Night of the Apocalypse

Shen Qiu immediately logged into the largest social platform in the Red Alliance, Haiyin. Posts about the red skull were springing up like bamboo shoots after a rain.

As Shen Qiu browsed through those posts, his expression grew increasingly serious. He never expected that this skull symbol had swept across all devices on Blue Star.

The entire social platform was in an uproar, with everyone discussing anxiously.

“What kind of virus is this? All antivirus software is useless!”

“It’s not just that antivirus software doesn’t work; my computer automatically starts up when I shut it down, unless I unplug the power!”

“What’s that? You should know that there’s one on phones too; I even tried formatting my phone, and it didn’t work.”

“This is so bizarre; it can’t be a sign of a curse, can it?”

“Is it the apocalypse coming?”

“What era are we in? Don’t be so superstitious; we should believe in science! This is just a virus trying to attract attention.”

“Don’t say that! Even if it’s a virus, being able to do this is still impressive!”

After browsing for about half an hour, Shen Qiu finally came across an announcement released by the Red Alliance’s official account.

“Dear citizens, if you see the red skull symbol on various devices, please do not panic! The technical department is working overtime to eliminate the virus, and those behind this prank will be severely punished.”

Looking at this announcement, Shen Qiu’s eyes flickered slightly; he held a skeptical attitude towards the statement.

It was unlikely that such a large-scale action was merely a prank; there was an eight or nine out of ten chance that something significant would happen when the countdown ended.

Of course, the officials of the Red Alliance must have known this; they just weren’t making it public. The purpose of the announcement was more to reassure the public.

In fact, Shen Qiu was correct. The three major alliances on Blue Star were all mobilized. They were frantically checking their devices, trying to find the source of the problem. At the same time, to be safe, they put their alert forces on high alert.

Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.

More than two hours later, Shen Qiu looked at his restarted computer and couldn’t help but shake his head; the strength of this virus exceeded his expectations.

He tried various methods, but it was completely unshakeable.

The computer couldn’t even shut down; the person who designed this virus was truly extraordinary.

“Forget it.”

Shen Qiu muttered to himself as he stopped thinking about the countdown and the red skull and walked towards the bed.

There was no point in continuing to dwell on something that couldn’t be resolved. Moreover, if he wasn’t mistaken, there shouldn’t be any unexpected events before the countdown ended.

Otherwise, the countdown would serve no purpose. So at least for this period, everything was safe and normal.

Therefore, Shen Qiu decided to take a good rest and recharge his energy.

The next morning, when the sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains and shone on Shen Qiu’s face, he opened his eyes and reached for his phone on the bedside table, turning it on immediately.

The red skull symbol and the prominent countdown still greeted him.

17 hours, 31 minutes, 23 seconds.

“It’s still here, not cleared.”

Shen Qiu gazed at the red skull symbol for a few seconds and muttered to himself.

It seemed this virus was even more powerful than anticipated, as it hadn’t been dealt with even after a night.

Shen Qiu then got up, walked into the bathroom, and casually turned on the faucet.

He cupped his hands under the cool running water and washed his face, instantly clearing away the last remnants of sleepiness.

He lifted his head to look at the smart mirror, which automatically activated and lit up. The red skull appeared instantly, its blood-red eyes staring at Shen Qiu as if they were alive.

If it were someone else, they might have been scared to the point of a heart attack.

With a blank expression, Shen Qiu reached out and simply unplugged the smart mirror, continuing his routine nonchalantly.

A few minutes later, Shen Qiu was walking around the neighborhood, which was unusually lively today.

The older women downstairs were gathered together discussing.

“I don’t know who the hell came up with that skull virus; it almost triggered my heart disease.”

“Exactly! Now I can’t even watch TV, and my grandson has been throwing a fit all morning.”

“When we catch that guy, we have to punish him severely!”

“Absolutely! Just look at the panic it has caused.”

“You guys listen to me; that skull might not necessarily be a virus. I heard from a little bird that some people say that skull is a sign of the apocalypse.”

“Is that true? Don’t scare me; where did you hear that?”

“From the guy next door, that Master Wang said so.”

“You mean that blind guy Wang? How can you believe what he says if he can’t see?”

“I’m telling you, it’s more credible coming from someone who can’t see.”

Shen Qiu glanced over and continued walking toward the entrance of the neighborhood.

After leaving the neighborhood, he headed toward a breakfast shop he often frequented.

As he walked along the way, he noticed that the electronic billboards hanging on the walls of buildings along the street were mostly in a power-off state.

Some advertising screens that hadn’t powered down in time were displaying the red skull pattern.

Even the traffic lights at the street corner were faintly flashing with the red skull design.

Many pedestrians on the street displayed worried expressions.

Soon, Shen Qiu arrived at the entrance of the breakfast shop.

“What would you like to eat?”

A middle-aged woman, slightly plump and dressed simply, asked with a warm smile.

“A bowl of tofu pudding and two baskets of steamed dumplings.”

Shen Qiu found a seat in the corner and sat down.

“Okay!”

The owner cheerfully responded and quickly brought Shen Qiu his breakfast.

Shen Qiu picked up his chopsticks and began to eat a dumpling.

At that moment, two guards in blue uniforms walked in and called out to the owner.

“Owner, give me four baskets of dumplings and two bowls of soy milk.”

“Sure thing! Why are you all having breakfast so late today?”

The owner chatted with a smile.

“Ah, it’s all because of that countdown skull causing trouble. Orders came down from above to increase patrols. We started our shift at five in the morning, and now that nothing is going on, we’re just trying to grab a bite to eat.”

The older guard, who seemed to be the leader, complained helplessly.

“It’s really alarming; it’s causing panic. My business has dropped a lot this morning.”

“There’s nothing we can do. There are definitely some people who are scared and have chosen not to go out.”

“True. So, do you think something bad will happen after that countdown ends?”

The owner couldn’t help but ask, a bit worried.

“Don’t worry; it’s nothing. It won’t stir up any waves.”

The guard in front coughed and replied, but even they didn’t sound very confident.

“Listening to you all, I feel more at ease.”

Hearing this, the owner couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

In the corner, Shen Qiu paused for a few seconds with his chopsticks before silently shoving another dumpling into his mouth.