Volume One, Chapter Five: The Outbreak of the Apocalypse
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The night had deepened, the clock quietly slipping past eleven thirty.
In the lavish master bedroom, Lin Ye collapsed onto the soft velvet bed as if all his strength had been drained away.
Fatigue crashed over him in relentless waves, battering his taut nerves.
Yet in his mind, he continued to analyze the current situation.
Chen Dashan’s supply convoy finally fell silent before sunset.
Several massive refrigerated and dry warehouses were packed to the brim: frozen meats and cured meats piled like mountains, hundreds of tons stored—enough to sustain him for years.
The security company Rock Shield’s engineering team, like ants injected with adrenaline, spurred by enormous financial incentives, had miraculously completed critical installations at key points of the villa:
A diesel generator roared to life in the courtyard corner, cables thick as veins feeding power into the mansion;
The rooftop was covered with brand-new solar panel arrays;
Core components of a large-scale water purification system had been installed, awaiting water source connection and testing.
The villa’s defenses had also been upgraded—the original ornate doors replaced by heavy alloy gates.
Key weak points in the outer walls had been urgently reinforced, though still short of his ideal “fortress”...
But at least the initial framework was there, no longer a gilded cage for slaughter.
It seemed he had done all he could.
The rest was only to wait. To wait for the inevitable bloodstorm to descend, to wait for the system’s activation.
This thought served as his last reassurance, letting his tightly wound nerves relax slightly.
Exhaustion overwhelmed him like a tidal wave. As he contemplated tomorrow’s possible scenes, he slipped into a heavy sleep.
A piercing phone ring abruptly yanked him from deep slumber.
At three thirty in the morning, darkness still blanketed the outside world.
He fumbled for his phone, his voice thick with sleep: “Hello?”
“Master Lin, it’s me, Old Zhang from Rock Shield,” came a weary but relieved voice on the other end. “The initial defense system of the villa, the core parts you requested, are all done! Do you want to get up and check now?”
“No need,” Lin Ye replied, his voice low and hoarse but resolute. “Thanks for your hard work. I’ll transfer another million to your account shortly—split it among the brothers as a bonus.”
“Ah, thank you, Master Lin! You’re incredibly generous!” Old Zhang’s voice rose instantly with gratitude and surprise.
“We cleaned up all the construction waste. You’ll wake up to a brand-new fortress! Well... shall we withdraw then?”
“Withdraw,” Lin Ye said, hanging up and tossing the phone aside. Almost as soon as his head touched the pillow, his consciousness sank back into boundless darkness.
He was utterly exhausted—physically and mentally drained to the extreme.
The next morning.
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The sharp alarm sounded promptly at seven thirty.
Lin Ye struggled to sit up, his bones aching as if they were crying out.
He forced himself to wash, then grabbed some high-calorie ready-to-eat foods from the cluttered kitchen, chewing mechanically.
Outside, the sky was leaden and oppressive, thick clouds hung low, pressing down as if the air itself was suffocating, heavy with the ominous stillness before a storm.
The time was seven fifty-one.
The massive LCD TV in the living room was on, the news anchor’s face grave as he reported an urgent weather alert:
“...Due to unusually severe convective weather, our city is about to experience the strongest storm in recorded history, with rainfall expected to break all previous records, accompanied by intense lightning and short bursts of high winds.
The meteorological department has issued the highest-level red alert! All citizens must remain indoors, lock all doors and windows, and avoid going outside! Please take precautions against flooding and geological disasters...”
“The strongest storm?” Lin Ye murmured, standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, unconsciously caressing a cold, heavy alloy crossbow in his hand.
It was one of the “top-tier” weapons Old Wu had delivered punctually last night.
A cold, endless sneer curled the corner of his mouth as he whispered, “You’re only telling me this now? Too late...”
His gaze locked tightly on the mechanical watch strapped to his wrist.
The second hand ticked steadily, each tick like the drumbeat of the world’s destruction countdown.
Seven fifty-nine fifty-seven.
Fifty-eight.
Fifty-nine...
Lin Ye’s heart thudded heavily and slowly in his chest, a blend of tension, anticipation, and a hint of morbid excitement surging through his veins.
Ding!
Eight o’clock sharp!
As if to mark this precise moment of doom!
A deafening thunderclap exploded without warning, as if tearing the entire sky apart!
The sound was so immense that even the sturdy villa seemed to shudder slightly.
Immediately, the oppressive lead-gray sky outside was violently punctured by an invisible giant hand!
Whoosh!
A torrential downpour poured out instantly!
But it was no ordinary rain—the drops were murky, swirling with a disturbing, inky blackness that sent chills down the spine!
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They pounded the ground, rooftops, and car windows with a dense, dull thud, enveloping the world in a curtain of gray-black water!
“It’s begun...” Lin Ye’s eyes sharpened like blades as he fixed his gaze on the street beyond the villa compound.
The first few seconds were deathly silent.
Only the roaring rain filled the air.
Then, as if some hellish switch had been flipped—
“Ugh... ah—!!!”
A chilling, inhuman scream pierced through the rain!
Lin Ye saw a man in a suit hurrying toward a bus stop, suddenly frozen in place.
He convulsed violently; his skin rapidly turned gray and lifeless before his eyes.
His sclera became clouded with dark red veins; his pupils dilated and lost focus, leaving only a beast’s madness and bloodlust!
The man snapped his head around, emitting low guttural growls, lunging at a woman frozen nearby in terror!
“Ah! Help! Help... ugh!” The woman’s screams cut off abruptly, replaced by the sickening sounds of flesh being torn and bones shattered!
Blood mixed with the black rainwater, instantly staining the pavement crimson!
And this was only the beginning!
On the street, anyone soaked by the strange black rain underwent a horrifying transformation from human to shambling corpse within mere seconds!
Screams, calls for help, despairing wails, bestial roars, and the grotesque noises of biting and tearing—
All intertwined instantly to form a symphony from hell!
The once orderly street was instantly transformed into a blood-soaked slaughterhouse!
Severed limbs rolled in the rain, crimson and ink-black mingling in a grotesque sight!
The TV news footage switched rapidly to similarly grim scenes from other cities!
Skyscraper glass facades reflected the chaos below; chain-reaction crashes on highways ignited massive fires; crowds fleeing through parks were overwhelmed by packs of “black shadows”...
The anchor’s terrified voice faltered: “Globally... across the globe... unknown virus... outbreak... citizens... please... stay indoors... lock all... doors and windows...”
Chaos! Utter chaos!
The fragile veil of civilization was ripped to shreds in mere minutes!