Gu Xiaomai decided to go ask the locals.
Seeing Jiang Chen’an and Yumi basking in the sun, she shuffled over and asked quietly, “Chen-ge, Brother Yumi, do you know what I need to do if I want to take a shower?”
Yumi opened his eyes, looking confused. “Why aren’t you going with those four women to the next camp?”
“What do you mean? They already went to shower?” Gu Xiaomai’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Jiang Chen’an also opened his eyes.
Yumi said, “Yeah. This morning Wan Chuncui asked Mi Tang, and Mi Tang said they could go during the soldiers’ training time. It costs 20 points per person. So they all went. Quite a few men went too. They should be back soon.”
Now she understood. Those four had left while she was out training—no wonder she didn’t see them when she returned.
As they were talking, the people who had gone to the camp showers returned looking refreshed.
Gu Xiaomai immediately went into the tent to ask the others about the process—what to bring, how it worked, everything.
When she came back out, she asked the two of them, “Are you going? I’m going.”
Yumi shook his head. His identity card had zero points left.
Jiang Chen’an stood up. “I’ll go. I’ll take Yumi with me.”
Yumi followed quickly, jumping up to hook his arm around Jiang Chen’an’s neck. “Chen-ge, are you paying for me? You’re amazing!”
Jiang Chen’an smiled faintly. “I just don’t want to live next to someone this dirty.”
The three of them walked toward the south gate of E4 camp. After explaining their identities and purpose to the guards, they were let in.
One of the guards led them inside. “This way. This is the south gate—you can use the north gate next time, it’s closer. Don’t look around or wander inside. Some areas are classified, and you can be shot on sight if you’re found trespassing.”
“Got it.” The three of them responded obediently. They were just here to shower and wouldn’t cause trouble.
Gu Xiaomai kept her gaze forward, but from the corner of her eye she could still see rows of tents on both sides—identical bright yellow ones like theirs, clearly used for accommodation.
Passing through the residential area, they reached a row of orange tents on the right. People were moving in and out; it looked like an office or administrative zone.
Gu Xiaomai even spotted Jiao Yang in one of them—so that should be the logistics area.
On the left was a large purple-red metal building. From the color, it looked like the same material as the manual seed planter.
The door was tightly shut; she had no idea what it was for.
After walking a long distance, they arrived at a smaller purple-red metal building with the word “Bathhouse” written on it.
The left side was the men’s bathhouse, the right side the women’s. In the middle wall were several small devices.
“This is a deduction scanner. Place your ID card on it—it will deduct 20 points, then issue a shower control card. That card is the key to activate the shower. You’ll understand how to use it once you go in.”
The guard pointed them toward the exit and left.
Gu Xiaomai understood immediately. It was basically like transferring money from a bank card to a meal card and then using it to buy food.
She placed her identity card on the scanner.
“Insufficient balance.”
A bucket of cold water seemed to pour over her hopes.
She had nothing except the clothes on her back and her ID card—she should’ve expected this, but she still held onto a sliver of hope.
Good thing she had come with Jiang Chen’an and Yumi.
She put away her card and turned around, looking pitifully at Jiang Chen’an.
“Chen-ge~”
“Ugh—” Yumi got goosebumps instantly.
“Cough. Speak normally.” Jiang Chen’an also looked uncomfortable.
“Oh.” She immediately returned to normal. Even she wasn’t used to how she just sounded. “Can you help me get a shower card? I’ll pay you back later.”
Jiang Chen’an operated the scanner. It spat out three cards—one for each of them.
Gu Xiaomai took hers, smiling brightly. “Thank you, rich boss Jiang.”
Yumi followed. “Thank you, rich boss Jiang.”
Jiang Chen’an gave them both a glance. “Hurry up.”
The three of them entered the bathhouse separately.
After inserting the control card, a shower activated—but what came down didn’t look like water. It was some kind of substance with a strong chemical smell.
Following Liu Ju and the others’ instructions, Gu Xiaomai quickly washed her dirty clothes and socks, then washed her hair and body.
If not for the fact that the itching was gone and her hair felt clean, she would’ve thought she hadn’t washed at all.
Still, the ability to put her clothes back on immediately afterward was very convenient.
When she came out, she thought she might finally see their real faces—but they were still dirty.
“You two didn’t wash your faces?”
Yumi replied, “We did.”
“Then why are your faces still dirty?” she asked, confused.
How could someone wash without washing their face? That was the first thing she did.
Yumi scratched his head. “Uh… it doesn’t come off.”
“What do you mean?” she didn’t understand.
She felt perfectly clean.
But Yumi looked evasive, and Jiang Chen’an stayed silent.
She muttered internally but didn’t press further.
The three of them left the camp through the north gate and wandered around the perimeter.
“Little Xiaomai, are you feeling better? Your face doesn’t look so pale anymore,” Yumi said.
“I am better than when I first arrived,” she nodded, touching her face. “What do you mean by not so pale? Did I get darker?”
“No, no,” Yumi said quickly. “How do I put it…”
He turned to Jiang Chen’an for help.
Jiang Chen’an explained, “He means your complexion isn’t as pale or sickly anymore. Your cheeks have color now—you look healthier.”
Yumi nodded vigorously. “Right, right! And these past few days, everyone’s been tired, so progress slowed down. But you’re still keeping up your work pace from before—and you even look more energetic.”
Gu Xiaomai thought about it and realized it was true.
After a night of rest, others didn’t fully recover. But she… thanks to her body’s strange “recovery” ability and expanding “blood pool,” she woke up fully refreshed every day.
Compared to everyone else, her condition was clearly much better.
Another relaxed day passed.
That night, after Gu Xiaomai fell asleep, the rough little bead inside her body released its liquid again. But this time, instead of entering her bone marrow, it returned to the bead itself, spreading outward like a web and wrapping around it completely.
Then the web began to dissolve into mist, and the bead disappeared inside it.
When it reappeared, its surface was noticeably less rough than before.
The next day, just before dawn, someone from the camp arrived and woke Mi Tang, giving him instructions before leaving.
Mi Tang went from tent to tent waking everyone.
Knowing something important was happening, no one dared delay. They quickly got dressed and rushed outside.
Gu Xiaomai ran to Jiang Chen’an and Yumi.
“Good morning, brothers.”
Yumi yawned. “Morning, little Xiaomai.”
Jiang Chen’an looked more alert and nodded.
Mi Tang spoke once everyone gathered. “The mutated creatures on the south side of Mountain 1 have been cleared. Today we’ll go with the camp personnel to harvest purified plants. Each group will receive a detector. Go collect it from me, then grab your gathering tools. We’ll depart immediately.”
Excitement spread through the group.
But after the initial buzz faded, anxiety crept in.
“What if we run into mutated creatures?”
“Didn’t Mi Tang say they were cleared?”
“Mutated plants might be gone, but mutated animals move around…”
“If we run into them, just scream for help and hope the soldiers arrive in time…”
The group returned to their tents to prepare.
Gu Xiaomai didn’t know what to bring, so she asked Yumi.
“Bring anything you think might be useful, plus nutrient solution and a day’s water,” Yumi said quickly.
He packed efficiently in their tent, grabbing tools, water, axes, and machetes, and split nutrient solutions between them.
Soon they were ready.
Gu Xiaomai also brought all her usable tools and even carried her hoe as a weapon.
They then met up and headed out with the rest of the team.
They followed Mi Tang north along the edge of E4 camp, then west to the north gate, where they met a large group led by Jiao Yang.
It was a massive formation—she couldn’t even see the end of it, and even spotted injured soldiers with bandaged arms.
Together, the two groups headed toward Mountain 1.
Before entering, they crossed a wide metal bridge over a river—the same metallic material as the camp walls and ground.
Then they reached the southern base of the mountain.
Each group was assigned a starting point and a return time, then they began searching for purified plants up the mountain.
Jiang Chen’an demonstrated the detector.
“Insert the probe into the plant. If the yellow light turns on, it’s a normal plant. If it’s green, it’s a purified plant. Got it?”
Both nodded.
Gu Xiaomai asked, “What about mutated plants? Red light?”
The two of them looked at her.
Jiang Chen’an said, “You won’t even get close enough to see it.”
Gu Xiaomai blinked. “Why?”
Jiang Chen’an replied, “Because if you can see it, it means you’re already too close to be safe.”