Dimensional Store: Welcome to the Apocalypse Apartment - chapter 39

Gu Huaiwei handed two men’s shirts to Xiao Youqi.

A sliver of kindness-this was a habit Gu Huaiwei had brought from a peaceful era.

“Thank you.” Xiao Youqi withdrew his gaze, lowered his eyes, concealing a trace of subtle calculation.

Inside his Protective Suit, he had hidden two strands of hair stolen from Gu Huaiwei.

Those two strands had been cut the time he asked Gu Huaiwei to help tie the bandage at the back, pretending to remove a piece of paper from her hair, and quietly snipped them off.

Since business couldn’t be done, he couldn’t be blamed for resorting to some tricks behind her back.

He didn’t dislike Gu Huaiwei. On the contrary, he liked the clean aura she carried, like breathing in air that refreshed the mind.

But, as Qian Duoduo had said, a wanderer must have selfish blood flowing through their veins to survive.

Every piece of flesh in his body was rotting, and that smell always lingered at the tip of his nose.

He was dying.

He didn’t want to die.

So, he hoped to use the secret hidden in Gu Huaiwei to exchange for his own life.

Perhaps the next time they met, it would be at the Black Spiral Research Institute.

Perhaps the next time they met, the look in her eyes would never again be this calm.

And he would wear the clothes she had given him, accepting all her hatred.

At this thought, Xiao Youqi felt a secret thrill-the baseness that flowed in a wanderer’s blood made him look forward to that day with anticipation.

After completing the check-out procedures, Xiao Youqi left without a trace of nostalgia.

Gu Huaiwei picked up the newly acquired Copper Rabbit ornament, brought it to her nose and sniffed. It, too, carried that rotting smell.

Thick and sticky, it rushed into her nostrils all at once.

“Looks like, once the station is built, I’ll need a new business partner.” Gu Huaiwei wiped the Copper Rabbit with a wet wipe and placed it under the computer at the front desk.

Whether Xiao Youqi lived or died, she didn’t care at all.

If he survived, they’d continue doing business.

If he died, she’d find another partner.

After all, Gu Huaiwei’s skin was warm, but her heart was cold. They weren’t as close as they appeared on the surface.

In three days, the station was successfully completed.

Fifty meters from the hotel, the station’s outer wall was built from rough concrete, painted a light gray, sturdy and durable.

The main door was made of thick iron plates, the surface polished to a mirror-like smoothness, equipped with an electronic sensor-an ID card was required for entry.

There were no staff inside the station. Looking up, one could see surveillance cameras covering the ceiling.

Shelves were neatly arranged, and customers needed to collect their packages by themselves.

Gu Huaiwei’s package lay alone on Shelf No. 1.

The display showed tracking number 001.

She walked over, picked up the package, opened the outer wrapping, and took out the Paradise Card inside.

Holding the Paradise Card between two fingers, she examined it closely.

The Paradise Card was a low-key matte black card, with a silver embossed Ferris wheel on the front. There were no extra decorations, but it felt very refined.

For now, she didn’t know how to use it.

Gu Huaiwei put the card in her pocket and was about to leave.

“Hey, front desk girl, can this station send packages?” A rough male voice called from behind.

The station was already empty, and the man’s loud voice echoed inside.

Gu Huaiwei turned around and saw a tall, well-built middle-aged man entering the station.

This man was a guest at the hotel-Gu Huaiwei remembered him.

He was over 1.9 meters tall, with a short stubble on his chin. His brown hair was a bit long, slicked back and simply tied with a leather hairband, with a few stray locks falling over his forehead, giving him a rugged, unrestrained look.
The homemade high-energy rifle slung across his back exuded an intense sense of oppression.

Seeing Gu Huaiwei’s guarded expression, the man flashed a toothy smile, extended his broad hand, and greeted her amicably, “Hello, sorry to have startled you. My name is Karl, from the Sixth District. I saw your livestream and only recently came to stay at the hotel.”

Gu Huaiwei shook his hand politely. “My surname is Gu.”

“Miss Gu, a pleasure to meet you. You’re super popular on the Underground City forum.” Karl secretly sized up Gu Huaiwei. She looked quite ordinary-her bangs and thick glasses almost covered most of her face. He really couldn’t see anything special about her.

Yet, this female clerk owned a hotel that could operate in the Contaminated Zone.

There was fresh water, air, and even rooms filled with greenery.

On the forum, thousands of new posts speculated about her identity.

Opinions varied wildly, with all sorts of theories, but no one could provide solid evidence to prove who this female clerk really was.

Gu Huaiwei smiled. She knew about the forum; the more heated the discussion, the better the hotel’s business. She actually hoped some people would come to stay at the hotel out of curiosity about her, boosting her performance.

She pointed to the robot in the station and said to Karl, “You can use the self-service mailing over there. I haven’t tried it myself, so you’ll have to figure it out.”

“Alright, I’ll give it a shot.” Karl strode over to fiddle with the machine.

Karl seemed quite adept at using machines. Though it was new, he packed his parcel, filled in the address, and swiped his card-all in one smooth motion.

Under the machine’s scan, Karl’s package vanished into thin air.

And the delivery fee was counted as Oasis Hotel’s turnover, entering the hotel’s account.

“Miss Gu, is this something new from the Upper District? Pretty ingenious. I’d love to get one to study back home.” Karl stroked the beard on his chin, full of curiosity about the station’s machine.

He wanted to take apart the self-service packing and transport robot to see what components were inside.

It seemed everyone assumed Gu Huaiwei was from the Upper District.

“This machine isn’t for sale.”

Karl knocked on the big machine. “You just leave it here-aren’t you afraid someone will steal it?”

“You’re welcome to try.”

Countless guests had tried to take the free items from Oasis Hotel-some stole, some robbed, some smashed things. In the end, all their efforts were in vain.

The station belonged to Oasis Hotel and should have the same properties.

“I’m not one for petty theft,” Karl said, seeming to have his principles.

Gu Huaiwei had already received her package and was preparing to return to the hotel.

Karl quickly caught up, putting on his protective mask. Seeing Gu Huaiwei walk out the station doors without any protection, he called out loudly, “Hey, hey, hey, don’t scare me! There’s radiation outside-where’s your Protective Suit?”

Although the hotel and station were only twenty meters apart, exposing the human body to radiation, even for 0.1 seconds, would contaminate the cells.

“I don’t need one.” Gu Huaiwei walked straight back to Oasis Hotel.

“Huh?” Karl froze, staring at Gu Huaiwei’s retreating figure and muttering to himself, “Damn, so the forum wasn’t just making things up. With a constitution like that, why hasn’t the Black Spiral Research Institute made a move yet? That’s not like them at all.”