AAISBMEBF Chapter 48: Asking for Food
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There was too much rice and flour on the rooftop to bring back in one trip. Since Cui Xisheng still had a decent amount of food, he wouldn't go hungry.
Meng Jiangtian held the crystal cores in his hand, hesitated for a moment, but eventually swallowed all three wind-elemental crystal cores.
In the apocalypse, improving one's strength was the only long-term solution.
As night fell, the student council president and the earth-elemental ability user, Zhao Huanrui, finally returned, carrying two large bundles.
The crowd instantly swarmed toward them. Having eaten only once today, the hundred or so people were already starving.
However, with past experiences, the group maintained order, queuing up for food without making a commotion, avoiding any noise that might attract zombies downstairs.
Cui Xisheng and his group of four sat behind the water tank, eating bread and drinking milk while watching the others receive their food.
After distributing the food, the student council president approached Qi Tianshan and asked, "Meng Jiangtian hasn't returned yet?"
"No," Qi Tianshan shook his head.
The student council president frowned. Meng Jiangtian had promised to return at night with the rice and flour, so he and Zhao Huanrui had only brought enough food for the hundred people to eat once.
If Meng Jiangtian didn't return tonight, there would be no food at all for tomorrow. Glancing at the people in the distance, for the first time, the student council president considered abandoning them.
But for his future career, he still needed these achievements to gain the attention of important figures.
He spoke kindly with Cui Xisheng for a few moments before leaving. Tracy Sheng had slept most of the day, and after eating, he unexpectedly felt sleepy again.
Now that his morning sickness had finally passed, drowsiness had taken its place—he seemed to be experiencing every pregnancy symptom possible. Lost in thought, he quickly fell asleep again.
Liu Anna glanced at Cui Xisheng, who fell asleep right after eating, muttered "pighead" under her breath, rolled her eyes in disdain, and turned away. The rooftop fell silent once more.
Meng Jiangtian, having consumed three wind-elemental crystal cores, experienced three painful fusion processes. After fully absorbing them, his wind ability became significantly stronger.
With the moon hanging high in the sky, he figured that since he was already late returning, he might as well continue cultivating. The feeling of rapid power growth was intoxicating.
Space-elemental crystal cores were hard to find. Looking at the earth, wood, and fire-elemental cores in his hand, Meng Jiangtian randomly selected five wood-elemental cores and began absorbing them.
Time flew by as he focused entirely on the fusion process, completely unaware of how much time had passed.
Another day passed, and Meng Jiangtian still hadn't returned. The student council president and Zhao Huanrui had been out searching for food all day and finally returned by dusk—completely disheveled and empty-handed.
"We were spotted by zombies and couldn't bring any food back," the student council president said, covered in dirt and looking miserable as he stood in front of Tracy Sheng.
Cui Xisheng looked up at him, waiting for him to continue.
After some hesitation, the student council president asked, "Could you share some of your food with them? We'll return it to you once we bring more back tomorrow."
"What if you don’t bring any back?" Cui Xisheng countered.
He had never trusted the student council president, who always wore a calculating expression, the type to do anything to achieve his goals.
The student council president was briefly stunned before a flicker of displeasure flashed across his face. Lowering his gaze to conceal his emotions, he then looked up again, eyes filled with feigned sorrow and determination.
"I promise, we'll bring food back tomorrow. We've already found supplies, but we had to leave them behind to escape from the zombies. We'll go back and retrieve them."
"How much can the two of you carry? If you distribute it to everyone, will there be any left to repay me?" Cui Xisheng asked another sharp question.
The student council president fell silent, lowering his gaze again. This time, he remained quiet for a long time.
Unlike Meng Jiangtian, who could use wind abilities to transport food, they could only carry as much as they could on their backs—just enough for one meal for the group. Making a second trip would be far more dangerous.
And with most nearby stores already looted, if Meng Jiangtian didn’t return, even they would soon run out of food, let alone have extra to repay Cui Xisheng.
Cui Xisheng wasn’t heartless, but in the apocalypse, sympathy was a dangerous luxury.
The food Meng Jiangtian had left behind wasn’t even enough for everyone to eat once. If he shared it, he'd have nothing for his next meal.
With a child growing inside him, he needed nourishment. He wasn’t going to sacrifice his baby's well-being for a bunch of strangers.
However, he also knew he couldn’t hold onto the food forever. If Meng Jiangtian didn't return soon, he wouldn't be able to defend it alone. Trying to do so might even cost him his life.
For now, though, he would eat as much as possible, making sure he and his baby had enough energy to survive if the food was eventually taken.
Seeing that Cui Xisheng wouldn’t budge, the student council president left with a dark expression.
The hundred or so people behind him, who had been watching with hopeful eyes, now looked disappointed—and then resentful. Their glares bore into Tracy Sheng like knives.
But the fear of Meng Jiangtian, who had brutally killed three classmates, still lingered. No one dared to make a move yet.
Qi Tianshan noticed the hostility from the crowd. Though he was an ability user, he was timid. Being glared at by over a hundred people made him nervous.
He considered leaving and no longer protecting Cui Xisheng. But after eating three full meals today and remembering how ruthless Meng Jiangtian had been when killing, he reconsidered.
He subtly shifted back to Cui Xisheng's side.
Feeling the weight of so many hateful stares, Cui Xisheng’s expression darkened, but there was nothing he could do.
Already full, he took out a bag of biscuits and quickly stuffed them into his mouth—better to eat now before someone tried to take them.
That night was anything but peaceful.
The sound of stomachs growling filled the air, and the usual snores were nowhere to be heard.
Cui Xisheng barely slept, waking at every minor noise, afraid the starving people would try to rob him.
Qi Tianshan didn’t sleep at all, his eyes wide open, keeping watch. By morning, his eyes were bloodshot with exhaustion.
Though he knew Qi Tianshan only protected him because of Meng Jiangtian, Cui Xisheng was still somewhat touched.
"You should get some sleep. Let Zhao Jiake take over for a bit," he suggested.
Zhao Jiake, who had slept soundly all night, was full of energy.
"Yeah, go ahead and rest," Zhao Jiake assured. "With two ability users gone, they might have the numbers, but they’re too weak from hunger. I could knock them all down with one hit. With me here, Cui Xisheng is safe."
Qi Tianshan hesitated, glanced at the hostile crowd, then nodded. "Alright. If anything happens, wake me up immediately."
"Got it. Now get some sleep," Zhao Jiake said, giving up his seat.
Qi Tianshan lay down but then sat up again, looking at Cui Xisheng hesitantly.
"What is it?" Tracy Sheng asked.
"I'm hungry… Can I eat something before I sleep?" Qi Tianshan asked, embarrassed—not from shyness, but from fear of being refused.
"Go ahead," Cui Xisheng said, understanding the importance of feeding those who protected him.
Qi Tianshan grinned, quickly ate his food, then fell asleep instantly.
As Cui Xisheng watched him eat, he felt hungry too. He shared some food with Zhao Jiake and Liu Anna, and the three ate quietly.
But the scent of food was noticeable.
The hundred starving people glared at them, their eyes turning increasingly feral.
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Why did his name change to Tracy Sheng?
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