Chapter 11: Unexpected Gain

Chapter 11: Chapter 11: Unexpected Gain

Returning to his temporary "home" on the second floor, Xu Mo dumped the things he was carrying onto the sheet-covered sofa. He carefully placed the laptop in a relatively clean corner. Then he casually tossed the thick flannel cushion behind him and sat down. The immediate softness was a definite improvement over sitting directly on the sheet.

Only then did he have a moment to carefully inspect the "tea" canisters he had swiped from the office.

He picked up the first heavy metal canister; it was cool to the touch. Xu Mo twisted open the tightly sealed lid. A rich, slightly pungent aroma of tobacco instantly rushed out to greet him.

"Huh?" Xu Mo froze for a second. He tilted the canister and saw it was densely packed with brownish-yellow tobacco shreds, along with quite a few pre-rolled cigarettes with snow-white filters.

In disbelief, he picked up the second, equally heavy canister and opened it. Sure enough, it was also filled with neatly arranged cigarettes!

It wasn’t until he opened the third canister that a fresh, delicate tea fragrance finally managed to cut through some of the pungent tobacco smell. Inside were dark green, tightly rolled tea leaves that looked to be of rather high quality.

"Heh..." Xu Mo couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head. He muttered to himself, "No wonder there was an ashtray on the coffee table but not a single teacup in sight. The owner of this office was a real chainsmoker..."

Xu Mo did a rough count. Between the two canisters, there were probably close to two hundred cigarettes in total.

In civilized society, these things were just consumables. But in the apocalypse... Xu Mo picked one up and examined it, his feelings mixed.

He didn’t smoke himself. You couldn’t eat or drink them, so they seemed useless for survival. But then a thought struck him. ’What if... what if I run into other survivors in the future? Maybe these cigarettes could become a special kind of "hard currency" for trading what I need?’

The thought flashed through his mind, and he filed it away for later. He sealed the two cigarette canisters again and placed them with the canister of actual green tea, classifying them as "potentially useful" supplies.

Next, Xu Mo’s gaze fell upon the laptop.

He pressed the power button, and the screen lit up as expected. A brand logo flashed by, and it quickly went to a password entry screen. Xu Mo tried a few common, simple passwords and, unsurprisingly, failed.

"Just as I thought." Sighing, Xu Mo closed the laptop in resignation.

’It has power and it turns on, but I can’t get past the login. Until I find a computer expert, the greatest use for this well-made electronic device is probably... as a rather heavy brick, or a clumsy self-defense tool?’ Xu Mo mocked his own haul again, classifying the computer as "currently useless."

Finally, his attention returned to the unassuming cushion beneath him.

The flannel fabric was soft, and the filling inside was thick and springy, perfectly mitigating the hardness of the sofa’s springs. Compared to the "potential value" of the cigarettes and the "future possibilities" of the laptop, the comfort this cushion provided was immediate and tangible. It would allow him to rest better and thus recover his strength faster, which in itself was an aid to his survival.

"After all that, you turned out to be the most useful thing from this whole verification mission." Xu Mo patted the cushion. His tone was self-mocking, yet it also held a sense of relief that came from accepting reality.

This "door opening," though it hadn’t yielded the desperately needed food, medicine, or weapons, was not without its gains.

First, and most importantly, he had successfully verified the "door type correspondence" rule. This pointed the way toward efficiently utilizing his ability in the future, a strategic victory far more valuable than one or two simple supply runs.

Second, he had obtained some "non-standard" supplies. The cigarettes could potentially be used for trade, the tea could improve the quality of his drinking water, and the cushion enhanced his quality of life. All of this broadened his definition of "useful supplies."

Finally, while the laptop was currently just a decoration, it was also a "seed." If conditions permitted in the future, it might bring an unexpected surprise.

His inventory taken, Xu Mo re-sorted the supplies and put them away. He stood up and walked to the window. As he looked out at the still, dead town, his mind felt clearer and more confident than before.

Grasping this rule made Xu Mo feel like he was no longer just passively drifting with the tide, but was starting to truly "wield" his ability. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

For the next two days, Xu Mo’s life fell into a stable and fulfilling cycle.

He greeted the dawn with Posture Stance, then spent his mornings and afternoons in several sessions of Pile Training, gradually increasing their duration and intensity. He interspersed these sessions with eating, resting, and keeping a vigilant watch over the town. At night, on the sofa now fitted with a sheet and cushion, his sleep grew deeper and more peaceful with each passing day.

Xu Mo could clearly feel his body recovering at a rapid pace. It wasn’t just the disappearance of his illness, but a return of vitality. The weakness in his limbs was gone, replaced by a gradually building sense of strength. Each time he performed the Posture Stance, the trembling in his muscles was less severe, and he could hold it for longer. Though he was still drenched in sweat by the end, the exhaustion was accompanied by a satisfying release, not the utter collapse he’d felt before.

By the evening of the second day, when he finished his practice, Xu Mo stretched his limbs. His joints no longer felt sore, but flexible and limber. He clenched his fist hard, feeling the solid power from his tensed arm muscles.

’I’ve completely recovered... I might even be in slightly better shape than before.’

He made his assessment. This wasn’t just his body recovering. The days of Pile Training seemed to be genuinely, albeit subtly, tempering his physique. While he was far from the fantastical invulnerability of the Cowhide Realm, this tangible increase in strength and energy was undeniable.

At the same time, several days of nearly constant observation had allowed Xu Mo to repeatedly confirm one fact: the town was truly empty. There were no wandering shadows by day, and no hair-raising roars by night. Aside from the sound of the wind and the occasional clatter of debris it stirred, the place was as silent as a giant tomb. After the strange mass exodus of zombies to the west, they seemed to have abandoned this place completely.

His physical recovery gave him the foundation to handle risks, while the temporary "safety" of the external environment provided a window of opportunity to act.

His gaze drifted involuntarily toward the bottom of the stairs, to the exit that was thoroughly blocked by all sorts of heavy furniture. That was the gate to the outside world, and also to unknown dangers.

Previously, for the sake of absolute safety, Xu Mo had sealed it shut with his own hands. But now, things were different.

"I can’t stay trapped in here forever," Xu Mo muttered to himself.

Supplies would eventually run out, and his ability’s cooldown limited the frequency of his resource gathering. Moreover, he needed to understand the broader situation, find a more stable and secure long-term base, and scout for suitable "anchors" for his next, more targeted "door opening"—like the street-facing glass door just across the way.

Hunkering down in one corner would just mean slowly running out of everything. Only by actively exploring could he seize a greater chance at survival.

After a moment of thought, weighing his own condition against the silence outside, Xu Mo made up his mind.

He walked to the top of the stairs and got to work, carefully moving the furniture that was blocking the way. The heavy wardrobe and desk were shifted bit by bit, making dull scraping sounds. He didn’t clear the path completely, only opening up a gap just large enough for him to slip in and out, but that could also be quickly resealed in case of danger.