213: Chapter 213 Torrential Rain

"Hmm? Is it raining?"

Li Ming looked at the curtain of rain outside, which seemed to be intensifying.

It made sense; this was the seaside, so rain was normal.

It was about time; he should head back now.

Putting on the helmet he never really liked wearing, Li Ming started walking back.

The rain grew heavier, and the droplets hammered against Li Ming's helmet with a pitter-patter sound.

"Winter is almost here, Zheng-chan."

"I know, Commander."

"What about them?"

"...I don't know, Commander. Sorry, I can't save everyone right now."

"I know." Li Ming smiled slightly, "You aren't the Logic that controls the core, but you are also more free, aren't you?"

"Ha, indeed..."

"Thank you for everything you've done for humanity. Although I don't know if you will lead humanity to a great future as the stories say, but... I believe you've done it."

"I am quite confident about that, Commander. We have done it, and I have always believed that you can do it too."

"That's really giving me too much credit; I just want to find them all and live a peaceful life of my own."

"That's fine, Commander. I will respect your choice and wait for you to provide the next answer."

"There's a next time? ...Wait a minute, isn't that Maria? Why is she here?"

Her fire-red hair looked somewhat dull in the rain, and her green coat was soaked through; she was hiding from the rain under a dilapidated eave.

Seeing Li Ming, she stood up and waved at him, her face wearing that enthusiastic and somewhat uninhibited smile.

"Hey! Why are you here too?"

Li Ming walked over, "Doing some things, what about you?"

"Just passing by, got trapped here by the heavy rain."

"Is that so?" Li Ming tilted his head, "What now then? The rain outside is even heavier."

"I don't know..." Maria looked outside; the rain was indeed getting heavier, "Run back now?"

"To the camp? That's too far..."

Li Ming thought for a moment, "Just come to my place, it's much closer."

"Oh? Are you inviting me?" She said half-jokingly.

"Take it or leave it." Li Ming said expressionlessly, stepping back into the rain.

"Hey, hey, wait for me..."

In the end, she braved the heavy rain to follow Li Ming to that high-rise building and used a zipline to get up.

"Hoo, hoo..."

Blown by the wind passing through the floors, she shivered, "This weather, sigh..."

Li Ming ran to heat up the stove; he was wearing waterproof clothing this time, so he wasn't affected much.

"Hey, Li..."

"Li Ming."

"Oh right, Li Ming... Can I call you Li?"

"Whatever works."

"That's good." She punched the air, "The rain came so suddenly today, and it looks like winter is coming soon; do you have any plans?"

"Me?" Li Ming thought about it, "I don't have any plans, just surviving is the most important thing... Of course, I don't want to run off to the Donkey Party either."

"Uh-huh... Why is that?"

"Do you know what they've done?"

"Uh... I know a little bit?" Maria recalled, "The things they did were indeed a bit... sigh."

It was clear that she didn't know what the "Omniscient Ones" had done.

"Something like that..." Li Ming replied, "Anyway, I don't know where to go if I leave now, so why not hide in the city for a while, right?"

"That's true... What are you cooking? It smells so good."

"Instant noodles. Looks like you're really starving if even plain noodles smell good."

"Hmm... Actually it's fine, hehe..."

"If you really think it's fine, then wipe away your drool."

"Ooh, sorry..." Maria wiped her mouth subconsciously, but found nothing there, only then realizing she'd been tricked.

She wasn't angry, though, just watched him as he continued to speak.

"I have some seasoning here. Eat with me tonight, consider it my treat."

"Is that okay?"

"There's nothing wrong with it." Li Ming replied, "Can you use chopsticks? If not, there are forks too."

"Where did you get all this stuff?"

"This building actually has everything; I just collected them."

"What about the food? Surely the food wasn't just there?"

"Would you believe me if I said I brought it myself?"

"I don't believe it." Maria shook her head, "But I don't want to ask; I don't intend to pry into your secrets."

"Some things are hard for me to explain." Li Ming smiled, "Explaining just makes it more troublesome, don't you think?"

"True." Her smile still looked confident, though it might be more of a facade now.

"Not bad. In that case, our cooperation might be quite pleasant." Li Ming shrugged and scooped the instant noodles from the pot into a bowl placed to the side.

—Wait a minute? Was there a bowl there just now?

Maria was stunned, but the steaming hot noodles were already covered in sauce and placed in front of her.

Things having come to this, her stomach, which had been rumbling non-stop, wouldn't allow her to decline anymore.

The temperature was still a bit low, and she was soaking wet.

She kept hovering around the stove, but because of the strong wind, her clothes never dried.

After a hearty meal, she looked at the heavy rain outside, falling into melancholy and exhaustion.

Li Ming didn't pay her any mind and ran upstairs to collect rainwater, and to make a filter while he was at it.

Once tonight passed, at least water wouldn't be in short supply for a while.

While he was at it, he could wash the pot and bowl. Although Maria had licked the bowl and the sauce clean, Li Ming still gave it a thorough wash.

—How pitiful, Li Ming suddenly thought.

No, no, he quickly shook his head; she was a proper warrior now, she shouldn't be called pitiful.

After setting up a huge water trough with Logic, Li Ming went downstairs and took off his coat to hang it up to dry.

Had Maria left?

Oh, no, she was curled up next to the stove, looking a bit low-spirited...

"Not good, Commander... Is she running a fever?"

Li Ming froze, suddenly feeling a headache.

"Maria? Maria? Are you okay?"

"Eh? ...I'm fine..."

She stood up with difficulty, "I'll get going now..."

"Come back! Sit down!"

Li Ming grabbed her arm and touched her forehead, "Do you know you have a fever?"

"Really?" She still didn't quite believe it, "I just feel a bit uncomfortable..."

Her voice grew quieter, realizing she might actually be sick now.

The world was spinning.

"Tsk." Li Ming dragged her to the side of his mattress and threw his own sleeping blanket at her.

"Take off your clothes, then cover yourself!"

Then he turned away to give her privacy, while taking out his batteries and materials, "Zheng-chan, we need to make a small heater; the stove isn't easy to move."

"Got it, let me see how to connect it..."

Li Ming started checking his reserves; fortunately, the medicine Fujian had prepared for him was still there...

As for how to explain it? Worry about that later...

What a fool he was, unable to walk away whenever he saw a pretty girl!