Chapter 5: Preparation

Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Preparation

As afternoon arrived, sunlight slanted into the room, bringing a faint, thin warmth.

After spending the better part of the day on constant alert, observing, Xu Mo’s tense nerves finally began to relax.

His initial panic and unease gradually settled amidst the prolonged silence and rational thought.

He forced himself to analyze the situation calmly. The zombies’ strange behavior was certainly bizarre, but since they had left as a group rather than charging inward, it meant that whatever attracted them was outside. Hours of careful surveillance since the morning had confirmed the town remained empty and deathly still. This proved, at least for the short term, that this place was actually safe—safer even than when a few stray zombies had been wandering around.

"Since it’s safe, I can’t waste this precious time," Xu Mo muttered to himself, pulling his attention away from the window and refocusing on his own condition.

He walked to a corner of the room and looked at the pile of supplies that were keeping him alive. His gaze swept over the compressed biscuits, the canned food, and the water bottles, of which little remained.

Reason told Xu Mo he should continue to be frugal, but his body sent a different, more urgent message. He needed real, high-quality energy to repair the damage from his high fever and malnutrition and to build up reserves for the perilous journey that likely lay ahead.

His hesitation was brief. Xu Mo decisively picked up a can of dace with fermented black beans and the bottle of mineral water that was just over half-full. He twisted off the cap and first took a careful sip. The cool liquid slid down his esophagus, bringing a pure sense of relief. Then, he yanked open the can’s pull-tab, and the savory aroma mixed with the distinct scent of oil instantly hit him.

Xu Mo didn’t wolf it down. Instead, he found a relatively clean tin lid to use as a makeshift plate, carefully emptying the fish from the can and even scraping out the rich layer of oil at the bottom. Using the thin wooden sticks he’d found earlier that could barely serve as chopsticks, he picked up a piece of fish soaked in oil and placed it in his mouth, chewing slowly.

This wasn’t a pointless exercise; it was a pre-meal ritual to soothe his nerves.

His teeth sank through the fibers of the fish, and a mixture of salty, savory, and aromatic flavors exploded on his taste buds. This long-lost, complex taste of real food almost brought Xu Mo to the verge of tears. For the past few days, the dry, monotonous texture of the compressed biscuits had nearly numbed his sense of taste. He chewed slowly, feeling the fish being ground down, swallowed, and finally settling in his stomach.

Xu Mo could clearly feel a wave of warmth spreading from his stomach throughout his body. It was his body joyfully absorbing the precious protein and fat.

Xu Mo ate very slowly, chewing each mouthful thoroughly and taking small sips of water. He wasn’t just savoring the taste; he was "reading" his body’s feedback. His stomach felt no discomfort, only a satisfying sense of fullness. His limbs, which had felt weak and unsteady, seemed to grow more solid with the replenishment of energy.

After finishing the entire can and drinking about a third of the water, Xu Mo stopped. A feeling of satiety washed over him, but it wasn’t heavy. He didn’t move right away. Instead, he sat down cross-legged on the floor, leaned his back against the wall, closed his eyes, and carefully observed the changes within his body.

The energy from the food was like a trickling stream, continuously replenishing the immense reserves he had depleted over the past few days. Xu Mo could feel his spirit becoming more focused. The peculiar, disconnected feeling common after recovering from a serious illness, as if his soul was detached from his body, was being replaced by a slowly growing sense of "solidity." The deep fatigue in his muscles remained, but it was no longer a hollow emptiness; there was now a bit of support.

He rested for about half an hour. Once the food in his stomach had begun to digest, Xu Mo picked up a chocolate bar.

He tore open the fine wrapper, and the dark brown chocolate bar released a cloyingly sweet aroma. He broke off a small piece and placed it in his mouth. The chocolate softened quickly from his body heat, its rich sweetness intertwined with the slight bitterness of cocoa, creating a direct and powerful energy signal.

Unlike the savory flavor of the canned fish, the chocolate’s sweetness was more like a high-efficiency fuel. The moment it entered his mouth, it brought a sense of psychological pleasure and a more direct physiological energy boost. Xu Mo could feel something more active being injected into his blood and muscles as the sugar was absorbed, dispelling the last trace of faint dizziness that might have been caused by low blood sugar.

Xu Mo still ate slowly, letting each small piece melt completely in his mouth, as if to wring out every last bit of energy from the high-calorie food.

When the entire chocolate bar was gone, Xu Mo felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction. It wasn’t just about filling his stomach; it was an energy replenishment at the cellular level. He gently moved his shoulders and arms. The lingering, heavy fatigue had noticeably lessened. Although he was still far from a full recovery, he was certain that his body had passed its most dangerous low point and was now on a solid path uphill.

Glancing at his remaining supplies, a clearer plan formed in Xu Mo’s mind. Before the next "opening," he needed to maintain this steady energy intake to allow his body to continue recovering.

After tidying up his supplies again, Xu Mo felt the nascent power inside him—faint, but real.

Outside the window, the sun began to set, dyeing the sky a shade of orange-red. The small town remained deathly still, but Xu Mo’s heart was no longer filled with only fear and confusion. With energy came hope, and with hope came the foundation to continue contending with this cruel world.

Feeling the warmth and strength flowing through him from the converted food, Xu Mo’s thoughts stirred, and he once again checked the countdown in his mind.

[01:29:17]

Time was ticking away. There was only an hour and a half left until the next "opening."

His gaze involuntarily shifted to the sturdy-looking security door in the room, the one he had used as an "anchor point" before. An uncontrollable thought popped into his head, tinged with both anticipation and uncertainty:

’What if... I open this door again? Will it still lead back to the same house as last time?’

Once this idea took root, it quickly sprouted in Xu Mo’s mind, bringing with it an immense temptation.

The sixty seconds last time had been too rushed. He had swept through like a whirlwind, grabbing the most obvious and urgently needed supplies before being forced to retreat. That cozy yet deathly silent home clearly had more unexplored corners, more potentially valuable resources.

The backpack! That dark-colored backpack in the entryway that he didn’t have time to grab—it was key to improving the efficiency of his future searches.

The other nightstand! Last time, he had only rummaged through the nightstand in the master bedroom. Might there be more medicine in the other drawers? Like the antibiotics he desperately needed?

Deeper in the kitchen—last time he had only opened the pantry. Was there frozen meat in the freezer? Were there rice, flour, and cooking oil in the upper cabinets?

And the study and the second bedroom—could there be a toolbox, spare batteries, or even... some items for self-defense?

As for the bathroom, perhaps there was unopened toothpaste, soap, razor blades (which could be used as small tools or weapons), or even some common prescription drugs.

If he could return to the same place, it would mean he wouldn’t need to readjust to a new environment. He could execute a precise plan, going straight for the targets he had missed last time and maximizing his efficiency. This was far more advantageous than randomly opening an unknown door into a completely unfamiliar setting.

’I have to be prepared!’ Xu Mo took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement. He immediately began to replan his route in his mind, making "get the backpack" the top priority. Once he had a backpack, all subsequent scavenging efforts would instantly be on another level. After that, the other nightstand, then a thorough search of the kitchen...