24: Chapter 24: I'll treat you to milk; Endless Desert, our destination.

The next day.

As dawn broke, Captain Qin Hao woke up feeling refreshed and comfortable. Truth be told, with his current physical fitness, he didn't even need to rest.

He had battled all night long, taking Li Mengmeng twice before coaxing her to sleep. In the end, he was the one who carried Li Mengmeng back to her room.

Otherwise, if the other girls found out, it wouldn't look good.

He walked out of the room and glanced at the scenery outside the window.

The view outside was no longer pitch black, but an endless expanse of yellow sand.

It seemed they had arrived in a desert!

Captain Qin Hao frowned. Was the third day really a desert? Supplies would be scarce in a desert.

Not only would water be lacking, but food would be even more scarce.

The other girls woke up one after another, naturally noticing the scenery outside the window.

Desolation and loneliness were the main themes here. It was even quite dilapidated, sparsely populated, without even a trace of life.

"This... it's actually a desert!"

"Yeah, I heard deserts have sandstorms. If you get caught in one, you're done for."

"They say there are also quicksands. If you accidentally fall in, there's no way out."

The girls chattered away, expressing great fear of the desert.

Rao Shuqing, Zhao Zihan, and Ling Xiaoke emerged one after another.

When they saw each other, they immediately thought of last night's events, making them feel utterly ashamed and embarrassed.

The other girls also sensed something unusual, looking at the Counselor and Zhao Zihan, feeling there was something fishy going on.

Zhao Zihan looked around and asked Captain Qin Hao, "Captain, where's Li Mengmeng? Let her come out and cook. We're hungry."

Captain Qin Hao replied awkwardly, "Mengmeng might have been tired from cooking last night. She's still sleeping. Let her rest a bit longer."

"We still have enough food to eat."

"Alright then,"

Zhao Zihan said helplessly.

At the same time, she felt a bit suspicious. Could it be that Li Mengmeng had sneaked back again last night?

Probably not. After all, everyone was afraid of a sudden counterattack. She shook her head, dismissing the thought first.

[The Spaceship will soon arrive at the Endless Desert. You will have ten hours to collect supplies. We depart promptly at 6 PM. Players who fail to board on time can bid farewell to this world.]

The Spaceship's announcement came just in time. The girls knew it was almost 8 AM again.

Another day of early morning classes.

Captain Qin Hao looked around and suddenly realized he couldn't find Lin Mengyao. Was she really that sleepy?

He went to Lin Mengyao's room and walked in instead.

He gave Lin Mengyao, who was lying on her side, a smack on her perky bottom.

*Smack!*

A crisp slapping sound echoed. Captain Qin Hao nodded inwardly; the feel was really good.

"Ah! Captain, why are you here? Why are you bullying me?" Lin Mengyao woke up groggily, pouting her little mouth in dissatisfaction.

Compared to before, she seemed a bit more cheerful.

Damn, Lin Mengyao pouting her little mouth was absolutely adorable. This pure campus belle was truly full of charm.

Captain Qin Hao felt a surge of wicked fire in his belly. He cradled Lin Mengyao's head and said gently, "Of course, to treat my baby Meng Yao to breakfast."

Lin Mengyao asked, "What are we eating?"

"Treating you to some milk," Captain Qin Hao said with a smile.

"Mmm~"

Captain Qin Hao directly covered Lin Mengyao's mouth, preventing her from speaking.

...

Half an hour later, as Captain Qin Hao prepared to leave the room, he smiled and said, "Meng Yao, you were a great help the past two days. Take a rest today."

Although Lin Mengyao's talent was impressive, seeing how exhausted she looked, Captain Qin Hao decided to give her a day off.

He wanted to let both Lin Mengyao and Li Mengmeng rest more. After all, they had worked too hard. This was also Captain Qin Hao's selfish wish.

At that moment, the life committee member Life Commissioner Xu Jiajia walked over with food, looking at Captain Qin Hao with confusion. "Captain, what were you doing in Meng Yao's room?"

Captain Qin Hao replied, "As the captain of everyone, it's my duty to visit the crew. Meng Yao was too weak yesterday, so I went to check on her."

Life committee member Life Commissioner Xu Jiajia nodded. So that's how it was. She said she was going in to deliver food to the students.

Seeing this, Captain Qin Hao stopped her and quickly said, "Don't deliver to Meng Yao. She's already full."

"Oh, okay then. I'll go deliver to the next student."

Captain Qin Hao broke into a cold sweat. He couldn't let the life committee member go in. Lin Mengyao hadn't tidied up yet and would probably be mortified.

Next, Captain Qin Hao gathered with the girls in the main hall to discuss how many people would venture out for the upcoming desert stage.

Captain Qin Hao suggested, "I think it's still essential for me, the Counselor, Zhao Zihan, and Lu Shuang to go."

"Who else feels their talent is suited for the desert?"

One girl said, "Meng Yao's talent would be useful in the desert too, right? Isn't she going?"

Captain Qin Hao said seriously, "Lin Mengyao's talent is indeed good, but she's been working too hard these past two days. Let her rest today."

Faced with Captain Qin Hao's words, the other girls fell silent.

Joking aside, Lin Mengyao had contributed so much to the team. Who would dare say more? They'd definitely get criticized.

Leng Shi thought for a moment, raised her hand, and said, "I'll go too. The desert is hot. I can make ice cubes to help everyone cool down."

Captain Qin Hao nodded. The temperature outside was so high. Even though everyone's physical fitness had improved, precautions were necessary.

At that moment, Captain Qin Hao also noticed that Lin Mengyao was tiptoeing towards the washbasin to brush her teeth, clearly trying not to disturb everyone.

He found it both funny and exasperating.

Lin Mengyao also heard Captain Qin Hao's words. She was deeply moved. Brother Captain Qin Hao was really good to her, caring for her so much.

Ling Xiaoke suddenly said, "I can go collect materials to prepare for keeping warm in the future."

"Also, I need to make shoes for everyone."

Captain Qin Hao was taken aback for a moment. He looked at the girls and indeed noticed they weren't wearing shoes, their delicate pink feet bare—a different kind of scenery.

So, he had subconsciously forgotten about shoes because their bodies had been enhanced, and their feet's resistance had naturally increased.

Moreover, the first stop, the Verdant Grasslands, had comfortable grass, and the second stop was in the sea. Shoes weren't needed.

This Spaceship was also a clean room, so they weren't necessary there either.

Plus, none of the girls had brought it up, so everyone ended up barefoot.

After all, in this survival game, asking for everything would seem fussy and demanding too much, making them easy targets for criticism.

If they asked for shoes today, wouldn't they ask for cosmetics tomorrow?

Captain Qin Hao nodded seriously and said, "We definitely need to make shoes. Everyone must wear shoes when going out from now on."

"Only inside the Spaceship can you go barefoot!"

"Otherwise, if I find out, she'll have it coming."

His voice was somewhat stern, making the girls quickly nod in agreement, indicating they remembered.

Only then did Captain Qin Hao nod with satisfaction. Although he didn't particularly enjoy this 'delicacy,' he still had to take care of it.

Moreover, after three days, they might encounter other Spaceships. He wouldn't let the girls from his Spaceship go out barefoot.

In the following time, Ling Xiaoke busily completed making shoes for everyone and then distributed them.

When going to the desert later, they only needed to collect some materials.

...

*Rumble!*

A slight sound echoed as the Spaceship finally arrived at its destination.

Captain Qin Hao led Rao Shuqing and the others out.

"Ah, it's so hot."

"My goodness, this weather is scorching. My mouth is parched and dry."

Ling Xiaoke and the others chattered away.