Chapter 1: The End of the World is Approaching

Chapter 1: The End of the World is Approaching

At the end of September, the long, hot summer had finally ended, and autumn had arrived.

However, the people of Jiangbei city still experienced a prolonged period of warm weather. The temperature stayed above 30°C during the day, but it dropped suddenly at night, making people shiver. Almost everyone was fed up with this terrible weather.

In the southern part of the city, there was a small house with a worn appearance. The interior of the house was relatively cramped, mainly due to the presence of a small repair workshop with various parts and electronic devices scattered around the room.

That morning, the heat still suffocated the city, but Jiang had other reasons to sweat. Sitting on the edge of his bed, his attention was entirely focused on the television, a stark contrast to the organized chaos of parts and tools that characterized his makeshift workshop. The space was limited, but Jiang knew how to make the most of it, with every inch occupied by some gadget or project in progress.

Dressed simply, in shorts that revealed the scars on one of his legs—physical reminders of the accident that took his parents—Jiang seemed to care about nothing else but what was said in the news.

Until today, he had never paid so much attention to the news, usually using the television only to watch games or movies. But today, a very important piece of news was being broadcast.

On the screen, the journalist with a grave expression brought the latest scientific discoveries, news that seemed straight out of a science fiction thriller. "International researchers announced today the alarming discovery of a prehistoric supervirus, preserved in the permafrost of the Far East Siberian. This is not the first giant pathogen found in the region; another virus of similar proportions was identified about a year ago, but only now has it been made public. Scientists are still unraveling the mysteries of this ancient virus, and its ability to infect humans or animals remains an enigma. Experts warn that as long as the permafrost remains intact, the virus does not pose an immediate threat."

Although surprising, the news was not alarming to normal people. But for Jiang, it was like a punch in the stomach. "You've got to be kidding!" With his heart racing, he jumped out of bed, driven by a mix of shock and urgency, only to fall back awkwardly. His right leg, marked by scars and still fragile from surgery, failed to support his weight suddenly.

Jiang Liushi was looking at the TV screen, but his focus was not on the news. He already knew everything about this news story the first time the media broadcast it.

Since it was a live conference, naturally, there should be no advance information leak. Even though the press and journalists had known about the meeting a day in advance, they could not obtain the specific content. However, Jiang Liushi knew the news in advance. In fact, not only this news but also various international incidents from this week.

This did not happen because Jiang Liushi suddenly gained some kind of superpower to predict the future. The fact is, a week ago, he suddenly woke up with a strange entity in his mind called "Starseed."

At the same time, Jiang Liushi obtained some information from it, including some news broadcast from the future. One of the most important was today's news about the discovery of giant viruses.

He thought he was going crazy, maybe some dormant aftermath of the accident. But as things began to emerge, he could no longer ignore it.

With the news being confirmed, Jiang had no more room for denial. Starseed was real, so the outbreak of the virus and the end of the world were too.

Jiang noticed that many of the world leaders had started to appear in public less and less. To most, this might seem normal, perhaps even irrelevant, but for Jiang, armed with knowledge of the future and an understanding of current global circumstances, it was a clear warning sign. These leaders were already aware of the virus and its potential devastation. They were retreating, preparing in secret, while the rest of the world remained ignorant of the looming danger.

The decision not to make the full extent of the threat public was understandable, in a sense. The complete truth could trigger a global panic, leading to chaos that would make the imminent disaster even harder to contain. In this context, the news about the prehistoric virus seemed more like a final courtesy, a farewell gesture to a world unaware of the precipice ahead.

Jiang knew that sharing his advanced knowledge of the future would be futile. Social media and online forums were already saturated with conspiracy theories about the end of the world, from Mayan prophecies to rumors of societal collapses triggered by pandemics. His voice would be just another whisper in the storm, possibly attracting unwanted attention from the government or other entities that might want to exploit or suppress his information. No, he had to keep the secret of the Starseed and his insights into the future to himself.

With this decision made, Jiang began to plan his next steps. He needed to prepare for what was to come, making the most of the abilities offered by the Starseed. This preparation would include stocking up on supplies, enhancing his survival chances, and most importantly, modifying a vehicle for the eventual need for rapid and secure mobility.

Even with his knowledge and mechanical skills, it would be difficult for Jiang to modify a vehicle and turn it into a mobile fortress in a short time.

However, the Starseed's purpose was not merely to warn him about the end of the world. Its true capabilities were analysis and mechanical enhancement, but the main requirement for him to access its full capabilities was to provide the Starseed with a kind of "mechanical body" to which it could link, preferably a vehicle.

Among all types of vehicles, Jiang Liushi had to rule out the sedan, because this type of car was relatively delicate and could not play any role in that chaos. Post-apocalyptic posts recommended off-road vehicles as the most suitable, but Jiang Liushi did not like them because of their limited interior space.

Subjectively speaking, Jiang Liushi's first choice were huge long trucks. They were like a kind of train on the road. The car's wheels alone were about the height of a human, but the number of these cars was very limited, so Jiang could only dream of one.

After researching online, Jiang finally decided on two types of cars. One was a container truck, and the other was a minibus. Favoring interior space, Jiang Liushi finally decided to go with the minibus. However, Jiang Liushi could not afford an expensive minibus.

After buying supplies for his survival, his bank account had just over a thousand yuan.

If he had a house to sell, Jiang Liushi would have sold it at a low price without any hesitation. Unfortunately, he sold his house when he was still in high school. At that time, his parents had just passed away, so for his sister and him to survive, they had to sell it. They had been living in rented houses ever since.

After that, he began using his mechanical skills to perform repairs and assemble electronics as a way to earn money to take care of his sister and ensure she lacked for nothing.

Jiang Liushi withdrew almost all the money from his account to buy the materials. He could also make thousands of yuan by selling his TV, computer, and other equipment. As for theft or burglary, an ordinary student

 like Jiang Liushi had less than a 20% chance of success. Even if he were lucky, there was more than an 80% chance he would be caught.

Even if he only rented a vehicle, it would be at least 1000 yuan per day, and counting the time until the apocalypse, which would be in a week, it would be more than 10000 yuan.

In addition, he also needed to buy many materials and metal to complete the modification of the minibus. The lack of money caused him a huge headache. The following Tuesday would be the end of the world. It was approaching rapidly. Lying in bed, Jiang Liushi took a deep breath.

He opened his QQ and clicked on Li Jun's ID. An idea formed in his head, and he immediately sent a message to Li Jun.

Soon after, the message tone was heard. The chat interface appeared along with Li Jun's response, "Did you see my new login device?"

Jiang just looked at his ID, which at the moment was saying "iPhone 7 online". No wonder he was online.

The iPhone 7 was just the latest cellphone released that month. To be specific, it had been on the market for just a few days. Its price was quite high, so only a few people were willing to buy it. Li Jun had unexpectedly bought one. No wonder his tone was so extravagant.

"This phone costs about 8,000 yuan!!" exclaimed Jiang Liushi. He couldn't afford anything. He had never been able to buy a phone like that in his entire life, at most he had repaired a customer's phone.

Li Jun replied triumphantly: "You wonder how I got the first batch at such a low price? I found a cellphone reseller who helped me buy it for an additional 2,000 yuan!"

'A cellphone costing 10,000 yuan!' Jiang Liushi couldn't believe it. His parents had died prematurely, so he had no choice but to take care of his sister. As a result, his life had always been frugal.

However, it seemed that Li Jun had a lot of money. Jiang Liushi typed quickly: "Li Jun, I urgently need money. Can you return the 2,000 yuan you borrowed from me?"

"Alright. I'll pay you back in a few days." Li Jun replied.

"That was my emergency money. I need it for something urgent." Jiang replied anxiously.

"Really? Wait just a moment, that girl is calling me." Jun replied before quickly hanging up.

Li Jun's evasive response only increased his frustration. When the conversation was abruptly cut off, the reality that he would not receive his money in time crystallized. "Damn!" He couldn't help but curse out loud, his voice echoing through the cramped room, mingling with the constant hum of electronics around.

"I have to do something..."