Chapter 102

Chapter 102

Qin Nan heard Qi Shuping’s words, and he harbored the same doubts in his heart.

Once Jian Fan stepped away from Qi Shuping’s side, Qin Nan cautiously tugged at Jian Fan’s sleeve and lowered his voice. “Is that really how it is?”

Xu Tian’s decision to attack Qi Shuping at that moment led to the logical inference that they were capable of avoiding the Green Bubbles. As for why she was so certain, it was highly likely that the method to neutralize the Green Bubbles was relatively simple-perhaps, as Qi Shuping suggested, they would simply dissipate on their own.

However, that was only one possibility. The fact that Qi Shuping spoke with such absolute certainty was what Qin Nan couldn’t quite wrap his head around.

“I don’t know,” Jian Fan replied.

His thoughts mirrored Qin Nan’s. Qi Shuping was not the type to be so arbitrary or so certain without sufficient evidence or clues. This meant that Qi Shuping might be hiding something.

And it was precisely whatever she was hiding that allowed her to make such a judgment.

What could it be?

Jian Fan looked at Qi Shuping, his brow furrowing slightly.

In truth, he still harbored suspicions regarding Qi Shuping.

But conversely, looking at it from Qi Shuping’s perspective, it was only right for her to be cautious. Although Xu Tian had disappeared, could she be certain that the remaining Players were all real Players?

Even if they were real, how could she be sure they wouldn’t turn on her, even if they had saved her just moments ago?

“Whether the Green Bubbles will dissipate or not, we’ll know if we just wait and see. If it’s truly as Professor Qi says, it’s undoubtedly good news for us. But by the same token, we have another problem right now,” Qin Weiyi spoke up.

There was no need to obsess over certain things. Just because Qi Shuping spoke with certainty didn’t make it a fact; they could just take her word for it for now. Agonizing over its truth was pointless. Right now, there were clearly more pressing matters at hand.

Namely, how they were going to survive before the Green Bubbles vanished.

“We have no supplies right now. First, food is an issue. Second, as time passes and night falls…” Qin Weiyi trailed off, but everyone understood his meaning.

The group looked at one another, then assessed their own conditions.

The Tents were all gone. Whether it was the supplies from the Airdrop or the Tents they had exchanged for themselves, everything had vanished within the Green Bubbles. Then there were the Down Jackets…

It was indeed cold at night, but once morning came, the temperature began to rise. Since they had been inside the Tents, many people had taken off their Down Jackets. During the frantic escape just now, it was obvious that many had failed to bring theirs along.

Jian Fan and Qin Nan had their Down Jackets, so they could scrape by through the night. But for those without them, like Yellow Hair, wouldn’t they have to at least exchange for a new Down Jacket or a Tent?

That all cost Points.

Furthermore, the Points Mall had a very predatory setting.

For instance, a Down Jacket cost fifty Points for the first exchange. However, the second exchange would cost sixty Points. The more times an item was exchanged, the more Points they would have to pay.

With the meager Points they had, how long could they last?

Even if the Green Bubbles dissipated on their own, given their current situation, even if they were lucky enough to leave this world in the end, their Points would likely be wiped out back to zero.

“There must be a way that doesn’t involve just sitting around waiting for death,” Jian Fan said.

“Have you thought of something?” Qin Nan asked.

Jian Fan didn’t answer. Instead, he looked at Qin Nan and asked, “Tell me everything about how you first discovered the Green Bubbles, down to the smallest detail.”
“It wasn’t anything special, really. I was just by the shore and wanted to wash my face to clear my head. There was nothing unusual while I was washing. But once I finished, I saw what looked like Green Bubbles in the water. Then, the sea breeze blew the water onto the sand, and those things suddenly started spreading rapidly.”

As soon as Qin Nan finished speaking, Lu Jing suddenly chuckled. “It wasn’t because of you washing your face, was it?”

The moment those words left his mouth, Qin Nan shot him a chilling glare.

Caught in that gaze, Lu Jing cleared his throat awkwardly. “I was just joking.”

“It’s not funny at all,” Qin Nan said fiercely. Given where they were, Lu Jing might have meant nothing by it, but what if someone else took it to heart? Qin Nan had no desire to become a target of public resentment for no reason.

Seeing Lu Jing get snapped at, Qin Weiyi immediately spoke up to defend him. “Lu Jing might be joking, but he’s not necessarily wrong. There might actually be a connection between you touching the seawater and the appearance of these unknown organisms.”

How could Qin Nan possibly accept that?

He retorted immediately, “Professor Qi said earlier that these Green Bubbles already existed. We just happened to be there when they appeared. If I follow your logic and say I created these things, does that mean they didn’t exist before? I just washed my face; I’m not capable of conjuring up something like this.”

“But you have to admit, the Green Bubbles only appeared after you came into contact with the water,” Qin Weiyi pointed out.

No one expected that a simple joke from Lu Jing would cause the only two people in the team sharing a surname to start arguing.

Qin Nan was over ten years older than Qin Weiyi, but because of his own impulsive actions, he had found himself at a disadvantage from the start.

“Jian Fan, you say something.” Qin Nan grabbed Jian Fan, calling for backup.

So what if Qin Weiyi was a genius? He had a genius companion too!

Qin Nan waited for Jian Fan to win the argument for him, but after a long while, Jian Fan showed no intention of speaking. Qin Nan finally turned to look at him and said, somewhat displeased, “You don’t share Qin Weiyi’s opinion, do you?”

Hearing Qin Nan’s dissatisfied tone, Jian Fan finally withdrew his gaze from the distant sea. “Your actions and the appearance of the Green Bubbles are definitely not a coincidence. Perhaps the alternative to just sitting here waiting for death lies with you.”

Qin Nan: “???”

“Whose side are you on anyway?” Qin Nan stared at Jian Fan in disbelief.

Jian Fan paused for a moment before asking, “Is there a problem with what I said or what you asked?”

Qin Nan was choked with frustration.

To make matters worse, Qin Weiyi continued to fan the flames with a smile. “Hear that? Jian Fan thinks so too. Qin Nan, stop struggling.”

“It’s different,” Jian Fan countered Qin Weiyi’s statement, explaining word by word. “I don’t believe the Green Bubbles were brought here by Qin Nan. It’s just that, based on the current situation, Qin Nan is the only one who has had contact with them. There’s a high probability that the clues are on him.”

Hearing this, Qin Weiyi set aside his playful mood and began to think seriously along the lines of Jian Fan’s suggestion.

As things stood, they couldn’t find anything related to the Green Bubbles, let alone a way to leave. This made Qin Nan-the first person to discover the bubbles and the one who had touched the seawater-stand out exceptionally.

“I agree with your hypothesis, but…” Qin Weiyi sized Qin Nan up from head to toe. “He hasn’t undergone any changes after touching the seawater.”