Chapter 20: Things Can't Always Be Borrowed Without Being Returned

Backpedaling more than twenty meters, the instrument’s beeping gradually faded. Xiao Qiang climbed onto the roof of the carriage and scanned the horizon. About four hundred meters ahead, a striking black, radiating zone stood out—like something had been violently blown apart. It was daytime now, so everything was clearer than before. Right next to the black patch, the ground bore several dark, humanoid impressions. A little farther out, charred corpses lay scattered. Even farther, intact bodies still remained.

From their expressions, they looked almost peaceful. But beyond that, the ground showed signs of crawling—distorted faces, twisted in agony. Further still, the scene turned grotesque: muscles warped beyond recognition, utterly unnatural. After a long moment of silent contemplation, Xiao Qiang figured it out—the black zone was clearly the blast epicenter. The farther you were from it, the safer you were. This was his first real look at an explosion site.

Without hesitation, he began circling around. Once he found the pattern, confidence surged through him. If he’d stayed in the radiation zone without knowing it, he’d have been dead already—what a waste.

He passed a large supermarket and pulled over. He handed a radiation detector each to Lao Wang and Zhou Dafu, then went inside while they started hauling rice, flour, olive oil—basic survival supplies. Meanwhile, Xiao Qiang dashed upstairs, raiding the store like a man possessed: high-end down jackets, silk shirts, short-sleeve tops, casual pants, branded sneakers, underwear—everything with price tags screaming “$9,800.” Back in the pre-apocalypse world, he couldn’t afford such luxuries. Now, he stuffed dozens of bags with every size he could find. By the time they loaded everything into the truck, it was past 7:30.

At the liquor aisle, he grabbed four cases of Guomao wine—no hesitation, just take it. The more he thought about it, the more he realized: surviving the apocalypse wasn’t so bad after all. What was the difference between a nobody and a millionaire? Answer: thirty minutes.

On the way back, Xiao Qiang made Zhou Dafu drive while he sat cross-legged on the roof, wind howling past his ears as he practiced Yi Jin Jing. For some reason, the distant moans and screams carried by the wind seemed to fade—almost vanishing.

It was daytime, so when they rolled into Xingfu Town, everyone saw them right away. There were no secrets in this town. If Grandpa caught his daughter-in-law sneaking around today, tomorrow the whole village would know. Plenty of people had seen Xiao Qiang leave at night, but they hesitated—until they saw him return with a truck full of supplies, unloading them straight into the orphanage. That did it. Jealousy flared instantly.

In peacetime, most families had nothing stored. Unlike decades ago, when cellars and grain reserves were common. With food dwindling, not being anxious was impossible. Humans are social creatures—once someone leads, others follow blindly.

Before the truck even finished unloading, town hall staff showed up at the door, asking about conditions in the city. Xiao Qiang gave them a clear answer: “There are still hotspots with radiation across the city.” He handed them two radiation detectors as a gift.

He told Zhou Dafu to drive back and get the vehicle modified fast, then took off on foot—left hand carrying a sack of rice and flour, right arm wrapped around a case of Guomao wine, salt and sugar stacked on top. Heading straight for Old Zhang.

*Knock, knock, knock.* The pounding rattled Old Zhang’s bones as he basked in the sun. His forehead twitched. Before opening the door, he barked, “Stop banging! You trying to rush to the afterlife or what?”

When he finally cracked the door open and saw Xiao Qiang, his anger flared. “What kind of disrespectful brat is your father raising?” Then he glanced down—and his mood flipped instantly. “Well, well… turns out you’ve got a heart after all.”

Xiao Qiang jumped in quickly. “I knew you liked good food and drink, so I went into the city specially to get these for you. See if they’re up to your taste.”

Old Zhang stroked his beard, nodding approvingly. He snatched the Guomao bottle into his arms like it might vanish if he didn’t hold tight. “Nice, nice. You’re a smart lad—knows how to warm a man’s heart. Got potential. Keep it up, I’m watching you.”

Xiao Qiang grimaced inwardly. *Yeah, sure, you’re watching me. What’s next—giving me a promotion?* He set down the goods and filled the old man in on what was happening in the city. But the old man barely reacted. Not surprising—he’d lived through wars, famines, revolutions. Nothing shocked him anymore.

Once he’d covered everything, Xiao Qiang headed back to the orphanage.

Lunch was surprisingly good: sweet-and-sour fish, fried fish strips, stir-fried peppers with potatoes, cold noodle salad.

“Dad,” Xiao Qiang said, “after eating, let’s nap a bit. In the afternoon, we’ll stop by the factory director’s place, then head back into the city.” Lao Wang nodded without complaint. After all, the family’s new leader was clearly Wang Xiaoxiang.

“Li Ma,” he added, “after lunch, help Mom sort through the clothes we brought back. Give each kid a fresh set—two sets of down jackets, two sets of short sleeves, all one size bigger than needed.”

The kids lit up instantly. They hadn’t worn new clothes in ages. The women cheered too, turning the dining table into a bustling market. The noise buzzed in Xiao Qiang’s skull. Even Lao Wang looked exhausted. Both shoveled down a few bites and crashed into sleep.

At 1 p.m., the pair visited the factory director’s house. They couldn’t keep borrowing things forever—they needed to return something. Xiao Qiang knocked.

The door opened. Director Liu recognized them immediately and waved them in. Xiao Qiang stepped forward. “Uncle Liu, sorry to disturb you during your rest.”

Liu looked drained. “No problem. Just haven’t slept well these past few days.”

Xiao Qiang nodded sympathetically. “You really need to take care of yourself. Once the war ends and production resumes, your responsibilities will only grow heavier. No amount of ambition can carry you if your body gives out.”

That hit the spot. Liu smiled—wasn’t that a hint he’d be promoted? Nobody in power ever turned down a chance to climb higher.

Xiao Qiang continued, “This morning I scoured the city and picked up a few useful things. Might come in handy for you.” He handed over a radiation detector.

Liu examined it, then understood its purpose right away.

“I’ve been exploring parts of the city these last two days. Radiation levels dropped significantly. With this device, I can safely go almost anywhere. Yesterday, I passed Tianfu Road and Shunfeng Street—saw a jewelry store with the door still open. No one around. If my truck weren’t already packed with grain, I’d’ve gone in to check.”

Liu’s eyes suddenly sparkled.

Seeing that reaction, Xiao Qiang knew he’d won. “We’re planning to haul steel from the city soon to redesign the orphanage. It might take a while. Could we borrow this equipment for a few more days?”

In the adult world, favors always come with balance. Liu thought for a moment, then said, “Slow work makes perfect. The factory isn’t running yet anyway. Take your time. Don’t worry about returning it right away.”