Chapter 16: A House and a Car
After signing the contract, Zhan Yun and Su Ruizhe didn’t spare Chen Huizhen and her son so much as a glance. They left the demolition office directly.
Once they’d walked a fair distance away, Su Ruizhe finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.
Judging from Chen Huizhen’s expression just now, Su Ruizhe knew he’d guessed right—she had probably planned to exploit a loophole and have the money transferred to her son’s bank card. Once the money was in her hands, she might well have reneged on the agreed thirty thousand, or even withheld Su Ruizhe’s share altogether, finding all sorts of excuses to “keep it for him.”
Now, thanks to Zhan Yun’s help, her scheme had completely fallen apart. Seeing that frustrated, deflated look on her face made Su Ruizhe feel inexplicably satisfied.
Seeing the carefree smile on Su Ruizhe’s face, Zhan Yun couldn’t help smiling too. All he wished for was to keep that smile on Su Ruizhe’s face forever, never again letting him relive the despair and helplessness of his previous life.
Zhan Yun took Su Ruizhe to his safe house. It was located in the suburbs, in a small villa complex that had only recently been completed and was currently being put up for sale. Because the area was relatively remote, its main selling points were full interior renovation and immediate move-in readiness.
Zhan Yun’s safe house had been rented through certain connections by his superiors. At present, no one in the entire villa complex had moved in yet, so it felt especially empty and quiet.
The location of his safe house was toward a corner of the complex—not particularly good in terms of positioning. What had once been a drawback was now an advantage. Zhan Yun thought that the more secluded it was, the safer it would be.
Since it was meant to be a hideout, it had undergone some modifications. Security doors and windows were all in place, and there were a few small changes inside as well. Most importantly, there was a safe hidden somewhere in the villa, containing another set of ID cards, a passport, bank cards, some cash, and a gun.
This safe house was specifically prepared for undercover officers who needed to lie low after their identities were exposed. Zhan Yun felt that his current situation qualified him to use it. On the way over, he had called his superiors, explaining that his injuries had partially healed and requesting a transfer. His superiors also felt it inappropriate to disturb civilians for too long, so they readily approved his request to recuperate at the safe house.
The interior of the safe house was stylishly decorated in a European style. The developer had furnished it with basic amenities and furniture, making it comfortable and cozy—truly ready for move-in.
Su Ruizhe liked the little villa as well. It had two floors plus an attic, three bedrooms, two balconies, two bathrooms, a garage, and a basement. There were also surrounding walls and an iron gate. When the apocalypse arrived, its security would indeed be quite good.
When Zhan Yun led Su Ruizhe to the garage, Su Ruizhe saw a military-green Jeep parked inside.
“This is the vehicle we’ll use if we need to make a run for it,” Zhan Yun said proudly. “Considering there might be pursuits or collisions, I picked a model that’s sturdy and durable. So, would you say I count as someone with a house and a car now?”
Su Ruizhe blinked and asked honestly, “But… aren’t the house and the car both government property?”
Zhan Yun: “……”
Zhan Yun irritably reached out and pinched Su Ruizhe’s soft cheek. “Even so, they’re issued to me by the government!”
Su Ruizhe’s face was squished out of shape from the pinch, and he could only plead pitifully. He looked miserable, but in truth, he was secretly happy to be this close to Zhan Yun.
The two of them flirted and teased each other without any regard for their surroundings. Fortunately, there was no one else around—otherwise, any onlooker would’ve been force-fed a mouthful of PDA.
After finishing the tour of the house, they decided to move in as soon as possible. Zhan Yun had connections, so finding movers wouldn’t be difficult.
No residents had moved in yet, and the nearest residential areas were some distance away. Fewer people meant fewer zombies, making it far safer than the densely populated city center. At the same time, there were already established neighborhoods nearby, so the supporting infrastructure was fairly complete. Not far from the villa complex were a large supermarket and a gas station. Zhan Yun marked these two places as priorities, the intent obvious.
“Give me the card. I’ll handle buying supplies. You just stay here and wait for things to be delivered,” Zhan Yun said as he took the bank card from Su Ruizhe’s hand. This kid was really terrible at shopping—despite the convenience of online marketplaces, he insisted on braving the scorching sun to go to secondhand and wholesale markets in person. If Su Ruizhe hadn’t had the space as a huge cheat, he’d probably have exhausted himself to death.
Then again, it made sense. In his previous life, Su Ruizhe had lived on the poverty line with his grandfather, and being able to fill his stomach was already good enough. He hadn’t even owned a phone, let alone used a computer or the internet. After his grandfather passed away, he went to live with his uncle’s family, and there was no way he could’ve asked them to buy him a phone or computer. Once the apocalypse arrived, he had even less chance to come into contact with such things.
Of course, Zhan Yun also had another plan in mind. He had no intention whatsoever of giving the remaining six hundred thousand to Chen Huizhen. That woman could be said to be the chief culprit behind Su Ruizhe’s death in their previous life. She had exploited his trust to the fullest and then sold him out to the research institute, leading to his prolonged torment and eventual death. Zhan Yun hadn’t forgotten that grudge.
According to Su Ruizhe, the money would be deposited within three days. He planned to stall for a few more days. By the time that woman lost her patience and went to ask the demolition office, they would have already finished moving. She wouldn’t even be able to find them—she’d be furious to death!
He wasn’t worried about her calling the police either. Not only was this a safe house with no one knowing their whereabouts, but by then the apocalypse would be just around the corner. There would be no need to worry about it being traced back to them.
Still, he had a couple of buddies. Before the apocalypse arrived, he should probably find an excuse to call them over. There were also a few other people he ought to give a small warning to as well.
Thank you for reading 🙂 I hope you all liked my translations. If you enjoyed my work, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi 😉
