Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

She frantically searched the news, trying to find a "Shangri-La".

She hoped to see reports of local governments issuing strong announcements and local order remaining intact.

But the more I read the news, the more desperate I became.

The large-scale chaos appears to have broken out in multiple locations centered around the city, with major transportation routes blocked or even damaged, and news from many places is worse than that from Xuanxian.

Where else is there a relatively safe place?

Should we head north or south?

Every choice comes with unknown risks: the dangers of the journey, the true nature of the destination, and whether she can arrive safely alone...

Staying might mean being trapped in a besieged city, ultimately being swallowed up by the spreading chaos or disease.

Leaving means voluntarily stepping into unknown dangers, with an uncertain future.

For the first time, Xu Xiaoyan realized so clearly that in a true apocalypse, the greatest luxury is not food, but a safe environment where you can sleep peacefully without worrying about rioters breaking down the door the next day.

Where is this environment?

A thought, like a spark in the darkness, suddenly illuminated her thoughts.

If, in this situation of complete loss of control, there is anyone who is least likely to abandon their duties and leave the people behind, the answer is almost without a doubt: the people's army.

The idea gave her a jolt, but the immediate question was: where was the nearest stationed troop to Xuan County?

She immediately realized that this sensitive information could not be easily found online, and no public map would mark the specific location.

She frowned in deep thought, her memories like turbulent water, trying to recall any possible related fragments.

Suddenly, a nearly forgotten memory resurfaced in my mind:

During university military training, the serious-looking officer once told them in casual conversation, "Our camp is actually not far from your school, it's just over the mountain."

The university she attended was in Jinshi!

Jinshi and Xuancheng are in the same region, and if the highway is open, it takes only two hours to drive there!

This stray piece of information, obtained by chance, became an invaluable clue, and a plan quickly took shape in her mind:

As long as she can safely reach Jin City and find the vicinity of her alma mater's university town, there must be many locals who have lived there for many years.

By carefully inquiring and asking around in the vague direction of "the other side of the mountain," it is very likely that the exact location of the troop's station will be pinpointed!

Even more optimistically, Jinshi is a prefecture-level city that is larger than Xuancheng!

If the chaos spreads there as well, the likelihood of the military stepping in to maintain order and suppress the riots is much greater than in a county-level city like Xuanxian.

Perhaps she wouldn't need to search at all; simply entering the gold market area would likely lead her to soldiers and military vehicles on missions, which would be a more obvious guide.

Having made up her mind, Xu Xiaoyan no longer hesitated and set the departure time for the early morning of the next day. As soon as it was light, she got up and began her journey.

She put everything she could store in the room into the storage space:

Unopened toiletries, kitchen seasonings, leftover bottled water, a soft sofa, a two-meter-wide bed, a multi-functional writing desk, a wooden wardrobe, and so on.

Thinking about the current prevalent virus, she made a point of wearing an N95 mask and pulling down the brim of her baseball cap.

Finally, she took out a sturdy hiking backpack and stuffed it with several packets of compressed biscuits, some candy, several bags of potato chips, and five thousand yuan in cash in an envelope.

After confirming that all the windows were locked and the door was securely locked from the inside, she slung her backpack over her shoulder, took one last look at her new home, and resolutely turned and went downstairs.

She was planning her next route, eager to get onto the main road leading to the highway as soon as possible.

However, the scene before her made her heart sink. A black sedan was parked across the front of her gray pickup truck, blocking the only way out in an extremely domineering manner.

Xu Xiaoyan frowned; she had no choice but to contact the property management at the gatehouse.

The staff member on duty arrived quickly. After understanding the situation, he apologized repeatedly and immediately began dialing the phone number registered to the owner of the black sedan.

The phone rang for a long time before being answered. A very impatient, sleepy male voice came from the other end, his tone rude: "Who is it?! Looking for trouble this early in the morning?!"

The property management staff quickly explained with a smile, "Hello sir, I'm sorry to bother you, but your car is blocking other cars in the parking lot. Could you please come down and move it?"

"Move my ass! I'm sleeping! If you're blocked, just wait!" The other party practically roared as he finished speaking, then immediately hung up the phone. When he called back, the call was immediately disconnected.

The property management staff member wiped the sweat from his brow and said helplessly to Xu Xiaoyan, "Look at this... the resident refuses to come down..."

Normally, Xu Xiaoyan might have chosen to continue waiting or argue.

But at this moment, time is incredibly precious to her; every second of delay could mean more variables and dangers.

A surge of frustration and determination welled up inside her. She looked at the obstructing black car, her eyes turning cold.

"Okay, I understand," she said to the property staff, then turned and went back to the driver's seat of the small truck.

She took a deep breath, fastened her seatbelt, glanced at the rearview and side mirrors, and then abruptly shifted into reverse and stepped on the gas!

The small truck let out a low growl, its body shook violently, and it was pushed backward!

The metal clashed and squeaked against each other, and the driver's side door of the black sedan was instantly dented by the sturdy front bumper of the van.

The car window shattered, scattering glass everywhere. The property management staff standing nearby stared in disbelief, their mouths agape.

Xu Xiaoyan didn't even glance at the horrific scene. She deftly shifted into drive, turned the steering wheel, and sped away, narrowly missing the wrecked car through the gap she had just forced open.

Only the property management office and the black sedan with its door dented were left in disarray in the dim morning light.

About three hours later, the irritable driver finally staggered to the parking lot, still half asleep, ready to drive off.

When he saw the shocking crater and shattered glass on the driver's side of his car, he was instantly wide awake, his face turned ashen with rage, and he flew into a rage.

He immediately ran to the property management office, roaring that he wanted to check the surveillance footage and that the perpetrator must be caught!

The surveillance footage was quickly retrieved, clearly capturing the license plate of the white pickup truck and the entire process of the "violent" relocation of the vehicle.

"Damn it! This damn pickup truck?! I'll remember this! Call the police! Call the police right now!" The driver cursed as he dialed the police number.