Seducing and Flirting with Boss O While Stockpiling in the Apocalypse (GL) - Chapter 35

The rain intensified, the mist and dense raindrops blending into an invisible screen that blurred everyone’s vision. The sky was a deep, oppressive gloom. Luo Sheng stared out the window for a while longer; it was nearly seven o’clock, and there was still no sign of the eight-person scouting party returning.

Sun Cuifen was nagging in the group chat, saying she couldn’t get through to anyone. She asked the families of the others who went with He Shugen if they could connect, but the only replies were of unanswered calls. The chat was filled with voices of worry, fear, and prayer.

The weather had worsened significantly since the group departed. Debris, ash, and small stones floated on the surface of the rising water, whipped by the torrential rain and howling wind. Even watching from inside the house was enough to make one’s heart tremble.

Luo Xiaoli tossed a pan of minced pork with eggplant and green beans and stewed some pears with rock sugar. Drinking something like this on a cold day was very soothing for the stomach, especially since she was mindful of Nan Shuwan’s sensitive digestion.

The fresh vegetables Luo Sheng grew in the space were served on the dining table almost every day, keeping everyone’s physical condition quite good. Meanwhile, the disaster outside grew more tragic. News reports stated that floods and landslides triggered by the rain had caused many houses along the edges of the city to collapse, and the death toll was steadily climbing.

Supplies were becoming scarce, and disaster relief efforts lagged far behind the destructive power of the storm. Many people had reached the point of starvation. At this very moment, the four of them had four dishes and a soup—a feast by comparison. Sipping hot soup in a warm room while the freezing weather raged outside gave them a small, flickering sense of happiness in the apocalypse.

“It’s so delicious… Auntie, your cooking is truly amazing.” Nan Shuwan blew on her soup and took a small sip. The sweet pear fragrance instantly filled her senses, and the warmth traveled down to her stomach, making her entire body feel comfortable.

Luo Xiaoli laughed happily. “Wanwan always knows the right thing to say!”

Nan Chu scooped several large spoonfuls of the minced pork and eggplant over her rice, mixing it into a bowl of “bibimbap.” She took such huge bites and ate so fast that she choked, needing half a glass of water to recover.

“No one is going to steal it from you, is it really necessary…?” Luo Sheng picked up a few pieces of beef and couldn’t help but critique her.

She ate with an elegant manner that stood in sharp contrast to Nan Chu, who rolled her eyes and tapped the table. “What do you know? Auntie’s cooking is so good, this is a normal reaction!”

Luo Xiaoli, caught between the two sisters’ compliments, was grinning from ear to ear. Her face glowed with joy, though she didn’t forget to poke fun at Luo Sheng. “My daughter here is like a block of ice, colder than the weather outside.”

Luo Sheng choked on her words and remained silent. Just as she poured a bowl of hot soup, the room suddenly plunged into darkness.

With a loud snap, the power went out again.

She sighed, turned on her phone’s flashlight, and went to the space to retrieve smokeless coal to start the heater. Nan Shuwan immediately lit several candles, filling the dark living room with light once more. They had grown accustomed to these intermittent power outages over the past few days.

Nan Chu ran to the kitchen and turned on the faucet, finding, as expected, that the water had stopped too. she sat back at the table with a sigh and rubbed her face. “Well, the water’s out now too.”

None of them had washed up yet. Fortunately, Luo Sheng still had time left in the space. She and Nan Shuwan could go inside to wash up later and then bring out some hot water.

As for the other two, showering might be inconvenient, but there was no need to wash every day in this cold. They could go a few days without it since they were staying indoors and weren’t getting dirty. Nan Chu and Luo Xiaoli could simply use a damp, hot towel to wipe themselves down.

Luo Sheng sensed that a long-term total blackout and water shortage was imminent. This was unavoidable and meant things would become increasingly difficult. Once others lost their water and heat, and with the rescue teams delayed, immoral thoughts would surely emerge. Order would break down, and rules would no longer restrain anyone.

The previous pleasant atmosphere evaporated. Their moods were dampened by the outage, which served as a reminder that they were in the midst of a natural disaster; the true danger had yet to arrive.

Dinner was finished quickly. Luo Sheng led Nan Shuwan into the space first, where they took turns taking quick showers. Inside the villa, they couldn’t feel the chill at all. While waiting for several large kettles of water to boil, Luo Sheng noticed Nan Shuwan looking as if she wanted to say something.

So, she asked directly, “What is it? What do you want to say?”

“It’s nothing.” Nan Shuwan looked worried and shook her head. “It’s just… it’ll be our turn to search for supplies in a few days. Maybe you shouldn’t go.”

Luo Sheng caught a different emphasis. “Are you worried about me?”

Nan Shuwan didn’t deny it. “Isn’t it only natural for me to worry about you?” A strange emotion welled up in her heart, which she quickly suppressed. “That group hasn’t returned yet today. I think it’s better not to take the risk.”

“I didn’t say I must go. We’ll see. If those people return safely and the weather is stable that day, it would be too strange if our household didn’t go out to get supplies…” Luo Sheng paused. “Besides, I want to take the opportunity to scout the path and get familiar with the situation outside. It’s not a bad thing. I have a feeling we won’t stay here forever.”

Hearing this, Nan Shuwan stopped arguing. Finally, she bit her lip and hesitated. “If you must go, then I’ll go with you…”

After saying it, she felt it sounded a bit off. Luo Sheng was already looking over, her gaze so burning and intense that Nan Shuwan felt awkward. She turned her head away, feeling a bit embarrassed.

But the other woman didn’t seem inclined to let it go; her gaze didn’t shift an inch. Nan Shuwan decided to just face it, meeting Luo Sheng’s eyes directly, though her expression looked a bit stubborn—a sort of tsundere-style defiance.

Luo Sheng found her surprisingly cute. A small, unnamable seed was sprouting in her heart, but she remained outwardly calm and asked seriously, “They said one representative per household is enough. Do you really want to… share life and death with me that much?”

The last few words were whispered low, almost caught in her throat. Luo Sheng didn’t even notice the playful tint in her tone, which made Nan Shuwan’s heart beat a little faster. It reminded her of when she first intentionally approached Luo Sheng, claiming they should be friends who share hardships…

Now that the other was using it to tease her, Nan Shuwan felt the annoyance of having her “tail stepped on.” She felt as if she was being toyed with.

So, Nan Shuwan dropped the subject. “We’ll talk about it then. The water is boiling; we can go out.”

Luo Sheng tried to suppress a smile, nodded, and they exited the space together.

Su Rong turned on her flashlight to search the department store. Water was everywhere, already past her ankles. Fortunately, most of the snacks on the shelves were still intact. She filled her plastic bags with biscuits, canned goods, and bottled water—items that were easy to store and filling. She also grabbed some basic cold medicine.

The boat ride earlier had been harrowing. As their group rounded the corner of a building with their destination in sight, the rain suddenly intensified, and several large stones came drifting toward them, propelled sharply by the current.

Inflatable rafts were not exactly sturdy. A sharp edge could easily puncture the surface. If it leaked, the boat would be finished. Luckily, Su Rong changed direction in time, letting the stones glide past, though her sudden movement caused a significant amount of water to splash into the boat.

The group on the raft stumbled. The more timid ones even screamed. Old He Shugen, on the other boat, was lamenting his “old bones,” singing a song of doom. “It’s over! It’s all over! I’m going to meet my end here today!”

Su Rong felt a surge of irritation and could only bark, “Just row!”

The current swirled wildly. The two rafts in the wind and rain were like two tiny leaves in the ocean, liable to be overturned at any moment. But the group was lucky; under Su Rong’s command, they eventually arrived at the department store. They climbed in through the large window He Shugen had opened last time.

This floor was partially submerged as well. Fortunately, the ceilings in the department store were much higher than in regular residential buildings, so most items on the shelves were still in good condition.

It was pitch black inside, nearly impossible to see one’s hand in front of one’s face. Aside from their group, no one else was in sight. It was already past five, and the light was fading fast. After packing her things, Su Rong swept her flashlight around, calling for the others to gather.

Everyone used their phones as flashlights to scavenge. Su Rong had warned them not to take too much, as the rafts couldn’t handle the weight, so everyone tried to pick light, essential items.

The sound of footsteps splashing in the water echoed everywhere. Many people’s shoes were already filled with water. He Shugen went up to the next floor to see if there was anything else. He squinted his eyes but couldn’t see clearly; finding only clothing sections, he shook his head and prepared to head back.

But just then, in that quiet, empty, dark place, he heard a powerful slapping sound. It happened again and again, like something thrashing in the water. He Shugen thought he had misheard, but the noise was too loud to be a hallucination.

Standing alone in the empty store with only his phone, his throat bobbed, and a chill inexplicably ran down his spine.

However, curiosity won out over fear. He Shugen slowly moved toward the sound. The weak light from his phone was his only zone of safety. Finally, he saw a group of fish huddled in a crevice by the window frame. They were stuck in the gap, unable to get out. Their tails were slapping hard against the window glass, struggling to escape.

The fish’s eyes were strange, veined with an abnormal white film. From a distance, they looked like a pile of twisted, giant black eels. It was a sight that made one’s skin crawl.

Su Rong was getting anxious because He Shugen hadn’t rejoined the group. Everyone else was gathered and ready to row back. The rain was letting up slightly—the perfect time to return—but where had He Shugen gone?

Just as the thought crossed her mind, she heard He Shugen shouting from the stairwell, “Look what a good thing I found!”

His voice was uncontrollably joyful. He came jogging over, out of breath, and under Su Rong’s confused gaze, he opened his plastic bag to reveal several fat black fish.

Su Rong was perplexed. “Where did these fish come from?”

“Hehe, I saw them upstairs just now. They’re a gift from heaven!” He Shugen grinned proudly. “I bet they were washed over from some river. We can have fish soup when we get back! You guys can have some too!”

Su Rong took another look. She couldn’t see very clearly, and while she still felt it was a bit odd, she didn’t say anything more. She nodded and called everyone to hurry back. The group immediately set off without further delay.

Luo Sheng really wanted to see the messages in the group chat, but her phone had no signal or internet. Even turning on mobile data was useless; she couldn’t receive anything.

Since there was no power, they had to use candles instead of lights. Nan Chu didn’t care; she leaned on the sofa, yawning and reading a novel. Luo Xiaoli had already gone to bed, leaving the three of them in the living room chatting around the heater.

“Haven’t the people who went out returned yet?” Nan Shuwan couldn’t help but ask.

“I don’t know.” Luo Sheng rested her chin on the table, starting to feel drowsy. “There’s no movement, and you can’t see anything outside. Maybe they’re back, or maybe…”

Luo Sheng didn’t speak the worst-case scenario, but they all knew it. Nan Shuwan understood, of course. She pressed her feet firmly against the heater’s footrest and stood up to go to bed.

As she passed Luo Sheng, a massive thunderclap suddenly erupted outside. Startled, Nan Shuwan’s legs went weak, and she sat directly on Luo Sheng’s lap. For a moment, their breaths were very close.

Though the light was dim, at this distance, Luo Sheng could clearly see Nan Shuwan’s face and her full, moist lips.

She wanted to bite. She really wanted to bite.

The extreme urge to gnaw on something returned, but Luo Sheng simply looked away and calmly helped her up. However, the two didn’t have time to feel embarrassed about the accidental intimacy, because in the next instant, Luo Sheng heard a commotion from the stairwell. One by one, every household from the bottom up began to show signs of life.

The scouting party had finally returned.