Dimensional Store: Welcome to the Apocalypse Apartment - Chapter 25

Gu Huaiwei had never truly been able to trust Lin She.

Everything about him was simply too strange.

Even though he had done nothing wrong.

Even though he was always professional at work.

Even though he had repeatedly expressed his loyalty.

But… Gu Huaiwei sensed a deep contradiction in him.

This sense of contradiction stemmed from the fact that Lin She didn’t seem to want anything for himself.

It was as if his sole purpose for appearing was to help her.

Yet, the education Gu Huaiwei had received since childhood told her that there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

No one would be good to you for no reason.

And no one would help you for no reason.

So, Gu Huaiwei was always wary of this kind of help.

What Lin She showed in front of Gu Huaiwei was all human nature.

But Gu Huaiwei, relying on her keen instincts, guarded against the beast beneath the human skin.

During this period, Gu Huaiwei unlocked two new vending machines.

One sold white sugar and salt.

The other sold canned meat.

All the Rat People within a ten-mile radius gathered, collecting metal scraps to exchange for goods from these four machines.

Little by little, it added up.

Cheap goods always brought incredible profits.

Thanks to them, the Oasis Hotel now had thirty thousand Gold Coins in its account.

Gu Huaiwei used these thirty thousand Gold Coins to unlock the staff lounge.

[Oasis Hotel: Two-Star]

[Hotel Prosperity Level: 122]

[Unlocked Areas: Standard Double Room, Twin Room, Themed Room ×4, Vending Machine ×4, Staff Lounge]

[Remaining Balance: 540 Gold Coins]

Thanks to the staff lounge, all the Gold Coins painstakingly earned during this period were spent again.

The originally cramped and stuffy staff storeroom was transformed into a cozy and comfortable staff lounge.

Small as it was, it had everything one could need.

The kitchenette wasn’t large, but it was fully equipped. A towel hung beside the stainless steel sink, and all kinds of kitchen utensils were neatly arranged. The tea room was right next to the kitchenette, with an instant coffee machine placed on a wooden long table.

Gu Huaiwei stuffed all the fruits and vegetables that had been stored in the warehouse into the fridge in the staff lounge’s kitchenette.

The library was a separate room, with huge bookshelves holding all kinds of reference books. Near the window was an off-white sofa bed, and Gu Huaiwei simply let Lin She rest and work there.

As for herself, she would stay in the private lounge at night.

The lounge was only about ten square meters, with just a table, a bed, and a nightstand.

On the nightstand was a photo of a Ferris wheel, like a miniature version of the oil painting in the lobby.

Gu Huaiwei was very satisfied with the staff lounge.

Although it had cost her quite a few Gold Coins, it was well worth it.

After Lin She changed rooms, he never left again.

He hid in the library.

Gu Huaiwei didn’t have the heart to rush him about the membership card matter.

But just two days later, Lin She placed the finished membership card sample at Gu Huaiwei’s door.

Very considerate.

Having such keen hearing was also a kind of trouble.

Every night, Gu Huaiwei could hear, from the direction of the library, heavy and fragmented breaths tinged with pain.

She didn’t know when Lin She came to her door.

Nor when he left the membership card there.

Lin She was always coming and going like a ghost.

Continuous acid rain forced the people of the Underground City to stay inside.

Xiao Youqi’s body had decayed to the point where it could no longer be controlled. When Gu Huaiwei brought him new bottled water, he was using a knife to gouge out the rotten flesh from his abdomen.
“Sit down, don’t mind me.” Xiao Youqi was bare-chested, his body covered in scars of varying depths and densities, all in different stages of healing.

His muscles were beautifully defined, like eight hard rocks tightly arranged together.

Gu Huaiwei looked at his festering wound and asked, “Why don’t you use an Inhibitor?”

Xiao Youqi nodded toward the trash can with his chin, where three empty syringes lay.

“I’ve used three. They don’t work. I have to dig this part out.”

Gu Huaiwei felt as if he had already carved down to the bone.

Was he going to die?

It seemed impolite to ask directly.

Gu Huaiwei changed her approach: “Can your wound be healed?”

If he died, she’d have to find someone else to work with.

Xiao Youqi lifted his head, his silver-gray eyes looking at Gu Huaiwei, and smiled, “Are you worried about me?”

“I’m worried about our business.” Gu Huaiwei’s expression was cold.

“Don’t always act like you only care about money and not people. I thought after working together for so long, there’d be something beyond just financial transactions.”

“Please don’t think about those strange things.”

Gu Huaiwei was a businesswoman, and the last thing a businesswoman should do is talk about feelings with a client.

Because talking about money hurts feelings, and talking about feelings hurts money.

Whenever a customer mentioned friendship, they’d expect her to charge less.

That wouldn’t do.

A little less for this person, a little less for that person.

In the end, how would she do business?

Xiao Youqi dug out the rotten flesh and threw it into the trash can, then injected two more Inhibitors into his abdomen. Only then did the wound barely begin to heal.

He wrapped himself up with bandages.

“Can you help me tie the bandage? It’s hard to do alone.”

Gu Huaiwei stepped forward to help, tying a butterfly knot behind his back.

While she did so, Xiao Youqi took the opportunity to reach out and touch her hair with his finger.

Gu Huaiwei frowned and turned her head away. She didn’t like people suddenly getting close and making such intimate gestures.

“What are you doing?” After tying the butterfly knot, Gu Huaiwei immediately distanced herself from Xiao Youqi.

Xiao Youqi spread his hand: “There was something dirty on your hair.”

In his palm was a scrap of paper.

So it was a misunderstanding.

Gu Huaiwei and Xiao Youqi continued discussing business.

Bandages, drinking water, various compressed foods, and pure cotton clothing were all hot-selling items.

But medicines like antibiotics were not popular in this world.

After agreeing on the profit split, Gu Huaiwei estimated that another large sum of money would soon come in.

She could finally buy an off-road vehicle.

This should have been a good thing.

But at night, Gu Huaiwei lay on the small bed in the staff lounge, her brows tightly furrowed, her body twisting slightly on the bed, trapped in a nightmare.

Gu Huaiwei had a terrible dream.

In the dream, she saw her beloved sister sitting atop a pile of gold, silver, and jewels, her eyes bloodshot, the corners of her lips cracked, her familiar face twisted into a demonic mask.

Two streams of bloody tears flowed from her eyes.

Suddenly, her sister lunged at her, icy hands grabbing her throat with increasing force, locking her neck like iron pincers.

Her sister’s voice came out hoarse and cold, like a warning from the abyss.

“Paradise can see everything you do…”

“Don’t take it… Don’t take that money… Don’t walk the same path as me…”

“Don’t go looking for them… or you’ll end up just like me.”

In the dream, Gu Huaiwei struggled desperately, trying to breathe, but the air was completely gone. Pain surged in her chest, and she was on the verge of suffocation.