Chapter 2 - 1: Laundry Basket_2

"Don't be overconfident, you are still a child." Julia inevitably added a few degrees of reprimand, hoping the child would agree with her. "Mom, you had me at my age." Selena retorted unceremoniously, even with a hint of provocation. "Yes, and I've regretted it for sixteen years." Julia's voice suddenly grew low, "I don't want you to end up like me, becoming a mother in your teens and ruining your future." ----------------- Zhou Qingfeng returned to his room on the second floor, casually pulling a pair of pants and lazily slipping them on. The bedroom was small, even seeming a bit cramped. A few posters of naked women were pinned to the wall, their vivid colors tinged with a sense of cheapness, probably torn from old magazines. Clothes, shoes, and books were scattered all over the floor in disarray, the bed sheets were crumpled, with some indistinct 'spots' on them. The room was filled with a mixed smell of sweat and magazines, silently telling the state of the owner's life. Zhou Qingfeng walked to the window and pulled the curtains open. Sunlight poured through the glass, but it didn't add much brightness to the room. The street outside appeared especially desolate, like a forgotten corner of the city. The sanitation truck hadn't come for four or five days, the trash bins by the roadside were already piled high, with garbage spilling out and scattered on the ground. Fallen leaves covered the streets, occasionally lifted by passing vehicles, swirling in the air before weakly falling back to the ground. Several stray cats and dogs roamed the streets, running from one trash bin to another, searching for food to fill their stomachs. Their fur was dirty and messy, they scanned their surroundings warily and uneasily, ready to flee this danger-filled world at any moment. In the distance, a siren wailed, perhaps from a police car or an ambulance, the sound fluctuating, reminding people that this city had never been truly peaceful. The current time is 20**, the location is White Beach Town, Miami, Florida. Although called a 'town,' its population was only four or five thousand, resembling a thieves' den due to the large number of illegal immigrants from South America. On the surface, Zhou Qingfeng was an international student on an exchange program at White Beach High School, staying with Julia and her daughter. In reality, he was reborn. The person in the mirror was still tall and slim, still an exchange student, still quite unremarkable. But internally, he carried memories from over a decade later. He was sent to White Beach High School because of poor grades, to spend a year there, making it easier to get into a university abroad for some credentials. But while others went to New York, San Francisco, or Boston for their exchange programs, he ended up in the inconspicuous White Beach Town. The rich and poor areas of the United States are distinctly divided, often separated by just a street, like Heaven and Hell. White Beach Town clearly fell on the hellish side. The security in this ghost place was terrible. That year was quite dull for him. With reckless youthfulness and naive ignorance, he made many mistakes and caused a lot of misunderstandings. For instance, the host family he stayed with was actually very nice, especially Julia and her daughter Selena, who were very kind and enthusiastic. However, due to cultural and expressive differences, plus Zhou Qingfeng's strong self-esteem and sensitivity, many unpleasant incidents occurred, ending with an unhappy parting. For a long time, Zhou Qingfeng wanted to say 'I'm sorry' to them. Besides that, there was something even more important—right in Miami, in White Beach Town, there was a biotech company called 'Apocalypse.' This publicly traded company, valued at tens of billions of dollars, was using artificial intelligence to screen new drugs, resulting in the discovery of an 'X' virus, which would drag human civilization into an apocalyptic abyss a year later. Just thinking about the hardships he would face in the coming decades made Zhou Qingfeng shiver. During the time since his rebirth, he constantly had nightmares. The scenes in his dreams were fragmented and chaotic, like torn film flickering disjointedly in the dark. Desolate ruins, collapsed buildings, exposed rebar, concrete debris scattered all over. Abandoned vehicles piled up haphazardly on the streets, their windows broken, tires deflated, like remnants forgotten by time. Debris littered the streets, broken glass, rusted metal sheets, and rotting furniture mixed together, forming an overwhelming scene of desolation. The sky was so gray it seemed weighed down by heavy leaden clouds, not a single ray of sunlight could penetrate this haze. Birds and beasts were gone, even the wind sounded especially harsh. Every time he woke up from these dreams, Zhou Qingfeng was drenched in sweat as if he had been pulled out of water. But the fragmented memories were not useless, as he always managed to grasp some bits of information when he recalled them. Lottery! Zhou Qingfeng remembered that when he first arrived at White Beach High School, a notoriously bad teacher won a huge 'Power Ball' jackpot. He couldn't remember the winning numbers or the specific draw, nor did he remember the exact date, but he did remember that it happened. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he used his phone to look up the latest Power Ball lottery in the United States—because of recent rollovers, the jackpot exceeded two billion dollars. Over two billion... US Dollars?! That's right, it was the one where over thirty consecutive draws had no jackpot winner, resulting in a prize pool exceeding over ten billion dollars, and a jackpot amount exceeding two billion dollars. According to the Power Ball rules, choosing a lump sum payout, even after deducting various taxes and fees, would still net around one billion dollars. With enough money, nothing is impossible to achieve. "This is the highest lottery prize worldwide. Just one win could place you in the top echelons of the wealthy." Zhou Qingfeng's heart pounded wildly. "If I could get that lottery ticket, win that over billion-dollar jackpot, could I live better in the upcoming viral apocalypse? And even... reverse it!" ----------------- "Victor, breakfast is ready!" From downstairs came the clear voice of Lady Julia. Sitting at the dining table were the three members of the host family: Lady Julia, her daughter Selena, and the undeniably head of the house—Mr. Congers. He was a senior sheriff at White Beach Town's police department, tall, burly, his physique resembling a small mountain, emanating an aura of violence that couldn't be ignored beneath his calm exterior. The town's residents both feared and relied on him. This not-yet-forty sheriff always favored wearing a short-sleeve uniform, seemingly to deliberately show off his well-developed biceps and large, hard fists. His utility belt was filled with handcuffs, firearms, batons, and magazines, always ready to deal with emergencies. His vehicle was an electric-powered Mustang police car, with a prominent police badge on the body, exuding majesty and awe. Every time he went out, he would surely wear a bulletproof vest, keeping his radio on 24/7, prepared to draw his gun and engage in a shootout at any time. Perhaps the town's security situation made Mr. Congers highly tense, as the entire atmosphere of the house would become a bit heavier whenever this sheriff was home. Selena dared to argue with her mother, but in front of her father, she didn't dare to act up, and at this moment, she was obediently eating her toast and scrambled eggs, even chewing quietly on purpose. "Morning, Mr. Congers." Zhou Qingfeng, too, didn't dare to be presumptuous in front of this nearly six-foot-seven big sheriff and greeted him actively before sitting down. "Hmm." The unsmiling sheriff just nodded slightly in response. The sheriff had patrolled all night, coming back early in the morning, his face showing fatigue, but his eyes still sharp. He sat down to rest for a moment, hastily ate a few bites of breakfast, and then got up to leave again, returning to his work. Zhou Qingfeng found it dull, his mind still racing with thoughts about the lottery, feeling both expectant and anxious. Just as he silently swallowed his breakfast whole, he suddenly felt a slender small foot rubbing against him under the table. The toes were soft, the sole smooth, lightly stroking his calf, slowly moving upwards. In the dining room, at the four-sided table, with four people, who was rubbing against me? I didn't get this treatment before!