of over 150 were well-stocked with food and water. People constantly begged Xiao Zhe to take them in, but he refused outright.

Among them was Qin Yu, a third-year finance student and campus belle. She was in Xiao Zhe's team.

"Xiao Zhe, they look so pitiful. We still have plenty of food to spare a little."

Xiao Zhe had always been smitten with Qin Yu. To him, the disaster was a golden opportunity. Of course, survival outweighed romance. Moreover, getting a woman was now just a matter of minutes for him.

"Hehe, Qin Yu, our food is limited too. It looks like we have a lot, but there are over 150 of us! We go through a lot each day. And who knows how long we'll be hunkered down? Who knows when the government rescue will arrive!"

Xiao Zhe's words instantly drew nods from the others.

To ensure their own survival, most opposed helping those outside their team.

Qin Yu grew agitated. "Are we just going to watch our former classmates die like this?"

"Qin Yu, all I can do now is protect you and everyone here. I can't care for so many others."

Qin Yu was helpless. She knew she couldn't persuade Xiao Zhe. Even if she did, the rest wouldn't agree.

Outside the makeshift tent boundary that Xiao Zhe had erected, dozens of girls looked pleadingly at them.

Qin Yu's heart softened. She took some biscuits and half a bottle of water from her bag and approached a familiar girl, her classmate, Huang Wen.

"Huang Wen, take these. It's all I can spare."

Huang Wen hadn't eaten or drunk anything since yesterday afternoon. She hastily stuffed two biscuits in her mouth, choking as she tried to wash them down with big gulps of water.

Dozens of eyes clung covetously to the food in her hands.

Huang Wen hesitated before breaking the biscuits into small pieces to share with the girls around her.

They were all plain-looking, unlikely to earn any food from the men. With Huang Wen as leader, they formed a little group for warmth and protection, refusing to stoop to the evil boys.

Huang Wen passed around the remaining water. "Just a sip each."

They mutely passed the bottle, thirsting to gulp it all down but limiting themselves to meager wetting of their throats.

"Qin Yu, thank you!" said Huang Wen.

"I'm sorry I can't help more. I'll set aside half my food for you each day from now on."

Huang Wen nodded tearfully and turned to leave with her sisters.

"Sisters, we must stick to our virtues. Don't bow to these thugs. We must rely on ourselves."

"But Sister Huang Wen, how can we save ourselves?" asked one.

"Food will be hard to find, but we can still get water. There's a pond at the foot of Jade Cloud Mountain. We can boil pond water over a fire to make it drinkable."

Huang Wen's words reminded many that there was a sizable pond below Jade Cloud Mountain with decent water quality. They had picnicked there before. Boiling it made it potable.

"But what about food?"

"Sigh...we can only scour the mountain for wild fruits or vegetables."

"Sister Huang Wen, it's autumn. No wild vegetables will be growing. And this mountain doesn't seem to have wild fruits."

"Then we'll eat leaves and roots. Better than waiting here to die." Huang Wen said angrily.

"But Gu Bo at the Gene Store said creatures will mutate in seven days. With all those mountain animals, it'll be too dangerous!"

Hearing this, they were shocked into silence again.

Finally, Huang Wen resigned herself. "Then let's just go boil pond water for now. Everyone find empty bottles to collect it."

They settled on this plan. After scavenging two iron pots and lighters from the rubble, the dozen girls nerve themselves to head for the pond at the foot of Jade Cloud Mountain.