Chapter 26: In Plain Sight

Chapter 26: In Plain Sight

After parking the car, Chu Yi walked into the street, which was mostly destroyed. However, since the buildings weren't tall, it was still passable. She carefully stepped over the ruins, using a wooden stick for support to prevent slipping.

Chu Yi noted that severely collapsed shops were inaccessible and decided to skip them, opting for those she could just about enter. In one shop, she found many burlap sacks used for storing raw materials – perfect for her purposes. The snack street shops were small with limited storage, so the inventory was modest.

For Chu Yi, however, it was a significant haul. She filled the burlap sacks with raw ingredients and semi-finished food products, then continued deeper into the street.

Today, Chu Yi's goal was not to gather food from the snack street but to visit a pharmaceutical distribution center nearby. This place was a warehouse for a chain pharmacy, primarily responsible for packing and dispatching medications ordered by various branches. Chu Yi knew about this location from her previous memories and planned to collect medicines there.

Although there were plenty of food items in her space, Chu Yi had a limited supply of medicines, prompting her visit to the center. She had previously ordered medicines delivered from there but returned them unused, knowing the address was nearby.

However, the area had suffered severe collapse, obscuring most street signs under the rubble. Chu Yi had never been there before, making it difficult to find the location.

Chu Yi collected supplies while observing the terrain. Following the remnants of street signs, she eventually found the place and immediately saw medicines exposed to the sun.

On first inspection, it appeared to be a small warehouse-type shop with a large interior space. After collapsing, the roof had fallen directly onto the shelves, scattering the medicine bottles, many of which were now exposed.

With the building completely collapsed, Chu Yi cautiously used a stick to lift some stones, collecting medicines bit by bit. It took considerable effort to gather most of the medicines, as many shelves were destroyed. Chu Yi organized the medicines by collection area, grouping them together.

Not recognizing many of the medicines, Chu Yi prioritized those she knew, placing common ones in easily accessible spots.

The morning passed quickly, and noon arrived. For some reason, the midday heat was becoming increasingly intense, with temperatures possibly reaching forty degrees Celsius.

Concerned for the two children, Chu Yi found a half-collapsed building to take shelter beside, where the intact side provided shade. She sat on a stone, took out a small blanket from her space, cleared the ground in front of her, spread the blanket, and gently placed the children on it.

Having carried the children all morning, Chu Yi was also tired. The children had been quiet without fussing. They took a break during the midday heat.

The baby, still too young to sit up, lay on the blanket. His new fascination was with his hands and feet, often putting them in his mouth. Chu Yi would take them out, but he would just put his hands back in, gnawing and smiling at her.

Compared to the baby, Little Moon was exceptionally well-behaved and quiet, rarely speaking. She had seen Chu Yi remove the baby's feet from his mouth and would imitate her by doing the same, then look at Chu Yi as if to say, "Like this, right?"

Chu Yi took out milk powder and bottles for the children, cleaned the baby's drool-covered mouth, and handed them each a bottle. Little Moon held her bottle and drank the milk quietly.

Initially, Chu Yi planned to feed the baby, but inspired by Little Moon holding her bottle, he insisted on holding his own, albeit clumsily.

Chu Yi let him lie and drink from the bottle, with its small nipple requiring suction to release milk. She positioned one end of the bottle on the ground, letting the baby's small chubby hands feebly hold it.

During her collection trip, Chu Yi gathered intact kitchenware and gas cylinders from the shops, taking only those in good condition and leaving the damaged ones.

The trip was fruitful. With the afternoon heat rising, Chu Yi had other plans. She intended to go to the northern road of N City, where a street was full of electric vehicle shops. Though the roads weren't in great condition now, they would eventually be repaired. Chu Yi planned to collect a few tricycles for easier future travel, as well as some senior mobility scooters. With a small solar generator and a large diesel generator in her space, charging wouldn't be an issue for a while.

It was also necessary for Chu Yi to obtain some supplies through official channels to avoid future complications. A tricycle or a covered senior mobility scooter would be ideal for traveling with the children once they grew a bit older. Currently, Chu Yi could carry them, but as they grew taller, it would become inconvenient, not due to a lack of strength, but because their height would make movement difficult.

After the children finished eating, Chu Yi strapped them back into the baby carrier, placing a little hat on each of their heads and covering them with sun-protective clothing. There was no avoiding the heat, even in the shade. The temperatures were very high during the noon and afternoon hours, so it was better to finish her tasks early and return home.

Returning to where she had left the shared electric bike, Chu Yi found the bike and headed towards the northern road of the city. This area was part of the old city but not in a bustling district. However, she had to pass through a large shopping mall on the way, with shops on both sides of the street specializing in electric vehicles, hence the large space they occupied.

After winding her way for about an hour, she finally reached the street. Most of the electric vehicles were locked inside the shops, likely crushed by the collapsed buildings. Only the large dealerships with vast courtyards at the end of the street had managed to save a considerable portion of their three and four-wheeled vehicles from destruction.

Through the shattered glass of the shops in the front, Chu Yi saw many electric vehicles crushed under fallen debris. She proceeded towards the larger dealerships with courtyards at the back, where the vehicles near the outer perimeter were mostly intact.

Chu Yi freely entered the dealership, finding mainly second-hand electric vehicles and three or four-wheeled vehicles near the perimeter. She collected a few tricycles and four-wheelers, then went to the front to find some new electric vehicles that were either slightly damaged or undamaged.

After collecting from several dealerships, Chu Yi knew that generators were essential in such places, as electric vehicles need power. She hoped to find diesel generators or at least engine oil for the generators she had in her space.

After a thorough search, Chu Yi found three diesel generators and some stored diesel fuel in several shops. She also collected numerous batteries, likely protected by cabinets during the earthquake, which had fallen over them.

This trip turned out to be very fruitful. Chu Yi chose an older person's three-wheeled scooter as her return vehicle. It was smaller, with a single seat in the front, a double seat in the back, and covered like a car, albeit much smaller and with only three wheels.

This scooter was smaller than a tricycle but more spacious. The steering was similar to a two-wheeled electric bike, making it very convenient to use.

Chu Yi also collected three four-wheeled electric cars that looked just like regular cars but were much smaller. They were easier to drive than cars, but the current road conditions weren't suitable for them, so she chose the senior mobility scooter.

On the back seat, Chu Yi placed kitchenware, rice, oil, seasonings, and a few blankets in burlap sacks, stuffing some bread and instant noodles around them to create an uneven appearance. This would make it easier to carry upstairs, hiding the actual contents from others.

These were the supplies Chu Yi intended to openly transport, their exact quantity disguised as most were packed in burlap sacks.

Before leaving, Chu Yi found many electric bike locks in a collapsed area and quickly collected them. With these locks, the vehicles would be safer. The covered vehicles offered some protection from the harsh sun, though still hot inside, opening the windows allowed a breeze to enter.

Riding the senior mobility scooter, Chu Yi felt much more relaxed. Carrying a small cargo of supplies, she headed back to the shelter, drawing curious looks from many along the way, as few had thought to do what she had.

Arriving at the shelter, Chu Yi attracted even more attention. Driving with the windows open, she headed straight to her room near the Urban Management Team's building.

First, Chu Yi carried out the burlap sacks, which were lighter. With two sacks in each hand, she locked the car, carried the sacks upstairs, and returned for the rest. Her actions weren't conspicuous, as many people were bringing back items from their collapsed homes, and the government was also collecting supplies daily.

After two trips, she managed to bring all the items upstairs. The food was easy to handle, but the kitchenware needed to be transported openly to avoid suspicion and use them freely in the future.

As evening fell, the aroma of cooked meals wafted around the shelter, some from individual efforts, others from the public cafeteria.

Chu Yi felt relieved to finally have a hot meal. As usual, she prepared formula milk for the children. Tonight, they would have noodles. She didn't prepare supplementary food for little moon, deciding to let her join in eating noodles instead, as eating the same supplementary food daily could be tiresome.

Little moon couldn't eat the noodles by herself as she wasn't skilled with chopsticks yet, so Chu Yi patiently fed her. Today, she found a shop selling 'beggar's chicken' at the snack street, which had many chickens in marination. Chu Yi cooked one with shiitake mushrooms, sesame oil, a bit of salt, and water. It was simple but aromatic, especially since the chicken was already marinated.

The delicious smell of the chicken soup filled the air, even catching little moon's attention, who had just finished her meal. Chu Yi jokingly said, "Little moon, are you still hungry? How about having some soup once it's ready?"

Chu Yi adored little girls, and though little moon was not very talkative, she was extremely well-behaved and understood everything adults said.

Little moon, with big eyes, looked at the pot and then at Chu Yi, shaking her head and softly saying, "For brother," while pointing at the baby on the bed.

Touched by little moon's tender voice, Chu Yi affectionately hugged her, saying, "Little moon is also my baby. Your brother is too small to eat this. You can taste it first and tell him how good it is later, right?"

Little moon looked puzzledly at Chu Yi and then nodded slightly.

Chu Yi had been simmering the chicken soup since dinner. After the meal, she spent time playing with the children and telling stories to little moon. The enticing aroma continuously wafted outside.

A child's loud cry was heard from a distance. Unable to discern the cause, Chu Yi paid it no mind, focusing on her own matters. However, soon after, there was a knock at the door.

Chu Yi, puzzled, instructed little moon to sit safely away from the pot and opened the door. Outside stood a middle-aged woman accompanied by a sniffling, teary-eyed boy around ten years old, with a group of curious neighbors nearby.

Chu Yi asked, "What's the matter?" in a tone that wasn't exactly friendly, knowing that people rarely visit without a reason.

The woman didn't reply immediately, instead peering into the room. Chu Yi, feeling displeased, stepped out and firmly shut the door, facing the woman and child expressionlessly.

Startled by the door's slam, the woman approached with a forced smile, saying, "Oh, my little grandson here smelled your chicken soup and couldn't resist. He's been crying to have some. I thought, as a mother yourself, you might understand and spare some soup for him."

Chu Yi, leaning on the doorway, replied indifferently, "He's not my grandson, so why should I care?" She had no patience for such shameless requests.

The woman, taken aback by Chu Yi's response, still tried to maintain her smile, saying, "You shouldn't speak like that. We're all affected by the earthquake and should help each other. It's unkind to have soup and not share a bit with a child. I can repay you with chickens once the city recovers."

Chu Yi laughed mockingly, "Funny, why should I feed a stranger's child? You really have some nerve asking for that."

The woman, angered by Chu Yi's words, pointed at her, stammering in disbelief.

The boy, seeing his grandmother's failure to persuade Chu Yi, impatiently tried to push past her. Chu Yi, annoyed, grabbed his wrist, fixing him with a stern gaze. Frightened by her fierce look, the boy burst into tears and yelled, "Let me go! I'll have my grandma hit you!"

Seeing her grandson fall, the woman hurriedly helped him up, comforting him. Then, turning to Chu Yi with fury, she threatened, "You little brat, you've hurt my grandson. You'll pay for this, or I'll make you regret it."

Chu Yi smirked. "Compensation? You must be dreaming. You're making a scene at my door, and I should ask who you think you are."

Seeing Chu Yi's unyielding stance, the middle-aged woman sat down on the ground in a dramatic display. "This is outrageous, hitting a child! My poor grandson just wanted some chicken soup, and not only is he denied that, but he also gets beaten. What sin have we committed to deserve this?" she wailed, patting the crying boy.

Chu Yi remained indifferent to the woman's cries and theatrics, retorting, "Cry louder, madam. The city management team is nearby. If you're loud enough, they might come to uphold justice. See who's shamelessly causing a scene at someone else's door. Poor me, a widow with two children, my husband lost in the earthquake while on a rescue mission. Now, someone dares to demand food from us, wanting to starve my babies. My son is just an infant, and my daughter is only two. I managed to get some chicken to make soup, so my children can be fed, and now even that's coveted by others."

Chu Yi, hands covering her face, feigned distress, a stark contrast to her previous assertive demeanor. Suddenly, a noise came from inside the room, followed by little moon's cries.

Startled, Chu Yi quickly opened the door, finding little moon with tear-streaked cheeks. Seeing Chu Yi, she burst into tears and ran into her arms, crying, "Mommy, mommy."

Embracing little moon, Chu Yi comforted her, "It's okay, sweetie. The bad people are gone. Don't be scared." She gently rocked her.

The middle-aged woman stood up and shouted, "You'll see, I'm not someone to be trifled with. So many people saw you hit my grandson. Even if the city management comes, it won't matter. You'll pay for this."

Little moon, frightened by the woman's shrill voice, began to cry again.

Holding little moon close, Chu Yi glared fiercely at the woman. "I'd like to see what you can do. It's disgraceful for someone your age to behave like this. You want to make a scene? I'm not afraid. Come at me, I'm not scared of the city management team."

In her past, Chu Yi had completed numerous missions, killing hundreds, if not thousands. To her, taking a life was as simple as blinking. Her intimidating presence was something the middle-aged woman, who preyed on the weak, could not comprehend.

The woman was petrified by Chu Yi's menacing glare, and the boy was frozen in fear, tears and snot mingling on his face.

Trembling, the woman stammered, "Y-you just wait," then hastily grabbed her grandson and fled down the stairs, not daring to linger.

The onlookers, having witnessed Chu Yi's intimidating demeanor, quickly retreated to their homes, vowing to steer clear of her in the future.

Once the crowd dispersed, Chu Yi carried little moon back inside. The baby, curious, was peering towards the door. Chu Yi closed the door and sat down with little moon, gently soothing her.

After a while, little moon lifted her head from Chu Yi's chest and softly called out, "Mommy."

Chu Yi was taken aback by the call.