Night of the Apocalypse

The Red Alliance – Underground Super Information Hub.

Rows of square supercomputing servers, each ten meters tall, were neatly arranged.

At a glance, there was no end in sight.

Hundreds of senior researchers, dressed in white lab coats, led thousands of engineers as they conducted thorough inspections of the servers’ databases and various facilities.

At the forefront, an elderly, gray-haired doctor with bloodshot eyes was frantically checking data and code as he spoke in frustration.

“This is impossible. Which part has gone wrong?”

“Where exactly is the problem?”

“Dr. Rowan, please don’t panic. Would you like to take a break? You haven’t slept all night.”

The assistant beside him quickly tried to persuade him.

“How can there be time to rest? We’re already halfway through the countdown! And we haven’t found a single clue yet!”

Dr. Rowan angrily slapped the server cabinet.

Blue Alliance – Information Security Command Center.

Technicians, sweating profusely, were typing various commands into their computers, troubleshooting the issue.

Behind them, a stern-faced middle-aged man with sharp features, dressed in a major general’s uniform, paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. His expression was solemn as he spoke.

“You don’t have much time left. Hurry up!”

“I don’t care what method you use, just find the source of the problem!”

“Don’t make me disappointed in you!”

At that moment, a tall, blonde woman in high heels entered the room, carrying a case.

“Major General O’Kay, I think we need to talk.”

“Advisor Laurie, I don’t have time to chat with you. As you can see, I’m swamped right now. If you’re really so free, why don’t you go check on those useless equipment suppliers and see if they’ve made any progress?”

Major General O’Kay bluntly gave her a dismissal order.

“Major General O’Kay, if I were you, I would listen to what I have to say,” Laurie said firmly to O’Kay.

“Fine, I’ll give you ten minutes,” Major General O’Kay replied after glancing at his wristwatch.

Laurie immediately placed the case she was carrying on a nearby desk and opened it, revealing seven different models of mobile phones inside.

Each phone’s screen was lit up, displaying a blood-red skull and a countdown. O’Kay, holding back his irritation, asked, “Laurie, is this what you wanted to show me?”

“That’s right. Haven’t you noticed that these phones are all very old models? They were just unsealed from the storage warehouse, and they were opened inside a shielded room, completely disconnected from any network. Yet, as soon as they were powered on, this blood-red skull appeared. The oldest phone in the batch was manufactured twelve years ago,” Laurie explained to Major General O’Kay.

“What are you trying to say?” O’Kay’s face twitched as he asked.

“This situation is not as simple as it seems. This might really be some kind of warning that goes beyond our understanding.”

“Enough! Laurie! Do you even realize what you’re saying?”

“Then how do you explain what I’ve discovered?”

“There’s nothing to explain. I’d rather believe that something went wrong during your testing, or that the other side started preparing twelve years ago, than believe your absurd speculations.”

“Stubborn!”

“I’m not being stubborn. Do you expect me to report such ridiculous conclusions to the council?”

“The problem is that what we’re encountering now is something beyond reason.”

“Your ten minutes are up. I don’t have time to continue discussing these unrealistic matters with you. Now, please leave. I need to speed up the investigation. The council is still waiting for my report.”

O’Kay ended the conversation without hesitation.

Although Laurie was deeply frustrated, there was nothing she could do.

Gray Alliance Region – Dark Veil Meeting Room.

A group of individuals dressed in different styles of robes, with gloomy expressions, gathered together.

The meeting room was filled with constant arguments.

“What the hell is going on? This issue still hasn’t been resolved, and the people below are already panicking and causing unrest.”

“It’s not that easy. Haven’t you noticed that even the Blue Alliance and Red Alliance haven’t figured it out yet? Our technology was never as good as theirs, and most of our equipment comes from them. If they can’t handle it, how can we?”

“Enough with the arguing!”

A commanding voice suddenly rang out.

Instantly, the entire meeting room fell silent, and everyone turned their heads to look.

Seated at the head of the table was a middle-aged man with a rough face and a thick beard, looking extremely displeased as he scolded them.

This man was none other than Jiravi, the supreme leader of the Gray Alliance.

Compared to the Red and Blue Alliances, the Gray Alliance was fundamentally different. It was more like a literal alliance, consisting of independent warlords, armed tribes, and loosely connected nations.

The Gray Alliance was the most chaotic region among the three major alliances, with constant internal conflicts and a reputation as the largest gray-zone haven. Most of the world’s illicit industries were based here.

Seeing Jiravi lose his temper, the leaders of the various factions present fell silent.

Jiravi scanned the room with a fierce gaze, then coldly said, “Since we can’t handle the technical issues, we won’t bother. We’ll let the Red and Blue Alliances take care of that. For now, our focus will be on managing the unrest below and maintaining control of our weapons.”

“Understood.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Clear Sky City – Seventh Ring

In the Super Grand Fortune Supermarket, Shen Qiu was pushing a shopping cart, buying essential supplies.

Although the red skull event had caused a major uproar, most people were still going about their daily lives and work as usual.

Just in case, Shen Qiu decided to stock up on some essential supplies.

However, since his budget was limited, he didn’t buy much, and the variety was quite simple: bottled water, compressed dry food, instant noodles, sausages, and similar items.

He wasn’t the only one with this idea. Many others were doing the same.

This supermarket, which usually didn’t see much business, was noticeably busier today.

By the time Shen Qiu went to check out, there was already a long line at the register.

He quietly joined the end of the line.

Around noon, Shen Qiu was carrying a large bag of supplies and walking back toward his apartment complex.

As he reached his door and was about to open it, the elevator doors opened again, and he heard footsteps approaching.

Shen Qiu turned his head and saw a gentle-looking woman holding the hand of a little girl, carrying several bags of vegetables and fruit.

This woman and the child were his neighbors, living next door in apartment 405.

“You’re back, Xiao Shen.”

“Yes, Sister Wang,” Shen Qiu replied politely.

Sister Wang glanced at the pile of instant noodles and similar items in Shen Qiu’s hands, then extended her hand, offering him a bag of apples.

“Don’t just eat this junk food, it’s bad for your health. Have some fruit instead.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“Don’t be so polite. Besides, when I asked for your help fixing the faucet before, I didn’t stand on ceremony,” Sister Wang said with a smile.

At that moment, the little girl, Lily, who was holding Sister Wang’s hand, also smiled and said, “Big brother, just take them. These apples are really delicious.”

“Alright, thank you. I’ll head home now,” Shen Qiu said, not refusing any further and accepted the apples.

“Alright,” Sister Wang replied with a smile.