Chapter 132: Qi Mengyu

Qi Mengyu poured some cool water into the cup from the washbasin, then opened the thermos and poured in half a cup of hot water, adjusting the temperature to warm. She squeezed the toothpaste onto the brush and handed the cup of warm water and the prepared toothbrush to Su Li.

Su Li froze for a moment, suddenly reminded of his girlfriend, Wang Lan.

Sometimes on holidays, he would often be dead drunk from business socializing, returning home late at night. When Wang Lan came to find him the next morning, he would still be in bed. She would always hurry him awake, squeeze the toothpaste onto his brush, prepare a cup of warm water, and boil him an egg.

He had often thought that fate was kind to him, giving him such a wonderful girlfriend. He vowed to cherish her all his life.

But then the sudden flood changed everything. He couldn’t find Wang Lan. He didn’t even know if she was alive or dead.

Wang Lan’s apartment was far from his, a distance of eight or nine kilometers, and her apartment was on the ninth floor, now submerged under the floodwaters.

Su Li dared not imagine what kind of fate had befallen Wang Lan.

Fighting monsters for the past few days, and with the intense battle last night, his nerves were shot. He hadn’t had the energy to think about such matters of the heart.

He had barely thought of Wang Lan these past two days. Now, seeing this familiar scene, looking at the toothbrush and cup Qi Mengyu handed him, he couldn’t help but think of Wang Lan. A sudden pang of pain struck his heart.

“You can just leave them on the table. I’ll take care of it. You can go,” Su Li said. His mood, which had been fine, suddenly plummeted.

Qi Mengyu, seeing Su Li’s change in expression, dared not say anything more. She quickly acknowledged him and quietly walked out, her face showing a sad expression.

She had been a middle school teacher, highly favored by the school’s leadership and students. Her boyfriend, whose family was wealthy, would often pick her up and drop her off in his BMW, treating her like a princess. She was the envy of all her colleagues.

She never expected a single flood to change everything.

Thinking of the nightmare she had lived through over the past few days, she shivered. Xu Haishui had assigned her to serve Su Li today, only for Su Li to dismiss her.

She was filled with sorrow, thinking of how she was once held in high esteem and treated like a princess by her boyfriend. Now, she had to act subserviently and carefully manage her expression to serve others.

Su Li was unaware of Qi Mengyu’s current sadness. He was thinking of Wang Lan. His mood was low. He shook his head, refusing to think further, but deep down, a strong impulse was rising: he needed to go to Wang Lan’s home and check.

Before, his strength was insufficient. Even the Purple Wind Building, three kilometers away, was fraught with peril. He couldn’t even consider the nine-kilometer journey to Wang Lan’s home.

But now, things were different.

He was a Level 5 Spiritual Source Wielder, had comprehended a Spiritual Source Technique, possessed “Spider Walk,” and owned the metal-cutting Dragon Rhino Sword. Ordinary monsters were no match for him. He had even slain formidable Leader and Rare-class monsters.

Wang Lan’s “Huating Residential Area” was about eight or nine kilometers from Su Li’s former residence, but it was a bit closer to the Purple Wind Building. Su Li estimated it was about one kilometer closer, a straight-line distance of about seven or eight kilometers.

Seven or eight kilometers—it was worth a try. At the very least, he had to go to the Huating Residential Area and check her apartment.

Only then could his heart be at peace.

Even finding Wang Lan’s corpse would be better than the torment of not knowing.

“That settles it.” Su Li thought silently.

After washing up, Qi Mengyu brought his breakfast in.

Su Li saw her head was slightly bowed, looking as if she had done something wrong. He couldn’t help but say, “Thank you. I appreciate the trouble you went to.”

Hearing him say thank you, Qi Mengyu’s body trembled. She finally looked up, a smile returning to her face. “It’s no trouble. This is what I should be doing.”

Su Li thought to himself, You’re not my girlfriend, nor are you a servant. Why are you acting like this is what you should be doing? The reality was that the world had changed. Strength was supreme, and the weak had to cling to the strong to survive.

Qi Mengyu’s attitude toward him wasn’t because she was interested in him, but purely because of his strength.

She was just an ordinary woman, not even a Spiritual Source Wielder. To survive, she needed to demonstrate her value.

“Have you eaten? Why don’t you sit down and eat with me?” Su Li felt uncomfortable with her standing there watching him. He waved her over to eat.

Qi Mengyu gave a restrained smile. “Thank you. I’ve already eaten.”

“Then sit down, or go do what you need to do. I can’t eat with you standing here watching me,” Su Li said with a wry smile.

Qi Mengyu paused, looking at Su Li. She realized that Brother Su was completely different from the men she used to serve. After a moment of hesitation, she finally sat down on a chair nearby.

However, she didn’t sit completely. She sat only on the edge of the chair, maintaining a very proper posture.

Su Li sighed, seeing her extreme restraint.

Just then, Xu Haishui knocked excitedly and walked in.

Seeing Xu Haishui, Qi Mengyu immediately stood up and respectfully greeted him, “Brother Hai.”

Xu Haishui acknowledged her with a sound and said enthusiastically, “Brother Su, you’re finally awake! We have a lot of big decisions waiting for you.”

Among the crowd, Su Li was the strongest. Xu Haishui had unconsciously come to regard him as the new principal leader, replacing Tao Bingjun.

Su Li saw Qi Mengyu’s deference toward Xu Haishui and thought, So this kid has already become ‘Brother Hai’. He said, “There are only about twenty or thirty people in total. What kind of big decisions can there be? You just handle it.”

Xu Haishui laughed. “I can handle the small matters, but this one needs your final word: the housing arrangements for everyone.”

“Oh?” Su Li understood. This involved where he would live in the Purple Wind Building, and Xu Haishui clearly didn’t dare to decide that for him.

“What are your thoughts? Where are Brother Ding and the others?”

Xu Haishui said, “Brother Ding and the others woke up earlier. They’re downstairs, inventorying the supplies. He’s very interested in that. As for where to live, he said he’ll listen to you, as long as he lives with you.”

Su Li smiled helplessly. When they lived together before, it was because their numbers were small and they needed to watch out for each other.

The situation was different in the Purple Wind Building. People were on watch day and night, making a sneak attack by monsters difficult. Furthermore, their strength was now immense. He certainly didn’t want to sleep with Ding Longyun again and listen to his snoring all night.

“The Purple Wind Building has many rooms. We don’t have to crowd together,” Su Li said, frowning.

Xu Haishui laughed. “That’s what I said. Brother Ding said if you really refuse, he’ll settle for living next door to you.”

“Next door is acceptable. By the way, if Gong Xiao is willing to live with me, I could reluctantly agree to that. You can arrange it like that. Will she agree to your assignment?”

Xu Haishui paused, shrunk his neck, and made a frightened expression. He chuckled, “Brother Su, do you think I dare to make that arrangement? I’m afraid Sister Gong would kill me with a knife.”

Although Xu Haishui was a Level 5 Spiritual Source Wielder and the same level as them, he understood the dynamics. He knew his relationship with Su Li, Ding Longyun, Gong Xiao, and Xu Xuehui was different, and he showed them profound respect.

“Haha.” Su Li had only been joking. Seeing Xu Haishui’s reaction, he couldn’t help but laugh.

Qi Mengyu, who was listening quietly, also smiled faintly. She felt a sense of ease and realized that this Brother Su was entirely different from Tao Bingjun and Wang Zhensheng.

The leaders before only brought fear and terror. Su Li, on the other hand, was much handsomer and kinder than they were. He didn’t seem as terrifying as everyone had imagined last night. He… he seems like a good man.

“By the way, tell me your thoughts. Which floor is suitable for us to live on?”

Xu Haishui quickly replied, “I wouldn’t dare decide that, Brother Su. You should decide yourself.”

Su Li thought for a moment. “The 37th floor is where all the supplies are kept, making it the most important. Tao Bingjun chose to live on the 38th floor, the top floor, and arranged for Wang Zhensheng and Sun Wenbo to live on the 36th floor. This strategically protected the 37th-floor supplies in the middle. It’s a very reasonable and secure arrangement. We don’t need to move the supplies on the 37th floor. So, we can assign some trustworthy people to the 38th and 36th floors. The other floors remain the same. For example, the 35th floor can house some relatively important people. The 34th floor is the canteen and activity area, and the 33rd floor downward is where everyone else lives.”

Xu Haishui continuously nodded, agreeing with Su Li’s layout.

“How about this: Brother Ding, Gong Xiao, Xuehui, and I will live on the 38th floor. You find a few trustworthy people to live on the 36th floor, like the important engineer Yan Fang. We should also take good care of the four women and arrange for them to stay on the 36th floor. Also, I think the 35th floor should be entirely reserved for Yan Fang to conduct his research. A talent like that is crucial, and we need to take good care of him and meet all his needs.”

Xu Haishui kept nodding. When Su Li finished, he interjected, “I’d like to arrange for Qi Mengyu to stay on the 38th floor as well, so she can be nearby to look after things.”

Su Li glanced at Qi Mengyu, who was still standing. He understood that Xu Haishui’s arrangement was intended for Qi Mengyu to serve and attend to him.

This was likely a privilege afforded to the leaders of the Purple Wind Building.

Su Li hesitated. He didn’t actually need anyone to take care of him. But seeing the anxious and pleading look on Qi Mengyu’s face, he nodded in agreement.

Qi Mengyu was an ordinary woman with no self-defense capability. If he didn’t look out for her, who knew if others would try to take advantage of her? If he arranged for her to stay on the lower floors, problems would arise easily. At least keeping her on the top floor would prevent such accidents.

(End of Chapter)

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