Chapter 133: So That Was It

Inside the room, the siblings embraced affectionately for a long while before sitting on the edge of the bed to talk.

Upon learning that her younger brother had managed to find work here—earning enough to cover some extra expenses—Jiang Huan felt a mix of pride and heartache. She was proud that her brother could support himself after leaving the sanctuary of her protection, yet it pained her to know the nature of his labor: cleaning corridors and replacing dirty filters in water towers. This heartache reached its peak when she saw the "special supply" nutritional milk he had earned.

Jiang Huan stared in disbelief at the five or six bottles of high-concentration synthetic nutritional milk on the table, which looked remarkably like ordinary milk, and immediately confiscated them all.

"Sister? Those are actually quite good. The officials say one bottle provides the nutrients of ten bottles of milk; drinking four a month is enough for protein requirements."

Jiang Huan struggled internally, ultimately deciding not to tell him the truth. After hearing Xie Congzhou mention at the cafeteria that these were made from cockroach milk, she had felt goosebumps erupt all over her skin. Although she had seen videos before the apocalypse suggesting that cockroach milk might be a post-apocalyptic nutritional solution—reportedly far superior in value to cow or goat milk—the thought of actually drinking it was repulsive. Since it wasn't a necessity, she decided she would provide him with enough alternatives so he would never have to touch it unless it was a last resort.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Xi guessed it: "Is it made of something weird?"

"Something like that," Jiang Huan replied, glancing around the cramped room.

She took the opportunity to fill his drawers with milk and placed four canisters of goat milk nutritional powder on the cabinet. Inside, she swapped out his clothes for seasonal ones and left a large box of dried meat, vacuum-sealed food, and instant meals, along with a large bag of compressed military biscuits. The tiny bathroom was too small for extra storage, so she had to leave it as is.

"Can’t you get a bigger room here?"

"Only family members of officials or those with special contributions can."

*That means it’s possible,* Jiang Huan thought. She hadn't been working herself to the bone just so her brother could live in squalor when better options existed. After sharing a long-overdue, hearty breakfast with him, she went to find the building manager.

Seeing her communication device, the manager recognized her as an Elite Team member and politely explained the upgrade requirements. First, there was the path of major meritorious service. Second, one could exchange supplies—either a large lump sum or a rental fee for a temporary upgrade. If the monthly cost couldn't be met, one would have to return to the original room.

Jiang Huan looked into the options and realized most were beyond an individual's reach. Among the possibilities, a recommendation letter from a frontline Star-Class Sea Beast hunter or ten pounds of gold were the most viable. In this post-apocalyptic world, gold was no longer just a store of value; it was a raw material used in many essential devices.

Wu Bing could write her a recommendation letter, but Jiang Huan didn't make that her first choice. She still had some gold in reserve, and since she currently had no other use for it, she saw that a two-bedroom apartment was a reasonable goal, requiring ten pounds of gold for a permanent upgrade.

She immediately set to work. Once the upgrade was secured, she stocked the new space with enough food and water to last her brother a year or more. After moving, they shared a meal of Cantonese-style char siu rice. Following a short nap, she received a message from Wu Bing and headed out to a dinner party, where she had a few drinks. It struck her then that no matter how scarce resources became, certain groups would never go without.

Perhaps it was the liquor, but on her way back, Jiang Huan saw a man harassing a young woman and, fueled by impulse, gave him a sound beating. She didn't stay for thanks—she just needed to vent some frustration—but she noticed the girl following her.

*Is she on this path, too?*

Jiang Huan stepped aside, but the girl stopped and stared directly at her.

"Not leaving?"

"Aren't you going home, sister?" they asked simultaneously.

Jiang Huan wiped her face. "I'm just sobering up. You, on the other hand, wandering around at night in a white dress—you're quite brave. Go home."

The charming girl blinked and revealed a miniature stun baton in her hand. "Actually, sister, you ruined my fun."

Jiang Huan paused, then realized, "Truly, you can't tell who is the hunter and who is the prey by appearance alone these days."

The girl put the baton away and took a step toward her. Jiang Huan immediately drew her gun. "If I interrupted your hunt, I apologize. But sorry, I’m not a fat sheep."

The girl looked a bit hurt. "Sister, you’ve misunderstood. I just wanted to thank you. Besides, we’re neighbors. I saw you this morning; you’re Jiang Xi’s sister."

Hearing her brother's name, Jiang Huan’s expression darkened. The girl was no saint, and yet she was targeting her brother. This was not a good sign.

"Don't worry. Jiang Xi saved me once. Come to think of it, you two are very similar—you're both good people."

"No," Jiang Huan denied. "I'm no good person. I act on my whims. If someone mentions my family, I get cautious—or even want to kill them."

The girl raised her hands. "I really have no ill intent. My name is Tingting. I like Jiang Xi and want him to be my boyfriend. If he were, I might turn over a new leaf. We could be a happy couple—"

Jiang Huan threw a dagger at the girl’s feet; she dodged nimbly, avoiding the blade.

"What is the meaning of this, sister?"

"My brother is innocent and not right for you. I know that in this apocalypse, everyone must find a way to survive, but your method is too extreme and will only accumulate enemies. I won’t take the moral high ground to condemn you, but I will not tolerate you approaching my brother and ruining his life." She drew another dagger.

Tingting waved her hands frantically. "I promise! I promise never to approach him or harm him. I really just wanted to get to know you. My brother was a frontline soldier, and this apartment is all he left me. I have no family, which is why I act out. I admit it, I’ll reflect, and I promise—please don't kill me."

Jiang Huan holstered her gun and retrieved the dagger. "This is your first and last warning. If you cross the line, you will be the only one to die."

Jiang Huan hurried back, washed up, and took out five alarms, leaving two for her brother. "Keep one on you and install one by the door. If anyone shows malice toward you, don't be soft-hearted—strike first." She didn't want to teach her brother to kill, but in this world, he couldn't afford to fall for a trap; his susceptibility was higher than most.

Jiang Xi nodded seriously and pulled out his auto-aiming slingshot. "Don't worry, sister. I will protect myself."

The shadow over Jiang Huan's heart finally dissipated.

Wu Bing’s report was strictly business, and by the next day at noon, they were scheduled to return. Jiang Huan only had time to drop off about half a month’s worth of rice and grain for Old Man Xie before Wu Bing whisked her away onto the helicopter, heading toward the frontline island.