31: Defenses upgraded again, awaiting the end of the world.

Chapter Thirty-One: Upgrading the Defense Line Again, Quietly Waiting for the Apocalypse

Just as dawn was breaking and the distant mountains were still soaked in the hazy morning mist, Lin Zhou knocked on his father's bedroom door.

"Dad, let's go."

Ten minutes later, the father and son carried a folding trailer into the SUV. As the car drove down the winding mountain road, Lin Zhou gripped the steering wheel, his gaze sweeping across the system light screen in his mind—the crimson countdown was jumping at 24:58:17.

"If we arrive right when the Hardware Store opens, there will be fewer people and we won't be as busy; our procurement efficiency will be much higher," Lin Zhou explained to his father, lightly stepping on the gas pedal.

More than half an hour later, the car stopped in front of the town's Hardware Store. The rolling shutter door had just been raised, and when the owner saw Lin Zhou and his father, he immediately greeted them with a smile: "Little Lin, so early? Here to get more supplies?"

"Uncle Wang, I need twenty thick angle steels, twenty seamless steel pipes, and two bags of high-strength expansion bolts," Lin Zhou got straight to the point and added, "Also, give me two 200-meter rolls of outdoor waterproof cable, national standard and corrosion-resistant."

"Good heavens, are you starting a major project?" Boss Wang was stunned for a moment, then pointed to the pile of goods in the backyard. "The angle steel and steel pipes are new arrivals, and I have the cables too. I guarantee they're durable."

Lin Zhou didn't waste time on pleasantries, following him to inspect the goods and settle the bill. His father helped count the items on the side, occasionally tapping a steel plate and nodding in satisfaction—this material was even thicker than what was used for steel doors.

While loading the car after paying, Lin Zhou greeted Boss Wang and turned to get straps from the SUV's trunk. Taking advantage of the moment the owner turned away, with a thought, the steel and the two rolls of cable vanished into thin air, all collected into the system's storage space.

On the way back, the father and son talked entirely about the reinforcement details.

"We must finish that steel door halfway up the mountain this morning. First, wrap the entire door hinge in steel plate, then weld a steel pipe reinforcement ring into the rock wall, and add two layers of angle steel at the latch for better impact resistance." His father rubbed his fingers together, his tone certain. "It's a full 300 meters from our house to the steel door. When we lay the wiring, we need to follow the old trees and rock grooves so it's not exposed and gets snagged. In the afternoon, we'll go handle the village gate; the steps are similar, but we need to be fast."

Lin Zhou nodded and added, "Install two high-power searchlights at the guard post and leave a set of emergency sockets. It'll be convenient if we add other defensive equipment later."

He paused, looking out the window at the continuous mountain range, his voice deepening: "Dad, our terrain is actually a natural barrier. From the mountain steel door to the outside world, it's four or five kilometers of winding mountain roads. Further down are large stretches of farmland, and where the farmland meets the county town, there's a five or six-meter wide river with only a simple cement bridge to cross. If zombies wander over, they'd have to cross the bridge, wade through the farmland, and finally climb these four or five kilometers of mountain road. With all these obstacles, we should be safe in the short term."

His father deeply agreed: "That's right. Besides, on this mountain, there's only our family and the old lady next door. With few people, we're a small target and unlikely to attract large swarms of zombies."

"So when we're working, try to keep it quiet, especially the welding. Don't disturb the old lady," Lin Zhou reminded him. His father mentioned that Grandma Li was hard of hearing, so it wouldn't be much of an issue.

By the time the car drove into the mountains, the morning mist had already dispersed. Returning home, his mother and Lin Xi were already waiting at the door.

"Quick, take a break and have some porridge before you start working."

Lin Xi was even more agile. Without waiting for instructions, she grabbed her tools and ran toward the mountainside: "Dad, Brother, you guys eat. I'll go clear the debris near the steel door!"

The whole family had a clear division of labor and high efficiency. His father was responsible for cutting and welding the steel; sparks flew in tiny points under the sunlight, but he kept them controlled and minimal, with almost no ear-piercing noise. Lin Zhou was responsible for measuring dimensions and driving expansion bolts; whenever he needed tools or materials, he would take them directly from the system space with a thought, a sight his family had grown accustomed to as they tacitly coordinated with him. His mother stood by, occasionally handing over tools and water, and carefully prepared lunch. After clearing the debris, Lin Xi squatted to the side to categorize small parts, immediately moving to help wherever a hand was needed.

During breaks in the construction, the father and son laid the line along the mountain path. The 300-meter distance wound forward along the trunks of old trees and the grooves of rocks, avoiding soft dirt slopes and steep embankments. The two rolls of cable, totaling 400 meters, were kept at a moderate tension and reached exactly to the guard post's designated position. Lin Zhou coiled the surplus and hid it in a corner of the guard post as a backup for future defense line expansions.

When the sun climbed overhead and scorched their backs, the reinforcement project for the mountainside steel door was declared complete.

Lin Zhou stepped forward and pushed the door. The heavy steel plates and pipes encased it perfectly. The hinges were welded shut, and no matter how hard he shook it, it didn't budge. The two searchlights at the guard post were connected; the moment he flipped the switch, two bright beams of light shot out, crossing to illuminate a twenty-meter area in front of the door, making even the gravel and grass by the roadside clearly visible.

The family quickly finished a few bites of lunch, rested for less than half an hour, and then headed straight for the village gate with the remaining materials. With the morning's experience, the afternoon construction went even smoother. Cutting, welding, and fixing were done in one go. Before the setting sun even touched the mountaintops, the reinforcement of the village gate and the cable laying were completely finished.

As they walked home after finishing work, Lin Zhou subconsciously glanced toward the old lady next door.

No smoke was coming from the chimney of that low adobe house, the fence gate in the yard was ajar, and even the old yellow dog that usually sunbathed at the door was nowhere to be seen.

"It seems I haven't seen the old lady out gathering firewood or feeding the chickens today," Lin Zhou muttered softly.

His father also looked in that direction and frowned: "The old lady isn't very mobile. I hope she hasn't fallen. Wait until tomorrow..."

Before he could finish, he stopped.

Tomorrow morning at eight o'clock, the apocalypse would arrive.

This thought was like a fine thorn, pricking their hearts. Lin Zhou didn't speak again, but his pace unconsciously quickened, an ominous premonition faintly rising in his heart.

He looked up at the sunset glow in the sky; the afterglow dyed the mountains with a layer of warm red. His gaze subconsciously swept across the system light screen in his mind—the crimson countdown was jumping at 12:17:49.

By his calculations, from leaving to shop in the morning to finishing the reinforcement of the two gates in the evening, exactly twelve hours had passed. Based on this time, the countdown would hit zero around eight o'clock tomorrow morning.

This number was like a heavy stone weighing on Lin Zhou's chest, making even the warm red of the sunset feel somewhat piercingly cold.

In the evening, the family sat around the living room. The lights were dim, and the atmosphere was so heavy it felt like it could be wrung for water.

Lin Zhou took a deep breath and was the first to break the silence, his voice carrying an unquestionable firmness: "Starting tonight, our family will sleep separately, one person per room, and the doors must be locked from the inside."

His mother was stunned and was about to ask why when she was stopped by his father's gaze.

"We haven't fully grasped the virus's transmission route yet. We must prepare for the worst to prevent any accidents." Lin Zhou's gaze swept over everyone's faces. "Also, no one is allowed to go out before noon tomorrow. Keep the doors and windows shut. Wait for me to contact you in the WeChat group. Put your phones on vibrate and try to type without making noise."

His father's clenched fist slowly relaxed, and he finally nodded heavily: "We'll do as you say."

Without any unnecessary words, the family simply tidied their respective rooms, placing some water, compressed biscuits, emergency medicine, protective suits, machetes, and composite bows in each room. Before going to bed, Lin Zhou checked every door and window, confirming they were all locked properly, and told everyone not to worry too much and get a good night's sleep before returning to his own room.

In the dead of night, Lin Zhou lay in bed but had no desire to sleep.

The mountain forest outside was silent, with only the occasional weak song of summer insects. In the direction of the old lady's house next door, it was deathly still; even that familiar sound of coughing had completely vanished tonight.

He rolled out of bed, walked quickly to the window, and picked up his binoculars to look down the mountain by the cold moonlight.

The farmland at the foot of the mountain was pitch black, the river lay quietly like a silver ribbon, and the county town further away was wrapped tightly in the night, with only a few blurred glows visible. Forget it, time to sleep!