The natural disaster was so violent that no one could sleep. Xiong Ji and Nan Qi were called away by their colleagues, while Jiang Xun held Little Sister on his lap and fed her breakfast.
Several unidentified objects crashed against the windows one after another. Fortunately, the glass was bulletproof and withstood every impact.
After finishing his meal, Qin Shuo started cleaning the apartment. All the household rubbish was thrown into the System’s recycling bin.
The recycling bin worked just like a computer’s recycle bin. The moment something was tossed inside, it was completely erased.
After wiping Little Treasure’s lips clean with a wet wipe, Jiang Xun lowered his head and kissed her.
He then picked up the nightdress she had changed out of and carried it into the bathroom to wash by hand.
Li Tong smiled.
“You have a washing machine, Big Brother.”
Jiang Xun shook his head.
“This is your personal clothing. Big Brother has to wash it himself so it’s more hygienic.”
There was so little fabric that it fit entirely within one of his palms. There was no need to use a washing machine.
Since all four of her big brothers were busy, Li Tong curled up on the sofa, sucking on a lollipop while watching a variety show.
Whenever the fruit and snacks on the coffee table ran out, they were immediately replenished. The men all loved fruit, so every day she filled the light blue ceramic fruit bowl with a different selection.
After Qin Shuo finished cleaning and washed his hands, he sat down beside her on the sofa, peeled a lychee, and fed it to her.
“Come sit on Big Brother’s lap while you watch.”
She slowly shuffled over and obediently settled onto his lap.
Qin Shuo ate several slices of watermelon to quench his thirst before picking up the chilled coconut juice that had already been prepared on the table and taking several large gulps.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Xiong Ji and the others had returned.
Jiang Xun reacted with astonishing speed, quickly carrying Little Sister back into the bedroom.
Qin Shuo irritably ran a hand through his short hair before resignedly getting up to answer the door.
Jin raised an eyebrow.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in for a while?”
Nan Qi waved him away.
“Go on, get lost.”
Jin laughed in exasperation.
“You’re like a territorial dog. Marking your territory already? You won’t even let me step inside.”
Nan Qi simply snorted without replying. The moment he entered the apartment, he immediately shut the door.
Xiong Ji spoke first.
“They seem to have some contact with the official authorities. Apparently, there isn’t any rescue plan, and they don’t have the ability to send aid either.”
He picked up the radio that had long been sitting on the coffee table and adjusted it several times.
Only bursts of static came through.
“Contact… bzzz… impossible… bzzz… sorry…”
Nan Qi leaned back.
“They’re pretty lucky. Their windows somehow survived last night.”
The four men sat chatting in the living room while eating fruit.
…
Inside the bedroom, Jiang Xun was taking care of Little Treasure.
Li Tong’s eyes were still glistening with tears as Jiang Xun carried her out to the sofa in a princess carry.
Xiong Ji took her into his arms, hugged her close, and showered her face with kisses.
Jiang Xun leaned against the back of the sofa, lit a cigarette, and quietly smoked.
More than ten minutes later, Li Tong finally recovered enough to use her healing ability on herself.
As Little Sister read comics on her tablet, the four men continued discussing business.
At first, Li Tong listened attentively, but after realising she couldn’t understand what they were talking about, she simply returned her attention to the comics.
Nan Qi said, “We tested the waters a little, but they brushed us off. We can’t keep pressing them about something like this.”
Qin Shuo nodded.
“Then let’s just assume they have backup.”
Jiang Xun frowned.
“Could it be that old bastard Xie Lin?”
Xie Lin was the president of the Ghost Guild. He was a retired commander from the Army Air Combat Unit and held the rank of Major General.
Because Xiong Ji was half Slavic, Xie Lin had originally intended to send him to the Kherson Raccoon Naval Infantry Elite Unit. However, Xiong Ji had firmly refused because he couldn’t bear to leave his little sister.
Xie Lin never learned the real reason, nor did he know anything about Xiong Ji’s family situation. He sighed regretfully for half a month before finally giving up.
Qin Shuo chuckled.
“That old fox is sharp as they come. In times like these, he’ll definitely centralise all the power into his own hands.”
One of Xiong Ji’s arms rested around Little Sister’s slender waist while the other gently stroked her, absentmindedly caressing her as he spoke.
“Judging from their expressions, it doesn’t seem like they’ve fully joined his side yet.”
Nan Qi nodded.
“So they wanted to test the waters with us first. If things worked out, they’d turn them down over there. If not, they’d simply go back.”
Qin Shuo laughed.
“Greedy little bastards. Eating from one bowl while eyeing another.”
He cursed them aloud, but that was simply how mercenaries operated, always trying to maximise their own interests whenever possible.
…
The five of them had grilled skewers for lunch.
Li Tong’s favourites were lamb skewers and spicy grilled quail.
Wearing disposable gloves, the four men carefully removed all the meat from the quail and placed it into a small bowl before setting it in front of their little treasure.
“Thank you, Big Brothers!”
She smiled sweetly, picked up the cumin and chilli seasoning shaker, sprinkled on an extra generous amount, and happily began eating.
They couldn’t open the windows because the smell of the food would drift outside, so Li Tong connected the Small World to a special ventilation air conditioner produced by the System. It perfectly solved the problem, allowing them to enjoy delicious meals every day without worrying about the aroma escaping.
After lunch, Li Tong went to take a bath while the four men rested as usual before heading off to work out.
She always took her time bathing.
Just as she was about to sink into the bathtub, the bathroom door suddenly opened.
Startled, Li Tong hurriedly covered herself with both hands and looked up with wide, captivating fox-like eyes at the person who had entered.