Ch54 - Rescue, Refugee Shelter
"Mmm! So delicious!"
A meatball vanished into his mouth, and Meng Ci's eyes narrowed in bliss.
On such a cold day, enjoying a steaming hotpot was truly wonderful.
Meng Ci had also cooked rice on the stove, so there was no worry about going hungry.
He brought over the rice pot with its crispy crust, split it down the middle, and gave each of them half.
The golden crust crackled and crunched in their mouths.
Meng Ci felt a surge of satisfaction at his culinary skills once more.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
"Squeak~"
The alarm and knocking sounded simultaneously. Meng Ci and Shen Que exchanged a glance, both grabbing knives as they cautiously approached the door.
Deng Yang arrived with two others in tow. Spotting Shen Que and Meng Ci, he flashed a sycophantic grin.
"Gentlemen, this is the Li Ping you sought."
Li Ping was likely already lifeless, her head drooping. Deng Yang grabbed her hair without mercy, forcing her head up so the others could confirm her identity.
"She's already gone. I brought her specifically for you to see."
Li Ping's body showed no intact part, her legs seemingly broken and contorted in an unnatural position on the ground.
Meng Ci nodded. "Good work."
"Our debts are settled now. As long as you don't bother us, we can coexist peacefully. Otherwise, you know the consequences."
Deng Yang nodded hastily, then directed the two men he'd brought to toss Li Ping out the nearby window.
Soon, Li Ping's body was swept away by the floodwaters.
No sooner had Deng Yang and his men departed than Zhang
Mingtian and Liu Jie reappeared.
Meng Ci and Shen Que understood why Zhang Mingtian's group hadn't intervened during their clash with Deng Yang.
After all, in such chaotic times, self-preservation was the wise choice.
"Hey, guys!"
Zhang Mingtian placed a bag he was carrying in front of the iron gate.
"This is soil I gathered over the past two days from unoccupied rooms downstairs. Here, take some!"
"And!" Zhang Mingtian frowned at Liu Jie beside him. "Bring the stuff over!"
"Ah, oh!" Liu Jie set the cardboard box he was holding down on the ground and proactively opened it.
"Xiao Ci, I found these flower pots. You can use them to grow vegetables!"
"Xiao Ci, do you need help planting the vegetables?"
"Xiao Ci..."
Liu Jie tried to say more, but Zhang Mingtian cut him off.
"Well then, two big brothers, we'll be on our way!"
Meng Ci watched Liu Jie's retreating figure, thinking that with Li Shanyang, Zhang Lu, and Li Xiaoya-three enemies-already dead, only Liu Jie remained.
This guy had been acting crazy these past few days, spouting nonsense for no reason.
Better to deal with him quickly before he causes more trouble.
After bringing in the soil and flowerpot Zhang Mingtian had brought, Meng Ci sighed again, thinking how foolish he could be sometimes.
Others had thought to look for flowerpots, yet he'd gone out digging soil!
And after all that digging, he hadn't gathered nearly as much as others had scavenged.
It was truly heartbreaking.
Meng Ci declined Shen Que's help and carried the flowerpot and soil out to the balcony.
Besides two vegetable-growing pots, the balcony also held an iron basin burning coal.
Though temperatures had dropped these past two days, Meng Ci hadn't used the fire for warmth-after all, the impending blizzard was the real threat.
Overnight, temperatures plummeted from above freezing to minus twenty degrees Celsius. Many caught off guard perished in their sleep.
However, coal emitted a strong odor. Meng Ci had previously found an online method: first burn some coal outdoors.
Once the coal smell dissipates, transfer it into a sealed iron drum to extinguish the embers. This would reduce the odor when reused later.
Meng Ci found an iron basin, placed some soil at the bottom, and set the burning coal on the balcony.
Conveniently, vegetables were growing on the balcony. The heat from the coal helped the seeds germinate better-a two-for-one benefit.
Meng Ci arranged flower pots around the iron basin in a circle, filled them with soil, and watered them enough to plant the seeds.
He saved some soil to test in his storage space.
Plucking a few vegetable leaves, Meng Ci closed the door between the balcony and the living room tightly before entering to feed the little rabbits.
The female rabbit's belly was already quite large; it was unclear when she would give birth.
Heading to the equipment storage room, Meng Ci ran for half an hour. Following Shen Que's earlier instructions, he practiced some boxing for a while, brought the soil into his
spatial pocket to plant vegetables, and only emerged after taking a hot shower.
After several days of careful saving, Meng Ci had accumulated twenty hours.
The next morning, he was again roused by the loudspeaker and people's startled cries.
"Attention all residents, attention all residents."
"The refugee settlement is now complete. The refugee settlement is now complete. Those going should pack their belongings. Departure is in one hour."
"Those choosing to remain may register here for food rations. Government forces will cease all future food deliveries."
Hearing this, Meng Ci bolted upright in bed.
What? A refugee settlement?
This only reinforced his belief that others had also been reborn into this world.
Meng Ci was even less inclined to go. If his spatial pocket were discovered, he'd be doomed beyond redemption.
Whether these people left or not was of little concern to Meng Ci. He rolled over, grabbed his phone, and checked the time.
It was precisely the fiftieth day of the apocalypse, and this torrential rain would persist for another thirty days.
On the eightieth day of the apocalypse, the rain would pause briefly for one day. Just as people began to feel excited by the respite, acid rain would silently fall.
Nearly ten days of acid rain corroded and collapsed many buildings.
But the structures at Jinshang Jiayuan were sturdy, withstanding both the torrential rain and the acid rain.
So staying here was safe.
Meng Ci suddenly thought of his neighbor, Shen Que. He wondered if Shen Que would leave.
Ah, never mind!
If he leaves, he leaves!
Fine by him. With him gone, he'd be the only one left on the seventeenth floor. Then he could eat to his heart's content without worrying about being discovered.
But by now, Meng Ci was wide awake and got up!
He cooked a pot of congee, made two oil-fried pastries, and stir-fried some shredded potatoes.
After eating, Meng Ci crouched on the balcony, loosening the soil in the flower pots while watching below.
Few people were collecting food rations. Most residents were grabbing their luggage and rushing eagerly toward the boats.
"Squeak~"
The alarm outside sounded again. Meng Ci shook the soil off his hands, wiped them clean with a paper towel, then went out to open the door.
Outside the iron gate stood Zhang Mingtian, a large bag placed on the ground.
"Brother, are you heading to the refugee settlement?"
Meng Ci shook his head. "No."
"Life in a group, with meals and everything so tightly scheduled-I just wouldn't be able to handle it. I'm staying put."
Zhang Mingtian nodded. "You're resourceful, Brother. You can make it anywhere."
He then brought the bag from behind to the front.
"Brother, our families are all heading to the center. These are things we no longer need. If you find any use for them, feel free to take them."
Meng Ci opened the door and brought the items inside.
"Thanks."
"The refugee center will be crowded, so expect plenty of issues. You guys really need to stay safe."
Zhang Mingtian nodded.