Sang Luoluo was very surprised by what they ate. "Are these the only things you usually eat? What about strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, pumpkins, and so on...?"
Wei Xing scoffed. "You think those things are easy to get? Only someone from a family like Young Master Yan Lang's can afford to eat them. Ordinary people like us can, at most, get a glimpse when the base's higher-ups are eating. Sang Luoluo, have you gone crazy craving food? You really think joining the Guard means you'll get to eat all those good things? Dream on."
Sang Luoluo: "..." That wasn't what she meant. She was just asking.
A message came through on her wristwatch. All the mutant bees at the hive had been dealt with, and everyone was wrapping things up.
Wei Xing's face immediately filled with smiles. "Captain Qi and the others will be back soon. Sang Luoluo, wait here. Don't wander off. I'm going out to take a look."
Sang Luoluo nodded. Left alone, she felt a little hungry. While nobody was around, she took a few boiled dumplings from her space and stuffed them into her mouth.
Then she stuffed in a few strawberries.
Only then did she deal with the unread messages on her wristwatch.
There had been no signal when she was trapped inside the hive. Here, the signal was back, and messages came bombarding her.
She couldn't help frowning. The good news was that the place she had rented had now been approved. She could move in with her bags at any time.
The bad news was that she had booked four nights in the base's staff dormitory, but had only stayed one night and forgotten to cancel the remaining three. Three days' worth of points had gone to waste.
She had been careless. While out on the mission, she hadn't remembered it at all.
It was only a few points. Never mind, never mind.
The next message was from Asuo, who had bought water from her in the shantytown. He had sent several messages over the past few days, asking where their next trade would be and whether she had any water left. That water sold very well, and repeat customers were waiting to buy it.
Chapter 24: Young Master Yan's meals weren't that great either. You would leap straight into...
Sang Luoluo propped her chin on one hand and carefully considered whether to keep doing business with Asuo. Two points per bottle of water wasn't much, but it was a long-term business.
The question was whether two points was too little. She hadn't understood prices before. Now that she had bottled water, perhaps she could properly negotiate the price. She now had the status of an Evolved Human in the Guard, so ordinary people wouldn't dare bully her. Her ability and frequent missions could also explain where the water came from.
In that case, this business was worth doing.
She sent Asuo a reply.
[There was no signal out in the wild. I just saw your messages.]
[The last downpour contaminated the water with radiation, and I don't have much on hand either. To make trading easier, I've switched to selling bottled water. Properly sealed, 250 ml per bottle, five points each. You can set your own selling price. If you agree, I can deliver a batch once I get back.]
Asuo had been waiting for Sang Luoluo's reply all along. The three-point increase wasn't a problem for him. He could sell a bottle for an even higher price. As though afraid Sang Luoluo would change her mind, he hurriedly replied: [Sure. Whatever you say.]
Sang Luoluo curled her lips and replied: [I'll contact you when I get back.]
Asuo: [Okay.]
Asuo: [Make sure you contact me.]
Sang Luoluo closed the chat window. While nobody outside had returned yet, she hurriedly stuffed a few more strawberries into her mouth.
Hearing voices outside, Sang Luoluo stood and looked over. The other members of S17 Squad had returned carrying Lei Qi, and they had brought the armor back too.
Qi Feng looked anxious as he told Fatty and the others beside him, "Get the medical kit, quick!"
The medical kit was with Sang Luoluo. With a wave of her hand, she placed it in front of them.
"Sang Luoluo, come put the armor away with me." Fatty moved aside to let Captain Qi give Lei Qi medicine.
Sang Luoluo followed him out. Their suits of armor were outside, all smeared with varying amounts of honey and damaged to different degrees.
Sang Luoluo put away all the remaining suits of armor, then followed them back into the tent.
The wind suddenly picked up outside. She didn't know what the tent was made of, but aside from swaying a little, it stood very firmly here, its four corners gripping the ground tightly.
Inside, Lei Qi drank some nutrient solution and water and gradually recovered. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
As requested, Sang Luoluo took out all the boxes and placed them by the tent entrance, to be put away again when they left.
Qi Xue glanced at her wristwatch and thought, This is bad. She warned everyone, "It's going to rain soon. We won't be able to get back."
Everyone's expression grew grave.
Qi Feng quickly gave orders. "Reinforce the tent and raise the base. Everyone, get a good night's rest first, and keep watch tonight."
Meanwhile, Yan Lang and his people had finally wiped out the mutant bees in the entire hive and were just about to collect the honey when they suddenly received a weather alert warning of rain. With no other choice, they would have to leave the remaining work until the rain stopped.
He hurriedly led his people back to the campsite to shelter from the rain.
The most important thing was to protect the equipment that couldn't get wet, and the tents needed reinforcing too. By the time Yan Lang finished arranging everything and had just entered his tent to rest, fat raindrops were already pounding down.
Sang Luoluo leaned by the window, watching the members of S16 Squad bustle about, carrying equipment into their tents through the rain.
Being out in the wild really is hard work, she thought.
Rain poured down amid flashes of lightning and peals of thunder. The tent Sang Luoluo was in housed S17 Squad members. Qi Xue had two other girls with her, Xiaoyu and Lulu. Sang Luoluo had met the other two before and knew both girls were quite formidable.
Having them nearby made Sang Luoluo feel a little safer.
Regardless of the pouring rain outside, everyone inside the tent was exhausted. They rested leaning, sitting, or lying down, with nutrient solution held between their lips to replenish their energy.
Beside her, Xiaoyu saw Sang Luoluo watching the rain outside and asked, "Why aren't you eating?"
Sang Luoluo had already eaten earlier. "I'm not hungry," she said mildly.
Xiaoyu assumed she was reluctant to drink her nutrient solution. Everyone had brought limited food, and they didn't know whether they could leave tomorrow. It was better to keep some food in reserve.
After a few sips of nutrient solution, Xiaoyu stopped, screwed the cap back on, and put it away.
Qi Xue even managed to take out two packets of jerky. She gave one strip to Xiaoyu and one to Qi Feng, took a few bites of the rest, and put it away.
Sang Luoluo looked outside and saw light in a tent not far away. She had seen Yan Lang in the helicopter during the day and recognized him at a glance now. That Young Master Yan was standing at the tent entrance, with a small table set beside him. He sat down next to it. Were those boiled potatoes on his plate?
Sang Luoluo strained to see more clearly by the light and confirmed that they were potatoes, only about the size of eggs.
He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying his meal. There was also a plate of dark dried vegetables, too far away for her to make out what kind, and a plate of bugs. He was drinking nutrient solution diluted with water.
Looking at it this way, Young Master Yan's meals weren't that great either.
Luckily, she had agreed with Asuo to trade bottled water. Food was scarce at the base, and she couldn't sell food carelessly either. If she traded away food the base didn't have, she was bound to get into trouble. The safest option was to sell the most common foods, such as potatoes.
After a hard day's work, Sang Luoluo was tired too. There was a separate curtain above in the tent. She got a window curtain and hung it up, making a private space for herself.
Qi Xue looked a little envious but said nothing in the end. Sang Luoluo smiled and drew the curtain. She could go into her space to use the toilet, which was quite convenient.
She spread out her little blanket. The temperature began dropping at night, especially with the heavy rain outside, plunging to around sixteen degrees.
The others had their own luggage too. Although it couldn't compare to her little blanket, they had clothing that kept them warm.
Because of the rain, her wristwatch suddenly lost its signal again. Sang Luoluo lay down and immersed her consciousness in her space to do farmwork.
Using her consciousness, she harvested all the potatoes from the previous one-mu plot and placed them in the warehouse. She had no use for the harvested potato vines, and the livestock didn't like eating them either. She would throw them away when she found an opportunity.
Then she planted another mu of fresh potatoes and watered them. Only then did she fall asleep from exhaustion.
Sang Luoluo slept deeply at first, but she felt something pressing against her. She opened her eyes groggily. A sudden flash of lightning outside lit up the entire night sky, revealing long, thin things coiled across the window.
She nearly screamed in fright. The things hanging on the transparent window looked like snakes.
Feeling a slender arm wrapped around her, Sang Luoluo's expression changed. She turned her head and saw Captain Xue hugging her, half her body tucked beneath Sang Luoluo's blanket as she slept soundly. Xiaoyu had also edged over and was pressed against Captain Xue.
Her curtain now enclosed all three of them. Outside it, Lulu was curled into a ball alone, hugging herself tightly.
Sang Luoluo: "..."
Sang Luoluo poked Captain Xue.
Qi Xue immediately sat up alertly. "What's wrong?"
Sang Luoluo pointed at the things clinging to the window outside. "What are those? They're pretty scary."
Qi Xue glanced at them and lay back down. "Oh, mutant earthworms and nematodes," she said calmly. "The tent's here, so they can't get in. We'll clear them away when the rain stops."
Seeing that she was hugging Sang Luoluo and had taken over her blanket, she felt a little embarrassed and moved outward a little.
Sang Luoluo was scared on her own too, so she offered half her blanket to Captain Xue.
"Thanks."
Thinking about the mutant bugs on the window, Sang Luoluo lost all desire to sleep and lay there until daybreak.
It was still raining outside. The tent had risen considerably, remaining a little above the water's surface, where it was still fairly stable.
The rain outside eased, and gunshots suddenly rang out. He Fei of S17 Squad held a sniper rifle and fired several shots into the distance, killing a few small mutant animals approaching them.
Sang Luoluo got up and watched the rain gradually stop outside. The others got up too.
With a wave of her hand, Sang Luoluo put away her blanket and curtain.
Seeing the people from S17, S16, and the S11 Guard all come out to clear away the mutant bugs, Sang Luoluo changed into a pair of rain boots and went out too. Only after emerging did she realize that the tent roof was covered in bugs, and so was the ground. There were so many of them.