Ch62-Meng Ci, We Need to Work Together
"Shen Que! Shen Que!"
Spotting the walkie-talkie on the bedside table, Meng Ci picked it up and called out, realizing it had been ages since they last spoke through it.
After a long pause, the walkie-talkie finally connected.
Meng Ci had already flopped onto the bed, tossing the walkie-talkie to his ear.
"What's up?"
Immediately, heavy panting filled the receiver, making Meng Ci's ears burn.
This walkie-talkie's quality was too good-it felt like those breaths were right next to his ear.
Meng Ci sat bolt upright, rubbing his ears as he held the walkie-talkie at arm's length.
Was this person up to something strange? Why were they breathing like that?
"So, you saw robbers in the building across the street, going in to loot?"
"I figured it wouldn't take them more than a couple of days to search our building."
"Should we plan how to resist?"
"Alright!" Shen Que agreed.
"I'll take a shower and be right over."
Shower? Meng Ci felt he might be overthinking it, but he didn't dare tease.
Hanging up the walkie-talkie, Meng Ci rolled around on the bed before finally climbing out.
Outside, the sky had grown dark. Meng Ci went out, switched on the generator-powered lamp, and pulled out two bags of snacks to place on the coffee table.
He munched on the snacks, waiting for Shen Que's arrival.
"Squeak-"
Instead of Shen Que, Meng Ci heard the building's alarm blaring outside.
Yun Jingcen and the others must have witnessed the robbery too, deciding to come up and strategize together.
Opening the security door, Meng Ci found Yun Jingcen standing there.
Behind her followed a bespectacled male teacher, flashlight in hand.
"Mr. Meng, let's make this quick."
"I trust you've noticed the events unfolding across the building. Since fate has placed us in the same building, we ought to join forces against the common enemy. What do you say?"
Meng Ci nodded. "Teacher Yun is right."
Meng Ci had already planned to discuss things with Shen Que before going down to meet Yun Jingcen and the others.
No matter how strong their individual combat abilities were, they were still outnumbered.
By this time, Shen Que had changed clothes and emerged, greeting Yun Jingcen and the
After securing the security door, the two of them joined the four others on the tenth floor.
Even if they were to cooperate, they couldn't casually bring others to their living quarters.
Thus, Ruan Qing and the others found a room on the tenth floor and tidied it up a bit.
Two candles were already lit inside. The yellow flames cast a faint glow in the darkness, but it was enough for everyone to see each other's solemn faces.
Spotting Meng Ci, Ruan Qing came over cheerfully and grabbed his arm.
"Gege, you're here!"
"Let's sit here!"
Ruan Qing pulled Meng Ci down onto a two-seater sofa, then picked up a bag of potato chips from the coffee table and handed it to him.
"Gege, these are snacks the teachers found. Eat up."
Meng Ci accepted the chips, nodded briefly to the male teacher seated on the single sofa across from them, then began eating.
Since they were to collaborate, it was only natural to get acquainted.
Meng Ci and Shen Que introduced themselves briefly. As for Yun Jingcen and Ruan Qing, they already knew each other well, so no further introduction was needed.
Yun Jingcen, twenty-six, was a Chinese teacher.
Ruan Qing, who would turn seventeen in two months, had been a sophomore before the storm. There was also a female teacher named Mao Xinyu, a biology teacher with chestnut curls and six-centimeter-heeled boots.
The male teacher accompanying Yun Jingcen to the 17th floor was Fang Shurui, a 27-year-old chemistry instructor.
The male teacher seated on the single sofa was Duan Yan, a physics teacher with a round face and baby fat.
The male teacher leaning against the single sofa was Cheng Yu, a physical education instructor with a muscular build and deep-set eyes.
The reason the latter two teachers were introduced together was because they were a couple.
Yun Jingcen paused after this introduction and said, "You two probably don't mind this, right?"
Meng Ci shook his head. "Not at all."
He just hadn't expected to actually see a real-life gay couple. And judging by their appearance alone, without them saying anything, no one would have guessed they were a pair.
Ruan Qing leaned against Meng Ci's shoulder, dimples appearing on his cheeks.
"I told you gege wouldn't mind."
Meng Ci, still unaccustomed to Ruan Qing's weight on his shoulder, leaned back slightly.
Only to meet Ruan Qing's accusing gaze. Meng Ci had no choice but to shift back into his original position.
"Sit properly." Duan Yan, seated on the single sofa, suddenly spoke up.
"Oh!"
Reluctantly, Ruan Qing sat up straight. He then pushed the snacks on the coffee table toward Duan Yan, his gesture clearly begging for mercy.
Only then did Duan Yan shift his gaze away from Ruan Qing and take a bite of the Latiao in his hand.
Yun Jingcen and Mao Xinyu sat on the three-seater sofa, while Fang Shurui took the armchair next to the single sofa.
As for Shen Que, there was nowhere left for him to sit.
Yun Jingcen said, "Ruan Ruan, come sit with us."
Ruan Qing reluctantly shifted hid hips closer to Meng Ci, freeing up a spot.
"There's room here now."
Duan Yan paused mid-chew, looking as if he wanted to say something. Ruan Qing quickly stood up.
"Fine, fine. I'll make room for him."
He then shot Shen Que a glare before sulkily settling beside Yun Jingcen-still right next to Meng Ci.
Shen Que, however, directed Meng Ci to take Ruan Qing's former spot while plopping himself into Meng Ci's seat, effectively separating the two.
This move drew another frown from Ruan Qing, who vented his frustration by devouring several handfuls of potato chips.
Once everyone gathered, they began discussing how to confront the bandits.
Yun Jingcen spoke first: "What are your plans?"
Meng Ci and Shen Que hadn't discussed this yet. Yun Jingcen and the others had come to them because they must have found an opportunity.
They answered honestly: "We haven't decided yet. Let's hear what the teachers have to say first."
Yun Jingcen nodded and proceeded to outline their plan.
"When we went out earlier, we found several iron nets. Duan Yan managed to electrify them, which should block those bandits."
"Fang Shurui used the various chili peppers we recovered to make some chili pepper spray. Just a touch of it, and their eyes won't be able to open."
"Cheng Yu is nothing to be scoffed at. He's in great shape and holds a black belt in Taekwondo. He's been training us these past two months, so our stamina will definitely hold up."
"The only thing we fear now is that they might pick us off one by one."
Yun Jingcen and his group were staying on the ninth floor, while Meng Ci and Shen Que occupied the seventeenth floor-the two households were too far apart.
The real fear was that if the bandits arrived and one side couldn't provide timely backup, they'd end up fighting on two fronts.