Dimensional Store: Welcome to the Apocalypse Apartment - Chapter 6

“Don’t overthink it. I’ll help you figure out your tuition.”

Gu Huaiwei had never been stingy with friends who were worth helping.

As for those who kicked her when she was down, she wouldn’t let them off either.

Especially those monsters and demons that showed up when the company went bankrupt.

When she returned to the top, those people would pay the price.

“Use the leftover money from selling gold to buy me some oxygen tanks and large barrels of mineral water. I’ve sent you the specific models and styles on your phone. I’ll come by to pick them up tomorrow night.”

The next day, when Gu Huaiwei left, Mu Lingxi was still asleep. The morning sunlight fell on her face, highlighting the short, translucent fuzz.

Gu Huaiwei tucked in the quilt that Mu Lingxi had kicked off.

She didn’t wake her, leaving quietly.

Lin She wore a black mask today and changed into a work uniform with the Oasis logo.

He respectfully presented the finalized promotional design.

The font was large and eye-catching, yellow characters on a red background.

“Oasis Hotel”

“No Pollution”

“Free Air and Fresh Water for Guests”

“Monthly Packages Available”

“Best Prices, Hurry In”

The layout was similar to the packaging of Coconut Palm coconut juice.

Gu Huaiwei was very satisfied. She posted the promotional poster on a wooden board, picked up a small iron hammer, and nailed the sign to the hotel entrance with a “thump, thump, thump.”

Lin She seemed to feel that this poster was an insult to his professional career.

He refused to sign his name on the poster.

He sat in a corner of the lobby, staring at his computer in a state of silent grievance.

Outside and inside the hotel were two completely different worlds.

The sky looked like molten bronze, shimmering with a strange and suffocating metallic sheen.

The post-radiation streets of the apocalypse were desolate and ruined, the shops on both sides covered in thick ash, the ground full of cracks and potholes.

It was a barren land, devoid of greenery and life.

Gu Huaiwei was drawn to this scene.

Dangerous and unknown, it symbolized infinite opportunity.

A gust of wind blew by, and the pungent chemical smell in the air hit Gu Huaiwei straight in the nose.

She rubbed her nose, frowning as she prepared to retreat back into the hotel.

“Ugh, this hellhole is really hard to find!”

A short girl in a Protective Suit suddenly jumped out, startling Gu Huaiwei.

Gu Huaiwei couldn’t help but turn her head to look at her.

On the girl’s shoulder perched a rotten crow, its body devoid of flesh, only black feathers stuck to white bones.

She craned her neck to read the slogans on the sign, reciting, “Free air and fresh water-these slogans look like a scam.”

“Kid, you can eat whatever you want, but you can’t say whatever you want. This is a legitimate business, fair prices, honest to all customers,” Gu Huaiwei said, one hand on her hip, firmly defending the hotel’s reputation.

“I’m not a kid, you weird four-eyed freak who isn’t afraid of radiation-” The last three words, the girl spat out through gritted teeth, shaking her head as she spoke.

Sharp-tongued, a bit in need of a lesson.

Gu Huaiwei pressed her lips together, suppressing the urge to teach the kid a lesson.

They’re all potential customers, future sources of wealth.

She had to hold back.

The protective shield blocked the girl’s face, so Gu Huaiwei couldn’t tell her real age.

She watched as the girl stepped back a few paces, looking up curiously at the three-story building’s sign.

She muttered to herself, “This is the Oasis Hotel Ah Qi mentioned, right? Free air is one thing, but free fresh water-where do you get water here?”

There were no fresh water resources in the Contaminated Zone.

“Want to know?” Gu Huaiwei heard the tone in her voice and guessed she was an acquaintance of Xiao Youqi.

The little girl nodded repeatedly.

She was dying to know.
“Why don’t you stay at the hotel and experience it for yourself? Then you’ll know, won’t you?” Gu Huaiwei pushed open the door and returned to the hotel.

“Eh~ Why are you like this?” The girl grumbled, but her body honestly followed after her.

And then came the endless chatter.

“Wow, the air pollution level here is zero!”

“Hey, is that the latest model of attack robot? So cool! Can I touch it?”

“You just breathed in the radioactive air outside. Why didn’t you inject an Inhibitor?”

“Hey, hey, moshi moshi, pay attention to me, Four-Eyes.”

…

The noise was giving her a headache.

Gu Huaiwei wanted to grab some pliers and clamp the girl’s mouth shut.

She took a deep breath, returned to her original spot, and looked at the girl whose height was about level with the counter. Refusing to waste words, she got straight to the point: “You want to stay at the hotel? Show your ID first.”

The girl was taken aback, seemingly a bit surprised: “Huh? Even a hotel on the Wasteland checks IDs? I didn’t expect you guys to be so proper.”

Last time, Xiao Youqi also lost his composure and voiced similar feelings.

Gu Huaiwei thought silently, next time she should write “This is not a shady hotel” on the promotional poster as well.

Hmm…

Gu Huaiwei snapped her fingers, and a virtual lightbulb lit up in her mind.

She thought this was a great idea.

She would have Lin She make another version, bold that line in Song font, and put it right at the top of the poster.

Sitting in the lobby, Lin She suddenly sneezed for no apparent reason.

The girl placed the screen on her arm onto the device at the front desk for scanning.

With a beep, the girl’s personal information appeared on the computer.

Name: Qian Duoduo
Gender: Female
Address: Ninth District
Status: Green

Gu Huaiwei’s gaze lingered on the girl’s name. What a simple and unpretentious name, filled with her parents’ wonderful expectations for her.

She observed her outfit again.

The Protective Suit was newer than the one the last guest wore.

There was a strawberry sticker next to the ID scanner display.

Her oxygen apparatus seemed more advanced too, capable of measuring air pollution density.

She was probably a wealthy customer.

Time to rely on her for the business performance.

“Looking to stay? King bed room is 30 Gold Coins, twin bed room is 40 Gold Coins, monthly package comes with a discount.” Gu Huaiwei became an emotionless sales machine.

“Which room is Xiao Youqi staying in?”

“Room 302.”

“Then I’ll take Room 301 for a week to start.”

In the computer, the hotel’s revenue rose from 850 Gold Coins to 1,060 Gold Coins.

At nine o’clock that night, Gu Huaiwei was crouched behind the counter eating a rice ball when Mu Lingxi suddenly called, her voice excited and especially animated.

“Huaiwei, where did you get that Gold Coin? Let me tell you, that Gold Coin isn’t pure, it contains a metal even more expensive than gold!”

A metal more expensive?

Gu Huaiwei’s heart tightened. “What do you mean?”

There was some noise in the background on the other end of the call, as if Mu Lingxi was in a crowded place like a mall.

Mu Lingxi’s cheerful voice came through the receiver: “I’m telling you, thank goodness I’m smart. I thought the gold color looked off and worried they’d lower the price when recycling, so I checked the gold purity first.

That Gold Coin actually contains thirty percent Rhodium!

Rhodium is a super rare metal, often used in high-tech fields, and it’s really expensive!

Market price is 1,265 yuan per gram, more than double the price of gold!”

That way, she could sell it for tens of thousands more.

Gu Huaiwei asked, “So what’s the final recycling price?”