Chapter 8、Cold Water Brother, are you one of us?

In the oppressive darkness, Yi Bai held his breath, his body tense. The soft knock at the door echoed through the silence, but something about the rhythm felt off—uneven, faint. It was Lin Yue's signal to return, a code they had agreed upon before she left.

Yi Bai, barely moving, shifted the table blocking the door just enough to create a slight scraping sound in response.

"Commander, it's me…" Lin Yue's voice came, soft but unmistakable.

Yi Bai hesitated for a moment, unsure if it was truly her. Then, convinced, he quickly moved the heavy objects away from the door, opening it just enough for her to slip inside. He quickly resealed the barricade afterward. The effort was nothing compared to the importance of keeping the shelter safe.

"How did it go? What did you find?" Yi Bai whispered as Lin Yue entered, her movements swift and purposeful. She immediately moved toward the bathroom, using the wall for cover. With one hand, she flicked on a tactical flashlight; with the other, she set three full backpacks onto the floor.

"Commander, everything's here!" Lin Yue responded, her voice filled with quiet pride as she began opening the bags. Inside, Yi Bai could see the supplies she had gathered.

Just then, a notification chimed in Yi Bai's ear:

[Congratulations! The exploration mission has been completed. The explorer has brought back the following supplies:]

20 packs of biscuits35 boxes of chocolate6 large bags of candy3 small rolls of toilet paper3 boxes of painkillers2 boxes of cold medicine8 boxes of Huoxiang water20 cans of assorted fruit and vegetable preserves20 bags of dried fruits

[Mission completion rating: Excellent!]

[Your shelter has earned 10 survival points.]

[Your shelter now has access to the Survival Points Store, where you can use these points to purchase post-apocalyptic items or enhance character attributes.]

Survival points? Yi Bai raised an eyebrow. He had noticed this option in the shelter's data before but hadn't realized just how useful these points could be. It seemed that the more survival points he accumulated, the faster the shelter could grow stronger. Right now, the only stable way to earn them was through exploration missions.

"Well done," Yi Bai said, giving Lin Yue a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Turn off the light, put some of this in the freezer, and let's eat."

Lin Yue shook her head slightly. "I'm not really hungry."

"You should still eat something," Yi Bai insisted, his eyes flicking to the faint energy bar above Lin Yue's head. It had dropped from full green to half yellow, signaling the fatigue from her eight-hour exploration. She needed rest.

Seeing this, Yi Bai abandoned the idea of having Lin Yue continue exploring through the night. With only one talent available in the shelter, he had to be cautious not to overexert her. Having her around made managing the shelter so much easier.

By 10 PM, they had managed a simple meal, opening two cans to replenish their nutrition. Then Lin Yue suggested reinforcing the shelter's defenses—setting up internal traps and early warning systems. Yi Bai readily agreed. After all, having a professional soldier handle these tasks would certainly be more effective than trying to do it himself.

As Lin Yue worked, Yi Bai helped where he could and asked, "What else do you need? Let me know, and I'll try to get it for you."

"Commander, I still need nylon ropes, more knives, and some regular supplies like chili powder." Lin Yue was careful in her requests, understanding the shelter's current situation. She didn't ask for anything unreasonable.

"I'll get those for you," Yi Bai replied, nodding.

He opened the trade platform and began searching for the items she needed. Since the platform had been introduced, people from all over the city had been trading whatever they had—everything from food and water to even used sanitary pads. It was clear that the platform had become a vital lifeline.

Yi Bai spent some of the perishable food and a bottle of ice water to buy what Lin Yue had asked for. Just as he was about to close the platform, something new caught his eye.

[Police equipment available for trade—exchange with food and water. Interested parties, please reply.]

Police equipment? The seller must be from the police station!

Yi Bai quickly sent a trade request, adding a note:

"I'm Cold Water Brother, still have 3 bottles of ice water. Do you have handguns or bullets? Grenades would work too!"

The seller replied almost immediately, but with a rejection:

"Hello Cold Water Brother, we need food and water in large quantities. We do need your ice water, but with just 3 bottles, we can only offer a 54 handgun. I'll also throw in 10 rounds of ammo—enough to protect yourself in the short term while waiting for rescue."

Rescue? Yi Bai raised an eyebrow. The seller seemed to be from an official group, still holding out hope for the city's salvation. It was a mentality that fit with the Chinese spirit—the idea that, even in disaster, there would always be heroes stepping up.

Yi Bai pondered the offer. The rejection wasn't a firm "no," but more a subtle way of negotiating better terms. He knew the seller was reluctant to give up too many weapons—likely due to concerns over weapon recovery and the social implications after the disaster.

Turning to Lin Yue, who was still busy setting up defenses, Yi Bai quietly asked, "What type of ammo does your gun use?"

"CZ75 submachine gun," Lin Yue replied without looking up. "The magazine's been modified to hold 20 rounds. It uses 9×19mm handgun ammo."

Yi Bai made a mental note of it, then responded to the seller's offer:

"3 bottles of ice water, 100 rounds of 9×19mm ammo."

The seller replied quickly, somewhat surprised:

"Cold Water Brother, who are you? How could you have firearms? Are you one of my comrades? I can't give you that many rounds. I'm not sure about your identity, I can only give you 20 rounds."

Yi Bai didn't answer directly. Instead, he offered a counter:

"Add 10 bags of biscuits, 100 rounds of ammo!"

The seller seemed more confused than ever:

"Are you my comrade? ...Alright, 50 rounds, that's the best I can do."

Yi Bai held firm:

"Add a box of painkillers, a box of cold medicine, and a box of Huoxiang water. 100 rounds of ammo!"

The seller hesitated, but finally, the deal was done. The seller agreed, and Yi Bai received 100 rounds of fresh ammo. At the same time, the platform took the items Yi Bai had offered, reducing his supplies by 10%.

It was worth it.

Yi Bai looked at the two small boxes of ammo and smiled. "Lin Yue, did you use any ammo today? How much is left?"

"Commander, I've been saving it. I didn't use the gun today. There are 60 rounds left."

"Here, take these 100 rounds," Yi Bai said, handing over the boxes. "Don't hold back, use them if needed. It's a pity I couldn't get more magazines. I'll figure out how to buy more next time."

"Thank you, Commander!" Lin Yue's eyes lit up when she saw the ammo. She quickly took the boxes, understanding that her gun and ammo were now nearly the only things standing between them and danger.

Feeling somewhat relieved that their ammunition supply was replenished, Yi Bai smiled. "Lin Yue, let me help you with the traps."

Just as the two of them were starting to relax, a sudden, deafening crash rang out from outside, followed by the blinding flash of an explosion.

BOOM!

The sound was like a missile striking the earth, and for a split second, the night sky was lit up as if it were day.