Dimensional Store: Welcome to the Apocalypse Apartment - chapter 77

Chapter 77

Gu Huaiwei took in his panicked yet carefully concealed expression. She enjoyed playing dumb; it helped her avoid a lot of trouble and allowed her to quietly observe others perform.

“It’s better to cover up the slave’s mark,” Gu Huaiwei took the initiative to help Bai Niao find an excuse.

She twisted open the foundation bottle, squeezed a little onto the base of her thumb, spread it with her index finger, then applied it to Bai Niao’s slightly cool face.

Bai Niao tried to pull away.

“Don’t move.” Gu Huaiwei carefully dabbed the foundation onto the tattoo on his face.

Bai Niao’s ears instantly turned bright red.

“I… I’ll do it myself.” Bai Niao flusteredly snatched the foundation from Gu Huaiwei’s hand.

He lowered his eyes, pretending to be a pitiful little slave, squeezed his dry blue eyes, and tried hard to show a sorrowful expression: “Shopkeeper Sister, thank you for accepting someone like me.”

The obedience was fake.

But the shyness was somewhat real.

“Don’t worry, everyone here is easy to get along with.”

Gu Huaiwei was in no hurry to expose the mask Bai Niao wore.

He came from the Black Spiral Research Institute. Gu Huaiwei could slowly break down his defenses, and only when he truly recognized his own position would she discuss matters concerning the Black Spiral Research Institute.

A faint fragrance lingered in the air, lulling Gu Huaiwei into a deeper sleep, but causing Lin She to wake up in the early morning.

The moment he opened his eyes, he smelled a trace of that scent he hated, drifting in the air.

It was a scent reminiscent of sunlit grass mixed with moisture, and the faint odor of decaying creatures underwater-subtle, yet present in the air.

He hated it when someone marked their scent in his territory.

Lin She put on his robe, his black hair falling to cover half his eyes. He pushed open the door and saw the pure-white youth sitting on the windowsill, head tilted as he gazed at the drifting ashes outside, looking as if he were at peace with the world.

“So it really is you. Isn’t Paradise enough for your amusement?”

“There are too few sacrifices. It ends before I can truly enjoy myself.” He Xueyi turned his head, and from his body surged red shadows that gathered together, opening their mouths to speak with Lin She, like a nightmare made flesh. “It’s your fault for not stopping me from entering. Life outside has dulled your senses.”

“You have a knack for picking your timing.” Lin She hated the cold winter; the low temperatures made him drowsy and lethargic.

Even with enough food, Lin She found it hard to stay awake for long during winter.

This gave He Xueyi an opportunity.

“I have to visit you when you’re at your weakest. After all, you already killed the rat, who should have been a good colleague working with us. Let’s pray for him.” The red shadow at He Xueyi’s side raised a hand, a strange smile at the corner of his lips. “Amen.”

“If you’re just here to play, don’t delay the proper business of opening Paradise.” Lin She and He Xueyi both served Paradise, but due to their differing personalities, it was hard for them to get along.

“Why keep people at arm’s length? After all, we’re from the same place. To be a good employee, getting along with other colleagues is essential.”

He Xueyi’s voice was pleasant, like a mountain stream tumbling over pebbles-ethereal and fresh.

But the content of his words was not to Lin She’s liking. “If you only have work ability but can’t get along with colleagues, you’ll be too much of a loner and easily ostracized at work.”

Before Paradise opened, He Xueyi had no intention of letting Lin She monopolize the good fortune of building rapport with the Operator.

However, unlike Lin She, He Xueyi was not good at human work; he was only good at luring humans.

Lin She did not wish to speak further with him.

He Xueyi continued, “You want to use this time together to build a relationship of trust, so that after Paradise opens, you can guide the Operator into your snake’s den, right?

Too cunning. You can’t do that. The Operator is public property of Paradise. I have the right to compete as well.”

These words touched upon Lin She’s core interests.

In front of He Xueyi, Lin She did not bother to disguise himself. He opened his mouth to speak, the corners of his lips stretching long and thin, as if half his face had been sliced open on both sides by a knife.
The forked tongue flickered out from time to time.

A strange hissing sound echoed.

“No, whether Paradise opens successfully or not, this time the Operator is mine.”

Every day, Lin She watched as the faint halo around Gu Huaiwei gradually grew brighter. Clearly just an ordinary human Operator, yet from the moment she appeared, she was favored by Paradise.

So unique-he wanted her.

He Xueyi had little interest in failed half-finished products.

“After being nourished by several planes, an Operator becomes especially nutritious. If they die halfway, the nutrition is greatly reduced.” The red shadow that poured out from He Xueyi wavered. “I’ve always been waiting for an Operator who has undergone complete evolution. After Paradise opens, the managers will reward merit. You are not allowed to sneak a taste.”

“Only guidance is allowed, not decision-making on their behalf,” Lin She stated the most basic agreement reached between Paradise and humans. “If the Operator, after entering Paradise, chooses me of their own accord, even the managers of Paradise cannot interfere.”

“Humans are easily deceived by appearances. In front of my shell, your chances aren’t great.” He Xueyi jumped down from the windowsill, and the red shadow slipped back into his body through his sleeve. “In moments of despair, I look more like salvation than you do.”

“Hmph, we’ll see.” Lin She withdrew his slender tongue.

He Xueyi lightly tapped his forehead and both shoulders with his fingers. “We’ll see. Amen.”

Unlocking the High-Speed Rail Station required two hundred thousand Gold Coins.

Gu Huaiwei didn’t have enough funds in her account, and the Lower District was running out of food.

It was said that the Fortress Lord of Black Tower Fortress was also the leader of the Tenth District. Gu Huaiwei asked Karl to help introduce her, inviting the Fortress Lord of Black Tower Fortress to visit the Oasis Hotel.

The Fortress Lord accepted the invitation.

The Mechanical Arm Girl accompanied him.

Gu Huaiwei specially opened a presidential suite to receive them.

The Fortress Lord wore a traditional Protective Suit. Even in the hotel, an environment free of radiation pollution, he did not remove his mask.

Karl, on the other hand, was relaxed, holding a cup of tea brewed from Monkey Kui provided in the presidential suite, savoring its lingering sweetness.

As the introducer, he deserved a little perk.

The fragrant aroma of the tea leaves was completely different from the tea bags given in ordinary rooms, and there were extra snacks-soft and sweet-that made Karl very happy.

What he couldn’t finish, Karl wrapped up in napkins and stuffed into his pocket.

He planned to bring them for Annie to try.

Although Karl already knew exactly what Annie did for a living, whenever he saw Annie’s golden hair, he felt she might be different from other women.

He kept warning himself to stay clear-headed.

Yet he couldn’t help but want to save a fallen woman.

The Fortress Lord coughed lightly. Karl put down what he was holding and stood behind Gu Huaiwei with a serious face, pretending to be a competent bodyguard.

Gu Huaiwei invited the Fortress Lord to sit, her tone neither servile nor overbearing: “It’s a long journey. Thank you, Fortress Lord, for being willing to come all this way.”

The Fortress Lord remained silent, only nodding slightly.

He hadn’t come by Apocalyptic Armored Vehicle; he had taken the Bus.

The Mechanical Arm Girl couldn’t help but stare at Gu Huaiwei’s face, then drifted off thinking about Sister Changge.

Gu Huaiwei pretended not to know the Mechanical Arm Girl and took the initiative to discuss business: “I’ve heard that the Lower District has already begun refusing new drifters due to winter food shortages.

This is indeed a tricky problem.

However, I have a proposal.

You can give up negotiating with the Upper City and instead establish a long-term trading relationship with the Oasis Hotel.

I have supplies here and can provide the Tenth District with uncontaminated meat, vegetables, fruit, and even vitamin tablets.

These materials are enough to support you through the entire winter and help your district get through this difficult time.

As for the price, I am willing to offer a discount, but…”

She paused, her gaze probing. “I need a large amount of Gold Coins that can be settled immediately.”