Chapter 126: The First Night |
Bai Mu made his stance clear; he only wanted cash.
Only cash was useful to him. It was the currency Lucy needed for Supermarket Shopping. With enough cash, he could purchase a batch of food and water every twenty-four hours.
The woman fumbled through her pockets and eventually pulled out a small ten-dollar bill.
Clutching the crumpled green bill, she asked, "Neighbor, this is all the money I have on me. I should have some more cash at home. If this is not enough... I can go back and get it."
"Look, my house is right next to yours." The woman pointed to Bai Mu's right. "Right there, the house with the red roof."
She cast an uneasy glance into the darkness. There were very few people on the street now. The soldiers and military vehicles had gone to patrol elsewhere, and the citizens who had come out for some fresh air had returned to their rooms.
Only a few drunks holding liquor bottles were still wandering by the roadside. Some had even passed out directly on the street, snoring loudly in the middle of the road.
Scattered streetlights illuminated the asphalt road, but there were no car engines to be heard, nor the chirping of insects or frogs. There was only an oppressive silence, making one feel as if some monster was hiding in the darkness.
Bai Mu silently examined the bill in the woman's hand. A ten-dollar cash note actually had decent purchasing power in the supermarket. Buying a loaf of sliced bread for breakfast or a pack of compressed biscuits would certainly not be a problem.
"Besides me, there are three children. Two boys and a girl," the woman pleaded. "Please have pity on us, neighbor. We are truly starving, and the children are still waiting for me to return..."
"Put the money by the door, then take five steps back," Bai Mu instructed. "Do not approach my door, or our deal is off."
"Okay, I understand, neighbor." The woman gently placed the money in front of the threshold, raised her hands, and took five steps backward.
After ensuring she made no sudden movements, Bai Mu opened the door just a crack. He took out five small bags of compressed biscuits from his inventory and tossed them far out.
He threw the biscuits a fair distance away. The woman's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly bent down to gather them from the ground.
Taking advantage of this distraction, Bai Mu used the Hand of Walrider to snatch the bill into the house, immediately shutting and locking the door.
The woman hastily stuffed the biscuits into her pockets, looking around shiftily like a thief, as if terrified someone would snatch her food away.
But her worries were unfounded. At least for the moment, no one noticed her.
"Thank you, neighbor!" A touch of joy appeared on the woman's face. "God will surely bless a kindhearted person like you."
"If you find more cash at home, you can bring it here to trade with me the night after tomorrow. I can give you food," Bai Mu stated. "But remember, I only accept bills or coins. Also, do not tell anyone else about our arrangement, or this agreement is void."
"I will keep it a secret," the woman promised.
"It is getting late. Go back," Bai Mu urged.
The woman nodded. "Thank you again, neighbor. I really would not have known what to do without you. You are the only one willing to help me."
She pulled up her hood to conceal her face and hurried off into the darkness, leaving the vicinity of Bai Mu's house.
Bai Mu had noticed that house with the red roof during the day. She was indeed heading in that direction; it did not look like she was lying.
However, her husband had gone out the previous night and never returned. The chances of his survival were likely very low.
The danger of going out at night was indeed incredibly high.
After watching the woman leave, Bai Mu returned to the living room.
He did not turn on the lights. The only illumination in the living room came from the television screen.
In the dark room, the pale gray glow of the electronic display outlined his silhouette and cast a long shadow.
He kept the television volume very low and drew the curtains in the living room, ensuring no light would leak out through the windows.
Although he did not know if this would reduce the probability of being targeted by a Doppelganger, he still tried his best to keep all traces of his activities confined within the house.
He took out all the cash he had on him, placed it on the small coffee table, and discussed the supermarket shopping list with Lucy.
"Lucy, when you go back, can you use this money to buy some compressed biscuits for me at the supermarket?"
Bai Mu made the most cost-effective choice, asking Lucy to spend all the money on compressed biscuits.
Lucy patted her small chest, collected the loose change into her doll backpack, and agreed to the task.
After making the arrangement, she remained by Bai Mu's side. His request for summoning her this time was simply for her to stay with him as long as possible.
The time reached nine o'clock. Lucy had been present for eleven hours. Outside, all was dead silent as a profound darkness enveloped the small house and the highway.
The temperature had dropped to around twenty degrees Celsius. The difference between day and night was stark, and the sweltering heat was completely gone.
Bai Mu went to the bathroom. The water he had collected in the afternoon had settled, leaving a layer of dark red impurities at the bottom of the bucket. He turned on the gas stove and used an empty bowl to scoop the clear water into a pot.
Blue flames licked the bottom of the iron pot. The water soon boiled, bubbling and frothing as it heated up.
After boiling the water for fifteen minutes, Bai Mu filled a kettle, poured himself a cup of hot water, and took a small sip.
The taste was slightly bitter, but he did not get poisoned or suffer from diarrhea after drinking it. Once treated, this water was perfectly suitable for drinking.
The single day's supply from the pipes was more than enough to maintain his physiological needs. He could collect about half a large water jug's worth of tap water in one day. Collecting water once would sustain him for roughly three to four days.
As long as the official water supply lasted for more than ten days, he would have nearly enough water resources to survive for fifty days.
However, he still lacked appropriate containers. He needed more water storage vessels, or perhaps he would have to fashion a makeshift reservoir himself.
By nine-thirty, Lucy began doodling on her drawing board to indicate that she had to leave. She drew a school and a sun, seemingly meaning that dawn was breaking and she had to go to school.
It seemed that summoning Lucy only allowed her to stay by Bai Mu's side for a maximum of about twelve hours. This could be understood as her existence here corresponding directly to the time she spent sleeping and dreaming.
After the two said their goodbyes, Lucy's transparent silhouette vanished into the electronic glow of the television.
Bai Mu was left alone in the house, with the television replaying the same news and programs from earlier in the day.
Bai Mu kept watch in the living room. He half-lay on the sofa, a revolver tucked into his pocket and a Baseball Bat gripped tightly in his hands, planning to sleep right there for the night.
The time reached ten-twenty. At that moment, a knocking sound came from outside the door again.
Bai Mu looked up alertly, walked over to the security door, and peered through the peephole.
Standing there was a man with disheveled hair and heavy stubble, wearing a gray hoodie.