After confirming that Chen Shouzhou and his group meant no harm, the scrawny little cat was no longer afraid. It strode with an elegant gait, circling the three of them, curiously examining these strange humans and their strange "home" with its emerald-green eyes.
Finally, as if it had made a momentous decision, it walked over to Chen Shouzhou's feet, gently rubbed its fluffy little head against his pant leg, and let out a contented "purrrr," refusing to leave.
"Hey, this little guy seems to have taken a liking to our food," Chen Shouzhou said with a smile, crouching down.
A'Jie asked, a bit puzzled, "Chen-ge, are you going to keep it? We... don't seem to have enough to feed too many idle people... I mean, idle cats."
"Who said it's an idle cat?" Chen Shouzhou reached out and carefully stroked the cat's head. The kitten closed its eyes in comfort. He looked at it thoughtfully and said, "Don't forget who our biggest enemy is. This little guy might know how to deal with rats better than we do."
He named the little cat, whose mottled fur resembled wheat, "Xiao Mai" (Little Wheat).
As it turned out, Chen Shouzhou's intuition was correct. The next morning, when everyone woke up, they found Xiao Mai sitting primly at the warehouse entrance. At its feet lay a plump mutated rat with its throat bitten through. Like a general presenting its spoils of war, it held its head high, waiting for its master's praise.
The Guide's translucent figure quietly appeared. He looked at the scene and analyzed in his usual placid tone: "According to the system scan, this feline creature possesses a highly sensitive sense of smell and hunting instinct far superior to its peers, with a natural suppressive effect on rodents. Recommendation: Officially incorporate it into the safe house's pet system to effectively reduce underground biological threats."
"Did you hear that, Xiao Mai?" Chen Shouzhou said proudly, picking up the cat. "Even the system has given you an offer. From now on, you're our safe house's 'Special Commissioner for Rodent Extermination'!"
To prevent retaliation from the remnants of the rat swarm and to protect their precious farmland, Chen Shouzhou decided they must establish a comprehensive patrol and defense mechanism for the farm area.
He assigned A'Jie, the boy who also had a hunter's talent, to be in charge of training Xiao Mai. Every day, A'Jie would take Xiao Mai on patrol around the warehouse, teaching it how to use its sense of smell to accurately identify hidden rat holes. The boy and the cat worked together with remarkable默契 (tacit understanding), quickly becoming the safe house's top "anti-ambush reconnaissance team."
Chen Shouzhou, meanwhile, threw himself into the development of the farmland. Using the [Simple Irrigation] function unlocked by the system (after the water purification mission), he began to level and plan the land more scientifically. He dug a crisscrossing network of irrigation ditches, which, though crude, were sufficient to evenly distribute their precious water resources to every inch of the soil.
Su Wan'er was not idle either. She assisted Chen Shouzhou, using more scrap plastic sheeting and wire to build several sturdy, simple frames to shelter the delicate seedlings from sun and rain, protecting them from the harsh wasteland weather.
Four people, two dogs, and one cat, each with their own role. The entire safe house was immersed in a busy and hopeful atmosphere of construction. The small plot of farmland, through their efforts, began to take shape, like a green jewel set in the gray, desolate wasteland.
One quiet night, Chen Shouzhou, on duty in the watchtower, suddenly heard an urgent, anxious scratching sound from below.
He looked down and saw Xiao Mai, its fur on end, frantically scratching at a spot on the ground near the warehouse entrance, letting out a threatening "hiss."
"We've got a situation!" Chen Shouzhou was instantly on alert.
Following Xiao Mai's lead, he carefully inspected the spot on the ground and, sure enough, found a cleverly disguised, newly dug rat hole.
"Those bastards just don't give up!"
He immediately notified the sleeping A'Jie and Lin Mo. The three of them quickly set up new traps and concocted an even more pungent rodent repellent, making full preparations.
That night, a "suicide squad" of a few cunning mutated rats indeed tried to use the new tunnel to attack a weak point in the warehouse.
But what greeted them was the already-ambushed trio and a line of defense composed of bear traps, caltrops, and "chili-feces water."
The battle didn't last long and ended with the complete annihilation of the attackers.
After cleaning up the battlefield, Chen Shouzhou held Xiao Mai, who had performed meritoriously, and said with satisfaction, "You little thing, you're more sensitive than a radar! You get an extra meal tonight. Canned fish!"
Su Wan'er looked at Xiao Mai purring in his arms, a gentle smile on her face. She walked to his side and, in a voice that could now form simple syllables, added softly:
"It... is family now."
"Right!" A'Jie also nodded emphatically. "I think it can also help us find more survivors who need help, just like us."
Xiao Mai seemed to understand their praise. It let out a soft "meow," jumped down from Chen Shouzhou's arms, leaped gracefully onto the windowsill, and began to lick its paws, enjoying the moonlight with the air of a master who "hides their achievements and fame."
The system's prompt also sounded warmly at this moment.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing the hidden mission 'Farmland Sprouts'. The safe house's self-sufficiency system has been preliminarily established!]
[Reward: 'Basic Seed Bank' unlocked. Please select your first batch of officially certified crops!]
A translucent screen unfolded in front of Chen Shouzhou. Three shining options appeared on it.
[A. Corn (High yield, easy to store)]
[B. Potato (High starch, easy to grow)]
[C. Chili Pepper (Special crop, with multiple uses such as insect repellent and crafting irritant weapons)]
Chen Shouzhou looked at the three options and, without hesitation, tapped C.
He grinned, revealing his signature, "nuclear-level-benevolent" smile.
"We need to keep preparing some authentic and flavorful 'hometown dishes' for those clueless rats and robbers!"
Seeing his expression, everyone couldn't help but laugh together.
At that moment, the faint sound of an engine's roar slowly drifted from the distant highway.
Chen Shouzhou's smile froze instantly. He rushed to the watchtower and raised his binoculars.
A battered but exceptionally sturdy-looking pickup truck, its dim yellow headlights on, was driving straight towards their safe house, neither too fast nor too slow...