Ch63 - Strange, Refugees Have Returned
"So we thought it best for everyone to move to one floor."
"Either we go up to the seventeenth floor, or you come down to the ninth."
Meng Ci and Shen Que certainly couldn't go down. After all, they'd built a wall. Even if they couldn't win a fight, the wall could hold them off for a while.
Besides, both felt Yun Jingcen's reasoning made sense.
Moving to the seventeenth floor meant simply locking the door to the rooftop access, making it significantly safer than other levels.
"Then we'll trouble the teachers to move to the seventeenth floor."
Yun Jingcen nodded. "Since we're moving, sooner is better than later. We'll finish moving tonight."
"By tomorrow morning, we can set up the anti-bandit devices."
The other teachers all agreed.
After briefly discussing tomorrow's tasks, Meng Ci and Shen Que parted ways.
Meng Ci and Shen Que had offered to help Yun Jingcen and the others, but their assistance was declined. The teachers insisted the two young men should get some rest.
Meng Ci inwardly rolled his eyes at this.
Seriously, these teachers were only seven or eight years older than him-why did they sound so world-weary?
Or was this just how teachers were supposed to speak?
Since their help wasn't wanted, Meng Ci and Shen Que didn't press the issue.
After all, in the apocalypse, people kept their loot private.
If someone grew envious of their valuable finds and harbored ill intentions, that would be problematic.
Thus, Meng Ci and Shen Que took their leave.
"Ruan Ruan, take your doll upstairs. I'll make up a bed for you soon. Go to sleep first," Mao Xinyu's cool voice called out.
Ruan Qing refused, "No, I want to help the teachers."
Yun Jingcen countered, "Help with what? As the flower of our nation, your priority now is to rest properly."
"Otherwise, you won't grow tall."
"No..."
The rest of the conversation was lost to Meng Ci and Shen Que as they walked further away.
Still, Meng Ci suspected Yun Jingcen and the others wouldn't actually let Ruan Qing assist.
Seeing how kindly the teachers treated Ruan Qing, Meng Ci couldn't help but wonder: Could it be they were bored out of their minds in this apocalypse, so they kept Ruan Qing around like a pet?
Everyone returned to their own homes, minding their own business. Before sleeping, Meng Ci habitually pulled out his night vision binoculars to scan the surroundings.
Then he spotted several rubber boats approaching from the distance, laden with cargo.
Alarm bells rang in Meng Ci's mind.
Could those bandits be returning to wreak havoc again?
Meng Ci quickly grabbed his walkie-talkie, ready to alert the others immediately if anything seemed off.
After observing for a while longer, Meng Ci realized he'd overthought it.
These were just ordinary residents. What's more, the rubber boats they rode in bore the inscription: "Manufactured by the People's Liberation Army, M Province Military District."
What was going on?
Meng Ci recalled that the soldiers who had distributed food earlier were also from the M Province Military District.
Had these people run back from the refugee settlement?
Wasn't it better for them to stay at the settlement? Why run back? Did they have too much time on their hands?
Or was the refugee camp truly run like a military base, making it unbearable for them?
The situation was growing increasingly baffling.
Still, knowing they weren't bandits eased Meng Ci's mind.
With important matters awaiting him tomorrow, he forced himself to sleep.
But his mind was too cluttered with thoughts for restful slumber.
When he woke the next morning, the sky outside was still hazy.
After getting up, Meng Ci retrieved a cup of coffee he'd bought in the US from his storage space!
Whoa!
The bitterness was truly unbearable.
But it was genuinely invigorating. Downing the entire cup in one go, Meng Ci began his workout routine, continuing until eight o'clock.
Meng Ci took a hot shower in the storage space, fed the two rabbits, and only then began cooking.
A pot of vegetable congee and two scallion pancakes. After eating, Meng Ci finally stepped out the door.
Since the security doors on the east and west sides had been dismantled by Meng Ci and the others, Yun Jingcen and her group were staying in the two rooms on the south side.
Cheng Yu pried open the door lock and replaced it with the lock cylinder from their ninth-floor apartment. Two additional locks were installed on the main door leading to the stairwell for the seventeenth floor.
Yun Jingcen and the others were busy with something; Meng Ci didn't see them.
Instead, he spotted Duan Yan and Cheng Yu, carrying metal mesh, installing it at the entrance to the stairwell leading to the seventeenth floor.
"Yu, hand me the pliers."
"Sure."
Duan Yan naturally had a baby face, and fearing his students wouldn't listen to him, he usually kept a stern expression when teaching.
Perhaps because only Duan Yan and Cheng Yu were present now, his voice wasn't as harsh, making him look just like a high school student.
No wonder he had to act so mature.
As Cheng Yu reached for the pliers, he suddenly spotted Meng Ci and gave him a nod. Meng Ci asked, "Teacher Cheng, Teacher Duan, is there anything I can help with?"
Upon hearing Meng Ci's voice, Duan Yan's round face instantly turned stern.
"No need. We can manage."
"Alright. If either of you need help, just let me know." With that, Meng Ci left.
Seeing everyone starting to set up the devices, Meng Ci surveyed the room and thought he could move the bricks and cement outside.
If worse came to worst, he could use the bricks to hit people.
He could also scatter cement below to catch the thieves off guard. The dust would blind their eyes, obscuring their path-one misstep and they'd tumble straight down.
Several bows remained in the storage space. Meng Ci retrieved two more.
Three bows, fifty arrows, and two long knives.
Shen Que had also risen by now, clutching an alarm device meant for the seventeenth-floor stairwell entrance.
The volume was cranked to maximum, ensuring any intruders would be heard immediately.
He also handed a walkie-talkie to Cheng Yu.
The channel was set to two, allowing them to communicate promptly if needed.
To celebrate the partnership agreement, Yun Jingcen and the others cooked hotpot at home and invited Meng Ci and Shen Que over.
The two accepted without hesitation, each bringing some food from home.
The spicy hotpot smelled delicious.
Meng Ci also brought a bottle of red wine, but since they were preparing to fend off robbers, everyone only had a little.
Ruan Qing brought out a large bottle of cola.
"I only have two bottles of cola left!" Ruan Qing sighed after distributing some to everyone, holding the bottle now only one-third full.
Ruan Qing adored Coke. Afraid of running out if he drank too much at once, he usually poured just a small glass when craving it. He'd screw the cap back on tightly and store the bottle upside down,
terrified the fizz would escape.
Seeing Ruan Qing's pout, Meng Ci said, "I still have a whole case of Coke."
"If you like it, I'll get you some."
"Really?" Ruan Qing perked up instantly.
"Mhm." Meng Ci nodded.
Ruan Qing wrapped her arms around Meng Ci's arm and pouted, "I knew you were the best, Gege."