TFRLTOP Chapter 75 Part 1

Chapter 75 – The Captain’s Little Widow 

◎ Mingming: (._.) ◎

Mingming lowered her head and said nothing.

Guan Yi took a step back, crossed his arms, and leaned casually against the table, his tone mild and patient. “It’s fine, Miss Bai. If you don’t know where to start, we can go step by step. I just got back from a field mission — I’ve got plenty of time.”

Mingming immediately felt the pressure rise.

“An Ning told me today that some things have mysteriously gone missing from the base,” Guan Yi said. “Nothing too important, she said. Things like…” He turned his head to look at her, then glanced down at the floor and began counting them off. “A few cans of food even dogs wouldn’t eat, and some compressed biscuits.”

“Discarded cardboard boxes, old newspapers.”

“And sanitary pads.”

With each item he mentioned, Mingming’s head sank lower.

“Even with the pads, my first suspicion was still those slobby old men,” Guan Yi continued lightly. “But before I could get around to checking, I came home and discovered the biggest loss was right here in my own place.”

He dropped his arms and leaned his hands on the table behind him, tapping the surface idly with his fingers.

Each tap landed squarely on Mingming’s heart.

“Miss Bai,” he said, fixing his gaze on her and missing none of her tiny expressions, “can you tell me why you did it?”

Mingming’s lips moved, but no words came out. Head bowed, hands clasped tightly behind her back, she looked exactly like a student being scolded by her teacher. Even without seeing, Guan Yi could easily picture her fingers twisting together in nervous knots.

“Did you think I was going to send you away?” Guan Yi asked, his tone softening, “and that’s why you tried to move all this stuff?”

Mingming stared at her toes and gave a tiny nod.

He nodded too, as if that explanation made sense. He didn’t seem particularly upset. “Understandable. For most people, the safe zone isn’t exactly paradise. Everyone’s got a bit of selfishness in them. In times like these, thinking for yourself isn’t exactly a crime.”

He gestured loosely toward the piles around them. “And besides, you were just targeting me — the guy about to send you away — and cleared out my place. You didn’t take anything important from the base itself. When you put it that way, you’re practically kind-hearted.”

Mingming: “…”

(Brother, please stop. I’m already dying of guilt.)

Guan Yi glanced around. The living room was so full of assorted supplies that he could barely take a step. He picked his way through the clutter, plugged in the refrigerator, and opened it. Everything inside looked fine — even better than before, actually. A few extra dishes had been added. Turning to the table, he noticed most of the food there was untouched.

So, all that time, he’d thought this girl just had a big appetite and worried she wasn’t eating enough — but apparently, she was a planner. Ate twenty percent, saved eighty, and stockpiled little by little. At this rate, she could’ve hosted a full banquet.

He couldn’t help but comment, “You’re quite the economist, huh?”

Mingming: (._.)

He asked, “Anything else?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Mingming started pulling things out.

Out came a foot basin, a fly swatter, a mop handle, a set of bed sheets…

And finally, a potted plant.

Guan Yi chuckled. “Well, aren’t you the sentimental type?”

Mingming: (._.)

She took out one last item and said earnestly, “That’s it.”

Guan Yi blinked. “A fishing rod???”

“Where did you even get this?”

“I made it myself,” Mingming answered honestly. “From scrap materials.”

He stared at her. “And… what exactly were you planning to do with it? Go fishing?”

Mingming gave him a puzzled look that clearly said, What else would I do with it?

Guan Yi hesitated, then decided he might as well tell her the truth. “You… probably haven’t been outside much, so you might not know this — but the first wave of mutated creatures came from the water.”

Mingming: “Huh?”

“Chickens and livestock can still be raised if you’re careful, but aquatic life? Completely wiped out. The only good news is that most of them don’t like leaving the water. As long as we stay on land, we don’t bother each other.” He picked up her fishing rod and gestured with it idly. “But if you ever go to a river or pond to fish, chances are you’ll hook something straight out of a deep-sea horror film. And those things still consider humans part of their food chain — though the roles are a little… reversed now.”

He spoke as he moved around, his prehensile tendrils deftly sorting through the piles in the living room, putting everything neatly back where it belonged.

Mingming’s eyes followed those tendrils as they twisted and coiled. She thought, “A little different,” my foot — it used to be me eating fish; now it’s the fish eating me.

“Ever seen those movies about prehistoric sea monsters?” he asked.

Mingming shook her head.

“Doesn’t matter,” he said dryly. “They’ve gone from fiction to reality now.”

“…” (What the hell do you mean, ‘gone into reality’?!)

When the tentacle moved near her, Mingming couldn’t resist reaching out to poke it.

It was soft, resilient, sand pringy to the touch.

The next instant, it flicked her hand away with a light swat.

“Don’t touch that,” Guan Yi said coolly.

Mingming quickly pulled her hand back.

He continued in a calm, even voice. “Everyone looks out for themselves. That’s human nature. And you — a fragile woman, all alone — I can understand your selfishness.”

Mingming lifted her head cautiously, unsure whether to be relieved or scared.

“But,” Guan Yi went on, his tone turning serious again, “the base has rules. If everyone steals or hides things for their own interests, how can we trust each other? How can we fight side by side? Once people start worrying about someone snatching their share, it’s only a matter of time before they turn on one another. We won’t need zombies or mutants to wipe us out — we’ll destroy ourselves first.”