Chapter 207: The Monster
Zhang Yi decided to rescue Yang Xinxin. After all, the shelter's biggest issue was cybersecurity. An automated house under network attack could pose unimaginable threats. This decision wasn’t made lightly; Zhang Yi planned it carefully and gathered all necessary information beforehand.
After a tiring night, Zhang Yi called Yang Siya and Zhou Ke’er to discuss the rescue plan.
"Tell me in detail about her current situation," Zhang Yi said cautiously.
Zhou Ke’er glanced at Yang Siya. "You should tell him. You’re closer to Xinxin and know more."
Yang Siya, sitting upright, spoke seriously, "Xinxin is trapped at Tianqing Academy!"
"Tianqing Academy is the top private school in Tianhai City. It’s not open to the public, so ordinary people know little about it. It’s an integrated school from kindergarten to university, only for the children of the elite and a few geniuses."
"Everyone who graduates from there becomes a key player in politics and business."
Zhang Yi nodded, familiar with this. By 2050, education had become polarized. Ordinary people, elites, and the powerful received entirely different levels of education with no intersection. This led to the creation of exclusive educational institutions, or aristocratic schools. While degrees still mattered to ordinary people, they meant little to the true upper echelons.
Yang Siya explained, "Tianqing Academy has food supply channels with ample stored food. Xinxin and others took refuge in the school cafeteria, so they didn’t starve."
Zhang Yi nodded, finding this reasonable. "But if she could contact the outside world, why didn’t she reach out sooner? Why wait until now?"
This puzzled Zhang Yi. In dire straits, people would try every possible way to survive, seeking help from anyone. Why did she wait almost two months into the apocalypse?
Yang Siya was stumped by this question, her expression uncertain. "I was so worried I didn’t think to ask her," she said.
She took out her phone. "I’ll call her now."
Zhang Yi nodded, watching her silently. Yang Siya dialed the number on the speaker.
"Sorry, the number you dialed is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later..."
Yang Siya looked embarrassed. "I’ve tried calling her again, but it’s always unavailable."
Zhou Ke’er covered her mouth, laughing, "Maybe she thought you were dead and didn’t call you!"
"Not true!" Yang Siya glared at her.
Zhang Yi rubbed his left hand with his right. "How far is Tianqing Academy from here?"
Yang Siya thought for a moment. "About ten kilometers."
"About?" Zhang Yi chuckled at her vague grasp of distance. He pulled out his phone and checked the map. Though signals were poor and satellite positioning was problematic, pre-apocalypse maps were still useful for distance measurements.
After some searching, Zhang Yi found the answer. "Tianqing Academy is in the West Hill area. From Cloud Manor, it’s 22.6 kilometers as the crow flies."
"Given that distance, it’s a miracle you got through once."
Yang Siya and Zhou Ke’er suddenly understood. "No wonder!"
Zhang Yi teased Yang Siya, "But it’s also possible she thought you were dead and didn’t bother calling."
Yang Siya clenched her fists, "No way! I’m an adult, you know!"
Zhang Yi stood up, "Follow me to the control room."
Ordinary phones couldn’t use the Nebula satellite chain to transmit signals, but the super server could. Yang Siya and Zhou Ke’er, who knew little about computers, followed Zhang Yi obediently.
Zhang Yi used the computer in the control room to make a network call to Yang Xinxin. Soon, a static-filled noise came through, suggesting strong interference.
"They must be in an area with very unstable signals," Zhang Yi concluded.
After a few seconds, a soft, cute voice came through. "Who are you?"
Hearing this, Yang Siya and Zhou Ke’er became excited. "It’s Xinxin!"
Yang Siya quickly leaned in, "Xinxin, it’s your sister! Where are you? Tell me, and I’ll come get you soon!"
The voice on the other end was intermittent and full of static. "I’m at the school cafeteria... very dangerous... take me... away..."
Hearing "dangerous," Zhou Ke’er and Yang Siya grew tense, and Zhang Yi’s eyes sharpened.
"What’s the danger?" Zhang Yi asked.
"Cats... they... kill..."
The noise grew louder, making it hard to hear. Suddenly, a chilling scream came through, not a human sound but a long, eerie howl. Zhang Yi, Yang Siya, and Zhou Ke’er all felt a chill down their spines. Yang Siya and Zhou Ke’er, terrified, clung to Zhang Yi.
Chaos erupted on the other end. "Run!"
"Mon-mon-mon... monster!"
The voices were filled with terror and despair. The eerie howl continued without pause. Zhang Yi even heard the sounds of flesh tearing and bones being chewed. These sounds were more horrifying than anything he had heard while surviving in Yue Lu District.
The call abruptly ended, leaving only a busy signal echoing urgently.