Chapter 18: A Familiar Face
1356 Words
Flames spread from the corner of the warehouse.
Zhou Lin double-checked, ensuring that even if the entire warehouse burned down, it would be hard for the fire to spread to the other warehouses, and no innocent people would be harmed in the process.
After about ten minutes, flames erupted through the warehouse’s vent windows, and someone spotted it and reported the fire.
The property management of the logistics park called Cheng Yali, and by the time Zhou Lin returned, the fire had become uncontrollable. The logistics management team had no way to extinguish the blaze and could only try to contain it, preventing it from spreading further.
Some people came forward to comfort Cheng Yali.
As Zhou Lin watched his mother being surrounded by a crowd, sobbing and pounding her chest in anger, he couldn't help but think she deserved an Oscar for her performance.
When the fire trucks arrived, the warehouse was already mostly burned down. The high-pressure water hoses only made the scene more chaotic, with debris scattered everywhere. The fire had reached exactly the state Zhou Lin had intended.
People who knew about the supplies Cheng Yali had been hoarding shook their heads, thinking the Zhou family had just hit a major setback, while also feeling sorry for the goods that had been lost.
Under normal circumstances, the police would have arrived by now, but the growing disorder had already stretched their resources thin. Without casualties, the police couldn’t prioritize this situation.
"Mom, let’s go," Zhou Lin said, his eyes red from the smoke, helping his mother to the car.
"Let’s hurry," Cheng Yali urged as soon as the car door was shut, eager to leave before any more questions were asked.
As Zhou Lin looked in the rearview mirror at the logistics park fading into the distance, he felt a slight regret. The warehouses had a variety of goods that could have been useful. If he had the chance, it might be worth raiding it later, perhaps with unexpected gains.
Back at Lan Mountain, Cheng Yali immediately resumed her frantic ordering process, though most of her calls either went unanswered or yielded no results.
“When you guys weren’t home, the workers came and installed the security doors. I’m thinking about welding the locks on two of them shut,” Cheng Yali reported.
Zhou Li, clad in work gear with a helmet on, looked surprisingly like an engineering student. But Cheng Yali couldn’t bear to have her daughter do such tough work and quickly called on Zhou Lin for help.
"I don’t know how to do that," Zhou Lin shrugged.
"Then get searching!" Cheng Yali put her hands on her hips. "Your sister’s skin is too soft, what if she gets burned by the sparks?"
It was true—Zhou Lin wasn’t as important as his sister in the family, and any talk of gender equality was non-existent at Zhou’s household.
Zhou Li laughed and said to Zhou Lin, “Don’t worry, I’ll teach you.”
"When did you learn welding?" Zhou Lin raised an eyebrow.
"You know what they say, you can learn anything if you have hands! Plus, I spent half an hour watching videos, that’s enough, trust me," Zhou Li grinned.
Incredibly, under Zhou Li’s guidance, Zhou Lin, who had never welded before, managed to do a decent job.
"Ha, now I can say I’m a welder!" Zhou Lin said triumphantly.
"Don’t get ahead of yourself. Without me, you’d be nothing," Zhou Li snorted.
That evening, Cheng Yali arranged for Zhou Lin to have his favorite hotpot, and Zhou Caijun joined them. The family of four enjoyed a warm and joyful dinner together.
“The woman left just after you, and when I left, she wasn’t back yet,” Zhou Caijun said, taking a sip of his wine.
“She said she had a friend visiting from Bashu, so she went to meet them.”
"Bro, you didn’t get cuckolded, did you?" Zhou Li teased.
Cheng Yali tapped Zhou Li with her chopsticks. "What nonsense are you talking? That kind of woman could never be with your brother, you know that…"
"I’m just joking. Anyway, bro, I’ve found you a new girlfriend. Want me to introduce you?" Zhou Li continued, ignoring the interruption.
“Wait, you found me a girlfriend, and now you want to introduce her?” Zhou Lin looked at her in disbelief.
"Yes!" Zhou Li nodded eagerly. "She lives in our building. Hey."
"How did you meet?" Cheng Yali asked, curious.
"She’s from around here, actually. We just met online. Since we’re all going to be stuck at home for the foreseeable future, I thought I’d get to know the people in the building. Better to know who we’re dealing with, so if there’s any dangerous person around, we can plan ahead and be ready... You know, strike first before they do!"
"Enough!" Zhou Lin cut in. "My personal life isn’t something for you to worry about. Women just slow me down when I need to pull my sword!"
"Bro, you won’t find a good woman in your circle. Birds of a feather flock together, right? If no one pulls you up…" Zhou Li continued.
"Then you won’t be the one doing it!" Zhou Lin snapped.
"Let’s not get sidetracked. What’s the girl like? How does she look?" Cheng Yali quickly turned to Zhou Li, ignoring her son.
"She’s a clinical Ph.D. student at Bashu University, definitely a campus beauty. She’s also from Jiashu, just got back from studying abroad. School was suspended because of the disaster, and she just got back from Shudu yesterday."
"Not bad!" Cheng Yali nodded approvingly, though her eyes wandered to Zhou Lin, clearly thinking her son wasn’t quite worthy of such a girl.
"When can she come up to visit?" Cheng Yali asked.
"Mom, seriously? In the middle of the apocalypse, why are you setting me up with a girlfriend?" Zhou Lin protested, but his objections fell on deaf ears. Zhou Li sent a few messages and then stood up to open the door.
"Xue!"
"Xuejie!"
At the door, a tall and short figure embraced each other. If Zhou Lin hadn’t just heard Zhou Li mention them, he might have thought they were long-lost sisters!
However, when Zhou Lin saw the woman at the door, something about her seemed familiar.
Then he realized—this was the same "Unless I Can’t Resist" girl from the train!
Wu Xue, surprised by the coincidence, smiled at Zhou Lin. "So this is the brother that Xiao Li was talking about?"
"Small world, huh?" Zhou Lin nodded, offering Wu Xue a seat.
After Zhou Li’s introduction, Wu Xue was formally introduced to the rest of the family. Just as Zhou Li had said, they had met online, and though they had a bit of an age gap, they shared many common interests—swimming, badminton, and playing guitar.
With shared interests came plenty of conversation, and Wu Xue, who lived in the building downstairs, seemed to fit right in. Her apartment was smaller than the Zhou family's, but it was clear she felt comfortable with them.
"Xue Xue, is it okay if I call you that?" Cheng Yali beamed, clearly pleased with the match.
"Of course! My mom calls me that, though my parents are abroad right now. Communication is spotty," Wu Xue replied, a touch of worry in her voice.
"They’re overseas? Where exactly are they?" Cheng Yali asked.
"They’re traveling in Europe. The last time we spoke, they were in Swisvi," Wu Xue explained, her face showing some concern.
"Is Swisvi safe?" Cheng Yali pressed.
Zhou Lin thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Hard to say. It’s less populated, and resources are more abundant, but the temperature there is much colder than in Bashu."
"What’s this about cold temperatures?" Wu Xue asked, puzzled.
Cheng Yali cleared her throat and glanced at Zhou Lin. "Ask him about it. He knows more about climate changes."
When Wu Xue turned to Zhou Lin with an inquisitive look, Zhou Lin felt wrongly accused. His mother couldn’t possibly throw him under the bus like that!
- Writer
