Xia Mu swallowed nervously. She still put on a reserved front before eagerly leading Rong Yulong to a silver machine beneath the screen.
The machine had a display similar to an all in one computer, with a tray underneath. After scanning, the results would appear on the screen.
“Sir, please place the zombie crystal on the tray. The machine will automatically assess it and exchange it for the corresponding amount.”
With that, she gestured politely for him to proceed.
Rong Yulong nodded and placed the Level 4 zombie crystal onto the tray. Infrared light swept over it from top to bottom.
Very soon, a mechanical voice announced, “Level 4 Lightning Type zombie crystal. Excellent purity. Exchange value: 10,000 Interstellar Federation Credits. Proceed with the exchange?”
After a brief pause, Rong Yulong confirmed the exchange.
The screen immediately displayed new text while the same mechanical voice instructed him to enter his real name and age, emphasizing that the information had to be truthful.
The words “must be truthful” were highlighted in red, making it clear how important they were.
Rong Yulong entered his name and age. After confirming the information, the machine scanned his face and recorded his appearance. A moment later, a black card slid out from the slot below. It was identical to the black card Xia Mu had been holding earlier.
He pulled out the card. It was protected by a fingerprint lock, and the moment he touched it, the owner’s basic information appeared.
On the back of the card were the six words: Xia Mu’s Rental House.
Xia Mu noticed it as well and cried out in surprise.
“I forgot to change the name.”
Rong Yulong looked at her.
Embarrassed, Xia Mu laughed awkwardly and waved her hand.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. It doesn’t affect anything. Xia Mu’s Rental House actually sounds pretty nice. Xia Mu is my name.”
Rong Yulong nodded, put away the black card, and left.
Xia Mu immediately called out to System 003.
“What’s going on? You didn’t even tell me I had to name it,” she complained.
System 003 looked utterly bewildered. Could it admit that it had simply forgotten?
When Xia Mu received no response, she knew the little fellow was hiding out of guilt. She decided not to bother with it anymore and checked the time.
It was already almost one o’clock.
“Oh no, oh no. I’d better hurry back and see whether my parents have returned.”
She hurried to the second floor, spun the black and white roulette wheel, and opened the door.
Outside was the blazing heat of August.
She quickly took off the extra clothes she had been wearing, slipped into her slippers, and ran downstairs from the attic.
The atmosphere in the living room was heavy.
Xia Chengren and Mother Xia sat motionless on the sofa, their faces filled with dejection and deep sorrow.
Xia Mu’s own mood immediately sank. With heavy steps, she walked into the living room.
The moment Xia Chengren saw that his daughter was home, he forced himself to smile, though it was painfully strained.
“Mu Mu, you’re back. Your Fourth Uncle called me. He said there aren’t any positions left on his side. Dad… Dad will keep looking for a job for you.”
Looking at the sadness and disappointment in her father’s eyes, Xia Mu knew that her Fourth Uncle had already called her parents and had most likely accused her first while making himself look like the victim.
Taking a deep breath, she explained, “Dad, Mom, when I went to Fourth Uncle’s company this morning, he told me to work at the property management company.”
“When I got there, the person in charge told me that Fourth Uncle had arranged for me to earn only 2,500 a month, with no social insurance or housing fund.”
“What?”
Xia Chengren and Mother Xia froze in shock.
Xia Mu let out a mocking laugh.
“Fourth Uncle must have called you already. I bet he told you I looked down on the job he found for me, didn’t he?”
Anger immediately flared in Xia Chengren’s heart.
Why would his fourth brother say something like that?
Xia Mu continued, “It’s always the same. He always accuses me first, telling you how terrible I am, when in reality they’ve been the ones going too far every single time, and I simply refused to accept it.”
“But every time someone tries to drive a wedge between us, the two of you still choose to believe me and stand by my side. Dad, Mom… it hurts me to see you like this. It really does.”
“This time, I don’t want to endure it anymore. Dad, Mom… can you indulge me just this once?”
As a mother, Mother Xia naturally thought of her own illness. She stepped forward, wrapped Xia Mu in her arms, and burst into tears.
“Why is Heaven so unfair? Why?”
She cried so hard that she could barely speak.
She felt that fate had been unbearably unfair.
Ever since she had married into the Xia family, she had cared for her parents in law and even helped raise several of her brothers in law’s children until they were old enough for kindergarten.
And what had she received in return?
Both she and her husband had fallen seriously ill, and before long they would no longer be able to stay by their daughter’s side.
The more she thought about it, the more suffocating it became.
It was so unfair. So terribly unfair.
Xia Chengren could not hold back his tears either.
He quietly turned his back so that neither his wife nor his daughter would see him at his weakest.
He was his wife’s husband.
He was his daughter’s father.
He could not allow himself to appear fragile.
Xia Mu gently comforted Mother Xia until several curious neighbors began peeking into the courtyard.
Only then did she lower her voice.
“Mom, I’m hungry.”
That trick always worked on Mother Xia.
The gentle woman wiped away her tears and sniffled.
“I’ll go cook.”
Xia Mu went to close the front gate, shutting out the curious eyes outside.
“Dad, Mom, don’t worry anymore. I’ve already found an online job. Did you forget? I majored in accounting, so finding part time work isn’t difficult.”
Who would have imagined that by 2030, accounting had become an unpopular major?
Simply because too many people had studied it, graduates could no longer find work, and it had naturally become an oversaturated field.
Xia Chengren nodded.
Whether he truly believed his daughter or not, no one could tell.
By the time the Xia family finally sat down to eat, it was already nearly three in the afternoon.
The entire meal passed in silence.
Looking at how her parents seemed to have aged another ten years overnight, Xia Mu felt an ache in her chest.
Just then, System 003 suddenly appeared.
“Mu Mu, a doctor from the Interstellar Federation has reviewed the medical records you submitted and has already prescribed the medicine.”
With a clatter, Xia Mu’s bowl and chopsticks hit the table.
Xia Chengren and Mother Xia both looked over.
Smiling, Xia Mu said, “Dad, Mom, I’m full. I’ll go upstairs and check on my work orders. I’ll wash the dishes later.”
Mother Xia replied, “You have work to do? Then hurry and go. Your father and I can take care of things here.”
Xia Mu smiled apologetically before hurrying up to the attic.
Watching her daughter disappear upstairs, Mother Xia sighed.
“Whatever Mu Mu wants to do, just let her. Working from home is still better than going to your younger brothers’ places just to suffer their abuse.”
The actions of those younger brothers had truly broken Mother Xia’s heart.
“In the worst case, we’ll sell this house and let Mu Mu move to a smaller city. This Beijing household registration really isn’t worth much.”
Listening to the icy tone in his wife’s voice, Xia Chengren knew she was genuinely angry.
Back in the attic, System 003 immediately projected a blue screen.
Two medicine vials appeared on it.
The pink vial was for treating breast cancer.
The blue vial was for treating Father Xia’s illness.
The doctor’s note read:
“Take this, and you’ll recover. It’s nothing serious. If your conditions allow, you can rent a treatment pod and purchase medicinal solution for a therapeutic bath. It will eliminate the viruses within the body and strengthen your overall health.”
Xia Mu’s heart raced with excitement.
Diseases that could not be completely cured on Earth were considered nothing more than minor illnesses in the Interstellar Federation.
She happily checked the prices.
The smile instantly disappeared from her face.
One vial cost 6,000 Interstellar Federation Credits.
Two vials cost 12,000 Interstellar Federation Credits.
That meant one Level 4 zombie crystal and one Level 3 zombie crystal, both of excellent purity.
“Heh… this really is asking for my life.”
System 003 comforted her.
“But we already have 2,500 Interstellar Federation Credits in rent now.”
“If we build another single room, those five people will definitely rent them. After construction and furnishing costs, we’ll still have 990 Interstellar Federation Credits left. Then we’ll collect another 2,500 in rent and build another room.”
“Mu Mu, there are five of them. Five single rooms. Even after paying all the construction and furnishing costs, we’ll still earn another 4,050 Interstellar Federation Credits. And if you sell them food, weapons, vehicles, flying mechanical dogs, and robots…”
“Mu Mu, we actually don’t have to kill zombies to make money anymore.”
System 003’s words set Xia Mu’s blood boiling with excitement.
It was simply too exhilarating.
Without another thought, she was ready to charge straight back into the Apocalypse.
That group looked rich.
If she wasn’t going to make money off them, then who was?
Holding the black card, Rong Yulong pressed his fingerprint onto it.
His information immediately appeared.
Name: Rong Yulong
Gender: Male
Age: 26
Ability: Level 4 Wood Ability (New Ability Awaiting Development)
Rong Yulong stared at the words New Ability Awaiting Development, his eyes widening.
What did that mean?
Clutching the black card, he hurried back to the single room.
His friends were all asleep.
The three sprawled across the large bed had especially terrible sleeping postures.
He walked over to Shang Xinglan and woke him.
The instant Shang Xinglan opened his eyes, they were sharp with vigilance.
Only after realizing it was Rong Yulong did he finally relax. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he asked, “What is it?”
Without a word, Rong Yulong handed him the black card.
At first, Shang Xinglan paid it little attention.
But the moment he saw the words New Ability Awaiting Development, he immediately sat upright.
Their group already knew one of the base’s greatest secrets.
Some people had already awakened dual abilities.
Rong Yulong explained the entire registration process and then shared his own speculation.
“Do you think I might have another ability that just hasn’t found the right way to awaken yet?”
His eyes gleamed with excitement.
If that were true, the overall strength of their team would increase dramatically, giving them far greater influence within the S City Base.
Shang Xinglan had also realized the benefits that would come with awakening a second ability.
He got up and went to take a shower.
When he came out, he casually rubbed his red hair.
It had already dried automatically.
The effect was excellent, saving him the trouble of drying it himself.
“You get some rest. I’ll go take a look outside,” Shang Xinglan said.