The Apocalypse Shelter System

"She's dead!"

Di Ping walked towards the door, his mind set on having a cigarette outside. As he passed the dining table, he noticed the woman who had previously been lying there, unmoving. Her eyes were still wide open, and the blood at the corner of her mouth had stopped flowing. Lao Luo was standing beside her, his hand placed near her nose. Upon seeing Di Ping approach, tears welled up in his eyes, and he sorrowfully spoke.

"For her, death might be an easier escape! Find a place and bury her alone."

Di Ping looked at the woman's body, covered in wounds, her torn and mangled chest, and her wide, staring eyes that seemed to accuse the world of its injustices. With a sigh, his voice was filled with desolation.

"These people truly deserve to die; a thousand deaths wouldn't be enough!"

Lao Luo gritted his teeth and kicked a severed head lying nearby, as if trying to release all his anger by kicking it away.

At that moment, Ye Lu, who had been lying on the sofa, suddenly woke up. Seeing Di Ping standing in front of her, she was so frightened that she immediately jumped up, trembling uncontrollably.

"Are you afraid of me?"

Di Ping asked calmly, noticing her shaking like a leaf in the wind.

"No...no!"

Ye Lu stammered, shaking her head, though her eyes were filled with fear.

"Take a look and see if those two friends of yours are in the room."

Di Ping gave a self-deprecating smile and pointed towards the room behind him.

"Oh! Oh!"

Ye Lu quickly nodded a few times, then nervously walked past Di Ping. She dashed towards the room, opened the door, and slammed it shut behind her with a loud bang.

Di Ping looked bitterly and shook his head. He stepped over the body of a middle-aged man who had been stabbed to death, walked to the balcony, and pulled open the door. He took out a cigarette, lit it, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled. The smoke enveloped his face, obscuring it from view.

Through the window, he could see the sky outside, an endless blue with not a cloud in sight. The air was fresh, and the entire land was covered with lush trees. Everything appeared beautiful, yet he couldn't help but wonder how many tragedies and corrupt acts were unfolding beneath this serene sky.

Di Ping's heart remained heavy, unable to find peace. He was not a man who typically sympathized with the world, but the sights he had witnessed today left him struggling to breathe. His heart ached. How could people, who were supposed to help each other in times like these, turn so twisted in just a few days? He couldn't understand it. He really couldn't understand how people could go so far. The image of the woman's wide-open eyes, staring at him accusingly, haunted his thoughts, causing his hand holding the cigarette to tremble. He didn't want to kill; he truly didn't want to, but he had been forced into it. These people had not repented, even in death. What kind of humanity was this?

The cigarette burned to the tip of his fingers, but he didn't feel the pain, not until he snuffed it out. He took another, lit it, and deeply inhaled. The intense smoke filled his lungs, seeming to offer some respite from the pain gnawing at his heart.

Looking up, he gazed at the once-grand city buildings in the distance. Now, only their rooftops were visible, standing alone like solitary ships in a vast forest, vulnerable to being submerged at any moment.

Suddenly, he felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. This beautiful land should not have to endure such suffering. Although it was imperfect in the past, Di Ping now realized how much he had taken it for granted. The old order, no matter how flawed, had at least kept ugliness hidden in the shadows, unlike now, where it was exposed in all its raw, unrelenting form.

"Thank you."

A soft, gentle voice interrupted his thoughts. Di Ping turned to see the woman who had been tied to the chair earlier, her eyes always filled with defiance. Behind her stood the woman from the bed, along with Ye Lu, who was supporting her.

"You aren't afraid of me?"

Di Ping looked at her, then glanced at the scattered corpses and pools of blood around the room. His voice was indifferent, surprised that this woman, who had fought so hard, now spoke with such a soft tone.

"Why should I be afraid? These people deserved to die. You're a hero for killing them!"

The woman scanned the bodies on the floor, her eyes showing fear, but her face was resolute. She stared at Di Ping, speaking slowly and firmly.

"A hero?"

Di Ping glanced at Ye Lu, who avoided his gaze. He gave a self-deprecating laugh and muttered to himself.

"Yes! A hero!"

To his surprise, the woman Ye Lu had been supporting spoke with a certain certainty in her voice. Her tone was clear and pure, like the clean air after a rainstorm or the song of a bird in an untouched forest. She looked at him with gratitude and admiration.

For a moment, Di Ping felt a strange disorientation. Had he entered a den of beauties? These three women each had their own allure: one delicate and graceful like a willow swaying in the breeze, another sharp and ethereal like a lily after rain, and the third bright and radiant like a morning flower. Yet, in his current state of turmoil, he had no capacity to appreciate their beauty.

"If you still have the strength, go help them."

Di Ping motioned towards two women who were either trembling in fear or crying silently.

"Okay!"

The three women nodded. Ye Lu still dared not look at Di Ping, her eyes darting around as if he possessed something terrifying, while the other two women eagerly turned to help.

The work continued well into the evening. Eventually, they had carried all the bodies out and buried them in a pit, giving the dead woman a separate grave. The group returned home, where Yu Shujie was shocked to see Di Ping covered in blood, his entire demeanor filled with the aura of death. He looked exhausted and frightening, yet pitiable, which made Nannan unwilling to approach him.

"Take them to wash up and get them something to eat."

Di Ping glanced at the five women behind him and instructed Yu Shujie before retreating into his room, closing the door behind him.

"What's wrong with Di Ge?"

Yu Shujie asked, her heart aching as she saw the desolation in his demeanor. She wanted to comfort him, to hold him, but she knew there was nothing she could do.

"Sigh... We'll talk later. Let's get them settled first."

Cheng Chao sighed deeply, his voice heavy with helplessness. He understood why Di Ping was like this, but there was nothing anyone could do now. He had to work through it on his own.

Yu Shujie understood that now was not the time to press for answers, so she wiped away her tears and led the women to the bathroom.

Di Ping remained in his room all night, not coming out. With so many people in the house, it should have felt lively, but an eerie silence hung in the air. Even the usually talkative Fatty remained silent, his head bowed. The women were equally quiet, with Nannan clinging to her mother and refusing to sing her favorite songs.

Dinner was laid out, but no one touched it. The five women were starving, some having gone days without proper food, but they dared not eat while the others remained still.

"What's wrong with Di Ge? He hasn't come out in over five hours. Is something wrong?" Yu Shujie asked, her eyes filled with tears.

The others remained silent, Fatty still with his head down, Lao Luo chain-smoking, Cheng Chao staring blankly at a painting on the wall, and Li Sheng nervously scanning the others.

"Cheng Ge, what do you think?"

Yu Shujie anxiously turned to Cheng Chao for an answer.

"Can't say."

Cheng Chao's tone was firm, shaking his head to indicate he wouldn't speak.

"What about you all?"

Yu Shujie's chest heaved with frustration, but no one could answer her.

The events of the day had been overwhelming for everyone. They were just ordinary people, and the violence they had witnessed had shaken them deeply. Di Ping's actions had been too shocking: killing as easily as drinking water or chopping vegetables, severed heads flying, blood gushing into the air. It was a visual shock that made Ye Lu terrified of him. Seeing someone decapitate another right in front of you—how could she not be afraid? The reactions from the others, including Fatty and Lao Luo, were no different.

Only Cheng Chao understood. He had experienced it himself and could relate. Right now, all they could do was wait—wait for Di Ping to come to terms with everything. No one could intervene, as doing so might make things worse.

This was a transformation, a war, a fight for survival. If you don't kill others, they'll kill you. The generals who rise to power are covered in blood—this is a truth as old as time. Di Ping, an ordinary man, had to go through this process to become a leader, to become a king. He didn't know whether this transformation was good or bad, but he knew that no transformation comes without a price.

The meal, fragrant and abundant, filled the room with its aroma, but no one seemed to notice. They sat in silence, each lost in their thoughts, not even aware of whether the food was tasty.

Bang!

A sudden sound like thunder startled everyone, breaking the silence.

"You're not eating? I can't stand this smell anymore! If you're not going to eat, I will!"

A low, hearty laugh rang out from a man, and at once, smiles appeared on everyone's faces. The heavy air in the room lifted, replaced by warmth and light.