Chapter 9: An Uninvited Visit

These supplies, if used sparingly, could sustain him alone for several months without issue.

However, beyond the initial sight of these provisions, his heart did not swell with much joy upon calming down.

Because in the current environment, these were all non-renewable resources.

The rice would be finished one day, the water would be consumed, and the various foods would gradually diminish.

The entire apartment building’s supplies were limited.

Having been transported to this cursed place, with the city’s operations completely paralyzed and factories unable to produce new industrial food, these edibles were essentially irreplaceable relics.

Once they were gone, what would he do next?

Han Ning couldn’t help but recall certain post-apocalyptic novels where a single can of food could be traded for a famous actress for a night.

“At the very least, before the other residents finish searching every room of the building, I must act faster than them, and gather as many supplies as possible.”

Before crossing over, Han Ning had not been one to hoard supplies like a mouse storing food, but now here, he had no choice but to become such a hoarder.

He planned to rest briefly, then continue exploring upstairs to try to secure more food and drink.

But he hadn’t even settled down properly yet.

“Knock... knock knock... knock…”

A clear knocking suddenly came from outside the security door.

He had just moved to the eighth floor.

“Who’s there?!”

Hearing the sudden knocking outside, Han Ning, who had just relaxed slightly, instantly tensed up.

He immediately thought of the crew-cut man who had just left.

Han Ning was not surprised that the man could find his residence.

Judging by the scratches on the floor left by dragging heavy objects, it was easy to deduce his location.

No one was on the seventh floor, so it had to be the eighth.

A very easy guess.

Han Ning considered that the apartment’s security door was of good quality, so as long as he kept strangers outside, everything would be manageable.

As an awakened Druid, he had some confidence in himself.

Therefore, he hadn’t bothered to erase the scratches on the floor.

Moreover, it was difficult to completely remove them.

Silently, he moved to the door and pressed his right eye close to the peephole, cautiously observing outside.

In the dimly lit corridor stood several people.

Leading them was a young man who looked a few years younger than the crew-cut man, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.

His features were well-defined, his gaze calm. He wore relatively clean dark sportswear, his hair neatly trimmed, and unlike the crew-cut man’s rough and mercenary appearance, he exuded a steady and composed aura.

The young man kept his hand raised as if still knocking, seemingly aware of Han Ning’s watchful eye behind the door, a gentle smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

A few steps behind him stood the crew-cut man, now subdued, no longer showing the arrogance he had when stealing supplies.

There were also two or three men of varying heights scattered a little further away.

“Friend, sorry to bother you,” came the young man’s steady voice through the door.

“We mean no harm, just want to have a talk. Would you be willing to open the door?”

“Who are you? What do you want to talk about?” Han Ning replied without opening the door.

A brief silence outside, then the young man’s gentle voice resumed:

“Let me introduce myself simply. My name is Liu Feng, an original resident of this apartment building.”

“I understand you don’t want to open the door. If I were you, I’d be wary too.”

“But what I’m about to say concerns the survival of everyone in this building, including you.”

He paused, organizing his words carefully.

“Since crossing into this world, my companions and I have been recording the changes in water levels daily.”

“We found that the rising water speed is nearly constant, averaging about 20 to 30 centimeters per day.”

“The underground parking lot is already completely submerged. At this rate, within a month at most, the water will reach the third floor.”

“By then, going outside will become very difficult. Those crocodile lizards, thriving in water and moving in packs, will surge through the stairwells like a tide, flooding every floor and every corner.”

“Actually… we are already in quite a crisis now, or else I wouldn’t have come looking for you.”

Though the young man’s voice was low, the gravity in his words compelled Han Ning to pay close attention.

Everything he said was exactly what Han Ning was deeply concerned about.

“Friend, since you are an awakened one, you must have received some information left behind by the locals.”

“Leaving this planet swallowed by the Black Tide is our only hope. But to reach the continental center, vehicles are crucial.”

“You should understand the situation outside. Even if you are awakened, how far can you go alone? How many monsters can you fight off? Can you find a safe boat?”

“If everyone continues to fight their own battles, each only minding their own doorstep, then there will be only one ending—”

A trace of solemnity entered the young man’s voice.

“Everyone will either drown or be killed by monsters.”

Hearing Liu Feng’s words, Han Ning fell into silence.

Putting aside the conflict with the crew-cut man, the information about the torrential rain was indeed true.

Relying solely on himself, Han Ning’s chances of finding a way out amid monsters prowling and relentless storms were slim to none.

After a few seconds of silence.

Click.

The heavy security door slowly opened a crack.

Han Ning stood just behind the door, revealing only half his face, his eyes vigilantly scanning the few people outside before resting on Liu Feng, the leader.

“No need to visit the fourth floor for now,” Han Ning said, pointing aside.

“The neighboring unit is empty; let’s talk there.”

Unaware of their intentions, Han Ning dared not rashly go to the fourth floor, who knew how many people might be there.

So he thought of a compromise.

Liu Feng nodded without hesitation. “Agreed.”

He turned to the others, including the crew-cut man, and instructed, “Wait outside.”

“Brother Feng… he…” the crew-cut man seemed about to speak but fell silent immediately under Liu Feng’s calm gaze, lowering his head.

The others quickly stepped back, standing guard on both sides of the corridor.

Liu Feng alone followed Han Ning into unit 801.

The vacant living room held only a few pieces of furniture covered with white sheets.

Without electricity, the light was dim and gloomy.

Liu Feng casually glanced around, then earnestly said to Han Ning:

“I apologize for Qiangzi’s rude behavior earlier.”

“Qiangzi is the crew-cut man outside. He used to be a security guard in the community. Before becoming security, he and his brothers ran with some unsavory elements, so they picked up some bad habits.”

“If I were an ordinary person, those supplies would probably have been robbed by them already,” Han Ning said coldly.

Those crew-cut men were like bandits; Han Ning would not change his impression of them just because of a casual apology.

Not even of Liu Feng, their leader.