"What's your plan?"
Shen Yi hadn't expected Cheng Jun to be so adaptable, as she was already asking him questions.
"First, let's focus on surviving, then figure out where we are and see if we can find a way back home."
Shen Yi answered her like any ordinary person would.
Cheng Jun nodded in agreement,
"That's what I was thinking too. In that case, why don't we work together?"
She clapped her hands, looking at Shen Yi with sincere eyes.
"From what we can see, this place isn't ordinary. If we stick together, we can watch each other's backs. It's better than going at it alone."
These thoughts had been circling in Cheng Jun's mind for a while, and she was fairly certain Shen Yi would agree.
Firstly, she was confident in her beauty.
Throughout her life, unless someone was blind, few could resist her looks.
Secondly, there was the fear of the unknown.
Humans are social creatures, and naturally tend to seek comfort in numbers, especially in dangerous environments.
Sure enough, Shen Yi agreed without much hesitation,
"Alright, I'm in."
Cheng Jun felt slightly encouraged and continued:
"Let's exchange information then. I'll share my findings first."
"By my estimation, about half an hour has passed since we woke up, but the sun keeps getting more intense. I suspect the daylight hours here are longer, possibly not following a 24-hour cycle."
She paused, her expression becoming peculiar,
"Also, these plants with their developed root systems have leaves in three colors: green, purple, and black. From a botanical perspective, this is extremely dangerous because black substances absorb more solar radiation. While this means the plants absorb more heat, it also makes it difficult for them to survive under the sun."
This was precisely what worried Cheng Jun - there were no black plants on Earth.
Such bizarre plants defied evolutionary intuition; there had to be an unknown secret behind them.
Shen Yi couldn't help but look amazed, almost wanting to applaud her.
Cheng Jun wasn't just intelligent but also incredibly observant, having nearly guessed the truth.
This apocalyptic disaster was indeed caused by an alien plant.
If it weren't for his system prompt, he wouldn't have figured out so much, making him feel rather foolish in comparison.
With this in mind, Shen Yi added his observation,
"I ran up and down the entire street and didn't see any living creatures besides you."
Then he continued with a serious expression:
"You saw rats earlier, but I haven't seen a single bird or insect. This place is so clean as if something swept through it."
"There are crashed and damaged vehicles everywhere, but no bodies or bloodstains."
Cheng Jun's expression grew grave; everything about this place was strange.
It was like a video game where the map was completed but they forgot to generate the NPCs.
"There's no use thinking about all this now. Let's find a place to settle first."
Cheng Jun suggested.
During their conversation, she deliberately started using "we" more often, considering things from both their perspectives to eliminate any sense of distance between them.
This way, she could establish herself in a leading intellectual position.
The sun was getting increasingly hot, and the weather was quite bizarre.
Shen Yi naturally had no objections and readily agreed:
"Let's stay nearby then. I've checked the building where I woke up, and it seems safe. We can settle there for now."
"Good," Cheng Jun smiled slightly.
The two walked back along the shaded side of the road, one after the other.
Shen Yi carefully observed their surroundings while Cheng Jun followed, lost in thought. Being still unfamiliar with each other, neither spoke during the journey.
After entering the building, they closed the door.
The room was cool, bringing relief to Cheng Jun, whose forehead had been sweating from the journey.
Looking back at Shen Yi, she noticed he seemed unaffected and had already started cleaning up.
The room had been uninhabited for a long time, with a thin layer of dust covering the furniture.
Shen Yi did some basic cleaning and brought out two chairs for them to rest.
Cheng Jun sat down carefully, adjusting her skirt, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
With her dress torn at the edges, standing hadn't been an issue, but sitting posed a challenge - she couldn't maintain modesty front and back simultaneously.
Any large movement risked exposure.
Shen Yi noticed her discomfort but pretended not to see to spare her embarrassment.
After resting briefly, Shen Yi grew restless and said:
"You rest a bit longer. I'll go gather some supplies - all the food in this room has spoiled."
In this apocalyptic world, nothing was more important than food and water. Cheng Jun, feeling parched after sweating, stood up as well,
"I'll come with you. If something happens, at least we can help each other."
Cheng Jun didn't want Shen Yi to think she was just taking advantage of him, as that wouldn't be good for their future relationship.
Shen Yi thought for a moment but declined, saying instead:
"It'll be quicker if I go alone. Why don't you clean up the place? We'll be staying here tonight."
Cheng Jun paused, seeming to understand something, and felt a warmth in her heart:
"Alright, be careful."
She had been focused on proving her worth but had overlooked the dangers. Shen Yi was a strong man, and if something happened, he'd have to look after her.
If he was alone, it would be easier for him to escape, while her current attire would only cause problems.
After their discussion, Shen Yi shouldered his bag and left.
There was a convenience store not far from the street corner, and Shen Yi planned to go there first.
If things went well, they could secure basic survival supplies there.
For his first exploration, he didn't want to venture too far. It was better to ensure safety first and gradually expand their range.
Soon, Shen Yi arrived at the convenience store.
The sign above was slightly yellowed, its edges eroded by vines, with only the character for "Fortune" still visible.
Pushing the door open, he was greeted by a row of collapsed shelves, with many products scattered on the floor.
Fortunately, some items remained intact.
While Shen Yi was pleased about this, his concerns also deepened.
The fact that some supplies were still preserved intact suggested that the disaster had occurred almost instantaneously.
Humanity hadn't even had time to react before the world fell into chaos.
If there had been any time to respond, the streets would have been completely looted of supplies.
There was no use thinking too much about it now. Shen Yi unzipped his backpack and crouched down to select supplies.
For survival needs, high-energy foods were priority, so he grabbed a handful of candies and chocolates and stuffed them into his bag.
Then came various crackers and a few small cans.
Shen Yi didn't dare touch most of the convenience store's ready-to-eat foods, firstly because they took up too much space, and secondly because their short shelf life made them unsafe.
He also temporarily gave up on foods that needed secondary processing.
They didn't know if there was water supply in the room, but there definitely wasn't electricity, so there was no way to cook these items.
Picking and choosing somewhat randomly, Shen Yi nevertheless ended up filling his backpack to the brim.