55: It doesn’t matter whether you believe it or not, what matters is that you are alive!
"No, no, no! Sister Bai!" Lei Yan sensed the awkward atmosphere and quickly spoke up to smooth things over.
She glared fiercely at Lu Yin, then said to Bai Wanning, "Don't mind her, she's always like this. My family and her family are almost out of food, who can care about others?"
With that, she turned to look at the couple standing at the stairwell, her voice sinking: "And you two! Your wife being pregnant is your own business, find a way to solve it! Did you ask for anyone's opinion before your wife got pregnant?"
The couple: "..."
After Lei Yan finished scolding, she felt much better.
She then turned to Lu Yin, sneering: "Lu Yin, my brother's parents aren't around, so you don't need to keep pretending to be good, okay? Keep your voice down, don't make a fool of yourself."
Lu Yin's face turned even redder, almost white with grievance.
She turned to look at her brother, Lu Yu, who just sighed helplessly and softly said, "Alright, Yin Yin, just bear with it, okay?"
Although he was also very displeased with his sister's behavior, she was, after all, his only relative, so what could he do?
Seeing that her brother wasn't on her side either, Lu Yin's face turned ashen, her eyes reddened, and she looked both delicate and stubborn.
It was just unfortunate that no one present was buying her act.
Bai Wanning also ignored her, turning and swiftly leading her team onto the rubber boat, leaving Lu Yin standing in place, looking dejected.
Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, Lu Yin stamped her foot in anger, but ultimately still got on the boat.
After all, she also needed to procure some personal items, and if she were truly left behind, she wouldn't be content.
Meanwhile, the couple watched as their group truly rowed away from the building, their faces immediately turning grim.
"Damn it! I should have known to snatch that boat just now," the man cursed through gritted teeth, "You idiot, why did you stop me?"
"How was I supposed to know that woman was so ruthless?" the woman retorted unwillingly, "We're both women, yet she showed no mercy at all. No wonder her family abandoned her, she deserves it."
Bai Wanning naturally didn't hear their curses, and even if she had, she wouldn't have taken them to heart.
At a time like this, survival was the most important thing; reputation, what was it worth?
The city, due to the power outage, was plunged into a deathly silence and darkness.
Bai Jixuan's waterproof flashlight was tied to the bow of the boat, but the light was dim, barely illuminating the water ahead.
Raindrops hit the water, creating tiny ripples.
Occasionally, some half-eaten animal carcasses would lightly brush past the rubber boat's hull, scaring Lei Yan and Lu Yin into continuous screams.
Lei Yan was a bit better, biting her lip and holding it in, until she saw a human corpse floating on the water.
Her face turned pale, and she grabbed Bai Wanning's arm, trembling as she whispered, "Sister Bai... it's too terrifying, someone really died."
Bai Wanning looked at the corpse with half its neck gnawed off, a faint glint in her eyes. This corpse might turn into a zombie, or it might just rot; no one could be sure.
But there was nothing she could do at the moment. If she were alone, she might throw a grenade to burn it, but now there were many people on the boat, and she couldn't scare the others.
She needed a little guidance, a little testing of the waters.
"If you're scared, don't look," she said calmly, then reached out and took Lei Yan's hand, "Close your eyes and follow me."
Lei Yan immediately complied, gripping her hand tightly, closing her eyes and leaning against her, trying hard not to think about that horrifying image.
An hour later.
Bai Jixuan quietly moored the rubber boat in a secluded corner of one of the city's largest shopping malls.
The mall, once bustling with people and brightly lit, was now a scene of dark silence.
"You all stay here," Bai Wanning said to Bai Zhan, then flipped over and jumped onto the mall steps. Bai Jixuan followed closely behind.
Lei Yan and Lu Yu also followed. Although Lu Yin hesitated for a moment, thinking of the sanitary products she desperately needed, she gritted her teeth and followed.
After all, she hadn't prepared as thoroughly as Lei Yan, so she had to come and find some supplies.
The entire mall was empty and eerily quiet, as if even a breath could be infinitely amplified.
"We'll split up," Bai Wanning whispered.
After she spoke, she handed a flashlight to Lei Yan and them.
Lei Yan trembled with fear, timidly looking at the space swallowed by darkness, then turned back to Bai Wanning: "Sister Bai, let's go together?"
"No, I can't always be with you," Bai Wanning refused very directly, "You must get used to it; such scenes will become more and more common. You search this floor first, bring back as many supplies as possible, and leave the rest to me."
She had other tasks; she needed to find items that could be exchanged for a "safety pods," so she naturally couldn't bring Lei Yan along to hold her back.
Lei Yan knew she couldn't argue with her, so she just nodded, softly telling her: "I want some brown sugar, vegetables... and a change of clothes. Our family didn't have time to prepare these. Sister Bai, it seems to be getting cold soon, and we don't have enough warm clothes at home. If you don't mind..."
Bai Wanning nodded slightly, said nothing more, and walked directly to the other side, her gaze not even lingering on Lu Yin and Lu Yu.
Her kindness was not bottomless; anyone who wanted to step on her, she dared to turn hostile.
Upon reaching the stairwell, she handed Bai Jixuan the second spatial bag she had traded for with chili oil.
"Big Brother, this is for you. Try to put the supplies in this bag," Bai Wanning handed over a spatial bag that looked like an ordinary shopping bag, "Fill it as much as you can."
She paused, then added: "This is a high-tech bag that my friends' company just developed. Remember to hide it well."
She wasn't afraid of her brother being suspicious of the bag; at this time, whether he believed her or was curious didn't matter. Staying alive was the most crucial thing.
Bai Jixuan was indeed suspicious but didn't ask further. He just nodded, silently ran to a corner, and began searching for supplies.