Sea Survival, Day 20, 2:00 AM
Wen Nannan was resting when she heard a faint noise above her.
She sat up abruptly, grabbed the kitchen knife by her bedside, and glared at the ceiling.
Click—
The ventilation duct opened.
Wen Nannan took a step back, her hand holding the knife trembling.
The next moment, a person's head extends out-
It was a familiar face: Lu Huai, the kitchen chef who couldn't even carve a flower, but had risen to his position of head chef with luck and charm.
Lu Huai glanced at the knife in Wen Nannan's hand, then landed on her bed with a graceful leap. He looked around and asked in a low voice, "Do you have any food and water?"
Wen Nannan handed him a stale loaf of bread and a bottle of mineral water.
Lu Huai tore open the bread and devoured it in seconds, along with the entire bottle of water.
"Thank you," he said coolly, then began inspecting the room.
He took extra sheets from the closet, tied them together onto a long rope, and secured one end to the top right corner of the door.
"Help me," Lu Huai whispered to Wen Nannan. "Hold these corners so they don't rattle."
He rolled up his sleeves, revealing his strong arms.
He might not be a good chef, but he was certainly capable in other ways.
He lifted the entire wardrobe by himself and used it to reinforce the door, making it more secure.
"Chef Lu, you're good at everything except carving," Wen Nannan remarked.
"Lu Huai," he corrected. "The crew has rebelled. A small group has taken over the kitchen and is killing anyone who resists."
"Lu...Mr. Lu, you couldn't defeat them with a gun?"
Wen Nannan looked at the gleaming pistol on the table and put away her own knife.
Why would a chef have a gun? Maybe she should be more polite.
"With those things outside, can I fire?" Lu Huai asked, placing the gun on the table and taking an apple from Wen Nannan.
Wen Nannan frowned. He doesn't seem to want to leave.
"This ventilation pipe connects many places. Where are you going?"
"Here."
"No, you can't," Wen Nannan said immediately. "I don't have enough food for both of us."
"The last ten days of the survival game will be increasingly difficult," Lu Huai said calmly.
Wen Nannan pretended to be confused. "What survival game? I don't know what you're talking about."
"You're a player, aren't you?" Lu Huai said. "A newbie?
Rule 1: Non-players cannot hear anything about the game. Try to act more convincing next time."
He had been testing her!
Wen Nannan was shocked by the complexity of the players' strategies.
"So what? Please leave," she said. "Don't think I'll let you stay just because we're both players."
"Don't worry, I won't be here long," Lu Huai said. "I'll leave once I find a suitable shelter. In exchange, would you like to hear some information about this survival game?"
She was tempted.
"How long do you plan to stay?"
"Three days," Lu Huai said. "Rule 2: The game is divided into three stages: the latent period, the outbreak period, and the danger period. The last five days are the most dangerous."
Lu Huai drew a diagram on a piece of paper, and Wen Nannan took notes.
"Thank you," she said.
"You're welcome. Don't forget to prepare my food for the next three days."
Lu Huai took out a map and started drawing on it with Wen Nannan's pen.
With another person in the room, it was less convenient to move around. Wen Nannan secretly stashed ten bottles of water and twelve packs of instant noodles in the closet.
"By the way, my food is running low too. Don't stay too long," she warned.