Chapter 8

Just two days!

Since the early hours of the 23rd, when the active cells in the host body burst and spread, most of New Zealand's population has been overwhelmed by an astonishing appetite and hunger. This hunger is terrifying, like a bottomless pit, impossible to satisfy no matter how much one eats. Incidents of people fighting over food have become countless.

This is still the human world. In nature, the situation is even more bloody and cruel.

By the morning of the 25th, the New Zealand government announced the opening of wartime reserve supplies, while reassuring the public not to panic, assuring them that the hunger could be resolved. After all, this is modern society, and the dire conditions caused by hunger, as seen in ancient times, are unlikely to occur. Moreover, the international community has already learned of the changes in New Zealand and has responded with offers of aid and donations.

Upon receiving this news, the situation in New Zealand improved somewhat, but only slightly. The hunger was different from the usual kind, almost unbearable, and there were frequent incidents of animals attacking humans. Hunger affected not only humans but also animals, which, unlike humans, lacked the constraints of reason and morality.

Although it had only been two days, work in almost all industries in New Zealand had come to a halt, except for chefs. No one had ever imagined that eating could have such power, that hunger could make people stop everything they were doing just to fill their stomachs.

...

"Damn it, I don't know what's happening, but why are we so hungry so quickly?" Woolf cursed.

Besides the original few, there were now Santos's wife and his eight-year-old son, and the other employee, Barrent, who was single. These people had come here in the morning because the food in their homes was almost gone. After contacting Woolf and learning that there was still food at the market, they all came here.

The group gathered around the computer, watching the news. Upon learning that the New Zealand government had opened wartime reserves, they all breathed a sigh of relief. Bai Yi, however, was estimating the remaining food in the store and calculating how long it would last.

The wartime reserves had indeed been opened, but it would take some time to reach this place, and the hunger had not ended. Most importantly, such an abnormal situation could not be without a cause, and Bai Yi did not believe it was coincidental.

Over the past two days, Bai Yi had also been in touch with Mei Wei and Sarah, exchanging greetings. Mei Wei was the female doctor who had helped Momo with her emergency, and Sarah was the nurse who had criticized Bai Yi. After deciding to adopt Momo, they had been a great help, otherwise, as a tourist, Bai Yi would never have been able to adopt an abandoned infant. Moreover, Bai Yi's job as a chef at Waikato University was introduced by Mei Wei.

...

At this time, a group of students at Waikato University were discussing where to find food. They were all close friends, a total of eleven people, nine of whom were international students.

"The nearest food market is the Worcester Food Market. To find food, that's the best place to go. Although there have been many incidents of people fighting over food recently, there must still be some left there. We won't do anything to steal or抢东西 (steal), as long as the price isn't too outrageous, even if it's several times higher, I can afford it," Qin Kairui said confidently from the podium.

"Does anyone else have any suggestions? Please speak up so we can add them to our plan."

Yu Han looked at Qin Kairui on the podium, feeling a bit jealous. This guy was a student council member and the president of the Chinese Students' Association, with a good family background, good looks, and outstanding abilities, which is why he could stand there. Yu Han was不服气 (resentful), but he could only be resentful. With his current status, he was just an ordinary member here.

"I have a suggestion!" Yu Han said, raising his right hand.

"Yu Han, what's your suggestion?"

"We need to add one more person... a chef! I don't think anyone here is particularly skilled at cooking. We can find the ingredients, but who among us has the confidence to turn them into delicious meals? As for the chef, I have a recommendation. Someone we all know, Bai Yi, the chef at our cafeteria!" Yu Han said.

"Agreed, this is a good suggestion. A chef is very important," Qin Kairui nodded without hesitation.

Bai Yi is Chinese and always has a cheerful smile, and everyone here is familiar with him. Yu Han's recommendation of Bai Yi met with no objections.

"Does anyone else have any suggestions? Let's gather all the ideas, then prepare and head to the Worcester Food Market," Qin Kairui continued.

"I suggested Bai Yi, so I'll go find him. I'll also bring someone else along," Yu Han said as the meeting ended.

"Sure, who do you want to bring?"

"Xina, come with me."

Belle Xina: Yu Han's girlfriend, a local New Zealand girl, not particularly beautiful, somewhat overweight, and with some acne on her face.

Of course, every man likes beautiful women, but the world is realistic. The situation where a beautiful woman falls for a nobody only happens in fantasies. For Yu Han, having a girlfriend is already good enough; he shouldn't dream of super beauties like the campus flowers. Moreover, although Belle Xina is not very beautiful, she genuinely loves Yu Han.

No one questioned Yu Han's choice of Belle Xina; everyone knew they were a couple. After deciding on the team members, they discussed a few more things, decided to bring some supplies, and set a time to meet.

...

Yu Han and Belle Xina knocked on Bai Yi's door, but after a long time, there was no response.

"Seems like he's not here."

"He probably went out to find food. Bai Yi dotes on Momo and wouldn't let her go hungry," Belle Xina said, showing a good understanding of Bai Yi. Momo is usually well-fed, so it's even more unlikely for her to go hungry now.

"That's a problem. Let's wait a bit longer," Yu Han frowned.

"I have Momo's phone number," Belle Xina said, taking out her phone. Yu Han hadn't expected that Belle Xina would have the little girl's number, indicating they were quite close.

"Momo, is your dad nearby?" Belle Xina asked.

"Yes."

"Can you give the phone to Uncle Bai? I want to talk to him for a moment," Belle Xina said.

At Waikato University, Chinese international students generally call Bai Yi "Uncle Bai." In fact, Bai Yi is only 26, not much older than the students, but since he has a daughter, he feels like a generation older, so they call him Uncle Bai. Of course, that's just a term of respect; most people call him by his name, except for girls like Belle Xina.

"Okay," Momo nodded.

"It's Xina. Are you calling to ask me to cook for you?" Bai Yi said with a smile, immediately guessing the reason for the call.

"Uncle Bai, you're so smart. We've formed a team to find food, but we realized we don't have a familiar chef, so we thought of you," Belle Xina said straightforwardly. At this moment, she didn't ask where Bai Yi was; if he was willing to join the team, she would ask later.

"Do you have food?"

"No, we don't. We plan to go to the Worcester Food Market to buy some."

"How many people are in your team, and who are they?" Bai Yi asked. There is still a lot of food here, but who knows how many people are in their team. If there are too many, the food won't be enough, and he wouldn't want to get himself into trouble.

"Eleven people, all students from Waikato University, including Yu Han, Qin Kairui, Hong Qihua, and others," Belle Xina briefly mentioned a few names.

"Understood, I'll ask a friend," Bai Yi nodded. If it were anyone else, he might not help, but for the Chinese Students' Association, he felt he should lend a hand.

"Okay," Belle Xina nodded.

Bai Yi quickly discussed the team with Woolf. Even Woolf, who usually admires Waikato University, was hesitant. At this time, adding new members meant not enough food.

"Woolf, do you think the current situation is normal?" Bai Yi asked.

"How can it be normal?" Even if Woolf was a bit slow, he wasn't stupid. The changes in New Zealand must have a cause, and why only New Zealand and not other countries?

"I feel the same way. Woolf, the remaining food will only last us 4-5 days. We'll need to find new food then. Honestly, I do want to help those young people, but I also think that a team of familiar students is safer than a group of strangers. What do you think?" Bai Yi tried to explain, but Woolf patted his shoulder.

"Enough, enough, I don't understand. Bai, do what you think is best. I trust you."

Bai Yi smiled. This guy, isn't he afraid of being taken advantage of? Since Woolf said that, Bai Yi called Belle Xina back, telling her he was at the Worcester Food Market.

"Worcester Food Market!" Belle Xina said to Yu Han.

"Of course, that's where he went. Most of the food in this area comes from the Worcester Food Market. As a university chef, Bai Yi is familiar with the people there, so he must have gone there to find food," Yu Han said, pressing his finger to his forehead, looking wise. Although he was being wise after the fact, to Belle Xina, he still looked very attractive.

The two returned, gathered some of their things, and the eleven people regrouped, driving in three small cars to head to the Worcester Food Market. Each person brought only a little, as they all thought it was just a trip to buy food. Yu Han originally thought the same, but as he left his room, he saw a bag hanging on the wall. After some thought, he grabbed it.

Inside the bag was a knife, a type of sword called a Tang sword, Japanese sword, or Miao sword. Yu Han had obtained it by chance and considered it a valuable collection.

(End of the page)