Forty-nine rules of the end times

Chapter 5: Humans are the Root of Everything
"We're prohibited from going out..."

After reading the notice, Fang Qian thought to herself that it was fortunate she had left early. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to come to Guan Tong's place by the time the notice was released.

The thought of her spending those 72 hours alone at home is terrifying.

Fang Qian then looked at Guan Tong and, seeing him frowning, asked curiously, "Guan Tong, what's wrong?"

"……fine."

Guan Tong naturally wouldn't reveal the hidden rules.

He wouldn't use such a selfish rule, nor would he spread it.

"Fang Qian, are you hungry? It's almost lunchtime."

"what…"

Fang Qian glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and realized it was already noon.

Guan Tong was fine until she mentioned it, because she actually felt a little hungry, since she usually eats lunch around this time.

"A little... but doesn't the official advice say that maintaining a feeling of hunger helps keep you alert?"

“Then just eat until you’re about 50 or 60 percent full,” Guan Tong said. “Maintaining a feeling of hunger doesn’t mean not eating. Otherwise, if you don’t fall asleep from exhaustion but instead faint from low blood sugar, wouldn’t that be putting the cart before the horse?”

Fang Qian smiled and said, "That's right, then I'll cook."

"You cook dinner, I'll take care of lunch."

After Guan Tong finished speaking, she went into the kitchen. Fang Qian's phone suddenly rang at that moment.

"Beep beep, beep beep."

A video call came in, and Fang Qian glanced at it and answered immediately. Two of her most familiar faces appeared on the screen.

"Dad, mom."

"Qianqian, how are you? Are you alright?" Fang Qian's mother asked anxiously. "I'm sorry, Mom and Dad really can't go back..."

"It's okay, Mom, I'm fine."

"Qianqian, where are you?" Fang Qian's father realized from the background wall behind his daughter that they were not at home and immediately asked.

“Dad, I…I’m at a classmate’s house right now. He’s alone too, and since official advice says that being with others helps you stay alert, I came to find him…”

“Your classmate is also home alone? That’s really good.” Fang Qian’s father nodded. “You did the right thing, Qianqian.”

"Mom and Dad, how are things over there?"

"We're at the research institute. The official departments have already convened researchers from various industries to discuss the rules of the apocalypse and how to cope with them. We're going to a meeting soon... Qianqian, you have to stay awake, okay!"

"I know, Dad. You and Mom have to hang in there too..."

After the call ended, Fang Qian's eyes were red.

She didn't know if she and her parents could make it through the 72 hours, but no matter how worried she was, there was nothing she could do but take care of herself.

However, Fang Qian felt a glimmer of hope when her parents told her on the phone that the official departments had gathered researchers from various industries to begin studying the rules of the apocalypse.

If many scientists and scholars could work together to understand the rules of the apocalypse and the nature of the fire-stealers, then perhaps everyone could be saved...

Before long, Guan Tong had prepared a simple lunch.

Two dishes: scrambled eggs with tomatoes and stir-fried eggplant with green peppers. Each person also has a small bowl of rice as their main course.

"Guan Tong, I didn't expect your cooking skills to be so good," Fang Qian said after taking a few bites. "It tastes much better than mine."

"Really? Then you can eat more after the designated time has passed."

"Okay! By the way, my parents just called and said they have received an official notice to gather professionals from various industries to study countermeasures against the rules of the apocalypse."

Guan Tong asked, "Do your parents think it will be successful?"

“They didn’t say.” Fang Qian shook her head. “I hope they do… The fire-stealer mentioned forty-nine rules for the apocalypse! If every single one is this difficult, humanity will be in a terrible state.”

“Yes.” The two finished their lunch while talking, and around 1 p.m., they both glanced at the countdown in the sky outside the window.

67: 52: 49
Although only four hours had passed since the countdown began, I was already feeling tired.

As the saying goes, spring brings drowsiness, autumn brings fatigue, and summer brings lethargy. Now it's April, the perfect time for "spring drowsiness." Moreover, most high school students have a habit of taking a nap at noon. After a morning of intense classes, they usually take a short nap at noon to restore their energy.

There is no doubt that this lunch break habit has now become a source of danger.

Fang Qian and Guan Tong decided to watch two episodes of a fast-paced TV series to pass the time during their usual lunch break of more than an hour.

Guan Tong turned on the TV, and Fang Qian suggested using a video app on her phone to cast the video, as it had a wider selection of content.

"Wait a minute, I need to sign up for a membership first," Fang Qian said.

Guan Tong guessed, "Do we still need to subscribe? I guess most platforms are offering it for free now."

"Ah...wait, it really is!"

When Fang Qian opened the app, she found that all the resources were available for free to watch, and she didn't even need to log in to an account!

"This must be something the official team did, right?" Fang Qian asked in surprise. "I saw someone in our class group saying that many games that used to cost money can now be downloaded for free."

“It must have been the authorities who instructed those content providers to do this,” Guan Tong said. “Think about it, what use is money at a time like this? Right now, what governments around the world want most is for more people to survive… After all, people are the foundation; without enough people, everything becomes meaningless.”

"I see... So everything that helps people kill time has been made available for free."

Fang Qian sighed, "Guan Tong, do you think all those billionaires these days would want to exchange their money for time? If a hundred million could buy an hour, they probably wouldn't hesitate!"

Trading money for time...

Fang Qian's casual remark stirred something in Guan Tong's heart.

I wonder if items like "Clarifying Peppermints," which help people stay alert, are tradable?
……

In the chairman's office of Jule Company building, there is a huge floor-to-ceiling window.

With a rugged face and graying temples, Liu Yuqiang stood by the window, looking down at the city.

As a large-scale conglomerate spanning multiple fields and tracks of "eating, drinking, and entertainment", Jule is one of the most well-known national enterprises in Beixing Kingdom, with very strong financial resources.

Liu Yuqiang, the chairman of Jule Group, is one of the "billionaires" Fang Qian mentioned.

His favorite feature in this office was the huge floor-to-ceiling window in front of him. Whenever he stood in front of the window, looking down over most of the city, he couldn't help but feel a surge of pride and a sense of control over everything.

But now everything has changed.

Liu Yuqiang looked up and saw a huge red countdown in the sky, changing regardless of anyone's will.

Looking at it, Liu Yuqiang felt a deep sense of frustration.

He could look down on the city, but he himself was also "looked down upon" by the countdown.

This countdown, and the "fire-stealer" behind it, are the truly superior beings who look down upon everything.

It could even be described as "god".

Liu Yuqiang, known for his daring and hard work, once went two days without eating and even slept with his phone in hand, setting an alarm every hour just to check if any clients had sent him messages.

His relentless work ethic not only enabled him to build the Jule business empire before he was even fifty, but also earned him the title of "Iron Man Entrepreneur" in the business world, and other entrepreneurs would express their sincere admiration whenever they mentioned him.

Even Liu Yuqiang, known as the "Iron Man," felt a deep sense of powerlessness as he looked up at the countdown in the sky.

Could it be that after a lifetime of hard work, finally building a successful business and just looking forward to expanding its territory in the business world, all that effort is wasted because of this ultimate black swan event?
Liu Yuqiang clenched his fists in resentment. Just then, he suddenly heard a short "buzzing" sound, which came from his cell phone on the table.

His phone was for personal use, not for business, and very few people knew his number. Moreover, the two short and one long vibration sounds were the exclusive notification sound of a special software within a small circle.

Liu Yuqiang walked to the table, picked up his phone, and after just one glance, his pupils contracted and he held his breath.

The information was short, but astonishing.

"I will tell you all a clever way to pass the first rule of the apocalypse. Note that this method is top secret! It must never be revealed to anyone other than your immediate family!"

(End of this chapter)