Chapter 80 - 75: New Apartment

Chapter 80: Chapter 75: New Apartment

Ning He left together with Leo.

The two walked out of the main gate side by side, the silence between them laced with a hint of awkwardness.

"Why didn’t you mention going out of the city with Black Panther Company?" Leo suddenly asked.

Ning He let out a guilty cough. "It’s not relevant. Besides, it’s only once or twice a month. There’s no need to bring it up."

Speaking of this, Ning He suddenly frowned. Thinking of a certain possibility, she turned her head and eyed the man warily.

"You didn’t have anything to do with that, did you? The business Black Panther Company runs is registered and licensed. What happened last time was an accident!"

Leo’s expression stiffened.

"It wasn’t me. I’m very busy; I don’t have time to micromanage such trivial matters."

"That’s good, then." Ning He retracted her hostile gaze.

Leo glanced at her limping gait.

"But since we ran into each other, I’ll remind you—for safety’s sake, it’s best if you don’t leave the city in the near future."

Ning He stopped in her tracks.

"Is this your condition for agreeing to be my guarantor? Can I say no?"

Leo also stopped. His gaze fell on her now-expressionless face, and he frowned slightly.

"Why do you still go with them when you know it’s risky? What reason do you have to risk your life like this?"

"Who in this world isn’t risking their life just to survive? Lieutenant Colonel Leo, you’ve risked your life more times than anyone else, haven’t you? Everyone has things they are forced to do; do you really have to know the reason?"

"If having you as my guarantor means I have to listen to you about everything, then I’d rather find someone else!"

Leaving behind those harsh words, Ning He turned around and walked away. Before she could take two steps, her back collar was grabbed, and she was pulled right back to where she started like a little chick.

"Enough. You’re quite young to have such a temper. Since I agreed to be your guarantor, I won’t go back on my word. As for you insisting on leaving the city with Macken and the others, do as you please," Leo said with a dark expression.

’He really shouldn’t have been so nosy!’

Only then did Ning He’s anger subside a little.

"Then thank you very much. I’ll make a jar of that roasted pepper sauce for you as a thank-you gift. I’m quite poor, and this is the only decent thing I can offer. Please don’t mind."

Leo didn’t say anything, and Ning He took it as a tacit agreement. The two didn’t speak again, and after leaving the residential area, they parted ways.

After returning to the Fourth Ring, Ning He first told Connie and Ah Huai the news.

"The cafeteria issue is resolved for now, but what about opening the shop? With our credit levels, I’m afraid we won’t even be able to rent a storefront! Those guys are going too far, pulling these tricks just because we refused to cooperate with them!" Connie said, angrily slapping the cutting board so hard that the kitchen knife bounced twice.

Because Ning He had lied about the reason, Connie simply assumed that she, like herself, was being framed out of revenge, making her exceptionally furious.

Ning He cursed along with her for a few sentences before quickly changing the subject.

"It’s not entirely hopeless. Look, didn’t we just win glory for the North Third District? Maybe someone will be willing to rent us a shop because of that. We could ask the administrator auntie for help, right?"

Connie’s eyes lit up. "That’s a good idea, why didn’t I think of that? I’ll go find the auntie later. But what about restocking ingredients? If we can’t get wholesale prices, our profit margin might not even be 10%."

"About that..." Ning He’s mind raced, and she quickly came up with an excuse. "Actually, my partner found out about this and felt pretty bad. They said they’d privately introduce me to a food company for supplies. The supply volume might not be completely stable, but it’ll definitely be cheaper than the market price. We can just supplement it with retail-priced goods when needed, and the profit should still be enough."

"Really? That’s great!" Connie stood up excitedly from her chair. "As long as we can get the shop open, I guarantee our business will be so good that those bastards will die of jealousy! Wait here, I’m going to talk to the auntie right now!"

After Connie finished speaking, she set off in a flurry. Watching her back disappear, the smile on Ning He’s face gradually collapsed.

There was still one most troublesome matter at hand.

Even with Leo stepping in as her guarantor, it would only buy her a few months at most. The real priority was figuring out how to solve the underlying problem.

’But where should I even start?’

’Run straight to the Security Bureau and swear up and down that I will never do it again? I’d probably be made an example of on the spot.’

’The fact that I wasn’t taken away by the Security Bureau personnel at the trading hall that day seemed to imply I had agreed to some sort of demand. But what do I even have to offer?’

’The black mud?’

’If I hand it over, will I just end up winning myself a few years in prison?’

’Definitely not.’

This matter was truly a bit tricky.

Until Connie returned from the administrator auntie, Ning He still hadn’t come up with a good solution, so she could only set the matter aside for now.

"...The auntie said that given our situation, getting a shop in a prime location might be difficult, but there are still quite a few vacant shops in the North Third District. She’ll help us check, and if there’s anything suitable, she’ll let us know."

"Also, I just ran into Uncle Bari. He said he found a place that meets your requirements and can take you to see it anytime."

Connie had brought back two pieces of good news at once.

Ning He was also excited. "Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go right now!"

In the afternoon, Vance, Ah Huai, and Connie would be manning the Malatang stall. It didn’t matter if Ning He wasn’t there, so she hopped in a car and set off with Uncle Bari.

Bali was a warm and talkative middle-aged man. Having worked as a real estate agent in the Fourth Ring for twenty years, he knew every brick and tile here inside out. He also introduced a lot of things to Ning He on the way.

"...According to your requirements, it’s a two-story apartment, with over a hundred square meters on each floor—more than enough for a large central kitchen. There aren’t many residents around, and the security is decent. The only thing is that transportation isn’t very convenient; it takes about ten minutes to walk to the nearest bus stop."

"That’s fine. I’m planning to buy a small vehicle recently, so this little distance is nothing," Ning He said.

Inconvenient transportation meant fewer passersby, which was exactly what suited her best.

Upon arriving and taking a look, Ning He was even more satisfied.

The dusty gray detached house was shaped somewhat like a trapezoid. Hidden in the corner of the block and surrounded by other buildings, it was completely unnoticeable unless one walked deep into the area.

"The previous tenants used the upstairs as a warehouse, so it’s unfurnished. It’s perfect for setting up a kitchen. The downstairs rooms and bathrooms are all ready to use; you can move in right away once you bring your things," Uncle Bari explained, while casually testing all the switches in the house and checking the condition of the appliances. He was very meticulous and thoughtful.

Ning He walked around and felt highly satisfied as well.

Downstairs, besides the living room, there were two large open-plan bedrooms and two bathrooms. It was more than enough space for her to live alone.

Although the upstairs was completely empty except for a few shelves, it was exactly what Ning He needed. When the time came, spreading the black mud on the floor would be perfect.

Moreover, there were only two square windows upstairs. Once sealed off with curtains, no one would be able to see inside, making it adequately safe. As for the lighting needed for the vegetables to grow, installing a few lamps would solve the problem. Compared to the exorbitant price of vegetables, what was a little electricity bill?

Ning He took another lap around and looked out from the second-floor window, where a corner of a massive, towering city wall came into view.

’So it’s actually this close to the inner city wall.’

Ning He stood by the window for a while. After her mood calmed down, she observed the flow of people outside for a moment and quickly made up her mind.

"Uncle Bari, let’s go with this place. Please help me prepare the rental paperwork. I want to move in immediately as soon as the cold wave ends."

"Alright, I’ll get it sorted for you as soon as possible. When you move, I’ll call a few people over to help!" Uncle Bari said enthusiastically.

This house belonged to the government, and the monthly rent was several times more expensive than Ning He’s current small apartment. At one thousand credits, it was equivalent to an entire month’s salary for an average person. However, for the current Ning He, it was completely pressure-free.

Ning He then asked Uncle Bari to find someone to do some simple renovations on a few spots in the house before heading back, ready to wait for the cold wave to pass so she could move in.