"If you have nowhere to go, you can come to my house."

Lanlan Gan had decided to rise early and make another trip to the town. Even with her pockets nearly empty, she felt compelled to bring something back, even if it meant scavenging for wild herbs by the roadside.

As she walked along the same path as before, the town felt unusually quiet compared to her last visit—she didn't encounter a single soul. Passing by the supermarket, she noticed the doors were tightly shut. Not knowing where else to go, she contemplated heading towards a different direction.

To her surprise, even the store owned by Mr. Guan was closed. The desolate street felt almost eerie.

Just as she was considering whether to search for the market, hoping to find some vegetables, a voice called out, "Lanlan?"

Turning around, she saw a figure wearing a mask emerging from the nearby alley. Without a word, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the alleyway.

"Lanlan, what are you doing here? It’s not safe outside right now; you should come to my house!"

Oh, it turned out to be Guan Xin (Ethan Guan).

Fortunately, Mr. Guan's house was not far from the shop. Once inside the cramped space, Lanlan seemed to understand why Guan Xin had previously looked enviously at the shelter.

"Well…"

“Lanlan, are you aware of the news? People all over the world are experiencing fever symptoms. The government has advised everyone to stay indoors unless necessary. My dad had a fever yesterday, but thankfully he’s better today. I was planning to go to the hospital, but you wouldn’t believe how crowded it is now. I can only check the pharmacy, but they are running low on supplies. I almost went out when I saw you!”

“Cough cough, Guan Xin, is someone here?”

As Guan Xin rushed into another room, he called out, “Dad! It’s Lanlan, the girl who came last time to buy supplies. I was about to head out when I saw her at our door; she must be looking to buy something again.”

They heard shuffling sounds, and soon Mr. Guan appeared, supported by Guan Xin.

"Dear, what do you need to buy? Just tell me—what can I help you with?"

"Mr. Guan, I… I’m looking for some plants to grow, and maybe some poultry. Do you know where I can find any? I’d like to trade some bread for them, is that alright?"

With no money to spare, she felt embarrassed asking for help, and took out a bag of bread she had bought at the supermarket.

“Guan Xin, go to the garden and pick some tomatoes and peppers, grab some garlic and lettuce too. You can pick whatever else you see.”

“Got it, Dad! Lanlan, just wait a moment, I’ll be right back.”

“Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Guan. I only have this bread.”

Seeing the young girl before him—probably around twenty years old, and hearing from Guan Xin that she lived alone—it was quite pitiful.

Yet, the apologetic and embarrassed look on her face made Mr. Guan take the bag of bread. Lanlan visibly relaxed at his acceptance.

“Don’t worry, take a seat. I’ll get you a glass of water,” he said, moving before she could respond and fetching a cup.

Guan Xin returned with a large bag of vegetables, likely all harvested from their garden. To Lanlan’s surprise, he was holding a hen under his arm.

“Lanlan, you came at the right time! The vegetables are growing so well; take some home to ease my dad’s meals. Also, this hen just wandered into our yard from who knows where; you should take it too!”

Flustered, Lanlan stood up quickly.

“That’s too much. I… I only need one thing. You can keep the chicken for Mr. Guan to eat!”

“Nonsense, just take it! We have plenty of food at home. Go on, take it!”

“Right, dear, take them. No need to worry; we’ll grow more vegetables quickly.”

“Let me help you take these back. Dad, I’ll walk Lanlan home and then head to the drugstore after,” Guan Xin said.

Mr. Guan waved them off. “Go ahead; be back soon, and remember to wear masks.”

“Right, right! Here, Lanlan, you should wear this too.” He handed her a pack of masks from the table.

Before Lanlan could process what was happening, Guan Xin had her on a tricycle and was taking her home. As they passed by a small garden, he grabbed a handful of greens.

Along the way, Guan Xin didn’t stop talking, recounting various rumors he had heard online.

“I swear, reading those apocalyptic novels I used to enjoy feels eerily close to what’s happening now. I even suspect there might be zombies soon. Just thinking about it is terrifying. As a girl, you should really avoid running around. If it gets too chaotic, why don’t you move in with us? With my dad and me, it’d definitely be safer than you alone. The internet is so unstable now; I can’t keep up with all the news…”

When they saw a few makeshift containers along the way, Guan Xin remarked, “The flower farm is really fast; they’ve managed to build a building in just one day.”

Lanlan smiled politely but awkwardly.

“There’s not much stuff. Your place isn’t very big. I’ll help you carry this down… I need to rush to the pharmacy; if you need anything, call me… or just come find me at home; you know where I live.”

“Thank you, and please thank Mr. Guan for me.” 

“No need for that. Alright, I’ll be heading out. Bye!”

As the tricycle prepared to leave, Lanlan called out, “Hey, Guan Xin!”

He stopped and turned, smiling. “What’s up, Lanlan?”

“If—just if—you and Mr. Guan have nowhere to go, you can come to my place.”

Guan Xin repeatedly nodded, looking genuinely touched. “Sure, thanks, Lanlan! Okay, see you?”

“See you!”

As she watched the tricycle speed away faster than usual, Lanlan felt a heavy weight on her heart. She sensed that the chaos around her was not far from the apocalyptic scenarios Guan Xin had spoken of. Unsure of what else she could do aside from carrying bricks, she felt a surge of helplessness.

【Humans are social animals. To survive and develop in turbulent times, an unlimited task has been issued: To protect humanity during chaos, please establish safe and reliable shelters, creating a living base for mankind while rescuing and accommodating residents.】

【Task rewards will be determined based on the condition of the base construction and the final occupancy situation. Soldier No. 1000, please do your best to carry bricks! Let's go!】

Hearing the system’s voice, Lanlan looked at the silhouette of the young man disappearing into the sunlight and smiled.