novelraw Chapter 335: (Extra 9)
Chapter 335: (Extra 9)
Thick, dark clouds loomed low over the city, and the rain hadn’t stopped once.
Yu Xi slid open half of the glass window and looked out through the stainless steel blinds. The entire city seemed to have sunk into a deep, dark, and damp silence.
It was the third day since the widespread Long Night phenomenon began. With blackouts affecting many parts of the country, the public had no timely way of knowing what caused the anomaly or how it might be resolved. She switched her phone to the radio channel; several general-band stations were repeating updates about the situation.
Reports said that a special particulate substance had been detected in the cloud layer—some kind of metallic mineral likely from outer space. It was still unclear how this extraterrestrial material had landed on the planet, but evidently, it had been absorbed into the thick clouds and was reflecting sunlight, resulting in the prolonged darkness now covering large regions.
The authorities continued to reassure the public, stating that the military was preparing to disperse the clouds using technology. If all went smoothly, the continuous rainfall might stop along with the darkness.
Power had been out for many days. In City H, only a few places still had electricity, so most people remained unaware of the updates.
With no electricity, no running water, no gas, dwindling supplies at home, floodwaters in the city, and now this bizarre weather on top of everything — it was like one disaster after another piling up, finally breaking the spirits of a population already struggling to hold on.
**
From the eighth floor, Yu Xi watched the street below shimmer faintly under layers of water. From time to time, people emerged, wading through it using various tools. Some ignored the filthy floodwaters and dragged large bathing tubs, walking straight through water that reached nearly to their chests.
The oppressive darkness around them filled them with despair — but also acted as camouflage. Yu Xi watched as they made their way across the street and up the steps to a nearby small-to-medium supermarket. First, they pulled out large bolt cutters or crowbars to break the locks on the roller shutters or gates, opening the first layer of defense. Then someone raised a crowbar or switched to a more convenient bat or stainless steel pipe and smashed it hard against the supermarket’s glass.
At first, the looters were slow, especially on that first strike — almost dazed by what they were doing.
But quickly, they gripped their tools tighter and resumed smashing the glass — at first with deliberate strikes, then with wild, desperate blows. No matter how sturdy the glass, it couldn’t hold. It shattered with a crash, leaving a gaping hole.
No one cared about the glass shards in the water. They rushed in, dragging their tubs and plastic barrels through the opening, looting packaged goods in a frenzy: instant noodles, bottled water, vacuum-sealed meat, bags of noodles, chocolate, biscuits, batteries, kitchen knives, tools…
Everyone moved like starving wolves, grabbing whatever they could, whether floating in the water or still on shelves. If two people reached for the same item, they’d fight for it.
Some had the advantage of numbers. Others had strength. But most scuffles didn’t last long — there were still plenty of other shelves to loot.
If they couldn’t win in one spot, they didn’t waste time. They rushed to another shelf — grabbing candy, snacks, chips, canned goods, pickled vegetables, drinks… anything edible or drinkable, no matter what it was.
Because of the blackout, most fresh items in refrigerated displays — milk, yogurt, sausages, cheese, vegetables, fruits — had already gone bad. But since temperatures had dropped, the air didn’t reek.
Some weren’t picky. They took even the shriveled, blackened fruits and vegetables on the upper shelves that hadn’t been submerged in water.
After all, fresh produce had long since run out at home. Adults could endure hunger — but what about the children? They couldn’t survive on plain rice and sauces forever. Even if the kids were so hungry they’d eat anything, just watching them suffer broke their parents’ hearts.
This wasn’t the world their children deserved. It was madness.
But if the world had truly gone mad, then they had to find a way to survive. And the food and water they now stuffed into buckets and tubs — that was their hope of survival, for themselves and their families.
So everyone moved quickly. Once the containers were full, they immediately turned back.
Outside, it was 3 to 6 degrees Celsius. The rain made it even colder. Everything was flooded — especially the roads, with chest-deep water making it impossible to see what was beneath the surface.
Some people had their pants torn by building debris, leaving bleeding wounds. Others misstepped and fell into pits, plunging face-first into the water in a mess. But they couldn’t afford to care about pain, cold, or embarrassment. They got back up at once and rushed home.
They knew the noise they made had already alerted others in nearby buildings. With so many people and eyes watching from behind the buildings, and with only so many supermarkets around — once others realized what was happening and came out, they’d be intercepted. The supplies might be lost. Their families might go hungry.
So they rushed through the water with even greater urgency than when they had come.
But avoiding others was impossible. As more people spilled onto the streets, chaos erupted.
Blockades, snatching, shouting, fighting, blood… In their panic, someone struck too hard. A would-be interceptor got hit in the forehead, collapsing face-down into the water.
But no one stopped to help. No one even looked back. They only thought of the supplies they carried, and the people waiting at home. They ran faster, leaving the street behind.
By the time one of the few rescue teams left in the city passed nearby in an inflatable boat, the person lying face-down in the water had long stopped moving.
The rules and bottom lines of peacetime had been broken again and again. Even as most people did these things, it was impossible for them to feel nothing at all. Most were terrified, ashamed, hopeless — but still, they had no choice but to carry on…
Watching this scene, Yu Xi felt suffocated. She desperately wanted to do something. For a moment, it seemed like she really could. But once that flash of hope passed, she was struck by a bitter realization: she was just one insignificant person in this massive disaster.
She was physically stronger now than before. She could handle one person, maybe two, even five… but could she take on ten at once? Twenty? More?
She had stockpiled a fair amount of supplies, and the lottery system still granted her new items every few days — but those supplies, even just within her apartment complex, were nothing more than a drop in the bucket, let alone across all of City H.
So… who could she possibly save?
Why had she even allowed herself such unrealistic thoughts?
Yu Xi knew these people were different from the ones who, not long after the power outage began, stormed residential areas with backup generators. According to the videos posted online by residents of high-end communities, those people weren’t desperate. They had no morals to begin with and weren’t even at the brink of survival.
They were just using the chaos as an excuse to do evil — for the sake of looting, they looted.
But these people were ordinary citizens — forced into it. And though that made them more pitiable, their numbers far exceeded those of the purely malicious. When the majority of normal civilians in a region or city fall into disorder, that is when true chaos begins.
She knew the sequence: first the large malls, the supermarkets, the small and mid-sized markets, restaurants, pharmacies… Once those were emptied, people would turn their sights elsewhere.
The ruthless would form teams and go door-to-door searching for food and water. Those who couldn’t bring themselves to be so hard-hearted would focus on hiding or escaping.
But the city was deeply flooded. The rain kept falling. The Long Night shrouded everything. Darkness, cold, and danger were everywhere. Trying to get through the streets of the city to reach a safe zone mentioned in broadcasts would be a near-impossible task.
For now, the three of them — as long as the water didn’t reach the eighth floor — could hunker down in this small apartment and survive.
But the question was: while she and Yu Zhenzhen could endure a life of confinement, what about Tianbao? She was only four years old. Was she supposed to stay trapped in this tiny space forever, just because the disaster didn’t stop?
Besides, their continued safety in this apartment depended on more than just the water not rising — it required the apartment itself to continue keeping everything outside.
**
When Yu Zhenzhen noticed Yu Xi closing the window and returning to the living room, she saw her expression was heavy.
That afternoon, after putting Tianbao down for a nap, Yu Zhenzhen walked into the kitchen.
Yu Xi was simmering chicken soup — made with one of the organic free-range chickens she’d bought at the agricultural fair. With the gas out, they had switched to using induction cookers. Yu Xi’s storage space had several different models, along with an energy-efficient self-cooking pot.
All she had to do was bring the soup to a boil with the ingredients, then place the entire pot into the self-cooking unit and seal it. The pot’s exceptional insulation would keep the soup at the right temperature, slowly cooking it on its own.
The pot was essentially an oversized version of the thermal cooking jars that used to be popular. Its main selling point was low energy use. And since it was airtight, the aroma of the soup wouldn’t spread too much during cooking.
With chicken soup, a meat dish, and a vegetable dish, dinner would be ready.
She had plenty of ready-made food in her storage, but given the situation outside, they didn’t want to be wasteful. If Tianbao wanted something else, she could always grab more from the storage.
“What’s wrong? Is the situation outside really bad?” Yu Zhenzhen, with normal human vision and hearing, couldn’t observe the outside like Yu Xi could.
“Yeah. Large-scale chaos has begun. People are getting hurt. Some are fighting back in self-defense. Others lost control and caused fatal injuries…”
“You mean… killing?”
“Mm. Once that line is crossed, there’s no going back. If things don’t improve soon, the city will become unlivable — there are just too many people…” Yu Xi didn’t hide anything, telling her everything she saw and predicted.
Yu Zhenzhen understood immediately. “You’re thinking of leaving City H? Going to that government shelter the broadcast mentioned?”
Yu Xi pulled out her computer from storage, turned it on, and opened a pre-downloaded map. She zoomed in and circled a few areas. “Our apartment complex isn’t in a good location — it’s on the southern edge of the city. But that also means it’s closer to the suburbs. Over here — southwest of City H — is the Qiuwang Mountain Scenic Area. It includes several smaller scenic spots around it. The shelters announced by the city are located here. Because of staffing issues, they’re not as developed as the others yet.”
“I checked — the area around the scenic spots has many guesthouses and inns. The buildings may not be as sturdy, but the terrain is higher, which fits the idea of ‘go to higher ground’. Plus, guesthouses are smaller buildings. The government likely wouldn’t choose them as shelter sites. They’d go for spots like this — or here —”
As Yu Xi spoke, she circled several more spots. “These are more developed scenic areas with supporting supermarkets and shops. Plenty of supplies. A few also have large cave attractions—perfect for indoor shelters. Some of the guesthouses are nearby, though not too close, which fits another ‘wise saying’ — a big group isn’t always the best choice.
There might be people in those guesthouses, but due to the scarcity of supplies, not many would stay. And with shelters nearby, they’d have more options for relocation. That gives us a high chance of finding an empty place.”
Before leaving, we can dismantle the double-layered bulletproof glass and stainless steel blinds from the apartment and store them in the space to bring along to the guesthouse. On the road, we can look for some tools to modify things — once we relocate, we can make adjustments ourselves…”
Yu Xi hadn’t come up with this plan overnight. As Yu Zhenzhen listened to her speak slowly and clearly, accompanied by visual aids, the heavy weight in her heart began to ease.
But even with the whole plan laid out, the biggest challenge remained: the evacuation itself.
Once they left this small safe haven, the three of them would be completely exposed to the dangers of the outside world. If it were just her and Yu Zhenzhen, that would be one thing — but they had their most precious little one with them.
Judging by the state of the streets she’d seen earlier, her inflatable boat — equipped with a wind and rain-proof triangular tent and capable of having a motor attached — would definitely become a target for many.
Same issue again: she could rely on the weapons she’d drawn from the lottery to fend off five, maybe ten people—but could she handle twenty or thirty?
If someone went all out and capsized or punctured the boat, Tianbao would be in serious danger.
That’s why, even with a clear destination in mind, Yu Xi still hadn’t been able to make the decision to leave.
“You’re waiting to see if the authorities act?” Yu Zhenzhen guessed. “If they manage to disperse the clouds and resolve the Long Night, maybe even stop the rain… then maybe we wouldn’t need to relocate?”
“If they really fix all of this, even if we did evacuate, the journey would be much safer.”
Not that people would suddenly stop needing supplies or that looting would end, but such an act would signal hope — telling the struggling citizens of the city that the nation was fighting for them, that they hadn’t been abandoned.
Once people had hope, they would stop doing so many desperate and reckless things.
**
Dinner was prepared by Yu Zhenzhen: red-braised pork belly made with a classic ratio of three parts fat to two parts lean. She caramelized sugar to get the deep sauce color, then stir-fried and simmered everything together until the sauce thickened, the fat turned slightly crispy, the skin became springy, and the lean meat was tender and flavorful. Served over white rice, even Tianbao ate an entire big bowl.
The veggie dish was stir-fried bok choy with garlic — fresh and light, the perfect balance to the richness of the pork.
With fresh chicken soup to go with it, being able to eat such a comforting home-cooked meal under these circumstances left Yu Zhenzhen very satisfied.
Before dinner, as expected, Tianbao made another request — she wanted something sweet, like ice cream.
Because the weather had turned cold, Yu Zhenzhen hadn’t given her any ice cream in a long time. Even what they used to keep in the freezer had already been moved to Yu Xi’s storage space after the power went out.
Thanks to the space and its excellent preservation functions, there was no need to run the fridge, and they could save electricity entirely.
Now the fridge was more like a cabinet, holding snacks and some long-lasting fruits that Tianbao could take by herself.
Naturally, Yu Zhenzhen didn’t want to give Tianbao ice cream — what if she got sick in this weather? Where would they even find medical help?
But that was okay — there were plenty of alternatives in Yu Xi’s storage space. She pulled out a slice of strawberry cake and a cup of pudding milk tea, asking which Tianbao wanted. Tianbao was delighted and kept both.
Inside the tiny apartment, the mood was warm — but things outside in the complex were quietly shifting.
That night, in the middle of the night, Yu Xi was awakened by a faint sound. She didn’t wake Yu Zhenzhen or Tianbao. She got out of bed quickly, grabbed a jacket, and stepped out of the room.
The noise was coming from the front door. She listened carefully—someone was prying the door!
Judging by the sound, they had already broken through the first door.
Inside that door were a gated security door and a rolling shutter. Though the security setup was layered, it wasn’t impenetrable. With the right tools and enough time, no door in the world was truly secure.
Yu Xi furrowed her brows. She couldn’t stall. She couldn’t be afraid. She had to take care of the problem before they got through the second door. Losing one barrier meant losing one layer of protection.
She took out the High-Temp Perfume, but after recalling the effects listed in its description, she put it away and instead pulled out a tri-edged military dagger.
The perfume wasn’t intimidating enough, and its offensive power was too overwhelming—not suitable for this kind of situation.
Once she was ready, she opened the innermost shutter and, standing behind the barred gate, shined a flashlight outside. She tapped the bars with the dagger and shouted at the three men staring in shock at her: “Get lost!”
They hadn’t expected anyone to be home. They were refugees from nearby low-rise buildings, hoping to take shelter in this apartment. Rumor had it the family inside hadn’t come out in days — either they were sick or dead. After all, who could stay locked inside this long? Either they had starved or had so many supplies they didn’t need to go out.
Even if there were no supplies, this unit was equipped with waterproof, windproof, hail-resistant stainless steel blinds — far better than where they were staying. So they planned to take the place, then find some supplies nearby and live more comfortably.
Now, seeing someone inside yelling, they didn’t retreat. In fact, they got even more excited.
There were living people inside! That meant there were supplies!
Since they’d been discovered, the three had no more hesitation. They began fiercely prying at the security bars, even kicking the gate hard to scare her into opening it.
Yu Xi didn’t waste time. She thrust her dagger straight at the hand breaking the lock.
The blade pierced flesh. Blood poured out. The man screamed, not expecting that this young girl would actually dare to strike.
Amid the curses and threats from the intruders, Yu Xi quickly shifted her target, stabbing toward the feet of the other two who were kicking at the door.
Two stabs, two hits. All three were now injured, and their howls grew louder. Yet, despite the commotion, the neighboring apartments remained silent. The doors were shut tight — probably out of fear, unwilling to get involved.
Yu Zhenzhen and Tianbao, however, were awakened. But just as Yu Zhenzhen stepped out of the room, Yu Xi sharply ordered her back in and told her to lock the door.
Though wounded, the three intruders intended to risk it all and force their way in. But Yu Xi was too fast, too precise—every time they got close, she landed another strike. After several rounds, they were bleeding more and more, yet hadn’t gained a single advantage.
Swearing and stumbling, the three finally decided to flee. But Yu Xi knew they wouldn’t let it go. If they failed tonight, they’d be back with sneak attacks later. How could she leave such a threat lurking nearby?
So, once they got a little distance from the door, she swiftly opened the gate, pulled the inner shutter closed and locked it, then chased after them down the corridor.
In this situation, directly killing someone might be difficult — but disabling them, breaking their arms or legs so they couldn’t return? That, she could do.
The three men were running fast, shouting as they went that someone inside was hoarding food, screaming that someone was trying to kill them — hoping to draw out other residents and escape in the chaos.
Yu Xi frowned and picked up speed.
They had already reached the far end of the corridor, where the stairwell began—but suddenly, inexplicably, the three froze. They couldn’t take another step forward. Not even a sound escaped them, as if something had sealed their throats.
Yu Xi hurried forward — but just then, the door to apartment 805 opened. Standing there, with a cold, unreadable expression, was Xing Min, whom she hadn’t seen in days.
He wore a long-sleeved, smoke-gray loungewear set, with gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. Warm light spilled from the room behind him, cozy and comfortable—matching his appearance.
But at his lowered fingertips, faint golden specks of light shimmered. That same faint gold light flickered on the hands, feet, and throats of the three men now frozen in place just outside the stairwell.
In the darkness, the glow — though beautiful — carried an eerie, chilling undertone. No normal human could emit something like that.
Yu Xi’s heart jumped. She stopped in her tracks.
Xing Min lifted his fingers slightly. The three men collapsed silently, as if invisible ropes had bound them. The next moment, they were silently dragged through the doorway behind him.
“……” Yu Xi instinctively took a step back. The entire scene looked like it had come straight out of a supernatural horror movie.
He turned his head slightly, his striking blue eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses resting on her face, as if studying her reaction. After a pause, his lips curled into a faint smile. “You saw it…”
He tilted his head. “Now tell me — what am I supposed to do with you?”
Yu Xi: ……