...Warm and slippery.
Jiang Fan, still half-asleep, felt something strange beneath him and instinctively reached for his thigh.
As the massive object in his hand struggled frantically, he quickly regained consciousness.
Holding it close, he saw a slippery, thick, dark shadow.
A snake?!
Goosebumps spread across his body, and in terror, Jiang Fan instinctively flung the slippery thing away.
How could something like this be in the dorm?
"Splash."
The muffled sound of something falling into the water jolted Jiang Fan back to reality.
He then realized that a large amount of murky yellow water had flooded the dorm room.
It was waist-deep, already submerging the table under the bed, and the water level was still rising rapidly.
"Get up, Lin Feng! There's a flood!" Without time to think about the situation, Jiang Fan grabbed his roommate's arm, his voice urgent: "Go upstairs quickly, we'll drown if we're late!"
The two of them got out of bed; the water was hotter than body temperature.
"There seems to be something in the water..." Lin Feng suddenly exclaimed.
"Never mind, let's go." Jiang Fan's heart sank to the bottom.
As a seasoned wilderness enthusiast, he recognized the dark figure from earlier as an Amazon rainforest electric eel, a deadly creature he'd seen in short videos, capable of instantly stunning someone.
And in waters capable of harboring such a creature, could there also be piranhas, caimans, or even the ubiquitous toothpick fish?
The two slowly moved towards the door, their thighs occasionally bumping into slippery creatures, each touch sending chills down Jiang Fan's spine.
The corridor was already in chaos, many people desperately rushing upstairs, the water level already chest-high, dark figures darting vaguely beneath the murky surface.
Suddenly, a scream came from behind.
Jiang Fan turned around and saw Lin Feng slowly sinking into the water, a string of bubbling bubbles rising to the surface.
Escape, or save him?
In that critical moment, he remembered Lin Feng's kindness in bringing him food several times when he was sick half a month ago.
In a flash, Jiang Fan plunged into the water, pushing aside the tangled weeds and unidentified fish, and grabbed Lin Feng by the collar, pulling him to the surface.
"Cough...cough cough..." Lin Feng choked violently, his face deathly pale. "I got electrocuted! Half my body is numb!"
Jiang Fan also felt numb, but because there was some distance between them, the effect wasn't as severe.
Without daring to delay, he supported Lin Feng with one hand and paddled with the other: "Hurry! The water level is still rising!"
When they were about seven or eight meters from the stairs, a piercing scream suddenly came from ahead.
Two or three meters away, a boy was frantically thrashing in the water, the surface instantly turning crimson, the murky yellow water churning violently, as if countless mouths were tearing at and devouring him underwater.
"Piranhas! Piranhas!" Lin Feng's voice was choked with sobs, his teeth chattering.
Jiang Fan's pupils contracted sharply, and he immediately turned around with Lin Feng: "This way!"
But after only two steps, the water reached their throats.
Both men were over 1.8 meters tall, yet only their heads were above the water; a slight misstep could send them choking.
"There's no time to take a detour, we have to go that way!" Jiang Fan decided immediately.
"You go yourself, I...I can't keep up." Lin Feng stared at the crimson expanse, his eyes
filled with despair. His body was still numb.
"Stop talking nonsense, it's just a few steps, we'll die together." Jiang Fan cursed, then continued, "Normal piranhas are quite timid; they won't attack creatures that don't smell of blood and are much larger than them.
That guy in front must have wounds, and these piranhas are probably quite hungry."
Whether he was genuinely analyzing the situation or just trying to reassure himself was unclear.
Holding their breath, they hugged the wall, inching their way through the crimson water.
At this point, they had to tilt their heads back to avoid water getting into their mouths.
"Holy crap, I think I got bitten, it hurts!"
Lin Feng's exclamation startled Jiang Fan.
At the same time, he felt something tearing at his pants.
But now they had no choice but to move forward.
"Hallucination! Don't think too much, focus on your breathing, keep up."
The water level rose again, and it was impossible to breathe while standing.
Jiang Fan took a deep breath, sank into the water, pushed off the ground with his feet, and paddled forward two meters before surfacing for air.
He repeated this several times until he finally reached the stair railing.
After climbing three flights of stairs, he greedily inhaled the fresh air, but when he turned around, Lin Feng was nowhere to be seen.
"Lin Feng?!"
Jiang Fan shouted his roommate's name, but there was no response.
What should he do?
Go back to save him? That might get him killed too.
Just as Jiang Fan was struggling with this dilemma, a clothes pole was extended in front of him, and a clear female voice said anxiously, "What are you waiting for? Come on up!"
Quickly grabbing the clothes pole, Jiang Fan shouted, "My roommate is still down there."
Hearing this, the girl who was pulling Jiang Fan up let go.
Jiang Fan flailed wildly in the water with the clothes pole, missing his target time and time again. Just when he was about to despair, he felt resistance at the other end of the pole.
He pulled with all his might and finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Lin Feng's pale face emerge from the water.
A small, fair hand rested on Jiang Fan's shoulder, and together they pulled, managing to drag Lin Feng up.
Jiang Fan and Lin Feng collapsed onto the stairs, panting heavily, overwhelmed by the exhaustion of surviving a close call.
"The water level is still rising, let's go to the third floor!" A girl reached out to help Jiang Fan up.
"My name is Jiang Fan, from the Economics and Management Class 1, thank you."
"Nangong Yue, from the Literature and Communication Class 2." The girl smiled, her eyes filled with approval, "Let's hurry, there are already quite a few people on the third floor."
When they reached the third floor, Jiang Fan found the corridor crowded with girls, their chatter filled with fear and confusion.
"The boys on the first floor are really pitiful, there are at least a hundred people living there, and it seems like less than ten have come up..."
"Why is there a primeval rainforest outside the window? Has the school been transported to another time? Will we still be able to go home?" "
What if the boys on the second floor also come up? All the empty rooms are locked, are we going to let them sleep in the corridor? That would be very inconvenient... Why are you looking at me like that? Am I wrong?"
"If only someone could go to the dormitory supervisor on the first floor and get a spare key, but unfortunately..."
As everyone spoke, they frequently glanced at Jiang Fan and Lin Feng.
They were the last two people to come up from the first floor, and both wanted to know what had happened to them.
Just then, a cold electronic voice suddenly rang in Jiang Fan's ears.
[Congratulations on receiving 100 Gratitude Points from Lin Feng]
[Gratitude System Activated]
[Receive Gratitude Points as a reward for receiving gratitude from others.]
[Gratitude Points can be exchanged for card blind boxes, including various types of card rewards.]
[Cards come in ten colors and tiers.]
[Each color blind box can only be exchanged once per map.]
[White blind box costs only 10 Gratitude Points.]
[Purchase?]
[Yes] [No]
Jiang Fan rubbed his eyes in disbelief. After confirming that what he was seeing wasn't a hallucination, he cautiously tried clicking the transparent button in front of him.
A flash of light appeared, and a white card appeared before him.
[Congratulations on obtaining the White Treasure Card - Water-Repelling Pearl]
[Name: Water-Repelling Bead]
[Type: Jewelry (Beads)]
[Function: Water-repelling, Water-controlling]
[Description: A personal treasure lost by an ancient water god while fishing. It contains the pure laws of water. Once activated, it forms an invisible water barrier one meter around the wearer. Whether it's rivers, lakes, seas, or puddles, it will automatically disperse, allowing the wearer to walk confidently in water.]
This book is first published online by 𝕥𝕨𝕜𝕒𝕟.𝕔𝕠𝕞
[Note 1: The barrier only isolates liquid water and cannot resist attacks from ice, steam, or other derivative forms.]
[Note 2: Within 24 hours of use, the body will enter "water buffalo mode," with daily water intake increasing to five times the normal amount. When thirsty, you'll want to hug and kiss even a mineral water bottle.]
[Note 3: Friend, you don't want to cosplay as a dehydrated zombie who walks unsteadily, do you?]
Jiang Fan rubbed the beads that had suddenly appeared on his wrist, the cool touch stimulating his sensitive nerves.
It wasn't a hallucination! But
when he tried to redeem the white blind box again, he received a notification that "[Current map redemption attempts have been used]".
Current map?
Could there be other maps?
Just as Jiang Fan was speculating, Nangong Yue returned and handed him a clean pink towel.
"Quickly wipe yourself dry, don't catch a cold." Her gaze fell on the beads on Jiang Fan's wrist, a hint of curiosity flashing across her eyes. "What did you find in the water? Tell everyone?"
Hearing Nangong Yue's question, the surrounding girls gathered around, their eyes full of inquiry and eagerness: "Hey, I just heard someone shouting piranhas, is it true?"
"Will we be trapped here forever?"
Jiang Fan took the towel and wiped his face. After a slight hesitation, he decided to tell everyone everything.
Now was the time when unity was most needed; strong external conflicts were more conducive to internal unity.
"...How come there are so many messy things underwater? Where have we ended up?" One of the girls was on the verge of collapse after hearing Jiang Fan's story, muttering to herself.
Many others looked serious, their faces thoughtful.
Jiang Fan clearly noticed that the hidden repulsion they felt towards the boys had dissipated considerably.
The previous discussion about "it being inconvenient for boys to come up" had completely disappeared.
Just then, a commotion arose at the end of the corridor, and the boys from the second floor began to surge up.
The corridor became even more chaotic.
"So many people on the third floor too?"
"The water level hasn't risen any higher, but the second floor is completely flooded, we can't stay here!"
"All the empty rooms are locked, we have to find a way to open them, we can't sleep in the corridor, can we?"
During the National Day holiday, many dormitories had gone on trips or gone home together, leaving many empty dorm rooms, but the spare keys were all in the dormitory manager's office on the first floor, and no one dared to go down to get them.
Therefore, how to accommodate the boys coming up from downstairs suddenly became the most pressing issue.
Several tall boys tried to pick the locks, but without tools, they only managed to create a few scratches.
Some tried to pick the lock with cards like in the short videos, but they couldn't even insert them into the crack, a complete waste of effort.
Others tried brute force, but since the building was newly built before the start of the semester, the dormitory doors were of excellent quality. Several people tried, but the doors didn't break, and the people who tried to ram the doors were left breathless.
At first, the girls were just watching the commotion, but they soon realized that many people had forgotten their keys because they were in such a hurry to leave, and several rooms were locked, making the situation even more chaotic.
Just then, Nangong Yue, who had gone upstairs to negotiate, brought back bad news: "The fourth floor is only willing to accept girls, and there aren't enough beds. Even if you go up, you'll have to sleep in the corridor."
Everyone was in an uproar, their faces filled with despair.
Sleep in the corridor?
Without any shelter, if a wild animal climbed up at night, they would be no different from lambs to the slaughter.
"If only someone could get a key from the first floor..." a girl muttered softly.
But the only response was deathly silence.
The deadly threat underwater made everyone hesitate.
Jiang Fan quietly retreated to the water room and activated the water-repelling bead when no one was looking.
With a soft hum, the bead string emitted a faint blue light, and the water in the water room instantly receded, the tiles drying in the blink of an eye.
[System Prompt: Barrier radius 1 meter / Duration 120 seconds]
[Remaining uses today: 2/3]
[Side effect: Water Buffalo Mode activated, water intake must be 5 times normal within 24 hours]
Jiang Fan was overjoyed; the water-repelling bead's effect was even more incredible than he had imagined.
From the third floor to the dormitory manager's room on the first floor was only twenty or thirty meters, enough for a round trip.
The moment the barrier dissipated, the side effects immediately appeared.
His throat was parched, as if he hadn't drunk water for three days, but with no drinking water available, he could only suppress the urge to drink.
Jiang Fan didn't immediately step forward; he knew that "scarcity makes things valuable," and that he would maximize his profits by waiting until everyone else was helpless before making his move.
Just as Jiang Fan felt the time was about right, a tall, handsome boy suddenly stepped forward: "My swimming skills are pretty good, I can give it a try."
He raised his chin, his eyes sweeping over the girls with a deliberate show of pride.
"Qi Ran is so handsome! I heard he joined the college basketball team right after the semester started, he's so brave!" a girl gushed.
Hearing the girls' whispers, Qi Ran's lips curled into a slight smile, secretly pleased with himself.
"Isn't he afraid of piranhas? Didn't they say someone was bitten to death on the first floor just now?" someone else remarked.
"Yeah, there are electric eels in the water too, that's really brave."
Upon hearing this, Qi Ran's expression suddenly froze.
Piranhas? Electric eels?
Isn't this just normal rising water?
Why hasn't anyone told me about these things?
For a moment, he was caught in a dilemma.
"Um, the water is a bit murky, does anyone have swimming goggles? I can't open my eyes underwater and can't tell which way to go..."
Qi Ran was too embarrassed to admit he was scared, so he could only make up an excuse.
Everyone looked at each other. Only swimmers have these things, and the school didn't have a swimming pool.
Seeing that no one responded, Qi Ran was secretly pleased, very satisfied with his quick thinking.
He had both shown off and avoided the risk.
Just then, a bespectacled boy pushed through the crowd: "I have swimming goggles, a swimsuit, and a swim cap. I just bought them because I was planning to go cave diving with my friends during the National Day holiday. When I saw the water rising, I put them in my bag immediately. I didn't expect them to come in so handy."
Qi Ran silently looked at the small bag the boy handed him, paused for a few seconds, and slowly revealed a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Thanks, bro."
Reaching the second-floor stairwell, the murky water shimmered with an eerie green light. Qi Ran swallowed hard, hesitant to go into the water, and had to start warming up first.
"Look, this is what you call professional. If you go into the water without warming up, you're likely to get cramps, which is dangerous." The boy who handed him the goggles was named Li Wanneng, and he proudly explained to his friend.
If Qi Ran could get the keys, he would also get some credit.
"Does anyone have a rope? It's a bit dangerous to go into the water without a safety rope..." While warming up, Qi Ran racked his brains and finally found another perfect excuse.
These things are hard to find in the dorm.
But before he could finish speaking, Li Wanneng handed him another bundle of rope: "Professionals are different. How could I forget about this? Cave diving definitely requires a safety rope, but unfortunately, there's no oxygen tank..."
Qi Ran's face twitched, and in the end, he could only grit his teeth and say "thank you" again.
He had no choice but to bite the bullet and start going into the water.
Everyone watched with bated breath, not daring to even breathe.
But unexpectedly, the water level had only just reached Qi Ran's knees when he suddenly jumped up, howling: "Something bit me!"
Those around him wanted to see the wound on his leg, but he covered it tightly with his hands.
The hope that had just risen in everyone's hearts shattered instantly, and their emotions gradually sank into despair.
Just then, Jiang Fan stepped out from the crowd, his voice calm but powerful: "I can try to find the key in the dormitory manager's room, but there's a condition."
"I can try to find the key in the dormitory manager's room, but there's a condition."
Jiang Fan's words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
Qi Ran, clutching his "injured leg," walked over, his gaze sweeping over Jiang Fan's calm face and his own bandaged leg. A barely perceptible darkness flashed in his eyes, but he advised, "Brother, piranhas are too ferocious. I advise you not to be reckless. There's no cure for injuries here."
Lin Feng also quickly pulled Jiang Fan back, "Fanzi, don't go down there and risk your life! Underwater visibility is poor, and it would take at least two or three minutes to hold your breath, plus there are piranhas, it's too dangerous!"
Nangong Yue frowned slightly, "You just escaped from the first floor, why risk it again? The key is important, but life is more valuable."
Jiang Fan thanked everyone for their kindness, his gaze sweeping across the crowded corridor, and said in a deep voice, "I'm not being reckless. In the wild, shelter is of paramount importance. Sleeping in the corridor, without any cover, if a dangerous creature climbs up at night, we won't even have time to react." He
paused
, then continued, "Moreover, the empty rooms contain blankets, clothes, snacks, and even medicine and tools—all necessities for survival."
"As everyone knows, many people on the first floor haven't come up. The best time to go into the water is probably now... at least those piranhas have passed their most famine period."
This was one of the main reasons Jiang Fan had waited so long to speak.
"Most importantly," Jiang Fan's eyes were firm, "everyone needs a relatively safe private space. Otherwise, in a state of extreme insecurity, no one can sleep well, and in that case, they simply can't survive long in a place like this." "
My condition is: if I can bring the key up, I have the right to choose one item from every opened empty room. Whether it's an empty dormitory or a locked dormitory, this agreement must be followed."
This condition was reasonable.
Everyone present understood that without the key, they would be trapped in the corridor waiting to die. Jiang Fan had taken such a great risk; it was only right that he receive some reward.
"I agree!" Nangong Yue was the first to speak.
"We agree too!" The others echoed, no one objecting.
Qi Ran nodded in agreement, but in his heart he was convinced that Jiang Fan had no chance of bringing the key back.
Lin Feng wanted to go into the water with Jiang Fan, but he refused, saying that "someone needs to be above to control the safety rope."
Jiang Fan put on Li Wanneng's swimming goggles, fastened the safety rope, and handed the other end to Lin Feng: "After I go into the water, you slowly let the rope out, and pull it every ten seconds. I'll respond. If there's no response, pull me up quickly."
"Okay! Be careful!" Lin Feng gripped the rope tightly, his palms sweating.
Jiang Fan's fingertips brushed against the beads on his wrist, silently thinking, "Two chances left... I must succeed."
Under everyone's gaze, he didn't hesitate at all, took a deep breath, and jumped into the water, his figure instantly swallowed by the murky flood.
"Too impulsive!" Qi Ran raised his voice, "The underwater conditions are unknown, jumping in like that could easily cause injury!"
He deliberately misled everyone's thoughts, not wanting them to think that Jiang Fan was braver than him.
But the next second, everyone saw the safety rope slide down at a steady speed, without any signs of stopping or struggling.
"The rope is so stable, how is he moving underwater?" Nangong Yue asked, her eyes filled with worry.
Lin Feng was also nervous, but he trusted Jiang Fan. As agreed, he gently pulled the rope every ten seconds, and each time he felt a slight response from the other end.
Underwater, Jiang Fan activated the water-repelling bead.
A faint blue light flashed, and the water within a meter around him was instantly pushed aside, forming an invisible, dry barrier.
His feet were dry, his breathing was unimpeded, and he could clearly see his surroundings.
In the murky water, various fish swam outside the barrier, occasionally bumping into the invisible wall before frantically swerving away. Several electric eels curled up in a corner, emitting a weak current, but they couldn't penetrate the barrier.
Jiang Fan felt reassured and quickened his pace toward the dormitory manager's office.
The fish along the way ignored him, as if he were invisible.
Soon, he arrived at the door of the dormitory manager's office on the first floor.
The door had been washed open by the flood, and the room was filled with water, but thanks to the water-repelling bead, Jiang Fan easily walked in.
Four sets of keys hung on the wall, corresponding to floors one through four, each key clearly labeled with its dormitory number.
Jiang Fan quickly took the keys for the third and fourth floors, then glanced at the half-empty case of bottled water in the corner.
Although he wanted to drink it immediately, he worried that the water would spill due to the water-repellent beads, so he carefully placed each bottle into a suitcase in the room.
After placing the keys, Jiang Fan untied his safety rope and secured it securely to the suitcase handle.
Just as he was about to leave, a rustling sound came from behind him.
The sound was like sandpaper rubbing against bones, making his teeth ache.
Jiang Fan whirled around, his hair standing on end.
A giant anaconda, as thick as a man's waist, was swimming in from the stairwell entrance, its long body undulating in the water, its scales reflecting a cold, eerie light.
It was at least seven or eight meters long, its head larger than a basketball, and its pair of cold, vertical pupils swept across the dormitory manager's office doorway, sending chills down his spine.
A foul stench wafted from the water, making him want to vomit.
The vibrations from the snake's body scraping against the doorframe traveled through the floor, sending a jolt through Jiang Fan's spine as if he'd been electrocuted.
He held his breath, too terrified to move.
The anaconda slowly slithered past the dormitory supervisor's office door, its thick body scraping against the frame with a screeching sound.
Only when the stump-thick tail completely disappeared into the depths of the corridor did Jiang Fan dare to breathe heavily, his palms already drenched in cold sweat.
On the third-floor corridor, everyone waited anxiously.
Lin Feng paced back and forth impatiently, his forehead covered in sweat.
Just when Qi Ran thought Jiang Fan wouldn't make it back up, a head suddenly popped up from the water.
Lin Feng quickly pulled Jiang Fan out of the water, hugged him tightly, and shouted excitedly, "Awesome, Fanzi! You're fucking awesome!"
Nangong Yue looked Jiang Fan up and down and smiled, "It's good that you're alright."
Qi Ran noticed that Jiang Fan didn't have his key, and his lips twitched imperceptibly. He then changed to a tone mixed with regret and relief, saying, "You're lucky, classmate. Although you didn't get the key, it's a miracle you came back alive."
"Yeah, it's good that you're back..." The others also chimed in with words of comfort, but their faces couldn't hide their disappointment.
Jiang Fan's failure meant that many people would have to spend the night in the corridor.
Compared to simple disappointment, the feeling of dashed hopes was more tormenting.
"It's over, what do we do..." A girl who couldn't return to her dorm because she forgot her key was almost in despair.
Jiang Fan didn't rush to explain. He simply took off his swimming goggles and pulled Lin Feng away from the water's edge.
The scene underwater still lingered in his mind, fearing the anaconda might suddenly leap out and swallow him whole.
He then reached for the safety rope in Lin Feng's hand and began to pull it up little by little.
As the rope retracted, a suitcase was slowly pulled out of the water.
The suitcase was soaked, splashing water everywhere when it hit the ground.
The soft click of the latches popping open drew everyone's attention. Inside, besides a few bottles of mineral water, were two large bunches of keys for the third and fourth floors.
The corridor fell silent for a moment, everyone staring at the keys in disbelief.
Then, Lin Feng was the first to react, shouting, "We found it! Fanzi, you're practically a superman!"
Nangong Yue's fingers, twirling the ends of her hair, paused at her temple, a strange light flashing in her beautiful eyes: "The person I brought up is indeed extraordinary."
"The keys! He really got the keys!" The girl who had just collapsed burst into tears of joy.
The disappointment on everyone's faces vanished instantly, replaced by shock and elation, and they cheered.
Only Qi Ran's smile froze on his face, his nails digging deeply into his palms, even drawing blood.
He looked at the keychain in Jiang Fan's hand, then down at his own heavily bandaged "injured leg," his face turning pale and then flushed.
He simply couldn't understand how the other person could return from underwater unscathed!
Jiang Fan's lips finally curled into a smile: "Everyone, our previous agreement should still stand, right?"
"Everyone, our previous agreement should still stand, right?"
Faced with Jiang Fan's question, everyone expressed no objection.
Even Qi Ran, who was unwilling to accept it, couldn't voice his dissent at this moment.
However, when he looked at the fourth-floor key in Jiang Fan's hand, a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.
[Congratulations on gaining 3 points of gratitude from Nangong Yue]
When Jiang Fan gave Nangong Yue the spare key to her dormitory, the system bell rang as expected.
Jiang Fan was overjoyed. This adventure wasn't just about the shelter and supplies; gratitude points were his main objective.
The following matters were much simpler. With the assistance of Nangong Yue, the third-floor master, Jiang Fan returned all the keys to the third floor.
This included 11 rooms that could be opened by default, 6 rooms that were locked because the keys were forgotten, and 10 dorm rooms that were empty and had been given to the boys.
Finally, after discussion, the remaining 3 empty rooms were decided to be used as a kitchen, temporary meeting room, or other common space.
Meanwhile, Jiang Fan also gained a large amount of clean water, enough food for at least three days for the two of them, cold medicine, anti-inflammatory drugs, and a considerable amount of daily necessities, including stockings and sanitary napkins.
Besides supplies, the gain in gratitude points was also exceptionally generous.
Throughout the process, system messages flooded the screen like crazy, unstoppable.
[Gained 21 gratitude points from Nangong Yue] [
Gained 15 gratitude points from Lin Feng
] [Gained 13 gratitude points from Ji Ran]
[Gained 9 gratitude points from Chen Ke]
...
In the end, his total gratitude points reached an astonishing 409.
If there were no limit to the number of times he could use them, these points would be enough to buy 40 white blind boxes or 4 green blind boxes.
Unfortunately, reality doesn't offer so many "ifs."
However, he was already satisfied with being able to exchange for green blind boxes.
The water-repelling bead from a single white card had already given him such a great gain; he dared not imagine what kind of incredible effects the higher-quality cards would have.
Green blind boxes only cost 100 gratitude points, and Jiang Fan took advantage of Lin Feng's busy inventory and tidying of the room to select the purchase option from the panel.
[Congratulations on obtaining the green recruitment card - Spirit Cat]
Spirit Cat?
Slightly puzzled, Jiang Fan clicked to use the green card.
A screen lit up, revealing the images of three cats.
The first was a calico cat, which, for some reason, gave Jiang Fan the impression of not being very intelligent.
The second was a black and white cat, but Jiang Fan immediately dismissed it after just one glance at its cross-eyed appearance.
The last was an ordinary tabby cat.
Without hesitation, Jiang Fan selected the last option.
With a "meow," a tabby cat suddenly appeared in his arms.
[Name: Spirit Cat]
[Type: Pet (Cat)]
[Abilities: Perception, Hunting]
[Description: The Spirit Cat possesses powerful perception abilities. It can quickly detect and warn of any powerful wild beast appearing within 10 meters.]
[Note 1: The Spirit Cat has a strong learning ability. Be mindful of your behavior in its presence.]
[Note 2: This tabby cat has a voyeuristic tendency. If you are not a good person, you'd better be discreet when doing bad things.] [
Note 3: The Spirit Cat loves to eat fish. If you can't satisfy its craving, don't blame it for getting angry.]
Looking at the description of the Spirit Cat's perception abilities, Jiang Fan knew he'd struck gold.
The giant anaconda he'd just seen underwater had been a constant reminder that the situation was still extremely dangerous.
But all of that changed the moment he acquired the Spirit Cat.
"Hey, where did this stray cat come from?" Lin Feng, who had returned from outside, noticed the tabby cat in Jiang Fan's arms and walked over curiously. "Come on, let me see if you're a senior or a junior."
The tabby cat didn't expect Lin Feng to attack suddenly. It let out a loud "Awooo!" and jumped out of Jiang Fan's arms, swatting away Lin Feng's sinful hand that reached down to its body with its right paw. "Stay away from cats, you damn, impolite, and boundless two-legged beast."
Jiang Fan was surprised and subconsciously asked, "You can talk?"
"Of course I can talk!" Lin Feng thought Jiang Fan was talking to him and gave him a displeased look. "This little thing has quite a temper. Just a touch, and it's all puffed up!"
He took a bite of sausage and held it in his hand, teasing the tabby cat. "Mimi, come here."
"I'm not called Mimi." The tabby cat meowed, a disdainful look on its face. "I only eat meat!"
This time, Jiang Fan was finally sure that the voice he heard was indeed the tabby cat's.
However, the sound seemed to be understandable only to him, but to Lin Feng it sounded no different from a normal cat meow. Seeing that he still wanted to tease the cat with a sausage, he had no choice but to act as a translator: "It doesn't seem to be called Mimi."
Lin Feng frowned and thought for a moment, then tentatively asked, "...Sang Biao?"
...
While the two of them and the cat were playing around, there was a knock on the door.
The person who came in was Qi Ran, and a tall, mature-looking girl.
Qi Ran had a smile on her face, but her eyes quickly swept over Jiang Fan's tidy room and the cat in his arms. To Jiang Fan, that smile was exactly the same as the one that had frozen on Qi Ran's face when he got the key not long ago.
"Come, come, Jiang Fan, let me introduce you. This is Ding Rui, the floor manager on the fourth floor, and also my classmate." Qi Ran stepped aside to make room for him, her tone warm.
"Hello Jiang Fan, I'm the floor manager for the fourth floor. You can just call me Xiao Rui." The tall girl didn't put on any airs; instead, she warmly shook hands with Jiang Fan. "Oh, you keep cats? They're so cute! You're so kind."
Jiang Fan remembered Qi Ran's thoughtful expression when he looked at the fourth-floor keys during the key distribution and understood. Qi
Ran was probably more than just a matchmaker.
Lin Feng, standing nearby, pretended to play with a cat, his gaze occasionally drifting to Ding Rui's long legs encased in black stockings.
Seeing that Jiang Fan didn't ask any questions, Qi Ran had to get to the point: "I went to the fourth floor just now and specifically talked to Ding Rui for you. She agreed to your conditions: you provide the keys, and you get priority to choose one item from each empty dorm room."
As he spoke, his face revealed a "I've secured a great opportunity for you" expression.
Ding Rui immediately echoed, her voice soft and sweet, filled with exaggerated admiration: "Jiang Fan, you're amazing! You managed to dive down and get the keys back! You're my idol now!"
She leaned forward slightly, the neckline of her meticulously designed dress revealing glimpses of her skin, but her eyes held a scrutinizing gaze, as if assessing Jiang Fan's reaction.
Jiang Fan's expression, however, darkened.
He clearly remembered that when the rooms were assigned, Qi Ran's dormitory hadn't given any gratitude points.
Now, Qi Ran, without his permission, was unilaterally "negotiating" in his name, and Ding Rui's enthusiasm seemed overly deliberate.
This wasn't "good news" at all; it was clearly an attempt to use this as a pretext to seize control of the fourth-floor supply transactions.
"Are you feeling unwell, Jiang Fan?" Ding Rui asked quickly when she saw that Jiang Fan looked unwell. "I know some massage techniques. Would you like me to try?"
"Massage?" Jiang Fan looked Ding Rui up and down, a little curious. Was she really a freshman like him?
Was she sure she didn't have any side jobs?
"Trying it is fine, my shoulder is sore." Jiang Fan smiled, then changed the subject, "But let me make this clear first. I appreciate Qi Ran's kindness in 'helping' me negotiate without consulting me, but I don't agree with the result."
Qi Ran's face stiffened: "Jiang Fan, these are the conditions you personally stated. Now you're going back on your word? Going back on your word isn't good for your reputation, is it?"
Jiang Fan was disgusted by Qi Ran's hypocrisy and gave him a cold glance: "I personally stated it? Did I?"
"You stated it in front of so many people on the third floor. You dare to say it but not admit it?"
"Heh." Jiang Fan scoffed, "You know it's the 'third floor'! My words are for everyone on the third floor. What does it have to do with the fourth floor?"
Qi Ran sensed the sarcasm in Jiang Fan's tone and became even more embarrassed and angry: "What about the fourth floor? Are you planning to treat them differently?"
"What's wrong with treating people differently?" Jiang Fan waved his hand to interrupt her. "After the flood, the third floor accepted us, but the fourth floor refused to let the boys up.
The third and fourth floors treated us differently, so why can't I treat them differently?
Now the supplies on the third floor have been distributed to the survivors on the first, second, and third floors.
If I agree to your conditions, wouldn't that mean leaving all the supplies on the fourth floor to the people on the fourth floor?
Is that fair to the girls on the third floor?"
Ding Rui's sweet smile gradually faded.
She thought that with her beauty and humble attitude, she would have no problem winning over Jiang Fan, a freshman, but she didn't expect him to be so tough and logical.
Qi Ran's face turned red from the rebuttal, but he still argued, "We're all in the same boat, what's the point of being so calculating?" "
Calm down, there might really be a misunderstanding..." Ding Rui still wanted to mediate.
Jiang Fan interrupted directly, "If you want the key, go talk to Nangong Yue, she can represent my attitude."
His tone was firm, leaving no room for the other party to argue.
Ding Rui's smile vanished completely as Lin Feng pushed her and Qi Ran out of the room.
The moment the door closed, Ding Rui's fake smile disappeared, and she glared at Qi Ran darkly: "Is this what you meant by 'very confident'?"
With that, she turned and left.
Back in his dorm, Qi Ran forced a smile when his roommates questioned him, but turned to look at the murky water outside the window, his eyes filled with gloom.
"Why is it always him who gets to steal the spotlight..." he muttered to himself, his fingers unconsciously tapping the window frame.
...
Inside the dorm.
After chasing the two away, Jiang Fan quickly picked up the tabby cat from the bed, looking at the torn blanket with a pained expression.
This was his newly acquired blanket.
"Stop yelling, stop yelling, I'll take you fishing."
The reason he was so eager to get rid of Qi Ran and Qi Ran was because the little guy had been yelling "I'm starving, I'm starving!" "I want fish, I want fish!"
He even started tearing the house apart when Jiang Fan ignored him.
Before leaving, Jiang Fan handed the fourth-floor key to Lin Feng, asking him to go and explain the situation to Nangong Yue.
He wasn't good at arguing with girls, and rather than waste time struggling with Ding Rui, he'd rather let magic defeat magic.
Only after Jiang Fan carried the tabby cat out of the dormitory did the little creature calm down, meowing, "Why didn't you agree to their plan just now?"
Jiang Fan was taken aback, not expecting the tabby cat to be so intelligent; it had just been throwing a tantrum like a child.
Stroking the tabby cat's soft fur, he explained, "Not many people on the fourth floor know I got the key. If I give them all the supplies, my gratitude points will be wasted."
There was something else Jiang Fan didn't say: if Qi Ran and the other woman took the key and secretly divided the supplies, it wouldn't just be a matter of gratitude points.
The tabby cat nodded thoughtfully, continuing to meow, "This cat is hungry, I want to eat fish."
Jiang Fan: "..."
Just then, the system notification sounded again.
[Congratulations on receiving 80 gratitude points from Nangong Yue]
Jiang Fan checked the system, overjoyed.
Even though Nangong Yue had already contributed a considerable amount of gratitude points when distributing supplies, he was still pleasantly surprised to receive so many just for handing over the key to the fourth floor.
Moreover, if this matter was handled well, he could likely gain even more gratitude points from others.
He couldn't help but think that if everyone were as grateful as Nangong Yue, his gratitude points would probably already be over a thousand, enough to get another blue blind box.
...
Upon reaching the stairwell, he found a large group of people already gathered.
They held fishing rods made from clothes poles or mop handles, with hooks made from paperclips or similar contraptions tied to the other end with silk thread they'd somehow acquired.
Although rudimentary, the water was teeming with fish, resulting in a good catch for each of them.
"Here it comes, here it comes again!" Ji Ran shouted cheerfully, pulling up a red-bellied piranha.
"There are so many fish! It feels like we could catch them without bait."
"I was worried about food, but it seems there's no shortage!"
The chubby Ji Ran asked, "Do you think there are really caimans and anacondas in the water that Jiang Fan mentioned? We haven't seen any."
"You're really something. Just focus on fishing. If you find any big ones, you'll swallow them whole."
"What are you talking about? Me, avoid his sharp edge? Come and bite me if you dare!" The chubby guy stiffened his neck, looking fearless,
as if he truly wasn't afraid of death.
However, the people around him scoffed at him, simply because everyone was fishing from the stairs leading from the third to the fourth floor.
Even if there were some big fish in the water, it wouldn't be able to easily pass through the iron railings and threaten them.
Just as everyone was laughing and joking, the ripples on the water seemed a little more chaotic than before, and several small fish that were about to bite suddenly swam away.
But this subtle change didn't attract anyone's attention.
Only one bald man stood out, casually moving a computer chair to sit on the platform beside the water and fishing: "Can you bunch of cowards use your brains a little? Just because someone says there's something underwater doesn't mean it is. If there really were crocodiles or pythons or something, would anyone who went in come back alive?"
Although he didn't mention anyone's name, everyone knew who he was talking about.
After being lectured, the people on the stairs all looked a little unpleasant.
They had previously advised the bald man not to get so close to the water and risk his life, but he wouldn't listen.
They were only hinting at it again during their conversation when, to their surprise, the bald man not only didn't appreciate it but also responded with insults.
Just then, Ji Ran saw Jiang Fan at the bottom of the stairs and cheerfully greeted him, "Jiang Fan, are you here to fish too? Come over here, there's a spot."
As he spoke, the chubby guy shifted his bulky body, pushing his companion upstairs to make room.
Jiang Fan smiled and replied, "Ji Ran, right? I just came to see if I could get a fish for the kitten."
When the dorms were assigned, Ji Ran's gratitude was second only to Nangong Yue and Lin Feng, so Jiang Fan had a strong impression of him.
The bald man also saw Jiang Fan, snorted coldly, and remained silent.
Jiang Fan didn't bother with him either, simply because the other was one of Qi Ran's roommates, a guy Jiang Fan had already labeled an "ungrateful wretch."
Just then, the water surface suddenly began to heave violently, and the fish could be vaguely seen scattering in all directions, the previously lively scene of them biting the hook suddenly falling silent.
The bald man squatted down in front of the puddle, observing it with suspicion.
The tabby cat in Jiang Fan's arms suddenly meowed, "Run! A big one is coming up!"