The World Ended, But I'm Getting By with a Street Stall

Lin Xia is a young man living in the Fourth District of the Alliance, an area known as the Junkyard due to its heavy pollution and waste treatment plants. He survives by working odd jobs and cooking for himself and his companion, Chi Zheng. Their life is precarious, marked by poverty and the constant struggle to make ends meet in a deteriorating society. When a mysterious particle storm hits the region, the government warns citizens to stay indoors, claiming that exposure leads to 100% mutation in flora and fauna. Lin Xia, having been caught outside during the storm, begins to suffer from high fever, excessive sweating, and dry cough. Despite the dire warnings, Chi Zheng refuses to believe the news, insisting that Lin Xia simply has a cold. He locks Lin Xia inside their home to prevent him from leaving, displaying an intense, almost obsessive protectiveness.

As Lin Xia’s condition worsens, he experiences delirium and vivid memories of their shared past, including their time in an orphanage and their subsequent homelessness. During this feverish state, he worries about their life savings and the password to their deposit certificate. Meanwhile, Chi Zheng ventures out to find medicine, returning with a strange white pill and water. After consuming it, Lin Xia’s fever breaks, and he discovers that the emergency broadcasts have changed. The government now states that humans have a 50% mutation probability and that those who survive the initial 24-hour period may awaken new abilities. Lin Xia learns that he has not turned into a monster but has instead manifested a unique superpower: a street stall cart.

The street stall cart appears in their courtyard, identical to one they had rented for a festival. It comes with a detailed user manual that outlines its functions, including defense capabilities, storage capacity, and cooking facilities. The cart requires energy units, derived from crystal cores found in mutated organisms, to operate and upgrade. Lin Xia realizes that the cart can be upgraded through specific tasks involving gathering ingredients and preparing food. The ultimate goal is to complete a red-level upgrade task that will grant the cart a power module, making it drivable. This discovery offers them a potential escape from the dangerous Fourth District and a path to the survival bases.

Chi Zheng, who has been hiding his own anomalies, reveals that he possesses superhuman strength and combat abilities. He protects Lin Xia from mutated beasts, including a mutated tiger in a supermarket warehouse, while they gather supplies. Lin Xia uses the cart’s system to complete upgrade tasks, submitting cooked dishes for review by unknown customers. He learns that using ordinary ingredients limits his progress, but mutated beast meat yields higher ratings. As they navigate the post-apocalyptic world, they encounter other survivors, including a team led by Chen Song, who possess various abilities. The story follows Lin Xia and Chi Zheng as they strive to upgrade their cart, secure resources, and survive in a world overrun by mutations and societal collapse.