Having a farm that could produce fresh fruits and vegetables endlessly made Jiang Lingyue feel an instant surge of power in her spine.
Food was the hardest currency in the apocalypse.
And now, she controlled the source of that currency.
That meant she had the capital to set the rules.
That night, Jiang Lingyue prepared an extravagant dinner using freshly harvested vegetables from the farm and meat she had redeemed from the system store.
Garlic water spinach, tomato scrambled eggs, cucumber stir-fried with meat, and a steaming cabbage-tofu soup.
When these homey dishes were placed on the table, Gu Han and Lu Xiao’s eyes went wide.
Especially Lu Xiao he devoured the food like a starving wolf, practically clearing half the dishes by himself.
Gu Han, though more refined in his eating, was no slower.
Watching these two S-class experts almost fight over the last piece of meat, Jiang Lingyue propped her chin on her hand, smiling like a cat that had just stolen a fish.
She realized she was increasingly enjoying the feeling of having such powerful people in her control.
Once they were full, Jiang Lingyue wiped her mouth with a napkin and cleared her throat.
“I have an announcement to make.”
The moment she spoke, Gu Han and Lu Xiao immediately stopped, sitting upright like two students waiting for a teacher’s lecture.
Pleased with their attitude, Jiang Lingyue stood and surveyed the luxurious, safe, and comfortable hotel lobby before speaking slowly.
“I’ve decided that starting tomorrow, we will officially recruit hotel tenants.”
“What?”
“Recruit tenants?”
Both Gu Han and Lu Xiao looked surprised.
“You want… outsiders to come in?” Gu Han furrowed his brows, a hint of disapproval in his gaze.
To him, this hotel was their “two-person world,” and he didn’t want unrelated people disturbing that peace.
“That’s right,” Jiang Lingyue nodded, her eyes flashing with a light called ambition.
“Such a great place, and just the three of us living here would be a waste.”
“Besides, upgrading the hotel further will require large amounts of crystal cores and rare materials. Two people alone are too inefficient.”
“I need more people to work for me, to gather resources.”
She looked at them, speaking slowly and clearly: “I will turn this place into a new center of order in the apocalypse.”
“And I will be the sole queen of this center.”
Her voice was calm, but each word carried undeniable authority.
Gu Han and Lu Xiao looked at her, momentarily stunned.
Under the lights, her face remained delicate, but her eyes seemed to hold a universe of stars and seas, radiating a power that made their hearts race.
It became clear she wasn’t aiming for mere survival.
“You’ve made your decision,” Gu Han said after a pause, speaking first.
No matter what she wanted to do, he would support and protect her.
“Sounds… pretty interesting,” Lu Xiao said, stroking his chin, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “Queen? I like that title! So… should we call you Her Majesty from now on?”
“No need,” Jiang Lingyue waved her hand. “But since we’re recruiting tenants, the rules must be set in advance.”
Over the next hour, Jiang Lingyue detailed her recruitment plan.
First, not just anyone could apply.
Applicants had to be abilities users, at least D-class, with family members allowed to live with them. But if they committed crimes, the whole family would be penalized. Food would be calculated per person, rooms separately.
Second, applicants had to complete an entry-level mission for the hotel. The mission’s difficulty would depend on their abilities.
Only after completing this mission could someone become a temporary tenant.
Even then, it wasn’t guaranteed.
Tenants would have to continuously complete hotel-assigned tasks to earn points.
Points would be the only currency within the hotel.
Points could be used to exchange for residency time: 10 points for one day in a standard single room, 100 points for one day in a luxury suite.
Points could also be exchanged for food and water: 1 point for a bowl of rice, 3 points for a vegetable dish, 10 points for a meat dish.
Even special items from the system store healing sprays, weapons, equipment, or even ability-enhancing potions could be bought with points.
All of this was conditional on obeying all hotel rules.
Anyone breaking the rules would face severe punishment.
Minor infractions: point deduction. Severe: expulsion, or even elimination.
“My rules are the supreme law here,” Jiang Lingyue concluded.
Gu Han and Lu Xiao were deeply impressed by her meticulous and strict system.
They had no doubt that once this message spread, survivors across the city would go wild for it.
In other bases, survivors fought tooth and nail for meager, often moldy rations.
Sleeping was never restful they were constantly worried about zombies or enemies breaching the walls.
Here, however, anyone willing to work for it could stay in a perfectly safe room, sleep in a soft bed, take a hot shower, and even eat fresh vegetables and delicacies not seen since before the apocalypse.
This wasn’t a hotel it was paradise.
No one could resist such an offer.
“How… do we broadcast this?” Gu Han asked, hitting a key point.
“Simple,” Jiang Lingyue smiled, redeeming a Signal Amplifier from the system store.
Signal Amplifier: Can transmit specified information as a broadcast to all survivor bases and communication devices within 100 km.
She programmed her recruitment rules into it, then pressed send.
Meanwhile, 50 km away, in the city’s largest survivor base, Dawn Base, Commander Chen Guohua was reviewing the latest supply report, frowning.
The base’s food was nearly depleted.
Outside, the mutated creatures were growing stronger, and supply teams suffered increasing casualties.
The entire base was steeped in oppression and despair.
Suddenly, the base alarm blared sharply!
“Report, Commander! We’ve received an unknown broadcast signal covering the entire city!” the communications officer shouted, panicked.
“A broadcast?” Chen Guohua sprang up. “Play it!”
The next moment, Jiang Lingyue’s calm, authoritative voice echoed through every speaker in the base:
“…This is the Apocalypse Safe House Hotel. We are now recruiting tenants with abilities across the city…”
“…Here, you will have absolute safety, ample food, and a comfortable environment…”
“…Use your abilities to get everything you want. A brand-new order will be established here…”
When the broadcast ended, Dawn Base fell into stunned silence.
Then chaos erupted.
Faces showed disbelief and wild excitement simultaneously.
The hotel’s legend was no longer mere rumor it had exploded like a bomb, sending shockwaves across the desolate cityscape.