Lansi stood in the kitchen holding a spatula, looking utterly confused.
Was an orderly soldier really just a glorified nanny?
Lansi felt that he had become absurdly diligent, doing everything for the sake of survival.
At night, he even had to accompany Wen Yu to warm the bed.
Literally warm the bed—with his body.
Fine, warming the bed was one thing, but why did that also include cooking?
And if cooking was necessary, then why had Carl always ordered takeout before? Why was Wen Yu suddenly insisting on homemade meals now that it was just the two of them?
"What are we eating today?"
Wen Yu walked up behind him, kissed him lightly on the cheek, and asked lazily.
"Bacon and eggs."
Lansi answered weakly.
As he spoke, he removed the perfectly fried golden eggs from the pan and placed them onto a plate.
At the same time, his heart bled silently.
What extravagance.
What outrageous luxury.
Last night, after talking with Wen Yu for ages, Lansi had finally managed to understand the current prices in society.
Even in the wealthy district, people couldn't simply eat meat whenever they wanted.
Due to the environmental changes brought by the apocalypse, the outside world could no longer naturally sustain large-scale food production. Humanity had been forced to rely on artificial environments and greenhouse cultivation to produce crops and livestock.
Over time, genuine natural food had become incredibly scarce and expensive. Most people survived on synthetic meat and canned goods. Fresh vegetables, fruit, and real meat were luxuries reserved for improving one's standard of living.
Because this district was close to the sea, seafood was slightly cheaper, but even then, very few people could afford to eat fish every single day.
At that realization, Lansi could not help sighing inwardly.
No wonder those three patrol officers had nearly fought the middle-aged woman over a single piece of bacon.
In their eyes, that strip of meat probably looked like a pile of banknotes.
And now, ever since Lansi had climbed out of the swimming pool and become Wen Yu's orderly soldier, Wen Yu had practically given him free rein over the household. He allowed Lansi to handle everything at home without caring whether Lansi truly understood the prices or not.
But Wen Yu's trust and indulgence had not produced the reaction he expected.
Rather than becoming spoiled and pleased with himself, Lansi had instead become obsessed with saving money.
Every day, watching his little orderly bargain over prices and agonize over expenses had become a new source of entertainment for Wen Yu.
This morning, the two of them sat at the dining table eating breakfast together.
The meal was simple: bacon, eggs, and a glass of boiled water.
Meanwhile, Lansi silently calculated expenses while eating. Based on the salary of an orderly soldier and the current cost of living, he estimated that his wages would only be enough to support him for a few months.
"What are you thinking about?"
The moment Wen Yu looked up, he saw Lansi sitting across from him with a mournful expression. Every bite of bacon seemed to cause him pain, as though he were chewing through stacks of cash.
"So expensive…"
Lansi complained miserably.
"My internship salary definitely can't support this lifestyle."
Wen Yu: "..."
After thinking for a moment, Wen Yu reached into his pocket, took out a card, and placed it in front of Lansi with a domineering expression.
"This is the salary I've saved over the past twenty years. It's enough for you to spend however you want."
According to several "dating guides" he had read, showing a partner that you came from a wealthy background could apparently improve courtship success rates.
Lansi glanced at the card but did not take it. Instead, he asked an entirely unrelated question.
"Wen Yu, if I ever reached your position, how much money would I make?"
The corner of Wen Yu's mouth twitched.
That was not an easy question to answer.
Because if he named a salary that was too high, he worried his little fish might suddenly become ambitious and focus entirely on building a career instead of returning to the sea.
After breakfast, Wen Yu prepared to take Lansi out on patrol.
This time, however, things were different from before. Rather than having Carl drive them around, Wen Yu intended to patrol on foot with Lansi.
Lansi immediately raised both hands in approval.
His legs were no longer as fragile as they had been in the beginning, and he was curious about how much strain they could handle now.
"But this place is huge. What if I really can't keep walking?"
Lansi asked curiously.
Wen Yu thought for a moment before tilting his head slightly.
"Then I'll carry you back."
"Okay, okay, okay!"
Lansi's eyes instantly lit up.
But the next second, he poked at the dimples on his cheeks awkwardly and said in embarrassment,
"Wouldn't that be bad? Aren't you the chief?"
Wen Yu pondered seriously for a moment.
"Yes. I am the chief."
Then he straightened up and spoke sternly to Lansi.
"Orderly Lansi!"
Lansi jumped in fright and immediately shivered.
The shout just now almost made Lansi think he had returned to his college military training grounds.
Instinctively, he straightened his back, snapped his heels together, and awkwardly gave Wen Yu a military salute.
"Yes, sir!"
Wen Yu barely managed to suppress his laughter. He stepped forward to help Lansi relax his stiff posture before saying,
"You adapted to the role pretty quickly."
Lansi was just about to relax when Wen Yu glanced at him again, causing him to instantly stiffen back into position.
"Once we leave the villa, you are my orderly soldier. Understood?"
Wen Yu rubbed Lansi's head as he helped fasten the helmet onto him.
"Yes, sir!"
Lansi responded loudly once more.
He truly looked like a new recruit.
But in the very next second, he ruined the atmosphere again. Shaking his head unhappily, he fiddled with the helmet.
"Do I really have to wear this?"
"Of course."
Wen Yu replied calmly.
"Military orders are absolute."
"Oh."
Lansi answered weakly.
"Remember, you're my little soldier."
Wen Yu looked at him and repeated the words again.
Through the transparent visor of the helmet, Lansi raised his head and nodded obediently.
"Okay, sir."
Wen Yu nodded in satisfaction.
…
That day caused a sensation throughout the wealthy district.
Colonel Wen Yu—who was normally so elusive that people only ever "heard his name but never saw him"—had actually come out to patrol in person.
What made things even stranger was that Wen Yu had only brought along a single reserve soldier and was simply walking through the community on foot.
The moment people saw him, their first reaction was to stop and stare at his back in shock.
If Wen Yu had personally come out to patrol, did that mean something major was about to happen?
Was there going to be an earthquake in the wealthy district?
Or had some terrifying criminal appeared?
Because so many passersby became distracted staring at Wen Yu, accidents started happening everywhere along the road.
Cars crashed one after another as Wen Yu calmly walked past.
Lansi followed behind him in complete disbelief.
Was this really necessary?
It was just Wen Yu taking a walk.
Was he some kind of celebrity idol or something?
"Watch your step."
Wen Yu reminded him calmly.
Lansi hurriedly stepped over a ladder lying nearby before asking curiously,
"Shouldn't we help them?"
Wen Yu replied indifferently,
"They're all minor incidents. They can handle them themselves. There's no need for us to step in."
"Oh."
Lansi could only respond with a single word to show he understood.
Fortunately, the chaos only lasted for about two hours.
After word spread from one neighborhood to another that Wen Yu was patrolling on foot, the people who saw him later no longer reacted as dramatically as the first group had.
As a result, the string of traffic accidents throughout the wealthy district finally stopped.
That alone made Lansi sigh in relief.
As they continued walking, Lansi could not help glancing toward the massive iron gate ahead.
After two hours of patrol, he and Wen Yu had reached the outermost edge of the wealthy district.
This border area separated the rich district from the slums beyond. A huge iron gate blocked the path, with military guards stationed nearby.
Only a small section of the gate remained open, and everyone entering from the poor district had to register their identity.
"Outside is Zone C42, a transitional district."
Seeing Lansi staring in that direction, Wen Yu explained,
"Some companies in the wealthy district hire workers from the slums. They pass through here to work."
Lansi nodded, remembering Li Si's family, whom he had rescued before.
"Can your feet still handle it?"
Wen Yu asked.
Lansi nodded before quietly admitting,
"They hurt a little."
After patrolling alongside Wen Yu, Lansi finally understood why people like Carl were so willing to follow him.
As Wen Yu walked calmly ahead in his military uniform, Lansi unconsciously straightened his back while staring at him.
At moments like this, Wen Yu's presence naturally made people want to submit to him.
But…
Lansi frowned slightly as he looked at Wen Yu's back.
Something felt wrong.
Perhaps it was a mermaid's instinct, but as Lansi observed Wen Yu and recalled the people he had met recently, he finally realized what had been bothering him—
The aura around Wen Yu did not feel human.
Compared to humans, mermaids were naturally superior predators. Because of that, Lansi often carried an unconscious sense of superiority toward humans.
Yet whenever he faced Wen Yu, he would occasionally feel suppressed instead.
In other words—
To him, Wen Yu felt like the superior being.
At that thought, Lansi suddenly stopped walking.
He began seriously reconsidering everything.
The last time they met, Wen Yu had still felt entirely human. So why had he changed so much by their second meeting?
And this oppressive feeling…
Lansi had only ever experienced it from one other person before—
The black-tailed mermaid, Winsor.
That realization forced Lansi to reevaluate Wen Yu completely.
Something must have changed within Wen Yu's body without his knowledge.
"Lansi, what's wrong?"
After walking several more steps without hearing footsteps behind him, Wen Yu turned around. Seeing Lansi standing motionless, he asked worriedly,
"Do your legs hurt?"
"No, I just…"
Lansi knew he could not ask questions at a time like this. Nor was it the right moment to confront Wen Yu directly.
So he shook his head, forcefully pushing those thoughts aside before making up an excuse.
"There's… sand in my shoe, I think."
"Colonel Wen Yu? Lansi?"
At that exact moment, an acquaintance happened to drive past them. The man slowed down, rolled down the car window, and greeted them.
He had a pair of green eyes.
It was Michael.
"Why are you here?"
The moment Wen Yu saw him, he remembered Michael's unusual interest in Lansi from before, and his expression immediately darkened.
"At this hour, shouldn't you be at work?"
Michael truly deserved his position as a senior executive. Even faced with Wen Yu's obvious hostility, he merely smiled calmly before glancing toward Lansi.
A faint gleam flashed through his green eyes as he turned back to Wen Yu and suggested politely,
"I just returned from inspecting the grain warehouse in the lower district… Colonel Wen Yu, your orderly soldier is named Lansi, right? He seems uncomfortable. Why don't I give you both a ride back? Consider it repayment for the last time he helped rescue us."
The suggestion sounded thoughtful and sincere.
Wen Yu listened quietly before turning to Lansi.
"What do you think?"
"I think we should take the ride."
Lansi answered weakly.
He betrayed Wen Yu without the slightest hesitation.
If they walked all the way back from here, it would take at least another two hours. That meant the entire patrol would last four hours total, and Lansi seriously doubted his feet could survive it.
Wen Yu: "..."
And so, Lansi and Wen Yu got into Michael's car.
As he drove, Michael repeatedly glanced at the two of them through the rearview mirror. Then, as if casually bringing it up, he remarked,
"Colonel Wen Yu and Lansi seem to have a very good relationship."
Hearing his own name, Lansi instinctively looked up at Michael.
At that moment, he noticed Michael's gaze drifting toward him every so often, making him suddenly feel amused.
Was this man testing him?
So Lansi answered cautiously,
"Because I'm his orderly."
Wen Yu, seated beside him, lazily lifted his eyelids to glance at Lansi, looking utterly uninterested.
"Lansi, were you born in the lower district?"
Michael asked casually.
"If I remember correctly, you mentioned before that the last two digits of your ID code are 25. That's the code for District 25."
The muscles along Lansi's back instantly tensed.
Wen Yu abruptly opened his eyes and turned toward Michael.
"I was also born in the lower district. The last digits of my ID code are 26."
Michael acted as though he had not noticed the sudden change in atmosphere inside the car.
"That means the place where I was born should be very close to your home. Maybe the two of us even bathed in the Haizi River when we were young."
Lansi did not answer.
"Do you remember the Haizi River? The river that runs through Districts 25 and 26."
Michael continued smiling as he spoke.
"During today's inspection, I stopped by to take a look. It's almost completely dried up now."
"Sorry."
Lansi replied in an almost unnaturally calm voice.
Seeing Lansi's indifferent reaction, Michael was about to continue—
"All right."
Wen Yu suddenly interrupted coldly.
"Stop the car here."
Michael froze.
"But we're still quite far from the central district."
"Stop."
Wen Yu's tone became colder.
"Lansi is a reserve soldier. He should be able to endure this much hardship."
Wen Yu's attitude was firm and unquestionable.
After several seconds of awkward silence inside the car, Michael simply continued smiling, looking somewhat helpless.
"Well, a soldier is still a soldier."
After saying that, he pulled the car over and stopped.
Once Lansi and Wen Yu got out, Michael sincerely thanked them again.
"No matter what, thank you for saving Loma last time."
Those green eyes remained fixed on Lansi, carrying an emotion Lansi could not quite understand.
For some reason, it reminded him of a wolf's gaze.
After Michael drove away, Lansi finally spoke.
"He was testing me."
Even an idiot could tell that Michael had deliberately brought up the Haizi River to probe him.
The two of them were strangers, not childhood friends or fellow townsmen. There was no reason for Michael to casually use a river as a conversation topic.
Wen Yu glanced at Lansi in surprise.
"You seem smarter lately."
Lansi: "..."
"Michael definitely has a problem."
Wen Yu nodded, agreeing with Lansi's conclusion.
"He's probably suspicious of your identity."
But logically speaking, Michael had no reason to investigate him so closely.
He wasn't part of the military, nor was he connected to Dr. Murin's side.
The only explanation was that Michael believed Lansi might somehow threaten him.
"If he's suspicious of my identity… then could there also be something wrong with his own identity?"
Lansi fell into deep thought.
As he stood there thinking seriously, Wen Yu slowly walked closer.
He leaned nearer and stared at Lansi through the transparent helmet visor, watching the way Lansi frowned in concentration.
Wen Yu observed him with obvious interest, like a boy discovering a strange and amusing new toy.
Eventually, Lansi snapped back to reality and blinked in confusion.
Why was Wen Yu looking at him like that?
"It seems building a nest really can improve intelligence."
Wen Yu said solemnly, pretending to sound serious.
"Our silly little fish has grown up. He's not so stupid anymore."
Lansi's face instantly turned bright red.
It was impossible to tell whether he was embarrassed or angry.
In the end, he simply decided to act shameless.
"I don't care anymore! My legs hurt—carry me!!!"
The moment he finished speaking, Lansi immediately crouched down on the spot.
Wen Yu: "..."