Seven

Before heading to W City, Ye Yin had meticulously studied the city’s map, researched a wealth of information online, and combined all this with her own knowledge about the official Third Base. In the end, she finally settled on the location for her house—Changqing Street in Lihua District, W City.

Originally, Lihua District was not within W City’s administrative area. In recent years, W City, eager to boost its economy, had actively integrated surrounding counties and towns. Lihua, formerly known as Lihua Town, was naturally included in this expansion. Changqing Street sat at the heart of Lihua District, making it one of the area’s most bustling locales.

There were three main reasons Ye Yin chose Changqing Street. First, its geographical position was perfect: close to the core of the official Third Base, yet still considered the outskirts of W City, where the population was sparse. When the apocalypse broke out, the number of zombies here would likely be low. Second, the government, aiming to attract investment, was determined to transform Lihua District into a stylish commercial shopping area. Many plots along Changqing and several other main streets were up for sale, and owners were permitted to build private residences. Ye Yin had always harbored doubts about the sturdiness of ordinary apartment buildings when faced with zombie attacks, so she’d long wanted to build a reliable fortress of her own. This policy was exactly what she needed. Third, the west end of Changqing Street connected to the W City Bridge, and Lihua District was close to Highway 208. If anything went wrong in the future, escape would be easy—an ideal convergence of time, place, and people.

While her new house was under construction, Ye Yin and Ye Hua lived in a rented private residence. The owner was recuperating abroad, so rather than leave the house empty, he rented it out. Ye Yin had come across the listing online, and was instantly taken with its environment, both inside and out, so she rented it without hesitation.

Ye Hua sat quietly beside Ye Yin, clutching her rabbit plushie and watching attentively as her sister discussed details of the new house with the construction company’s representative.

“So, to sum up, you’re not concerned about the appearance for now. Your top priority is the house’s solidity, correct, Miss Ye?”

“Yes. I’m no expert, so I don’t really understand all that talk about integrated pouring or steel structure. Just make it as sturdy as possible. Ideally, it should withstand earthquakes and storms, and be impervious to people breaking in. Use the strongest burglar-proof materials for all doors and windows—don’t try to save money on my behalf.”

The representative wiped the sweat from his nose. “Understood. I’ll make this very clear to our designers. Is there anything else you require?”

Ye Yin frowned, pondering for a moment before something came to mind. “Right, I heard the water and power systems in that area are newly merged and often unreliable. Can you have the designer make sure the house can be self-sufficient in these respects?”

The representative considered it. “Absolutely. Our company has previously introduced an automatic eco-friendly cycle house template. Since you’re planning a two-story house with a basement, we can install a solar power grid on the roof and set aside space in the basement for a diesel generator. As for water, we can connect to an underground source or add a large water tank on the roof—double insurance. Wastewater from laundry and dishwashing can even be reused to flush the toilets.”

Ye Yin smiled. “That sounds wonderful. May I ask, since I already own the land use rights, when can you start construction? When do you estimate my sister and I can move in?”

Landing such a big contract, which was tied directly to his bonus, the representative was naturally eager and attentive. “Not to brag, but our teams are top-notch! Our equipment is state-of-the-art, and our architects are among the best in the industry. With such a strong team, how could the house be anything but perfect? Since the land rights are settled, I’ll arrange for construction to begin right away. We’ll aim to have you and your sister in your new home within three months.”

Ye Yin quickly calculated the timeline and nodded. “That’s settled, then.”

Ye Hua was very polite. Though she had many questions, she remained quietly by her sister’s side until the representative signed the contract and left, beaming with satisfaction. Only then did she blink her large eyes and ask, “Sister, why are we building our own house?”

Ye Yin tucked Ye Hua’s soft bangs behind her ear, her expression grave. “There’s something I’ve been keeping from you because I was afraid you’d be scared, but I can’t hide it anymore.”

Ye Hua’s eyes widened. “I’m not afraid. Please tell me.”

Ye Yin chose her words carefully. “Actually, your sister has become a superhero.”

Ye Hua’s mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg. “A superhero?”

Ye Yin nodded solemnly. “That’s why I’ve become so strong, and my personality has grown tougher. More importantly, sometimes I can dream about things that will happen in the future. That’s why I’ve been doing all these strange things lately—to prepare for coming disasters.”

Ye Hua wasn’t stupid—she just trusted her sister implicitly. “No wonder you’re so amazing! But what’s going to happen in the future?”

Ye Yin scratched her cheek, her expression turning grim.

If she could, Ye Yin would have tried everything to stop the apocalypse from breaking out. Unfortunately, the original story never explained the virus’s source—only that it was brought by a meteor shower, without specifying which meteor or when it fell. The narrative simply dropped this fact on the reader. The virus was extremely contagious, spreading with lightning speed. It took only an hour or two, and a handful of infected, to bring a medium-sized city to its knees.

If there was any warning sign, it was that ten minutes before the virus began to spread widely, the sun would turn black. Unaware, people would think they were witnessing a rare astronomical event, excitedly snapping photos to commemorate it, not realizing the darkened sunlight was a catalyst for the virus—the prologue to the apocalypse. When the sun shone again, order had already collapsed; everywhere, people were attacking each other, and many of those who fell would rise again, pale and ghastly, tearing and devouring human flesh.

By the time people realized what was happening, the world had become a living hell.

“Do you remember the ‘Walking Corpses’ I made you watch yesterday?” Ye Yin asked.

Ye Hua nodded. “It was so scary—good thing it was just on TV!”

“We’ll be seeing it in real life soon,” Ye Yin said. “From today, you’ll eat with me while watching those shows. No skipping the gruesome scenes—you have to watch to the end, until you’re used to all the blood and horror.”

Ye Hua’s face went ashen, not sure which part frightened her most.

“Think of it as a warm-up,” Ye Yin said, her tone perfectly sane. “It’s better than being scared to death when it really happens.”

Ye Hua, still shaken, instinctively grabbed Ye Yin’s hand. “Sister, do you mean people will turn into…”

“Stay alive. Don’t become like them.”

Ye Hua, still in shock, nodded obediently—a model little sister who would move anyone to tears.

Ye Yin was always true to her word. The sisters began watching every high-definition zombie DVD they could find on the big LCD screen. At first, the scenes made them queasy, but soon they could eat meat while watching zombies devour flesh and sleep soundly to the soundtrack of gnawing corpses.

With the first goal perfectly achieved, Ye Yin began systematically training Ye Hua’s physical fitness once she was sure her sister no longer feared the undead. She set daily targets for steps and exercises, printed out detailed schedules, and posted them on the wall—no meals allowed until the targets were met.

Ye Yin herself was as strong as an ox; no amount of exercise fazed her. Ye Hua, though obedient, was too frail and often couldn’t keep up. After a week with little progress, Ye Yin bought her a premium membership at the city’s most prestigious gym, solemnly instructing the trainer—just as a parent might a tutor—to ensure her sister developed six-pack abs. The trainer was so shocked, he was speechless.

With Ye Hua’s fitness now in professional hands, Ye Yin found herself with more free time and began stockpiling supplies.

She started by ordering a large quantity of outdoor gear online—backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, multi-tool knives, compasses, and more, choosing reputable brands known for quality and reliability. Since she bought in bulk, the factory gave her wholesale prices, likely mistaking her for a small business owner.

These supplies were for herself. Ye Yin had considered every angle and knew that, whether to secure base credentials for her sister or to enhance her own strength for scavenging, she would inevitably have to walk the path of a mercenary. Hiding in the base and living off rations was not an option.

In the post-apocalyptic world, all sorts of factions would emerge. The three giants were the military, the Mercenary Alliance, and the Association of Espers. The military was hard to enter without connections, and without backing, one would be at others’ mercy. The Espers’ Association was somewhat anti-human, often at odds with the military, and could easily lead one down a dangerous path. By comparison, Ye Yin found the mercenary route more flexible. Neutral organizations had their advantages, not to mention the chance to find trustworthy teammates for zombie hunting.

Given that the apocalypse brought a significant drop in temperatures—summers felt like autumn, and winters like an icehouse—Ye Yin mostly chose lightweight, warm clothing, favoring cotton and plenty of down jackets. Sportswear and military-grade woolen uniforms were essential—perfect for fighting and killing zombies—while comfy clothes were reserved for home. Anything too casual just wouldn’t do in combat.

Ye Yin also paid special attention to shoes. Shoes were crucial; in the apocalypse, few had the luxury of sitting idle. Wearing heels was a death wish, ordinary shoes couldn’t handle long treks or fierce battles, and while sneakers sufficed, military boots were superior: warm, comfortable, practical, and above all, durable. They lasted, never losing heels or exposing toes halfway through an escape. With this in mind, Ye Yin bought several thousand pairs in various sizes—over five hundred in her own size alone—spending nearly a million.

Medicine and bandages were always among the top five items in base shops, trailing only food and weapons for months. Ye Yin stocked over ten million yuan worth of medical supplies and ordered more than a hundred first-aid kits, along with dozens of medical handbooks.

Her current home wasn’t large, and her shopping sprees nearly caused overflow, attracting attention from the neighbors. For convenience and discretion, Ye Yin rented a large warehouse, where she’d sit at the entrance receiving deliveries. As soon as the deliveryman left, she’d move everything into her space, saving a small fortune on transport.

As Ye Hua’s complexion improved day by day, Ye Yin’s grew paler from overwork. Ye Hua, worried, asked, “Sister, is there anything I can help with?”

Ye Yin affectionately ruffled her hair. “Just focus on your training—that’s a huge help. So, how are those abs coming along?”

Ye Hua: "..."

Author’s note: “Walking Corpses” is a deliberate tribute to a certain famous zombie film—everyone knows which one! Rolling about, begging for comments and favorites~~><