Chapter 193: Big Brother, Come Sit at My Place
"Go ahead, tell me, where do you want to choose as your final resting place?"
Meng Ci looked at the struggling tall man in front of him, holding a sharp blade as he lightly patted the man's cheek, then murmured.
"Look, how kind we are to you."
"We are allowing you to end your life in your own home, instead of having your corpse exposed in the wilderness, to be eaten by wild beasts."
"Mmm mmm mmm."
The tall man tried to plead for his life.
However, Meng Ci didn't say anything more and directly stabbed the tall man's abdomen with his blade.
As the tall man's mouth was gagged, he could only make low moans.
Meng Ci and Shen Que no longer paid attention to the man and began searching the house.
They were probably very cautious, worried about their belongings being stolen, so they didn't leave much of value behind.
In the end, the two only found five kilograms of white flour, two kilograms of pork, a large bag of dried vegetables, and several liters of water.
Of course, there were also two large bags of various types of trash.
Currently, there are two main methods of power generation at the base: one is storing electricity during peak heat periods, and the other is through power generation and thermal power generation.
Power generation refers to the government specially constructing a building, inside which various modified bicycles are placed. Residents can pedal these bicycles to earn points.
Thermal power generation, on the other hand, burns various kinds of trash, which comes from the residents' scavenging activities.
Meng Ci put all the items into his storage, planning to visit the points redemption center at a suitable time to exchange the trash for points.
Concerning the other items, Meng Ci worried they weren't fresh and could give them to Qie Zi to eat once back.
Before leaving, Meng Ci was concerned that the tall man might still be alive.
So, Meng Ci carefully checked the man's breathing, confirming that he had stopped breathing before they closed the door and left.
Regarding the tall man's body, Meng Ci wasn't worried.
It was nighttime, and no one would likely discover their crime.
Despite the polar night, the temperature was between 45 to 55 degrees.
He believed that within a few days, someone would notice the smell and dispose of the body.
Regarding the final disposal of the body, Meng Ci thought that sending it to be incinerated for power generation could also serve as a form of atonement for this wicked man.
The two walked downstairs and were about to drive away when suddenly a surprised shout came from afar.
"Big brother, big brother!"
Hearing the voice, Meng Ci and Shen Que stopped their actions of getting into the car.
In a short moment, Zhang Mingtian's figure appeared in front of them.
"Zhang Mingtian?" Meng Ci asked with confusion.
"It's me!" Zhang Mingtian's flashlight cast a beam of light.
"I saw two figures from a distance that looked a lot like you, so I called out, not expecting it to actually be you," Zhang Mingtian's voice was steady and powerful.
Meng Ci and Shen Que were concerned about attracting attention by walking too quickly without a flashlight when they went downstairs, so they took out their flashlights.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Mingtian's eyes were so sharp.
"Big brother, what brings you here?" Zhang Mingtian was still holding a large bag, and it looked like he had been out scavenging for items to earn points.
Meng Ci casually replied, "To see a friend."
Zhang Mingtian, being a sharp individual, knew Meng Ci didn't want to go into detail, so he didn't press further. Instead, he invited Meng Ci and Shen Que to his place.
Meng Ci and Shen Que couldn't refuse the invitation, so they went along with him.
The house Zhang Mingtian rented was a three-bedroom apartment with a living room, kitchen, and bathroom.
Huang Zhi, along with his child, lived together with Zhang Mingtian. In addition, Zhang's mother and Song Meixuan live there, so renting a three-bedroom unit was the most economical.
Since Song Meixuan had given birth, and electricity was a scarce resource now, the higher floors were unbearably hot.
So Zhang Mingtian and Huang Zhi earned extra points and moved to the ground floor.
Zhang Mingtian and Huang Zhi have both joined the security team.
However, the security team operates in three shifts, each eight hours long.
After their shifts, Zhang Mingtian and Huang Zhi would go out again to scavenge for items to earn points.
Zhang Mingtian knocked on the door three times, but no one answered.
"Wife, Junyu, it's me."
As soon as Zhang Mingtian finished speaking, Meng Ci and Shen Que heard the sound of the door opening.
"Uncle!"
A young boy's voice came from inside. Meng Ci guessed it was Huang Zhi's son, Huang Junyu.
Zhang Mingtian patted Huang Junyu on the head, praising him, "Junyu is very well-behaved today, for opening the door for uncle."
Huang Junyu had developed some mental issues after losing his mother and other relatives during the extreme cold.
Thanks to the careful care of Zhang's mother and Song Meixuan over the past few months, he had improved somewhat.
"Later, ask Auntie to make you something tasty."
"Okay." Huang Junyu's voice remained monotone, but his otherwise expressionless face showed a bit of a smile.
Then Zhang Mingtian stepped aside to let Meng Ci and Shen Que in, and took the opportunity to introduce them to Huang Junyu.
"Junyu, call them uncle."
Perhaps because Huang Junyu was unfamiliar with Meng Ci and Shen Que, he didn't greet them. He just gave them a deep look before quickly turning away and entering one of the rooms.
"Big brothers, Junyu has been unwell. Please don't take offense if he was rude."
Meng Ci and Shen Que were aware of Huang Junyu's situation, and since he was just a child, they didn't say much.
They developed a sense of respect for Zhang Mingtian and Huang Zhi. Supporting this entire family was no easy task for the two men.
Hearing the noise at the door, Zhang's mother rushed out.
"Son, who's there?"
"Is it Xiao Meng and Xiao Shen?"
The night was too dark, so Zhang's mother could only identify people by their voices, though she wasn't entirely sure.
Zhang Mingtian steadied his flustered mother, "Mom, it's them."
Meng Ci and Shen Que both called out, "Auntie."
Meanwhile, Song Meixuan emerged holding a child and lit a candle on the table.
The room was small, so under the dim candlelight, they could roughly see the room's condition and everyone's faces.
Huang Junyu also appeared behind Song Meixuan, timidly tugging at her clothes.
"Come in, come in quickly!"
Zhang's mother warmly welcomed them in, then poured two cups of water and carefully added some scarce white sugar, a rare commodity in this post-apocalyptic era.
The room lacked furniture such as sofas, having only a few stools and a makeshift table made from stacked cardboard boxes topped with a piece of glass.
Zhang's mother looked a bit sheepish, "Our home is simple, please don't mind it."
After all, she had heard from her son that these two boys had bought land and even built a new villa.
Compared to theirs, their own home seemed too shabby to show off.
"Of course not, your place is already quite good," Meng Ci said sincerely. There were tables and chairs, and even cups and other essentials were available.
In the tall man's house that Meng Ci had searched earlier, the bed was just a few wooden planks, and there wasn't even a table, let alone a dining table.
Zhang's mother and the others realized Meng Ci was just trying to reassure them, so they didn't mention it again.