A thunderclap exploded.
Amidst the roaring thunder and downpour, a flash of lightning tore through the night sky, striking a large tree outside the base, instantly charring it.
In the thunderstorm, lightning danced like a silver serpent, wreaking havoc between heaven and earth.
The thunder was occasionally low; occasionally roaring.
Amidst the pattering rain, the thunder intermingled with it.
The rainwater poured down from the sky as if a flood was raging, and the continuous rain had long filled the mountain pond in the base, forcing them to open the sluice gates and drain the water from the base's underground channels to lower areas.
Crack!
With another roar, Li Yu was woken by the thunder. Amidst the lightning and thunder, he sat up from his bed and pressed his hand against his forehead.
Looking at the pouring rain outside the window, he recalled a dream he had just had, dreaming of a heavy rain before his rebirth, where he was alone on a rooftop, enduring for five whole days. In those five days, there was no light, and he dared not make a sound.
In the bone-chilling night rain, he endured it all alone.
Loneliness, sometimes, is a kind of enjoyment, but excessive loneliness is an extreme form of pain. Humans are social animals; amidst busy social interactions, spending some time alone occasionally is a form of relaxation.
However, being alone in a dark environment, without entertainment or diversion, with the constant threat of zombies discovering you, and in the cold rainwater, loneliness is an ordeal.
Shaking his head, he felt the warmth of the quilt and a faint fragrance in the room, which was from some incense he had previously stocked up on.
He opened the window, and the outside air, accompanied by a bit of rain, was blown onto the windowsill and onto Li Yu's face. He took a deep breath, stretched, and then lit a cigarette.
The smoke, carried by the wind, swayed precariously, but his handsome face seemed to be in a daze, staring blankly out the window.
At this moment, his mind was empty, not thinking or pondering anything.
He just stared blankly out the window, breathing naturally.
1 second, 10 seconds,
1 minute
2 minutes
Suddenly, he felt a burning pain in his right index finger, and his consciousness gradually returned to his mind.
Following closely were various thoughts. He shook his head with a bitter smile; that feeling of emptiness just now was very strange and enjoyable.
In that state, there was no sorrow or joy, no thoughts, only natural breathing.
This made him very comfortable.
He closed the window, but the sound of the thunder and rain outside was still very clear.
Last night, he had been outside for 16 consecutive hours. Originally, it was a three-shift system, but because it was somewhat dangerous last night, he was worried and had to stay longer until the zombies became less frantic. Later, Li Haoran and others came to relieve him.
Li Yu checked the time; it was already 12:30 PM, but outside the window, the sky was covered in dark clouds, dim and without light.
He had slept for 6 hours.
Feeling the hunger in his stomach, he put on his clothes, then secured the submachine gun and dagger he always carried, and walked downstairs.
He thought to himself:
It had been the fourth day of the heavy rain. During these four days, although everyone in the base aged 16 and above had started to join the fight against the zombies, the number of people aged 16 and above was 40.
Now, with the addition of Yang Tianlong and others, and then the construction workers, the total population of the base had reached 45 people!
Especially since his maternal uncle, third uncle, Li Tie and his brother, Yang Tianlong, Zhao Dapao, and others had all served in the military, and in recent times, under Li Yu's urging, the younger generation aged 16 and above had all learned how to shoot.
And under Li Yu's deliberate training, including the previous outings to kill the Village Secretary and others, and the trips to transport cement and kill Manager Zhou and others,
They had become more mature and deeply understood the wickedness of human nature in the apocalypse.
Having experienced the previous zombie tide, plus this current one, they would all grow and become stronger!
In the face of difficulties, one needs to be tempered. As long as one endures, one can become stronger. If they encounter similar situations in the future, they will know how to deal with them, and their hearts will become calmer. This is growth.
Even Li Zhengping, who was 16 at the time, had transformed since his last outing with Li Yu, witnessing people like Brother Hao and witnessing Li Yu's decisive actions, after Li Yu's soul-stirring questions.
At this moment, he was also bravely killing zombies on the wall!
As soon as he reached the living room, as if remembering something, Li Yu took out the walkie-talkie he carried with him and said, "Maternal uncle, what's the situation on your side now?"
It seemed that due to interference from the wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, his maternal uncle's voice was not very clear:
"It's... it's okay here in the front, it's just that the loudspeakers we prepared before are almost out of power. There are just too many of these zombies, and we don't know when it will end."
Through the static, Li Yu barely understood what his maternal uncle said, so he replied, "Wait for me, I'll come relieve you after I finish eating."
His maternal uncle said, "No rush. You stayed up for 16 hours last time. You haven't slept much yet. Don't worry, I can handle it here."
Li Yu said nothing and then spoke to Li Hang, who was guarding the back gate wall, "Are there many zombies at the back now?"
Li Hang heard Li Yu's words and said with some joy, "Big brother, you're awake! Come on, let me take over, let me take over! I'm so hungry, let me go back and eat."
Li Yu heard this and was a little speechless, saying, "Are you itching for a beating? Is there any special situation on your side?"
"No."
"Wait for me to finish eating, then I'll bring it to you. You can eat at the back gate."
"..."
Li Yu ignored him, put the walkie-talkie aside, and then opened the covers on the dining table, seeing the food on the table: a basin of braised fish, seaweed and egg soup, and a small plate of green vegetables.
These past few days, because of the heavy rain, many fish in the mountain pond had surfaced and were blocked by the net, so they simply cooked fish.
The braised fish was colorful, fragrant, and delicious, with some chopped green onions sprinkled on top. Li Yu scooped out a basin of rice, then thought for a moment, took out a bottle of beer from the refrigerator, and began to eat.
The delicious taste danced on his tongue, stimulating his taste buds. Li Yu quickened his eating pace. Soon, he finished half of the fish.
He looked at the other covered dishes on the table; they were all prepared for others. Li Yu took out a large basin, poured one of the dishes and some rice into it, and then simply covered it.
Then he got up and walked towards the back.
He didn't bring an umbrella. In such heavy rain, an umbrella would be useless anyway; he would get soaked regardless.
But fortunately, every time they returned from duty on the wall, Second Aunt and the others in the base would brew a bowl of ginger soup for everyone to drink.
Li Yu braved the thunder and rain, heading towards the back gate. His feet stepped into the rainwater, creating ripples that were quickly disrupted by the falling rain.