Natural Disaster: I Started By Hoarding Tens Of Billions Of Supplies

The frozen tentacle was still stretched out from between the bars, but Yao Ran's focus shifted to the massive creature trapped inside.

As she tried to get a better look at it, the being inside suddenly whimpered and spoke in a childlike voice, "It hurts… Mommy…"

Yao Ran's eyes flickered with surprise when she heard what it said. Without hesitation, she took out a solar lamp from her space. As she switched it on, the light illuminated the entire room and the cage.

The moment her eyes fell on the thing inside the black iron cage, what she saw left her completely frozen in place.

"They are crazy. All of them are crazy!" she said angrily as she stared at the thing inside the cage.

Standing beside her, Long Yu also stared at the creature inside the cage in shock.

A few seconds later, the creature seemed to notice the sudden brightness in the room and curiously looked around. Noticing Yao Ran and Long Yu standing in front of its cage, it studied them with wide eyes.

After a brief moment, it asked, "Are you my mommy?"

Hearing this question, Yao Ran calmed down. She shook her head and replied, "I'm not your mommy. Do you remember how you got here?"

The creature thought for a moment before shaking its head and hesitantly answering, "I… don't remember."

Long Yu observed its thin face, which clearly belonged to a child around five years old, before shifting his gaze to the four giant tentacles attached to its frail body.

Noticing the pity and helplessness in Long Yu's eyes, the creature tilted its head slightly and asked, "Are you feeling sad for me, Elder Brother?"

Surprised by its sensitivity to his emotions, Long Yu replied, "Yes."

The creature thought for a moment before asking, "Then can you take me out of here? I want to find my mommy. I miss her…"

Long Yu frowned at its request. Before he could answer, Yao Ran spoke. "We can take you out of here, but you need to tell me something first."

"What do you want to know, Elder Sister?" it asked curiously.

Yao Ran hesitated for a second before asking, "Your body… how did it become like this?"

The creature thought for a few seconds before replying, "I only remember being hugged by my mommy before a huge wave swallowed me. When I regained consciousness, I was locked in this cage. Some people in white robes would come from time to time to check on me and hurt me."

"Besides those memories, do you remember anything else?" Yao Ran asked.

It shook its head and began to cry. "I want my mommy…It hurts…"

Seeing that it was telling the truth, Yao Ran softened her tone. "Then why did you attack us just now?"

"I thought you were those people coming to slice my hands and feet again," it answered between sobs.

At its words, Yao Ran and Long Yu's gazes shifted to the creature's tentacles. With the solar lamp illuminating the room, they could see deep scars covering them. Even its small, childlike body was marked with wounds, both deep and shallow.

Seeing this, Yao Ran made a decision. She looked at the creature and asked, "Do you have a name?"

It frowned and answered, "I… forgot."

Yao Ran thought and then said with a gentle smile, "Then I will call you Jiaozi since you look cute like a dumpling."

Hearing her compliment, the creature beamed with joy. It nodded and smiled, "I like that name. Jiaozi… this will be my name from now on."

As Jiaozi spoke, it moved its tentacles and whimpered, "Elder Sister… my tentacle is stuck."

Recalling that one of its tentacles was still frozen to the metal wall, Yao Ran quickly said, "Wait for a moment."

After saying that, she walked back to the entrance and melted the ice that froze its tentacle. As soon as the frozen tentacle was freed, it slowly retracted. When she returned, she saw that the black iron cage had been shattered into pieces.

Knowing it was Long Yu who had destroyed the cage, Yao Ran turned to Jiaozi and explained, "Your body is too big for us to carry. Can you move on your own?"

Jiaozi nodded and then tried to move, but the wounds on its body reopened, and fresh blood seeped out. Wincing from the pain, it stopped and whimpered, "It hurts…"

Yao Ran's eyes flickered as she observed the bright red blood oozing from its wounds. "The blood covering the ground is yours?" she asked.

Jiaozi nodded. "There is only me here. I have been alone since they locked me up."

Yao Ran clenched her fists tightly after listening to Jiaozi's answer. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she said, "I will send you into my space, but I don't know if it will work. Don't be afraid."

Jiaozi nodded. "Alright."

After receiving Jiaozi's consent, Yao Ran waved her hand, attempting to transport Jiaozi into her space. However, the moment Jiaozi entered, something pulled her back, and her huge body reappeared in the room.

Blinking in confusion, Jiaozi said, "Elder Sister, what happened? I just saw a very beautiful place."

Realizing what had just happened, Yao Ran understood that Jiaozi couldn't remain in her space without her being inside as well. That meant Jiaozi wasn't a mutant, an animal, or a monster. Jiaozi was human.

With this in mind, Yao Ran looked at Jiaozi and explained, "The space won't let you stay inside without me accompanying you. We need to find another way to bring you out of here."

Hearing this, Jiaozi said, "Elder Sister, I can shrink my body."

Before Yao Ran could react, Jiaozi suddenly trembled, and its massive form slowly shrank. When she reached the size of a five-year-old child, she said, "This is the limit. I can't get any smaller than this."

Looking at Jiaozi, Yao Ran felt heartache—something she hadn't felt in years. She bent down, lifted Jiaozi into her arms, and gently said, "Close your eyes and don't make a sound."