Chapter 143 - 143 - House Visitation
"I\'m leaving... bye," Yue stood up, chewing on his toast like a puppy.
"Wait, check up on your manager and Peng before you visit uncle Wen\'s place," his mother shouted after him.
Yue paused. "Oh shoot, I completely forgot about them. I\'ll be sure to check on them." he ran back into the house.
"Aren\'t you going?" his father looked puzzled at his move.
"I can\'t go empty-handed. Manager Mu most likely must have not prepared anything as for Peng Peng... I just want him to have enough food to eat. That guy lives on wine." He whispered, running into his room.
He pulled down the small stink hanging from the ceiling. The stairs folded down.
Yue ran up into the walk-in freezer. Thankfully, the solar sheets were able to sustain the power in here. Neon of the food had gone bad. He ran to the instant ramen that was piled up like a mountain and took at least fifty of it in hand.
"A bag.... I should have taken a bag of some sorts," blaming his blank head, he climbed back down, took a few of the paper bags he had folded under his bed and ran up.
For manager Mu, he segregated fifty and for Peng Peng he placed fifty. Packaged goods like instant ramen really were a great thing to have in handy. Not only work as a food, but it can also be used as a currency in the barter system that will develop in the initial stages of the apocalypse.
He took a few earthen jars of pickled vegetables, kimichi and a frozen chicken in each bag.
"Mum, can I take a quail to them?!" he shouted from above.
"They are too small. Let them grow a bit and have kids of their own. We can give them some," she shouted back.
"Oh okay, that sounds logical." He mumbled, placing a few essentials inside. Since Bakbak was here, the little quails seem more cheerful and energetic. They follow being her like little tails.
Even Eh did not have the heart to separate them now.
The working freezer had a few frozen fruits inside. He took some apples and oranges.
As for the other vegetables, his father had grown and stored a few varieties of it.
Cucumbers, bottle guards, carrots, radishes, and his favourite spinach.....
He packed a few in each bag, along with a block of tofu.
"What else...." he mumbled, glancing around. Seeing the bundled up stuff, He could not decide what more to take.
Yue ran back down. Took a few clean towels, cleaning supplies and blankets from his closet and placed it on top of the overflowing bag. "This will do for now,"
Finished with his packing, he searched though his cupboard and changed into a simple black jumpsuit. It was made up of some fabric that was elastic and super soft.
He wore his waist length hair up in a low ponytail with a random hair tie he found lying around and rushed out.
"Yue Yue here, take this," his mother handed him a takeout box of cooked unpeeled eggs and raw chicken thighs braised in five spices. "Tell Ling to fry these up when she wants to. As for Peng Peng tell him to eat well. I heard that he is distraught,"
Yue frowned. "Peng Peng? distraught? That is odd. I\'ll go see what is the matter,"
His dear friend plus makeup artist had never really shown such expression as distrust in his years he had known him. Peng peng claimed that it will make his face ugly with wrinkles.
\'Maybe he is scared of this new change. Poor Peng Peng. He must be so lonely and worried. Maybe I should call him here,\' he thought.
But looking at his overflowing household, he held back that thought.
\'I might have to ask uncle Wen for new housing option,\'
His house can easily accommodate four, but seven is pushing it a bit. No one had privacy, and it felt like everyone was in each other space.
Right now, the time was ripe. The houses without inhabitants might not have been cleared out. If the girls and Hary can get a house, they can make a house of their own.
Even better, they can even rent out the space later on if they don\'t want to live there.
Zou Yue smirked, thinking of this plan.
"I\'m going for real," he shouted and ran out the door.
"Wait!" his father shouted this time.
"Yes?" he stood by the open door anxiously.
His dad ran close with a Katana and a hand gun. "Take these,"
Yue juggled with the bags, awkwardly trying to take both, but he sadly only had two hands. "I\'ll only take the katana." He took the sword. He had already attached the sword casing to a best so that it was easy to wear.
He simply wore it around his waist like a belt, making it easy to draw.
"Thanks," he kissed his dad\'s cheeks. "I\'ll be back soon,"
"Come back before day break!"
"yes..."
The two bags were quite heavy but to him it felt like a feather in his arms. He happily ran through the empty streets towards manager Mu\'s new place.
But as he walked a few meters, he could smell the distinct stench of rotting flesh. His mood went down. He slowed down, walking vigilantly.
Even though the military cleared out the place, there might be a few zombies and infected people hiding in many corners. It is better to be cautious.
Not only that, he feared other humans more than any zombies. Human greed was the worst part of this apocalypse.
He slowly walked down the dusty road towards the direction of the military base. He heard from his mum that manager Mu stayed close to it, nearby uncle Bohai\'s place which is now being rented by Peng Peng.
They stayed quite close to each other.
"Who should I meet? Manager or Peng Peng..." he mumbled as he stood in front of an intersection. Up ahead was Peng Peng\'s house and to his left was the street in which manager Mu stayed.
"I\'ll visit manager Mu and aunty Ling first," he whispered, walking into the street.
Suddenly, the small hairs on the back of his neck stood up.
Yue casually hummed, lowering his head. His eyes rolled to his side, surveying his surroundings. He could feel someone moving behind him.
But he could not pinpoint which direction this person or group of people were hiding.
A small sound of crunching gravel... he heard two footsteps quietly following him.
\'Who are they and why are they after me?\'
\'Ahhh they must be trying to loot me...\'
He gripped the two paper bags tightly. \'I should have asked Juda to come with me. Darn, I hate to fight in the settlement. It sucks...\'
Yue walked closely, but the footsteps behind him were persistent.
\'Darn look like I might have to deal with it in person,\'
Yue placed the bags on the ground carefully and glanced back.
The three who were following him came out from behind the bushes. "Give it...." one of them threatened with a sharp knife in hand.
"Don\'t you see what else I\'m carrying?\' Yue pulled the sword tied to his hip.
The three men were much more cowardice than the bandit gang. As soon as they saw his weapon, they backed away.
Yue frowned deeply. He could easily deal with people who attack him head on but with these three he was sacred to show them his back.
He drew his sword out and stood in his basic attack stance.
The three dashed away.
He ran after them and cut one that was lagging behind. It was not a big would. Just a superficial cut. He made sure to not touch any blood vessels.
The men ran away screaming.
He stopped wiping his word clean. This attack was to make sure that the men did not follow him to manage Mu\'s place. He could fight them off, but he was not sure manager Mu could handle them.
Yue picked up the bags in one hand and with his weapon still in hand, he slowly backed away.
He counted the number of the houses as he went.
\'Manager Mu\'s house is the tenth mum said....\'
He reached the house safely.
Taking a deep breath, he walked in and up the stairs of the apartment complex.
On the third floor he paused near the door 305.
He placed both the bags down and knocked.
"..."
"Manger Mu, it\'s me. Please open the door,"
"....."
"Manager Mu?"
He knocked once again.
"Aunty Ling?"
He could hear some movement inside.
"It\'s me. Can you open the door?"
The door creaked open a little and aunty Ling poked her head out. "Yue...."
"Aunty..." he smirked widely. "How are you?"
She swiftly yanked him in and closed the door, casting a vigilant eye out the door. "I—I\'m good dear. Were you followed? I saw a few shady men around here.."
"I chased them away. They might come back though," he placed one of the bags on the ground. "Aunty, how is manager Mu?"
"Asleep. He rarely sleeps at night, always keeping an eye on the door,"
"Oh..." Yue worriedly walked in. He glanced inside the bedroom. Manager Mu was softly snoring. "ah looks like I came at a wrong time. Here," he gave her a bag. "There is some food and other stuff inside."
"no no, I can\'t accept this,"
"You must," he insistently gave it to her. "I\'ll come meet you guys after a few days. I am going to meet Peng Peng now. After which I have to meet my uncle,"
"No!" she held his hands. "It\'s not safe outside.. Those things are out there."
"I can fight them off," he gestured to his sword. "Don\'t worry; I can fend for myself,"
He hurriedly said his goodbyes and left for Peng Peng\'s place.