“Don’t feel embarrassed about it. You’re the second-in-command of the camp, and you’ve saved everyone more than once or twice. Besides, your research on demon beasts is for everyone’s sake in the first place.
No one’s going to say anything about something like this. Just leave it to me.”
As Jun Shutong spoke, she immediately took out her walkie-talkie and called Fatty Lei over.
Jun Shutong swiftly issued her orders. “Lei, arrange for a few capable and gutsy people. We’re going to the second floor to collect some necessary research materials.”
Fatty Lei looked Lu Li up and down. Without asking any questions, he nodded and turned around to arrange the manpower.
After Fatty Lei left, Jun Shutong asked, “All right, now you can tell me what exactly you need, right?”
“Mainly things with high nutritional value. Aside from that, we can also collect a small amount of beauty and skincare products.” Lu Li did not hide anything and directly stated what he needed.
Things with high nutritional value were understandable, but the request for beauty and skincare products was a little strange.
After pondering for a moment, Jun Shutong tentatively asked, “Would it be convenient to tell me what you need those things for?”
“Do you remember that fish demon beast I brought back?” Lu Li asked.
Jun Shutong nodded.
She had a very deep impression of that extraordinarily ugly fish demon beast. Besides, every time she visited Lu Li’s place, he would take that demon beast out and praise it a few times.
It had made her secretly wonder whether Lu Li’s sense of aesthetics really had something wrong with it. She had even found herself suspecting whether he had some kind of fetish for ugliness.
“I’m currently trying to feed that demon beast until it’s full. If I succeed, then in the future, we might be able to try domesticating demon beasts the same way people domesticate dogs,” Lu Li explained.
“Domesticate demon beasts?”
Jun Shutong looked at Lu Li in surprise as well. Once again, she was shocked by Lu Li’s audacious idea.
Domesticate demon beasts like dogs?
Was that even possible?
Jun Shutong did not hold much hope for it, but she did not pour cold water on Lu Li either. Instead, she encouraged him, “You can give it a try.”
In her view, if Lu Li tried and it really did not work, he would naturally give up.
Fatty Lei quickly gathered the necessary manpower, and Jun Shutong also began arranging the transport plan.
“We’ll go down through Emergency Exit No. 5. The area outside that emergency exit happens to be the health supplement section, so we’ll start moving supplies from the store closest to the emergency exit.
“Everyone should help as much as they can. Lu Li and I will go ahead first. If we encounter any danger, everyone else can retreat first.
“Once we reach the second floor, Lu Li and I will stand guard. An Kang, you’ll hold the walkie-talkie. If there’s any danger, we’ll warn you over the walkie-talkie.
Your only task is to lead everyone to safety as soon as you hear our warning. Lu Li and I will stay behind to cover the retreat.”
Jun Shutong’s plan was still the same as always—simple and direct.
She would take on the most dangerous task herself, then sacrifice herself if necessary to increase everyone else’s chances of survival.
That kind of fearless spirit of self-sacrifice was something Lu Li could never learn.
However, since these people were helping him do the work, Lu Li had no objections.
After hearing this, the others nodded. Not a single person objected.
After all, this was exactly how Jun Shutong had done things before. The only difference this time was that Lu Li had been added.
As for Lu Li’s assignment, no one had any objections to that either.
After all, they were taking risks this time specifically to detour and collect supplies for him. Naturally, the most dangerous work should be handled by Lu Li, the direct beneficiary. Otherwise, it would be far too unfair to everyone else.
Jun Shutong understood this, which was why she had also pulled Lu Li into the lookout duty.
Some of the people who had originally felt a little resentful felt much better after hearing Jun Shutong’s arrangements.
The emergency exits were still very safe. On this point, Lu Li was quite impressed by Jun Shutong’s organizational ability.
On the second day after Pokémon descended, she had already shut the emergency exit doors on every floor, and had even locked them from the inside.
She also sent people every day to inspect those locked doors. In a way, this counted as an alternative form of patrol. It was precisely because of this solid preparation that everyone could move around the entire mall safely.
After arriving on the second floor, Lu Li and Jun Shutong each chose a corridor and began standing guard.
“You can start,” Jun Shutong said into the walkie-talkie.
Before long, An Kang and the others began moving the nutritional products and health supplements from the shops.
Everything proceeded smoothly.
The entire process lasted a full two hours.
In just two short hours, everyone had already emptied out two stores.
Jun Shutong encouraged them over the walkie-talkie, “Everyone, keep at it for another two hours. We’ll retreat after that.”
“I wonder if Mime Jr. was taken away by Indeedee. If…” Just as Lu Li’s thoughts drifted this far, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. His expression instantly tensed as he stared fixedly ahead.
He did not know whether it was his imagination, but he kept feeling as though something was moving up ahead, because he seemed to have just heard a faint rustling sound.
Lu Li quietly gripped his Poké Ball. Even though he knew Feebas would not be of much use, it at least gave him a sliver of comfort and a sense of security.
He stared hard into the dim corridor in front of him for a full five minutes before finally looking away.
Lu Li let out a long breath and muttered to himself, “Good. Looks like I was just too tense.”
Two hours was a long time. At least, Lu Li felt that it was.
Just as his legs were about to go numb from standing, Jun Shutong’s voice came through the walkie-talkie.
“Lu Li, get ready…”
Before Jun Shutong could finish speaking, Lu Li heard that rustling sound again.
It sounded as though something was struggling to slide along the ground, lightly scraping against the floor as it moved.
“Looks like it wasn’t my imagination,” Lu Li muttered inwardly, then replied, “Got it, Sister Jun.”
After ending the communication, Lu Li took out his phone, turned on the flashlight, and headed toward the place where the sound had just come from.
Lu Li was not particularly worried about encountering danger. If the thing making the noise really was a Pokémon, then if there had been danger, it would have appeared long ago.
After all, it had been staying there without moving for so long, and his side had not exactly been quiet the entire time.
Just as Lu Li reached the spot where the sound had come from, a dark shadow suddenly darted past his feet.
“A rat?” Lu Li looked in surprise toward the rat that had already vanished from sight.
It was not a Rattata, but an ordinary native rat, and it looked rather fat.
Lu Li had not expected that there were still rats alive inside the mall.
“Scared the hell out of me.” Still shaken, Lu Li patted his tight chest, spat to the side, then turned around and left.
Just now, he had even imagined that perhaps some Pokémon had collapsed here after exhausting the last of its strength, giving him a perfect opportunity to pick up an easy bargain. In the end, it had only been a rat.
“Come to think of it, aren’t rats also a rare source of meat in the apocalypse?” Lu Li thought to himself as he caught up with Jun Shutong and the others.
Everyone else had already gone upstairs. Only Jun Shutong remained, leaning against the wall beside the emergency exit as she waited for him.
When she finally saw Lu Li arrive, Jun Shutong scolded, “Where did you go? I was just about to call you on the walkie-talkie.”
“I ran into a rat on the way back. Scared the hell out of me,” Lu Li said with a disgusted expression.
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