Half a month slipped by in a blink.
There was no progress on the police side, and the military wasn't doing any better either.
Remember when that massive batch of supplies disappeared from the supermarket?
They'd sent people to investigate the area. At the time, the only suspicious event was what happened in Building 12 with those people who had been killed.
The two incidents didn't seem connected, but no one wanted to miss a single clue. So they quietly ran their own checks. Yet, they couldn't find a single suspicious household. That missing batch of supplies remained a frustrating mystery.
When another killing was reported from Building 12, the news spread quickly and drew even more attention. The case was reopened and absorbed into the main investigation. Otherwise, with no obvious leads, why would it have dragged on for over two weeks?
But in the end, not only did they fail to find the killer, they also turned up nothing on the missing supplies.
Eventually, both groups had to leave in disappointment.
Just after they left, while people were once again starting to stir with restlessness, the outside world—silent for months—suddenly stirred. A breeze passed through, rustling the leaves.
At first, everyone thought they were hearing things. But when the wind grew stronger, they became excited.
Since the poisonous fog descended, the outside had been dead silent. But now, with the wind picking up, could this mean something was about to change? Would the poisonous fog finally begin to clear?
While most people were full of hope, only Lan Jin felt something was off.
In her previous life, the poisonous fog had lasted half a year. Not once during that time did she recall the wind blowing. It was only after the fog was about to clear that...
Lan Jin jolted.
Could it be... that the poisonous fog was ending early?
But why would it end early? The apocalypse itself had started earlier than before, and now the poisonous fog was ending earlier too. Could she still count on events following the same path as last time?
Lan Jin frowned at the thought. But before long, the frustration passed.
Why was she even frustrated? In her previous life, she had only survived a single year of the apocalypse. Who could say when it would truly end? As long as she had supplies, it didn't matter what kind of disaster came or how long it lasted. She was ready.
An hour later, the wind howled furiously outside, loud enough to rattle the walls.
Two hours later, even though they couldn't see the trees clearly, they could hear them thrashing wildly in the storm.
Three hours in, the wind had grown even more violent. Branches and debris were flung into the air and slammed against the buildings. The smack of things hitting concrete sounded like something trying to punch a hole through the high-rises.
Four hours in, the wind pressed down on every building like an invisible weight. Even though everyone stayed inside, the sound alone was enough to leave them shaken and fearful.
It wasn't just the noise. A broken window was no big deal. But if the poisonous fog got in, that would be serious.
Yet after four hours of this, people began to notice the fog had thinned considerably. What used to be a visibility of barely one meter now extended far enough that you could faintly see the building across the way.
That was good news.
If the wind could blow the poisonous fog away, then maybe—finally—they'd be able to go outside again.
While everyone else was thrilled, Lan Jin remained calm.
Because she knew what came next: tornadoes.
Once the tornado passed through, it would leave devastation in its wake. Death. Destruction. Then, a torrential downpour would follow...
They wouldn't be going outside any time soon. Still, if the fog really was clearing early, that was a good thing. After being trapped for three months, even she was feeling a bit suffocated.
Lan Jin had no immediate preparations to make for the next disaster, but as the sky darkened and the time ticked by, she picked up her phone and sent a message to Huang Jinghe.
[Lan Jin]: Xiao Huang, remember to store extra water.
[Huang Jinghe]: But Sister Lan, the poisonous fog is getting thinner. We're going to be able to go outside soon. Why store water now?
[Lan Jin]: Don't you think the wind feels strange? What if the power or water gets cut off later? Just store some first. Even if you don't need it now, you'll need it eventually. It won't be wasted.
Huang Jinghe didn't argue. After hanging up, he began gathering every container he could find and started filling them with water. No matter how dramatic things looked outside, limited water supply was still a real threat. Living on the top floor, collecting water was extra slow.
Just then, Huang Jinghe's parents called.
His father asked, "Jinghe, did you notice the weather outside?"
"I did. The fog's getting really thin. Are we finally going to be able to go out? Sister Lan told me to store water, though. I'm not sure why. I'm doing it now."
Hearing this, his mother became visibly anxious. "Listen to your Sister Lan! Get as much water stored as you can. We just got word that after the strong wind, a tornado is coming. After the tornado, it's going to pour like crazy. No one knows how bad the flooding might get. Better safe than sorry."
Huang Jinghe sucked in a breath. He had really thought that once the wind passed, he'd finally get to go outside. He never imagined more disasters were waiting around the corner.
"Mom, Dad... being alive is just too hard. But really, how bad can the rain be?"
"You silly boy," his mother sighed. "You're on a high floor, so it won't reach you, but those below might not be so lucky. Didn't you say the emergency door on the 31st floor could be tied shut with a rope? Once you're done collecting water, go tie that up. Don't open the door for anyone."
"I got it, Mom, Dad. I'll finish filling the water first. Don't worry, I won't open the door."
After hanging up, Huang Jinghe grabbed every last unused container in his home and filled it with water.
Meanwhile, Lan Jin didn't wait for him to tie the door. She went downstairs herself and tied it up tightly. Then she made her way up to the 33rd floor and handed Huang Jinghe a walkie-talkie.
He blinked. "Sister Lan, why does it feel like this is even more serious than the poisonous fog?"
"Just look at the wind. What if we lose power or water? We still can't go out yet, so better to be fully prepared. I don't really know how to use this. Can you teach me?"
Lan Jin genuinely didn't know how to operate the device. That was why she brought it over—so he could teach her.
Once she had it figured out, she said, "If your phone dies or the signal's gone, use this to contact me."
After she left, Huang Jinghe immediately messaged his parents to tell them what happened. His parents were deeply moved. Everything Lan Jin had done to help their son—none of it went unnoticed.
His father said, "No matter what, it's a good thing that Sister Lan is willing to guide him. We owe her for that."
His mother added, "Once the base is established, we should give her an official invitation as thanks. What do you think?"