Xia Mu now had a total of 950 Interstellar Federation Credits, so she immediately asked System 003 to bring up the decoration plans for the single room.
A complete furnishing package that included water, electricity, heating, a bed, a table, and an Interstellar Federation television cost 860 Interstellar Federation Credits for one single room.
Xia Mu had become so numb that she couldn’t feel anything anymore.
Money simply refused to stay in her hands.
“Go ahead with the renovation. I want to see how much rent I can charge afterward.”
If the rent turned out to be too cheap, she was seriously considering giving up.
System 003 giggled.
“Right away. Mu Mu, you can take them to see the room now. Oh, that’s right. I’ve placed a card dispenser on the table. It issues the black cards used for accommodation and shopping.”
Xia Mu nodded.
Walking out of the kitchen, she put on a professional smile once again and noticed the integrated card dispenser that had appeared on the table.
Shang Xinglan and the others curiously examined the machine that had materialized out of thin air, their eyes filled with caution.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Would you like to see the single room? It has hot water and heating.”
Ignoring Shang Xinglan’s scrutinizing gaze, Xia Mu maintained her composure as she spoke.
Shang Xinglan casually ran a hand through his crimson hair, twirling a lock of his bangs as he replied in a low, husky voice,
“Certainly! Please lead the way, Landlady.”
Xia Mu quietly let out a sigh of relief.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, she picked up a black card from the dispenser before leading them through the back door.
Originally, the back of her house on Earth had no exit.
But here in the Apocalypse, there was a glass door that opened directly outside.
As they followed behind Shang Xinglan, everyone glanced once more at the machine that had suddenly appeared.
Ye Lixuan was about to ask a question, but Rong Yulong grabbed him and silently shook his head.
The group continued following behind Shang Xinglan.
A pebble pathway stretched off to the left.
Walking along it, none of them felt the slightest bit of cold.
It was truly astonishing.
Soon, they arrived before the gate of another Beijing style courtyard.
“This way.”
Xia Mu pushed the gate open and led everyone inside.
Everything beyond the areas that had already been constructed was hidden behind thick white mist, making it impossible to see anything farther away.
Shang Xinglan and the others silently observed their surroundings before finally reaching the rental room.
“We’re here.”
As Xia Mu spoke, she swiped the black card across a black slot beside the door.
The door immediately opened.
The room was decorated in a modern style.
The overall color palette consisted of gray, white, and blue, creating a clean and minimalist appearance.
Inside was a large bed measuring two meters long and one point eight meters wide, along with a desk, chair, sofa, a private bathroom with separate wet and dry areas, and an enormous television.
Most importantly…
The room was wonderfully warm.
Compared with the accommodations at their base, this room was better in every possible way.
All five men were extremely satisfied.
Rong Yulong asked, “How much does this room cost?”
Smiling sweetly like a clever little fox, Xia Mu replied, “You’ll need to return to the front hall to see the prices. They’ll be displayed on the large screen.”
Shang Xinglan took another careful look around the room.
It truly was far superior to the housing at the base.
A faint smile slowly appeared on his face.
That smile nearly left Xia Mu dazzled.
This man was simply too handsome.
Shang Xinglan had already decided the room was worth renting.
The only problem was that one room wasn’t enough.
“Do you have any other rooms? We’d like to rent five.”
The moment Xia Mu heard that, she hurriedly looked away.
She realized she couldn’t keep looking at his face.
It was far too distracting.
“I’m sorry. At the moment, there’s only this one room. But… you could squeeze in together for just one night.”
She hurriedly explained, terrified that she might lose this customer.
Ye Lixuan and the others genuinely wanted to stay.
It was infinitely more comfortable than sleeping outside.
More importantly…
They all wanted to enjoy a proper hot bath.
They had been away from the base for a long time and hadn’t had one in ages.
Seeing the longing in his companions’ eyes, Shang Xinglan nodded toward Rong Yulong.
Rong Yulong smiled.
Turning to Xia Mu, he said, “Let’s go. I’ll follow you to the front hall and pay. What do you accept here?”
The moment Xia Mu heard that they really intended to rent the room, she nearly jumped with excitement.
Her smiling face shone as brightly as a little golden sun.
“I’ll explain everything on the way. I’ve only just started building this place, so the initial investment has been huge. A lot of things still aren’t complete yet, so I hope you’ll be understanding…”
Her cheerful voice gradually faded into the distance.
Shang Xinglan withdrew his gaze and walked directly into the room.
Turning to the man behind him, he instructed,
“Zhao Wenkang, inspect the room carefully. See if there’s anything unusual.”
By “anything unusual,” he meant things like hidden listening devices, cameras, or similar equipment.
Zhao Wenkang smiled, but when he began searching, his expression became completely serious.
He inspected every corner without overlooking a single gap.
Meanwhile, Ye Lixuan threw himself onto the large bed with a delighted grin.
“This is amazing! This bed is unbelievably comfortable! Boss, come try it!”
Closing his eyes, he looked completely content.
Shang Xinglan ignored him.
Instead, he claimed the two meter long sofa.
He had already decided that he would sleep there tonight.
Seeing that the boss wasn’t interested, Ye Lixuan called over Fu Honghui instead.
Normally a man of few words, Fu Honghui glanced at Shang Xinglan before walking over and lying down on the bed.
The moment he did, he immediately noticed how different it felt compared to the beds back at the base.
“It really is comfortable.”
“See? I told you! It’s like getting a massage. My whole body feels relaxed. I could fall asleep right now.”
As soon as Ye Lixuan finished speaking, he actually drifted off to sleep, soon snoring peacefully.
At that moment, Zhao Wenkang returned.
“There’s nothing unusual. Everything is completely normal.”
That was precisely what made it so abnormal.
Everything about this place felt strange.
By then, Shang Xinglan had already closed his eyes on the sofa.
After going so many days without proper rest, he found himself becoming drowsy almost immediately.
“Get some rest. We’ll find out the truth sooner or later.”
The others said nothing more.
Zhao Wenkang also climbed onto the bed.
It was a bit crowded with everyone sharing it, but they could still manage.
Meanwhile, Rong Yulong followed Xia Mu back to the front hall.
At some point, a scrolling display screen had appeared on the wall, showing the rental prices for the single room.
Daily rent: 100 Interstellar Federation Credits.
Monthly rent: 1,000 Interstellar Federation Credits.
Three month rent: 2,500 Interstellar Federation Credits.
Six month rent: 5,000 Interstellar Federation Credits.
Annual rent: 10,000 Interstellar Federation Credits.
Only the daily and monthly rates were relatively expensive.
The discounts for three month, six month, and annual rentals were effectively the same.
Thinking that their team would need to remain in the area searching for supplies for at least three months, Rong Yulong asked,
“We’ll rent it for three months. But what exactly are Interstellar Federation Credits? We don’t have any.”
“The rental rooms here only accept Interstellar Federation Credits. If you don’t have any, you can exchange other items instead, such as the zombie crystals from inside zombies’ heads. You should have those, right? Look over there. The exchange rates are listed on that screen.”
Still smiling, Xia Mu pointed toward another blue holographic screen that had suddenly appeared on the opposite wall.
System 003 had only just created it.
It simply generated whatever was needed at the moment.
Its professional skills were definitely still rather inexperienced.
Rong Yulong paused. He was certain he hadn’t been mistaken.
When he had entered earlier, he had carefully observed the room.
At that time, there had only been the pricing display.
Now another holographic screen had suddenly appeared from nowhere.
Things constantly materialized out of thin air.
The place was unbelievably mysterious.
His vigilance only increased.
The holographic screen displayed the exchange rates.
Level 1 zombie crystal: 200 to 600 Interstellar Federation Credits, depending on purity.
Level 2 zombie crystal: 600 to 1,000 Interstellar Federation Credits.
Level 3 zombie crystal: 1,000 to 3,000 Interstellar Federation Credits.
Level 4 zombie crystal: 3,000 to 10,000 Interstellar Federation Credits.
Level 5 zombie crystal: 10,000 to 100,000 Interstellar Federation Credits.
Level 6 zombie crystal: 100,000 to 1,000,000 Interstellar Federation Credits.
Level 7 zombie crystal: Random amount above 1,000,000 Interstellar Federation Credits.
Level 8 zombie crystal: 1,000,000,000 Interstellar Federation Credits.
Level 9 zombie crystal: 10,000,000,000 Interstellar Federation Credits.
The higher the zombie’s level, the higher the grade of its zombie crystal, and naturally, the greater its value.
Without hesitation, Rong Yulong took out a purple Level 4 zombie crystal.
Its brilliant violet light sparkled so brightly that it nearly dazzled Xia Mu.
It was absolutely beautiful.
Who would have imagined that something so gorgeous could come from the body of such a filthy and terrifying zombie?