Ying Ran held the key and walked to the neighboring dorm 619, inserting it into the lock and turning it to open the door.
Dorm 619 did not have its lights on, and they could only see that the inside was dim.
The two of them quickly stepped inside, then closed the door.
Earlier, they had been worried that Liu Huan might have died in the dorm.
Now they were even more afraid that dorm 619 might actually be raising a zombie.
Just like what Wu Zhenyi from dorm 620 had angrily said the night before.
The curtains in dorm 619 were tightly drawn, and no one could be seen inside.
“Liu Huan? Are you there?” Ying Ran lowered her voice and called into the room, but there was no response.
She exchanged a glance with Luo Mushi, then the two of them walked further in to check.
Dorm 619 was a four person dorm, but now only Liu Huan lived there, and they did not know which bed she used.
However, when Ying Ran saw a pair of slippers placed under one of the ladders, she hesitated for a moment before taking off her shoes and climbing up.
She pulled open the curtain on the left bed and found no one.
Then she pulled open the curtain on the right, and saw a lump bulging under the flattened blanket.
“Liu Huan? Liu Huan!” Ying Ran called out twice, then pulled the curtain aside and patted her leg, but there was still no response.
Ying Ran quickly called Luo Mushi up and discussed what they should do.
If Liu Huan had died, what should they do.
And if Liu Huan had not died, but was barely clinging to life, what should they do.
Luo Mushi scratched her head. “I think… we’ve at least fulfilled our duty to help. Even if she turns into a ghost, she shouldn’t come after us for revenge, right?”
Ying Ran felt troubled. “Then what do we do with the body?”
From the looks of it, the school would not be able to spare manpower anytime soon. If a student died in the dorm, were they just supposed to let the body rot and stink inside?
They simply could not imagine such a horrifying scene.
“S-save… me…” A weak voice suddenly came from the bed. Liu Huan must have heard the movement outside.
So Liu Huan was not dead yet.
Since she could still speak, it meant the situation was not as bad as they had imagined.
The two of them let out a sigh of relief.
“I’ll check her condition. If we need anything, I’ll call you,” Ying Ran said, dividing the tasks with Luo Mushi.
She pulled open the curtain and climbed onto the bed, immediately feeling the stifling heat inside.
She reached out and touched Liu Huan’s forehead, and as expected, it was very hot.
Comparing it to her roommates’ fevers this morning, Liu Huan’s temperature was probably even higher than theirs.
“Mushi, call Ah Wei and have her pass a thermometer over from the balcony. Then check if the supplies just delivered by the drone to 619 include fever medicine and alcohol,” Ying Ran said, sticking her head out from the bed curtain.
Luo Mushi nodded, quickly called Chen Jianwei, then went out to the balcony of 619.
The balconies of Room 618 and 619 were separated by just a wall. Chen Jianwei passed the thermometer over from 618, and Luo Mushi received it from the other side.
Looking at the supplies the drone had just placed on the balcony of 619, one bag contained edible items like instant noodles and biscuits, while another smaller bag contained medicine.
The medicine for each dorm was strictly allocated according to the number of residents. Perhaps because Ying Ran had reported the situation of Lan 2-619 to Auntie Lian, the small bag contained two cut fever-reducing tablets, two packs of flu medicine granules, and half a bottle of alcohol.
Luo Mushi carried the thermometer and the bag back inside.
Ying Ran took the thermometer and measured Liu Huan’s temperature, then climbed down from the bed, took Liu Huan’s cup from the desk, poured a cup of warm water, and fed her the fever medicine along with the water.
After ten minutes, she took out the thermometer and checked, 39.3°C.
Although she had been mentally prepared, Ying Ran was still stunned.
With such a high fever, under normal circumstances, she would have already been sent to the emergency room.
“Ranran, how is she?” Luo Mushi stood on tiptoe below and asked.
“39.3°C. Take my phone and tell Dorm Manager Auntie about this,” Ying Ran said, unsure how effective the fever medicine would be. They had somehow taken on this troublesome situation by accident, and it really felt unlucky.
Liu Huan had already woken up earlier, but she did not seem to have much energy.
Ying Ran felt that with such a high fever, many of Liu Huan’s functions were probably affected.
They had been talking for quite a while, but Liu Huan might not have heard any of it.
Ying Ran grumbled inwardly, then used alcohol to dampen a towel and placed it over Liu Huan’s forehead.
After finishing all this, Ying Ran climbed down from the bed.
“Ranran, how is she?” Luo Mushi asked again, looking up eagerly. This was already the countless time she had asked.
Ying Ran simply spread her hands, saying that they had already done everything they could.
After all, they were not doctors, and they did not know exactly what Liu Huan’s condition was.
Now Liu Huan had taken fever medicine and had alcohol cooling applied. If her fever still did not go down, there was nothing more they could do.
Ying Ran reported the situation again to Auntie Lian, saying that if possible, it would be better to send Liu Huan to the hospital. They could not just let her fend for herself in the dorm.
Auntie Lian still did not reply.
“Ah Wei said the porridge is ready, and the green beans are cooked too. Should we go back first?” Luo Mushi checked her phone and asked Ying Ran.
“Let’s go back first,” Ying Ran nodded.
After all, Room 618 and 619 were right next to each other. They stepped out of dorm 619 and immediately returned to their own dorm.
Chen Jianwei’s cooking skills were excellent. As soon as they entered, they could smell the fragrance of stir fried food.
The green beans had turned a light brown from the soy sauce after being cooked, looking especially appetizing on the white plate.
Duan Minmin leaned over, took a deep breath, and revealed a satisfied expression.
It smelled amazing, very appetizing.
“You’re back. Come drink some porridge,” Chen Jianwei called out with a smile from the bathroom as she washed dishes.
After placing the freshly stir fried green beans on the shared table, everyone took their bowls, scooped up hot white porridge, moved their chairs over, and sat around the table, happily eating together.
In this apocalyptic world where zombies had appeared, being able to sit in a quiet room and drink a bowl of porridge felt deeply satisfying.
Chen Jianwei also asked Ying Ran and Luo Mushi about Liu Huan’s condition next door.
Luo Mushi shook her head vigorously with a frown, making them think Liu Huan had already died.
Ying Ran picked out the key points and explained. For now, there was nothing they could do, and it depended on how Auntie Lian would handle it.
They were just ordinary students, there was only so much they could do.
“Alright then,” Chen Jianwei nodded helplessly after hearing this and took another sip of porridge.
After finishing the porridge, they each washed their bowls and prepared to take showers. Just then, Ying Ran said that Liu Huan had accepted her friend request.
Liu Huan must have gradually regained some energy, as she sent Ying Ran a message.
[619 Liu Huan: Thank you for saving me]
[619 Liu Huan: I’m really very grateful to you]
“That’s nothing, just a small favor,” Ying Ran replied, then asked how Liu Huan was feeling now.
Liu Huan said she was still a bit dizzy, but she had regained some strength.
She said that this morning she had no strength at all, her whole body ached, her vision blurred and her ears rang. She did not even have the strength to try calling for help.
She had almost thought she would die there.
Ying Ran grumbled inwardly. Fortunately, Liu Huan had not died, otherwise they would not want to deal with a corpse, nor stay in a space separated from a corpse by just a wall.
Even though the apocalypse had arrived, they still could not fully accept the reality of people dying so frequently in such a short time.
It was simply that reality had become too insane.
“Why don’t you ask Liu Huan if she wants some porridge?” Duan Minmin looked awkwardly at the remaining half bowl of porridge, then saw Ying Ran chatting with Liu Huan and suggested.
Chen Jianwei blinked, hesitant to speak. “Such a small bowl of porridge, it doesn’t really look good to give it to someone else.”
But Ying Ran’s hands moved faster than her thoughts, and she had already sent the message.
She immediately felt annoyed.
In the apocalypse, one rule of survival was to keep one’s resources hidden, especially food and water.
Even though they were classmates, in such a world, the line between humans and monsters was no longer clear.
Even if they had a chance to form an alliance with Liu Huan in the future, that would be a matter for later.
But since the message had already been sent, she thought this could also be considered a gesture of goodwill and an attempt to make contact.
If they could form an alliance with the neighboring dorms, it would at least increase their chances of survival.
In the apocalypse, humans were both potential competitors for resources and possible allies who could help each other.
Just like in their dorm, aside from having lived together for a year, it was also because they trusted each other.
Soon, Liu Huan expressed her thanks. After a moment, they heard a light knock on the door outside.
Ying Ran went to open it and saw Liu Huan standing outside, slightly hunched and cautious. When the door opened, she stepped inside.
“Thank you all so much,” Liu Huan said as she entered, taking out a large pack of instant noodles from her bulging pocket. “I don’t have anything good to repay you with, so please take this pack of instant noodles.”
Liu Huan was very considerate, which made them even more certain that forming an alliance with her was a good idea.
At least she would not secretly try to take advantage of her allies.
And they were not the kind of people who liked to take advantage of others either, especially in a natural disaster where resources were scarce.
Ying Ran quickly stopped her. “We already said it was just a small favor. If you keep being so polite, we won’t even dare to ask you to form an alliance.”
At the mention of forming an alliance, Liu Huan visibly smiled. “Then I hope we have a pleasant alliance.”
After confirming the alliance with Liu Huan, they created a new group chat.
The four members of Room 618, along with their new ally Liu Huan, all joined the group.
This would make future communication more convenient.
They then began discussing matters related to the alliance.
Ying Ran proposed a “mutual assistance” alliance that would not involve conflicts of interest.
First, they were all players of the “Farm Game,” which meant that through the game, they at least had a channel for obtaining supplies.
And just now, by purchasing green beans from the [Market] in the game, they had confirmed that this channel was reliable.
Second, they would help each other without harming each other’s interests.
For example, situations like this sudden outbreak of severe flu, or other uncertain dangers that might arise in the future.
At the very least, having one more friend was better than having one more enemy.
Then, they would promise not to steal each other’s crops.
Because their dorms were so close, once the crops in their farms matured, they could basically receive notifications about each other.
“Then why don’t we steal from each other?” Duan Minmin thought for a moment and suddenly asked, “The experience points from stealing others’ crops are higher than harvesting your own. If our two dorms steal from each other, we could take advantage of the game mechanics.”