“Sis!”
Lin Yang’s voice was panting heavily. The background was noisy, mixed with the clanging of metal and the sounds of people bargaining.
“I’m at the hardware market with Dad! Man, Dad is amazing! We bought generators—the highest power ones—three of them! Fifty-liter diesel barrels, sixty of those! And those extra-large water storage tanks, ten of them. Five water purifiers, ten military shovels, twenty crowbars… Oh my god, it’s the first time I’ve seen Dad bargaining like that. He was incredible! The shop owner was practically grinning from ear to ear seeing us buy so much! … Dad also contacted some of his old coworkers from the mechanical factory. He said he wants to get steel plates, rebar, and stuff like that. Said once we rent the new house, we’ll need them to reinforce it! … The money is flowing out like water, and Dad isn’t even blinking! I’m honestly worried we might run out.”
Lin Wan could easily imagine the scene.
Her father, Lin Jianguo, was usually quiet and reserved. But at critical moments, he always showed that decisive and forceful side of him. He had always been the backbone of the family.
“Be careful! Come back as soon as you’re done buying!”
“Got it, got it! Dad’s heading to the pharmacy next door to sweep the place clean—antibiotics, cold medicine, disinfectant, bandages… Hey—hey… Dad, slow down! I can’t carry all this…” Lin Yang shouted on the other end before the call was hurriedly hung up.
Lin Wan put down her phone, feeling somewhat reassured.
With Father taking charge, the most troublesome hardware and medical supplies should be taken care of.
She returned to her computer and began searching for rental listings.
According to what she remembered about the situation after the apocalypse, she entered several keywords: West City Area, near the mountains, high-rise, top floor or second-to-top floor, and with sturdy anti-theft bars.
The terrain in the West City Area was relatively higher, and it was close to the mountains. If… if they eventually needed to evacuate the city later, it might become a possible escape route.
A high floor would help avoid floods. The top floor or the floor just below it would prevent them from being submerged like lower levels, while also allowing better preparation against extreme heat and extreme cold.
As for the anti-theft bars—those could be reinforced from the inside. In the apocalypse, people were far more terrifying than natural disasters.
The listings refreshed rapidly across the webpage.
Most were either unsuitable old residential communities or newly developed apartments with ridiculously high prices.
Minute by minute passed, and Lin Wan gradually grew anxious.
Suddenly, a listing caught her eye.
“Xishan Fengjing Residential Community. Top floor, 16th floor. Three bedrooms and two living rooms. 120 square meters. Simple decoration. Fully furnished with appliances. Short-term rental available. Price negotiable. Note: Landlord urgently renting, open to bargaining.”
Xishan Fengjing!
Lin Wan knew that residential community. It was built against the mountains and was one of the highest areas in that district. The buildings there were rumored to be especially sturdy, with a high earthquake-resistance rating.
The 16th floor—neither too high nor too low. Even if a flood reached the 11th floor, it would still be safe!
She immediately grabbed her phone and dialed the number.
The person who answered was a middle-aged man. His voice sounded somewhat tired. Lin Wan suppressed her excitement and asked about the details in the calmest tone she could manage.
“Hello… Yes, the 16th floor. The view is very good, and the ventilation is nice… All the furniture is included, you can move in directly… As for the rent, I originally wanted 4,500. But if you’re sincere about renting, with one month deposit and three months’ rent in advance, how about 4,200 a month? … Oh? You can decide today? Want to see the place? Sure, sure. Come over. I’ll wait at the entrance of the residential community.”
After hanging up, Lin Wan immediately called her mother.
“Mom! I found a place! Xishan Fengjing, 16th floor, top floor! I think it’s really suitable! The landlord is available now. Can I go take a look?”
Li Shulan’s side was even noisier.
“Xishan Fengjing? Good, good, good! The terrain over there is high! Wanwan, go take a look! As long as the house is sturdy and the price is reasonable, settle it! Our house can’t transfer ownership today anyway. It’s the weekend, the offices aren’t open. We have to wait until Monday. But the agent already transferred the money. Mom’s busy right now! Hey, boss! Can you make the rice cheaper? We want a hundred sacks!…”
Listening to her mother already entering “wholesale mode,” Lin Wan relaxed slightly.
She grabbed her wallet and keys and hurried out.
When she arrived at Xishan Fengjing Residential Community, it was just as she had expected. The environment was good, and it was clearly higher in elevation than the surrounding areas.
The landlord was a man in his forties who looked honest enough.
The apartment had the standard layout of three bedrooms and two living rooms. The decoration was simple but clean. The walls were thick, and every window had sturdy anti-theft bars installed.
Lin Wan specifically examined the load-bearing walls and the thickness of the doors and windows, quietly nodding to herself.
“Uncle, we’re quite satisfied with the house. If we rent it, would it be possible to make some renovations? And about the rent… could it be a little cheaper?” Lin Wan began to use her rather clumsy bargaining skills. “The house would just sit empty otherwise. If you rent it to us, we’ll definitely take good care of it.”
The landlord hesitated for a moment.
“You’re planning to stay long-term… alright then. One price—4,000 a month. If you pay yearly, that’s 48,000.”
Four thousand.
Lin Wan quickly calculated in her mind. After selling their house, they had more than a million yuan. That money had to be spent carefully, only where it truly mattered.
“Uncle, how about 3,800? We’ll sign the contract today, rent for one quarter first, and pay immediately!” Lin Wan gritted her teeth and quoted a lower price.
“Oh my, girl, that’s cutting it a bit too harsh… But if you want to renovate a little, that’s fine. Just report it to the property management first.” The landlord replied readily.
In the end, they settled on 16,000 yuan for a quarter, with a 5,000 yuan deposit.
Lin Wan signed the contract on the spot and transferred the payment to the landlord using her phone.
Holding the freshly signed rental contract and the keys in her hand, Lin Wan finally felt half the weight in her heart lift.
With this foothold, they now had the foundation to survive.
She immediately called her parents and younger brother to share the good news.
On the other end, Lin Jianguo simply said in a deep voice, “Alright, got it.” But Lin Wan could hear the hint of relief in her father’s tone.
Li Shulan, on the other hand, happily repeated “Good, good!” several times. In the background, Lin Wan could still hear her directing someone:
“Boss! Add ten more boxes of canned food! Yes, all meat cans!”
Lin Wan didn’t return home. Instead, she stayed in the rented apartment.
She needed to plan ahead—where to store supplies, and where the living areas would be.
Just then, her father called again.
“Wanwan, send me the address of the new place. I found a few guys from the old factory. We’ll bring materials over right away to reinforce the doors and windows. Wait there.”
Less than an hour later, Lin Jianguo arrived with three middle-aged men wearing old work uniforms and darkened skin. They were driving a small truck loaded with thick steel plates, angle iron, rebar, and other materials.
“Uncle Zhang, Uncle Li, Uncle Wang,” Lin Jianguo introduced briefly. They were all his former coworkers from the mechanical factory, masters of their craft.
“Old Lin, why the rush? Are you guarding against thieves or something?” one of the men surnamed Zhang joked with a grin. But his hands didn’t stop moving as he skillfully began measuring the size of the front door.
Lin Jianguo forced a bitter smile.
“Sigh… don’t mention it. I heard the public security hasn’t been good lately. Makes me uneasy. Thought I’d reinforce the house so we can sleep peacefully.”
The old craftsmen were straightforward people. They didn’t ask further questions and immediately got to work after taking out their tools.
Soon, the sounds of drills, cutting machines, and welding sparks filled the new home.
Lin Jianguo personally joined in, directing where to install steel bars and where to reinforce the interior with steel plates. The front door was directly replaced with a heavy anti-theft door, and even the door frame was strengthened with angle iron all around.
Lin Wan watched as her father and the uncles worked under the heat, sweat pouring down their faces. The once ordinary door and windows were gradually transformed into a solid fortress.
The lingering sense of unease in her heart was finally suppressed a little.