C82 The Gun Pointed at a Man Who Was about to Kill Him.(2)

Sun Meng peeked in with a look of curiosity just in time to catch Tang Bing holding Qin Mengli's hand, his gaze fixed intently on her eyes. Qin Mengli's eyes were red and swollen, and she appeared deeply aggrieved. Misinterpreting the scene, Sun Meng blurted out with an embarrassed tone, "Am I interrupting something? Sorry, I'll just step out!"

"Interrupting what?" Tang Bing glanced at her, a hint of irritation in his voice. "I was merely asking her what she needed from me."

Sun Meng eyed Tang Bing, whose face was devoid of emotion, and then Qin Mengli, who was shivering slightly and seemed too scared to speak. The air was thick with awkwardness. Yet, she ventured softly, "Am I not bothering you?"

"What do you want?" Tang Bing responded coolly.

With a grin, Sun Meng bounded into the room and effortlessly took Tang Bing's hand off Qin Mengli, compelling him to release his grip. She then looked up at him playfully and announced, "Hehe, I just wanted to let you know that I'm making fish-flavored shredded pork tonight. You're going to love it!"

"Could you let go of my hand?" Tang Bing turned to look at Sun Meng, who was practically draped over him, and remarked, "You're quite heavy."

"How rude!" Sun Meng's lips turned down in a pout, her mood soured. "How can you say a lady is heavy right to her face? How heartbreaking!"

"Who's worried about you?" Tang Bing shot her a dismissive look, clearly overwhelmed by Sun Meng's exuberant and clingy nature.

Still holding onto Tang Bing's arm, Sun Meng giggled and gave it a playful shake before turning to Qin Mengli. "Mengli, is there something you need? If not, why not go rest for a bit? Dinner will be ready soon!"

The moment Sun Meng arrived, Qin Mengli felt the oppressive tension from Tang Bing lift. It was the perfect opportunity to leave, to retreat to her room and have a moment to compose herself.

Yet, as her eyes landed on the hand Sun Meng was clutching, and noticing Tang Bing's apparent indifference, a wave of discomfort washed over her. Her delicate brows twitched almost imperceptibly, and the urge to leave vanished. Instead, she faced Tang Bing and confessed, "I... I have something to say!"

"Just spit it out. What's on your mind?" Tang Bing regarded Qin Mengli with a calm demeanor, though inwardly he felt a tangle of emotions.

"Mengmeng, are you done with cooking?" Qin Mengli turned to Sun Meng with the question.

Sun Meng blinked, her lips quirking up in a slight smile. "I've finished my part. Teacher Lin will handle the rest. Come on, Mengli, out with it! Or is this a private chat you want with Bing? Should I step out? I'm totally fine with that!"

Qin Mengli was momentarily taken aback, then quickly shook her head. "Whispers? No, what I need to discuss with him is important business!"

Tang Bing studied her face, wondering to himself, 'Is your "important business" how you plan to do me in?'

Sun Meng cocked her head, glancing between Qin Mengli and Tang Bing, then chuckled. "If it's important, then there's no reason for me to leave, right? Bing, it's cool if I stay and listen, isn't it?"

"Could you let go of my hand first?" Tang Bing asked with a hint of resignation.

"Oh, come on! Let me hold on to you! It feels so safe," Sun Meng pleaded in a playful tone. "I've been terrified by all the zombies outside lately, having nightmares every night."

Qin Mengli's eyes flickered before she retorted, "I have nightmares too, but I don't cling like you do. If Tang Bing isn't into it, you should stop bothering him."

Sun Meng gave Qin Mengli a sly smile, then turned her gaze up to Tang Bing. "Bing, you don't like this?"

Tang Bing maintained a stoic expression, but internally he mused, any man would enjoy the embrace of a beautiful woman, wouldn't they? But this is a little too much; I'm just not accustomed to it!

Naturally, he kept these thoughts to himself. Instead, he addressed Qin Mengli, "Let's focus on the matter at hand, shall we?"

Qin Mengli hesitated, then met his gaze firmly. "Fine! Let's get down to the serious issue."

The serious issue of killing me? As Tang Bing peered into her eyes, he couldn't shake the lingering unease within.

Qin Mengli was unaware of Tang Bing's thoughts. After a moment of reflection, she began, "Here's the thing. During my conversation with Liang Hui, it hit me that our team's resource management is far too slack! So..."

Tang Bing listened, his expression one of surprise. He hadn't anticipated Qin Mengli bringing up such a serious issue. He had assumed she would just give a perfunctory response in front of Sun Meng out of guilt.

"Tang Bing, Tang Bing?" Qin Mengli's voice snapped him out of his reverie and back to the present.

"What's up?" Tang Bing asked, looking at her with a puzzled expression.

"I'm saying that I should take over managing our team's resources. It'll be like keeping the books, detailing everything! There should be a log for resource distribution to minimize waste," Qin Mengli stated earnestly. "You and Zhao risk your lives to gather these supplies; they're hard-earned... What do you think?"

"I'm on board!" Before Tang Bing could even respond, Sun Meng chimed in enthusiastically, raising her hand, "Mengli, your idea is brilliant! Resources are so critical now, and if we squander them, we might not feel the impact immediately, but we'll definitely regret it later as they dwindle. Planning ahead is absolutely the right move!"

"See?" Qin Mengli relaxed a bit with Sun Meng's agreement. Turning to her, she asked, "Mengmeng, could you come over and help me iron out the details?"

"Of course!" Sun Meng promptly released Tang Bing's hand and bounded over to Qin Mengli, exclaiming, "Mengli, your idea is fantastic! I'm all in, one hundred percent!"

With Sun Meng no longer by his side, Tang Bing quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, Tang Bing, what's your take?" Qin Mengli felt a weight lift from her shoulders, confident she hadn't shown any weakness and had managed to navigate the situation smoothly. Most importantly, the odd feeling in her chest had vanished now that she didn't have to watch Sun Meng clinging to Tang Bing.

"Uh..." Tang Bing was momentarily disoriented. He genuinely hadn't expected Qin Mengli to come forward with such a proposal.

Her suggestion was actually quite good, considering the current state of our team's resource management is pretty loose. I've been neglecting the supplies left out in the open since I have a virtual backpack full of resources, letting everyone help themselves.

But in this post-apocalyptic world, every resource is incredibly valuable. Wastefulness is definitely not acceptable. It would be ideal to plan and allocate resources so that each person only uses what they need.

With that in mind, he gave Qin Mengli a complex look and nodded slightly, "Let's go with your plan! From now on, you'll oversee the team's resources. Keep accurate records of everything coming in and going out. We're not worried about using resources, but we can't afford to waste them!"

"Alright!" Qin Mengli nodded gently, "I'll do my best."

"Mengli, I'll help you too!" Sun Meng said with a smile to Qin Mengli, "We'll all put in our effort for the team and survive together!"

"Yes!" Qin Mengli agreed, "Exactly, we'll all survive together!"

If it weren't for the Sea Heart's perception ability, which allowed Tang Bing to see the earlier scene clearly, he might have believed that Qin Mengli had approached him just about this issue.

Yet Qin Mengli hadn't taken any action, so Tang Bing decided to keep watching.

If Qin Mengli truly despised him enough to consider violence, he'd come up with a strategy to counter it. With his perception ability, her chances of successfully ambushing him were slim, unless he allowed it to happen!

Tang Bing's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, and he needed to settle down and think things through. Should he confront the issue directly and ensure that Qin Mengli, who might be a threat to his safety, was properly dealt with? Or should he risk his own life for her peace of mind?

Truth be told, neither option was appealing, but he was truly at sixes and sevens!

"I'll head back to my room to grab some paper and a pen, and start inventorying the supplies right away!" Qin Mengli said, seeing that the issue had been temporarily resolved and ready to take action.

"Oh! How about we catch up, Bing?" Sun Meng turned and made her way toward Tang Bing, arms outstretched, likely going in for another embrace.

To Sun Meng's surprise, Qin Mengli suddenly grabbed her, pulling her close. "Hold on! Mengmeng, didn't you promise to help me? Let's go count the supplies together, quick!"

"Hey?" Sun Meng's face fell at the request. "You want me to help out right now?"

"I have no choice! I can't manage it by myself!" Qin Mengli pleaded, tugging at her. "Please, Mengmeng!"

"Seriously!" Sun Meng grumbled, puffing up her cheeks and casting a helpless glance at Tang Bing before reluctantly following Qin Mengli away.