Rebellious Game C22.1

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Chp22. part1

Yun Xin glanced at the little yellow dog still howling wildly, only to see death countdowns on both the dog and its owner.

A few pedestrians passed by, keeping their distance from the dog, yet they too bore death countdowns.

A quick scan of the room revealed countdowns on almost everyone: Zhu Lin, Zhou Rui, the barbecue restaurant owner, the server, and the other customers.

Only one child remained without a countdown.

The child, about seven or eight years old—likely the owner’s son—sat in a corner, absorbed in playing with a toy.

After a while, when no one laughed, Zhu Lin looked at Yun Xin in confusion. “Why aren’t you laughing at me for overthinking?”

Yun Xin replied, “Don’t underestimate a woman’s intuition. Sixth sense isn’t exclusive to me; many girls have it.”

Drunk, Zhu Lin was slow to react. When she finally understood, her face paled. “You mean I… too?”

The terrifying conclusion sent a shiver through her, clearing the alcohol from her head.

Zhu Lin shook her head vigorously, like a rattle. “No, no, I’ve never had this kind of talent since I was a kid… And I was just talking nonsense earlier.”

“Intuition is essentially a person’s first reaction,” Zhou Rui said. For the first time, he realized that listening to others chat could actually make him lose his appetite. Fortunately, he’d already eaten a lot and was only eight-tenths full. “The more subconscious a thought is, the more it aligns with your sixth sense. Conclusions reached through deliberation have already been filtered through logic and subjective judgment.”

Zhu Lin was stunned.

She suspected she’d drunk fake alcohol.

Otherwise, why would she suddenly be unable to understand everyone speaking Lianbang Tongyongyu¹?

Zhu Lin wanted to take another swig of beer to calm her nerves.

But as she raised the can, she remembered Yun Xin’s warning: alcohol would slow her reflexes and cloud her mind, hindering her escape.

She quickly put the can down and poured herself a glass of warm water, taking a sip.

Then, she looked at Yun Xin and asked anxiously, “Are you serious about this? You’re not just joking to scare me, are you?”

Just then, several delivery drivers entered the shop.

The barbecue restaurant owner, who likely handled both dine-in and delivery orders, chatted briefly with the drivers before handing them their packed orders.

Five drivers entered in a row. Three of them had countdown timers on their bodies.

Yun Xin could feel that staying in the barbecue restaurant any longer would put her in danger too.

As for the danger level, if we rank it from S (most dangerous) to D (least dangerous), this situation was currently a C—meaning there was a slight risk of minor injuries if we didn’t take precautions.

“The dog was barking so frantically, I thought it was a major earthquake about to hit. That’s why it was trying to break free and run,” Yun Xin said.

Zhu Lin stared at Yun Xin for a long moment before finally saying, “This is serious business. Don’t just make things up.”

Yun Xin met her gaze. “I was just watching the dog, and I had a feeling. I wasn’t making it up.”

Zhou Rui chimed in at the right moment, “If the dog’s barking really is due to an earthquake, they say dogs can sense them up to half an hour in advance.”

“Holy shit!” Zhu Lin shot to her feet. “Boss, the check!”

She waved to Yun Xin and Zhou Rui to follow as she pulled out her phone and called her parents. “Dad, Mom, I’m out with friends, and the dog’s acting crazy. A friend who knows about these things says there might be an earthquake coming soon. Whether it’s true or not, find a safe place to shelter first.”

“If an earthquake does happen, be careful…”

At this point, she faltered. She’d wanted to offer some constructive advice, but when it came down to it, she realized she didn’t know anything and couldn’t do anything.

What should I do to protect myself during an earthquake? What did the safety education video say?

Zhu Lin tried hard to recall.

But first, she’d had a few drinks, and her mind felt foggy. Second, when she’d been binge-watching shows on her computer, she’d discovered she couldn’t skip the safety education segments. She’d used that time to scroll through her phone, waiting to resume the show.

She wouldn’t waste a single second—a true “time management master.”

She’d been quite proud of that at the time. But now that disaster had struck, she hadn’t retained any of the knowledge. She was completely in the dark, feeling more desperate than failing a test and facing academic probation.

After a moment of internal struggle, knowing she couldn’t afford to waste time, she simply told her parents, “Look up how to protect yourselves during an earthquake online. The most important thing is that you’re safe.”

“I understand.”

After hanging up, Zhu Lin immediately searched for earthquake safety information online, scrambling to cram the knowledge.

Zhou Rui also called his parents. Though he lived out of town and they weren’t in the same city, who knew what might happen? He wanted to talk to them while they were still safe.

Yun Xin dialed the emergency number. “The cats and dogs in the streets are all agitated. It looks like an earthquake is imminent. Can you evacuate the crowds early?”

The operator was taken aback. “Um, we haven’t received any official warnings. The Earthquake Bureau uses specialized equipment. If they detect anything, they’ll notify us immediately…”

“Earthquake warnings can only be issued 17 seconds in advance,” Yun Xin interrupted. “What good is 17 seconds? You can’t even run that fast.” “Why don’t you send someone to check the groundwater for anomalies? If the well water is also heating up, changing color, developing a strange smell, bubbling, or churning, the probability of an earthquake is quite high.”

“Agree to her request,” the Leader suddenly appeared. “This number is specially flagged. She previously called to report the New World Hotel collapse. Her claims can be trusted.”

The operator looked confused but complied. “Thank you for the information. I’ll have my colleagues verify it and arrange for residents to evacuate as soon as possible.”

The call ended.

The operator stared at the Leader, looking slightly bewildered as if awaiting an explanation.

Instead, the Leader said, “The situation is critical. By the time we verify, it’ll be too late to evacuate. Broadcast citywide now, telling everyone to retreat to open spaces. If it turns out there’s no earthquake, I’ll take full responsibility.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hearing this, everyone sprang into action.

Soon, emergency broadcasts echoed throughout the city: “Emergency alert! An earthquake is imminent in our city. Please evacuate to open spaces immediately. Do not crowd, do not stampede, and keep a close eye on the elderly and children. Repeating: Emergency alert! An earthquake is imminent in our city…”

Upon receiving the notification, schools immediately organized their students and teachers into orderly lines, guiding them to the playgrounds.

Simultaneously, shopping malls and office buildings began evacuating their occupants.

Only then did people realize how densely packed the tall buildings were. The parking lots and open spaces quickly filled to capacity with the massive crowd.

Seven minutes after the broadcast, the Leader received a report from a subordinate: “The well water is indeed abnormal. It has changed color, emits a strange odor, and is churning and bubbling. The livestock in the villages are also behaving erratically: chickens are flying into trees, pigs are running wildly, and dogs are barking incessantly. They say feeding them is useless—they refuse to eat and remain restless.”

These were all classic precursors to an earthquake.

The Leader grew more certain and issued a series of directives to ensure everyone was notified and evacuated to safety.

“Stay away from buildings, trees, and utility poles. Stay away from buildings, trees, and utility poles,” Zhu Lin muttered, repeating the safety tips she’d just found.

The weather was already sweltering, and more and more people were gathering around.

Having had a little drink, Zhu Lin felt increasingly restless. “I think I’m going to get heatstroke before the earthquake even hits!”

With no other choice, Yun Xin took her hand.

The moment their hands clasped, Zhu Lin looked at Yun Xin in surprise. “Your hand is so cool and comfortable. Everyone here is breathing hot air into their noses—aren’t you hot?”

“I’m naturally cold-blooded,” Yun Xin replied. “Even in summer, my hands are always cold.”

“How nice,” Zhu Lin said enviously.

Twenty-one minutes had passed since Yun Xin first saw the death countdown.

“Stay away from buildings, trees, and utility poles,” Zhu Lin continued to chant her mantra. Of course, she kept repeating it because her mind was blank—she knew nothing else.

Before she could finish the sentence, the ground shook violently, and people standing on the flat ground nearly lost their footing.

Fortunately, Yun Xin grabbed Zhu Lin’s arm. As steady as Mount Tai, she managed to barely keep her balance.

Zhou Rui, standing nearby, couldn’t bring himself to grab Yun Xin and stumbled to the ground.

Boom—

The poorly constructed, aging building collapsed first.

Then came another violent tremor. Trees lining the street fell, utility poles toppled, and even newly built apartment complexes teetered precariously.

Zhu Lin clung to Yun Xin’s arm, refusing to let go.

Young people who had grown up in peacetime had never witnessed such a scene. It was as if the apocalypse had descended.

Amid the chaos, cries of anguish and curses mingled.

“I told you your life was more important! You should have run immediately, not tried to gather your belongings! Now it’s too late—what if your leg gets buried and you can’t move?!”

“Didn’t they say not to go near buildings, trees, or utility poles during an earthquake? Can’t you see that pole right there?!”

“Help! My child is buried inside! Someone save her!”

footnote:

1. Lianbang Tongyongyu (联邦通用语): Literally translates to “Federal Common” or “Federation Common,” In this context, it is used as modern Chinese internet slang. Zhu Lin knows everyone is speaking her native language, but Zhou Rui’s abstract philosophical rambling is so confusing to her that it feels like a completely foreign tongue (the English equivalent of saying, “Is he even speaking English?” or “It’s all Greek to me”).  ↩︎

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