Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Xu Xiaoyan remembered the bank deposit notification she had just received that morning.

Her wages and the hastily settled compensation of 15,300 yuan were still lying in her bank account; she had to turn them into cash!

"It's full. Cash or electronic payment?" The staff member pulled out the fuel nozzle.

Xu Xiaoyan decisively took out her phone to pay for electronic payments, but she felt that there wouldn't be many more opportunities to use electronic payments so conveniently.

After filling up the gas tank, she immediately navigated to the nearest bank branch.

However, the sight before her made her heart sink again; the long, winding line in front of the bank was much longer than the line at the gas station!

Panic and impatience were written all over people's faces; clearly, she was not alone in thinking the same thing.

Left with no other choice, she had to rejoin the tide of waiting, enduring nearly two more hours of standing and suffering, during which she kept hearing people complaining that the ATMs had long been emptied.

When it was finally her turn, she handed her bank card to the teller and said without hesitation, "Hello, I'd like to withdraw cash, all of it."

The teller performed the transaction and looked up to confirm, "You have 15,000 yuan in your account. Are you sure you want to withdraw it all?"

"Confirmed," Xu Xiaoyan said, as a thick stack of brand-new 100-yuan bills slid out of the money counting machine, were placed in a bank envelope, and handed out the window.

Xu Xiaoyan quickly took the envelope, feeling the unique weight and texture of the banknotes with her fingertips. She immediately stuffed the envelope into the innermost layer of her backpack and zipped it up.

As she walked out of the bank, it was nearly dusk. She touched the cash in her backpack, then looked around at the supplies stored in the room and the truck with a full tank of gas. Her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally felt a real sense of relief.

After parking the van, she laboriously dragged the load of daily necessities back to her room.

The relief of surviving the ordeal lasted only a short time. The frantic scenes in the supermarket and Wang Manman's helpless cries kept replaying in her mind, and a deeper unease quickly gripped her.

The food she has stored might keep her from starving, but then what?

What if this is more than just a temporary disturbance?

The plots of those post-apocalyptic novels I had read before uncontrollably flooded my mind.

She rushed to the computer, her fingers trembling slightly as she opened the search engine and frantically typed in various keywords.

What do you need to prepare for in an extremely cold apocalyptic world?

How to survive in sustained high temperatures?

"Large-scale insect infestation response measures?"

"Tsunami Survival Guide?"

"Survival supplies after a major earthquake?"

A flood of information popped up, each one sending chills down her spine. If it was a deadly low temperature, she would need coal and gasoline for heating, but all she had in her space were a winter coat and a sleeping bag.

If the temperature is high enough to scorch a person, she would need cooling equipment, batteries, and solar panels, but she only has drinking water in her space.

If it were a massive insect infestation, she would need a well-sealed shelter and plenty of insect repellent, but all she had in her space were floral water and simple protective clothing.

If it were a devastating tsunami or flood, she would need life jackets, inflatable boats, or even a sturdy high-rise shelter, but all she had in her space were food and knives.

In the event of a massive earthquake, she would need shelter, first-aid kits, and demolition tools, but all she has in her space are tents and medicine.

The more Xu Xiaoyan thought about it, the paler her face became, and cold sweat slid down her forehead.

She thought she had grasped a lifeline, but in reality, she had only prepared a little more than others.

Faced with a real natural disaster, her meager reserves were extremely fragile and easily destroyed.

Xu Xiaoyan forced herself to pull herself out of those terrifying thoughts and took a few deep breaths. "Don't scare yourself."

She murmured to herself, trying to suppress the panic in her heart, "It's not that time yet... Let's take it one step at a time. At least I've prepared more food than most people."

However, the changes in the outside world will not be slowed down in the slightest by her self-comfort.

The sudden closure of all large supermarkets in Xuancheng County acted as a fuse, completely igniting the pent-up panic among the public.

The initial buying frenzy quickly escalated into a deeper survival crisis.

The sudden shortage of food, the most basic resource for survival, accelerated the collapse of the fragile order.

Even more frightening, an unknown disease accompanied by high fever began to spread quietly.

The First People's Hospital, as the main receiving point, was quickly overwhelmed. The fever clinic was packed with patients, and the corridors were filled with patients groaning in pain.

Medical resources were overwhelmed instantly, and drug reserves were rapidly depleted. Not only were antipyretics in short supply, but even basic antibiotics and emergency medicines were becoming scarce.

Despair breeds and ferments among feverish patients. Some who feel hopeless turn from pain to gloom in their eyes and eventually become insanely vicious.

Instead of seeking help, they turned their resentful gaze toward the seemingly "normal" society.

The tragedy began to unfold in the most brutal way:

Someone staggered into the park and raised a knife at innocent citizens who were taking a walk.

Someone brandished a weapon and stormed into the jewelry store, not for the wealth, but more to vent their final madness.

Someone attempted to storm the bank, resulting in a violent clash with security personnel.

Most appallingly, someone has targeted the most vulnerable children, whose screams and cries shattered the oppressive afternoon air.

The sirens blared incessantly throughout the city day and night, and the police were overwhelmed and short-handed.

Often, before one tragedy has been resolved, another emergency call will ring urgently, and the entire Xuan County is rapidly decaying from within.

Xu Xiaoyan hid in her small room, scrolling through the local news that kept popping up on her phone, each one more horrifying than the last.

The speed at which Xuanxian collapsed far exceeded her expectations.

Her initial sense of being "better off than others" seemed utterly ridiculous in the face of the rapidly collapsing social order.

A thought swirled more and more clearly in my mind: Can I still stay in Xuan County?

She has no family in this city, no essential ties, and apart from this house, theoretically she is free, all alone, and can go wherever she wants.