Chapter 24: Deadly Infection 9
I didn’t have an appetite before, but I do now.
Chu Yian found the hotpot seasoning that she had bought with these ingredients and stir-fried it in the pot until fragrant. The spicy aroma of the hotpot seasoning instantly spread to the surrounding area, making those who had little to eat feel ravenously hungry.
“Which rich family is this, eating hotpot?”
“Damn, it smells so good! When this epidemic is over, I’m definitely going to eat hotpot for a week.”
… “Is someone cooking hotpot? Can you spare me a bowl? I’m willing to pay two hundred.”
“That’s too little, I’m willing to pay five hundred!”
“I’ll give a thousand!”
The group chat started bidding for a bowl of hotpot, while Chu Yian had turned the hotpot into a ‘maocai’ (Sichuan boiled dish). Because food was limited, she didn’t even use a single vegetable, making two large bowls of fragrant and delicious maocai. She then carried the maocai, which had already been bid up to two thousand yuan, to the opposite apartment.
The group’s longing for hotpot ended as lunchtime passed with no response.
After Chu Yian ate her fill, she rested for half an hour. Just as she was about to get up and exercise, there was a sudden knock on the door.
As she opened the inner security door, her phone received a WeChat message from Lu Qingyuan.
“Don’t open the door, it’s two infected people.”
Chu Yian paused at his words, then turned to grab a mask and put it on. Only then did she look through the peephole of the second door.
Outside stood a cautious couple. The man was wearing long sleeves, a mask, and sunglasses, completely wrapped up. The woman, however, only wore a mask, her eyes peering through the peephole into the apartment.
“Is anyone there? Is anyone inside?
Hello, we’re residents from downstairs. We wouldn’t bother you if we had any other choice.”
The woman paused for two seconds after speaking, and seeing no response from inside, she continued, “Do you have any fever reducers at home? The price is negotiable, just give us a little.
It’s a matter of life and death, please.”
Her voice was choked with sobs, “My husband is about to give up.”
Chu Yian lowered her head upon hearing this.
At times like these, people are always selfish.
“I’m sorry, I don’t have any medicine. Please ask someone else.”
However, upon hearing a response, the woman’s eyes lit up as if she had found a lifeline: “If you don’t have fever reducers, you should still have other medicines, right? Anti-inflammatories, cough suppressants, pain relievers, anything will do. We’re not picky.”
After asking around, she had rarely encountered someone willing to talk to her.
“Sorry, no.”
Chu Yian also didn’t want to refuse her, but opening the door to two infected people would be suicidal.
Listening to the woman crying and cursing as she left, Chu Yian felt guilty but also relieved. It was good that they left; she was most afraid of them waiting at the door or doing something extreme.
After they left, Chu Yian wasn’t in a hurry to open the door.
She took out her phone and sent a message to Lu Qingyuan.
“You shouldn’t open the door casually right now. I’ll disinfect first.”
“Okay.”
Seeing his response, Chu Yian, fully armed with a mask, medical gloves, goggles, and other protective gear, went out with disinfectant. She meticulously sprayed her own door with disinfectant, then sprayed the hallway and the opposite door.
Fortunately, she had bought 5L of disinfectant. Chu Yian was glad of her wise choice at the time.
However, even this couldn’t guarantee absolute safety.
Chu Yian took out her phone and asked him, “Do you have a mask?”
The answer was no.
Seeing Lu Qingyuan’s reply, Chu Yian wasn’t surprised. After all, when she moved in, she was the only tenant on this floor. Lu Qingyuan had obviously moved in later.
He had just moved in when the epidemic broke out.
Then the residential area was locked down.
The promised supplies were never delivered to him.
He must be helpless and have nothing now. Meeting her here, she was practically his benefactor.
Having spent so much time together, plus Lu Qingyuan’s character halo in the last game, Chu Yian subconsciously considered him half her own.
Knowing he had no mask, she didn’t hide anything and directly counted out ten masks to give him.
He opened the door.
This was the first time they had met face-to-face after several days of lunch diplomacy.
Chu Yian was fully wrapped up, wearing goggles, a mask, and medical gloves. Their eyes met, and her eyes, hidden behind the goggles, blinked hard.
“Here are ten masks, take them for now.”
Chu Yian was the first to break the silence, handing him the masks, which were tightly wrapped in a plastic bag.
Besides the masks, there was also a small bottle of disinfectant.
How small was it?
It was in a small bottle like eye care solution.
In these times, receiving such a generous gift was actually quite good.
Lu Qingyuan took the bag and looked at her.
It was a cold and questioning gaze, “Why are you helping me?”
“Because…”
In the last game, we depended on each other, shared life and death, and you even used your privilege to get me a direct ride to the safe zone. I want to thank you.
Chu Yian quickly recited the reasons in her mind, then condensed a thousand words into one sentence, “We’re neighbors. There are only two of us on this floor. In this critical moment, we help each other if we can.
Today I take care of you a bit, tomorrow you help me out.”
She said this, then smiled at him, “Let’s reintroduce ourselves. My name is Chu Yian.”
Only after smiling did she remember that her mask and goggles completely covered her face.
“Lu Qingyuan.”
He spoke his name.
It really was him!
An NPC working two jobs, truly miserable.
Game Day 10—
Fewer people went out today than yesterday.
Chu Yian opened her treasure box again. Since she hadn’t drawn anything useful or valuable for three consecutive days, she had already calmed her mind.
A dazzling white light flashed, and she pulled out something new from the treasure box.
[A box of Ibuprofen oral solution]
[Note: Will be recovered after this round of the game ends.]
[Good Item’s Inner Voice: An unopened bottle of Ibuprofen oral solution. In a pharmacy… you can’t buy it now. Getting an infectious disease isn’t scary; not having fever reducers is a death sentence!]
Chu Yian looked at the description above, then at this box of oral solution… it was indeed very useful.
Fever reducers: 50 boxes + 1 bottle
She had just put the fever reducers into the box when a roaring explosion suddenly came from a distance.
Then, the power went out in the room.
The group chat exploded at this moment, “What’s going on?”
“What was that explosion just now? Why is the power out?”
“The power plant, the power plant exploded.”
Someone with inside information posted pictures of the power plant after the explosion.
Chu Yian frowned when she saw this news. If the power remained out, what would she do with the box of meat and vegetables in her refrigerator?
