Chapter 71: Retrieving Ye Mianmian’s Belongings

“What?”

Ye Mianmian looked at Zhang Kaiyang in disbelief, visibly agitated.

“It was that group from downstairs. I didn’t go confront them—they had quite a few people.

Looks like they moved in as a group. It pissed me off.”

“We’re doomed then. My place probably isn’t safe either.”

Ye Mianmian slumped down on the sofa, clearly upset.

Most of her stuff had been moved upstairs, but there was still a lot left behind.

Especially her livestream equipment—it was really expensive.

“I checked your place—it was locked. I didn’t knock though.”

Zhang Kaiyang had his own reasoning. He only went down to get a better idea of the situation.

Too many people knew him—one wrong move and it could turn ugly fast.

“Right, it’s fine. That group definitely won’t leave my apartment untouched.

When Sun Yian gave out our information, he probably figured people wouldn’t dare touch Brother Song or Sister Yuan, so we’re the easy targets.”

“God, now that you say it, I’m actually a bit freaked out.

Maybe they did break in after we moved out.

If we hadn’t moved upstairs when we did, we’d probably be dead.

That’s terrifying!”

Ye Mianmian’s nerves instantly tensed as she gripped Jiang Yuan’s hand tightly.

“Sister Yuan, do you really think it could be that bad?”

Yes.

Not only could it be that bad—it could be worse.

But how was she supposed to tell this beautiful girl the full truth? And Song Yi hadn’t even said a comforting word—what a heartless guy.

“Mianmian, the dirtiest thing in this world is human nature.

Do you have anything especially important still down there?”

“Nothing much—just some equipment I used for livestreaming.

I didn’t bring it up because the space felt too small after we moved. Who would’ve thought…”

Ah, that?

“Mianmian, don’t worry too much. Maybe they broke into Zhang Kaiyang’s place and didn’t bother locking it again.

It’s possible your place is untouched. Or maybe they got in, saw there was nothing valuable, and just left.

Right now, everyone’s focused on food—there’s an 80% chance your equipment is still there.”

“Really?”

Ye Mianmian looked at Jiang Yuan with sparkly eyes, like she was staring at a goddess.

It made Jiang Yuan a little embarrassed—such worshipful eyes!

“Yeah. If it really means that much to you, I’ll go get it later tonight.”

If she brought it back, that would settle the favor. She wouldn’t have to feel guilty later.

“Really, Sister Yuan?”

Ye Mianmian could hardly believe it. Jiang Yuan was actually willing to help her retrieve the equipment—despite the danger.

But… that setup really was expensive.

“If it’s that important to you, then let’s go. Better than having regrets later.”

She didn’t know what to say. Overcome with emotion, she suddenly hugged Jiang Yuan tightly.

“Sis, from now on, you’re my real sister. I’ll go with you tonight—we can watch each other’s backs!”

“Okay.”

Zhang Kaiyang, annoyed by the mushy scene, grumbled,

“We’re two grown men sitting here—are you seriously going without us?”

“You guys want to come too?”

Zhang Kaiyang glanced at Song Yi, who nodded in agreement.

The four of them perked up again. This wasn’t just about retrieving equipment—it was proof that someone still cared about your feelings in times like these.

Especially Jiang Yuan—Ye Mianmian really admired her.

She’d always envied people who had older sisters—someone to share secrets with.

Now, she had that warmth.

They quickly discussed the plan of action.

Song Yi had gathered everyone partly because he wanted to coordinate a supply run once the storm let up.

Last time, Jiang Yuan had analyzed the surrounding routes. Now they had to decide which to search first, which could be combined, and which were along the way.

At the very least, they needed a well-researched escape route.

Outings in a crisis like this had to be efficient—every second mattered.

After wrapping up that discussion, they moved on to Mianmian’s apartment.

They agreed on midnight. Normally, people would still be awake at that time.

But in this situation, everyone spent most of their time either asleep or trying to sleep.

At night, in pitch blackness, there would be fewer people around.

Everyone got geared up early, weapons included—they had to prepare for the worst.

Once at the 11th floor, Ye Mianmian pulled out her keys to unlock the door.

Song Yi stopped her, took the keys, and motioned for her to step back.

Jiang Yuan stood behind him, holding her pepper spray at the ready.

It would be effective for controlling someone without accidentally hurting the innocent.

In case those people were just temporary squatters without bad intentions—outright attacking them wouldn’t be right.

Song Yi was extremely careful, turning the key almost silently—though to the four of them, it sounded deafening.

The door opened a crack. It didn’t look dangerous.

“Whimper… whimper…”

A muffled crying sound came from inside. Quiet, but they caught it.

“Shut up, you bitch!”

What the hell?! Everyone froze in shock.

Song Yi signaled them—since they were already here, they had to go in.

And judging by that sound—it wasn’t good.

They’d been in unit 1101 before, and all the apartments on that stack had the same layout.

The noise was coming from the bedroom. It was too dark to see clearly.

Jiang Yuan took out a cold-flame lantern—something an outdoor gear shop owner had modified for her.

It emitted a soft blue glow—enough visibility but unlikely to alert others.

Song Yi led the way.

Inside, the apartment reeked—a strong, pungent odor filled the air.

The living room was a mess, stuff strewn everywhere.

Ye Mianmian’s blood pressure spiked—this was the home she’d worked her ass off to buy, and these people had trashed it.

The master bedroom door wasn’t fully closed. Light leaked through the gap.

There were also male voices laughing, a woman sobbing, and filthy, vulgar language.

“Damn it, this chick’s no fun anymore. Let’s get someone else.”

That was followed by another desperate sob—clearly protesting.

No need to imagine what was happening in there.

Horrible memories from Jiang Yuan’s past life surged up—she could barely stay standing.

She accidentally bumped a cup of instant noodles.

“Who’s there?!”

The men inside had heard it too—then came approaching footsteps.

Caught off guard, they came face to face.

There were two of them, shirtless.

Jiang Yuan felt sick and couldn’t help retching.

Ye Mianmian was furious. “Who are you? Why are you in my house?”

The men hadn’t expected the homeowner to show up—they were momentarily stunned.