Chapter 2

ps: Thank you to the two book friends, Deng Jun and qqqq753102, for your enthusiastic donations! After rubbing his face and forcing himself to calm down for a moment, Wei Xiaobei, who was more cautious by nature, did not go out immediately. Instead, he began to search through the rooms one by one, looking for any useful materials.

A dagger, a disposable lighter, three empty wine bottles, a packet of salt, and a small backpack.

The dagger was found in Zhou Lijun's drawer, which was something Wei Xiaobei had not expected. Zhou Lijun, who usually seemed so honest and quiet, had such a dangerous weapon, which was quite surprising.

As the saying goes, "A leopard can't change its spots," which probably refers to people like Zhou Lijun. On the surface, they seem incredibly honest and quiet, but in reality, their hearts are filled with some kind of restlessness, which is just suppressed by the external environment.

The blade of the dagger was a bit rusty, but it was much better than the rusted and pitted steel pipe. Wei Xiaobei rubbed the blade on a whetstone dozens of times, and the slightly heated edge regained its sharpness, which satisfied him.

The lighter could be used to start a fire and provide light.

The empty wine bottles could be used to carry water and serve as weapons. As for the salt, it was essential.

By the way, Zhou Lijun's drawer also contained a few pornographic magazines. Though they were quite worn out, they could be used to wipe one's bottom in a pinch. After all, no matter how difficult life was, Wei Xiaobei had never had the habit of using wooden chips to clean himself.

With the situation as it was, Wei Xiaobei knew that the only thing he could do was to survive in this changed world! He could not afford to abandon any potentially useful resources until he could return!

The dagger was tucked into his waistband, and he held an empty wine bottle in his right hand. The rest of the items were packed into the backpack. Wei Xiaobei carefully pushed open the door and stepped out into the world outside.

An autumn breeze blew, lifting a few withered leaves from the ground. A chill swept over him, making Wei Xiaobei shiver slightly.

After a moment, Wei Xiaobei smiled, realizing he had been overly tense.

He walked around the flower bed and stood at the gate of the courtyard.

This was the urban-rural fringe of Cuihu City. As the city expanded and the economy became more active, the local farmers found ways to increase their income by converting their small rural courtyards into rental properties, which provided a considerable income.

White-collar, gray-collar, and blue-collar workers struggling to survive in the city coveted the cheaper rent and rented here. The price they paid was having to wake up an hour or an hour and a half earlier each day, eating pancakes and soy milk while squeezing onto buses and subways to go to work.

In fact, such situations were not uncommon in major cities across the country.

As a result, the situation outside the courtyard gate was predictable. On both sides of the three-part soil road were these small rural courtyards, with scattered garbage everywhere.

There was not a single person in sight. Some of the courtyard walls had partially collapsed, looking extremely dilapidated, which made Wei Xiaobei's heart feel even colder.

Fortunately, Wei Xiaobei had mentally prepared himself, so he was not completely despairing.

Wei Xiaobei stuck to the courtyard wall and cautiously moved forward. He remembered that there was a small convenience store not far ahead. Although it sold mostly counterfeit and inferior food and drinks like Kangshifu and Nongfu Sanquan, it could at least quench his thirst.

Before he had walked far, a storefront appeared before Wei Xiaobei. The sign was half-broken, leaving only the words "Fat Mama Convenience Store."

Half of the aluminum roller shutter door was missing, leaving a gap large enough to enter.

Wei Xiaobei crouched down and crawled into the convenience store.

The light inside the convenience store was extremely dim. Wei Xiaobei lit the lighter, and the small yellow flame made the interior somewhat brighter.

Wei Xiaobei strained his eyes to search.

Most of the items inside were rotten and moldy. After some effort, Wei Xiaobei finally found two cases of mineral water and a case of compressed biscuits from an unknown origin.

As for whether the mineral water was still drinkable, Wei Xiaobei, whose throat was parched and almost burning, did not care. He unscrewed a bottle of mineral water and drank it greedily.

Comfortable! Refreshing!

After drinking more than half a bottle of mineral water, Wei Xiaobei felt incredibly happy.

What is happiness?

It is when you get what you need after a lot of effort.

The mineral water and compressed biscuits were placed in the backpack.

The backpack was not very large, so after putting in five bottles of mineral water and ten packs of compressed biscuits, there was no more space.

Wei Xiaobei placed the remaining water and compressed biscuits in a corner of the convenience store for future use.

After finishing these tasks, Wei Xiaobei felt a wave of fatigue wash over him. All the events had left him exhausted.

Hmm? Suddenly, Wei Xiaobei seemed to hear something. He grabbed the empty wine bottle with his right hand, placed his left hand on the dagger at his waist, and quietly approached the roller shutter door, cautiously looking out onto the street.

At that moment, all the muscles in Wei Xiaobei's body tensed up!

On the street, where some plastic garbage bags were scattered, a man wearing a T-shirt and jeans was panting heavily as he ran. About two meters behind him, a worm-like creature, as thick as a wrist and about a meter long, covered in a layer of blue slime, was pursuing him.

No matter the size, a worm like a slug is never described as cute; only the word "disgusting" can describe it.

Wei Xiaobei did not find the giant slug disgusting, but he felt a strange numbness in his back and was worried about the man who was running for his life.

At this moment, Wei Xiaobei recognized the man. He had seen him a few times before, at a noodle stall on the street, where he wore a security guard uniform and enjoyed eating fried sauce noodles. He did not know the man's name.

Whether it was because the giant slug's senses were too acute or because it had noticed Wei Xiaobei's approach, the two antennae on the slug's head turned toward the convenience store.

Between the two antennae, a thin blue electric spark quietly formed, and a circular mouth filled with tiny sharp teeth opened, creating a strong visual impact.

Without a doubt, from any perspective, the giant slug was not a good-natured creature. Moreover, just by looking at its teeth, one could tell it was not a vegetarian.

Seeing the giant slug suddenly slow down, the man in front suddenly sped up, trying to escape.

But at that moment, a bright blue electric arc shot out from between the slug's antennae, crossing the less than five meters of distance in an instant and hitting the man precisely.

The electric current surged through the man's body, instantly knocking him to the ground.