newbobooks Chapter 262 Decision
Chapter 262 Decision
Telling them to prepare early could easily cause panic, but if we don't tell them, it will be too late if something happens later.
"No rush, let's talk about it at noon or in the afternoon. Let's go wash up first."
Ye Jingmo's words reminded Jiang Li that the two of them had been forced to join the conversation right after getting out of bed, without even having time to wash up.
Jiang Li jumped up and rushed to the bathroom, looking quite disheveled.
A smile flashed in Ye Jingmo's eyes; he found Jiang Li's occasional jumping up and down adorable.
As soon as Jelly and Pudding were released, they rushed straight to their food bowls, their big, watery eyes looking at Ye Jingmo like obedient little cubs waiting to be fed.
Ye Jingmo filled their bowls with food, and the two of them buried their heads in it without any hesitation, eating like an excavator, as if they hadn't eaten for several days.
Ye Jingmo casually patted Pudding's head, then turned back to the table, took out a piece of white paper, and wrote something on it.
When Jiang Li came out of the bathroom, she saw Ye Jingmo sitting on the table, resting his chin on a pen. The light shone on his profile, making him look like a god in the sky, adding a sense of aloofness.
Jiang Li suddenly had a whimsical thought: if I were to wear a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and exude an aura of asceticism, I would have a kind of refined scoundrel vibe.
She chuckled and skipped up behind Ye Jingmo, wrapping her slender arms around his neck from behind and resting her delicate chin on his shoulder.
"Brother Mo, what are you writing?"
A soft, sweet voice rang in Ye Jingmo's ears, as melodious as the song of a golden oriole.
"To summarize the key points they mentioned on Sunday morning, and some preliminary plans."
"Oh, and tell Qin Yu and Liang Zi to come over at 3 PM this afternoon."
"Should we tell them about this?"
"Yes, they'll find out sooner or later. If we leave the base, no matter how hard we try to hide it, we won't be able to fool them. We might as well tell them sooner and be prepared."
Ye Jingmo jotted down his key points on paper while talking to Jiang Li.
After finishing writing, Ye Jingmo put down his pen, got up, and went to the bathroom to wash up.
Next, he went to the lobby on the first floor with Jiang Li, where he wanted to find out more about the outside world.
The large screen was still showing the situation outside.
Ye Jingmo clearly noticed that there were more birds than before. They crowded together at the entrance of the base, their blood-red eyes filled with bloodthirsty cruelty.
"These birds smell really bad."
A look of disdain flashed in Jiang Li's eyes.
While Jiang Li and Ye Jingmo were watching the big screen, a noisy noise came from the other side.
"Why won't you let me join?"
The loud voice, tinged with indignation, was particularly noticeable in the hall.
Jiang Li turned her head curiously to find the source of the sound and saw a tall, strong man pushing and shoving several soldiers. His face was flushed, whether from anger or shame, she couldn't tell.
"Sorry, you did not pass our screening."
A man in military uniform, who appeared to be a leader, came out and explained to the man.
"If someone with my physique and abilities can't pass, are you pulling strings behind the scenes?"
The man remained indignant and, in a fit of rage, tried to push the leader away.
As a result, he was pinned to the ground by a soldier next to him and taken to a nearby house, without any leniency towards his temper.
Once the onlookers realized there was no show to watch, they dispersed.
"Brother Mo, I originally thought not many people would sign up to go out, but it seems there are quite a few brave people."
Jiang Li held Ye Jingmo's hand, strolling casually on the street like any other couple she had ever been with.
"People die for money, birds die for food. The base offers generous rewards, so there will always be people willing to risk their lives for it."
Ye Jingmo remained expressionless and said coldly.
The images on the big screen no longer held any appeal for Jiang Li and Ye Jingmo. The two walked side by side down the road, heading towards the cafeteria.
As Jiang Li passed the place where members of the outgoing team were recruited, she subconsciously slowed down and looked inside.
A dozen people were lining up to register. Jiang Li could vaguely hear the conversations inside, as if they were talking to the soldiers about their abilities.
Suddenly, Jiang Li stared at a figure standing in the line, her whole body stiffening, her eyes filled with disbelief. Her fingers clenched into fists, her nails scratching her skin and drawing blood, yet she still felt no pain.
A warm, large hand forcefully pried open Jiang Li's tightly clenched palm, generously giving her a sense of security. Feeling the coldness of Jiang Li's palm, Ye Jingmo asked.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable?"
His voice was deep, yet possessed a gentle and reassuring magic that made people want to relax.
"It's okay, let's go to the cafeteria quickly."
Jiang Li shook her head, then looked up at the recruitment area again. The figure was gone; perhaps she had been mistaken.
How did that person end up here?
Ye Jingmo knew that Jiang Li was hiding something, but since she didn't want to talk about it, he wouldn't force her.
But... what exactly happened to make Jiang Li show such an expression?
Ye Jingmo looked in the direction Jiang Li had been staring at, towards the recruitment office. He seemed thoughtful, suppressing his doubts.
There weren't many people queuing to get their nutritional supplements in the cafeteria. Jiang Li and Ye Jingmo got theirs after queuing for about ten minutes.
Ye Jingmo put the two bottles of nutritional supplements into his bag and was about to leave with Jiang Li.
A man quietly approached; he was thin and slightly hunched over.
He looked around to make sure no one was paying attention before speaking in a low voice:
"I can tell you two aren't short of points just by looking at you. This nutrient solution tastes bad. Would you like to exchange it for some other supplies?"
Jiang Li was somewhat shocked. Was this a middleman?
Intrigued, she asked, "How does your exchange process work here?"
Seeing a glimmer of hope for a sale, the man put on a fawning smile and pushed the deal even harder: "One bottle of nutrient solution can be exchanged for a corn tortilla, or for points of equal value."
"A tortilla can only last for one meal, while a bottle of nutritional supplement can keep you full for a day. This business is a bit of a loss."
Jiang Li considered it for a moment and felt that this deal was not worthwhile. She thought the man was a heartless dealer and pulled Ye Jingmo away.
"Hey, wait a minute, it's true that cornbread only provides one meal, but its taste is worlds apart from nutrient solution. Switching to cornbread is like improving your diet."
You know, these nutritional supplements are made of who-knows-what ingredients. In comparison, corn tortillas are all-natural and much healthier.
The man tried to persuade Jiang Li, his body leaning slightly forward in excitement.
Ye Jingmo's eyes darkened slightly as he stepped forward to stand in front of Jiang Li, blocking the man's contact.
The tall and strong Ye Jingmo, compared to the thin man, looked like a ferocious brown bear, giving people a strong sense of oppression and threat.
"How about this, I can give you an extra tortilla, what do you think? I haven't earned much already."
Jiang Li shook her head again, "No need, let's talk about it next time."
She was just asking out of curiosity; it's impossible for her to exchange it at this crucial juncture.
She was even considering whether to buy the nutritional supplements from someone else.
The man wanted to say something more, but Ye Jingmo stared at him with a cold and distant gaze, leaving him no choice but to leave awkwardly.
"This dealer is probably doing business with the rich; the poor would never exchange goods with him."
Although Jiang Li's words were somewhat sarcastic, they were not lying.
Even after the apocalyptic disaster, there is still a significant gap between the rich and the poor.
Only those with substantial wealth would complain about the taste and ingredients of the nutrient solution and want to replace it with cornbread or other supplies.
For impoverished people struggling to survive, being able to fill their stomachs for a day and provide them with energy and nutrition is something priceless.
"These are not things we should be thinking about, A-Li, don't overthink it."
Ye Jingmo reached out and patted Jiang Li's head reassuringly.
"I just said what I felt. And Brother Mo, don't pat my head. I'm not growing taller because of you."
"Haven't you always been this short, little dwarf?"
Jiang Li was angry, but she wouldn't say anything. No, she was just angry; she couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Don't call me 'little dwarf' or 'big bear.'"
Jiang Li puffed out her cheeks angrily.
Ye Jingmo stretched out his slender fingers and gently stroked Jiang Li's nose. "So, can this big bear eat a little dwarf tonight?"
The warm breath touched Jiang Li's earlobe, making it turn bright red.
To prevent Ye Jingmo from saying anything that would further enrage her, Jiang Li grabbed Ye Jingmo's hand and quickened her pace, as if a tiger were chasing them.
"Let's hurry back, Qin Yue and the others will be here soon."
Back inside, Jiang Li sat down on a chair without any regard for appearances, and Jelly and Pudding crowded around her.
Jiang Li touched the pudding with her left hand and held the jelly in her right, a satisfied, silly smile on her face.
As expected, furry things are the best for soothing the mood.
"Ah Li, could you take some cooked food out of your space? We might not have time to cook stir-fries at this hour."
It's already around 1 p.m., and if we're still cooking and eating, we probably won't be finished until 3 p.m.
So Ye Jingmo chose the laziest method and called Jiang Li to take the vegetables out of his space.
Jiang Li took out a plate of braised goose and a cold dish from her spatial storage. She wouldn't be able to eat much at noon, so a dish of meat and a dish of vegetables would be just right.
Pudding's eyes lit up when it smelled the braised goose, and its drool dripped onto the ground. It sat upright in front of Jiang Li, only its frantically wagging tail expressing its excitement.
“Pudding, every time I see you like this, I get the feeling that Mo Ge and I haven’t fed you.”
I shouldn't have named you Pudding; I should have called you Greedy Dog. Don't you think so?
Jiang Li held up a braised goose leg in front of Pudding, unable to suppress the upward curve of her lips.
Woohoo~
The dog is greedy; it wants to eat dog legs.
"Stop teasing it, eat your food properly."
Ye Jingmo's eyes held a strong warning, "You're such a grown-up now, I shouldn't have to chase after you to feed you like I did when you were a kid, right?!"
Jiang Li pouted. "Brother Mo is really fierce," she muttered softly.
"What are you talking about?"
Jiang Li immediately backed down, chuckled, and put on a fawning expression, "I didn't say anything, I'll eat now."
After rinsing the braised duck leg in water, Jiang Li put it into the pudding bowl. After doing all that, she focused on eating her rice.
After lunch, Jiang Li dozed off in his chair. He felt as if his eyelids weighed a ton and he couldn't close them at all.
"If you're sleepy, go lie down. Why force yourself to stay awake?"
When Ye Jingmo finished clearing the dishes and came out, he saw Jiang Li's head moving towards the table like a chick pecking at rice.
"Ha...ha, never mind, I'm not going to sleep anymore. Qin Yue and the others will be here soon. If I sleep for a little while and then have to get up, I'll feel even worse."
Jiang Li covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes filled with a light mist of drowsiness. She took out an ice towel from her spatial storage and placed it on her face. The icy chill traveled from the towel to her delicate skin, instantly waking her up.
Just as Ye Jingmo was about to say something, a knock came at the door, interrupting him.
Seeing Ye Jingmo's expression, Jiang Li knew he was about to start lecturing her, so she immediately rushed to the door, opened it, and invited Qin Yue and Liang Zi's families in.
Jiang Li chuckled inwardly; their arrival was perfectly timed, allowing her to escape a scolding.
As soon as Qin Yu sat down, he immediately asked Ye Jingmo a question:
"Is this about the base forming an outreach team? Is there any news?"
Ye Jingmo slowly began, "This morning, Zhou Tian came to see us and told us that we were forming an outing team to find a plant—fragrant herb."
This plant was used to treat epidemics and to allow people to live normally even in dense fog.
Qin Yue was a little confused when she heard this. "But there is no epidemic now. It doesn't make sense to send people out to find a cure for an epidemic that hasn't appeared yet."
"It seems that the infection has occurred in the underground base in Zone B, while we haven't seen any cases here yet."
However, the fact that they are sending people out means that an epidemic has broken out here, which means it's only a matter of how long it has lasted.
Qin Yu frowned and speculated.
"That's right. The main cause of the epidemic is that a type of bacteria in the body of dead birds combines with a certain substance in the concentrated matter, causing an epidemic in the underground base of Area B."
The pathogens of this disease cannot be eradicated by disinfectant, and the underground base will inevitably fall sooner or later; even Area A will not be spared.
Upon hearing this horrifying news, everyone's expression froze, except for Xiao An, who was playing with Pudding and Jelly.
"No wonder I've noticed an increasing number of birds these past few days, yet the base hasn't taken any related measures, only resorting to firearms when flocks of birds attack the base."
Liangzi touched his buzz cut and muttered to himself, "Why didn't I notice sooner?"
After a while, Qin Yu, having recovered his senses, looked at Jiang Li and Ye Jingmo and said, "You just said that Zhou Tian came looking for you this morning, so he wanted to invite you to join the outing team."