Chapter 37: Experimental Subject

Lu Yao gradually stopped trembling and straightened up from Jiang Qiyu’s embrace. Although his eyes remained rimmed with red, his gaze had regained its clarity. He took a deep breath, struggling to compose himself, and whispered, "I’m sorry, sister, I..."

Jiang Qiyu looked at him, her eyes filled with understanding. "It’s alright, Lu Yao."

Once Lu Yao had recovered, they resumed scavenging for supplies.

The warehouse was filled with dust and the smell of mildew. The beam of their flashlight swept back and forth across the shelves, illuminating mountains of firearms. Jiang Qiyu’s gaze skimmed over the weapons without much emotional fluctuation. "This will be enough to last for a while."

Shi Chao had already begun inspecting the models and conditions of the guns. He skillfully pulled the bolts and checked the magazines, occasionally letting out appreciative clicks of his tongue. "M4A1, AK-47, SCAR-L... tsk tsk, all high-quality gear! Although they haven’t been well-maintained, they’ll be ready for use after a quick cleaning. Boss, I’m calling dibs on this AWM!"

"Mm," Jiang Qiyu responded briefly.

The warehouse was filled with a dazzling array of firearms of all types. In stark contrast, the supply of ammunition was pitifully small, far from enough to sustain a prolonged battle.

To prepare for the challenges ahead, after stripping the warehouse of weapons, Jiang Qiyu carefully searched for food, hoping to stockpile as many resources as possible for emergencies.

"Shi Chao," Jiang Qiyu said, "continue searching for firearms and ammunition. Try to organize every usable weapon." She turned to Lu Yao. "Lu Yao, come with me to check the other levels and see if we can find food or other supplies."

The freighter did not look like it had been abandoned for long, and its structure remained largely intact across its four levels. They were currently on the first basement level, the hold, and were now heading up a metal staircase. Based on the ship's layout, the fourth level should be the mess hall, where most food and daily necessities were stored.

The fourth level was indeed the dining and living area. Various supplies were neatly arranged, though the air was thick with the smell of rotting food mixed with a faint, musty odor.

On the shelves, Jiang Qiyu and Lu Yao found a vast quantity of compressed biscuits—common emergency rations—as well as energy bars enriched with various dried fruits and crushed nuts, offering a wide variety of flavors.

There was also a wide selection of vacuum-packed meats, including spiced beef, braised chicken drumsticks, five-spice pig trotters, smoked fish, and even some expensive imported hams and sausages. The milk came not only in common varieties like whole, chocolate, and strawberry, but also tropical flavors such as banana, mango, and coconut. The range of fruit juices was equally impressive: apple, orange, grape, grapefruit, cranberry, blueberry, and more. While the selection of vegetable juices was smaller—mostly carrot, tomato, and celery—it was sufficient to supplement the necessary vitamins and minerals for the human body.

Beyond these common items, they found canned foods like luncheon meat, fish, and fruits, as well as instant meals such as instant noodles, rice vermicelli, and self-heating hot pots. Although these had long shelf lives, Jiang Qiyu decided to prioritize fresher and more perishable items, considering the storage conditions and taste.

As Jiang Qiyu’s eyes scanned the shelves of instant food, she suddenly remembered that whenever Lu Yao ate self-heating hot pots, he always chose the golden broth beef flavor. She turned and took several boxes of the golden broth beef hot pots from the shelf, then casually added a few boxes of sour and spicy glass noodles and snail rice noodles—all flavors Lu Yao enjoyed.

She also took the time to rummage through the refrigerator, finding several tubs of yogurt nearing their expiration date. Although they wouldn't last long, the weather was cool, so they should be fine for a while.

Lu Yao liked yogurt, especially strawberry and blueberry flavors, so she took some of those as well.

In the freezer, Jiang Qiyu discovered some pickled fish dishes, such as sauerkraut fish and chopped chili fish head—all favorites of Lu Yao. Although these required freezing, she could keep them at a constant temperature in her personal space, so there was no need to worry about them spoiling. She swept all the pickled fish into her inventory.

The trio returned home fully loaded. When they arrived back at the villa, steaming hot food was already on the table. Lin Xiaoxiao’s culinary skills were improving daily, and the dishes were fragrant, visually appealing, and delicious—earning a rare look of approval from Jiang Qiyu.

After the meal, Jiang Qiyu noticed the woman who had previously been a victim of domestic abuse teaching her daughter to weave a willow windmill. A flash of inspiration struck her; she remembered descriptions in books of ancient agricultural tools that could perhaps be fashioned from willow branches to improve the soil around the villa and increase crop yields.

They had previously tried planting cherry tomatoes, full of anticipation for a bountiful harvest, but the results were disappointing; the yield was pitifully low.

After careful observation, they speculated that the soil wasn't loose or aerated enough, which hindered the growth of the tomato roots. Although they had tried using hoes to turn the soil and apply fertilizer, the efforts had been minimally effective. The ground remained hard and compacted, and soil improvement was proving to be far more difficult than they had imagined.

"Sister Wang," Jiang Qiyu called out to the woman, "can you weave other things?"

The woman looked pleasantly surprised and nodded quickly. "A little. Back in my hometown, I often wove baskets, winnowing pans, and things like that."

Jiang Qiyu concisely described the style of farm tools she needed. The woman listened intently and promised to do her best. Beside her, the little girl looked up at Jiang Qiyu with eyes full of adoration, saying in a sweet, childish voice, "Sister is so amazing!"

The woman’s reverent attitude toward Jiang Qiyu stemmed from the fact that she had been rescued from the brink of death just as she was about to turn into a zombie.

She looked at Jiang Qiyu with eyes full of gratitude, as if she were her savior. But Jiang Qiyu knew better; she hadn't actually done anything—it was someone else who had saved the woman. She recalled the situation: if Lu Yao hadn't appeared in time, the woman would have long since turned into a zombie.

The true hero of that event was Lu Yao; he was the one who had truly lent the helping hand.

Seeing that Lu Yao was not at the dinner table, Jiang Qiyu headed toward his room. She knocked, but there was no response. She knocked a few more times, still nothing. After a moment of hesitation, she gently pushed the door open.

Inside, Lu Yao was standing with his back to her, changing his clothes.

His lean shoulder blades stood out sharply in the dim light, and his thin back was crisscrossed with a web of scars. These scars varied in depth, old and new overlapping, appearing like a cruel map carved into his skin, looking particularly shocking under the low light.

Jiang Qiyu’s breath hitched, her gaze fixed on those ghastly marks.

Lu Yao did not seem to notice her arrival and continued to undress at a leisurely pace.

As his shirt slid off, the smooth, lean curves of Lu Yao’s waist and back were revealed to Jiang Qiyu. The contour of his shoulder blades was distinct, exuding a fragile beauty in the dim light. The muscles of his back were taut but not overly developed, instead revealing a resilience forged through grueling trials.

Jiang Qiyu stood in the doorway, neither speaking nor leaving. She watched Lu Yao quietly, her expression complex...