To the Start of a New World

3.1 - Rebirth

The warmth of the sunlight cast over the bed felt like something from a dream, and when Lu Hao woke, alive and whole and without Hong Sheng in his arms, nothing seemed real anymore.

He stood at the balcony, the last snow of March melting at his feet. The bone-piercing chill seeped through his skin. As he took in the idyllic bustle of the city in front of him, the world only truly became tangible when the call to his mother went through, and he heard her voice saying, "Little Hao? What is it?"

It was the 26th of March, 2017, and Lu Hao had his second chance.

A thousand things had to be done, and all of them had to be finished before the apocalypse happened again. Of course, he'd rather believe that he had somehow come alive again in another world that wouldn't face the horrors he'd once lived through. But if the clock had only been rewound, the timer on doomsday's approach reset, then he would never let things happen the same way they did in the past.

The first thing Lu Hao did was look for Hong Sheng. He tried the old phone number, and then checked the internet for traces of Hong Sheng's existence. Neither of them worked.

Hong Sheng was far too low-key. All Lu Hao knew was that Hong Sheng was still in F City. It wasn't much, but it was enough. Lu Hao sent emails to three private investigators to have them take on the job of uncovering Hong Sheng's whereabouts, and one more for another purpose.

This time around, Lu Hao had to find Hong Sheng early. He couldn't let him be alone at the start of the apocalypse. Hong Sheng didn't have an ability, or any weapons; how he'd survived in those early years alone was proof of his ingenuity and good luck. But Lu Hao couldn't let Hong Sheng go through all that again.

He'd protect him.

So Lu Hao first had to find him, and bring him home to the villa, where they could prepare for the apocalypse together.

Second, Lu Hao had to take care of his parents. He had the chance to make preparations for them and try his best to get them through the horrors unscathed. At the very least, he didn't want them to go through the same fate they'd experienced the first time.

And last—he had to get revenge.

In the meantime, Lu Hao got dressed and drove to his parents' house.

He had to convince them to prepare for the apocalypse with him. Lu Hao in this timeline was just barely becoming an adult; there were a lot of things he couldn't do, mainly out of financial restrictions.

The best way for him to proceed was to get his parents' support. There were a number of ways he could do this.

He could make up an excuse, find a way to trick them into preparing for the apocalypse. He could bring them to the villa before the start, and keep them under his protection. He would have to be careful to make sure his father, who was certain to turn into a zombie, stayed 'alive' until a cure could be made.

But Lu Hao had never been one to deceive his parents, and he had never doubted their intelligence and tenacity. Lu Hao might've been an idiot, but all of the good things about him had been inherited from his parents.

So when he sat his parents down, having mulled things over along the drive, he decided to tell them the truth.

"Mom, dad. What I'm about to tell you is going to sound insane. But even if you think I'm crazy, you have to humor me, alright?"

As Lu Hao spoke, he couldn't help the small smile on his face. Seeing his lovely mother and gentle father seated in front of him, a sliver of joy rose in his overly calm and steady gaze.