Dimensional Store: Welcome to the Apocalypse Apartment - Chapter 187

Chapter 187

“Presumptuous? How presumptuous are we talking?” Gu Huaiwei followed behind him with a leisurely stride. “I charge a fee for questions that are too presumptuous.”

Since the Oasis Sanatorium hadn’t opened for business yet, picking up a little side income wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“Ha.” He gave a light chuckle and stopped at the office door. Turning around, his gaze fell upon the small figure Gu Huaiwei was leading by the hand. “What is that thing you’re holding onto?”

Gu Huaiwei was leading Bai Miemie.

Hearing those words, Bai Miemie’s soft little ears twitched. She looked up at Gu Huaiwei with her large, watery eyes.

Gu Huaiwei patted her head. “She’s my little Assistant. Don’t be fooled by her age; she’s actually very sensible and well-behaved. She’s a quick worker, too, and won’t cause any trouble in your Library.”

A blush crept over Bai Miemie’s face. Her small hand gripped Gu Huaiwei’s finger tightly as her toes lightly kicked at the ground. Though her head was lowered, her rectangular pupils peered upward, staring at Han Zhusheng. “That’s right, Miemie is very capable. I can make beautiful styles and process the skins of dead people. I strip them off, dry them out, and brush the fur until it’s clean and pretty.”

She was using somewhat clumsy words to threaten Han Zhusheng, warning him not to get any ideas about Gu Huaiwei.

The Operators chosen by Paradise could only be shared among Assistants like them or the bosses of Paradise.

Bai Miemie would not allow some random monster or ghost from a minor Dimension to come out and take a bite out of Gu Huaiwei.

“Are you under a Contract?” He rubbed his chin, looking up in thought. “Doesn’t quite seem like it. You feel different from us.”

In the darkness, the skin on his face turned an even paler shade of ashen gray. When he smiled, his features looked like crumpled paper.

He seemed to have discovered something… very interesting…

In this world, there were only humans and Anomalies.

Han Zhusheng was a high-level Anomaly living within this Instance, tasked with tempting Trial-takers into violating the Rules.

He could sense that Gu Huaiwei was human.

But the Bai Miemie she was leading was neither human nor ghost; she was a new species he had never seen before.

Inedible, but possessing ornamental value.

He suddenly wanted to keep one in the Library as well.

Han Zhusheng pulled a key from his pocket and opened the Office door.

This key was also a key prop mentioned in the Rules.

Gu Huaiwei hadn’t seen the Rules of the Instance, so she walked into the Office without any hesitation.

The black dog’s blood that was originally rigged above the door didn’t pour down just because Gu Huaiwei stepped inside.

None of her actions in the Library would trigger the Rule warnings.

After entering the Office, Han Zhusheng, bound by the constraints of the Instance, habitually walked over to the sofa.

He picked up a pack of cigarettes from the side table and lit one. White smoke drifted from his slender fingertips. Crossing his long legs as he sat on the sofa, he began reciting his triggered lines: “You followed me here to investigate the Mining Disaster and the Chemical Plant Explosion Incident, didn’t you?”

“No, I didn’t.”

Gu Huaiwei felt that Han Zhusheng was very much like an NPC in a game, reciting lines triggered by a specific scene.

“You investigative Reporters always love doing foolish and dangerous things.” Han Zhusheng took a deep drag of his cigarette, his tone helpless.

“Uh, I’m not an investigative Reporter either.”

Han Zhusheng automatically ignored her words. His gaze drifted melancholically toward the window as he continued, “Gray Mist Town was originally just an unremarkable little town. Ever since the mines behind the town were developed and rare Gray Crystal was discovered, it attracted a large number of gold-seekers…”

“Wait, are you going to tell me the story of this town?” Gu Huaiwei held the promotional posters for the Oasis Sanatorium in her hand. She found a chair nearby and sat on it backward, resting her arms on the backrest. “Take your time. I’m from outside the town and not very familiar with this place. I’d actually like to learn more about it.”
Bai Miemie didn’t want to sit. Instead, she crouched beside Gu Huaiwei, cupping her face in her hands like a large, fluffy stuffed doll.

“The mine is controlled by a Black-hearted Merchant from out of town. They weren’t satisfied with small-scale gold panning, so they hired a group of Bandits and took over the entire mountain range.

“They offered meager wages to hire the townspeople as Miners, eventually hollowing out the entire mountain.

“The young men of the town worked day and night in the mine. Many contracted Mist Lung Disease because of the Gray Crystal and died young.

“The children of the deceased were left with no one to care for them. They became troublemakers, skipping school all day to pull pranks here at the Library.

“My father adopted a young girl who went mad after losing both her parents. If you see her in the Library, be careful. She suffers from mania and can be violent at times.”

At this point, Han Zhusheng paused. A smile like an Anomaly’s spread across his pale face. “You investigative Reporters should really be careful – don’t go taking a madman’s words as the truth.”

Gu Huaiwei asked, “Then what about the Mining Disaster and the Chemical Plant Explosion Incident?”

The smile vanished from Han Zhusheng’s face, as if some new switch had been triggered. “There’s a theory that, to cover up the Mist Lung Disease, the Black-hearted Merchant deliberately sent infected workers into an abandoned Mine Tunnel, then blew up the passage – turning it into a Mining Disaster.

“You have to understand: keeping a group of patients who are destined to die is expensive. You never know how much longer they have, and if there are too many sick people, it causes panic, which pushes wages up.

“But if you just pay compensation for a few deaths, it’s comparatively cheaper.

“As for the Chemical Plant Explosion Incident, I was still in school when it happened. If you want the details, you’ll have to go see my father.”

Gu Huaiwei drew in a quiet breath. There was a lot going on behind this town.

She started counting the people who had appeared so far.

Setting aside the old woman she met at the very beginning…

There were four humans; four regular Library staff members; Han Zhusheng; the Library Director; and the “adopted daughter.” And in the story, there were also the Black-hearted Merchant and the Bandits.

To clear the Sanatorium’s first-stage marketing task and upgrade it to two stars, she needed to gather twelve customers from among these people and get them into the Sanatorium.

While Gu Huaiwei was lost in thought, the Office door suddenly blew open.

“Creeeak-”

The Corridor outside was even darker than when they had come in, with not a hint of light anywhere.

There was no sound from outside.

Yet Han Zhusheng abruptly stood and said to Gu Huaiwei, “I can hear my father calling me. He’s having another episode. I’ll go take a look – please wait a moment.”

With that, he walked out of the Office.

His figure was swallowed by the darkness.

Gu Huaiwei didn’t hear any footsteps in the Corridor.

The instant he stepped into that dark hallway, his presence seemed to vanish completely.

After Han Zhusheng left, the Office felt strange. The temperature climbed a few degrees, and Gu Huaiwei heard someone outside shouting that there was a fire.

She fanned her face with her hand, her cheeks growing hot from the rising heat indoors.

“Come on. It’s boiling in here. Let’s go wander somewhere else and see if there are any other living people we can talk to.”