"Tap, tap, tap..."
Yang Mei deftly sliced potatoes into fine, uniform shreds, her knife skills so practiced it was clear she was a seasoned homemaker.
Lin Dong watched as she worked, admiring the slender, translucent strands piling up on the cutting board. He couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
Before the Great Flood, a woman as elegant and capable as her wouldn't have even glanced his way, let alone cooked for him.
As he watched, his gaze involuntarily drifted toward Sister Mei's chest.
The breathtaking curves swayed rhythmically with each chop, rising and falling in mesmerizing waves—almost like the relentless Flood outside, surging and churning without end.
Lin Dong was genuinely impressed by the shirt's durability. The collar looked ready to burst open from the strain, yet the buttons stubbornly held on.
He really wanted to ask what brand it was.
Rich people's clothes truly were built to last.
Suddenly, the steady "tap, tap, tap" grew uneven, the tempo wavering between fast and slow.
Sister Mei, who had been a picture of culinary grace moments ago, now seemed like an awkward beginner in the kitchen.
Lin Dong glanced up and saw that, though her head remained bowed over the cutting board, a faint blush had crept onto Yang Mei's cheeks.
Strands of silky hair clung to her temples, damp with sweat, adding a touch of delicate allure.
Realizing his artistic appreciation had been misinterpreted, Lin Dong cleared his throat and chuckled. "I'll leave you to it. I'll wait in the living room."
"Mhm... okay."
Her reply was barely audible. Only when his footsteps faded did she finally exhale, stealing a glance toward the living room.
The blush on her face gradually faded, but her thoughts remained turbulent, emotions tangled and hard to define.
Instinctively, she looked down at her ample bosom, a mix of resentment and relief stirring within her.
The resentment came from the unwanted attention her curves always drew.
The relief? Well, without them, would Lin Dong have taken her in during such desperate times?
Lin Dong had no idea what she was thinking. If he had, he would've scoffed.
Was Brother Dong really that shallow?
Shaking off the thought, he settled onto the sofa and summoned the system in his mind.
"Now that I have 12 Points, let's try the Lottery."
Rubbing his hands together in excitement, he focused on the Lottery option.
The familiar spinning wheel materialized before him, whirling rapidly as his Points dwindled.
"You spent 1 Point and won a pack of tissues."
"You spent 1 Point and won a bar of soap."
Two attempts, and all he got were basic household items—not even any food.
Lin Dong's heart tightened. "Just daily necessities? No food at all?"
As if sensing his frustration, the system suddenly prompted:
"Would you like to spend Points to increase the Lottery Level?"
His pulse quickened. "What does that mean?"
"The more Points you spend in a single draw, the higher the quality of rewards. Greater expenditure guarantees better prizes."
Lin Dong's eyes lit up. "What can I get with 2 Points?"
The system replied: "The next Lottery Level requires at least 10 Points. Proceed?"
Lin Dong's expression darkened as he checked his Points—only 10 remained.
He hesitated for a moment. Drawing one Point at a time couldn't guarantee the quality of the prizes.
He might end up with ten packs of tissues in one go.
Of course, at this stage, tissues weren't bad either. His household had long run out of them.
But Points were hard to come by, and what he really needed was food.
Another thing—he was quite curious about the Lottery system. What could he get from a 10-Point draw? After some thought, he finally gritted his teeth and decided, "Fine, 10 Points it is. Let's do it!"
The next moment, the Lottery wheel spun rapidly, and the items displayed on it swiftly changed.
The original prizes—tissues, Lao Gan Ma chili sauce, tape—all vanished.
In their place appeared tenderloin, pork ribs, dragon fruit, and all kinds of food!
Not only that, but in the fleeting glimpse of the wheel, Lin Dong even spotted the long-lost instant noodles!
And these prizes weren't measured in single packs—they came in entire boxes!
Ding! You have spent 10 Points and obtained a Primary Lottery Chance.
Ding! Congratulations! You have drawn 10 portions of filet mignon!
Sure enough, a pack of steak appeared in his Item Inventory.
Lin Dong froze for a second before quickly checking the description.
[Filet Mignon]: Premium eye fillet from Australia. Delicious even when eaten raw.
Lin Dong was both shocked and overjoyed. "Filet mignon?!"
Heaven knew that even before the Great Flood, as an overworked office drone, he had never tasted filet mignon.
Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that in the midst of this resource-scarce disaster, he'd get to enjoy authentic Australian eye fillet!
The best part? There were ten whole steaks!
Moreover, he had figured out one crucial detail—as long as he didn't withdraw items from the Item Inventory, they would remain there indefinitely, with no expiration date!
"Wait, if there's an Item Inventory, can I store real-world items in it?"
The thought struck him like lightning. He glanced around and spotted a piece of clothing on the sofa.
He reached out, touched it, and focused his mind. Instantly, the garment disappeared—only to reappear inside his Item Inventory.
"It actually works!"
Lin Dong was ecstatic. This meant he now had an infinite storage space!
And with this storage, he wouldn't even need a refrigerator to preserve food anymore!
He sprang to his feet and dashed to his bedroom.
Gathering all his remaining supplies, he stuffed them wholesale into the Item Inventory.
In an instant, his cramped bedroom was left completely empty.
Lin Dong exhaled deeply, a genuine smile spreading across his face.
"With the system's Item Inventory, I don't have to worry about supplies spoiling or being stolen anymore."
"It's a shame the system appeared so late, after the Great Flood had already spread. Otherwise, with this storage, I could've stockpiled supplies for a hundred years."
He shook his head, dismissing the thought.
Better late than never. Now that he had the system, his confidence in survival had multiplied.
"I need to find a way to earn more Points."
"It seems like Points only come from killing Mutated creatures."
"With the Great Flood, most Mutated creatures are probably underwater now."
Thinking of the system's mention of Mutated Sardines, a sharp glint flashed in Lin Dong's eyes.
"If only I could get my hands on a fishing rod or something like that."
He wasn't an angler and didn't have professional equipment. Otherwise, wouldn't it be easy to earn Points by fishing for Mutated creatures right from his window?
"But fishing from the thirty-second floor seems a bit too high."
"Besides, it's so dark outside—I'd need night fishing gear."
Then he frowned again. With the raging Flood outside and all the debris floating around, fishing would probably be difficult.
There was actually another way to earn Points, but he subconsciously avoided thinking about it.
Mutated creatures weren't just limited to those in the Flood—humans had mutated too.
But the thought of killing people for Points was something Lin Dong found hard to accept.
Though when it came to villains like Liu Erlong, he didn't feel as much psychological burden.
"Little brother, dinner's ready."
Just as he was lost in thought, Yang Mei stood gracefully at the kitchen doorway, holding a plate of shredded pork with potatoes as she called out softly to him.
Lin Dong snapped out of his reverie and got up to head to the table.
Yang Mei quickly set the plate down and eagerly pulled out a chair for him.
"Little brother, try my cooking," she said.
(End of chapter)