Chapter Seven: Eldest Sister-in-law

The next morning, Qin Yu rose early. Besides gathering supplies from the supermarket, she had decided to visit the casino to see if she could acquire some firearms. Though her water ability was rather useless in the apocalypse, it was more than enough to deal with ordinary people for the time being.

When night fell, Qin Yu slipped into S City’s largest casino under the cover of darkness—a location she’d tracked down after some online research. She wasn’t a top-tier hacker, but tracing a casino was well within her abilities.

Inside, the air was thick with the scent of excess and decadence. Gambling—one careless move could lead to utter ruin.

Qin Yu’s mental strength, honed in the apocalypse, far surpassed that of ordinary people. Navigating the casino was a breeze for her, and by the time her chips neared two hundred million—

“Miss, our boss would like to see you.” Standing beside her was a middle-aged man, exuding a deliberately restrained aura. But Qin Yu, shaped by her tribulations, sensed the suppressed violence within him.

She smiled lightly. “Very well,” she replied, following him upstairs.

Upstairs, in a room furnished with an antique simplicity, a man watched the scene unfold and gave a brief command to the person beside him. Swirling the wine in his glass, he seemed lost in thought.

The middle-aged man led Qin Yu into a room that surprised her with its stark simplicity: a wooden table, a few stools, and nothing more. The space felt unusually empty.

Sitting on a stool was a strikingly dressed woman. Qin Yu raised her brows in mild surprise—the boss was a woman. She said nothing, though; in this world, a woman’s power was not to be underestimated.

“I wonder, may I know your name, little sister?” The woman’s laughter was warm, her perfect smile fixed on Qin Yu.

“Qin Yu,” she replied flatly.

“Oh? So it’s Little Yu. What brings you to my casino today?”

Qin Yu glanced at the woman, then smiled. “It’s refreshing to talk with someone so perceptive. I won’t waste words—yes, I have a request.”

“Oh? And what might that be?” the woman asked, raising her brows with a smile.

“I’ll be direct. I want a shipment of firearms. I have no need for any of the money I’ve won—what I need is a certain amount of weaponry.” Qin Yu studied the woman’s face, searching for a reaction.

To her surprise, the woman broke into laughter. “Firearms, is it? Since you’re so straightforward, I find myself quite fond of you. I’ll help with this. But weapons are hard to come by in this country—they’re contraband, after all. Right now, I can manage about a thousand guns and ammunition, plus some grenades. Will that do?”

Qin Yu hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly. After a moment’s thought, she nodded. “That’s fine.”

The woman’s smile widened with delight. “My name is Meng Ke. You may call me Sister Ke’er.” Meng Ke winked mischievously at her.

Qin Yu was taken aback by the sudden change in Meng Ke’s demeanor, but could only smile helplessly. “Sister Ke’er,” she echoed.

She found herself behaving oddly—after surviving the apocalypse, she understood human nature all too well and should have been wary. But facing Meng Ke, she couldn’t help but trust her, for no reason she could name. She simply felt Meng Ke would not harm her.

Qin Yu gave Meng Ke the address of her warehouse. Meng Ke promised to have the goods delivered the next day, then ordered someone to escort Qin Yu back to her hotel.

Though Qin Yu found Meng Ke’s attitude toward her puzzling, with the weapons secured she felt a measure of safety. Still, she resolved to visit C City. In the early days of the apocalypse, only the military possessed firearms, and she had no intention of being cut down before she had the power to protect herself and those around her. Caution was her path.

Besides, there was something in C City she absolutely had to reclaim.

Meanwhile, in that same antique room, Meng Ke looked at the man sitting across from her, a teasing smile on her lips. “Oh? Interested in Little Yu, are you? Want me to help her out? Tell me, how will you repay me? Hmm? How about with yourself?” Her tone was playful, but a trace of bitterness lay beneath the jest.

Feng Ji gazed helplessly at the woman’s forced smile, sighing inwardly. “No, you know me better than that. I have my reasons for helping Qin Yu. Now’s not the time to explain, but one day, you’ll understand.”

“Hmph! All those grand excuses. I’m done with you—figure it out yourself. I’m going to check the goods.” Annoyed but resigned, Meng Ke turned and left the room—she knew that once he decided to keep silent, no amount of pleading would change his mind.

Alone, Feng Ji murmured, “Sister-in-law…”