Chapter 121
Zhou Qi put away the cat toy and nimbly dodged all the piranhas that were flying towards him, without being approached by any of them.
No piranhas are transformed into cats unless they touch the cat teaser.
When the ringing sound of the cat toy disappeared, the four pets that were attracted to it regained consciousness.
Looking at the ferocious mouth of the piranha, Yinbi couldn't help but retreat repeatedly. Wangcai stepped on a piranha directly, lowered his head and took a bite.
Yuanbao stood aside, staring at the piranhas with four cold eyes, looking somewhat wary and alert.
At this moment, a piranha suddenly jumped up and was about to jump out of the fence and fly away, but the next second, a figure appeared above it.
With a snap, it was slapped back to the ground by the four-eyed giant dog's claws.
Now that you're here, how can you leave?
Black Pearl circled around Zhou Qi, as if looking for a cat toy. In the end, she couldn't find the cat toy. Zhou Qi looked at her again, and then she looked away and looked at the piranha on the ground.
The big black cat tilted its head, and a metal bar appeared out of thin air. It flew in the air a few times and strung up the three piranhas.
Then, it walked in front of Tang Yu'an with an elegant cat-like step, and the metal bar also flew over, shaking in the air, and three piranhas landed in front of the young man with a clatter.
At this time, Tiejin had already taken A Lian over the wall and had just landed on the ground.
When he saw the mutant big cat coming over, he was a little scared and picked up his daughter, but then he saw this scene and couldn't help but stand there in a daze.
The boy being stared at by the big cat was not afraid at all. Instead, he smiled and said, "Is this for me?"
“Meow—”
The big black cat meowed in response.
Tang Yu'an reached out and touched the fur on its chest - although he really wanted to touch its head, he really couldn't reach it.
Jin Lili nestled in her father's arms, looking at Black Pearl curiously. When Black Pearl noticed her gaze and looked at her, she smiled at it happily.
Black Pearl stared at her for a few seconds, then looked away without much interest.
It stuck out its tongue and licked Tang Yu'an, smearing his face with saliva. Then it turned around gracefully, jumped lightly onto the wall, and then climbed upstairs.
For the big black cat that is more than three meters long, the building of No. 1 Store is like a cat climbing frame.
When it almost reached the ninth floor, its body quickly shrank and finally disappeared into the building.
Only at this time did Tiejin finally dare to speak.
"Xiao An, is that your pet?"
Tang Yu'an nodded, "Yes, it is a black pearl, and that one is ingot, prosperous wealth and silver coins."
He pointed to the pets in the distance and said, "Don't worry, as long as you don't provoke them and follow the store's rules, they won't hurt you."
Looking at the smile on the boy's face, Tiejin hesitated but nodded.
After all, he saw the interaction between the big cat and the boy just now. Perhaps this is Xiao An's special ability.
Then, he asked with a shameless face, "You and Xiaoqi said before that Lily, her mother and I could come and live here...does that still count?"
"Of course!" Tang Yu'an said, "The house is ready for you."
The Shugen father and son, Jin Guang and others nearby couldn't help but prick up their ears when they heard this, and looked at Tang Yu'an with burning eyes.
At this time, Old Li stood up at the right time.
"You can live here, but you have to pay daily rent," he said seriously.
Tiejin didn't mind at all. Instead, he laughed cheerfully and said, "Sure, sure. Just tell me how much metal you need!"
Then he looked at Tang Yu'an again, "I want to exchange metal for supplies, is that okay? I only brought a little food with me, but I'm afraid it's not enough..."
Then he looked at the piranhas not far away that were not completely dead yet, with a hint of desire in his eyes.
"sure!"
Tang Yu'an nodded. If customers could take the initiative to trade with the grocery store, he would totally agree.
"The Huangcheng Grocery Store has been handed over to Grandpa Li to run. Uncle Tiejin, if you need anything, you can ask Grandpa."
Tang Yu'an introduced Old Li's current identity at the right time to facilitate his future management.
"Oh, okay, okay." Tiejin was used to doing business with Old Li and had no objection to this arrangement.
At this time, A Lian tugged at Tie Jin's sleeve.
"Your wound...do you want to treat it?" she whispered.
Only then did Tang Yu'an notice that Tie Jin's arm seemed to have been bitten by a piranha, and blood was seeping out from under his clothes.
He quickly said, "Come with me upstairs. I'll treat Uncle Tiejin's wound."
Tiejin originally wanted to say that it was okay, he was just bitten, but when he saw Jin Lili's eyes became tearful after she found out that he was injured, he immediately changed his words.
"Okay, thank you for your help."
Tiejin took the potatoes and dried meat from the boat, tied the boat tightly to the wall with a rope, and followed Tang Yu'an into the house.
A Lian held Jin Lili in her arms and followed them carefully.
Maybe it’s because it’s an unfinished house, and there are not many people living there, so the house seems particularly empty, and even if you speak loudly, there is an echo.
However, this spacious and bright feeling was something A-Lian had never experienced in the cave.
When they reached the stairs, Tang Yu'an naturally took Jin Lili from her hands and then carried the little girl on his back.
"Your room is on the eighth floor, next to Granny Guo's house."
A-Lian originally wanted to bring her daughter back, but after climbing two floors, she no longer had the mind to do so and could only focus all her energy on climbing.
Fortunately, she was used to climbing mountains. Although she was weak and tired, she persisted and climbed to the eighth floor.
“It’s so high up here…”
After the young man led them into the room and looked at the scenery outside the window, A Lian couldn't help but sigh.
"Is this really something that ordinary humans built with their own hands?"
Although Tiejin’s five-story building is not small, each floor is only fifty or sixty square meters. In comparison, No. 1 Store’s building is like a behemoth.
"Yes." Tang Yu'an nodded. "This is a building left over from before the catastrophe. It has stood for decades."
A-Lian couldn't help showing an expression of admiration and yearning.
Tiejin put down the potato bag and listened to their conversation, a similar expression on his face. "I really want to go see a world like that!"
Tang Yu'an also misses that world, but people always have to look forward, and the most important thing is to live a good life now.
"Uncle Tiejin, wait a moment, I'll get you something to treat your wound."
After saying that, Tang Yu'an left the room, walked around the stairwell and came back with disinfectant alcohol and bandages in his hands.
Tie Jin Gang took off his clothes. There was a lot of blood from his wound, and his sleeves were soaked.
Jin Lili stood beside him, pouting and looking at him with red eyes.
"Dad is fine, it's just a minor injury!"
It was said to be a minor injury, but his lips were obviously a little pale.
Tang Yu'an disinfected him with alcohol. Although the wound did not turn black, for the sake of caution, after bandaging his wound, Tang Yu'an still gave Tie Jin a mutant blueberry.
In addition to detoxification, the mutated blueberries also have the effect of enhancing immunity, which should help Tie Jin recover.
"I didn't bring much metal with me. I'll send it to you and Lao Li after I finish producing tomorrow," said Tiejin.
Tang Yu'an responded and continued, "You guys take a rest first, I still have things to do."
Although he really wanted to play the trading game with Jin Lili to gain points, but thinking that Lin Zhen had not come yet, he decided to come later.
Anyway, I will live in No. 1 Store from now on, so it will be very convenient to find someone.
When Tang Yu'an brought Tie Jin into the building, Jin Guang shamelessly wanted to follow them in, but was stopped by Old Li.
Zhou Qi also stayed in the yard. He couldn't put the fish into his portable storage in front of everyone, so he could only take out a basket and pick them up one by one.
"Brother, let me help you!" Fireball took the initiative to run over to help. He didn't seem afraid when facing Yuanbao and the others.
Shugen opened his mouth, but in the end didn't stop him, but he didn't go over to help either.
He looked at Old Li and Jin Guang, listening carefully to their conversation. When he heard that he could stay, he became interested.
The water level outside is already very deep, and there are piranhas. Who would want to go out and take risks if you can stay here and get shelter?
The other two new guests naturally had the same idea.
Old Li cleared his throat and said to them, "As you just heard, you can live here, but you have to pay rent."
"How much is the rent?" Jin Guang asked shyly.
"Originally, I was planning to harvest five wild vegetables a day," Old Li said, squinting his eyes. "But Boss An is kind-hearted and knows that everyone is having a hard time due to the flood, so he decided to just harvest three a day."
"But there's a flood now, so we can't go out and pick wild vegetables..."
"I haven't finished yet." Old Li said, "You can also use other things to offset it, just like the iron gold we just entered. He can produce metal, so you can use metal to offset it and exchange it for other supplies."
He looked at the four people in front of him and didn't say anything about accepting credit.
To be honest, there is no chance that we can collect the rent.
"Everyone, stop hiding your secrets. Anyone who can settle down in a deserted city must have some skills."
Old Li said, "Our store is not a shady one. Boss An hopes that everyone can work together to overcome this difficult time."
Several people looked at each other, their eyes still filled with wariness.
Obviously, the defensive mentality that has been developed over a long period of time cannot be eliminated by just a few words from Old Li.
At this time, Zhou Qi, who had collected all the piranhas, walked over.
"In addition to rent, there are some rules that need to be followed. I hope everyone will consider this carefully before deciding to stay."
The boy's voice was gentle, but with the two giant mutant dogs following behind him, one on each side, it sounded different.
Everyone shrank back and took two steps back.
After a while, one of the new guests, a young man who looked to be about twenty years old, raised his hand and said, "What are the rules?"
Zhou Qi couldn't help but look at him again.
Was he overthinking it? Raising your hand to speak—is that a habit shared by people without a modern education?
He looked at the black-haired young man and asked, "What's your name?"
"Me?" The young man was stunned for a moment before he said, "My name is Langya."
Zhou Qi nodded and said, "If you want to live in our grocery store, in addition to paying rent, you also have to pay attention to hygiene."
"Hygiene?"
Except for Old Li, everyone present was stunned.
"Yes." Zhou Qi said seriously, "Dirt is a breeding ground for disease, so if you live here, you must clean your room every day and keep it clean and tidy."
"There will be a unified excretion site in the house, and people living on the same floor need to take turns cleaning up the excrement."
Speaking of this, Zhou Qi probably thought of the hellish stench in the swimming pool before, and his expression became more serious.
"There cannot be a trace of bad smell in the room. If you can't do that, please leave."
For someone born and raised in the wasteland, this request was a bit strange, but several customers had different reactions.
Shugen and his son and Jin Guang all seemed to be hesitant to speak, Langya seemed to be thinking about something, and the only woman present readily agreed.
"No problem, I can accept it!"
Zhou Qi looked at her and asked her name in a friendly manner.
"My name is Tiemuhua."
"Wood-related ability?" Zhou Qi asked tentatively.
Tiemuhua nodded, "That's right."
Zhou Qi was somewhat surprised when he received a positive answer.
A new wood-type mutant!
Granny Guo and Kang Kang have already proven the power of wood-type abilities in production, so he has high expectations for the abilities of this Ironwood Flower.
"You're welcome to join us."
Zhou Qi said with a smile, then changed the subject and continued, "In addition to the above two points, there is one last point."
How come there is more?
Although several customers were nervous, they could only listen obediently.
Zhou Qi continued, "Robbery, theft, and any acts that harm others are prohibited in the grocery store."
"Once discovered, he will be asked to leave the grocery store and blacklisted. The Deserted City Grocery Store will no longer do business with him!"
At the end of his words, the boy's expression and tone became more severe.
But as soon as he said this, several customers breathed a sigh of relief. They were all serious people who wanted to live a good life. It made them feel at ease that the grocery store had such rules.
Seeing that these people had no objections, Zhou Qi nodded and said, "For now, these are the only three points. I'll add others later if I think of them."
After all, they were all customers who had come to exchange salt, and it was impossible for them to have no supplies at all. So they all paid a day's rent to gain the right to enter the building.
Next, Old Li took them to choose a room.
"You can choose any room from the first to the fourth floor. Each person can choose a room to live in." Old Li led the five people into the building.
"I want to live with my dad!" said Fireball.
Old Li glanced at the child and nodded: "Okay, your rent will be reduced by half."
Although the old man looked cold and difficult to deal with, Fireball immediately liked him after hearing this.
"Wow, thank you!"
The little boy looked at the tree roots happily and received an appreciative pat on the head from his father.
Seeing this, Jin Guang couldn't help but look at Langya.
Obviously, he also wanted to reduce the rent by living with others, but Langya decisively rejected him, and as for Tiemuhua, it was even more impossible.
In the end, these five people, without exception, chose the room on the fourth floor.
After all, there is a flood outside, the first and second floors will definitely be flooded, and the third floor is also a bit dangerous. Compared to them, the fourth floor is the safest.
As for the floors above...
Although they didn't want to, they could also see that only those who were familiar with the boss could live there, such as Tiejin's family, so no one wanted to make things difficult for themselves.
There are five suites on one floor, with a total of 15 compartments, plus space for the living room, kitchen, etc., which is more than enough to accommodate five people.
Shugen and his son and Jin Guang all chose Room 401. The father and son lived in the master bedroom, Jin Guang lived in the smaller second bedroom, and Langya and Tiemuhua chose a room in Room 02 and Room 03 respectively.
Finally, Old Li followed Zhou Qi's instructions and turned the toilet in Room 05 into a public toilet, placing two wooden barrels inside.
The order of rotation was arranged according to the room numbers, and finally these five people were temporarily accommodated.
From beginning to end, Wangcai and Yinbi, who had shrunk in size, followed Lao Li to keep him in check. However, given Lao Li's fighting power, no one dared to underestimate him.
While Old Li was settling the residents, Tang Yu'an had already returned downstairs.
"Brother Xiaoqi, shall we go pick up Sister Lin?"
"good."
Zhou Qi handed him more than 30 dead piranhas and asked him to put them in his portable storage, and then they jumped onto the wall together.
This time Tang Yu'an did not use an umbrella.
He wanted to let Zhou Qi see his current abilities.
Under Zhou Qi's gaze, the young man brushed across the water as lightly as a fallen leaf, speeding across the water quickly.
The creatures in the water noticed his presence and chased after him, but because he was too fast, they did not catch up.
Tang Yu'an turned around and ran back, landing lightly on the wall. He smiled and asked Zhou Qi, "How is it?"
“Very impressive.”
Zhou Qi looked at him and said, "But you should still use the umbrella."
Before this, Zhou Qi had been to the pond many times to fetch water for Grandma Guo. He knew how dangerous the creatures in the pond were, so even with an umbrella, he did not dare to be careless.
Listening to Zhou Qi's explanation, Tang Yu'an nodded cautiously.
"I understand, Xiaoqi brother."
"Yeah." Zhou Qi patted the top of his head. After seeing Tang Yu'an's ability with his own eyes, he felt more at ease than before.
"Let's go, let's go find Sister Lin Zhen."
"good!"
This time, Zhou Qi did not carry Tang Yu'an on his back, but they traveled across the water in their own ways.
Tang Yu'an held up an umbrella to shield himself from the elements. Although Zhou Qi's figure was exposed, he did not touch the water surface. Instead, he used the ruins and trees as footholds and kept jumping forward.
One of them was in the light, the other in the dark, and they protected each other and encountered no danger along the way.
But I didn’t expect that before I reached Lin Zhen’s house, I heard the sound of fighting halfway.
“Boom! Boom!”
Along with the sound of breaking, there was also the sound of splashing water.
What's going on?
Tang Yu'an landed on a broken wall and looked in the direction of the sound from under the umbrella. He found that the person not far away was actually Lin Yu, and...
Looking at the tall young man standing next to her, he was stunned for a moment, and glanced at the map before finally remembering.
Isn't this the ice-type ability user who had parted ways with them on bad terms when they went looking for Lin Zhen? His name seems to be Lan Lin, as that's what's marked on his map.
Why are he and Sister Lin standing on the water?
No, it should be on the ice.
After careful observation, Tang Yu'an discovered that a thick layer of ice had formed under their feet, forming a platform for standing.
Behind them, they could see Lin Zhen's house in the distance. A one-meter-wide ice road stretched from the platform to the bottom of the house, glittering in the sunlight.
Of course, it also melts quickly under high temperatures.
"Damn it! How can I be so unlucky? I encounter mutant creatures as soon as I go out!"
Lin Zhen's complaining voice was heard. She was carrying a backpack behind her, which was full of things. It looked big and heavy, and she was holding a plastic box in her hands.
It was something Tang Yu'an had brought to her before, and it was also full of things, leaving her with no room for fighting.
"Stop talking nonsense and run back and hide!"
Lan Lin urged, crossing his hands and continuously blasting ice-blue balls of light towards the water, freezing the surrounding floodwaters.
Some mutant creature was hiding beneath them. Only a huge, blurry black shadow could be seen from the ice. It was wandering underwater, hitting the ice hard from time to time, causing cracks to appear on the not-so-thick ice.
Lan Lin continuously blasted out light balls, sending ice energy into the water through the gaps, and gradually controlled the movements of the huge black shadow.
"Hurry up! I've got it under control!"
Shit! Lin Zhen’s face turned pale.
The icy road back had already started to melt. Unless she threw away all her luggage, with her weight, she would definitely fall into the water due to the broken ice if she ran over.
Lin Zhen almost wanted to die.
She put down the plastic box in her hand angrily. "Tell me the truth, did you cause this monster? Why did it appear at this time?"
Lan Lin couldn't help but curse.
"If you keep talking nonsense, I won't care about you anymore!"
At this moment, Lin Zhen suddenly screamed.
Although the mutant creature was controlled under the ice, it suddenly stretched out a long tongue from the water that was not covered by ice and wrapped it around her ankle.
A huge force pulled her, and Lin Zhen immediately fell and sat on the ice.
“Clang—”
The crisp sound of glass bottles breaking was heard.
"Ah!"
Lan Lin called out to her anxiously and was about to come to her protection, but she saw Lin Zhen hesitate slightly, and suddenly stretched out his hand with a ferocious look on his face, tightly grabbing the slippery long tongue.
The tongue, which was originally blood pink, quickly began to turn purple and black after being grabbed by her, and the plump flesh shriveled up in the blink of an eye.
The tongue immediately loosened Lin Zhen's ankle and wanted to retreat, but was held tightly by Lin Zhen.
"Come on! Aren't you going to catch me?"
"Aren't you very capable? Huh?"
Lin Jue tightly grasped the monster's tongue and released the poison to her heart's content. "If I don't show my power, you think I'm easy to bully, right?"
Finally, when she lost her strength and let go, the tongue retreated back into the water.
After a while, as Lan Lin lost control, a mutant frog with its big white belly turned up floated up from the bottom of the water and was quickly washed away by the current.
The ice-blue ball of light in Lan Lin's hand, which he hadn't released yet, disappeared without a trace when Lin Jue looked at him like a devil.
He swallowed, stared at Lin Zhen blankly for a few seconds, then looked away.
Zhou Qi and Tang Yu'an, who were watching this scene, couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
Although Sister Lin doesn't have any special abilities, she's really scary when she gets angry...
Just as Grandpa Li said, people who can live in a deserted city must have unique abilities. No wonder Sister Lin dared to break into the giant lizard's nest alone!
The author has something to say:
Lin Zhen: My bottle, my beloved bottleqaq
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