The convoy finished taking over the cul-de-sac before noon.

In fact, they were so fast, so efficient about it that it somehow made the entire thing feel worse.

Zhou Chenghai stood near the front gate with his coffee mug still in hand while military personnel spread across the neighborhood around him in smooth organized waves.

Considering the fact that they had never planned on staying here, let alone set up shop, he was annoyed and impressed all at the same time.

Floodlights illuminated the entire street bright enough to even make the sun look fake while engineers rolled portable generators across expensive driveways and communications specialists dragged thick black cables between houses to establish temporary power grids. The quiet wealthy neighborhood disappeared beneath military infrastructure so quickly that Chenghai almost felt like he was watching a time lapse instead of reality.

The apocalypse outside the neighborhood still looked chaotic whenever he saw it. Starving people. Burning buildings. Looters. Zombies wandering through abandoned streets.

But this looked different. This looked like the government refusing to admit it had already lost.

Several soldiers approached the neighboring mansion and knocked sharply against the front door. Nobody answered. Thirty seconds later, one of the men tested the handle, opened the door, and stepped inside while the others followed behind him without hesitation.

Lingyun watched from beside Chenghai before letting out a low whistle. "Comforting."

"The homes need to be secured before personnel are redistributed," Wei Guang answered flatly.

"You know," Chenghai said calmly, "most people ask before moving into someone else’s house."

Wei looked exhausted already. "We are slightly past normal social etiquette."

"That sounds suspiciously like an excuse."

"It probably is," the other man shrugged.

More convoy vehicles continued rolling into the cul-de-sac while soldiers directed traffic using illuminated signal batons. Mechanics still worked around the dead RV farther down the street while engineers mounted portable floodlights onto reinforced barricades that had appeared near the neighborhood entrance less than twenty minutes earlier.

Nobody wandered around confused. Nobody shouted unnecessarily. Nobody stood around waiting for instructions. Every single person in the convoy already knew where they needed to go and what they needed to do once they got there.

A high functioning military operation.

One of the armored transports near the center of the convoy opened and several men and women climbed out wearing clean lab coats over civilian clothing. Some looked barely awake while others were already arguing with each other before they fully stepped onto the pavement.

One woman immediately started writing equations across a portable whiteboard while walking beside another scientist who corrected part of the formula without slowing down long enough for either of them to stop moving.

Neither acknowledged the soldiers carrying heavy crates around them.

"They haven’t slept in over thirty-six hours," Wei said after noticing where Chenghai was looking.

"That explains the social skills."

Wei snorted softly. "Those are some of the best virologists, biochemists, neurologists, and genetic researchers left in the country."

"Mm."

Wei glanced sideways at him. "That response should concern me more than it does."

Chenghai watched one of the scientists stop directly in front of the mansion gates before slowly looking upward toward the massive structure behind them. The man’s eyes lit up immediately with the kind of excitement most people reserved for religious experiences.

Ah.

There was the problem.

The scientist turned sharply toward one of the logistics officers standing nearby. "This building is ideal," he said immediately. "The square footage alone would allow centralized research coordination while maintaining separated living quarters for primary teams. The elevation gives superior sightlines and the existing reinforcement modifications suggest defensive adaptability."

"It’s occupied," Chenghai interrupted, cutting the man off before he could continue.

The scientist blinked once and finally seemed to notice the armed man standing ten feet away from him.

"Yes," he said after a short pause. "Temporarily. But I am confident that that will change."

Lingyun actually choked on air beside him.

Wei closed his eyes briefly like a man reconsidering every life choice that had led him to this exact moment.

Chenghai stared at the scientist even as the scientist stared calmly back.

He wasn’t arrogant exactly, at least Chenghai could understand that... but he was definitely detached from reality.

Like he genuinely did not understand why there would be another possible outcome besides taking the largest and most strategically valuable structure available to them.

"The primary research teams require centralized communication access," the scientist continued matter-of-factly. "This structure possesses superior insulation, defensive upgrades, independent modifications to both security and power systems, and enough internal space to comfortably support command integration. Logistically, it is objectively the correct choice."

"You analyzed all that from the driveway?"

"Yes."

"That’s concerning."

The scientist nodded once. "Thank you."

Wei rubbed one hand across his face again. "Doctor Han," he said tiredly, "you should probably stop talking now."

Doctor Han frowned slightly. "Why?"

"Because Chenghai is getting closer to throwing you through the gate."

"I am making logical observations."

"You are creating a social problem."

The scientist considered that seriously for several seconds before nodding slowly. "Ah," he said at last. "Understood."

"No," Lingyun muttered. "I really don’t think you do."

Behind them, the dead RV finally roared back to life. Several mechanics cheered loudly before black smoke exploded from beneath the hood and sprayed directly into one man’s face. The cheering stopped immediately afterward.

Chenghai took another sip of coffee while watching soldiers continue transforming the street around them.

Temporary fencing now blocked the entrance to the cul-de-sac while communications crews mounted portable signal boosters onto nearby rooftops. Several support trucks had opened along the street and the smell of actual cooked food drifted steadily through the cold air.

Lingyun looked offended by the concept itself. "They brought chefs?"

Wei looked at him like the question itself was stupid. "Of course we brought chefs."

"The apocalypse really does favor rich people."

"The scientists require proper nutrition."

"So do I."

"No one said you were important."

"Wow."

Chenghai ignored them both while his attention shifted toward several soldiers unloading refrigerated storage units from the backs of transport trucks farther down the road.

Enough food to feed hundreds.

Enough fuel to power the street for weeks.

Enough equipment to rebuild half a military base if they wanted to.

The government really had thrown everything it had left into this operation.

Interesting.

And dangerous.

Because people who invested this many resources into something rarely accepted failure quietly.

The mansion doors suddenly opened behind him.

Every nearby soldier turned automatically.

Rouxi stepped outside wearing oversized pajama pants, slippers, and one of Zhenlan’s hoodies hanging halfway off one shoulder while holding her phone loosely in one hand. Her hair was still messy from sleep and she looked exactly like someone who had been dragged unwillingly out of bed against her will.

She stopped walking.

Then blinked slowly at the sight in front of her.

Her eyes moved across the convoy, the armored transports, the soldiers, the floodlights, the satellite equipment, the military dogs, the barricades, and the scientists currently arguing beside a portable whiteboard in the middle of the street.

Then she looked toward Chenghai.

Then Wei.

Then back toward the convoy again.

Nobody spoke.

Even the scientists seemed distracted briefly.

Rouxi finally pointed vaguely toward the street. "...what the fuck happened?"

Lingyun immediately doubled over laughing as Wei Guang stared at her for several long seconds before slowly looking back toward Chenghai.

"This," he said carefully, "is the homeowner?"

"Yes."

Rouxi narrowed her eyes slightly at Wei. "You’re the reason I woke up before noon? And where is my internet?"

Wei blinked once.

Chenghai took another slow sip of coffee. "See?" he said calmly. "I told you she was serious about the internet."