Chapter 104
Watching Guanguan gobble down strawberries by the mouthful, the corners of Wei Cheng’s lips lifted, and that faint trace of disappointment in his heart gradually faded too.
He hoped everyone would love his little brother the way he did, would protect his little brother the way he did. Wasn’t that, in its own way, a kind of selfishness?
Every survivor still left on the farm was a kind, upright good person.
They had worked day and night to build up the farm, and to protect it they had all ended up covered in wounds. While receiving Guanguan’s shelter and protection, they had also done everything they were supposed to do.
They just did not yet meet the standard to become Guanguan’s contract partners.
Mingming and Xiaotiao were still too young. At an age when they still could not control their bladders, how could they control their mouths?
Director Wang looked strict on the surface, but at heart he was an old man who softened too easily. As for the remaining high school boys, they were indeed loyal and righteous, but some were hot-tempered and prone to act on impulse, while others were honest and good-natured but often hesitant and indecisive. And then there was Sun Dali’s family. Ever since Uncle Dali lost his hand, Aunt Su Min had become extremely strict with Xiaoyue…
If he were to enter a shelter sealed for ten years with a whole group of contract partners who knew Guanguan’s secret, Wei Cheng did not even dare imagine what might happen.
The system looked as though it were comforting Guanguan, but how could Guanguan, who only understood filling his little belly, possibly understand any of that?
It was actually comforting Wei Cheng, a hopelessly doting little brother fanatic.
The two brothers and the farm’s survivors had gone through so many hardships together already, as close as family. Just because they temporarily did not qualify as contract partners did not mean he should become distant from them.
At that moment, a red dot popped up on the system task bar.
It was a new mission!
[Task Board]
[Advanced Mission 1/10]
(1) Please have the little homeowner actively participate in hunting 5 mutated zombies.
(For each mutated zombie successfully killed, receive 5,000 Twisty Coins.)
[Reminder: Advanced missions are highly difficult. After completing the mission, the little homeowner may receive a wish reward.]
A wish reward? Not a prize wheel this time?
They could upgrade the Twisty Car’s seating capacity now! Everyone on the farm could fit into the escape vehicle!
[Reminder! Reminder! An unprecedented zombie tide will sweep across the entire city. Please be sure to help the little homeowner find the safest shelter! Please be sure to help the little homeowner find the safest shelter!]
The safest shelter…
Thinking of the mutated zombies’ grotesquely evolving sense of smell and summoning ability, Wei Cheng had initially wanted to take Guanguan into a shelter that would remain sealed for ten years.
It was not because he was timid or weak. He was just terrified of losing Guanguan again and repeating the same tragedy.
For everyone in Yu City, the shelter was the safest destination. But for Guanguan, safety and danger existed side by side there.
After probing the system and seeing the Twisty Car’s upgrade, he had come to a decision… perhaps he really could take Guanguan and find another path, one that was both free and safe.
He fell silent for a while, then opened Guanguan’s personal information panel and found that the information there had changed as well.
[Balance: 81,700]
[Safe House Storage: 2,000
(Can continuously reside in the safe house for 2,000 hours. Once the time limit is exceeded, occupants will be ejected from the safe house.)]
[Twisty Car Transformation Level: Advanced Form 2,000
(When Advanced Form reaches 8,000, the following functions will unlock. Content collapsed…)]
Wei Cheng opened the collapsed content and finally saw the function he and Guanguan had been wishing for all along.
[1. Twisty Car navigation fully unlocked
(Invisibility duration +15 days; no limit on defensive function usage; indestructible function no longer has a time limit; after entering any destination into the Twisty Car navigation, it can reveal the number of humans and zombies at the destination, the danger level, and the system’s recommendation.)]
[2. Twisty Car may freely switch between the following four forms
(Form 1: children’s twist car. Form 2: four-seat compact car. Form 3: ten-seat extended car. Form 4: unknown for now.)]
[3. When Safe House Storage reaches 8,000, contract partners may stay in the safe house with the little homeowner’s permission.]
[4. Twisty Car can unlock one-hundred-person escape mode.]
The good news: Shen Zheng and Yi Qi could stay in the safe house now too!
The bad news: storage had to reach 8,000 points!
Even counting the Twisty Coins they currently had and the reward from killing five mutated zombies, they would still be far from the target of 8,000 storage points.
The mission had deliberately set a fixed number of mutated zombies to kill, and the zombie tide was already closing in. That meant they simply did not have enough time to upgrade the advanced Twisty Car at present!
While his brother was busy thinking about the system’s motives and how to find mutated zombies for the mission, Guanguan was tilting his round little head back and guzzling canned fruit syrup from the bottle.
While Big Brother was not looking, Baby was going to drink all the sweet syrup!
The moment Wei Cheng lowered his eyes, he saw exactly that scene.
Guanguan glanced at him, shut his eyes, and accelerated his chugging. Gulp gulp gulp.
Wei Cheng did not dare snatch it away by force, afraid the child would choke in panic. Helpless, he laughed and said, “If you drink that much syrup, then when you wet the bed during your nap later, are you going to cry or not?”
“Drank it all!” Guanguan thumped the empty little bottle down hard, then swiped the back of his chubby white hand across his mouth like a boss. “Four-year-old kids do not wet the bed!”
“Wang Xiaotiao is already eight and still wets the bed.”
Wei Cheng took some wet wipes from the cabinet and pulled out two sheets to wipe the pink syrup from the child’s cheeks. Then an idea struck him. “The store also has a baby-and-mother section. Should Big Brother buy you some little pull-up diapers to wear while you sleep?”
“No! No!” Guanguan flailed his grimy little hands and pointed dramatically. “Wei Chengcheng, you have to believe your child!”
Wei Cheng thought, It is precisely because I trust you too much that I want to put you in pull-ups.
This kind of canned syrup was even sweeter than cheap fruit juice. If he drank that much before sleeping, he would definitely wet the bed.
Wei Cheng shook his head with a laugh and wiped the child’s hands as he said, “Then you have to go to the bathroom one more time before your nap.”
Guanguan grabbed Little Apricot Dog’s big ear. “Little Apricot, you have to pee too!”
Little Apricot, who had been sleeping soundly, was jolted awake. For a moment, there was even a trace of confusion on the mature dog’s face.
Nearby, Gray Cub happened to be gnawing on a ball and passed by smugly.
Heh, Blackie got bullied!
“Gray Cub has to pee too!” Guanguan treated them equally, hugging both big chubby dogs tightly.
Now Smart Dog was being bullied too!
Gray Cub barked twice in protest, but his fluffy tail wagged happily all the same.
The two little dogs escorted Guanguan to the bathroom outside the farm’s core zone.
Wei Cheng followed behind them, only to run straight into Feng Xiaoli.
Feng Xiaoli looked startled, his eyes going wide. “Chengcheng!”
Wei Cheng paused. “Brother Xiaoli, aren’t you taking a nap?”
“N-no.” Feng Xiaoli touched his nose. “I couldn’t sleep, so I came out for a walk. Aren’t you putting Guanguan down for his nap?”
Wei Cheng pointed toward the three little figures in the distance. “Guanguan brought the dogs over here to use the bathroom.”
“Then I’ll head back first.” Feng Xiaoli smiled. “It’s my turn with Ying Hui to guard the watchtower tonight.”
He was just about to head back to his little wooden cabin when Wei Cheng suddenly asked, “Brother Xiaoli, while we were away, did any new survivors come to the farm?”
Feng Xiaoli replied, “A few did, but Sister Su Min said you all weren’t here, so she didn’t dare make the decision on her own. They didn’t take in any new survivors.”
“Mm. As long as we kill two mutated zombies, we’ll qualify for the shelter in Wengming Mountain. From now on, the farm won’t be taking in any more survivors.”
“Ah?” Feng Xiaoli opened his mouth. “N-not even one more?”
Wei Cheng looked straight into his eyes and nodded. “Not one.”
Feng Xiaoli lowered his head. “Mm… that makes sense.”
After he had walked far away, Wei Cheng silently closed the farm map.
Two blinking little red dots were moving away from the farm.
Was it them?
Children’s laughter and dog barks drifted over from the distance.
“Big Brother!”
Guanguan flung himself into Wei Cheng’s arms, his little face flushed red with laughter. “Baby, Little Apricot, and Gray Cub all peed!”
“Mm, all good babies.” Wei Cheng patted the child’s head, then both dogs’ heads.
He took Guanguan’s little hand and led him back toward the core zone. “Come on, time for your nap.”
After returning to the little wooden cabin, he had barely changed Guanguan into sleepwear before he heard soft sleeping sounds behind him.
The cabinet bed was not big, but it was more than enough for two little children.
Even so, Guanguan alone managed to occupy most of the bed.
Dressed in little bear pajamas, he lay sprawled in a giant starfish shape, sleeping in heroic fashion, his plump little belly jutting out and trembling with each breath.
Wei Cheng laughed softly and walked over to tuck the little flower-patterned quilt over him.
He himself had no habit of napping. Instead, he went into the safe house warehouse to count the newly stored goods and ammunition.
—
When Guanguan woke up, the room was dark.
Rubbing his eyes, he called out, “Little Apricot.”
The sound of the dog breathing came from beside the bed.
The black wolfdog, like a little nanny, had tugged Guanguan’s blanket down and was nudging the child’s fluffy curls with his dark muzzle.
Guanguan affectionately pressed against Little Apricot Dog and laughed through sleepy eyes. “Little Apricot, Guanguan did not wet the bed.”
The black wolf licked Guanguan’s cheek and gave a soft bark.
The door opened from outside, and the sound of an adult’s footsteps drew near.
A hand covered Guanguan’s eyes, and warm light filled the little cabin.
Once Guanguan adjusted to the brightness, he grabbed the hand. “Uncle! Guanguan drank so much sweet syrup and still did not wet the bed!”
Sitting down by the bed, Shen Zheng stifled a laugh. “Guanguan is amazing.”
Yi Qi leaned against the doorframe and grinned. “Really? Then why did I see your big brother washing your little bear pajamas this afternoon?”
Guanguan froze for a moment, then looked down at his clothes.
How had they turned into little dinosaur pajamas?!
His eyes darted around. “Uncle One, don’t trick little kids! Big Brother was washing his own pajamas!”
Yi Qi spread his hands. “That’s right. Those tiny, plump little pajamas were yours!”
Guanguan’s eyes went round as saucers. He stretched his hands toward Yi Qi. “Carry me!”
Yi Qi walked over and scooped him up with a laugh. “Well now, what miracle is this? With your Uncle Shen right here, you usually don’t even want me to hold you.”
Tilting his chubby face, Guanguan wrapped his arms around Uncle Yi’s arm. “Uncle One, Guanguan and you are third-best in the whole world!”
“Fine, third-best it is.” Yi Qi knew exactly what the child was up to.
“Good friends keep secrets!” Guanguan cupped his little hands around Uncle Yi’s ear and whispered, “About Guanguan wetting the bed, you can’t let Xiaotiao know. Guanguan needs his dignity.”
Yi Qi lifted a brow. “All right, I promise. Then give Uncle a kiss.”
Guanguan pinched Yi Qi’s cheek with his chubby little fingers and frowned. “Your face isn’t soft or nice-smelling. Can Guanguan kiss Uncle Shen instead?”
