Chapter 74: Tracking
Natural Disasters and the End of the World
Kangwang Residential Complex.
A black SUV sped through the neighborhood, its tires crunching over countless pieces of trash and rotting corpses.
The vehicle screeched to a halt in front of an apartment building. A man in a suit stepped out from the driver’s seat. He quickly walked to the back, opened the door, and helped another man out.
A long, straight leg stepped out first, followed by a tall, broad-shouldered man with a strong, commanding presence.
It was none other than Long Cong’an and Gu Zhiyu.
Long Cong’an closed the car door.
“President Gu, thank you for taking the detour to my place. You could’ve just waited in the car—I’ll be quick, just need to grab a few things.”
Gu Zhiyu straightened his clothes. “It’s fine. I could use the exercise.”
With that, he strode toward the building entrance.
Long Cong’an thought: My boss is really something. Got bored of the treadmill and climbing machine at home, so now he’s come to our humble neighborhood to climb stairs.
Just as he was thinking this, he saw his boss heading toward the wrong entrance and quickly called out,
“President Gu, not that one—it’s the next unit over.”
Gu Zhiyu paused, turned sharply, and headed to the adjacent entrance.
“Next time, tell me in advance.”
Long Cong’an: …
Your long legs covered that distance in two strides—I didn’t even get a chance to speak!
He hurried to catch up. “President Gu, please slow down. My place is on the 7th floor, unit 702.”
When the two reached the apartment, they found the front door had already been violently forced open and now lay battered on the floor.
No one was inside, but the place had been ransacked.
Long Cong’an had expected this, but fortunately, anything valuable had long since been moved to the villa on the hillside. He’d left in a hurry, though, so some clothes, shoes, and daily necessities were still here. There were also some small, easily overlooked items—like a sewing kit—that his wife would want but couldn’t find.
This time, since he was out with the boss and happened to be nearby, he figured he’d pick up a few things on his wife’s orders.
There was nothing to offer as refreshments, so he said awkwardly,
“President Gu, please have a seat on the sofa. I’ll just pack up and we can go.”
With that, he got to work gathering his things.
Gu Zhiyu said nothing, standing by the window and gazing outside.
Something felt off about the sun today.
Normally, the sun only appears red at dawn or dusk, but it was nearly noon now—it should be white. Yet, the sun in the sky was an unusually vivid red. Not the usual kind of red, either, but a strange, blood-tinged crimson.
Gu Zhiyu frowned.
When something is out of the ordinary, there’s always a reason.
He said quietly, “Long Cong’an, hurry up. Let’s get back early.”
“Yes, boss!” Long Cong’an answered, speeding up his packing.
The place was a mess, but aside from food, nothing else had been taken.
As he packed, he tried to make conversation so the boss wouldn’t get bored waiting:
“President Gu, now that the natural disaster is over, when will our company resume work?”
As soon as he said it, he froze.
Crap! Why am I, the employee, rushing the boss to reopen? Isn’t that like the eunuch being more anxious than the emperor?
Gu Zhiyu remained silent in the living room.
Long Cong’an thought: See? Even the boss is stunned by my big mouth!
He started to regret it. What if the boss suddenly decided, thanks to his comment, to announce work would resume tomorrow?
He quickly finished packing and hurried back to the living room.
“President Gu, I’m done. Let’s go.”
But Gu Zhiyu didn’t move, still staring out the window, his lips parting slightly: “No rush.”
…?
Long Cong’an was confused.
Didn’t you just tell me to hurry up so we could leave early…?
He followed his boss’s gaze out the window—and froze.
At the entrance to the complex, two figures had just walked in, one behind the other.
The person in front was carrying a backpack and dragging two suitcases. Judging by the messy hair, he could just make out that it was a woman.
The person behind was easier to recognize: dressed in a gray tracksuit, with a striking figure—clearly a beautiful woman. Her long hair was tied up high, and she was holding a bayonet.
That familiar silhouette and weapon…
Long Cong’an’s eyes widened. “Miss An Nan?”
“What’s she doing in my neighborhood?”
Gu Zhiyu said nothing, his eyes fixed on An Nan below.
She was following the person ahead at just the right distance. The sound of the suitcase wheels rolling on the ground perfectly masked her light footsteps.
The woman in front soon entered their building.
With the front door broken, they could clearly hear the sound of a suitcase being dragged up the stairs.
An Nan, meanwhile, stopped in front of the building, staring intently at their Hummer.
After a moment, she suddenly reached out and touched it.
Gu Zhiyu raised an eyebrow.
That look on her face…
He suddenly remembered the little dog she kept, named Fugui. It had the exact same expression when it jumped into his arms.
He watched An Nan downstairs with interest.
She finished touching the car, circled around it, and touched it again.
…
Meanwhile, the woman with the suitcase had reached the seventh floor and was now standing in front of unit 701, right next door.
Long Cong’an glanced at his boss.
Gu Zhiyu put a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.
Long Cong’an nodded and stood quietly beside him.
Better to follow the boss’s lead. No idea what their benefactor was up to, but if they went out now, they might mess things up for her.
The apartment next door had always been rented out. Long Cong’an vaguely remembered the current tenant was a single guy living alone.
No idea why a woman had shown up.
Even less idea why their benefactor was following her.
Long Cong’an strained his ears, listening carefully.
Even though his door was gone, the entryway faced the dining area, and you had to turn left to reach the living room. So unless someone actually walked inside, even peeking in from the door, they wouldn’t see him or President Gu standing in the living room.
From the sounds outside, the woman with the suitcase was knocking on 701’s door.
As she knocked, she called out, “Cousin! Open up! I’m here!”
She knocked for a while, but no one answered.
She slung off her backpack and rummaged through it, grumbling impatiently:
“Where did he go? Good thing he left me a key, or I’d be stuck out here like an idiot.”
“Where’s the key… So annoying!”
“If An Nan gets caught while I’m gone, I’ll be really pissed!”
Just then, a clear voice suddenly rang out:
“Who’s going to catch me?”
Qian Yinger was so startled she dropped the key she’d just found."