Opening Blind Boxes Like Crazy in the Apocalypse

[Possibly my next novel: "A Bird Raised by Hand." Blurb at the bottom. If you're interested, check out my author page!]

[No fixed update schedule. I'll post chapters as soon as they're written.]

After Jiang Shuzhou, who had left the countryside to attend college, was warned by his family to study hard and never go back to farming, he got bound to a very strange farming System.

The System's tasks require him to grow all kinds of plants, but how to complete them and what the rewards are remain unknown. It doesn't even come with a beginner's gift pack.

But Jiang Shuzhou already had a little vegetable garden on his balcony, so he figured it would be no trouble. He'd grow whatever the System wanted.

But before the vegetable seeds he'd scattered had even sprouted, the apocalypse arrived, and zombies were banging against his front door.

Jiang Shuzhou: "What the hell, did you give me the wrong golden finger?!"

But when he grumbled his way through digging a crystal core of unknown use out of a zombie's brain, the long-silent System finally spoke.

[Special plant fertilizer detected. System officially activated.]

[First mission: Successfully grow ten kinds of vegetables of your choice.]

[Mission rewards: 10 mystery boxes, 1 plant cultivation space.]

Although he had no idea what the mystery boxes from the System would contain, Jiang Shuzhou dutifully grew his vegetables.

And then...

The tomatoes he grew produced [The All-Purpose Red Potion: Dead? Dead? If you're not dead yet, even the King of Hell can bring you back].

The bok choy he grew produced [The Green-Hat-With-Maxed-Out-Combat-Power Strength-Boosting Hat].

The potatoes he grew produced [The Enhanced Potato-Tooth Landmine: Give Me Some Pressure and I'll Blow Up a Whole Building].

The cucumbers he grew produced [The Extra-Large Spiked Club: For the Ultimate Compression Experience, If You Dare to Use It].

[...]

Jiang Shuzhou: "I think something's broken in you."

When Qin Yuye first met Jiang Shuzhou, he was surrounded by a horde of zombies in all stages of decay, while Jiang Shuzhou sat on the roof of an off-road vehicle, leisurely munching on a carrot.

The second time Qin Yuye met Jiang Shuzhou, they were at the entrance to a small base. Faced with a group of ill-intentioned people, Jiang Shuzhou calmly set down the spatula he had been using to stir vegetable soup.

After the third time he met Jiang Shuzhou, Qin Yuye couldn't take it anymore. He kidnapped this hamster spirit who only cared about eating even in the apocalypse and brought him back to his team.

He'd always thought that although Jiang Shuzhou was good at fighting, he was either a hamster spirit or genuinely not right in the head. Otherwise, why would he only care about eating day after day, especially vegetables that didn't provide much energy?

That is, until Qin Yuye watched Jiang Shuzhou snap a carrot in half and pull a small rocket launcher out of it.

Qin Yuye: "?"

Reader's guide:

1. An alternate setting blending with the apocalypse. There are more than just zombies.

2. One-on-one romance, both are each other's first love.

3. This isn't a world where everyone is gay, but there is a lethal amount of gay side characters or passersby. They won't get detailed depictions, meaning no whole chapters or most of a chapter devoted to their romances. If they come up, it'll just be a brief mention. If that's not for you, please don't read.

4. The main vibe is having a great time opening bizarre mystery boxes and happily falling in love with someone who challenges his boyfriend's worldview every day. Although it's set during the apocalypse, it won't be too grim. There will be schemes and intrigues, but nothing especially dark or difficult to figure out.

5. Please be gentle if you have feedback. If I see it and can make changes, I will. If I'm not skilled enough to fix it and you can't accept that, I hope we can part on good terms. Having fun online is what matters most, mwah.

6. Personal attacks against anyone in any form are not allowed.

7. Comments won't be deleted. If yours disappears, contact customer service.

--Click here to read "A Bird Raised by Hand" and add it to your reading list--

Everyone at the Special Affairs Bureau knows that Group Leader Le of the Operations Division keeps a bird.

Ever since the bird was still an egg, Le Chuan had set up a nest for it in his office. After the egg's owner hatched, the nest was thrown into the supply room, and Group Leader Le's shoulder became the bird's regular perch.

One day, everyone was shocked to discover that the bird who was always by Le Chuan's side had vanished!

The next day, everyone was shocked again. The bird still hadn't shown up, and Le Chuan, who never liked anyone walking behind him, was letting a young man who looked like a complete rebel follow him everywhere!

It was like seeing a ghost.

*

Le Chuan found a bird's egg at a mission site. He was supposed to send it in for testing and registration, but one thing after another kept delaying it.

As time went by, he built the egg a nest at home and in his office.

As time went by, the little thing inside pecked through the shell, and he had no choice but to raise this unknown bird.

As time went by... a bird disappeared from his side, replaced by someone who looked unruly but was actually obedient and clingy: his boyfriend.

*

After the man and bird fell in love, Group Leader Le suddenly remembered professional ethics at a rather inappropriate moment, and immediately began interrogating his boyfriend about what species of bird he was.

He said,

"Cut me some slack. I still have to be responsible for my team members' safety."

Wu Zhuoyi: "..."

As expected, he got no answer.

Le Chuan sighed. "Even if it's imprinting, wouldn't the affection be directed at a whole person? Why do I get the feeling you're only obsessed with my hands? Is that a trait of your species?"

He held out one hand, and the person opposite him quickly grabbed it and pressed it against his face.

"When you were a little bird, you liked nesting in my hand all day. After you became human, you had to hold my wrist or tug on my sleeve in public, and lace your fingers with mine and press your palm against mine in private. Even at a time like this, you have to hold my hand..."

He moved his fingers in dissatisfaction. With the thumb of his other hand, he gently pressed the watery, scarlet corner of Wu Zhuoyi's eye. He didn't use any force, but the other man still let out a muffled groan.

"This is already a very gentle interrogation. Don't be so delicate." Le Chuan frowned. Under the other man's glare, he quickly gave in. "Fine, one last question. Do you like me, or do you like my hands?"

"..."

Wu Zhuoyi: "...Bastard."

*

The people at the Special Affairs Bureau were shocked yet again. After several months, Group Leader Le had shown up with his bird once more.

But the handsome, strong, well-behaved rookie who had been there recently, the one who was well-behaved just for the group leader, was nowhere to be seen.

And it seemed that something had gone wrong between Group Leader Le and the bird he raised.

So what had happened to make Group Leader Le spend the whole way there with the bird frantically flapping its wings and yanking his hair?

Theme: Helping one another and getting through hard times together.