Since Yu Zibai had collected the food, Qin Huai gave them the meal boxes he had brought. He put the main dishes directly into plastic bags. They hadn't exchanged their meal tickets in the past few days, so this time they exchanged all of them at once. Food was running out day by day, and it was uncertain how long supplies would last, so they quickly swapped all their tickets. The bags were stuffed full.
Yu Zibai only exchanged for one portion of food. He felt that the food didn't look very appetizing, and he only took one serving to give Jian Chu a change of taste. The rest, like Qin Huai, he exchanged for main foods. Now that they had solar panels, they could use the air conditioning at home, and the freezer would also be operational, so they didn't have to eat all the main food at once. They could freeze it and eat it gradually.
Outside the cafeteria, there were still some people waiting. These individuals had not participated in the rescue efforts but had found some items in the ruins, such as money, gold, and jade. They were trying to trade these items for some food with those coming out of the cafeteria.
Since Yu Zibai had collected the food, Qin Huai handed over the meal boxes he had brought. He placed the main dishes directly into plastic bags. They hadn't exchanged their meal tickets in the past few days, so this time they exchanged all of them at once. Food was becoming scarcer every day, and it was uncertain how long supplies would last. So they quickly exchanged all their tickets, and their bags were stuffed full.
Yu Zibai only exchanged for one portion of food. He felt the food didn't look very appetizing and only took one serving to give Jian Chu a change of taste. The rest, like Qin Huai, he exchanged for main foods. With the solar panels, they could now use air conditioning at home and operate the freezer. So they didn't need to eat all the main food at once—they could freeze it and eat it gradually.
Outside the cafeteria, some people were waiting. These individuals hadn't participated in the rescue efforts but had found some items in the ruins, such as money, gold, and jade. They were trying to trade these items for food with those coming out of the cafeteria.
Others were trading for food, such as unopened bottles of water, instant noodles, and even some snacks like jerky and cookies. These people, whose homes had collapsed, had no way to heat their food, so they tried to exchange what they had found for a little food or buns.
Qin Huai glanced around and saw nothing worth exchanging for large buns. Yu Zibai hesitated and approached someone to ask about trading for water. The person said, "One bottle of water for two buns."
Yu Zibai turned and walked away. The person called after him, but Yu Zibai didn't stop. Their home wasn't out of water, but Xu Ming's mention of a possible plague made him anxious. Food could be eaten sparingly, but cleanliness was crucial. Even if they ate just one meal a day, it would sustain them for a while. However, getting sick could be fatal. Despite this, he didn't want to be taken advantage of.
Qin Huai asked, "Is your home out of water?"
Yu Zibai shook his head. "Not really, but I wanted to stock up. We still have plenty of instant noodles, so we can eat for a while."
Qin Huai said, "Tonight, let's go look in the mall. If we find any cold-resistant or warming items, we'll take them. When the weather gets cold, we can trade these items for supplies with the military."
Yu Zibai wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Can it really get colder?" It had been hot since May, and now it was almost March. It had been nearly a year of heat, and if the temperature didn't drop, they might never experience winter again.
Because of the prolonged heat, thick clothing and blankets had been ignored. People didn't even bother to look at them, as they were too hot. Items found in the ruins were tossed aside, deemed unnecessary to bring back. The only reason they took the new blankets they found was that they didn't take up much space.
Qin Huai said, "Better to be prepared. Who knows if it will be hot all year or cold next year."
Yu Zibai frowned at the possibility, growing increasingly uneasy. "If that happens, will Earth even be habitable? I don't know what's causing the climate to change so drastically."
However, such extreme climate changes had occurred before on this ancient planet—freezing for millions of years, raining for millions of years. Now it was just a bit hot, and people were still surviving. If the planet became a fireball, there would be no struggle left. Thinking this way, he felt slightly relieved.
As they exited the cafeteria area, Qin Huai heard someone calling his name. He turned and saw it was Shi Yuanfei, the officer who had promised them a reward. Qin Huai told Yu Zibai, "You go ahead. I'll catch up soon."
Yu Zibai nodded, asked no further questions, and walked away.
Shi Yuanfei had been looking for Qin Huai. Although he had seen his name on the list, he hadn't found him. He wasn't worried about Qin Huai's safety; if it hadn't been for Qin Huai's photo on the day of the earthquake, the military wouldn't have realized the severity of the situation. Qin Huai's alert had led them to gather in time to avoid being trapped in collapsed buildings. The military had issued air raid warnings, but it was too late to act quickly. An earlier warning might have allowed them to alert the public via their phones.
Regardless, Qin Huai had saved many lives, helping the military maintain rescue operations and normal functions. Shi Yuanfei smiled with a mix of relief and helplessness. "I haven't given you your previous reward yet, and I don't know how to thank you this time. The higher-ups are busy with rescue efforts, and there's still a lot to handle. But rest assured, we'll make sure you receive what you're owed."
Qin Huai said, "It was just a coincidence. You valued our input, and that's why you have what you have now. If you want to thank anyone, it should be yourselves. Whether it was the end-of-days rioters or this earthquake, if you hadn't valued the information from us civilians, the outcome might have been different. As for the rice reward from last time..."
Shi Yuanfei looked embarrassed. "There will definitely be a reward, but it might take some time. Given the situation..."
Qin Huai smiled. "I'll donate the previous reward. Give the rice to the soldiers. They've done a lot during this rescue operation. Money has become worthless now. The collapse happened overnight. I can only provide enough to ensure they get a good meal as a small token of my gratitude."
Shi Yuanfei quickly refused. "No need. It's our duty to provide for you."
Qin Huai shook his head. "And it's my duty to help where I can. My brother is waiting for me. Let's settle this. Please handle the remaining matters."
Without giving Shi Yuanfei a chance to refuse again, Qin Huai walked away. They didn't lack rice, but some soldiers, who might have lost family in the earthquake, were here helping others. He couldn't take out the supplies he and Yu Zibai had prepared for the future. So, he decided to turn their unexpected gains into a source of peace of mind.
Seeing Qin Huai's departing figure, Shi Yuanfei slowly raised his hand and gave him a military salute.
Climbing the stairs was arduous. Each step felt like carrying a heavy load. Yu Zibai, lacking physical strength, could only pull the bundles of blankets tied with ropes. Even though the blankets were lightweight, pulling so many at once was still exhausting.
Qin Huai and the others were even more exhausted. The solar panels were heavy, and on top of that, they had a box of daily necessities. Qin Huai and Yu Zibai carried the load while Jian Chu, walking in front, also helped. After climbing two or three floors, they needed to rest. Jian Chu said, "Will we have to climb like this every day?"
When they stopped, Mu Nan, following behind, naturally paused as well. He rubbed his sore back, gasping for breath. "Of course, we won't be climbing every day. The two buildings that are still standing can house several hundred families. Once more people move in, the power supply will be restored. The elevators will run on solar power, but the residents will still use the national grid for electricity. Many devices are broken, and power outages are common. Getting even an hour of power a day is a challenge. If life weren't so tough, I wouldn't have joined a private base."
However, it would be over a month before power generation was up and running. The most pressing issue now wasn't climbing stairs, but the plague.
Yu Zibai checked the floor number. "We're on the twelfth floor. Let's rest for a while. We'll be home soon."
Jian Chu crouched down, feeling like a fish out of water. "I think I'm going to die."
Yu Zibai chuckled. "Stop talking nonsense. Have some water and rest. We'll be home soon."
Qin Huai looked back at Mu Nan, who was sweating profusely. He took the rope from Mu Nan's hands. "Let me carry it. You climb slowly."
Mu Nan waved him off. "I can manage. You're not a superhero you don't need to do everything. Consider it a workout."
Finally reaching the seventeenth floor, Mu Nan felt like he'd achieved a higher state of enlightenment, close to bliss.
Jian Chu and Yu Zibai dragged the items into Mu Nan's home. With the air conditioning on, they would have boiled from the heat without it. They also needed to install the solar panels. They planned to place them on the balcony, which was unobstructed and faced the sun all day, providing better exposure than in a room. They just needed to extend the wires to connect to the generator.
Having installed panels before, they were now much quicker. Qin Huai and Yu Zibai assembled the panels inside, checked the length, and connected the wires before setting them up on the neighboring balcony. Their balcony was quite large, so Qin Huai moved four more solar panels from their room to the neighboring balcony, as the light in the room wasn't as good.
As for being discovered, they weren't too worried. No one was out during the day, and looking up was even less likely. The area had no high-rise buildings, only ruins. At night, it was pitch black. Unless someone heard the air conditioner running, no one would suspect the presence of solar panels.
Mu Nan lay on the floor, looking at Jian Chu, who was catching his breath. "Once the sun comes up, you'll be able to sleep with air conditioning."
Jian Chu replied, "Yes, finally seeing some light."
Once the heat subsided, Jian Chu and Yu Zibai went home. Qin Huai and the others were also exhausted. They needed to rest before using the air conditioning, even if just a fan. They left the items they brought upstairs in Qin Huai's place for now. Climbing the stairs had drained their energy, and they only wanted to eat and rest.
After they left, Mu Nan slowly got up and placed a small pool at the door for Qin Huai. He leaned against it, one hand in the pool, slowly filling it with bathwater.
Qin Huai used a damp towel to wipe Mu Nan's sweat. Although the air-conditioned room was cool, he was still sweaty and needed to be cleaned up.
Mu Nan tilted his head for Qin Huai to wipe his face, then squeezed Qin Huai's arm. "After your bath, I'll give you a massage. Lifting all that weight up was so tiring."
Qin Huai said, "I'm not tired. I'm pretty used to it now."
Mu Nan asked, "Yu Zibai mentioned a soldier was looking for you. Was it that officer from last time?"
Qin Huai replied, "Yes, it was Shi Yuanfei. Before the earthquake, I sent him a WeChat message about some signs of the quake. Although they didn't have much time, he acted quickly and moved some soldiers who were on standby, saving them from danger. It counts as another credit for him. I told him that the rice reward from last time should be donated to the soldiers. They've worked hard in the rescue efforts, and I thought it would be a nice gesture."
Mu Nan nodded. "That's a good idea. We have plenty of food, and giving it to them will help. They've worked so hard. I've seen many of them with injured, bleeding hands, still saving people."
Qin Huai smiled. "You sit for a while. I'll go take a bath."
After filling the pool with water, Mu Nan moved it to the bedside. He pulled out a can of ice-cold cola from storage and gulped it down. It felt refreshing and made him not want to move. Compared to yesterday, he felt he'd improved today, at least not relying on glucose to recover. After washing off the sweat and heat, he sat on the floor, now smelling of cool floral water, and started his daily routine: browsing through the recipes to decide what to cook.
Qin Huai diluted some disinfectant in a bucket and cleaned the living room. Items brought in from outside were temporarily placed in the hallway behind the iron gate. Items from the ruins were best kept out until disinfected.
After finishing, Mu Nan handed Qin Huai the recipe. "Do you want meat today?"
Qin Huai said, "Let's have some chicken soup. Just prepare a couple of dishes. For the soup, use the one with cordyceps. I'd like to have a bowl morning and evening for the next few days."
Mu Nan asked, "Did you hear anything from Xu Ming today? Are there any confirmed cases of the plague?" Otherwise, he wouldn't have suggested daily chicken soup with cordyceps for boosting health.
Qin Huai shook his head. "It seems there aren't any cases yet, but Xu Ming said that once it breaks out, it will be a major epidemic."
Indeed, with high temperatures and a lack of medical supplies, the situation was dire. In the previous life, the outbreak was quite severe. Mu Nan, who was scavenging for supplies outside with others, saw the number of sick people increasing. Some had high fevers, others suffered from diarrhea leading to dehydration and death. The symptoms varied, with some even collapsing and convulsing on the spot, their lives quickly extinguished. He was frightened and stopped searching downstairs, retreating to his home, sealing the doors and windows tightly, and cutting off communication. He relied on the food and water in his storage to survive until the military came door-to-door, disinfecting each floor of the building.
Gradually, their building's power was restored, and Mu Nan moved to a private base. He learned that the plague had caused many more deaths, leaving burn marks on the ground from the mass cremations of bodies.
But that was nearly half a month after the earthquake. Now, only a few days had passed since the quake, so it probably wouldn't be that quick. Nevertheless, Mu Nan suggested, "Let's not go downstairs for a couple of days. It's better to be cautious."
Qin Huai agreed, "Tonight, we'll check out the nearby mall. It was sealed off before, so even if it collapsed, it's less risky than the residential area."
Although they didn't need to scour the ruins, the main purpose of their trips was to gather information from the outside world. Their supplies were enough to keep them safe at home, but living in a communal environment meant that staying indoors indefinitely wasn't practical. For example, if they hadn't ventured out, they wouldn't have met Shi Yuanfei and Team Yuan, whose connections were valuable in their current situation. By closing themselves off early, they would have missed out on neighborly help and valuable contacts, including a medical friend who could provide crucial information.
Avoiding the outside world might offer temporary comfort, but it wasn't a long-term solution. However, Qin Huai wouldn't knowingly expose himself to danger. After a few more outings, it would be time to stay indoors.
After eating and drinking, Mu Nan started fiddling with his collection of massagers. He rolled one back and forth and then showed Qin Huai his arm, flexed to display his muscle. "Look, there's muscle now."
Qin Huai lay on the bed flipping through Mu Nan's old sketchbooks. He glanced at Mu Nan's arm in response and then at his own without commenting.
Mu Nan clicked his tongue. "I feel like you're looking down on me."
Qin Huai chuckled. "You can drop the 'feeling' part."
Mu Nan gave him a reproachful look. "You've changed. You weren't like this before. Aren't you supposed to encourage me?"
Qin Huai reached out and patted Mu Nan's head. "You're doing great, Nan Nan."
Mu Nan huffed and turned to open his laptop, browsing through old variety shows. "I can feel your indifference."
Seeing Mu Nan prepare to watch TV, Qin Huai set the sketchbook aside. "You're energetic today. Not tired?"
Mu Nan yawned, adjusted his pillow into a comfortable position, and said, "Not tired. I need to relax a bit. I'll watch some variety shows and then sleep."
However, the person claiming to need relaxation fell asleep with little more than five minutes of snoring.
Qin Huai closed the sketchbook, placed it neatly by the pillow, and turned off the laptop, leaving the room in silence except for their breathing. He watched Mu Nan for a while, until Mu Nan stirred, turned over, and ended up snuggling into his arms. Qin Huai smiled, turned off the light, and embraced Mu Nan as they drifted off to sleep.
As usual, Mu Nan woke up in Qin Huai's arms. Noticing that he was still resting on Qin Huai's arm, he gave a charming smile and said, "Hey, let me give you a massage." His voice was still groggy from sleep, which made Qin Huai's blood rush. He had to sit up and stop Mu Nan's wandering hands. "It's still early. Go back to sleep for a bit."
When Qin Huai went to the bathroom, Mu Nan stretched out lazily on the bed, his bones cracking comfortably. He sighed contentedly and checked his phone, realizing it was only five in the afternoon.
They had previously arranged to meet in the hallway at eight, so there were still three hours left. It was indeed early, but once he was awake, he couldn't fall back asleep. He decided to get up and start his daily soul-searching question: What's for dinner?
Sitting on the bed and waiting for Qin Huai, Mu Nan was about to rummage through the medicine cabinet for constipation remedies when Qin Huai emerged, dripping wet. "Did you take a shower?" It was unusual for Qin Huai to shower first thing in the morning, especially given his usual water-saving habits.
Qin Huai glanced at him. "You made me too hot."
Mu Nan slowly got out of bed. "Okay, my bad. If you're too hot, just push me away. Otherwise, I'll put a few pillows in between tonight so I won't roll over."
He was aware of his own sleeping habits. From childhood, he had liked hugging something while sleeping, whether Qin Huai was around or not. As an adult, he had switched to hugging pillows. Though it might not seem very masculine, changing such long-standing habits was difficult, especially since sleep instincts are hard to alter.
Qin Huai casually remarked, "You'd just climb over the pillows anyway. No need to bother with that."
Mu Nan couldn't refute this because it was indeed something he would do. He smiled apologetically and went to the bathroom to freshen up. Meanwhile, Qin Huai used a disinfectant spray to clean the items from outside. The compression bags for the bedding were dirty, so he discarded the outer layer but kept the inner compression layer. The box of daily necessities looked blackened, and although it seemed to contain body lotion, it turned out to be high-end skincare products with English labels that Qin Huai didn't use and wasn't familiar with.
Mu Nan came out after washing up and saw the items Qin Huai had organized. He said, "These can be kept for winter. They're useful for moisturizing hands and feet; otherwise, they can get painfully chapped from the cold."
People who haven't experienced chapped hands and feet don't know the pain. It can be so sharp that walking on the ground is excruciating. Fortunately, he had bought some crack-prevention ointment early on. Even if it's uncertain how effective it will be, with these high-end moisturizers that used to cost at least a thousand yuan, he could use them as body lotion.
Qin Huai divided the items in half, packing one portion along with the blankets into a box to be carried back once the neighbors arrived.
Since they were going to a mall tonight where they wouldn't encounter dead bodies, Mu Nan planned to have some meat for dinner. However, before he could take the food out from storage, he heard noises in the hallway. It sounded like someone had returned from outside. Qin Huai peered through the peephole in the iron door and couldn't help but frown slightly.
Mu Nan asked, "What's wrong? Is someone trying to break in and steal things?"
Qin Huai shook his head. "It's the Zhang family."
Mu Nan responded with surprise, "They're back?"
Qin Huai explained, "Only the couple and their son."
Mu Nan then thought, "If we're all going out, does that mean our home isn't safe?"