Chapter 115 - 94: House and Mission

Chapter 115: Chapter 94: House and Mission

The first property wasn’t far from the agency, located on the third floor of a five-story residential building. It was about forty-something square meters, with one bedroom and one living room, plus a small kitchen and bathroom. The rooms were reasonably clean, but the windows faced another building, so the lighting was average. Moreover, there was no dedicated parking spot, meaning parking would cost extra. Xu Mo looked around, felt it was a bit cramped, and shook his head.

The second property was in an area of the Inner City near the wall. It was a ground-floor unit that came with a small yard of over ten square meters. The clerk mentioned that the yard could be used for parking. But when Xu Mo walked into it, he saw it was piled high with all sorts of trash and junk. There were even the shattered remains of several broken flowerpots that had fallen from an upper floor; clearly, the upstairs residents had a habit of throwing things down. The environment made him frown, and he shook his head in refusal.

The third property was on the second floor in another residential area. It had a two-bedroom, one-living-room layout and was over sixty square meters, with good lighting and ventilation. But the price was over his budget at 200 Contribution Points a month, and it also lacked a dedicated parking spot. Although Xu Mo felt the place itself was acceptable, he still shook his head, considering his budget and need for parking.

Despite showing three unsatisfactory properties in a row, the clerk showed no sign of discouragement. In fact, he became even more enthusiastic. He flipped through his file and said, "Sir, don’t you worry. We still have a few other options. They might be a bit more remote, but one of them might be just what you’re looking for."

That afternoon, the clerk took Xu Mo to a southern area of the Inner City, near the wall. The building density here was noticeably lower, with many single-story houses, each with its own small, private yard. Although they looked older than the apartment buildings in the city center, the environment was much more peaceful.

Eventually, they stopped in front of a small, walled courtyard. Pushing open the gate revealed a yard of about forty-something square meters. The ground was packed earth, with some weeds growing, but it was relatively level.

Behind the yard stood a blue-brick, tile-roofed house that looked quite old. It faced south and was built in the traditional rural style of "three connected rooms": a main hall flanked by two darker rooms. In other words, the central room was the main hall, with a bedroom on either side. Next to the main house was a separate, slightly shorter building that served as the kitchen.

The clerk explained, "Mr. Xu, this is a managed property. The pros are that it’s a private house with its own yard, so it’s quiet, and you can park in the yard. The main building has three rooms, which is plenty of space. The cons are that the house is a bit old, and the kitchen roof is somewhat damaged and will need minor repairs. The monthly rent is 180 Contribution Points, which is slightly over your budget, but its safety is absolutely guaranteed."

Xu Mo carefully inspected the property, inside and out. The main hall was spacious, and the bedrooms on either side were a suitable size. Though the furniture was simple, it was perfectly usable. The yard was large enough for his SUV and still had space to move around. As for the kitchen roof, it just had a few broken, leaking tiles, which wouldn’t be difficult to repair.

"This’ll do," Xu Mo said with a satisfied nod. In his opinion, spending an extra 30 Contribution Points for a relatively independent, safe, and functional private space was well worth it.

Hearing this, the clerk’s face lit up with a joyful smile; the deal was done, which meant he would get a nice commission. "Excellent! Mr. Xu, shall we head back and handle the paperwork now?"

The two returned to the agency and signed a simple rental agreement, agreeing to a provisional one-year lease. Xu Mo paid a security deposit of 180 Contribution Points, equivalent to one month’s rent, plus the first month’s rent of 180 Contribution Points, for a total of 360. He received the keys and a rental certificate stamped by the Jiang City Administration.

"Oh, right," Xu Mo said, remembering the kitchen roof. "Can you help me find someone to fix it? I’ll cover the cost."

"No problem! You can count on me." The clerk puffed out his chest, guaranteeing, "I know a professional repair crew. For 30 Contribution Points, I guarantee they’ll have it fixed for you this afternoon. They’ll replace the tiles with new ones, so it won’t delay your move-in tomorrow at all."

’That price was definitely inflated,’ Xu Mo thought, but he didn’t bother to argue. ’If you don’t let people make a little profit, why would they be willing to do the work?’

This reminded him of how, before he’d transmigrated, many people would ask friends for help only to complain later that they’d been ripped off. ’To me, that’s perfectly normal. If you don’t let your friends get a little something out of it, you’re just burning goodwill. Completely unnecessary.’

Xu Mo readily paid another 30 Contribution Points. With his living situation settled, a weight was lifted from his mind, and he felt much more relaxed.

Leaving the agency, he saw it was still early and started walking toward the Hunter’s Guild.

’Now that I have a temporary place to stay, the next step is to figure out how to establish myself here in Jiang City and earn Contribution Points quickly.’

The scent of spring grew stronger each day. The sunlight brought warmth, but it also dispelled the cold that had suppressed certain existences.

As the temperature rose, the zombies roaming the wilderness became noticeably more active. This undoubtedly increased the risks for survivors who needed to venture out to gather resources. At a time like this, surviving by relying on a large shelter like Jiang City, with its powerful defenses and well-organized system, was undoubtedly a wise choice.

Through his conversations with both the guide, Xing, and the real estate clerk, Xu Mo had reconfirmed a critical piece of information. For the survivors of Jiang City, and for the world at large, the recent cataclysms were entirely new phenomena, appearing only after the start of the apocalypse. This included the "Eternal Night" he had experienced, which caused mental corruption and a tide of mutated creatures, as well as the catastrophic flood that submerged everything and the subsequent threat of aquatic mutants.