Apocalypse Code

A cacophony of alarms rang out, jolting Zhou Yu from his hazy sleep. He squinted at his phone: 4:37 in the afternoon.

“Damn, overslept again. When will I ever get over this jet lag?” he muttered in frustration.

He got up and switched on the television. The news was on, and the date flashed across the screen: December 23rd, 2012—the day before the Mayan prophecy claimed the world would end.

Zhou Yu sighed helplessly, thinking to himself, “What a bunch of idiots, believing in such nonsense.”

He turned off the television and drew back the curtains. Night had already fallen, and only a handful of people were visible on the street below.

Turning away, Zhou Yu walked to his computer, booted it up, and typed in the name of a popular web novel site to indulge in some online reading.

It had been three or four years since he had graduated. In that time, he’d worked odd jobs here and there—militiaman, waiter, laborer on construction sites, kitchen help, bartender. The only thing that had remained constant was his habit of reading novels online. If all the stories he’d finished were made into physical books, they could fill a thirty-square-meter room.

Unbeknownst to him, the night slipped away. Suddenly, the internet cut out. Zhou Yu swore under his breath as he got up, glancing out the window. Day had already broken.

Strangely, he realized there was no familiar hum of traffic outside. By this time, the street was usually alive with the sound of engines.

“Ah, whatever. At least it’s quiet. Might as well step out for breakfast,” h