"You go ahead and eat. I'll make a couple more pancakes."
Meng Ci ladled a bowl of porridge for Shen Que and handed it to him.
Shen Que took it but didn't leave. Instead, he set the bowl on the counter beside him.
"No need. I'll wait for you."
Seeing he couldn't be shooed away, Meng Ci tried his best to ignore him.
At the same time, he felt relieved that he hadn't put too much beef in the pot.
The tomatoes and potatoes were both from Shen Que, and the flour was from Shen Que's first delivery. He wasn't worried Shen Que would notice anything off.
"Don't hold back on the food. Just tell me when you're done, and I'll figure something out." Shen Que suddenly spoke up.
Meng Ci kept flipping the pancakes, refusing to respond.
"I don't eat much. This will last me a long time. You don't need to bring me any more."
But Shen Que didn't answer whether he would continue bringing food in the future.
After they finished eating, Shen Que insisted on washing the dishes before leaving.
Leaning against the door, Meng Ci couldn't fathom what Shen Que was thinking.
Could he have developed feelings for me?
Meng Ci touched his own cheek, indulging in a moment of self-admiration.
It wasn't impossible for someone to like him-after all, he was incredibly handsome!
Shaking his head, Meng Ci banished romantic notions from his mind and entered a bedroom.
He retrieved a freestanding punching bag from his spatial storage and placed it in the center of the room.
He slipped on a pair of boxing gloves and began hammering the bag, punching and kicking relentlessly to build his strength.
After fifteen minutes of pounding, Meng Ci took a short break before opening a video on his tablet to learn sanda.
Around noon, Meng Ci heard the roar of engines again.
Panting, he reached the window to see Si Chen and his group returning, their assault boat loaded with supplies.
By now, the first floor was submerged under at least a meter of water. The main gate had long been swept away, so Si Chen's team simply drove the assault boat directly into the building.
Many people were peering from the stairwell on the second floor. Some bold souls even spoke up while they were unloading.
"Bro, how much did you pay for this? I'll give you ten times that."
"I'll pay twenty times."
Many faces were pale, clearly starved from prolonged hunger.
Some eyes gleamed with ferocity, likely plotting outright theft.
But soon, footsteps echoed from upstairs, drawing nearer.
"Make way!"
The crowd parted, revealing three young men in their twenties descending the stairs.
"Si Chen, we're here!"
Three had gone out to gather supplies; with the three now arriving, there were six young men in total.
Each stood over six feet tall, with muscular builds commanding respect at a glance.
Those who had intended to steal abandoned their plans.
"Hurry and help carry the supplies. The three of us will stand guard here," Si Chen instructed.
"Got it."
It took the three descending men three trips to move everything. As Si Chen prepared to retrieve the assault boat, someone spoke up.
"Bro, could we borrow your assault boat?"
"We'll pay whatever you ask, or give you some of the supplies we find out there." Si Chen replied, "No need. You can use the boat for free."
"But it runs on diesel, and there's not much left in the tank. If you can find diesel, feel free to use it."
With that, Si Chen set the partially stowed boat back down and followed the others out.
A man in the crowd immediately grabbed the assault boat,
"I have diesel! I have diesel at home!"
"I'm using it first!"
He started hauling the boat upstairs.
The others likely didn't have diesel, so they didn't compete, just glared enviously at him.
"Brother, with this downpour, how about I tag along? We can watch each other's backs!"
A man in the crowd suddenly spoke up, prompting others to echo his suggestion.
The man considered it carefully and realized he should indeed find someone to accompany him.
After all, with the torrential rain. outside and the river running wild, going out alone was indeed dangerous.
"Alright!"
The man agreed, then scanned the area. He selected the initial speaker and two other burly-looking men.
These men were predatory. Without strong companions, any food brought back would likely be snatched before it even warmed up.
The man was cautious. He didn't let them follow inside. Instead, he entered alone, retrieved a plastic jug,
He estimated how much diesel would be needed for a round trip to the nearest supermarket, then filled the jug halfway.
"Mom, Xiaoping, stay home and watch the kids. Don't open the door unless you hear my voice."
"Okay." They both agreed, reminding him to stay safe on his journey.
He then set up a table, instructing them to barricade the door after he left, before finally departing.
The man was Wei Heng, who worked as a forklift operator at a factory. Occasionally, he'd secretly bring home some diesel, and now his home held a considerable stash.
With no end in sight to the rain and a baby crying for milk at home, his caution was understandable-he couldn't risk anyone finding out.
After the man produced the diesel, they hurriedly began pumping it into the assault boat. Though maneuvering it proved tricky at first,
Wei Heng soon mastered the technique and steered the craft steadily out of the building.
"Brother, bring back as much as you can! I'll pay ten times-no, a hundred times the price!"
"Me too!"
Numerous people crowded at windows upstairs and downstairs, urging them to bring back more food.
Even residents from neighboring buildings joined the chorus of shouts.
Whether the four in the assault boat actually heard them remained unknown.
Meng Ci was unaware of the commotion below, but seeing them operate the male lead's assault boat, he thought the male lead was quite generous.
With the commotion gone, Meng Ci turned back to continue monitoring the surveillance feeds.
On the screen, Li Xiaoya had already slipped into her new dress, her makeup flawlessly applied. Urged on by Zhang Lu, she was heading out the door.
Now well-fed and rested, Meng Ci felt no urge to sleep. He wanted to watch the drama unfold, but not yet reveal his presence to Li Xiaoya and the others.
Suddenly remembering the items in his spatial pocket, Meng Ci's eyes lit up. He entered the pocket, retrieved an object, and clutched it in his hand. After confirming no one was outside, he quietly pushed open the door and descended the stairs.
Si Chen lived on the eighth floor. As Meng Ci reached the stairwell entrance, he heard Zhang Lu's voice.
"Yaya, did you learn everything I taught you earlier?"
"Mom, is this really okay?" Li Xiaoya tugged uncomfortably at the collar Zhang Lu had pulled wide open.
"Of course it is!" Zhang Lu replied, pulling Li Xiaoya's clothes open a bit more.
"Men love this kind of thing!"
"And you're so beautiful-what man wouldn't be tempted?"
Li Xiaoya felt her confidence soar at Zhang Lu's flattery.
"Go on!"
Zhang Lu then stepped back several paces and hid in a blind spot, urging Li Xiaoya to hurry and knock on the door.