However, William Carter didn’t care how others would see him. Even if they found it strange, there was no way they could guess his real purpose.

For the past three days, William Carter hadn’t gone to school at all. The apocalypse was coming—what was the point of attending classes?

Now that the minibus had started being modified, William Carter wasn’t idle either. He kept calling his sister on his phone while searching online for all kinds of survival knowledge, including wilderness survival, basic first aid, what medicine to take for common illnesses, maps of the surrounding area, and so on.

William Carter even specifically downloaded a national map onto his tablet, so he could use it even without internet. The map marked almost every location, from small shops to major factories, from highways to rural roads—everything was crystal clear.

He even spent several hundred yuan on this map; the free map apps didn’t have this level of detail.

William Carter didn’t know how well he could prepare, but anything mentioned in the forum posts that seemed useful, as well as anything he could think of himself, he was getting ready for.

Now that he’d spent almost all his money, William Carter’s preparations were basically complete...

“Beep beep beep!”

The phone rang. William Carter quickly looked over, and when he saw the caller ID, a look of delight immediately appeared on his face.

Whenever he had a free moment, he kept calling his sister, but her phone had always been off. Now she was finally calling back!

“Hello!”

“Hello, bro, what’s so urgent? I just got off the bus. Let me tell you, this field trip was really exciting—we went to a mountain village with a cave burial tradition...”

“Olivia Carter, don’t talk right now! Listen to me first!”

William Carter interrupted his sister’s playful words and spoke loudly.

Sensing the seriousness in William Carter’s tone, Olivia Carter realized her brother must have something important to say, so she immediately stopped laughing and replied softly, “Bro, go ahead.”

But William Carter quickly calmed down again. Panic would only spread to Edward Carter. He asked, “Xiaoying, where are you right now?”

“At school. I just separated from the field trip group and the teachers, and I’m about to head back to the dorm. My phone was dead, but I charged it a bit on the bus and just turned it on. I saw the messages you left.” Although Olivia Carter was usually a bit mischievous, once she realized the seriousness of the situation, she immediately became obedient and attentive, and explained her current situation clearly and quickly.

Even though she still didn’t know why William Carter was acting this way, ever since their parents passed away, William Carter had always taken care of her. Even if she sometimes bickered with William Carter, when it really mattered, she always listened to him unconditionally and saw him as her anchor.

“Don’t go back to the dorm. Book a plane ticket and fly back immediately,” William Carter said.

“Okay, bro, hold on.” After a while, Olivia Carter’s voice came through, “Bro, there are no tickets.”

“What about tomorrow? The day after? If you have to, take a connecting flight—don’t worry about the cost,” William Carter said.

“No, there aren’t any at all,” Olivia Carter replied.

“What do you mean, none at all?” William Carter was stunned. He suddenly had a bad feeling. William Carter started typing furiously on the keyboard, opening the airline ticket website.

He searched for one city, then another, and kept searching, his heart sinking lower and lower.

All flights for the next three days were already sold out, no matter the departure or destination. The only tickets available were for after the apocalypse... This absolutely couldn’t be a coincidence.

“Bro, should I just buy one for three days later?” Olivia Carter asked.

“By then, it won’t matter anymore,” William Carter said.

Olivia Carter didn’t quite understand why being just one day late would make such a difference, but she didn’t ask. Instead, after thinking for a moment, she said, “Train! Should I try to book a train ticket?”

William Carter tapped the keyboard a couple more times, then said in a low voice, “Don’t bother. You can’t get a train ticket either.”

All train tickets for the next three days were also completely sold out.

“Bro, wait a sec, I’ll go to the bus station and ask, or maybe I can hire a car,” Olivia Carter said.

“No need!” William Carter replied.

First, he didn’t know what the situation on the roads would be. Second, even if the roads were still passable, it would take Olivia Carter more than two days to get back, and with all the trains and planes paralyzed, the chances of traffic jams were extremely high.

If she happened to get stuck on the road at that time, Olivia Carter would be doomed!

“No need,” William Carter repeated.

Olivia Carter sensed that William Carter’s tone was a bit strange, and it made her feel uneasy.

“Xiaoying, listen carefully to every word I say,” William Carter said. “Don’t go back to the dorm. Find a place with few people—a hotel, an apartment, or a rental, as long as it has good security and is a bit hidden. Then buy as much drinking water as you can, some medicine, daily necessities, and food! Charge your phone fully, and charge a dozen or more power banks, even though I don’t know if phones will still work by then... Remember, lock the door from the inside, don’t go out again, and wait for me!”