Chapter 6

On the fourth day, the TZ-S001 virus began to appear in Zhongnan City. There were 36 suspected cases that day, and 25 were eventually confirmed. By the fifth day, the number of confirmed cases had surged to over 300.

In the early morning of the fifth day, the national health department officially announced that the new TZ-S001 influenza virus was highly contagious, although the transmission routes were still unclear. The health department urged all citizens to avoid going out unless absolutely necessary and to avoid crowded public places when they did go out, recommending the use of masks and disposable gloves.

Seeing these messages, Chen Fei became increasingly anxious. According to the version of himself from 12 years in the future, the first infected person would die on the seventh day, and under the influence of the virus, they would "come back to life" as terrifying zombies, a scenario that could only be seen in TV shows and movies. The appearance of zombies marked the true beginning of the apocalypse. The fully developed virus would skip the long incubation period in infected individuals and spread rapidly through saliva and blood from bites, a process that no one could stop...

There were always people in the country who thought faster than others. Chen Fei browsed some forums and found that many people were already questioning the so-called influenza virus. They speculated that the virus might not be the influenza virus as officially stated, and that the health department was just trying to avoid causing panic. However, given the rapid increase in infections across the country, the situation was only going to get worse.

Some netizens even brought up the Mayan end-of-the-world prophecy, and others suggested stockpiling essential supplies and staying at home to ensure safety.

After seeing these posts and comments, Chen Fei became even more restless. He could already imagine the chaotic scenes at supermarkets the next day, so today was his last chance to shop. Even though he had already stockpiled a lot of supplies, he still felt uneasy.

So, Chen Fei left home without hesitation and headed to the supermarket to stock up on more essential items and necessities. If the living room couldn't hold them, he would fill his room!

On the way out, Chen Fei noticed that there were significantly fewer pedestrians on the streets, and most of them were wearing masks. However, Chen Fei knew that the virus had already been latent in most people's bodies. Due to their physical conditions, many people could not become effective hosts for the virus and would not show obvious symptoms. Only a small number of people were suitable as virus carriers and would show symptoms after infection.

When Chen Fei arrived at the supermarket, he found that the number of customers was several times more than usual, creating a scene reminiscent of a supermarket's anniversary sale, although there were no mountains of promotional products.

This time, Chen Fei mainly bought water and some daily necessities. Although food and water would be the most important in the apocalypse, Chen Fei felt that as someone who knew everything in advance, he should have some privileges. At the very least, he wanted to live more freely and elegantly than others. Who knew if these things would have high value in the future?

"Sorry, sir, we are out of stock of rice and flour. We are working on replenishing them."

As Chen Fei passed by the grain and oil section, he heard a middle-aged saleswoman explaining to a customer with a full face of apology. Chen Fei felt relieved that he had already stockpiled rice, flour, and cooking oil.

While many people were gathered in the grain and oil section, Chen Fei had already successfully secured 100 boxes of purified and mineral water. Since fresh vegetables were not easy to store, he only bought a little. To the shock of the saleswoman, Chen Fei cleared out all the dried vegetables in the usually ignored dried vegetable section!

Chen Fei's actions quickly drew attention. Ten minutes later, the stock of mineral and purified water was announced to be tight. However, while everyone was still confused, Chen Fei had already moved on to the shelf with a concentration of noodles.

"These, these, and these. I don't like thin noodles. I want all the wide noodles on the shelf! And put all the pasta in the cart too!"

Chen Fei waved his hand and gave the order with great confidence. The saleswomen behind him started to frantically load the items into the shopping cart.

"Ha ha... Little brother, are you buying so much food and water because you know something? I have a feeling this influenza virus is not ordinary!"

Chen Fei was immersed in the feeling of being able to buy whatever he wanted when he heard a low voice behind him.

Turning around, he saw a middle-aged man in a suit who looked shrewd. Chen Fei's intention was to ignore him, but the man's pleading gaze satisfied his vanity. Since he had already stockpiled most of the supplies, he didn't need to worry about other issues. After a moment of hesitation, Chen Fei answered the man.

"I doubt you would believe me, but since you asked, I'll tell you. This virus is not an ordinary one. Many people will die. You should stock up on supplies and stay at home; that would be safer."

Chen Fei whispered these words in the man's ear and then walked towards the seasoning section.

The man watched Chen Fei's back, pushed up his glasses, and muttered to himself:

"Sure enough, I knew it!"

So, the man also started to buy a large amount of the remaining noodles on the shelf.

Chen Fei had overlooked the seasoning section earlier, so when he passed by, he had a sudden realization. He felt that he not only needed to eat enough in the apocalypse but also eat well! He wanted to be a salted fish with ideals!

Because of this thought, Chen Fei cleared out the salt and various seasonings in the seasoning section, taking them home. Especially the Lao Gan Ma and various brands of chili sauce, he bought several more boxes after clearing the shelves.

By the time he finished selecting these items, the supermarket was already crowded with people. The cashiers were sweating and busy, and the lines for checkout were like long dragons.

As a big customer, Chen Fei naturally didn't need to wait in line to pay. Due to the large amount involved, not only was the delivery to his home arranged, but the payment was also handled by a dedicated person. This batch of supplies included many branded cosmetics, so Chen Fei's shopping trip cost him 2.3 million yuan. If it weren't for the space at home, he would have spent all the money in his card.

As for the things Chen Fei hadn't thought of, he wasn't worried because he could always trade for them later!

...

When Nangong Jin saw the room completely transformed into a warehouse, her face almost twisted with anger. She didn't understand what Chen Fei was doing, but it definitely wasn't to open a supermarket at home. She was also curious where Chen Fei got so much money.

Chen Fei looked at Nangong Jin and laughed:

"Hehe... Sister Jin, I'm sorry. The living room and my room are already full, so there's no other place. I put the cosmetics and heat pads at the door of your room. If you need them, feel free to take and use them. Don't be polite with me."

Nangong Jin leaned lazily against the door and looked at Chen Fei with a meaningful smile:

"Xiao Fei Fei, you're so thoughtful! You even know about my cycle. Do you have some ulterior motive? It's already the fifth day. You've turned the house into a warehouse, affecting our living environment. If you can't give me and Qing a satisfactory explanation by the seventh day, don't blame me for being too harsh."

Faced with the blatant threat, Chen Fei subconsciously shrank his neck. He had thought that surviving the apocalypse with two beautiful women would be great, but now it seemed his idea was flawed. Otherwise, he would have to be careful about zombies and beautiful teammates, which would be a nightmare. He might as well join the zombie army!

"Hey, Sister Jin, is it so late that Qing hasn't come back from work yet?" Chen Fei quickly changed the subject.

Nangong Jin played with the cosmetics Chen Fei had bought and sighed:

"The city hospital is too busy, and there's a severe shortage of staff at night. So, Qing has to work a night shift today."

This answer made Chen Fei unconsciously worry about Mu Meiqing. On the seventh day, when the virus would fully erupt, the hospital would be the most dangerous place. Many people would not be able to react in time, and the virus would spread rapidly through the patients turning into zombies, instantly sweeping through the entire hospital. If Mu Meiqing was in the hospital, her chances of survival would be slim!

Nangong Jin picked out a few face masks from the pile of cosmetics and teased Chen Fei, who seemed a bit distracted:

"What's wrong? You seem disappointed that Qing isn't back. Is it not good to be alone with me?"

Chen Fei was speechless at Nangong Jin's words. If he were a normal man, he would have already pounced on her after hearing such provocative words. However, Chen Fei was realistic. If he dared to have any bold thoughts, Nangong Jin would definitely turn him into a human bow tie!

Chen Fei cleared his throat and didn't respond to Nangong Jin, quickly retreating into his bedroom...

In the middle of the night, Master Zhang, who was responsible for modifying the vehicle, called Chen Fei and told him that the car had been modified. However, since it was night and the boss wasn't there, Chen Fei couldn't pay and take the car back, so he had to wait until the next morning.

During this time, Chen Fei heard the rumbling of car engines and the roar of planes flying overhead. Using a telescope to observe from the window, he saw green military trucks filled with neatly dressed, armed soldiers.

Seeing this, Chen Fei had a thought and quickly took out his phone. After checking, he found that all flights from Zhongnan City to other cities were fully booked, and not just flights, but also train and bus tickets. Even during the Spring Festival travel rush, this had never happened.

This could only mean one thing: the virus had already begun to spread out of control, and the authorities had decided to lock down the city!