87: A nest is destroyed, fragrant

Tian Ming approached the rock wall, concentrating. His hand glided gently over the cave's rock face, sensing the hollow space within the rock through touch. An image of the rock wall's interior appeared in his mind, allowing him to clearly see every corner within 10 meters.

With a thought, the rocks at all the openings seemed to soften, wriggling to seal them off. Inside the rock, various passages connected.

After completing everything, he left just two exits: one for air intake and one for exhaust. The exhaust exit was covered with a giant carbon fiber cage.

Tian Ming crouched at the air intake. These rats would either run outside or could only be funneled into the cage through the other exit. The outside temperature was below freezing, so not many would escape outdoors, as these rats had surely come to this place to warm up. Tian Ming slowly heated the air and sent it into the cave. He couldn't do it too quickly, or all the rats would run outside.

Ten minutes later, a group of rats couldn't stand it anymore. They tentatively crawled out of the exhaust vent but were immediately caught by Tian Ming in the cage.

"We caught them!" Gouzi shouted excitedly.

Tian Ming smiled slightly and continued to wait. After one cage was filled, Tian Ming immediately swapped it for another. Cage after cage was filled, and all the rats were caught, totaling around three to four hundred.

Certainly, some had escaped outside, but it didn't matter. He would set up several large rat traps in this area, filled with starchy feed that rats liked. Sooner or later, all the rats here would be caught.

"Alright, transport them all up."

The rest was relatively simple. Gouzi and the others followed Tian Ming's instructions, hoisting the cages up one by one.

"Boss, you are truly amazing!" Gouzi started flattering again.

"Gouzi, what's wrong with you lately? Why are you always flattering me?" Tian Ming looked at Gouzi with some confusion.

Gouzi paused, scratched his head, and said, "Boss, it's nothing, I genuinely think you're amazing."

Tian Ming rolled his eyes and said, "Your previous flattery, I thought it was okay, at least it was pleasant to hear. Now you're a bit deliberate, understand? Is it because of Liu Yu's matter?"

Gouzi's heart sank. His partiality towards Liu Yu was indeed the main reason Gouzi worried about his status declining in the Shelter. The Boss could see his thoughts, which meant the Boss's mind was as clear as a mirror, knowing what he was worried about.

Gouzi showed a hint of an awkward smile on his face: "Boss, don't say that. Regarding Liu Yu's matter, it was indeed my fault, and I am deeply reflecting on myself."

"Alright, don't worry so much. I'm not the kind of person who burns bridges. Instead of worrying about your own status, think about where your strengths lie. What's the use of flattering me? There are more and more capable people in the Shelter; it just depends on how you manage your relationships with them."

Tian Ming's words clearly had the intention of providing guidance. Although Gouzi wasn't highly educated, he was more astute than the average person in reading people and understanding social etiquette.

"Boss, I understand. Thank you. Acknowledging you as my Boss is the most correct choice I, Gouzi, have ever made in my life."

Tian Ming couldn't help but laugh: "See, you're flattering me again. However, I accept this flattery."

Gouzi couldn't help but chuckle, a simple and honest look on his face: "Hehe, Boss, don't worry, I will definitely settle down and stop thinking about those useless things."

Tian Ming patted Gouzi's shoulder and said, "That's good. First, put these rats into the large breeding cages. Then, call Li Changsheng and his son over and have them help raise the rats for now. Tell the kitchen that I'm treating everyone to meat; everyone gets some."

"Got it!" Gouzi responded happily.

Upon reaching the surface, Tian Ming made some adjustments to the cave entrance. After solidifying the soil around the entrance, he created a retractable ladder. Normally, people would use this ladder to descend. He also casually made thirty to forty more rat traps. He would usually cover this entrance until all the rats inside were caught. Then, he would use this Underground Cave to expand his future Underground City.

After completing all of this, the day was almost over. Arriving at the cafeteria, the menu blackboard read: "Today's improved meal: Boss's treat! Free serving of spicy stir-fried bamboo rat meat for everyone."

"Boss is Boss! This rat meat tastes better to me than braised rabbit," Gouzi said with emotion while shoveling down his rice.

"This meat is much tastier than that frozen pork we had last time. It's so damn good with rice, I love Boss so much."

"Keep your voice down. You're a man. Does Boss really need your love? He already has Little Shen by his side."

...

Achoo! ... Tian Ming, who was eating in a private room, suddenly sneezed. Someone must be talking about him behind his back. Tian Ming smiled and shook his head, not caring what they said; good words or bad, if he couldn't hear them, he wouldn't be bothered. Tian Ming continued to eat.

His walkie-talkie, which he carried with him, rang. Shen Yuan's voice came through the walkie-talkie.

"Boss, the rat meat is too spicy, I can't eat it. I'm a person with a severe cold. And you still let someone send me such disgusting stuff, how could I possibly eat it?" Shen Yuan's voice carried three parts weakness and seven parts Squeamish (delicacy/petulance).

"My delicate little sister is still so picky? Alright, you stay put in the Clinic, don't come out, or you'll catch another chill. I'll bring you some liquid food later, with milk, how about that?"

"Okay, you must come, you know."

This voice made Tian Ming shiver. How did Little Shen suddenly become so 'tea-like'? Could it be that this young girl had fallen for him?

"Boss, why aren't you speaking?"

"I'm speechless. Just wait, I'll bring it to you after I finish eating."

At this moment, Liu Zhizhi, the cafeteria manager, walked over.

"Boss, are you satisfied with the cafeteria? How was today's meal? Was it alright to eat?" Liu Zhizhi asked respectfully.

"I think it's pretty good. How did you process the Chinese cabbage that Qiu Wuhui harvested from the fields a while ago?" Tian Ming suddenly asked.

"Some of these cabbages were frozen, so I made most of them into spicy cabbage. We got a lot of cabbage last time, enough to last for a while," Liu Zhizhi said.

"Oh, that's quite good." Tian Ming nodded, then looked up and instructed, "Get me some porridge, the kind sick people drink, and then some hot milk. Put the milk in a thermos, and the porridge in an insulated lunch box. I need to take them with me."

Liu Zhizhi asked, "You want it light, right? Can I make pumpkin porridge with some pickled long beans? We got some old pumpkins from the surrounding villages last time. It takes 25 minutes to pressure cook, so you might have to wait a bit. Is that okay with you?"

Tian Ming nodded slightly: "That's fine. Go do it. I'll wait here."

Liu Zhizhi turned around and went into the kitchen to get busy. As she walked, she wondered who was sick that the Boss had to personally bring them food. What kind of treatment was this?