Chapter 41: The Gymnasium

The aftershock struck with such violence that it was hardly weaker than the earthquake itself. None of them could keep their footing; forced to crouch down, they waited for the tremors to pass. All around, heavy objects crashed to the ground, mingling with the piercing cries and wails of those in distress, weighing heavily on Lin Buwan’s heart. With an aftershock so fierce, she feared those who still had a sliver of hope might now be plunged into despair.

The tremors soon ceased. Without sparing a thought for anything else, Lin Buwan grabbed Hua Xiao and urged the others to hurry away. Taking advantage of the fact that You Yue and Chen Yuebing hadn’t yet reacted, they dashed outside.

“I’m afraid the gymnasium might not have been spared either—should we still head there?” Only after putting some distance between them did Lin Buwan slow her pace, her worry evident as she spoke to Wei Qu.

“We should at least take a look,” Wei Qu replied, his mind unchanged.

Halfway there, An Zicong and his group caught up, panting heavily.

“You all run too fast,” gasped the four young men, breathless as dogs.

“Hey, you wouldn’t believe it—when you left, sis, your mother and brother realized you were gone and acted like the sky was falling. They cried and wailed, trying to guilt everyone into helping. Luckily, with everyone preoccupied with their own survival, no one paid them any mind.”

An Zicong recounted the reaction of You Yue and her son after their departure. Lin Buwan acted as though she hadn’t heard a thing, utterly unmoved. It was Hua Xiao who was incensed by the news. “If they have the energy to play the moral card, they’d be better off saving their strength and thinking about how to survive.”

“That’s enough,” Lin Buwan interrupted, unwilling to dwell on those two fools. “Let’s just get to the gymnasium.”

With An Zicong’s group now in tow, they pressed on. Along the way, they saw many buildings reduced to rubble; even those that had withstood the quake were too damaged to be habitable. It was impossible to know who might be trapped beneath the debris, but as they walked, they caught glimpses of dust-covered limbs amidst the wreckage. Unable to bear the sight, they all turned away, only to find the ground smeared with blood.

For ordinary people, such close encounters with death were deeply unsettling. Hua Xiao and the university students fell into silence, their spirits low. Lin Buwan, at a loss for words, could only squeeze Hua Xiao’s hand in comfort.

Fortunately, the gymnasium wasn’t far. Before long, they reached their destination. Compared to the devastation outside, the gymnasium was in much better condition—aside from shattered glass and a few broken windows, it remained mostly intact.

However, once there, Wei Qu disagreed with the idea of seeking shelter inside.

“So where should we go?” An Zicong was at a loss.

Hadn’t they struggled all this way just to find a safe haven? Why refuse to enter now that they’d arrived?

“This is probably the sturdiest place in the area. Soon, many others will come here. We may have gotten here first, but as more people arrive, things will get complicated. We’ll quickly find ourselves at a disadvantage.”

The meek fear the ruthless, and the ruthless fear those with nothing to lose. Anyone who survived this ordeal would be changed—and if they crossed paths with people like Xie Jun’s gang, life would become even harsher.

“You mean this place will soon become someone else’s stronghold?” Lin Buwan quickly understood, her expression darkening.

Wei Qu nodded. “My suggestion to come here wasn’t for the gymnasium itself, but because the area around it is open and spacious. We can settle nearby for now, and once the aftershocks are over, decide our next move.”

“But…” An Zicong and the others hesitated after hearing this.

“This place is just too exposed. It might actually be safer inside.”

Lin Buwan glanced at them, knowing they preferred the idea of sheltering within the gymnasium. After all, though the temperature remained high, the gymnasium felt more secure than the open air.

Wei Qu didn’t try to persuade them further. After imparting a few instructions, he parted ways with them.

Watching them enter the gymnasium, Lin Buwan finally turned to Wei Qu.

“It seems you don’t much care for their company,” she remarked.

“It’s not a matter of like or dislike—they’re just a handful of strangers I’ve met a few times,” Wei Qu replied with a faint smile.

“We’re strangers too,” Lin Buwan said after a pause, unsure why she voiced the thought.

“That’s different.” Wei Qu looked at her, his gaze deep and unreadable.

Lin Buwan felt uneasy, turning her head away and saying nothing more.

They scouted around and found a perfect corner to settle. Lin Buwan produced a large tent, which she handed to the two men to set up, while she and Hua Xiao organized their supplies.

She didn’t change the items she had taken out earlier, but carefully checked for anything missing and added several more things to her bag, preparing for emergencies.

“Why are you still taking out supplies?” Hua Xiao asked, puzzled by her actions.

“If survivors all gather here, anything we do will be under scrutiny. If we never reveal any supplies, how will we explain always having food?”

Though exposing their supplies was risky, it was far less dangerous than revealing the existence of her storage space.

When they had finished preparing, dawn had arrived. In the distance, shadows began drifting toward the gymnasium. Wei Qu kept watch outside, observing the newcomers, while Lin Buwan and Hua Xiao used the last moments of privacy to light a fire and prepare breakfast.

Knowing they likely wouldn’t be able to eat regularly today, Lin Buwan pulled out some rice dumplings, boiled them on a gas stove, and let everyone choose their favorite flavors.

As she ate her meat-filled dumpling, she glanced at the nearby trees toppled by the quake, and an idea struck her.

“After we eat, let’s chop some wood.” She shared her thought with Wei Qu when he came for his dumpling.

Many of the trees had been soaked in water earlier, but with the recent heat, the wood should have dried out quite a bit. Even if it hadn’t, they could dry it further—it would be invaluable for cooking and lighting fires in the days ahead.

“Good idea,” Wei Qu agreed after glancing at the downed trees.

Finishing their dumplings quickly, he and Lin Buwan each took an axe and, along with Yu Su, went to chop wood nearby.

After felling two trees, more and more people arrived in front of the gymnasium, and some soon noticed their solitary tent.

But Lin Buwan had already stowed most of their things; aside from the tent, nothing else was visible.

Noticing curious glances, she stood in front of the tent, axe in hand, watching the crowd. Seeing her armed, many people averted their gaze and hurried into the gymnasium with the swelling crowd.

The gymnasium was large, able to accommodate many, yet still, plenty of people gathered outside in clusters.

Their chosen spot was a little removed; for now, no one approached them.

Lin Buwan kept a wary eye on the crowd until the sun climbed high overhead. In the distance, she finally spotted a team of people in olive-green military uniforms jogging toward them.

As the soldiers approached, the crowd at the gymnasium entrance erupted. People leapt to their feet, rushing forward to surround the soldiers, and the air was suddenly thick with clamor and excitement.