"Those who prepare in silence will survive the storm that silences others."
The morning began with a call I didn't want to see.
Zhou Han's name flashed across my phone. My lips curled in disdain before I pressed block.
Far away, his fury erupted. "She dares block me?!" He slammed his phone onto the ground, shattering the screen.
Liu Yaqing rushed forward like a delicate white lotus. "Han-ge, don't be angry. She's just being childish. After all, she used to love you deeply…"
"Love?" Zhou Han sneered, his tone dripping with contempt. "Don't make me laugh. The only reason I dated Feng Xinyue was her family's wealth. She was never special. You, Yaqing—you're better than her. At least you know your place."
Her cheeks flushed pink as she lowered her eyes, feigning shyness, but satisfaction glimmered behind her lashes.
⸻
That same morning, my father, Feng Weiguo, sat in his office at Feng Corporation. His phone calls were swift, precise, filled with authority.
"Director Zhao," his tone was calm yet commanding, "I need five hundred solar generators and three hundred backup batteries. Deliveries must be discreet, and contracts handled quietly."
On the other end, the director stammered. "Five hundred ? Sir, that's enough to power a district. Are you reselling abroad?"
Weiguo adjusted his glasses, voice unwavering. "Not reselling. Preparing. Draw up the paperwork. Payment will be made in full."
Before the man could pry further, he ended the call and dialed another number.
"Manager Liu, I require a warehouse. Remote, secure. Do you have availability in Anyang District?"
"Yes, President Feng," came the eager reply. "We have a three-hectare facility near the old textile factory. Quiet area. I'll arrange the contracts immediately."
"Good. Make sure it's registered under a shell company. No publicity."
Finally, Weiguo dialed the most dangerous contact on his list. His tone lowered, every syllable carrying weight.
The line clicked, and a gravelly voice answered. "Boss Feng? Why contact me all of a sudden?"
"Boss Zhu," Weiguo said, "I need weapons. Guns, Tang knives, ammunition. As many as you can get. Transport everything to the Anyang District warehouse. Full payment upon completion."
Silence followed. Then, Zhu Hui chuckled darkly. "You've surprised me. Most rich men want yachts and mistresses. You're asking me for war. Very well. In ten days, your warehouse will be full. But tell me, Boss Feng… why the sudden need?"
Weiguo's tone was cold. "You deliver. I'll pay. Curiosity is dangerous."
Zhu Hui grinned, even though Weiguo couldn't see him. Interesting. The mighty Feng Corporation is preparing for a storm.
For the first time in years, the black market boss felt intrigued.
⸻
Just as Weiguo placed down the phone, the door creaked open.
A voice slid into the room, low and familiar.
"Brother… it's been so long since we last spoke. I thought I'd visit."
Weiguo stiffened. Feng Qiang's voice brought a chill to his spine, echoing Xinyue's warning: Never trust Uncle Qiang. He will betray us.
Weiguo forced a smile. "Brother."
Qiang's eyes gleamed with calculation. "I'll be direct. I need ¥150 million for my business. Don't worry, I'll pay you back."
Weiguo's jaw tightened. Memories of countless unpaid loans and endless excuses flashed through his mind. He had swallowed them in the name of family, but now, he saw only exploitation.
"Brother," he said slowly, standing up, "the company is tight on funds. I can't lend you money right now."
Qiang's smile faltered. "Tight? You're joking. Feng Corporation is thriving. Don't treat me like an outsider."
Weiguo's eyes turned cold. "I have a meeting to attend. I'll contact you later."
He walked out decisively, leaving Qiang behind with clenched fists and a bitter scowl.
"Always so arrogant," Qiang muttered under his breath as he followed, simmering with resentment.
⸻
Meanwhile, my mother, Li Hua, was causing her own storm at the grain depot.
"I'll take ten thousand tons of rice, five thousand tons of wheat, and four thousand tons of soybeans. Add livestock feed, livestock,vaccines, and fertilizers," she instructed.
The warehouse manager's jaw dropped. "Madam… this could feed a small city!"
Li Hua only smiled gently. "A family must eat, mustn't they?"
Later, I caught her sneaking pastel bags into a corner. My eyes widened.
"…Mom, why are there baby clothes here?"
She coughed, clutching them like treasures. "I dreamed of holding my grandchildren. When that day comes, I'll be ready."
"Mom! We're preparing for the apocalypse, not babies!"
She hummed, ignoring my horrified expression.
⸻
My sister Feng Lan was no quieter. At the sportswear factory, she tapped her card with pride.
"Five hundred sets of seasonal wear—summer, winter, and spring. Boots, gloves, backpacks. Everything in bulk."
The factory owner nearly fainted. "Miss, this is enough to outfit an expedition team!"
Lan smirked. "Perfect. Then make it six hundred."
She left with a receipt worth ¥450 million and a whistle on her lips.
⸻
As for me, I worked from the shadows, hiding behind screens. On Taobao and JD.com, my cart overflowed with oxygen tanks, medical kits, pharmaceuticals—even luxury skincare to soothe the mind in darker days. Every click was calculated, every purchase masked with precision.
To cover my tracks, I made daily visits to restaurants, ordering meals in bulk with a practiced smile.
"It's for our company lunches," I explained sweetly, as chefs and waiters bustled about, packing the boxes into my car.
Sometimes, I would slip in orders of our favorite meals and pastries—warm buns Lan'er loved, the custard tarts Mother always snuck at night, Father's favorite roasted duck. The aroma filled the car, bittersweet reminders of family dinners that might never come again.
The moment I drove off, my hands moved swiftly. One by one, every package vanished into my hidden space. All that remained was the hum of the engine and the quiet ache in my chest.
⸻
That afternoon, Liu Yaqing called.
"Xinyue, Han is worried about you. He asked me if you're eating well. Don't misunderstand him…"
Click.
I hung up mid-sentence and blocked her.
Later, at a high-end restaurant, fate mocked me cruelly.
As I entered, laughter drifted toward me—too familiar, too sharp. At a corner table sat my cousin, Zhou Han, and Liu Yaqing, their smiles bright but venomous.
My cousin spotted me first. Her lips curled in disdain. "Xinyue, still eating alone? Or is it that no one wants you anymore?"
The words struck like barbs.
Liu Yaqing tilted her head, her eyes shimmering with false pity. "We only worry for you. You must feel so… lonely."
A ripple of cruel laughter followed, drawing glances from nearby patrons.
Their mockery burned like acid in my veins, but outwardly, I stayed calm. A cool smile tugged at my lips, sharper than any blade. "Enjoy yourselves while you can," I said evenly, each syllable deliberate. "It won't last."
"What—" Zhou Han began, irritation flashing in his eyes.
Slap!
The sound cracked through the restaurant like thunder. My palm landed squarely across my cousin's cheek, leaving her stunned.
Gasps erupted. Chopsticks clattered. Conversations died mid-sentence as the entire room turned to watch.
Before they could even process it, my hand lashed out again. Slap! This time, across Liu Yaqing's face. Her painted smile shattered, replaced by shock and fear.
I leaned in, my voice cold enough to freeze marrow. "Worried about me?" My gaze cut straight into Liu Yaqing's trembling eyes. "Save your pity. Once a betrayer… always a betrayer."
For a moment, none of them moved. The world seemed to pause—the air thick with disbelief, faces pale with humiliation.
I straightened, smoothing my clothes, and turned. My heels struck the marble floor with crisp precision, each step echoing like war drums in the stunned silence.
I didn't look back. I didn't need to.
That evening, the villa brimmed with warmth and chatter. For the first time in what felt like forever, the entire Li family gathered under one roof.
Uncle Li Wei, Uncle Li Ming, and Uncle Li Jie arrived with their wives—my elegant Auntie Chen Rong, sharp-tongued Auntie Wu Fen, and gentle Auntie Zhao Mei. Alongside them came our five older cousins, each successful in their own right.
The eldest, Li Jun, stood tall in his crisp military uniform. Years of service had etched sharp lines into his face, but his eyes softened the moment they landed on me and Lan'er. Beside him was Li Sheng, the second brother, refined and confident, the CEO of Li Group Holdings, the family's flagship company. The third cousin, Li Hao, carried a scholarly air, his calm presence matching his reputation as the head of Hao Pharmaceuticals, one of the province's leading medical suppliers. Their younger sister, Li Xinyi, shone just as brightly—her fashionable outfit tonight was practically a walking advertisement for Veloria, the flourishing brand she built from scratch. Finally, the youngest cousin, Li Na, all bright eyes and bubbling energy, had already made her mark as the manager of NaMart, a supermarket chain spread across the country.
The dining table overflowed with food and laughter, every dish filling the air with rich aromas and nostalgia.
"Xinyue, Lan'er," Auntie Wu Fen teased as she refilled her wine glass, "you've both grown into such beauties. But I wonder… will your father ever let you marry? Or is he planning to lock you away like treasures?"
"Exactly!" Auntie Chen Rong chimed in, giving Mother a playful wink. "Maybe he's waiting for a prince to pay with gold bars."
"Or chocolate," Auntie Zhao Mei added slyly, and the entire table erupted in laughter.
Lan'er groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Not this again…"
But our cousins only fanned the flames.
"Xinyue, don't worry," Li Sheng smirked, swirling his wine casually. "If Uncle refuses, I'll just arrange a fake kidnapping and whisk you away."
"Shameless!" I snapped, glaring at him, which only sent the table into another round of laughter.
Even Li Jun, the stoic soldier who rarely smiled, allowed the corner of his lips to curve.
Despite their teasing, I felt the warmth of family settle around me like a blanket, wrapping me in comfort I had longed for.
After dinner, we gathered in Father's study. The lively chatter from the dining hall faded the moment the heavy wooden door closed, sealing us into an air thick with quiet tension.
My uncles exchanged puzzled looks, sensing the heaviness clinging to me.
"Why so serious, Yue'er?" Uncle Li Ming asked with a chuckle that felt almost forced, as if humor alone could shatter the unease.
But I couldn't laugh. My hands trembled slightly against my lap, betraying the storm inside me. My gaze lingered on each familiar face. Faces that—once—had been torn away from me, one after another, in a past drenched in blood and betrayal.
They had died for me.
For our family.
And I had lived on, carrying the weight of it all.
The guilt gnawed at me like a dull blade, and the thought of watching it all repeat twisted my chest until breathing hurt. A part of me wanted to scream—to beg them to believe me instantly, to lock the doors and never step outside again. But I swallowed it down. Panic would only drive them further from the truth.
I forced myself to speak evenly, though my voice trembled with the burden of memory.
And then I told them everything.
About the apocalypse.
About the chaos and bloodshed that would soon consume the world.
About the betrayals that cut deeper than knives.
And about Uncle Feng Qiang's selfishness—the spark that turned us into prey for the wolves of City C.
Every word was a stone dropped into still water, sending ripples of shock through the room. By the time I finished, the silence was suffocating, so thick it pressed down on my shoulders.
Aunt Zhao Mei pressed her hand to her chest, her brows furrowed with worry. "Yue'er… have you been well? Should we let Hao examine you? Perhaps this is stress weighing on you…"
Her concern pierced me, but I shook my head firmly, though inside my heart squeezed painfully. "I'm fine, Auntie. This isn't an illness. It's the truth."
The silence dragged on, stretching until it felt unbearable. Finally, Li Jun cleared his throat. The eldest cousin's sharp gaze swept the room, his tone measured, as if weighing my words carefully.
"I don't know about this apocalypse," he admitted, his voice low and steady, "but there is something wrong. At the base, we've been detaining people who behave… unnaturally. Their aggression is inhuman, their symptoms resemble rabies but don't match any known virus. The commanders are tightening security and sealing information. They're hiding something."
His words sent a chill crawling down my spine. My chest tightened—not with fear, but with relief. At last, a thread of validation.
Uncle Li Wei leaned forward, his hands clasped tightly, knuckles white. "What do we do then?" His tone was grave, his eyes locked on me.
I straightened my back, every fiber of me screaming with urgency. "We prepare. Stock supplies. Train our bodies. And on May 18th, we gather here in this villa. Together. If we're apart when it begins… we may never find each other again."
Fear flickered in their eyes. Worry carved lines into brows. Anger clenched fists. And sadness… sadness hung in the air like a shadow, as though deep inside they already sensed what was coming.
I bit my lip hard enough to sting, holding back the plea that burned in my throat. Please believe me. Please don't make me watch you die again.
For a long moment, no one spoke. The only sound was the uneven rhythm of our breathing, each of us burdened by the weight of an unseen future barreling toward us.
The television flickered, breaking the silence, casting eerie shadows across the study walls.
Breaking News: "In Henan Province, a man attacked a woman in broad daylight, biting her viciously. The victim remains in critical condition. Authorities have dismissed it as an isolated incident caused by mental illness."
The room froze. Laughter died as though strangled mid-breath. The glow of the TV reflected in everyone's eyes, washing their faces pale.
My heartbeat thundered in my ears—steady, heavy, suffocating.
Uncle Li Wei's grip tightened around his glass until it trembled in his hand. Aunt Zhao Mei instinctively pulled Li Na against her chest, clutching her daughter as though she feared the world might tear her away at any moment. Even Li Jun, the unshakable soldier, clenched his jaw, his composure cracking for the first time that night.
The shadows of the future pressed down on us, invisible yet suffocating.
No one spoke. No one dared to. The dread hanging over us was louder than any vow, sharper than any promise.
That night, the villa brimmed with people yet felt hollow. The voices in the halls were muted, stripped of the warmth that once filled them. When we finally dispersed to our rooms, the silence between us was deafening.
I lay in the dark, chest tight, every breath shallow. My eyes burned holes into the ceiling, but all I could see was the flicker of that news report.
If only… if only the apocalypse never came.