“Don’t overthink it, baby. None of that will happen, be good.”
Li Tong lay against his chest, eyes closed as she enjoyed the sense of security from her Big Brother.
His large hand gently patted her back again and again, soothing her.
Once her emotions settled, he pulled her into his arms again and kissed her.
That entire morning, Li Tong belonged to him.
At lunchtime, the two of them came out. Li Tong called for the other three, then ran ahead to the table and set out the meal.
Lunch was carrot and potato braised beef, along with fragrant steamed rice and five cups of coconut juice.
The beef had a slight spiciness, rich in flavor, and its aroma quickly filled the entire living room.
Nan Qi first served a generous portion of meat for his Little Sister before picking up his own chopsticks.
While they were eating, the rain outside grew lighter, and the sky showed a faint hint of brightness.
Qin Shuo said, “An opportunity has come. Soon, some people will choose to go out and look for supplies.”
Jiang Xun said, “I want to go out and scout the area, see what the situation is like outside.”
Hearing that he wanted to go out, Li Tong quickly swallowed her food with a gulp of coconut juice. She grabbed Jiang Xun’s sleeve, her face full of worry.
“Big Brother, don’t go out. It’s too dangerous!”
Seeing her concern, Jiang Xun felt delighted. He pulled her into his arms and settled her sideways on his lap.
“We can’t stay at home forever. If this area isn’t safe, we need to evacuate immediately.”
Xiong Ji nodded. “If we never go out for supplies, it will arouse suspicion. Being too quiet will seem abnormal.”
“Then I’ll go too! I have abilities!”
All four men spoke at once. “No.”
She tried to argue, but Jiang Xun silenced her by capturing her lips.
Xiong Ji said, “Then Jiang and I will go. You two stay and protect her.”
The other three had no objections and quietly resumed eating.
After kissing her for several minutes, Jiang Xun finally let her go. He picked up a spoon and fed her a bite, then took one himself, occasionally licking away the sauce and grains of rice from the corners of her lips.
After eating and resting for a while, the sky outside grew dimly bright. The heavy rain turned into a light drizzle, and the strong winds subsided.
The two men knew it was time, so they had her take out a pile of tools.
An inflatable boat, paddles, raincoats, and four large black plastic bags of supplies prepared earlier in the Small World.
They were going out to scout the situation. Since the system provided unlimited supplies, the things outside should be left for others as a means of survival, so they would use the prepared items as a cover.
Xiong Ji and Jiang Xun put on full black combat gear, covering their faces and carrying knives and firearms at their waists and backs.
They were large and imposing, tall and muscular, their upper arms as thick as Li Tong’s thighs. Their high-collared shirts outlined their chests and abs, making them look like two black reapers that inspired fear.
Li Tong was in low spirits, her worry written all over her face. Just as they were about to open the door, she stepped forward and held Jiang Xun’s little finger.
Jiang Xun turned, crouched down, and looked up at her, but she only lowered her head without speaking.
Xiong Ji said, “Don’t worry, baby. This is much easier than combat. Big Brother will be back soon.”
Jiang Xun hooked his finger under his face covering, bent down, and kissed her lips.
Qin Shuo pulled her into his arms. “Hurry up and go. It’s such a small matter, yet you’re dragging it out forever.”
The moment the two stepped out, everyone in the corridor turned to look at them.
Zhang Jiaqi and Niu Weiwei had attached themselves to another man, who was also holding an inflatable boat and had an arm around each of them as he came down from upstairs.
When the two girls saw them, their hearts skipped a beat.
The man holding them noticed their expressions and immediately became displeased. He cursed and threatened not to take them along this time.
Unwilling to give up either side, Zhang Jiaqi and Niu Weiwei turned and coquettishly tried to appease him after the other men had gone downstairs.
Even through their face coverings, Xiong Ji and Jiang Xun could faintly smell the sour stench in the corridor.
The residents, intimidated by their presence and attire, retreated to the walls and corners, not daring to speak. They could only watch longingly as the two men left with the boat.
The water level had already reached the seventh floor. They went to the balcony on the eighth floor, inflated the boat, and pushed it into the water outside.
By now, many people were already using various tools to travel.
As soon as they appeared, others fixed their eyes on them and followed behind.
Jiang Xun and Xiong Ji each took a paddle, rowing while scanning the surroundings.
The water was filthy and full of debris, and several bloated corpses floated on the surface.
Ordinary people could not bear such a sight. Many retched and vomited, their reactions mixed with screams.
Low buildings had all been submerged. The farther from the high-rise communities, the more corpses there were, especially near older neighborhoods.
In such a disaster, there was simply no way to escape, only to accept one’s fate.
Xiong Ji used his hands to scoop the rainwater that had collected inside the boat.
At that moment, the sky darkened again, the rain gradually intensified, and the wind picked up.
Sensing trouble, the two sped up and rowed toward a nearby building.
With their agility, they climbed up along the edge and entered in just a few moves.
Xiong Ji pulled the rope attached to the boat, hauled it up, deflated it, wrung out the water, folded it, and packed it into a compression bag slung over his shoulder.
The others were much slower. By the time they made it inside, Jiang Xun and Xiong Ji were already nowhere to be seen.
…
Held in Qin Shuo’s arms, Li Tong saw the worsening weather outside and bit her lip, her brows tightly knit with anxiety.
Qin Shuo said, “Don’t bite, baby. It’s so soft, you’ll hurt it.”
…
Xiong Ji and Jiang Xun wandered casually through the building. There were people living inside, dressed in a way that suggested they worked there.
It was an office building, so supplies were limited. Most of the food and water had already been used up or hidden by the original occupants.
At a glance, everyone could tell these two men were not ordinary, so no one dared to move or speak.
Jiang Xun scanned the crowd. Seeing their sallow faces and disheveled appearance, he understood they had reached a dead end.
Huang Le, hidden behind others, stared fixedly at the two men. She was starving, and thinking of her prestigious education, her looks, and her advantages, a different kind of thought slowly formed in her mind.