Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 155 Negotiations

Seeing her anxious expression and the fact that she seemed prepared to walk back, the young man said, "Young lady, don't rush! If you're in such a hurry, walking back will only waste your time. Perfect timing!" He patted the tricycle beside him, which was already loaded with some groceries. "I came here in my little tricycle. I was planning to deliver your generator and battery box later anyway, so they're on the tricycle now! I'm almost closing up shop here, and since it's on my way, I'll give you a ride back! It'll save you from waiting, what do you say?"

This was a godsend! Xu Xiaoyan hadn't expected the other party to be so helpful and considerate, and a wave of gratitude washed over her. She quickly said, "Thank you so much, boss! You've really gone to so much trouble!"

"No trouble at all! Customers come first! Besides, it's fate that we made this deal!" The young man nimbly jumped into the driver's seat and gestured for Xu Xiaoyan to sit in the passenger seat next to him, which was just big enough for one person.

He started the electric tricycle, which made a slight humming sound. Carrying two people and goods, it nimbly turned out of the crowded Taiping Street and headed towards room 12567.

About twenty minutes later, the tricycle stopped outside Xu Xiaoyan's courtyard gate. The energetic young man not only delivered the goods to her door, but also very kindly helped Xu Xiaoyan unload the heavy generator and two battery boxes of different sizes from the vehicle and carry them to the open space inside the house.

"Young lady, everything is here. Please check it," the young man said with a smile, wiping his sweat.

Xu Xiaoyan nodded, confirmed receipt on the spot, and thanked him again, "Thank you, boss, you've worked hard."

"You're welcome! If you need anything in the future, just come find me on Taiping Street. I'm always there!" The young man said this, then waved and drove away in his tricycle.

After seeing the young man off, Xu Xiaoyan immediately closed the door behind her, then went back inside and put the heavy generator and two battery boxes on the ground into her spatial storage.

After finishing all this, she slung her backpack over her shoulder and hurried out the door, heading quickly toward the western district of the outer city, following the address sent by Xie Yingtang.

Jianshe Road is located in a relatively remote area of ​​the western outer city, and is not close to her apartment number 12567, which is near the edge of the central city.

She had to travel through several blocks, traversing most of the outer city. In some places, the roads were narrow and congested, while in others, she had to detour due to construction or abandonment. Although the number of pedestrians and vehicles on the road was not as high as on Taiping Street, there were still quite a few, and she often had to give way.

When she finally arrived at the old four-story building No. 17, located deep in Jianshe Road, following the road signs and occasionally asking passersby, she raised her wrist to check the time and found that more than an hour had passed! Only then did Xu Xiaoyan truly realize how large the so-called "outer city" of the Linchuan base was.

"I didn't expect it to take so long to get here..." Xu Xiaoyan raised her hand to wipe the fine sweat from her forehead, shook her head helplessly, and silently noted in her heart, "Next time I come, I must find a way to take a ride, it's taking too much time."

She looked up and carefully examined the building she was about to enter. The building looked very old, like it was from the 1970s or 80s. Large areas of the walls were peeling and exposed the blue bricks underneath. Some of the windows were broken and were barely covered with wooden boards or plastic sheets.

The entrance to the building was dimly lit and piled with old furniture, discarded cardboard boxes, and other debris, almost blocking half of the passageway.

The entire building and its surroundings exude a strong sense of dilapidation, crowding, and chaos, reminiscent of an old-fashioned "urban village" or a dilapidated factory dormitory area. A faint musty smell mixed with the aroma of food wafts through the air.

Is this where Xie Yingtang and Wang Xiao have temporarily settled? The conditions are even more difficult than she expected, but this is not the time to lament. She suppressed her feelings, carefully avoided the clutter at the entrance of the stairwell, and stepped into the dimly lit stairwell.

The stairwell was even more crowded, with piles of household clutter on the side of almost every step—honeycomb briquettes, old shoes, pickle jars, clothes racks… The walls were covered with messy graffiti, children’s scratches, and stains left over the years.

The few motion-activated lights that were available seemed to be mostly broken, and the light was extremely dim, barely enough to see the ground. The complex smell in the air was even stronger, mixed with the smell of dust and dampness.

Xu Xiaoyan held her breath and carefully made her way up the stairs in the dim light, trying not to make too much noise. At the same time, her ears were alert to the faint sounds coming from each floor—a child crying, the noise of a television, a couple arguing, the sound of running water… This was the crowded and real daily life of ordinary survivors in the outer city.

Finally, she arrived at the third floor. The hallway was also cluttered with miscellaneous items and dimly lit. She walked along the narrow corridor, and various noises came from behind the closed doors on both sides. She counted the room numbers: 301... Then, she saw room 302.

It was an ordinary wooden door that didn't look very sturdy. The paint was peeling, the doorknob was rusty, and there was a faded "福" (good fortune) character pasted on the door with the corners curled up. The entrance was relatively clean, without too many things piled up.

Xu Xiaoyan stood in front of the door, calmed her slightly rapid breathing from walking quickly, then raised her hand and knocked three times on the wooden door with her knuckles, "thump, thump, thump".

The knocking wasn't particularly loud amidst the noise of the hallway. Almost immediately after the knock, a familiar, deep, and highly alert voice came from inside, "Who is it?"

It's Wang Xiao!

"It's me, Xu Xiaoyan," she replied.

A series of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded from inside the door, and then the door clicked open, revealing Wang Xiao's somewhat childish face with his signature, energetic smile.

"Xiaoyan! You're finally here!" His voice was full of joy as he quickly stepped aside to let Xu Xiaoyan into the house, chattering on and on, "Before, we were really short on points. After renting this place, we didn't have many left, and we couldn't afford that ridiculously expensive phone at all. It was only later that Lao Xie got some luck and managed to get a job at that 'Base Network Management Office,' which gave him some points to buy a phone. That's how we were able to contact you!"

At this point, as if suddenly remembering something, he slapped his forehead, turned around, rushed to the window, leaned out most of his body, and shouted down in a booming voice, "Old Xie! Old Xie—! Xie Yingtang—! Hurry back—!"

His sudden shout startled Xu Xiaoyan. She walked to the window and looked at him, puzzled. "Can he... hear you shouting like that?"

Wang Xiao shrank back, nonchalantly brushing the dust off his hands, and nodded. "I don't know. He should be working around here today. If he hears it, he'll come back. If he doesn't hear it..." He grinned slyly, revealing a set of white teeth, "Then I'll just treat it like calling a dog. It won't hurt to bark a few more times!"

Looking at his carefree attitude, Xu Xiaoyan couldn't help but smile helplessly, offering no comment on the way these two got along.

Less than ten minutes later, the sound of a key being inserted into the lock could be heard outside the door. Then, the door was pushed open, and Xie Yingtang, looking travel-worn, walked in. He was still wearing his slightly worn but clean and neat clothes, but there seemed to be a bit more composure in his eyes that belonged to a "public official".

Xu Xiaoyan looked up and saw him, and couldn't help but ask with a hint of surprise, "You actually heard Wang Xiao's 'summoning'?"

Xie Yingtang nodded, his face expressionless. As he took off his dusty coat, he explained, "Well, I happen to be nearby. There's a minor issue with the network nodes in this area, so I came to fix it."

He hung up his clothes, walked to the chair opposite Xu Xiaoyan, and sat down. His expression became serious. "Xiaoyan, you've come at the right time. I've heard some news—the initial framework of the Fourth City has been completed."

He paused, then continued, "The location is just outside the outer city wall, which is considered a new expansion area. The military is currently implementing a policy of directly allocating land for free, and also offering significant discounts on building materials. Most importantly, once the house is built to standard, the builder will live there for free for life. The military will only take it back when the person dies."

He looked at Xu Xiaoyan, his eyes questioning, "Wang Xiao and I discussed it and think this is an opportunity. We plan to go to the Fourth City. Do you want to come?"

Xu Xiaoyan listened quietly, but her face did not show the agreement or excitement that Xie Yingtang had expected. Instead, she frowned slightly. She did not refute immediately, but said, "The Fourth City is located outside the outer city, right? As far as I know, the inner city, middle city, and outer city are all protected by high walls and fortifications. I guess the Fourth City probably also has a city wall, and the area enclosed in the middle is the Fourth City itself."

She looked up at Xie Yingtang. "So, here's the question: if... I mean, if a large-scale rat infestation or other uncontrollable danger were to occur outside, where would be the first to be impacted?"

Without waiting for Xie Yingtang's reply, she answered herself, "It is the fourth city."

"Furthermore," Xu Xiaoyan continued, "the military is now offering such generous terms—free foundations, discounted building materials, and lifetime ownership. What does this mean? It means they desperately, extremely want someone to come and build the Fourth City. Conversely, why are they in such a hurry?"

Her fingers tapped lightly on her knees unconsciously. "Is it because, as more and more people flock to the Linchuan base, the existing outer city living space is already saturated, even overburdened, and can't accommodate any more people? Newcomers from outside face two choices: either, like we did back then, spend points to stay in the relatively safe but crowded and expensive outer city; or, attracted by 'free' and 'lifetime ownership,' go to the more peripheral, but potentially more dangerous, fourth city."

Xu Xiaoyan finally posed a crucial question, her voice low but striking Xie Yingtang and Wang Xiao deeply: "Given the weighing of options, what kind of people would choose to stay in the Fourth City? Would it be those like us who have accumulated some wealth and seek stability, or those who are penniless, desperate, or even daredevils willing to risk their lives? How chaotic will that place be before the initial order is established?"

After he finished speaking, the room fell into a brief silence. Wang Xiao opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then swallowed it back. He scratched his head and looked at Xie Yingtang, whose brows were furrowed. Clearly, he had not been completely unaware of the realistic and cruel questions raised by Xu Xiaoyan, but the huge temptation of "free housing" had to some extent obscured his thoughts.

Xu Xiaoyan looked at them without urging them. She simply laid out the potential problems she had observed in front of them, leaving the final decision to them.

Xie Yingtang was silent for a moment, then finally nodded. "You're right. I oversimplified the problem. I only focused on 'free' and didn't realize that the price to be paid behind this free service might be much heavier."

He glanced at Wang Xiao, then at the cramped room, and said, "Given the current situation, I can reliably earn 4 points a day from the online office, and Wang Xiao can earn 2 points from odd jobs. If we're careful with our spending, maintaining a basic lifestyle in the outer city shouldn't be a problem."

Seeing that he had taken her words to heart, Xu Xiaoyan felt a little relieved, but then pointed out a more practical problem: "Brother Xie, you also have to consider that if the weather gets colder and becomes so cold that you can't go out, will you still be able to go out and earn points? And..." Her gaze swept across the room, and apart from basic living necessities, there was almost no winter storage. "It seems that you haven't prepared enough winter supplies."

Using her own experience as an example, she frankly stated, "I rented a house with a heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove), bought a fire bucket, and stockpiled several tons of coal. Looking at your place, even if you wanted to buy coal now, do you have anywhere to store it? Just the heating alone would be a huge problem for you." She offered a practical suggestion: "Why don't you consider moving somewhere else? Even just to a house with a heated kang or a separate small space, and then sublet this place to someone else?"

Wang Xiao's face showed a mixture of agreement and helplessness. He lowered his head and unconsciously rubbed the polished cement floor with his toes. His voice was muffled, carrying a hint of embarrassment and powerlessness. He muttered, "Xiao Yan, it's not that we don't want to move... it's just that we really have no choice. This place is really... sigh, but we don't have many points left. The rent for a slightly better place is not a small amount."

Xu Xiaoyan's gaze lingered on her two companions' faces for a moment, then she turned around and placed the backpack she had been clutching tightly in front of her on the creaking old table.

Under the slightly puzzled and surprised gazes of Xie Yingtang and Wang Xiao, she reached into her backpack and took out a bottle of high-end liquor. The dark bottle gleamed in the dim light. Then, Xu Xiaoyan took out five packs of brand-name cigarettes. The cigarette boxes were brand new and crisp. She placed these items on the table one by one.

"Brother Xie, Wang Xiao," she looked up, "you take these."