Chapter 20 - 017: Me, Studying in the Library

Words : 1833 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 20: Chapter 017: Me, Studying in the Library Xinfeng Seed Company Limited. He had just passed by, and then quickly doubled back, the sight of the four connected storefronts of the seed company sparking a thought. The vegetables in the market were hard to preserve. If he could grow his own, then wouldn't that solve the problem of what to eat? Even if it didn't solve it. But in the loneliness of a post-apocalyptic world, gardening could also be a very pleasant leisure activity. This was a core skill ingrained in the genes of our people since birth. Do it yourself, have abundant clothing and food. He couldn't help but look forward to it, feeling that it seemed rather nice. The only problem was that growing vegetables was a technical task; it wasn't just about burying seeds in the ground and waiting for the harvest, there was a lot to learn. "Got it!" he exclaimed. He thought of a solution and, without looking back, ran quickly towards the distance. His speed was fast, much faster than his previous running pace. This was the effect of enhanced speed. Encountering some zombies, he dealt with them easily, his 'Frost Mourning' was now his greatest weapon. After about fifteen minutes. Lin Fan looked up at the building in front of him. Huang City People's Library. The library, built in a Western architectural style, was once used as the command center by invaders during the war period long ago. After liberation, it became a library. He remembered that a year ago, during city planning, it was proposed that the library occupied a large area of prime real estate and should be demolished to make way for commercial purposes. However, the leader of Huang City at the time was a person of culture who had a special fondness for literature and libraries. He believed that it was a wonderful thing to have a library serving as a sanctuary for the human spirit amidst the commercial tide. So he rejected the plan and decided to keep the library open for citizens who enjoyed reading and learning. Climbing the steps, one after another, he saw dried blood had long since set on the stairs. The library's grand entrance was an old Western-style bronze door, heavy and full of historical weight. Now, it was ajar with bloody handprints on it. He could imagine the dangerous events that might have taken place here, with many people fleeing from inside, many injured, smearing their blood on the door as they escaped. "Ah, how did all these senseless things happen," he sighed. Passing through the bronze doors, he walked inside. The interior was vast, at least as big as a soccer field. Reaching the check-in desk, there were no library staff in sight. Chairs were overturned, computers smashed, the desk a mess. Thankfully, the logbook was still there. After writing his name in the logbook, he headed deeper into the library. Even without anyone around, certain routines still had to be adhered to. The library's interior was decorated in classical style with deep colors, surrounded by rows of deep-red solid wood bookshelves, three levels high. In the center of the library were long tables for people to read at. "I should look for books on planting," he murmured. Lin Fan stood in front of the library's classification sign, scanning the locations marked for various types of books, and finally found what he was looking for in the northwest corner of the second floor. He arrived at the area where the books were kept. "So many books. As expected of one of the most comprehensive libraries with the largest collection in the country, it would take a hundred years to read all these books," he remarked. This hundred-year statement might have been an exaggeration, or perhaps something he'd seen on television, where a host described that even if one read eight hours a day, it would take a century to read all the books in the Huang City People's Library. Indeed, there is no end to learning, a very true saying. Who knows how long it would take. Shasha! The sound of flipping pages was the only sound in the quiet library. Lin Fan sat there, surrounded by books, all related to plant cultivation. Tomatoes, cucumbers, loofahs, leeks, spinach... and so on. All vegetables he liked to eat. The difficulty of planting them wasn't high. According to the books, leeks seemed quite good. They could grow continuously; you cut a batch and another would grow. Given the current situation, they were the best food. At this moment, Lin Fan was immersed in the ocean of knowledge. He had never thought that accumulating knowledge and broadening his horizons could be so pleasurable. If he had had such a studious spirit during his student days, perhaps he wouldn't have chosen this line of work. He could have become a scientist, a lawyer, or even a doctor, who knows. Outside. An armored vehicle modified for storm chasing came to a stop. This was not a military vehicle but an iron beast designed to chase tornadoes. The windows all around were made of special bulletproof glass, and the front of the vehicle was equipped with a five-ton winch. The earthy grey steel body was made of 5mm tranquilizing steel. There were grappling anchors around the vehicle base, securing it to the ground so that even with wind speeds reaching 271 kilometers per hour, it remained as stable as Mount Tai. "Lao Mao, wait for us to come back." The car door opened, and two men and a woman got out, among them a young man wearing a baseball cap said. Sitting in the driver's seat, Lao Mao showed a smile, "No problem, we are teammates, I won't leave without you guys." Lao Mao appeared to be in his forties or fifties, with some balding on top, giving off a weathered impression. Driving such a car didn't mean he was rich. Before the end of the world, he owned a car repair shop. A long time ago, he had seen a movie "Into the Storm" and was taken by the iron behemoth chasing tornadoes in it, so he spent all he had and took four to five years to modify this steel beast. Who would have thought that when the apocalypse came, with zombies roaming, it turned out to be one of his means of survival. The two men and the woman arrived at the entrance of the library and exchanged looks. "Get ready with your weapons, don't split up, if there are too many zombies inside, retreat immediately, and don't make too much noise," the only woman among them said softly. She was the overall commander of the operation, once a leader in a company, very capable. After the apocalypse, she survived a catastrophe, met Lao Mao with his steel beast while fleeing, formed a team, and later in the struggle against zombies, got to know the other two, and finally formed a four-person squad, seeking hope together in this post-apocalyptic world. "Don't worry, Big Sister." The woman had a short haircut, looking very neat. Before the apocalypse, she had beautiful long hair, but later, she cut it off to avoid it becoming a burden. "Remember, we are here to find medical books this time, don't get distracted by other things," she reminded again. After ensuring a supply of resources, they needed to find some medical books, especially those that mention which medications are needed for certain symptoms, as they had no doctor in their team, and if someone got sick, they could only rely on themselves. Before the apocalypse, no one ever thought about what to do if they got sick; it was always just a matter of going to the hospital. But after the apocalypse, they discovered that what used to be simple had become incredibly difficult. As for internet search. Don't kid yourself, bro. Even a minor cough, if searched online, could be turned into an incurable disease, the kind that scares you to death. Books are more reliable. The three people quietly entered, alert for any hidden zombies around them. "It looks like we're in luck, no zombies in the library," the young man in the baseball cap said with a smile. But just as he was about to enter, he was stopped by the woman. "Wait." The woman, holding a knife, walked up to the stainless steel railing and gently tapped on it. The sound of the vibration spread out. The two men standing behind knew what the Big Sister meant, once again staying alert for any zombies around, ready to burst out of the door, close it, get in the car, and leave if needed. After a while, there were no zombies, not even a fly to be seen. "It's safe, go check the location of the medical book section," the woman pointed at a sign not far away. The young man in the baseball cap went to check and finally found the location of the books they needed. "Let's go, it's over there." The three ran over, opened their backpacks strapped to their backs. They put the books into their backpacks. Their actions weren't silent, but weren't overly loud either. Lin Fan, engrossed in his studies, heard the noise, slightly frowned, thought it was zombies, but realizing it was living people coming to read books, he laughed. It seemed he had met others who also liked reading books. "Hey, hello there, what are you guys looking for?" Lin Fan spoke up. "Fuck, who's that?" The three, who were packing medical books, suddenly heard the voice close to them, their faces changed instantly, and their hearts pounded rapidly. They were truly startled; the library was so quiet, and then suddenly there was a voice, enough to scare anyone. The three looked around, vigilant, but saw no one. Just when they thought it was an illusion, the voice came again. "I'm over here." Following the sound towards the second floor, they finally saw a figure. Lin Fan felt helpless; there were too many books piled in front of him, blocking his head. That they hadn't noticed him was quite normal. "Who are you?" The three were shocked, how could there be someone here? It was impossible. "My name is Lin Fan, just a regular citizen. I've run into some planting issues, so I came to look it up, didn't mean to scare you," Lin Fan said with a smile. "Big Sister, what's the deal with this guy?" whispered the man in the baseball cap. The woman didn't speak, just kept her eyes on Lin Fan. She, too, was confused. Who exactly was this person? Appearing alone in a library to read books in such special circumstances was truly bizarre.

Chapter 20 - 017: Me, Studying in the Library

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