Seducing and Flirting with Boss O While Stockpiling in the Apocalypse (GL) - Chapter 34

Luo Sheng updated the others on the news. Nan Shuwan looked at the weather outside and felt troubled as well, but since the time hadn’t arrived yet, worrying was useless. In the end, they all decided to wait and see how the initial outings for the lower floors went before adapting their plans.

The scheduled day for their departure arrived quickly. The water had reached the fifth floor, and many sewer pipes had become clogged and backflowed. The hallways were a pungent mix of trash, excrement, and rainwater; anyone with a weak stomach would likely vomit on the spot just from the smell.

Furthermore, another tragedy occurred during these few days: a lonely old man living on the fifth floor died at home during the night due to a short circuit. His body was found floating in the water only after the smell of burnt flesh reached the neighbors.

This left everyone in a state of panic and gloom. It was a direct realization for everyone: people were actually dying, and death was very close.

As more floors were submerged, the number of displaced residents needing shelter grew. There were about forty residents from the fifth floor—some single, some families of three. It was becoming increasingly difficult to arrange housing for everyone.

Displaced residents wailed about their ruined homes, counting the value of their furniture and appliances, while the hosting residents complained incessantly. Those forced into cohabitation grumbled about completely different living habits, and some even suggested that the newcomers should just take a blanket and sleep in the hallways.

But that was impossible; the hallways were too cold, and catching a fever would happen in an instant. However, with supplies dwindling and the frequent loss of power and water, some families had nearly run out of drinking water. Even boiling water was becoming a problem. If this continued, a massive unrest was likely to break out.

Additionally, some hosts demanded that other owners contribute food. Since more people were consuming their household stock, they felt that because they provided the shelter, others should provide the rations—calling it “mutual aid.”

The owners who had taken in residents found this reasonable and echoed the sentiment in the group chat. The property management also thought this was a viable solution, but a few owners disagreed entirely. Wang Zhigang, in particular, cursed in the group, shouting, “I’m almost out of food myself, and you want me to support others? Are you dreaming?!”

But the opposition of a few was useless. There were six members of the property management team, living on the tenth floor of the adjacent building. They originally had an office on the first floor but moved to the top floor after the storm began. That entire floor was vacant, and since no one was in charge of it, their leader, Su Rong, took the keys and moved them in.

Most of the six were either divorced or high-school dropouts; they had been in this line of work for years, were of a certain age, and were just trying to earn a living without many ties. Among them, only Su Rong was somewhat educated, having graduated from a university and held management certifications.

Their building had only ten floors—the shortest in the complex—and was very close to Building 3, perhaps less than a meter away. It was impossible to travel by foot in this weather, so Su Rong’s group relied on the two inflatable rafts to move between buildings. When a dispute arose, they rowed over and climbed in through the hallway windows, arriving within minutes.

Su Rong’s team started from the fifth floor, knocking on the doors of every owner who hadn’t taken in displaced residents, requesting food contributions. Most were relatively cooperative, providing some ready-to-eat biscuits, canned goods, or small amounts of rice.

Su Rong logged everything on her phone. Although Sun Cuifen grumbled, she realized she lived on the sixth floor and would soon need help from those above, so she compromised and handed over a few frozen steamed buns.

Only Wang Zhigang refused to cooperate. As a bachelor, he figured if he was full, the whole family was fed. No one was going to get a drop of profit out of him. Su Rong didn’t argue; she simply threatened to post his behavior in the group chat, ensuring no one would help him later.

Faced with this threat, Wang Zhigang’s eyes widened, and veins bulged on his bald head. After fuming for a long while, he finally stingily produced a bag of melon seeds and handed it over.

Su Rong ignored him and continued upstairs, the six of them making the stairs thud under their boots. Luo Sheng saw these updates in the group; after thinking it over, she put several cups of rice into a red plastic bag and placed it on the table.

Before long, the management team reached the 15th floor. They first knocked on 1502. After several minutes with no answer, Su Rong grew worried. Thinking of the old man who was electrocuted, she feared something had happened to the owner and gestured for the others to prepare to break the door down.

At that moment, Luo Sheng opened the door. She wore a mask, her eyes looked lethargic, and she coughed occasionally, appearing very weak.

“Hello, we’re the property management. Do you know what’s going on with the unit across from you?” Su Rong greeted her and asked.

Luo Sheng shook her head. “Nothing much. She’s my girlfriend; we’re living together now.”

“Girlfriend? If you’re a couple, why did you rent two separate apartments? Isn’t that redundant?” Su Rong peered into Luo Sheng’s apartment and indeed saw a young woman and a middle-aged woman, both wearing masks.

Luo Sheng remained expressionless. “We just started dating. It’s only been ten days.”

Su Rong: “…” She gave an awkward smile, thinking it was a strange situation, but she didn’t press further. She held out her hand for food as usual. “Just give whatever you can; it’s the thought that counts.”

Luo Sheng handed over the prepared rice while coughing incessantly. The others looked on with disgust, fearing a virus, and retreated a few steps. Once they had the items, they took the elevator back down.

As soon as they left, Nan Chu emerged from the bedroom. She yawned, confused. “Why do you make me hide every time someone comes? Am I that unsightly?”

Luo Sheng took off her mask and placed it on the table. “Hardly anyone in this building knows you live here. Consider yourself a hidden card.”

“Oh, look at you, thinking so highly of me.” Nan Chu threw herself onto the sofa with her legs crossed. “What do they call it? An ace in the hole? Not bad. I guess I’m the ‘ace’ of this team.”

Nan Shuwan had just finished peeling an apple. She sliced a small piece with a knife and held it to Luo Sheng’s lips. “Mhm, very thoughtful. Here, as a reward, have a piece. Open up~”

Before Luo Sheng could react, she instinctively opened her mouth and bit the apple. Her lips brushed against Nan Shuwan’s fingertips. The movement was fluid and looked entirely natural.

Luo Xiaoli watched this scene with a beaming smile, nodding in satisfaction. “Good. You’ve trained Nuonuo to be very obedient. Wanwan, keep training her for me!”

“No problem, Auntie. I can’t say much about other things, but when it comes to ‘training’ people, I’m quite the expert…” Nan Shuwan winked, as if reminding Luo Sheng of their previous superior-subordinate relationship. “Besides, hasn’t it been ten days of ‘dating’ already? It’s only right.”

Luo Sheng ate the apple in silence, her ears turning red. Why is she always teasing me like this… it was clearly just an excuse we agreed upon.

Nan Chu snickered from the side. “If you’re dating Little Luo, you’re in for a treat. I’ve taught her a lot of ‘techni’—”

“Mmph—”

Before Nan Chu could finish, Luo Sheng covered her mouth. She forced a strained smile and dragged Nan Chu toward the kitchen while keeping her hand over her mouth. “Alright, shut it. Come help me cook!”

The outing operation proceeded in an orderly fashion. Every day, two inflatable rafts, each carrying four people, went out to search for supplies. Each household from each floor sent one representative, and the property management assigned one person to lead each raft.

The first day happened to involve the sixth and seventh floors. He Shugen acted as the commander, leading everyone along the route. Since he had been out before and was familiar with the path, no one minded him getting an extra trip.

Recently, the rain in the afternoon had remained moderate—windy and rainy, but much calmer than in the morning or evening. This was the only suitable time to go out. Everyone had to act quickly; if they stayed out too late, it would certainly be dangerous.

The water was deep now. Those afraid of the water felt the rafts swaying precariously. They rowed with strength at first, but after nearly two hours, their arms began to ache. Fortunately, with four people per raft, they didn’t come to a standstill.

However, the wind blew them off course, and the rain was freezing. Although they were wrapped up tightly, several people couldn’t stop sneezing.

“Hey, Old He, are you sure about this route? We’ve been rowing for so long, and I haven’t seen a thing.” Zhang Dajiu was impatient; he felt they had been rowing on the water for a long time without making any progress.

The towering buildings loomed like obstacles in a maze, making it impossible to tell one from another—especially now with the sudden fog. The sky was gray, and the roar of the wind and rain was deafening. He couldn’t help but worry.

“What’s the rush? It’s only been two hours. Last time I was out for a whole afternoon! You can’t rush this weather!” He Shugen’s tone was impatient as he continued to direct them, looking every bit the leader.

Zhang Dajiu scoffed inwardly. Bah, who do you think you are…

Su Rong, sitting at the front, told them both to stop arguing. She stood up slightly to get a better view. With her superior eyesight, she seemed to see a large sign. She waved her hand at He Shugen. “Look over there—do we need to go around that building? I think I see the crystal sign of the department store.”

He Shugen looked up, followed her gaze, and slapped his head in excitement. “Yes, yes! That’s it! It pays to have younger eyes. Everyone, put some muscle into it! Row in that direction!”

Having confirmed the location, the group—who had been flagging—found their spirit again. The two rafts slowly steered in that direction.