Chapter 007 Adding insult to injury


    Zhang Su was utterly frustrated and said, "We really should''ve moved all that stuff you bought upstairs last night!"


    "Ah…" Zheng Xinyu let out a small cry, her face filled with regret. "You''re right, Brother Su. If we had those supplies, we could''ve lasted at least a month! In a month, rescue would surely reach us!"


    She had accepted a fan challenge to stay in her bedroom without stepping out for an entire month, essentially not leaving the room for any reason. To prepare, she had meticulously stocked up on supplies, buying enough to last fifty days, and practically emptied her savings to ensure she succeeded in this high-stakes gamble. The challenge was set to start the next day, but an unforeseen disaster had turned all her plans into dust.


    Though she felt a tinge of frustration, Zheng Xinyu refrained from dwelling on negativity. She knew that in a situation like this, despair was a luxury she couldn''t afford.


    Zhang Su, meanwhile, was pulling at his hair in annoyance. After a while, he realized it was pointless to wallow in regret. Slapping his cheeks to focus, he said, "We''ve lost all external supplies. Let''s start by taking stock of what we have left at home!"


    As he spoke, his gaze instinctively turned toward the front door. He wondered if the doorman, Brother Li, was still around.


    "Alright!" Zheng Xinyu readily agreed.


    "First, let''s get some water!" Zhang Su suddenly stood up and, while walking toward the bathroom, said, "Even if it''s not drinkable, we''ll need water for other purposes. Go grab some containers!"


    However, when the two of them entered the bathroom carrying buckets and basins, they were dumbfounded. Turning on the faucet, they saw only a few pitiful drops trickle out before it stopped entirely.


    The water had been cut off.


    Their earlier debates about the quality of the water had been meaningless.


    The water supply seemed to mock them, saying, "You go ahead and keep talking. I''m out."


    The two stood in stunned silence, realizing just how dire their situation was.


    "Charge everything that can be charged!" Zhang Su commanded. With the internet and water cut off, electricity and gas would likely follow soon.


    "But it''s just phones and power banks. Without a signal, what’s the point of charging phones?" Zheng Xinyu muttered, feeling utterly downcast. Her dependence on the internet far exceeded Zhang Su''s. She lived and breathed online, and without it, she felt like a fish out of water.


    "Think positively. What if the internet comes back? And even if it doesn’t, phones have other uses, right?" Zhang Su reassured her while busy plugging everything into chargers: phones, power banks, razors, clocks, nightlights—even the electric toothbrush.


    "Ah!" Zheng Xinyu suddenly cried out.


    "What now?" Zhang Su asked, curious.


    She pointed to the bathroom with a distressed look. "No… no water. How are we supposed to use the bathroom?"


    Zhang Su smacked his forehead. "Seriously? You''re getting worked up over something so trivial? Small business as usual, and for the big stuff, just use garbage bags. Problem solved."


    "Gross! Isn''t there another way?" Zheng Xinyu protested, wrinkling her nose.


    "If you can''t leave the apartment, there''s no other choice. Tie the bag up and toss it in the trash. It''ll be fine."


    Zhang Su clearly thought there were bigger problems to worry about.


    Zheng Xinyu scratched her head in dismay, utterly dejected by the thought of living without even basic conveniences.


    "Stop whining. Close the curtains and let’s inventory our supplies!" Zhang Su urged.


    The two got to work, pulling the curtains shut. The room grew noticeably darker, so they turned on the lights and headed back to the living room.


    "Brother Su, why the curtains? Aren’t we supposed to let people know we’re here for rescue?" Zheng Xinyu asked, puzzled.


    Zhang Su shook his head. "The internet and water outages don’t just affect us. Everyone''s supplies are basically fixed right now. It''s better to be cautious. Would you share your life-saving supplies with strangers?"


    Zheng Xinyu hesitated, stunned. While she prided herself on her kindness—regularly feeding stray cats and dogs—the idea of handing over her hard-earned rations made her shiver. She shook her head vigorously.


    "Good!" Zhang Su praised her. "Remember this: in a disaster, your own survival always comes first. Don’t let misplaced kindness ruin you."


    Normally warm and generous, Zhang Su also had a ruthless side, shaped by circumstances. Whether he showed compassion or cruelty depended on the situation.


    "I understand, Brother Su. I won’t be overly soft-hearted!" Zheng Xinyu said, her unmade-up face showing a resolute determination. However, she couldn’t foresee how tough the actual choices would be when the time came.


    After sealing the apartment tightly, the two set about inventorying their survival supplies. Most of the items were stored in Zheng Xinyu’s room, so Zhang Su decided to move everything else there for convenience.


    "I’ve never been in here before. Didn’t realize your room''s worse than mine!" Zhang Su remarked with mock disdain, hands on his hips.


    Clothes, socks, and underwear were strewn in the corners, random items lay scattered near the trash can, and the desk was littered with snack crumbs. The bed? A mess of cheap stuffed toys from claw machines.


    "Hey! I didn’t have time to clean, okay? Focus on what we’re doing!" Zheng Xinyu’s face flushed with embarrassment.


    Zhang Su just shook his head knowingly. He’d seen messier rooms before, so it didn’t surprise him.


    The inventory revealed: 75 liters of drinkable liquids (including beverages and alcohol), 12 packs of instant noodles, 22 bags of river snail noodles, 4 self-heating hotpots, and 8 self-heating rice packs. Together, they could survive two weeks comfortably—or 20 days if they rationed carefully. The situation would change drastically if electricity and gas were cut.


    Fortunately, most of their food was quick and easy to prepare, saving time and hassle. Zheng Xinyu had stockpiled the majority of the supplies; Zhang Su only contributed two five-packs of instant noodles and two boxes of self-heating rice.


    "Um…" Zheng Xinyu hesitated, staring at the water supplies. "Brother Su, I don’t think the water will last two weeks. Are we not… not going to wash?" Sear?h the novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Water was indeed scarce, mostly consisting of various drinks, making it incredibly precious. Zhang Su had overlooked hygiene entirely—not because he hadn’t thought of it, but because he’d deemed it irrelevant.


    "We''ll just have to stink!" Zhang Su said bluntly, his tone dropping to a whisper as he glanced at the door.


    With no way to flush waste or wash up, it wouldn''t take long before the two of them turned into "stinky survivalists."