Chapter 33 Renting a House
As night deepened, the iron door to the isolation room was pushed open again.
A tall man helped his pregnant wife into the room, followed by two teenagers. The man's gaze swept across the room, finally settling on the empty lower bunk of Ruan Ning.
"Excuse me, my wife needs a lower bunk." His voice was hoarse but carried an undeniable air of authority.
Just as Lin Yan was about to lash out, Ruan Ning gently pressed her down and moved her luggage to the upper bunk: "Please go ahead."
The man carefully helped his wife sit down, and the two children stood obediently by the bed. Only then did he look up at Ruan Ning: "Thank you. I am Lei Lie, a strength-type."
Just then, the door opened again, and a middle-aged man in a worn-out suit walked in carrying a briefcase, with no one behind him. He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and chose the upper bunk in the far corner.
"Another pretentious one," the speed-oriented youth sneered.
The man in the suit didn't seem to care and took out a notebook from his briefcase to start taking notes.
Old Chen leaned closer to Ruan Ning and whispered, "See? Lei Lie with his family, and the man in the suit who comes alone. These are the two types of people in the base."
Lei Lie's wife suddenly started gagging, and her two children surrounded her in a panic.
"Water..." the woman said weakly.
Lei Lie hurriedly searched his luggage, only to find that the water bottle was already empty.
Ruan Ning silently handed over her water bottle: "It's clean."
Lei Lie paused for a moment, then solemnly accepted the gift: "I will remember this favor."
In the dead of night, a scream shattered the silence: "Ah—!"
The speed-type youth was seen grabbing Lei Lie's daughter's arm, with compressed biscuits scattered on the ground.
"You little thief! How dare you steal my food!" the young man cursed angrily.
The girl burst into tears, crying, "I didn't... the cookie fell down by itself..."
Lei Lie stood up abruptly, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked: "Let go of my daughter."
The speed-oriented youth sneered: "What? You want to make a move?"
Just then, the man in the suit suddenly spoke up: "The surveillance camera is in the upper left corner. Base regulations state that anyone caught fighting will be disqualified from staying."
The young man's expression changed, and he let go of her hand, cursing as he returned to his bed.
Lei Lie picked up his daughter and carried her back to their bed. Ruan Ning noticed the calluses on Lei Lie's fists, marks left from years of handling knives.
Zhou Min whispered, "This Lei Lie is no ordinary person."
Under the moonlight, undercurrents surged within the isolation ward.
Ruan Ning lay on the hard upper bunk, listening to the rising and falling breaths below. Here, every choice could determine life or death, and every act of kindness could sow the seeds of future consequences.
She gently stroked the jade bracelet mark on her wrist and closed her eyes.
Tomorrow will be a new beginning.
The next day, after leaving the isolation room, everyone looked rather unwell, having been woken up by a sudden cold snap in the middle of the night.
Last night around midnight, the temperature suddenly dropped. The current problem facing human survival is the harsh winter. Without enough warm clothing, many people may freeze to death in the first cold winter after the apocalypse.
After leaving the isolation room, guided by the staff, they went directly to the Hall of Superpowered Individuals in the center of the safe base to register and rent a house.
The staff member handed me a form without looking up: "Fill out the form, measure your ability level, and then go choose a room."
When it was Ruan Ning's turn, the staff saw "Level 1 Water System" and finally looked up at her: "Water System? Go to the blue area over there to process it."
The receptionist in the blue area was noticeably more friendly: "Ms. Ruan, right? Water-type ability users can enjoy a 20% discount on rent. What type of apartment would you like to know?"
Ruan Ning said directly, "It must be a one-bedroom apartment with a separate entrance."
The receptionist was somewhat surprised: "Don't you consider sharing an apartment? Many people with superpowers choose to share a large house, as it's more cost-effective."
"No need," Ruan Ning said firmly.
"The monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment is 20 kilograms of rice, or other equivalent supplies."
Using her backpack as cover, Ruan Ning took out 10 packs of compressed biscuits, 5 cans of food, 10 packs of instant noodles, and 10 kilograms of dried noodles from her storage space.
"Can I use these to pay the rent?"
The receptionist's eyes lit up, and she quickly put away the supplies: "No problem! Room 203, Building 7, Block B, south-facing, fully furnished. Here's the key."
Lin Yan leaned closer: "What did you rent?"
“One bedroom and one living room.” Ruan Ning put the keys away.
Lin Yan's eyes widened: "Are you crazy? It's so expensive! It would be so much better if the four of us shared a three-bedroom apartment!"
Zhou Min also advised, "Living alone is such a waste of resources."
Ruan Ning shook her head: "I like peace and quiet."
The hooded woman stood not far away, seemingly uninterested in sharing the apartment.
Finally, the hooded woman also rented the same room as Ruan Ning, while Lin Yan and Zhou Min shared a two-bedroom apartment. All four of them lived in the same building.
On her way to her accommodation, Ruan Ning noticed that ordinary survivors were grouped together in crowded apartment buildings, with tattered clothes hanging densely on the balconies. In contrast, the area for people with superpowers was much more spacious, with some even having their own private courtyards.
Her new apartment is on the third floor of a six-story building. Upon entering, there are simple tables, chairs, beds, and cabinets, but it boasts a separate bathroom and kitchen.
"Finally, I have a safe place to enter this space." Ruan Ning locked the door and immediately checked all the windows.
She took out a thick down comforter and warm clothes from her storage space, along with a small heater. Last night's cold snap made her realize that she needed to prepare for the winter in advance.
As evening fell, a knock came at the door. Lin Yan and Zhou Min stood outside, each holding a thin blanket that had been assigned to them.
"I'm freezing! Can I stay here for the night?" Lin Yan said, trying to squeeze in.
Ruan Ning blocked the doorway: "It's inconvenient."
Zhou Min smiled wryly: "Some people in the regular area have already gotten sick from the cold, and the blankets provided by the base are simply not thick enough."
Ruan Ning was silent for a moment, then went back inside and took out two thick coats: "I'll lend them to you first."
As she closed the door, she heard Lin Yan muttering outside, "I really don't understand her anymore..."
Ruan Ning leaned against the door and sighed softly. It wasn't that she was cold-hearted, but rather that the secrets of the space and the spiritual spring were too astonishing. In this seemingly safe base, she had to be even more careful.
Night deepened, and a cold wind rattled the windows. Ruan Ning wrapped herself tightly in her down comforter, enjoying the warmth of the room. This small space would become her most important sanctuary in the apocalypse.
Tomorrow, she will begin inquiring about those "old friends".
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