"Help me tell Anna that I wish her a good boyfriend and hope that she will have a baby soon after marriage. You and your siblings must take good care of your mother; she's going to have a tough time living alone. Goodbye, Ike and Anna. Don't miss me, because Auntie won't miss you either. Let me go and find freedom in leaving this world."
After reading all the notes, Tom cried again, sobbing loudly. Even Regus's eyes were red. Tom glared at Ike.
"Ike, you're not human," Tom whimpered. "Your eyes don't even turn red from a tear-jerking suicide note."
Regus restrained his emotions, his face was sad and serious: "This matter, do we want to keep it a secret?"
Of course not. "Tell them," Ike thought of Yingli and Aunt Li's years of colleagues and friendship, "I hope it won't make them too sad."
MHM.
Regus also felt that it could not be concealed. After all, it was just a sad thing, whether concealed or not, it would not have any other effects, so there was no need to hide it.
"Let's go." Regus went over and patted Tom, straightened him up, and left with Ike. They also locked the fire gate on the tenth floor before they left but left everything else unlocked. Then they planned to hide a few less important things on the tenth floor, where they could be seen, to confuse the public. When they left the building, they also locked the fire door on the first floor, which was not locked previously. On the road, Tom's tears were still flowing freely. He looked at Ike's steady back from behind; the pace was still so smooth, and he could not see any signs of emotional damage. Tom pursed his lips.
He whispered in Regus's ear, "When Ike was a little boy, he would cry for a long time if he even had a small injury, and he was called a crybaby. I doubt he would go home at night and cry under the covers. Now he's just pretending."
"Why is crying called a crybaby?" Regus wondered.
Regus's big head gave a questioning nod. "It doesn't seem to fit." "In short, he is rather stoic."
"Huh? How do you mean?"
"Just once..." Tom put his hand over his lips and whispered in Regus's ear. Just as he was about to get to the point, Ike's voice of warning came from ahead. "I can hear you."
Regus: "..." But he hadn't heard it.
Back home, they gave Aunt Li's suicide note to Yingli. Fearing that she would lose her temper, Ike accompanied her as she read the suicide note. Who knew Yingli only cried at the table for half an hour, and after learning from Ike that she was at peace, she stopped crying.
"She must have wanted us to be at peace with her leaving," Yingli said, smiling as she lowered her eyes. After a while, she took a deep breath and asked Ike, "Did any of the other notes mention where Nan Nan lived?"
"No. She probably expected to be notified by the police but didn't mention where Nan Nan lived." "That's a problem." Yingli held the thick stack of suicide notes. "I don't know where her hometown is." "Keep it, and if you happen to meet her later, give it to Nan Nan."
Maybe there will be no chance. Ike thought objectively. It can only be so.
Yingli put away the suicide note and the notes. Because of Aunt Li's affair, the atmosphere at home was a little dull and gloomy. There were few jokes at the lunch table.
After dinner, they went out three or four times in the afternoon and transferred some of the materials packed at home to the Xiaofeng building. Each floor had a host, air conditioning, a computer room, or a large integrated printer, which was an excellent hiding place. They also put some less important materials in the drawers and various corners on the tenth floor, assuming that one day the Xia Feng Building is broken into, those people will be attracted by the things on the tenth floor and ignore the things that are hidden deeper.
Back home in the evening, after simply washing themselves with hot water, Anna came over. "Brother, I learned to shave my back today. Want to give it a try? It helps with removing dampness."
Ike, feeling uncomfortable with his new address, furrowed his brow. "You won't shave a layer off my skin," he said with a hint of concern in his voice.
"Ha... ? How is that possible?" Anna replied with a sly grin. "Although it is true that the technique is not very good..."
Ike let out a sigh and glanced around the unfamiliar surroundings. "I just want to go to bed," he said, his weariness evident.
"No, you don't," Anna teased, her smirk growing wider.
If there's anyone in the world Ike fears the most, it's Anna.
After lunch the next day, Ike and his men decided not to venture out in the afternoon. Instead, they focused on securing their home by reinforcing the security window and the open balcony on the second floor.
Securing the security window was relatively straightforward, requiring them to fix a wire to it. However, the balcony on the second floor posed a more significant challenge. They lacked suitable materials to secure the wire to the balcony, so they had to resort to driving nails into the wall on the spot, which proved physically demanding without the aid of a drill.
Once Regus' house was fortified, they turned their attention to strengthening Ike's third-floor residence. Meanwhile, they managed to repair the rolling shutter door of the convenience store using wire to mend the original breakage. Luckily, the convenience store's shutter had broken before the looting spree, which helped deter further attempts by others.
Their initial robbery had taken place prematurely and at an inopportune time. Had they waited until after the mall incident, they might have instilled more fear. However, after experiencing defeat and the diminishing courage of their gang, no one was willing to risk their lives again.
With their houses reinforced, the atmosphere grew dark, and everyone enjoyed a peaceful night's sleep, finding comfort in the added security.
The following morning, Ike and his family returned to the store near the school, only to find it completely emptied overnight. Even the items Ike had hidden were gone.
"Damn it," Ike muttered in frustration, realizing that even the air conditioner from his store had been taken. "Could they eat that?"
"Maybe for the fish?" Tom guessed.
"Just grab some," Ike conceded, feeling increasingly frustrated by the day's events. Tom couldn't help but wonder if he trusted Ike a little too much.
Unable to find any other shops to explore, Ike and his group deduced that not all stores were unattended. Some were occupied, and only the vacant ones had been looted. They developed criteria to assess whether a store was unattended, taking into account its location and the presence of staff. This strategy guided their future actions.
Later that morning, they learned Nico's address, which was a bit far from their location. The rainy weather and city waterlogging made the journey a daunting two-hour trek. They decided to set out the next morning, hoping to gather more information from Nico.
With the power out, Ike had no means to scout ahead. The mall incident, coupled with the continued absence of electricity and help from the government, left them to fend for themselves. The bodies in the mall remained unattended.
As they contemplated their circumstances, Ike realized that their situation had become precarious. They were surviving by robbing empty houses, which wasn't sustainable in the long run.
In light of these challenges, Ike reluctantly considered Jin's proposal to join their trading platform. While it seemed like a good idea, Ike couldn't guarantee its profitability. He decided to negotiate with Jin, offering the possibility of sharing information and resources instead of directly handing over their supplies.
Jin was keen on his platform idea but acknowledged the risks of the venture. Ike questioned whether the platform could ensure their safety, and Jin had no convincing answers.
In the end, Ike agreed to provide information about underwater resources in exchange for not participating directly in the platform. Jin would need to discuss this arrangement with Sark, which he found preferable to an outright refusal.
As Jin and Baldy Li left, Tom expressed concern about their potential betrayal. Ike reassured him that they couldn't stop Jin and his group from betraying them if they chose to do so.
Back at home, they resumed their daily routine, which included physical training and martial arts practice. Ike and Regus engaged in intense combat training, honing their skills and reflexes. Afterward,
Tom, Nami, Anna, and others took their turns sparring with Regus, displaying a newfound commitment to self-improvement.
Despite the challenging circumstances, their dedication to training served as a welcome distraction from the uncertainties of their post-apocalyptic world. The pursuit of skills and self-improvement offered a glimmer of purpose in their otherwise dreary lives.