Chapter 44: The Trouble of Having Too Much Stuff

“Hey, Mianmian, do you think people might not really need this kind of thing?”

“Uh… these cups are really pretty, even if they’re second-hand.
If someone isn’t too picky, they could still use them after a good wash.”

Zhang Kaiyang happened to walk out just in time to hear the two talking, and casually chimed in without thinking much.

“People are almost starving—who wants your cups? Hurry up and look for useful supplies!”

Ye Mianmian snapped back to reality—her earlier excitement had made her clear out everything.

“What Kaiyang said isn’t wrong. Right now, the most important thing is supplies.
If you particularly like something, just keep a few for yourself…”

“Yuan-jie, I get it now. I’m sorry—I wasn’t thinking straight just now.”

The girl didn’t argue and quickly understood. Her attitude was very good.

She knew herself—being part of a group meant she had to contribute.
Otherwise, why should she get an equal share of supplies?

“This area’s more or less done. Come on, let’s go move the stuff together.”

“Let’s go!”

There wasn’t much left. After about two trips, they had pretty much finished.

“So much stuff—Brother Song, we’ve hit the jackpot this time…”

Looking at the supplies piled high in the lobby, Zhang Kaiyang flashed his signature bright smile—big white teeth glowing like sunshine.

“Yeah, this should last us a while.”

Jiang Yuan was also happy, but quickly began to worry. Song Yi noticed.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m thinking… how do we take all this stuff back?
That inflatable raft won’t hold it in one trip. Even if we add the one from last time, it’ll still be tight.
And with so much, people are bound to get jealous.
You all saw that guy during the day—people are already dying over food. I’m just worried…”

The previously good mood was broken. Everyone became subtly uneasy—because Jiang Yuan was telling the truth.

Reality. The harsh, imminent reality.

Troubles weighed on their minds.

“Yeah… with this much stuff, even in peaceful times people would get jealous—let alone now.
Brother Song, what should we do?”

Zhang Kaiyang now fully saw Song Yi as their leader—looking to him for every decision.

“Talking won’t help. Let’s start by sorting everything.
Separate what’s useful and what isn’t—ditch the useless stuff and try to reduce the bulk!”

“Yeah, it’s the only thing we can do. But honestly, it won’t make much of a difference.
We still need to come up with a solid plan.”

Even stripping packaging wouldn’t save that much space.
But for boxes, they had to keep them—boxes made stacking easier.

So they got rid of wrapping, moisture absorbers, foam padding—filled in gaps in boxes with other items. That was the best they could do.

“How about we move at night instead? Later at night, most people are asleep—it should be safer.”

Ye Mianmian’s suggestion was met with approval from the others.

Still, it wasn’t a permanent solution.
At night, visibility was low, and they had to go quite far. That was its own danger.

“Alright. First, let’s sort and pack by person—everyone handles their own stuff.
Then we’ll label everything clearly with markers—so it’ll be easier once we get to the compound.”

Zhang Kaiyang nodded, thinking it made sense.

Song Yi agreed:
“Do as Jiang Yuan says—sort first, then pack, then move together.”

“Once it gets a bit later, we’ll head out.
I remember there’s an unfinished building nearby—really dangerous, so no one usually goes there.

That way, the distance is shorter, and it’s safer to get it to the neighborhood.”

Jiang Yuan opened the map and pointed things out, analyzing like a pro.

“Alright, let’s go with that. First we eat, then divide the supplies.”

Ye Mianmian was still uneasy. The last encounter had left a deep impression.

“What if someone comes again to rob us?
Last time we were moving stuff really late, and we still ran into someone.”

“We’ll guard our things well.
If we run into danger this time—we’ll have to use more… extreme methods.”

Song Yi’s eyes were cold. He wasn’t joking.

He looked at the three of them sternly and issued a serious order.

“This is a matter of life and death. We’re a team.
If someone wants to steal our supplies, that’s the same as trying to kill us!”

Zhang Kaiyang got emotional:
“Brother Song, if I accidentally beat someone up too badly—would that count as self-defense?”

“It is. So don’t hold back.
If roles were reversed, they wouldn’t show us any mercy—understand?”

Jiang Yuan understood Song Yi and readily supported him.

“Alright, I’m good with that. Mianmian, how about you?”

“I-I can do it too. Don’t worry, I grew up in a village.
I might look skinny, but I’m strong…”

“Haha! I knew it. A pretty girl like you—not even a bit delicate.”

Jiang Yuan had always wondered about that, just never had the chance to ask.

“Of course. I was raised by my grandma.
If I didn’t toughen up, I’d be bullied all the time. Trust me—I can do it!”

The atmosphere relaxed. Zhang Kaiyang joked again:
“You sure? That guy this morning scared you half to death.”

“That was just an accident.
Believe me—now I’m mentally prepared!”

She was firm. Song Yi nodded without a word.

Everyone wanted to prove they were useful to the group.

Ye Mianmian had the least obvious strengths—so now she was determined to show she could pull her weight.

They took out self-heating hotpots and rice—basically a luxury meal at this point.

Zhang Kaiyang also found a bunch of spicy strips.

Jiang Yuan found some beef and tofu jerky.
Ye Mianmian brought out milk tea packets—she even had a thermos and made drinks for everyone.

“Wow… it’s so sweet…”

Zhang Kaiyang squinted with joy. He never liked milk tea before, but now it felt sweet to the heart—pure happiness.

“Brother Song, you should have some too…”

She offered it in a disposable paper cup—very clean.

“No thanks, I don’t like sweet stuff…”

He grabbed a water bottle instead.

Jiang Yuan saw the girl look a bit awkward and upset, so she quickly stepped in:

“This is so good! If he won’t drink it, give it to me, Mianmian—I want more.”

“Sure—here you go, Yuan-jie…”

After that, Ye Mianmian sat beside Jiang Yuan and didn’t really talk to Song Yi anymore.

“Come on, eat up—this smells amazing…”

Zhang Kaiyang happily called everyone over, and Ye Mianmian helped clean up.

Using an office desk as a makeshift table, the group feasted.

“Ever since the weather started going crazy, I haven’t eaten anything this good in ages.
It’s kinda sad…

But later, if we have time, let’s explore more floors.
This whole ‘loot box’ feeling—I really love it!”