Chapter 17: Naming, Qin Yuke!

Su Bai felt incredibly happy about Bai Yu joining her. Bai Yu was the name she had given her ice silkworm, inspired by its body, which was as pure and white as jade. The ice silkworm’s body was crystal clear, resembling a piece of fine white jade, and it emitted a faint chill that gave it a noble and mysterious aura.

However, with Bai Yu’s arrival, new problems followed. Su Bai sat at the table, looking at the meager amount of food left, her brow furrowing slightly. She sighed and whispered to herself, "Great. Today, apart from Bai Yu, I didn't gain anything from the Misty Forest, and neither Pearl nor I have leveled up!"

The food shortage had always been a major source of anxiety for Su Bai. Her supplies were already low, and now with an extra mouth to feed, the problem had intensified. Although Bai Yu was small, as a mutated monster, its appetite was clearly not insignificant. Su Bai checked her storage shelf; the food on it was dwindling, enough to last only a few more days at most.

"Sigh! Regardless, I just have to keep trying!" Su Bai massaged her temples, feeling a sense of helplessness. She knew that if she didn't find a new source of food soon, she might truly have to evacuate Linghai City and head for the nearest safe zone. She walked to the storage shelf and carefully took stock of the remaining supplies: "Hmm, it can last for a few more days, but if I can't find other food sources, I really will have to evacuate Linghai City."

Recently, Su Bai had been keeping an eye on official reports. The government was intensifying the construction of safe zones to cope with the potentially greater disasters to come. No one knew if the monsters in those gamified data regions would remain confined to their fixed areas forever. If one day these monsters broke through their restrictions and surged out of their zones, it would be an unimaginable, terrifying catastrophe. Thinking of such a scene, Su Bai couldn't help but shiver. She clenched her fists, silently resolving, "I must hurry and level up. Only by becoming stronger can I survive in this world."

Just as Su Bai was considering whether to venture back into the Misty Forest, a clamor suddenly erupted outside her door. She paused, listening carefully, and realized the noise was coming from across the hall.

"Strange. Didn't Grandma Cheng from across the hall evacuate? Who would be coming at a time like this?" Su Bai felt a ripple of suspicion. She walked to the door and peered through the peephole.

The scene before her took her by surprise. There were several people in the hallway, and they were all dressed in military uniforms—they were clearly soldiers! The atmosphere in the hallway was tense and frantic, with figures moving back and forth, the sounds of footsteps and hushed whispers intertwining. Through the peephole, Su Bai observed carefully and noticed that some of these people seemed to be injured. They were pale and wrapped in makeshift bandages.

Just then, Su Bai’s gaze locked onto one of the men. She was slightly stunned, surprised in her heart: "Huh? Isn't that the man who was left behind as bait by those people in the Misty Forest? Shen Huaichuan, I think his name was. He didn't die? Could he have been rescued by these soldiers?"

The man did not look well; his face was as pale as paper, and his arm was wrapped in blood-stained bandages—he had clearly suffered a serious injury. At this moment, however, Shen Huaichuan’s expression was somber, as if he were deep in thought, perhaps still unable to recover from the betrayal and trauma caused by his former companions.

Just then, a person emerged from Grandma Cheng’s apartment, having clearly opened the door. The man was tall with a cold, stern face; he was quite young and wore a crisp military uniform. Su Bai recognized him immediately: Qin Yuke, the soldier grandson whom Grandma Cheng had often spoken of.

Qin Yuke’s voice was low and powerful, carrying an unquestionable air of authority: "Quick, get all the injured inside!" As soon as he finished speaking, five or six soldiers immediately sprang into action, carefully carrying two men covered in corrosive wounds into the room. Those two casualties looked to be in terrible condition, their skin covered in festering sores—they had clearly been attacked by the corrosive phosphorus powder of the Misty White Moths.

Qin Yuke quickly directed the others to settle the wounded and then began searching the room for medical supplies. He pulled open drawers and searched cabinets, his movements swift and orderly. However, after searching the entire room, his brow furrowed even tighter.

"After Grandma evacuated, she really didn't leave a single thing in the house!" Qin Yuke muttered, his tone filled with frustration. He clearly hadn't expected the house to be devoid of even the most basic medical supplies.

Just then, a thought occurred to Qin Yuke. He remembered that while they were at the safe zone, his grandmother had mentioned a tenant named Su Bai who lived across the hall and hadn't evacuated with them. He turned immediately, intending to knock on the door opposite to see if Su Bai was still there.

Zhang Yunqi, standing to the side, saw Qin Yuke’s movement and couldn't help but say, "Captain Qin, Linghai City is practically a ghost town now. How could there still be anyone across the hall? We should focus on treating the wounded..."

Before Zhang Yunqi could finish his sentence, and just as Qin Yuke raised his hand to knock, the door opened on its own. Su Bai stood in the doorway, looking at Qin Yuke with a calm expression. She recognized the man preparing to knock, having seen his photograph before.

Qin Yuke clearly hadn't expected the door to open suddenly; he was taken aback for a moment before quickly regaining his composure. He looked Su Bai up and down, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes. He hadn't expected that in such times, there would still be a young woman living alone in Linghai City, and he felt a sense of admiration for her boldness.

"Are you Su Bai?" Qin Yuke asked, his tone probing.

Su Bai nodded and replied, "I am Grandma Cheng’s tenant. What are you planning to do? Do you need help?"

Hearing Su Bai’s response, a hint of joy flashed in Qin Yuke’s eyes. He didn't stand on ceremony—after all, his teammates were in desperate need of medical supplies—and quickly requested, "We have several injured men in critical condition. We need disinfectants and first-aid supplies. Do you have any medicine I could use?"

Su Bai didn't answer immediately. She hesitated, weighing her options. However, considering their status as soldiers, she decided not to dither.

"Wait here."

She closed the door and returned inside. She didn't let them in, but instead began to rummage through the items she had stockpiled earlier. She quickly found the medicine and tools, then walked back out.

"Will this be enough? This is all I have!" Su Bai hadn't stockpiled much medicine when she was hoarding supplies, largely because the government had begun strictly controlling pharmaceuticals after the Disaster System appeared. She hadn't been able to buy much.

Qin Yuke nodded. "This is enough. As long as we have disinfectants, they can hold on until reinforcements arrive."