Zhang Xiaoqiang was pressing his face against the door to enter the password when he heard footsteps in the stairwell. He turned around warily and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Cao Xue.
"Why are you up here again?"
"I think it's safer here. Zhang Xiaoqiang, what are you doing?" Cao Xue had already seen his actions.
"No one lives here, and I don't feel safe outside, so I wanted to try to open this combination lock."
"How is that possible? Unless you're a locksmith, it's either vandalism."
"I think it's very difficult for ordinary people to try their luck. Let's just forget about it." Cao Xue plopped down on the ground, hugged her shoulders, and began to sob softly.
Her parents went on a trip abroad during their vacation. Because she wanted to continue her internship here, she didn't go with them. As a result, when the typhoon hit, she couldn't contact them at all.
I wonder how they are doing now.
"Don't cry. At least we're still alive. If we hadn't been lucky enough to find the ship, we might all be dead by now."
I don't think this is the hardest time yet. Think about it, if this rain doesn't stop in ten days or half a month, and we have no food or water, we definitely won't be able to hold on.
Jian Ning only had some food stored up, probably not much. I'm actually very grateful that she sold it to me this time.
Zhang Xiaoqiang stopped entering the password and instead sat down next to Cao Xue, looking very downcast.
“You’re right. If that’s the case, we have to go into this house. Maybe there’ll be something to eat inside.”
"I'll ask Jian Ning if she can open the door when she comes down tomorrow." Cao Xue's gaze suddenly hardened.
Zhang Xiaoqiang is absolutely right. If they don't receive any rescue, the girls are actually in the most danger. They need a house to stay in so they can slowly plan for the future.
That night, neither she nor Zhang Xiaoqiang dared to close their eyes. Listening to the howling wind and rain outside the stairwell, and their worries about the future, the night seemed particularly long.
Jian Ning ate tofu pudding and steamed buns at Jian Anping's house this morning, and also packed a few tea eggs to go.
At 9 o'clock sharp, she went downstairs to check. Actually, she was also worried about Cao Xue, but she couldn't let her go to the 16th floor alone.
When I got to the top of the stairs, I saw that Cao Xue and Zhang Xiaoqiang were already waiting there. Both of them had heavy dark circles under their eyes and looked very haggard.
"This is today's meal: tea eggs and steamed buns. Are you planning to stay in this building indefinitely?" Jian Ning handed the bag to Cao Xue through the fence and asked with concern.
"We have nowhere to go right now, but we have a boat. If we really run out of food, we can go out and find something to eat once the rain gets a little lighter."
"We'd like to stay here for now, Jian Ning. There's an unoccupied apartment on the 15th floor. Do you have any tools you can lend us?" Zhang Xiaoqiang said he wanted to unlock the door and get in. He tried many passwords yesterday, but none of them worked.
Jian Ning scratched her head. This was a bit of a problem for her. She had no problem breaking down the door, but she didn't want to open it and go out.
However, she did want to help with this, so after hesitating for a moment, she took out a stack of yellow paper talismans and handed them to Cao Xue.
"Try this, it's a lucky charm, maybe you'll guess right this time. But I hope that after the door is unlocked, only you and Zhang Xiaoqiang will go in."
As for Li Mingxuan and Miao Xin, if you let them go with you and something happens in the end, don't regret it.
This isn't me targeting them specifically, I'm just giving you both a heads-up. Remember, the worst thing that can happen is when your friends stab you in the back.
After hearing Jian Ning's words, Cao Xue and Zhang Xiaoqiang exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.
"You can just tear this talisman apart before using it. Each talisman can be used for ten minutes."
Whether you can open the lock depends on your luck. Jian Ning wasn't sure if it would work, but it was better than nothing.
Cao Xue thanked Jian Ning repeatedly, and only after Jian Ning left did she share breakfast with Zhang Xiaoqiang.
He then took out a talisman and was about to tear it open.
"Cao Xue, how can you believe in everything? This is feudal superstition, don't you understand?" Zhang Xiaoqiang was speechless at her actions.
"There's no harm in using it. Anyway, I trust Jian Ning won't harm me. She has no need to. Here, take this one. Try it first, and then try entering the password you didn't use yesterday."
Zhang Xiaoqiang didn't refuse. He took the talisman, tore it open, and entered the password for the third time. When he heard the voice "Unlocked," it was so pleasant that both of them were stunned.
"Quick, open it! Do you remember the password?" Cao Xue was the first to react, and happily hugged Zhang Xiaoqiang's neck, jumping up and down.
"I remember, 0 is amazing. This can actually work?" Zhang Xiaoqiang stared wide-eyed at the remaining talisman in Cao Xue's hand.
"Come in, what are you thinking about?" Cao Xue pushed Zhang Xiaoqiang to go inside.
"Wait a minute, I'll take all the food."
As Zhang Xiaoqiang spoke, he ran over and retrieved the bread, ham, and water he had hidden. The first thing the two did after entering the house was to change the combination lock.
The house is over 200 square meters, with a layout of four bedrooms, two living rooms, and three bathrooms.
It looks like the owner has already moved in; the house has everything they need. In the kitchen, the two of them even found three boxes of instant noodles and a box of self-heating rice.
There were five cans of fruit and more than a dozen cans of luncheon meat. There were also two cases of pure milk, and the wine cabinet was full of red wine.
Judging from the appearance, the owner of this house doesn't usually like to cook. There are two vacuum-packed bags of rice weighing 20 jin each, one bag of flour, and two unopened cans of peanut oil.
There were twelve or thirteen bottles of water. We also stockpiled more than ten rolls of toilet paper.
With these things, the two of them could last for more than a month. The meat and fish in the freezer thawed, but they didn't spoil.
The refrigerator was filled with drinks and milk. Surprisingly, the gas stove still worked when I turned it on – a truly unexpected surprise.
"I'll cook the meat and fish now, otherwise it'll be a waste if they spoil. Go and look in the other rooms to see if there's anything else you can use."
As Cao Xue spoke, she took out all the edible meat from the bottom of the refrigerator, preparing to start cooking so that the two of them could have a good meal tonight.
"Cao Xue, do you really think we shouldn't open the door if Li Mingxuan and the others come looking for us?" Zhang Xiaoqiang asked Cao Xue earnestly, without moving.
“I won’t open it. Call me selfish or inhumane, but I think Jian Ning is right.”
"Every man for himself." Now is not the time for your saintly compassion. You should only help others when you have the means; right now, we're both barely able to take care of ourselves.
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