Chapter 98 I took the angel to wash his feet

"Countries E and W exchanged nuclear bombs, and two other major powers kept their nuclear weapons at the ready. Then Country B, which originally didn't have nuclear weapons, suddenly attacked and razed its long-hostile neighbor to the ground."

"Feng Feng passed through the two neighboring cities southwest of City C and nearly lost his life there. There are more mutant animals there than in City C, and the survivors are more ferocious."

"The situation elsewhere is equally grim. I heard that mutant animals in a northern province have already taken over major cities, causing heavy casualties among the human population."

"It's said that the western part is a bit better. It's vast, sparsely populated, and the animal populations aren't densely populated. There are two large official bases being planned and built, and they're already quite large."

As a special inspector, Feng Feng was equipped with the most advanced communicator issued by the headquarters. Even when basic public communications had been completely paralyzed, he was able to contact the headquarters and inspectors in various places in a timely manner, thus obtaining more information from all aspects.

Qiao Lan listened silently and found that it was similar to what she experienced in her previous life. This was the situation at the beginning of the apocalypse.

It will get worse later on.

The nuclear war continues, and there are many local wars. After the natural disaster, human beings did not work together to build their homes, but instead engaged in serious internal fighting.

Mutant beasts are quietly rising up everywhere, competing with humans for the already limited living space.

And all kinds of natural disasters, frost, rain, snow, extreme heat and cold, volcanoes and earthquakes...

The planet has completely changed its appearance, and all creatures, including humans, must adapt and evolve quickly in order to maintain the continuation of their race in the new environment.

However, it can be said that humans, accustomed to urban civilization, are no longer familiar with the laws of the jungle and lag far behind other creatures in the struggle for survival. Even if powerful superpowers continue to emerge, it cannot change the overall trend of the decline of the entire race.

In his previous life, Qiao Lan spent more than four years in the apocalypse. The human population was decreasing, the cities were deserted, and the land was bleak.

What about this life?

She looked back at the several buildings on the base.

In a city where power outages are widespread, the surroundings are like a dark sea, and these few houses with lights still on are like small boats in the sea.

Surrounded by endless darkness and the unknown.

Maybe it will soon collapse and dissolve into the vast darkness.

Perhaps it could stand firm like a beacon, illuminating the path ahead for all the survivors? — This hope seemed a bit slim.

But no matter how slim the hope is, it is still hope.

A smile gradually appeared in Qiao Lan's eyes.

A bit open-minded, a bit determined, and a bit indifferent.

This life is different from the previous one.

Even if it's just a little bit of hope, a spark of fire, we must persevere.

At worst, I'll die again. It's not like I haven't died before. What's the big deal?

"Brother Ye, look, we've known each other for a long time. We've helped a lot of people, killed a lot of bad guys, and exterminated a lot of mutant beasts. We built this base with lightning speed. City C originally didn't have a survivor shelter, but we made it possible."

"We're pretty awesome, aren't we?"

"No matter how bad the situation is, as long as we keep moving forward, we can always move from the cold winter to the warm spring, don't you think?"

"Do you think my analogy is elegant? A cold winter turning into a warm spring—quite poetic, isn't it?"

She patted Ye Qi's shoulder like a big sister: "Cheer up, brother!"

However, due to the height difference, she had to jump a little to pat Ye Qi's shoulder, which reduced her big sister attitude a little.

Well, don't worry about the details.

In short, she encouraged Ye Qi.

Look, in the night, his eyes are so bright, and the corners of his tense mouth are relaxed, with a slightly upward arc, right?

"You said it very well, but why did you call me little brother?"

Sure enough, there was a hint of smile in Ye Qi's voice, and he even made a joke.

Ye Qi had been worried about all the bad news Feng Feng had sent him, even though he remained calm and resolute in handling the various affairs of the base. It wasn't until the dead of night, when he was chatting with Qiao Lan, that he suddenly felt a little relieved.

She seems heartless and doesn't care about anything.

Let him relax too.

Yes, she is right, just keep moving forward.

"Calling me little brother makes it seem like we have a close relationship." Qiao Lan shook his head and smiled. "Okay, it's getting late. I'm going back to bed first. You should go to bed early too. Tomorrow I'll take some people out to look for the golden mouse. Everything will go according to plan, don't worry."

Ye Qi nodded and looked at her: "Well, everything is going according to plan."

Qiao Lan turned around and went back to the villa.

She had noticed Ye Qi was in a bad mood during the meeting today, and had come to him to talk things over. The angel had saved her in her past life and given her hope of life, so she wanted to return the favor and care for the angel from head to toe.

Now that I feel relieved, I’ll go back to sleep.

By the way, I should take a shower before going to bed. I haven't taken a shower in several days, and my body feels sticky and uncomfortable.

"Qiao Lan."

Ye Qi suddenly called her.

"Hmm?" Qiao Lan turned around.

The night was as cold as water. Two people stood on the clean sidewalk of the community, looking at each other from a distance of several meters.

Ye Qi was silent for a while before speaking.

"Will you leave once we get rid of that rat?"

"yes."

Didn’t I just say it once? Why are you asking again?

Qiao Lan looked at Ye Qi in confusion.

"Oh." Ye Qi said.

"Oh what?" Qiao Lan waited for a few seconds, then realized the other party hadn't responded.

silence.

silence.

Is silence the Cambridge of tonight? Qiao Lan's mind was suddenly struck by a line of poetry from an old textbook.

"Um...should I go back to sleep?" She coughed lightly.

"Okay." Ye Qi said another word.

What an awkward atmosphere. Why is this person spouting words so eloquently?

Qiao Lan was confused and felt something was a little awkward and weird.

I just made small talk: "Good night then! By the way, do you want to take a shower?"

“…No.”

"Take a shower and relax. I'll provide the water and the bathtub. It won't take up the base's rationed water supply. This is just a private gift between us friends."

"...Thank you, but no thanks."

"Hey, your feet will smell bad if you don't take a shower for a long time. What about your feet? At least wash them and change into a pair of clean socks." Qiao Lan recommended enthusiastically.

I feel like having a topic to talk about is much more comfortable than awkward silence.

Ye Qi paused.

I haven't washed my feet for many days.

He took a few steps closer, made sure no one was around, and said softly, "Thank you. Water is precious. When you finish your shower, give me some of the water you used to wash my feet."

Ah, such a good way to live. Qiao Lan wanted to provide clean water, but seeing that Ye Qi was so principled and refused to enjoy more than the other members of the base, she agreed to his request.

So she went back to her room, took a comfortable hot bath in the bathtub, then scooped out half of the water in a basin and called Ye Qi into the room.

Because there are many people in the base recently, several guards have moved into Ye Qi's room, so it is inconvenient for him to carry the basin back to wash his feet. Others have no water for washing their feet, but he has it. Although it is wastewater recycling, it is too special treatment.

So he sat down in Qiao Lan's room, took off his shoes and started washing.

As soon as he took off his shoes, two cats, one big and one small, jumped up from the cat's nest, and even the little kitten jumped half a foot high.

Xiao Li and Qiao Lan looked at each other and held their breath.

It stinks.

It's not just a normal stinky smell.

Qiao Lan pinched her nose and hid in front of the window, opening it wide.

"Comrade Ye Qi! Throw away your stinky socks and shoes. I'll give you new socks and new shoes. Please consider the feelings of the general public!"

Ye Qi silently put the socks with holes in the heels and eight of the ten toes exposed into the water, and rubbed the socks while washing his feet.

If it wasn't so dirty and smelly, he wouldn't have wavered in his determination and joined Qiao Lan in enjoying luxury.

You know, he hadn't washed his feet in all the days since the storm. After his body was reorganized, it didn't cleanse his bones and marrow and remove all the impurities as some novels describe. It still smelled bad.

It is indeed embarrassing to release bad smell in the girls' room.

But the key point is, just now outside, he wanted to ask...

Ask Qiao Lan if there is any possibility of staying.

Can you... not leave?

Or live closer so we can see each other more often even when we're not on base?

Not for her supplies and help.

But the situation in this ruined city is so unpredictable that once you say goodbye, it seems like you don’t know when you will see each other again. It always makes people feel lost and empty because of the uncertain future.

His rock-hard will showed a hint of nostalgia and a bit of softness.

But, he hesitated and didn't speak yet.

Suddenly, Qiao Lan brought the topic to bathing and washing feet.

Then somehow he was persuaded and abducted to wash feet.

The painting style went awry in the blink of an eye.

That soft and nostalgic feeling disappeared in an instant. At this moment, only the embarrassment of having smelly feet surged like a tide, vast and boundless.

I quickly rubbed the mud off my feet, and the water had turned completely into black soup.

Qiao Lan didn't let him finish, and changed the basin of water and asked him to rub it again, this time using soap and disinfectant.

When the smell was finally gone, she forced a new pair of soft socks on him, along with a new pair of shoes.

"No thanks." Ye Qi refused.

It wouldn't be nice to let the base members see him wearing new clothes.

Qiao Lan put them on him straight away: "Put them on! Wash your feet clean before putting on those stinky shoes and socks. It's a waste of time, isn't it? These shoes and socks are the same color and similar style as yours, so you can't tell unless you look closely. Besides, what's the problem if someone sees them? Core members who have made great contributions get delicious food and nice clothes, right?"

She directly released ten pairs of new shoes and matching socks from her space and packed them in a small cardboard box. "I'll put them on the list of items that can be redeemed with points later to encourage everyone to earn points."

Ye Qi silently accepted Qiao Lan's gift.

This girl can always turn any problem into a solution.

In fact, it seems better for her to take care of the base, and he would be more suitable to be a warrior charging into battle under her.

The thought just flashed through my mind.

Ye Qi looked at Qiao Lan, who was wearing a bathrobe after taking a shower, with a rosy and tender face, and immediately gave up the idea.

Forget it. If she is tied to the base, she will lose her freedom and be entangled in complicated things every day. How can she have the chance to enjoy herself?

I would rather work harder myself and give her more space to enjoy herself.

"Thank you, good night then."

After washing his feet, Ye Qi said goodbye holding a box full of shoes and socks.

The moment the door closed, Qiao Lan sighed softly.

——I never thought in my previous life that one day an angel would use my bath water to wash his feet... This is such a wonderful fate.

Seeing that there was still a lot of water in the bathtub, Qiao Lan did not pour out the waste water, but collected it into the space, just like he did when taking a bath before.

A folding sink is specially used to hold this kind of domestic waste water, used for washing face, bathing, washing hands, washing dishes... After it is collected and purified, it can be used again.

Everything is in short supply in the apocalypse, especially clean and non-toxic water. Try to recycle it as much as possible.

Life is a long journey, and we only have 30 million in supplies, so use them wisely and cherish them.

Xiao Li, watching from the sidelines, sighed, "Thinking back, when life was more normal, we really wasted resources. Back then, we washed our faces and hands with the faucet, showers took even longer, bathtubs had to be filled to the brim, and when the water in a glass got cold, we'd just dump it out and fill a new one. We'd drink half a bottle and throw away the rest... Back then, I never imagined that one day the tap water would stop running completely, and that finding clean drinking water in the city would be so difficult."

Qiao Lan said, "It will be even harder in the future. When the water quality changes completely and the rain is toxic, that will be even more unbearable."

"And eating, Sister Lan. In the past, if the takeout I ordered wasn't tasty, I would just throw the whole thing away. And if I couldn't finish the food I ordered at a restaurant, I wouldn't bother to pack it up, so it would just go to waste. Now we're lucky to have you to feed us, but look at the people in the base. They work so hard every day, but they only get so little to eat. People outside the base don't even get a little bit. How miserable! Now everyone must be regretting wasting so much food. I regret it too much."

Qiao Lan nodded.

She also felt very regretful in her previous life.

There are so many times when I'm starving and about to die, and I regret not cherishing food and water. There are also the trivialities of life that seem so commonplace on a normal day, and I don't feel any pain when I throw them away.

When you really lose everything, you will regret it so much, but those things cannot be recovered.

So even if she had a space full of resources in this life, she would not waste them lavishly. She would enjoy what she should enjoy and cherish what she should treasure.

No matter how much supplies there are, they will eventually run out, so they must be replenished at all times.

So in the following days, she followed her promise and went out with a few friends every day to track the golden rat. Whenever she came across a place where supplies might be found, she would go in and look for them to stock up.

Other survivors could only dig up things from the upper layer of the ruins, but Qiao Lan was different. She used the space flexibly. When there was no one around, she would directly remove large obstacles and clear the passage. Then she could go deeper into many places, such as pharmacies, hospitals, shopping malls, supermarkets, hotels and restaurants. Some warehouses in these places were blocked by ruins and others could not enter, so the supplies inside became Qiao Lan's wealth.

After being out for more than ten days, I didn't find the golden rat, but I did find a lot of supplies.

"Old hero, please come with us today. We can't find that evil beast on our own, so we need your help."

Early that morning, Qiao Lan respectfully invited the old chef before going out.

The uncle's injuries have completely healed, and he is in good physical condition, so he has no problem going out for a walk.

The old chef laughed heartily upon hearing this. "As expected, I have to personally take action! However, I still have to stay at the base, just in case another mutant beast invades..."

Ye Qi, who was passing by, said, "I'm not going out today. I'll take charge here."

"Well, I'll go with you guys!"

The old chef put two kitchen knives in his pocket, took the silent Fu Xingyuan with him, and left the base with Qiao Lan and his group.

Ye Qi did not travel with the supply search team today because two members of the base had awakened. Ye Qi asked Da Qi to take these two early-stage mutants to train, and they protected the supply team when they went out.

After inspecting the base twice, everything was normal, so Ye Qi stayed in the room to absorb the crystal core and practice energy control.

"Captain! Something's happening!"

It was almost noon when a guard suddenly ran in hurriedly.

Ye Qi followed his team up to the rooftop to look out. He saw a dense, long line of people on the distant street, rapidly moving toward him. Even from a distance, he could hear the crowd's shouting and noise.

Ye Qi picked up the telescope found by the search team.

In the camera, most of the people in the long queue had excited and fanatical expressions, and each of them was holding a weapon or a stick.

It was obvious that he was up to no good.

Ye Qi's face darkened. "Gather the men. Those who know how to use guns will stay behind to guard the place. Everyone else, follow me out!"

Soon, a team of more than 50 people gathered together and, led by Ye Qi, rushed towards the direction where the long queue of people was rushing.

The battle started soon.

The guards took cover on the street and opened fire on the attackers.

The other side was well prepared. They used shields made of thick steel plates to block the bullets, and the team continued to advance.

Intensive gunfire entered the base.

Everyone was terrified.

At the medical station, Ouyang Mo instructed the medical team: "No matter what happens, don't stop working. Those who can use a gun should carry a gun with them and be ready to organize the transfer of patients in case of any emergency."

"OK!"

The medical staff had long been accustomed to Dr. Ouyang's calm and composed leadership. After a period of panic, they gradually calmed down and continued their medical work in an orderly manner.

After Ouyang Mo treated the wound of a newly injured patient, he returned to the office to change his bloodstained coat.

I pushed open the door and stepped inside, and I felt something was wrong.

He turned his head in horror.

He saw a golden mouse as big as a calf squatting quietly on a disposal bed beside the door, looking at him sideways.