74: How can you survive the end of the world without seeing blood and bones?

Bai Wanning had originally planned to take Shen Zhen away before the tsunami, ensuring she would completely lose any chance of escape.

However, the sudden tsunami three days ago swallowed her plans along with the city streets.

She sighed softly, pushed open the door, and slowly walked down the stairs.

As she entered the living room, she heard the anxious voice of a news anchor on TV.

Drones dispatched early that morning had captured traces of zombies appearing on the streets.

This discovery sent the entire live broadcast team into a panic, and even the anchor kept wiping cold sweat from his forehead, reporting to the nation at a rapid pace.

Bai Wanning watched his flustered appearance and couldn't help but find it a little amusing.

The Apocalypse had already begun, yet a news channel was still diligently operating; it could be considered quite dedicated.

She wore comfortable yoga pants and a loose, long T-shirt, walking casually into the living room, her gaze sweeping over her family.

Mother Bai was kneeling on the floor, hands clasped in prayer, while her two older brothers stared at the TV screen, looking bewildered and terrified.

Bai Wanning followed their gaze; the screen showed two slowly moving corpses stumbling outside a nearby park.

They must have been women out for an early morning walk; no one could have predicted it would be their last time breathing fresh air in the beautiful park.

"Wanning, Wanning, what should we do now?" Mother Bai suddenly rushed to her side, clutching her shoulders tightly, tears streaming down her face, her voice filled with panic and helplessness. "The world really seems to be over! We don't have enough food, not enough water, what are we going to do?"

Bai Zhan and Bai Jixuan also looked solemn. Bai Jixuan, as the eldest son, had to force himself to calm down.

He glanced at his mother, then at his younger brother and sister, took a deep breath, and said, "Mom, don't cry. There's not much we can do right now, just stay calm. Don't act rashly yet... Perhaps the army will send people to rescue us soon."

Although he knew in his heart that the chances were slim, he couldn't let the entire family collapse in fear.

"But, but what do we do until then?" Mother Bai's voice trembled. "You heard what the reporter said, right? The river water is polluted, and tap water isn't drinkable. Can we even last until the army arrives?"

Hearing this, Bai Wanning also turned to her brother and said in a calm, steady voice:

"Even if the army saves people, they will definitely save important figures first, then gather resources for them, then arrange for their trusted associates, and finally, it will be the turn of ordinary people. Relying on others to save us? That's just waiting to die."

Her tone showed no fluctuation, but every word was like a needle pricking their hearts.

Although she had stockpiled enough supplies and hidden a lot of dry food, she wouldn't tell her family about it.

She knew that if they knew, they would just cling to the house, unwilling to take a single step, but could merely locking themselves indoors truly keep them alive?

Facing reality early was always better than dying in fantasy.

Instead of waiting for others' rescue, it was better to learn to save themselves first.

Only by experiencing true hunger and fear, only by being forced to act in desperation, would her family understand: only the strong can survive.

Only through actual combat could their body's potential be stimulated, leading to the awakening of abilities, and the only way to do this was to personally fight against zombies.

Of course, she wouldn't let them hunt for crystal cores; she would do these things herself.

What she owed them, she should repay.

But she didn't want to see them evade and rely on her as they did in her previous life.

This time, she wouldn't let the past repeat.

"Then—then what should we do?" Bai Zhan's voice was tight, clearly suffocated by fear.

"What else can we do? We have to go out and find supplies," Bai Wanning said, her gaze falling on Bai Zhan's terrified face. Her tone paused slightly but remained firm. "Don't worry. When I first came home, I encountered those man-eating monsters. They're not strong yet. You just need to smash their heads and take out the core inside. Smash their heads, and you'll be fine."

"Smash... their heads?" Bai Zhan's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.

He felt his stomach churning, almost wanting to vomit his dinner. How could he... smash open those monsters' heads?

"Brother, you can't keep hiding indoors," Bai Wanning said mercilessly.

She knew her words sounded cruel, but someone had to pop that bubble of fantasy. "Our supplies aren't nearly enough. If we don't go out, what will we do without food or water?"

"But those monsters..."

"You'll have to face them sooner or later. It's better to act early than wait for them to break down the door."

Bai Zhan's face instantly turned pale, and he looked hesitantly at his older brother.

But Bai Jixuan didn't look at him; he was lost in his own thoughts.

Although they hadn't left the house, the roars from outside and the intermittent screams from afar had already made everything clear.

This was not a brief chaos, but a complete collapse.

Bai Jixuan finally looked up, nodded, and said to Bai Wanning, "I'll go with you to hunt for supplies."

"Brother!"

"Son!"

"Mom, Second Brother!" Bai Jixuan raised his hand, signaling his mother to stop talking. "Wanning is right. Our supplies won't last long. Continuing to hide at home will only lead to waiting for death. Without new supplies, we won't last more than a few days."

He paused, his eyes filled with an unprecedented determination. "So we must take this risk."

Mother Bai choked up, her lips trembling slightly.

Of course, she didn't want them to go.

She knew her children were right, but she also knew how dangerous the outside world was.

She was a mother; how could she bear to watch her children go out and fight those monsters?

"Mom, don't worry," Bai Wanning said, her tone softening slightly, in a low voice. "We'll come back safe. I promise."