Edge of the Apocalypse

Chapter 65: Chapter 61: Pig Feed (Incorrect), Energy Brick (Correct)

The second day of the third apocalypse.

「6:30 AM.」

Zhao Wenjie woke up early and searched all over apartment 501, but he couldn’t find so much as a single grain of rice.

"Damn! How is there not a single scrap of food in 501!"

He ended up just boiling a kettle of water.

Then, Qiao Ping emerged from Yan Yikai’s room, still in her pajamas.

Zhao Wenjie: "?"

He pointed at the two of them, a shocked look on his face.

Yan Yikai’s face flushed. "Auntie Qiao was in my room all night watching over her daughter... She ended up crying herself to sleep and didn’t wake up until now."

Qiao Ping’s face was pale. She clutched her stomach, her brow furrowed slightly.

"Auntie Qiao? What’s wrong?"

"I haven’t eaten in a while, I think. My stomach feels a bit upset..."

She had been too heartbroken to eat last night, and by this morning, she could barely stand it. She was pregnant, after all.

Hearing this, Zhao Wenjie grew anxious.

"Damn it! There’s nothing in this apartment. Did those people deliberately take all the food?"

Qiao Ping glanced around the room. "There’s a layer of dust on all the furniture. It looks like this place has been empty for a while... After a tenant moves out, property management cleans out any leftover food so it doesn’t get moldy or attract pests."

The others gradually emerged from their rooms. Seeing that apartment 501 had nothing but water, their stomachs began to rumble with hunger.

Just then, Yu Dong and his team opened the door and walked right in.

Zhao Wenjie said irritably, "If you want us to fight zombies, you should at least give us some food first. We can hold out for a bit, but you can’t expect a pregnant woman to go hungry, can you?"

"Hey, we brought you something to eat."

Huang Zhiqiang came forward from the back, carrying several earthy-yellow ’bricks,’ and set them down in the kitchen.

"These are Energy Bricks, special apocalypse rations from the food science department at Yanhai University. Eat up."

"Energy Bricks?"

Everyone was baffled. Only the old lady, who had once raised pigs, scoffed.

"What the hell is this stuff? It looks like it’s made from pig feed!"

Yu Dong looked over at the old lady, noticing her mental state had improved considerably. She wasn’t screaming or throwing a fit today, but she still kept her distance from everyone else, a clear outsider.

After hearing her remark, the others also eyed the drab, yellowish ’brick’ with suspicion. It didn’t fit their definition of food at all.

Yan Yikai thought for a moment before saying, "It’s kind of like... an oversized ration bar?"

Huang Zhiqiang gave him a thumbs-up.

"Kai, you’re sharp. These Energy Bricks are basically special-issue apocalypse ration bars. They’re made of a mix of nutrients—carbs, protein, fat, vitamins, and dietary fiber—all perfectly balanced for the human body’s needs. Eating one is like having a full meal with meat, rice, and vegetables. You can steam them to eat, or if you’re in a hurry, you can just soak them in hot water."

"It’s a new product developed personally by a well-known academic prodigy from Yanhai University. This is what we’re having for breakfast."

With that, Huang Zhiqiang pointed to Yang Yi, who was standing off to the side.

"You. Go steam these."

"Me?"

Yang Yi’s mouth fell open in surprise. "I... I don’t know how to cook..."

Yang Yi was pretty, with fair, delicate skin, and she knew how to dress. It was hard for a girl her age not to be attractive.

She had plenty of simps chasing after her, and in the end, she’d chosen the slender Zhao Wenjie, who was handsome and knew how to take care of her. She was used to having things handed to her on a silver platter and being waited on hand and foot. She even made Zhao Wenjie do all the work in bed. She’d never been ordered around like this in her life.

Seeing the hostile look Yu Dong was giving Yang Yi, Zhao Wenjie quickly took the Energy Bricks from him.

"I’ll do the cooking, I know how. You just go sit on the couch, babe."

Since someone else had stepped up, Yu Dong didn’t press the issue.

Soon, the steamed ’bricks’ were served.

Zhao Wenjie sliced the bricks into pieces, like slices of bread, and set them on the table.

At first glance, they looked like slices of cornbread and actually seemed quite appetizing.

They gave off a faint, pleasant aroma of grain and milk, with no off-putting odors.

Seeing the others hesitate, Yu Dong didn’t wait. He simply picked up a slice and put it in his mouth.

He chewed, swallowed... and nodded in satisfaction.

"Not bad. A bit tastier than I expected."

Zhao Youcai chuckled. "I personally supervised the quality. I guarantee it’s good."

The others followed suit, picking up the slices and starting to eat. Even the old lady, without realizing it, came over, grabbed a few pieces, and went to sit off to the side to eat.

Qiao Ping: "It’s a little chewy, like a croissant."

Yan Yikai: "This is softer, but there’s a fibrous texture... It’s more like a slice of whole-wheat milk bread."

Zhao Wenjie, finding it quite good, offered a piece to Yang Yi, who waved it away in disgust.

"You guys go ahead and eat. I’m not hungry."

"Just have a little, babe. You’ll have no energy if you’re hungry."

Yang Yi ignored him, pulling out her phone to scroll through Xiaohongshu.

But when she found the internet was down, she sat on the couch and started to sulk.

’After they clear out all the zombies, I’ll go find something good to eat.’

’This drab, yellowish stuff is no different from pig feed. Whoever wants to eat it can have it.’

’I’m absolutely not taking a single bite!’

Having been hungry for at least twelve hours, the group ate six of the large ’bricks’ and all felt full.

Yu Dong was pleased to see the results.

This was because, right after his rebirth, Zhao Youcai had suggested buying huge quantities of cheap pig feed to hand out to survivors they might encounter.

Yu Dong had given him a quick science lesson on the matter.

"’First of all,’ Yu Dong had explained, ’that’s a meme other people can joke about. Netizens who don’t know any better might treat it as gospel because they lack the technical knowledge, but "surviving on pig feed" isn’t something a food science student should ever suggest seriously.’"

"’Pigs eat raw food, but humans eat cooked food. Pig feed is formulated for a pig’s digestive system, not a person’s. Eating it long-term would cause severe damage to the gastrointestinal tract.’"

"’Second, pig feed is designed for rapid weight gain before slaughter, so it’s high in protein and carbohydrates but deficient in vitamins and calcium. That can easily lead to scurvy and osteoporosis, to say nothing of the veterinary antibiotics and dewormers that are commonly mixed in.’"

"’And finally... making other people eat pig feed while we eat rice, flour, and canned goods is, frankly, an insult. We’re all human, and even the people we rescue deserve to have their dignity.’"

"’But your core idea is a good one. We can mass-produce some low-cost, emergency apocalypse rations to supplement our regular food supply. It would only take a small portion of our funds, and we wouldn’t feel the pinch when we hand them out.’"

And so, the Energy Brick was born.

Yu Dong wrote up a new formula for Zhao Youcai.

The formula used high-protein soybean meal, supplemented with dirt-cheap wheat bran and old corn flour. These were mixed in specific proportions with powdered milk, salt, and crushed multivitamin tablets, then blended with lard and water. The mixture was sterilized at a high temperature, a small amount of preservative was added, and it was finally machine-pressed into bricks.

By pulling some strings at a feed mill, they could have it shipped out by the ton.

The cost per ton was only 2,300 yuan. Zhao Youcai ordered 10 tons, spending only 23,000 yuan.

This way, it was a solution that was both practical and dignified.

They were giving people custom-made apocalypse rations, not pig feed.

Yu Dong believed that in the apocalypse, mental health was extremely important.

After everyone had eaten their fill, Yu Dong began to rally the troops.

"Today, we’re going to start clearing the zombies out of Building One. The hallways are narrow, so we can’t all squeeze in there. A smaller group will be enough. Any volunteers to come with us and kill some zombies?"

Yan Yikai raised his hand first, followed by Zhao Wenjie after a moment’s hesitation.

Qiao Ping gave an apologetic smile, unable to join. Yang Yi continued to slack off.

The old lady craned her neck and yelled, "You have to find my son today! You’re the ones who lost him, so it’s your responsibility! If you don’t, I’ll kill myself!"

But that was all she said today.

Of course, Huang Zhiqiang and Zhao Youcai had to go; Yu Dong wanted to train the two of them.

Zhou was a bit of a coward, so he was tasked with carrying the tools at the rear.

"Let me do some recon first..."

WHIRRR~

Liu Ye’ye’s drone flew out the window and began scanning all of Building One.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!