Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Even Huang Qian, who was already somewhat in the know, couldn’t help but gawk at the massive pile of supplies:

“Holy cow… Nian, you must’ve been a hamster in a past life!”

The other six snapped out of it and dropped to their knees in perfect sync:

“Brother Nian, please accept my respects, your bro Jian Cheng!”

Jian Cheng had thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a handsome, clean-cut look—his gestures were exaggerated, but his tone was sincere.

Lu Ningzhou, his usual partner, pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and jumped in:

“Brother Nian, same here, your bro Lu Ningzhou!”

“Brother Nian, I’m Zhao Lei from Yunbei City. I’d be happy to be your right-hand man!”

Zhao Lei was a big guy from the north with slightly tanned skin, and the team’s deputy leader. At 195 cm tall, he was the tallest—and built like a wall, with a tall, rugged frame and a deep, booming voice.

“Brother Nian, I’m your university senior, Tang Yi. Look at me…”

Jiang Nian turned to look. Tang Yi grinned his signature sunny grin—the kind that always made him popular with girls back in school.

“Daddy! It’s me, Liao Yu!”

Seeing Tang Yi play the alumni card, Liao Yu—who often teamed up with Huang Qian for jokes—jumped right in.

Liao Yu was a spoiled rich kid, the poster boy for rich, hot troublemakers. He used to be Cheng Jing’s employer, living a life where people waited on him hand and foot, throwing money at anyone who annoyed him.

After his parents died in a car crash, he inherited a fortune and decided to become his own bodyguard to deal with scheming relatives.

“Hamster—no, Brother Nian! I’m Zhou Rongbin, 22 years old, 188 cm tall, 160 pounds, unmarried. I don’t need the whole leg—just some scraps will do…”

……

Being called a hamster straight to his face left Jiang Nian speechless. But since he knew there was no malice, he just smiled. Zhou Rongbin gave off a calm, collected vibe, quite similar to Cheng Jing—who knew he had this side too…

The team members were all around the same age. The youngest was Liao Yu at 20; the oldest was Zhao Lei at 25. Zhou Rongbin was 22, and the rest—including Huang Qian—were the same age as Cheng Jing.

But Cheng Jing was born on New Year’s Day, so technically he was the eldest among them.

Dressed head-to-toe in black tactical gear, the six tall, well-built men dropped to their knees like a choreographed routine amid the piles of supplies.

Huang Qian lost it laughing. Jiang Nian couldn’t help but chuckle, tripping over his words:

“E-everyone, no need for this… Get up, wash your hands, and let’s eat.”

This whole scene triggered his social anxiety. All of them averaged 185 cm tall, long legs, good looks—silent, they looked like a band of icy-hot heartbreakers. Once they opened their mouths… Where did these class clowns even come from?!

Cheng Jing finally had enough. He stomped over and landed a kick on each of them:

“Embarrassing! Eat or get lost!”

He kicked Zhou Rongbin an extra time:

“Listing your height, weight, and marital status—are you asking for death?!”

Was this bastard trying to suck up to Jiang Nian or poach him?!

After getting to know each other a bit, the group got up but didn’t immediately gather around the table. Instead, they wandered around like wide-eyed tourists—clearly impressed. While they had decent supplies themselves, it was nothing compared to Jiang Nian’s stash, especially in terms of variety and completeness.

Finally, curiosity got the better of them, and they all asked how much it had cost.

Jiang Nian had asked Cheng Jing this question before, but back then, Cheng Jing hadn’t answered. Now, under everyone’s eager gazes, he replied vaguely:

"A few million, all told... Some things aren't available on the market. They might look ordinary, but they're expensive."

Of course, off-market items were only part of the expense. More importantly, they had two storage rings, each with more than double the space of this place, so spending more made sense.

Their jaws hit the floor. Though it seemed pricey, they all chimed in unison:

"Worth it. Cash is trash now."

Liao Yu privately lamented that his ridiculously long bank balance hadn’t come into play. But thinking back, if Jiang Nian had told him before the toxic rain that the apocalypse was coming and urged him to stockpile supplies, he probably wouldn’t have believed it either.

Jiang Nian called everyone back to the table after another round of ass-kissing, and finally they sat down.

Knowing they were coming, Cheng Jing had brought back a new set of tables and chairs from a furniture store beforehand. The group fit around it perfectly.

The meal was a feast—poultry, seafood, meat, fresh veggies, and fruit. Some of it looked too fresh to have come from a freezer, definitely not part of the relief supplies.

Curious as they were, everyone kept their questions to themselves. Even Huang Qian kept her mouth shut.

As long as they stuck close to their two benefactors, everything else could be ignored—skilled folks always have their secrets.

After going so long without a proper meal, the group wolfed down the food. Jiang Nian even brought out red wine.

Amidst the chorus of "Godfather" and "Brother Nian," Jiang Nian ended up completely wasted.

After seeing the guests off, Cheng Jing cleaned up the leftovers. He had just sat down on the sofa when Jiang Nian, still damp from his shower, slumped against him, glassy-eyed and voice soft:

"Brother Jing~"

His alcohol-laced breath smelled oddly sweet.

"I haven’t showered yet, I’m dirty..."

Cheng Jing gently caught his roaming hands. With the power and water out, they couldn’t shower together—it’d be a waste.

"Then go shower quickly..."

Even as he said this, Jiang Nian kept clinging to him.

Knowing he was drunk, Cheng Jing carried him to the bedroom, turned on the fan, and then headed to the bathroom.

The buzz felt amazing. Jiang Nian stared blankly at the ceiling, occasionally waving his hand around before giggling as he kissed his ring...

Only when a solid frame hovered over him did his scattered thoughts snap back. He wrapped his arms around Cheng Jing’s neck:

"Brother Jing, I think I'm drunk..."

Cheng Jing pinched his earlobe.

"And then?"

"Wanna go wild..."

With that, Jiang Nian hooked his arms around Cheng Jing’s neck, pulled him down, then flipped them over in one fluid motion, straddling him as he slurred in for a kiss.

Their lips locked in a tender kiss, which soon exploded into fiery passion.

...

With the addition of several other team members, by the end of September, Jiang Nian and his group had cleared all the residential buildings in their compound, sealing off every necessary entrance.

Though it was impossible to completely prevent zombies from appearing—given the compound's vast size, multiple side gates, garage entrances, and perimeter walls—this effort gave everyone some real peace of mind.

Outside, zombies now roamed as common as stray dogs, and dead bodies were everywhere. Rescue teams were having more and more trouble delivering supplies, with many losing their lives daily.

As time passed, as people's supplies ran lower, the situation grew increasingly chaotic.

Cheng Jing returned earlier today, though in a foul mood. After greeting Jiang Nian, who was busy in the kitchen, he headed straight for the bathroom.