Earthquake(2)

Zhao Feng took a deep breath, trying to calm himself amidst the chaos around him. After a few moments, he slowly stood up from the floor, gathering his strength. He walked slowly towards the table where his phone was, picked it up, and checked the time on the screen.

"10:42 AM," he murmured. Only 36 minutes left before the world, as he knew it, would undergo a major change. Time was running out, and Zhao Feng knew he had to act quickly.

Without wasting any time, he decided to take action. He quickly packed a bag: Phone, kitchen knife, and some clothes.

His destination was clear: the large supermarket near the famous university. He knew that place was usually not too crowded in the morning, so there was a good chance he could still get enough supplies to survive. Zhao Feng hurried out of his apartment, running down the stairs with quick steps.

The distance between his apartment and the university was only 2 km, so it didn't take long to reach the university.

The sky began to show strange signs, but the people around him were still busy with their daily activities, seemingly unaware of what was coming.

The streets around the university were still filled with the bustling sounds of students talking, cars passing by, and vendors selling their goods. Zhao Feng quickened his pace, running with a clear goal towards the large supermarket not far from the campus.

As he ran, Zhao Feng's mind spun rapidly. He knew that the supermarket was the perfect place to survive the chaos. With all the supplies available, he could make it a stronghold. However, he was also aware that the place would soon be crowded with people panicking once they realized what was happening.

Upon arriving in front of the supermarket, the scene was not much different. People were coming and going with full shopping carts, the atmosphere was busy but there were no signs of panic. Zhao Feng hurried inside, heading straight to the food and essentials section.

Quickly, he filled his bag with the most necessary items: canned food, drinking water, and some emergency supplies. However, unlike before, this time Zhao Feng did not plan to leave the place. He had to ensure that he could secure the supermarket before the real chaos began.

Zhao Feng felt his breath catching after running as fast as he could from his apartment. His legs began to feel heavy and his muscles tense. He forced himself to stay upright as he entered the supermarket, but the exhaustion couldn't be ignored.

The supermarket was large and modern, with high ceilings and neatly arranged shelves filled with all kinds of goods. The bright lighting made every corner of the room clearly visible. The shiny ceramic floor reflected the light, adding to the clean and orderly impression. In the middle of the supermarket was a larger area, usually for seasonal promotions.

After making sure no one was paying attention, Zhao Feng moved to a relatively quiet corner, among the shelves filled with cleaning products and household needs. There, he found a small space between two tall shelves just enough for him to crouch down and rest for a moment. Quickly, he dropped himself to the floor, leaning against the cold shelf and trying to calm his racing breath.

"Calm down, calm down," he whispered to himself, trying to regulate his panting breath. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to gather his chaotic thoughts. Thoughts of the impending apocalypse kept swirling in his head, but he knew that panicking would not help.

As he sat there, Zhao Feng began to think about his next steps. The supermarket's infrastructure was quite strong with thick concrete walls and metal doors that could be tightly closed. The thick glass windows at the front, usually providing a view of the street, now seemed like a transparent barrier between them and the uncertain outside world.

After feeling a bit calmer, Zhao Feng began to think about the memories he received from the old man earlier.

As he knew, the old man was actually himself from the future. From the old man's memories, Zhao Feng knew that in a few minutes, the world would undergo a major change.

The change referred to was the evolution towards a higher planet. When a planet evolves, all living beings on that planet will also evolve towards a higher level of existence.

From those memories, Zhao Feng also knew that when the planet undergoes evolution, all living beings there will faint for more than 4 minutes. That was the reason why he decided to take over this large supermarket.

Seeing the clock showing 10:58, Zhao Feng slowly stood up. He walked towards the information desk and caught the store manager's attention.

Standing next to the store manager, Zhao Feng made the manager a bit confused.

While standing next to the manager, Zhao Feng started watching the clock and counting down.

10....5.....4....3...2..1.

When his countdown ended, a small earthquake suddenly felt under his feet. Initially just a light tremor, but then it grew stronger and more intense.

People around the supermarket started screaming and running to find shelter. Their merchandise racks trembled heavily, some even fell loudly with a rumble. Glass shelves of food products shattered, scattering small pieces.

Zhao Feng looked towards the entrance, where some people seemed to fall due to the strong vibration.

"Earthquake! Everyone, quickly, find a safe place!" the store manager shouted to the people around him, trying to maintain calm amidst the chaos that ensued.

As the earthquake intensified, Zhao Feng felt the natural force shaking the supermarket's foundations. He grabbed onto the shelves to maintain his balance, ensuring his safety.

Suddenly, the atmosphere inside the supermarket began to change drastically. People who were screaming and running around, now many of them fell silent. They seemed to slowly lose consciousness, as if hypnotized by an unseen force. Their bodies trembled slowly, and their eyes were empty.

The store manager, who had previously tried to maintain order, now appeared to be affected by this mysterious event. His bewildered expression and confusion in facing this unusual situation made Zhao Feng feel the need to act quickly.

He carefully reached for the store manager's arm, searching for the store keys.

"I'm sorry," Zhao Feng said firmly, trying to draw the attention of the hypnotized store manager, "I need the store keys to secure this area. I know what needs to be done."

The store manager, who was initially hesitant, responded with a vacant stare. But Zhao Feng did not give up; he continued searching and eventually found the store keys hanging on the manager's belt.

With the store keys in his hand, Zhao Feng quickly moved towards the emergency doors and carefully locked each door. He wanted to ensure that no one could enter or exit, given the mysterious circumstances unfolding.

3 minutes passed.

After securing the doors, Zhao Feng returned to the center of the supermarket and saw that the situation remained the same as before.

With his body covered in sweat from exhaustion, Zhao Feng slowly pulled out a kitchen knife from his backpack.