Volume One: Mutation Chapter Thirty-Three: Gathering Supplies

The once tidy supermarket was now blanketed in dust; a thick layer covered the floors and shelves alike. Yet this very dust granted Liu Cong and Liu Qingqing a new discovery—footprints crisscrossed the dusty ground and shelves, traces of human passage and touch scattered everywhere.

Following the prints, the two circled the entire first floor, only to find that nearly all supplies had been taken, leaving behind precious little that was edible.

“Someone’s been here. They gathered a lot of supplies,” Liu Cong said, gazing helplessly at the empty shelves. He could only hope those people hadn’t cleaned the place out completely, that perhaps something remained for them.

Liu Qingqing’s thoughts didn’t turn to food; instead, she was so excited she could hardly contain herself. Someone was still alive! And they’d gathered supplies—perhaps her father was among them. The two exchanged a glance, both struck by the same thought. This was at least good news; even if there was nothing left to eat, their trip hadn’t been in vain.

A flicker of black fire appeared in Liu Cong’s palm, illuminating the corners of the supermarket where sunlight could not reach. The entire first floor had been stripped bare, so the two made their way up the stairs to the second floor.

Liu Qingqing clung tightly to Liu Cong’s hand, refusing to let go. The apocalypse had left too deep an impression on her; she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching from the darkness, and fear crept over her.

Their footsteps echoed far in the empty space; aside from that, there was no other sound.

“Don’t be so tense. There shouldn’t be any monsters here,” Liu Cong reassured her, listening carefully to their surroundings to be sure no other creatures lurked nearby.

“Mm!” Liu Qingqing nodded, still gripping his hand tightly.

On the second floor, they discovered that it was dedicated to electronics—no food in sight.

“Which floor sells food?” Liu Cong asked, seeing Liu Qingqing unwilling to speak and unfamiliar himself with the place. They couldn’t wander around like headless chickens forever.

“Ah? Let me think.” Liu Qingqing furrowed her brow, adopting a pensive look, oblivious to how adorable she appeared.

“I think it’s the fifth floor? I used to go to the sixth to watch movies.”

“Then let’s head straight to the fifth. Hold on to me—I’ll fly us up.” Liu Cong surveyed the mall’s layout and saw that the central area was open all the way up, making it easy to fly.

Liu Qingqing shyly stepped closer, wrapping her arms around his waist, instinctively breathing in his scent. No sooner had she done so than she felt his hands circle her own waist, and a gentle wind rose around them, lifting them both upward.

Counting the floors silently, Liu Cong guided them to the fifth. The scene was much like the first—thick dust everywhere, and, unfortunately, the shelves had been stripped as clean as below. All that remained was a towering heap of garbage, evidence that the previous visitors had feasted well.

“Ah!” Liu Qingqing cried out in surprise.

“What is it?” Liu Cong asked.

“Look over there!” Liu Qingqing pointed to a corner. In the dim light of the black fire, the shadow of something long and dark lay on the ground—a strange shape, clearly not human.

Holding Liu Qingqing’s small hand, Liu Cong led her over. As they drew near, they realized it was a long serpent’s tail, its end and belly obscured by the shelves, only a portion visible in the aisle.

“Don’t be afraid—it’s already dead,” Liu Cong soothed, guiding her around the shelves for a full view. The snake’s upper body was coiled tightly behind the shelves, several thick loops like ancient tree roots, looking immensely solid. Through the loosened gaps left by death, they spotted two people pressed close together, their lower bodies already swallowed by the serpent’s maw, which had been blown open by some explosive, exposing dry, bloody flesh within.

“It looks like the snake tried to eat them, but they managed to pull it into death with them, probably with a grenade or some kind of explosive,” Liu Cong speculated, feeling both a somber respect for their courage and sorrow for their fate. In the apocalypse, humans and nature could no longer coexist peacefully; mutated creatures surged like a flood, determined to consume the fragile remnants of humanity. If everyone had such courage to fight, the odds of survival would improve. In contrast, shrinking away in fear would only hasten death.

Patting Liu Qingqing, who had buried her face in his chest, Liu Cong smiled. “It’s all right. The snake’s long dead. Look, there’s still plenty to eat over here.” Thanks to the giant serpent, this row of shelves still held many unopened bags of food. Nearby, a freezer was filled with bottles of milk.

Liu Qingqing took off her backpack, reaching for the food on the shelves, only to stop, frowning at the thick dust.

Meanwhile, Liu Cong had already opened the freezer and was packing bottles of milk into supermarket bags. Turning, he found Liu Qingqing still rooted in place. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you getting food?”

Liu Qingqing had always been a lover of cleanliness. Even in the apocalypse, with water scarce, she would rather drink less if it meant she could wash. And with the thought that Liu Cong would soon be holding her hand, she simply couldn’t bear to touch the dusty shelves, pouting at him in silent protest.

A glance at the shelves told Liu Cong what was wrong—she was loath to get dirty. He understood that, especially since clean water was so precious and few dared use tap water now.

A thought, and a violent wind swept through the fifth floor, swirling around everything but not disturbing a single bag of food. The wind carried away all the dust, carefully avoiding the two of them so as not to soil their clothes. When it died down, the entire floor looked as if it had just been cleaned, no trace of its former grime.

“There, all clean. Go ahead,” Liu Cong grinned.

Liu Qingqing blushed, shooting him a playful glare before she began stuffing her backpack with food, even grabbing the puffed snacks she used to disdain, now unrestrained.

Only when their bags were full did they stop. As they were about to leave, Liu Qingqing glanced longingly back at the shelves. Liu Cong couldn’t help but laugh: “Come on, once we finish these, I’ll bring you back. When we find your father, I’ll take you both to a nearby safe zone—they have plenty to eat and drink.”

Only then did Liu Qingqing look away, giving Liu Cong a coy glance and asking softly, “And what about you?”

“Me? I’ll keep traveling—see if I can save more people.”

She said nothing, merely reached for the hem of his jacket, following him to the rail where he wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her down to the ground.

Leaving the dim supermarket, stepping out into the sunlight, Liu Qingqing’s spirits lifted. She looked at the young man beside her, and for a moment, his face in the sun seemed impossibly handsome.

“So, are we going to look for my father now? Where do we start?” Unconsciously, she found herself relying on him.

“Let’s eat something first. Soon we’ll take to the sky to scout. If those people haven’t left, there’ll be some trace of where a group has gathered,” Liu Cong replied after a moment’s thought.

Liu Qingqing pulled two bags of chips from her pack, handing one to Liu Cong and tearing into the other herself. After a week of nothing but instant noodles, she looked utterly content, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons—charmingly lovely.

Seeing her so happy, Liu Cong’s heart warmed, though he felt a pang of pity for this twenty-year-old girl. If fate hadn’t brought them together, she might never have smiled so contentedly again.

Liu Qingqing ate chips with one hand, drank the yogurt Liu Cong handed her with the other, and walked along in high spirits. Liu Cong followed behind, admiring her—she wore a thin knit top under a brown jacket, slim-fit trousers accentuating her youthful figure as she walked.

As Liu Qingqing walked, she suddenly noticed he’d fallen behind. Looking back, she caught the mischievous gleam in his eyes, and a blush stained her cheeks as she shot him a mock glare.