Chapter 23: Zero-Cost Acquisition

Zhao Xiaoting glanced left and right, and seeing no one was paying attention, she quietly shuffled over. "Sanitary pads aren't exactly food, so why are you taking so many?"

She looked at the bag, which hadn't even bulged despite being stuffed with so many packs, and couldn't help but feel suspicious. "That’s not right. Is your bag a bottomless pit?"

Jiang Yao curled her lips. "These are necessities. Since there are so many of us girls, it’s better to take extra to be prepared."

However, she only took a portion, leaving the rest for those who might need them.

Jiang Yao began to sweep through the shelves. Using the word "sweep" was no exaggeration; wherever she passed, it was like a swarm of locusts had descended.

Chocolate, bread, potato chips, compressed biscuits—collected!

Instant noodles, sausages, self-heating hot pots, and rice—all collected!

And then there were various drinks like milk and juices...

Zhao Xiaoting stared in astonishment. As a long-time reader of web novels, she understood in an instant: Jiang Yao must have a spatial storage ability!

Overjoyed, she took the initiative to provide cover for Jiang Yao, keeping a lookout for anyone approaching.

Jiang Yao didn't take everything from the shelves. She only took rations for their group and some frozen food that was short-lived but not yet spoiled. With so many students in the school, taking everything would not only be more than they could eat, but it would also cut off everyone else's path to survival.

Beyond that, she also picked up daily necessities that others overlooked, such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, pots, and pans. People searching for supplies prioritized immediate survival, so these items were rarely on their radar.

Jiang Yao knew when to stop. Seeing that a corner of her storage space was already full, she began to leisurely fill her physical backpack.

"Wow, is this what they call 'zero-dollar shopping'? I have to say, it’s quite a rush!" Although Ji Yuanyuan felt a bit ashamed of her actions, she didn't slow down her own looting.

She usually didn't look at prices when shopping, buying whatever she wanted, but these two experiences were fundamentally different.

Xiang Yu looked grave. "The apocalypse has arrived. The collapse of social order is just the first step; the truly terrifying thing is the unpredictability of human nature."

Most college students were generally well-behaved, and so far, there hadn't been any large-scale malicious incidents, but that didn't mean it wouldn't happen in the future.

Actually, wait—wasn't there one right in front of them?

Chi Xing was practically setting himself up as a king over there!

A clattering noise erupted from the side. Attracted by the sound, the girls walked over to find Chi Xing and his group prying open a rolling shutter door.

"This must be the supermarket's storage warehouse. It hasn't been opened yet; there must be plenty of stuff inside!" Jiang Yao quickly realized Chi Xing's intent.

The supplies outside had been picked over by everyone, with people grabbing whatever they could until there was almost nothing left.

But this warehouse, perhaps because no one had discovered it in the rush or because people were afraid of staying too long and attracting zombies, had remained untouched.

Chi Xing looked impatient. "Still not open? Can you guys handle this or not?"

Several tall guys crouched on the ground, the veins in their necks bulging. "Almost there, almost there!"

With a loud *clank*, the lock was finally pried open.

As soon as the rolling shutter was pulled up, two dark shadows lunged out frantically!

The group was startled. Chi Xing kicked out, sending one of the zombies stumbling to the ground, though it quickly struggled to climb back up.

The others reacted just as quickly, soon finishing off both zombies.

"Scared the hell out of me! Why were there two zombies hiding in here?"

Jiang Yao glanced at the corpses. She guessed they were likely supermarket employees who had hidden in the warehouse when the apocalypse broke out.

But one of them must have been bitten, and the other couldn't escape the same fate.

The group rushed into the dark warehouse. Many cardboard boxes were neatly stacked, and several large freezers held frozen food. However, because the power had been cut long ago and the weather was hot, the food had already rotted and spoiled, filling the air with an indescribable stench.

Chi Xing commanded, "Move the food out! Take as much as you can carry!"

There were no lights, obstructing their vision. Jiang Yao glanced at the labels on the boxes and seized the opportunity to swipe a few crates of snacks.

In the corner, she also found stacks of rice and flour. These were heavy and hard to carry, and leaving them there would only lead to mold.

Jiang Yao took a few bags when no one was looking. As a true southerner, she wanted to eat fragrant rice if she ever had the chance.

To that end, she also swiped a rice cooker and an induction stove.

No electricity?

It didn't matter. If she ran into any physics students, she would just ask them for help.

There was simply too much in the warehouse. Between their group and Duan Yiren’s, the thirty or so people only managed to take about a tenth of the total supplies.

Chi Xing frowned. "That’s enough. We can't carry any more anyway."

Seeing this, the others reluctantly stopped.

The group exited the supermarket. The zombies outside were still being distracted by the other dozen people, so the situation remained manageable.

They carried the supplies back toward the teaching building.

Along the way, many people were drawn by their formation. Realizing they had just returned from a "zero-dollar shopping" spree at the supermarket, some couldn't help but get ideas of their own.

Chi Xing didn't say a word about it. Though he was overbearing, he had his own bottom line.

They returned to the teaching building without any major mishaps. Seeing the pile of loot, which looked like a small mountain, their faces beamed with excitement and joy.

"So much stuff?"

"Great, we can hold out for a while longer!"

Chi Xing kicked a cardboard box, and many people immediately withdrew their covetous gazes. He said lazily, "Go sort it out; don't pile it here and block the way! I'm starving. Can we have something decent to eat tonight?"

"You got it, you got it! You're the boss!" Zhao Xiaoting had experience with this; she led a few girls to turn and get to work.

Jiang Yao stood to the side watching. She suddenly realized that Chi Xing's approach was actually a viable strategy: unite a group of people, establish an organization, and work together. The survival rate would be better than fighting as a lone wolf.

But that was only if the leader was strong enough; otherwise, it was hard to guarantee that no one would harbor ulterior motives.

She shook her head and turned to help.

—

Meanwhile, a disagreement had arisen in Duan Yiren’s group.

It started with the news that Xiaohan had been scratched.

When the group first heard the news, their instinctive reaction was to reject her. Someone cleared their throat, looked at Xiaohan—who was hanging her head with red-rimmed eyes—and said unnaturally, "Look, Yiren, she's like that now. We don't know when she'll turn, so it’s probably not appropriate for her to stay with us, right?"

"Yeah," many people echoed, their eyes darting around. "There are so many of us here. If Xiaohan loses control and bites us, we'll all be finished!"

Duan Yiren pursed her lips and looked at the silent Xiaohan. She felt a knot in her stomach; no one would feel good about being ostracized like that.

But as an organizer, she knew very well what a huge risk it would be to keep someone who had been scratched among the others.

Duan Yiren took a deep breath and stepped forward, asking in a consultative tone, "Xiaohan, for your safety and everyone else's, would you mind going to the classroom next door?"