CH 122

In a place like Cang Zhan Star, no one would willingly take on the role of so-called protector without compensation. Nan Ge’s words in this passage are blunt but undeniably true.

After the Shui Jing Gong decided on the Great Migration, spreading the news only offered other bases with migration intentions an opportunity to choose. Many hands make light work, and during the migration journey, the Shui Jing Gong consistently played the role of pioneers, scouting and clearing the path, resolving numerous dangers and troubles.

The fleet that followed benefited greatly, but even so, there were still greedy individuals who remained unsatisfied. Especially when they discovered that the Shui Jing Gong possessed something that could withstand storms, there was always a lingering desire to share.

It was only at moments like these that Nan Ge realized that besides prisoners of war and a few exiles, many on Cang Zhan Star were sentenced to life imprisonment.

However, the overly harmonious nature of the Shui Jing Gong made him forget the ugliness of human nature, but not every base was like the Shui Jing Gong. Speaking of which, the Shui Jing Gong wasn’t always so harmonious from the start. Initially, most of those who came seeking the fame of Gu Langu were warriors, considering that Gu Langu’s reputation at the time was associated with uncontrolled killings and slaughter.

However, after more than half a year with no action from Gu Langu, those warlike individuals gradually left, leaving behind mostly those who preferred tranquility and had no desire for fame or fortune. When the Hu Sichen base joined later, they weren’t people with sensitive thoughts or a knack for scheming.

This is how the harmony and cohesion of the Shui Jing Gong’s people came to be, a rare composition on Cang Zhan Star. Of course, besides these coincidences, their greatest reliance was encountering Shu Shuishui, or rather, Gu Langu finding Shu Shuishui.

On the resource-deprived Cang Zhan Star, Shu Shuishui was like an external boost, providing them with a superior living environment and a stable source of food. These were the prerequisites for development. After all, no matter how strong the emotional bond is, when faced with the test of survival, turmoil could arise. The stability of the Shui Jing Gong was also due to its abundant material foundation, which kept everyone gathered around it.

Nan Ge dismissed the people in the meeting room and discussed with Liu Po about joining the Shui Jing Gong. Because they both knew the situation well, things proceeded smoothly. After joining the Shui Jing Gong, the B Zone members would be distributed among various teams as usual, and Liu Po would also take on the role of team leader. These arrangements were consistent with what Hu Sichen received.

The next step was to reorganize the fleet and allocate personnel, allowing the two bases to truly integrate with each other as soon as possible. The challenges they would face during the upcoming journey would be an opportunity to solidify the Shui Jing Gong once again.

Liu Po and Nan Ge spread the news, and they decided to reassign the ships and dormitories in the evening.

While everyone was busy with the integration of the two major bases, Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu were buried in piles of books, searching for usable symbols and formations. The storm they experienced today made Shu Shuishui feel the crisis, and for the sake of everyone’s safety, he believed it was necessary to find practical means to resist the storms.

At ten in the evening, the fleet gradually slowed down, looking for a suitable place to anchor and rest.

The news of B Zone joining the Shui Jing Gong had already spread, and both members from the two bases felt varying degrees of anxiety. Some in the Shui Jing Gong were a bit resistant, but the fact that it was B Zone that joined brought an element of anticipation.

After all, during this period of interaction, they had often come into contact with B Zone members, and they were somewhat familiar with each other. They were not entirely used to the idea of redistributing dormitories, but it wasn’t a matter of outright rejection either.

The real unease was among the B Zone members, especially after this storm. They all knew it was the items and strategies provided by the Shui Jing Gong that had helped them successfully weather the storm. And during this period, it was impossible not to envy the Shui Jing Gong. The Shui Jing Gong’s residents lived on ships that were comfortable and safe, they had an abundance of food every day, and occasionally, they could even enjoy luxurious fruits. The people of the Shui Jing Gong were particularly united, making others feel safe and warm.

But the questions naturally arose when joining such a Shui Jing Gong: Would they be treated equally? Would they receive the same treatment? Would they be treated as inferior from now on? These thoughts were uncontrollable.

Another group that wasn’t used to the situation was the gray rats. In fact, the gray rats were quite timid. When the people from B Zone boarded the ship, the gray rats had sensed it in advance and quickly fled, avoiding any contact with them.

So, until now, the people from B Zone had no idea that within the seemingly clean, tidy, and beautiful ships of the Shui Jing Gong, there were many giant mutant gray rats living. After all, when they boarded, the ship had been cleaned so thoroughly that not even a speck of dust could be seen.

Because the gray rats were now also members of the Shui Jing Gong, Nan Ge had specifically asked Shu Shuishui to communicate with them in advance. To show his sincerity, Shu Shuishui had transformed into the form of a dormouse and put on a mini formal outfit, complete with a small bowtie. After inspecting himself in the mirror and consulting Gu Langu’s opinion, he confidently took small steps to find the leader of the gray rats.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?” Gu Langu asked anxiously at the door.

Shu Shuishui waved his paw confidently. “Don’t worry, Gu Gu. I can handle a rat on my own. You’re too tall; I’m afraid it might scare the rats.”

“Alright,” Gu Langu responded somewhat helplessly. “Then go and come back soon, Shui Shui.”

Shu Shuishui adjusted his bowtie once more. “I’ll be quick. When I come back, I’ll make Braised Pork for Gu Gu.”

“Okay,” Gu Langu said, obediently.

With that, Shu Shuishui left with a sense of ceremony, and he found the room where the rat leader was located. He noticed that the room door wasn’t tightly closed; there was a crack just wide enough for Shu Shuishui to slip through. He briefly hesitated, wondering if the rats had somehow known about his visit, and left the door open for him. With this thought in mind, Shu Shuishui squeezed through the opening.

Not long after Shu Shuishui left, a young rat emerged from under their beds. It looked somewhat familiar to Gu Langu. He handed a newly made small flag to the young rat, and the young rat skillfully extended its paw to shake hands with Gu Langu, indicating pleasant cooperation.

“May business flourish, and cooperation be enjoyable,” Gu Langu said as they shook hands. There was a rare hint of a smile in his eyes as if he could already imagine the endless stream of secret earnings that were about to come.

With the flag in tow, the young rat quickly left the room.

On the other side, Shu Shuishui entered the room of the rat leader. As soon as he walked in, he noticed that the room was quite crowded, not because of too many rats, but too many humans.

The rat leader seemed to be in a temper, chirping away in a language that Shu Shuishui couldn’t understand. The person standing beside him appeared quite obedient, like a well-behaved elementary school student, and the whole scene looked odd no matter how you looked at it.

“What’s happening?” Shu Shuishui asked, feeling somewhat puzzled.

Before the rat leader could respond, one of the people spoke up. “Hi, Shui Shui. Here’s the thing – a few of us have been experiencing some hair loss recently, maybe due to the change in environment or something. We’ve been shedding a few strands of hair on the floor. The rats seem a bit upset about it; they’ve been squeaking angrily for nearly half an hour now. We can’t understand what they’re saying, but we can tell they’re really mad.”

The speaker and the other three men all seemed somewhat aggrieved. How clean could the dormitory of four grown men be? They considered it an achievement if they managed to tidy up their beds, wash their clothes on time, and sweep the floor daily. Losing a few strands of hair was nothing, but apparently, a rat was even more fastidious than a person.

The rat leader lifted its head slightly in response, emitting a proud series of squeaks.

Shu Shuishui nodded while listening as if indicating agreement. Occasionally, he would emit a squeak or two in response.

The group waited in confusion for a moment, and finally, Shu Shuishui finished communicating with the rats. He then explained to his dormitory mates, “The rats are saying that they have fur all over their bodies, but there isn’t a single rat hair on the floor. You guys have hair only on your heads, but there are several strands on the floor. Besides, some rat pups are in the process of learning to build nests, and it’s when they like to collect nest-making materials from around. Hair can easily mislead the young rats…”

As Shu Shuishui explained, it all sounded quite reasonable, leaving no room for argument.

Upon hearing the explanation, the four members of the dormitory lowered their heads in embarrassment and promised to be more careful in the future. The rat leader nodded in satisfaction.

With the hair issue resolved, Shu Shuishui shifted the conversation to business. “Because of B Zone joining the Shui Jing Gong, there will be some adjustments in the dormitory. The rats might also get new teammates. What I mean is, let’s take this opportunity to introduce ourselves formally, so the cute little friends from B Zone won’t be startled. After all, we’re all so fluffy.”

Upon hearing the mention of new teammates, the gray rat, who had initially looked a bit displeased, perked up his whiskers. However, when he heard the rest of the sentence, he nodded in agreement. Clearly, whether it was Shu Shuishui or the gray rat, they both took pride in their fluffiness.

Speaking of changing dormitories, both rats and humans were very reluctant. Outside, there were already sounds of tearful farewells as they had to part ways with the rats. Obviously, they had enjoyed their time together immensely. While most of the rats were fastidious, their presence had kept the dormitories clean and tidy, and sometimes they even provided some companionship.

So when the evening came for the dormitory switch, the B Zone residents, feeling anxious, boarded the ship, only to find that those who were preparing to switch to B Zone dorms and their new roommates were there to welcome them.

But apart from that, almost every welcoming party had a huge mutated gray rat standing by their side. Many of the rats were holding small flags, clearly in a welcoming mood.

Some people with keen eyes quickly noticed that almost every flag had different words written on them.

“Gray Rat Company, welcome and enjoy.”

“Room cleaning for a week for one sweet potato, a special family price. Feel free to inquire.”

“Welcome new roommates. Get to know Gray Rat Company.”

“Gray Rat Company welcomes you, making you feel at home.”

The B Zone residents were baffled, and their initial unease was quickly replaced by a mixture of amusement and curiosity. Everyone wanted to know more about Gray Rat Company.

Some of those who were leaving even made sure to confirm with the rats that they could invite Gray Rat Company for in-home services anytime, before reluctantly departing.