Before the Great Flood, Yang Mei had been a well-known wealthy socialite in Blossom Garden, so naturally everyone recognized her.
Yang Mei hadn't expected the two to know her, and she looked slightly embarrassed. "Y-yes, it's me. Don't just stand outside—come in and talk."
She first glanced down the hallway to ensure no one else was around before opening the security door.
Contrary to their expectations, no danger arose. Both Ding Yan and Cai Zhi politely thanked her.
Yang Mei let out a sigh of relief and quickly retreated into the living room.
Cai Zhi closed the door behind them, while Ding Yan strode straight into the living room.
As soon as she entered, she was met with Lin Dong, fully armed, pointing a nail gun directly at her.
Ding Yan's expression shifted slightly. "We mean no harm."
Lin Dong said, "Put your weapons on the table."
Ding Yan placed the fruit knife on the coffee table and took a few steps back. "We're genuinely here to cooperate."
Cai Zhi also willingly set down his kitchen knife and leaned against the entryway wall, careful not to pressure Lin Dong.
Seeing this, Lin Dong became somewhat convinced of their sincerity.
He lowered the nail gun and, from across the coffee table, said to Yang Mei, "Sister Mei, pour them some water."
Yang Mei quickly nodded. "Ah, oh, right, of course."
She hurried into the kitchen to boil water, and only then did Lin Dong say, "Have a seat."
Ding Yan and Cai Zhi sat down opposite the coffee table, and the two sides finally settled into a proper discussion.
"What's your name, young man?" Ding Yan asked.
Lin Dong glanced at her. This woman had struck him as unusual from the start.
Earlier, when he had asked Fan Meiqin where Liu Erlong lived, Fan Meiqin had no idea, but this woman had remembered every single room number Liu Erlong occupied—clearly not an ordinary person.
"I'm Lin Dong. You're Ding Yan, right?"
Ding Yan nodded. "I'm surprised you remember. Yes, I'm Ding Yan, originally a resident on the fourth floor."
Cai Zhi spoke up, "You know me and Lao Ma. We used to live below the tenth floor too, but our homes were flooded, so we had to move up."
Lin Dong nodded. "Did you really eat fish from the floodwaters?"
Cai Zhi gave a bitter smile. "If we hadn't eaten the fish, we'd have starved to death long ago."
Ding Yan added, "Actually, I've seen Liu Erlong's people eating fish too. They always guard the tenth floor and manage to catch quite a few. Every time Zhou Jiaqiang comes by, he brings Fan Meiqin and me a couple of fish."
A strange glint flashed in Lin Dong's eyes. "After eating that fish, did you feel anything… unusual?"
Ding Yan and Cai Zhi exchanged glances before both shaking their heads.
Ding Yan said, "If there's anything special about it, it's that the fish meat is very filling. One fish can keep us going for half a day."
Cai Zhi added, "The fish seems to be saltwater—it tastes salty."
Ding Yan continued, "I've heard from Liu Erlong's people that there might be monsters underwater. Those who live on the surface at night often go missing."
Lin Dong couldn't help but ask, "Are those people living on the water just to catch fish?"
"Not exactly. Most of them were forced by Liu Erlong's group to salvage supplies or cast nets for fish."
Lin Dong paid special attention to the news about mutated creatures. If even ordinary people could catch fish, couldn't he do the same?
No—maybe he wouldn't even need to lift a finger. He could just trade food for mutated fish with others. That way, wouldn't he be able to accumulate Points quickly?
He suppressed his surprise as Yang Mei came out with tea, serving each of them a cup.
Cai Zhi asked curiously, "Yang Mei, what are you doing at Lin Dong's place?"
Ding Yan also looked at Yang Mei, her eyes thoughtful.
Yang Mei flushed slightly, flustered. "I... I..."
Seeing her reaction, Lin Dong wrapped an arm around her waist and said bluntly, "No need to be embarrassed. You know Li Zhiqiang across the way, right? That guy ran out of food and thought Sister Mei was a waste of resources. He actually wanted to trade her to Liu Erlong in exchange for supplies."
"Sister Mei had no choice but to come to me for help. From now on, she'll be staying with me."
Cai Zhi was stunned. "Li Zhiqiang... is actually that kind of person?"
Ding Yan wasn't surprised. She said to Yang Mei, "Sister Mei, leaving him was the right choice. In times like these, only those who dare to fight can protect their women."
Yang Mei's face burned with embarrassment, and she lowered her head without speaking.
Lin Dong didn't want to dwell on the topic. "What are your plans?"
Cai Zhi said, "I plan to gather a few more people. We don't need many—just ten or twenty would be enough to stand up to Liu Erlong and his men."
"Liu Erlong only has about twenty core followers. Most of the others are just being coerced and probably wouldn't really fight for him."
Lin Dong nodded slightly. It wasn't a bad idea.
After a moment of thought, he asked, "Can you actually find people willing to join?"
Cai Zhi nodded solemnly. "A month ago, I wouldn't have been sure. But with the Flood getting worse, people are running out of everything. Many are barely surviving."
"And over the past month, Liu Erlong's group has gone too far—especially with their recent 'Sweeping floors' tactic, looting floor by floor. I'm sure a lot of people have had enough. They just need someone to lead them."
Ding Yan added, "They've harmed countless single women this past month, but they've still avoided targeting women with families. Still, I doubt they'll hold back much longer."
"If the other residents aren't fools, they won't tolerate this forever."
Lin Dong studied the two of them, surprised by their determination.
In the concrete jungle of the city, even without the Great Flood, people's morals weren't exactly high.
Most had a "mind your own business" mentality—even neighbors rarely interacted.
Rallying a group wasn't as simple as just talking about it.
Lin Dong admitted to himself that he couldn't do something like this.
Finally, he said, "Alright, I'll join you. What do you need me to do?"
Cai Zhi and Ding Yan exchanged a pleased glance.
Cai Zhi said, "Honestly, I don't have any personal demands. I'm just worried about my family."
"Lin Dong, if possible, I'd like to find a way to settle my family and Lao Ma's somewhere safe. That way, we can act without worrying about them."
Lin Dong's brows rose. "What exactly are you suggesting, Brother Cai?"
Realizing the misunderstanding, Cai Zhi quickly clarified, "I mean, maybe we can reclaim some rooms from Liu Erlong first—preferably ones close to each other so we can look out for one another."
Hearing this, Lin Dong's expression eased.
For a moment, he'd thought they wanted their families to move in with him.
He definitely wouldn't agree, after all, they had just started cooperating and the level of trust was limited.
Lin Dong fell into thought and asked, "Have you found any rooms you like?"
"On the 28th floor. I know there's a room there that belongs to Liu Erlong," Ding Yan said immediately.
But Cai Zhi shook his head. "The 28th floor is a bit far from the 32nd floor. It'd be best if we could stay close together—either across the hall or on adjacent floors."
Ding Yan thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I have an idea."
"Go on."
"What about 3202 across the way?"
As soon as Ding Yan finished speaking, Cai Zhi and Lin Dong were both stunned.
Instinctively, everyone turned their gaze toward Yang Mei, who was standing nearby.
Yang Mei's heart began to race uncontrollably. 3202—that was her home.