Chapter 33: The Blackout Plan  

 Gu Anqing picked at her rice, shooting Liu Shuang'er a resentful look before grumbling: 

"Shuang'er, some best friend you are. Couldn't even spare a thought for me—don't you see how swamped I am?" 

Huang Ming waved a hand, signaling her to relax. 

"Senior Anqing, no rush. There's always time. Besides, I'd love to taste your cooking." 

At that, a faint blush crept onto Gu Anqing's cheeks. 

She could cook—but this would be the first time making a meal for a guy. A small thrill bubbled inside her, a secret eagerness she couldn't quite suppress. 

"Fine. Once we finish prepping these emergency supplies, I'll give it a shot." 

Liu Shuang'er smirked, looking unbearably pleased with herself—until Huang Ming doused her triumph with a bucket of cold reality. 

"Shuang'er, how about you and Anqing take turns cooking? Variety's the spice of life, after all. Nobody wants to eat the same thing every day." 

"Hmph! Fine, but you'd better appreciate this, you big oaf. Two campus goddesses cooking for you? You should be thanking your lucky stars!" 

Shuang'er, ever the wild card, doubled down on teasing him, sending Gu Anqing into a fit of giggles. 

Dinner passed in lively chatter, the three of them laughing like they were on some apocalyptic vacation, the horrors outside completely irrelevant. 

Once the meal ended, Liu Shuang'er volunteered to clean up. She knew Gu Anqing still had work to do and didn't make a fuss—earning a quiet nod of approval from Huang Ming. 

His biggest fear had been the girls turning on each other, scheming and competing in petty ways. But maybe he'd worried for nothing. 

Settling onto the couch, he flicked on the TV, scanning for any official updates. 

Most channels were static, save for a few government-run news broadcasts. 

The latest report delivered grim news: 

Power plants, crippled by staff and resource shortages, could no longer sustain normal operations. Tianhai City would soon face a total blackout. 

The only silver lining? A daily one-to-two-hour window of electricity at noon. 

The announcement sent another wave of unease through Huang Ming. If things were this dire outside, energy shortages had reached catastrophic levels. Rationing was now the only option. 

A smug satisfaction curled in his chest. Good thing I stockpiled energy supplies before all hell broke loose. He could generate his own power—unlike poor Li Chang'an. 

Speak of the devil. 

Li Chang'an's voice call buzzed through. Huang Ming glanced at the screen and answered. 

"Ming-ge, you got any water left? We're out—can't even boil instant noodles. Think you could…?" 

"Sure. Come grab it from my place. And take the stairs." 

"Got it. It's pitch-black out—nobody'll see me." 

After hanging up, Huang Ming left two jugs of water by the door, then stuffed a backpack with high-calorie snacks for Li Chang'an to take back. 

True to form, Li Chang'an moved like a shadow. Within minutes, he was at the door, hefting both water jugs with ease despite his stocky frame. The backpack dangled from his neck as he scurried off. 

Watching the security feed, Huang Ming and Liu Shuang'er exchanged amused glances but said nothing. 

Back in his own apartment, Li Chang'an was met by Zhou Ting, who immediately stepped in to help. She'd known where he was going—and the sight of two water jugs and a bag of food only cemented her belief: Huang Ming was no ordinary man. 

Li Chang'an ripped open two cups of noodles, poured water into the kettle, and soon, steam rose as it boiled. 

Dinner was served—one cup each for him and Zhou Ting. 

Zhou Ting, who'd once turned her nose up at "junk food," now savored every drop of broth. 

Survival had a way of reshuffling priorities. Worrying about her figure or food quality? A luxury of the past. If she didn't adapt, she'd starve. 

And she'd made up her mind: she would learn useful skills. Because one thing was certain—Huang Ming didn't tolerate dead weight. 

As Zhou Ting ate, the group chat erupted. 

The blackout announcement had sent everyone into a frenzy. 

"You all see the news? Tianhai's cutting power soon—just one or two hours a day! How are we supposed to live like this?" 

The complaint came from Ma Tao, who punctuated his message by gnawing on what looked like a mold-speckled piece of bread. 

"Who cares about the blackout? Two hours is plenty. It's the water shortage that's disgusting. I haven't showered in days—I reek!" 

Gao Weiwei's reply oozed frustration. Her recent activities with Wang Lei hadn't helped. The lack of washing had left her itchy, sour—enough that even he was keeping his distance. 

She had bottled water, sure. But drinking it was one thing. Wasting it on hygiene? Unthinkable. 

Reading her message, Huang Ming's lips twitched upward, amusement flashing across his face. 

Liu Shuang'er, leaning against him as she scrolled, rolled her eyes so hard they nearly got stuck. She didn't need to guess what he was thinking. 

Meanwhile, Wang Gang was busy dabbing himself with a damp towel. He tossed another comment into the chat: 

"There are three supermarkets on campus. Enough water for all of us to bathe multiple times. Problem is, they're not as close as the cafeteria was to Building 10." 

"Yeah, right. Going there now is suicide. Even Building 7 took heavy losses just hitting the cafeteria. The supermarkets? No shot." 

Wang Lei shut down the idea fast. He might've been impulsive, but he wasn't stupid. A supermarket run was a death wish. 

"We can't do it alone. But if we team up with other buildings… maybe?" 

Ji Dayong's suggestion hung in the air. Food wouldn't last forever. Sooner or later, they'd have to venture out—and while other survivors still breathed, they might as well use them. 

"Exactly. Why let them starve when we can push them toward the supermarkets? Let them take the risk." 

Ma Tao's eyes gleamed as he typed, the wheels turning behind his words. 

"This needs planning. No half-measures. Everyone, weigh in." 

Wang Lei, sensing the group's rising momentum, felt the itch too. Maybe it was time to gamble. If they played it right, they could walk away with supplies.