Rise of the Wasteland Chapter 2 - Lawrence Family

Chapter 2        Lawrence Family

“Does God really exist in this world?”

After Zhou Qingfeng pressed the enter key, his computer screen immediately turned into a spacetime whirlpool and he was sucked into it. He found himself standing on a quiet street once he regained consciousness. All the street signs were labeled in English, but as a foreigner, he can hardly understand any of them.

A street sign read: 200th Street, Murdoch Avenue. Zhou Qingfeng looked around as he questioned himself, “Is this really New York? Doesn't really feel like it though! I thought New York was supposed to be a metropolis. Shouldn’t there be traffic congestion and skyscrapers everywhere? These houses in front me are only two or three-storey at most. This just looks like an ordinary small town to me.” 

Zhou Qingfeng, however, realized the buildings surrounding him were not all ordinary. There was a street filled with rows of villas, and almost every household had at least two cars. The time’s probably around six to seven o’clock. If this was indeed the beginning of “Wasteland”, then it should be August right now.

Calm down, calm down. Since I’m already here, let’s take it easy!

Zhou Qingfeng took a few deep breaths, but panic was inevitable for him. Anyone will panic if he or she was suddenly thrown into a completely strange environment.

He bit his lips in an effort to rouse himself.  He then realized he was holding a note in his hand. The note read, “Young man, you now obtained the benefit of transmigrating to ‘Wasteland’. First of all, you’ve gained the Universal Language ability. You can listen, speak, read and write every mainstream language in this world with ease.

“Second, since you’ve regressed back to the age of eighteen, I will grant you a healthy and strong body. Your body will possess unlimited potential, and you can use it to overcome every problem that you’ll be facing with ease.

“Last but not the least, the development of this world will follow the plot in ‘Wasteland’. However, I do hope you’ll understand that the movie is not reality. The development of this world will change according to the effort you put into changing it.

“By the way, remember this: If you want to survive in this world which is destined to be doomed, you’ll have to constantly improve your strength. There will be a lot of enhancements hidden across the land, so go and search for them.”

The note turned into a pile of shining golden dust after Zhou Qingfeng finished reading it. The dust formed a signature, The Merciful God, before it decomposed and dispersed into the wind.

Zhou Qingfeng wore a bitter smile on his face as he thought to himself, Seems like I’m in big trouble! Although it’s eerily silent on the streets right now, the government will disappear after three days. New York will then transform into a capital of sin, full of blood and violence.

What’s even worse is that after three months when winter arrives, the vicious violence in the society will intensify. The whole city will be driven crazy while competing for necessities. The nuclear, chemical and biological weapons will then be released, and those will truly spell the end of mankind.

What should I do then? I better run for my life! Hiding in a backcountry will be the best way for me to survive.

Wait a minute, I should first gather some food and drinks, or I’ll starve to death enroute to the backcountry.

Wait wait a minute, bringing only food and drinks won’t be enough. I’ll need a car as well, else I won’t make it far with only my legs.

Wait wait wait a minute, even with food, drinks, and a car, I’ll need a weapon. The mobsters and criminals will be running rampant after the dismissal of congress. I’ll be in a disadvantage if I don't have a weapon to protect myself.

Wait wait wait wait a minute, even if I’m complete with my supplies, I’ll still need a reliable partner. Even tigers sometimes need to have a catnap. I won’t be able to survive in this chaotic world by myself. I’ll need to consider not only my loneliness during midnight, but also all the ambushes if I were to live alone.

Wait wait wait wait wait a minute, if I am to change my destiny, I can’t be always thinking about running away! It does not make any sense for me to hide like a coward.

Zhou Qingfeng once again came up with various ridiculous thoughts. He thought that the best strategy for him would be to join a strong, command-oriented organization in order to maximize his chances of survival and minimize the difficulty he will face. As he frowned, he heard someone greet him, “Hey, Victor. What are you doing here looking dazed?”

A pretty girl was carrying a huge paper bag as she walked toward Zhou Qingfeng. As far as one can tell, the food and daily necessities in her paper bag indicated that she just finished shopping at the supermarket.

Angelina Lawrence, nicknamed Angie, was a talented girl. She was fifteen years old, one point six seven meters in height and fifty-seven kilograms in weight. She had a chestnut-colored hair, blue eyes, and C-cup-sized breasts. Girls from the west were all raised well indeed!

She was the daughter of the three-person family from the movie. She was passionate, energetic, and had a great sense of curiosity. She was studying in a public high school, and had achieved outstanding academic results. She always aimed for her self-improvement, and was truly a role model for the students in the United States.

Due to the restriction of her family’s financial condition, Angie could not afford to shop or travel like those princesses from the upper-class. Thus, she focused on crafting all kinds of equipment, which turn out pretty handy by helping her father immensely during the cataclysm.

“Hi! Good evening, Angie,” Zhou Qingfeng tried to greet back. He did not know how to continue the conversation after greeting her, so he just casually asked, “Uh…. Why do you call me “Victor”? Is that my name?”

Angie’s dewy eyes instantly turned into two crescents after hearing Zhou Qingfeng’s question. She gave a hearty laugh. “Victor, of course I know your name. We’ve known each other for ages!”

“Really? We’ve known each other for ages? So my name is Victor now.” Zhou Qingfeng scratched his head as he realized that he might have a family here. He awkwardly smiled. “Sorry, I’m a bit confused right now. To be more precise, I’m lost. I can’t seem to find my way home.”

“Ha ha ha!” Zhou Qingfeng’s “joke” brought a great guffaw from Angie.

Another full-figured lady then came from behind and greeted Zhou Qingfeng, “Hi, Victor. What are you guys chatting about? My baby was definitely enjoying it.”

Rachel Connor changed her surname to Lawrence after her marriage at the age of thirty-two. She was one point seventy-five meters in height and sixty-two kilograms in weight. She was blonde, blue-eyed and had F-cup-sized breasts. She was the wife and mother in the Lawrence family, and she was a devout Catholic. 

As both a wife and a mother, she became a full-time housewife. She was not only a good cook, but was also a exceptional gardener. She had a gentle yet strong personality. However, she can point a shotgun at another person’s head if she was angry. There were several times where her husband was rescued by her from the enemies’ enclave.

“Hi, Mrs. Lawrence.“ Zhou Qingfeng had a feeling that he will be meeting up with all the important cast from the movie. “I….”

Zhou Qingfeng did not know how to explain his current situation as he thought it was too embarrassing. The woman, however, laughed calmly and said, “You can call me Rachel. Mrs. Lawrence will be too old for me”

“He he he…” Zhou Qingfeng mocked himself with laughter.

Angie then exposed Zhou Qingfeng by shouting, “Mom, Victor said he was lost. My gosh! I can’t believe he actually said he was lost.”

“Really? There’s someone who’s actually lost in front of his house?” Rachel Connor stared at Zhou Qingfeng with delight, wearing a teasing smile on her face and looking as if she was watching a skit.

In front of my house? Zhou Qingfeng looked around, but he still had no idea where his house was. His silly look made both mother and daughter laugh.

“What happened? I can hear your laughter from far away. To be honest, I’m extremely exhausted, but your laughter made me happy,” a voice said from the intersection of the road as the male protagonist of the Lawrence family finally appeared.

David Lawrence, the hero who saved the world. He was truly a masculine and handsome man. In the happy ending of the movie, it was him who conquered all the difficulties and saved countless lives from the disaster.

He was thirty-seven years old and had a height of one point eighty-seven meters. He was the forward for his school rugby team, and he got Rachel Connor pregnant in their first date. He used to serve for the 75th American Cavalry Corps, and his motto from the movie was “Indomitable, Irretrievable”.

Well, he was the heroic figure that Hollywood always tried to portray.

David was an insurance broker with an annual income of less than sixty thousand U.S. dollars. He was the only source of income for his family, and his salary was barely enough to feed his family in New York. He was a highly skilled military man, and he always had a few guns and ammunition stockpiled in his house.

When the riot occurred in the movie, this guy never hesitated to shoot the mobsters to their deaths. The Lawrence family was able to survive the cataclysm in the first three months precisely because of this reason. Zhou Qingfeng felt insignificant in front of David. He realized that saving the world was not a suitable task for everyone.

The wheels of history slowly started to turn as the important cast from the three-person family all showed up. However, Zhou Qingfeng was worried. New York will literally become hell after three days. I have no problem with the wheel of history turning, but please don’t grind me to death!

Chapter end