After all, last time, he had brought Yu Xifeng back.

Yu Xifeng’s frailty and introversion had still left an impression on him.

He never expected that she would dare to press a chainsaw down onto someone’s head!

That thing looked heavy and solid—wasn’t she afraid of losing her grip and causing a fatal accident?

Yu Xifeng clutched a pack of compressed biscuits and locked eyes with Captain Wang. Her gaze made his heart sink.

Last time, the rain was too heavy, and he hadn’t been able to get a clear look at this young woman.

She wasn’t fragile.

Her eyes were light yet resolute, hiding a ruthless and determined toughness that came from having witnessed death.

Captain Wang had only seen such a temperament in desperate criminals.

Recalling that video again, Wang’s gaze was like a hawk’s, firmly locked on Yu Xifeng.

Wang’s colleagues took Ma Tian away.

He followed Yu Xifeng step by step up to the 15th floor.

Yu Xifeng stared at the tall figure ahead, deeply frowning. Sister Yun followed behind, puzzled.

Captain Wang stood at Yu Xifeng’s doorstep, then turned to Sister Yun: “When you get results on your end, I’ll have the community notify you.”

Sister Yun looked at Yu Xifeng, and after Yu Xifeng gave a slight nod, she left first.

Once she was gone, only Yu Xifeng and Captain Wang remained. Wang silently looked at Yu Xifeng for a long moment before finally speaking, “May I come in for a glass of water?”

Yu Xifeng said, “Of course.”

Wang didn’t even need to be so polite.

With order breaking down, people like Captain Wang had broader authority over many matters.

After all, in chaotic times, heavy-handed measures are necessary.

Yu Xifeng opened the door.

In her mind, she silently wondered: Could something have happened at the supermarket?

It shouldn’t be, the corpse was still lying in her space.

Yu Xifeng was certain no one nearby saw her stab, and no surveillance could catch it.

There was nothing in the house that shouldn’t be there.

Although before going downstairs with Sister Yun, Yu Xifeng hadn’t expected to run into Captain Wang.

For reasons she still didn’t understand, Wang had grown suspicious of her.

But out of caution, before leaving, she had put away anything in the house that shouldn’t be there.

The kitchen items were calculated — neither too much nor too little — and on the upper shelf was a large canned beef hot pot.

“Want to change shoes?” Wang asked.

“No need. There aren’t any extra cotton shoes here,” Yu Xifeng replied.

Wang’s shoes were covered in mud and water, but he still took them off, standing on the floor in black socks.

“Is the cat still here?”

Little Orange ran out from the balcony, its fur shiny and tail fluffy.

Yu Xifeng poured a glass of water and handed it to Wang.

Wang scanned the house, his gaze sweeping every corner: “Is it hard to keep a cat now?”

“A cat’s not a dog, so it’s okay,” Yu Xifeng said.

Several families in the neighborhood had dogs; dog meat was already on the dining tables, and dog food as well.

Cat meat tasted sour and wasn’t available in large quantities — obviously not as cost-effective as dog.

Wang asked, “Have you been out at all recently?”

Yu Xifeng’s heart tightened, but her expression was calm as she shook her head: “There are so many cockroaches outside, where could I go? This cat eats cockroaches, so I don’t really need to worry about meals.”

“You haven’t been out at all since I brought you back last time?” Wang pressed.

“Went to the supermarket once with Sister Yun and another household,” Yu Xifeng said, holding Little Orange and showing a somewhat shy smile. “If not for that trip, I’d have had to eat this cat’s food.”

For a moment, looking at this girl holding the cat and lowering her head, Wang doubted his instincts for the first time.

No matter how he looked at her, she was just an ordinary girl.

A little pretty, a little kind, friendly with neighbors, only then would she pick up a chainsaw to protect them.

“Where did that chainsaw come from?” Wang asked.

“Left behind by the construction team during renovation,” Yu Xifeng said softly.

Hmm, no problem with that.

“This is a controlled tool and according to regulations must be confiscated,” Wang said. “I have to take it.”

Yu Xifeng: “…On the balcony.”

Wang opened the storage cabinet on the balcony.

Yu Xifeng’s voice behind him was faint: “Every time you come, it seems like you want to take my stuff away.”

“…” Wang gave an awkward chuckle. “It’s not just you — all the kayaks nearby have been requisitioned. I can’t return them for now.”

The team’s rescue missions were overwhelmed.

Wang felt a bit embarrassed holding the chainsaw.

Although he was just following regulations, personally he felt this was unfair to Yu Xifeng.

Wang dug into his pocket and pulled out two packs of compressed biscuits, a lighter tucked inside his clothes, and a pen.

He put the pen back, then placed the rest—along with some cash—on the table.

His tone was stiff: “Consider this a small compensation. If you need anything else later, you can come to me.”

A few dozen yuan was nothing, but the two packs of biscuits were just about alright.

Yu Xifeng was silent for a moment.

To be honest, she didn’t like Captain Wang.

Whether it was his official status or his subtle private motives, he only brought trouble to her.

Yu Xifeng was too lazy to say more: “That’s fine.”

Wang sighed: “It’s right for you to protect yourself, but the chainsaw is too conspicuous and gives a bad impression. I’ll also have my colleagues keep a closer eye on your side.”

He said no more, finished the water, and left carrying the chainsaw.

Halfway out, he turned his head and saw Yu Xifeng still standing at the door, forced a clumsy smile, and waved.

Yu Xifeng stood at the door. Of course, she wasn’t watching him leave.

She was staring at the bulge on his lower back and feeling tempted.

If only she could get a chainsaw like that.

She quickly suppressed the thought.

Not the right time yet.

Yu Xifeng closed the door and opened one of the packs of compressed biscuits Wang left behind.

They were a bit like the breakfast biscuits sold in school kiosks but harder and drier in texture.

The taste was pretty good, and it could be a nice occasional snack.

Before the heavy rain, Yu Xifeng had bought 200 boxes of these compressed biscuits, each weighing 13 kg.

There was hot rice and hot dishes, and a variety of snacks swept from the supermarket — she really couldn’t remember why she ever thought these biscuits could serve as bricks.

The canned cold dishes tasted average; the ingredients included daylily.

Yu Xifeng nibbled a few bites of the biscuits, put the rest away, and cooked a whole bag of dried noodles.

After boiling, she rinsed them in spring water from her space.

Today, she wanted cold noodles; rinsing in cold water would make them chewier.

She served a bowl, packing the rest into her space.

At this point, the noodles were still quite plain, so Yu Xifeng scooped some Lao Gan Ma chili sauce and mixed it with chopsticks.

She crushed some of the extra biscuits, which tasted a bit like dry peanut butter mixed with nuts, and sprinkled a small amount on the noodles.

This meal was very flavorful.

Yu Xifeng ate until satisfied.

For her, the biscuits were just a side snack. Other households in the same community,

split their compressed biscuits carefully among family members, breaking halves into halves, sharing quarters, each adding a spoonful of cold dish.

“I heard that if you eat compressed biscuits slowly, they expand in your stomach and fill you up.”

Following that advice, families chewed slowly, savoring each bite for quite a while.

Tan Wanwan returned to her room. Qian Ying sat on the sofa, smiling at her.

In front of Qian Ying, three people’s compressed biscuits were piled together—fully three jin (about 1.5 kg).

“Wanwan, since we’re eating together, let’s just combine the supplies,” Qian Ying said casually, but her eyes were dark and heavy.

“The cockroaches ate our food. These days, you’ve suffered, Wanwan. Do you blame us for causing you trouble?”

“Of course not,” Tan Wanwan forced a smile.

She regretted it.

She should have listened to Teacher Xiao Yu and sent the roommates back to school.

No matter how her roommates turned out, it was none of her business.