Could Something Really Be Wrong?

They had only recently joined the scavenging activities and hadn't found anything from others yet. Plus, they had the misfortune of being discovered today. It was too risky to continue. They could encounter someone with a bad temper or someone who had been annoyed by scavengers and could do anything.

In the end, the Allen family decided to let them go. As compensation, Alice took the few supplies they had on them, which wasn't much, just a few pieces of dry food. It was better than nothing. The family returned to sleep.

For several days in a row, the number of scavengers increased, and every night the Allen family was awakened at least once. Even though they indicated that someone was living there outside the door, it didn't stop those people. Some believed that those who could live alone didn't lack supplies, so it was right to rob them. If it weren't for the inconvenience of using electric fences in windy and rainy weather, the Allen family wouldn't have been harassed by them.

In the early morning, Alexander, with dark circles under his eyes, suggested, "Maybe we should fix the electric fence and add some protection. If we continue to be disturbed like this, I'll end up with nervous breakdown."

Seeing the exhaustion of her family, Alice felt that they couldn't continue like this. They needed to come up with a solution.She remembered the key card Ignatius had given them for the office building. "Mom, Dad, what if we move to the office building?"They couldn't break into the office building, and it would be more comfortable than living in the RV.

Atticus hesitated. "Are they allowing us to stay there? Otherwise, why don't you go to the office building first and inquire?"

Alice agreed. She didn't think there would be a problem, but it was better to arrange it first.

After breakfast, Alice put on a raincoat and water shoes and headed towards the office building.On the other side, Hurley had just woken up not long ago. He cooked himself a noodle soup for breakfast and had just sat down by the window to eat when he saw Alice approaching from a distance. Immediately, he set down his bowl and hurriedly grabbed the key card before rushing downstairs.

On the way, he encountered two guards returning from the restroom. They were about to greet him, but Hurley dashed past them with a serious expression. The guards were puzzled. Having lived with Hurley for a while, they knew his temperament. He wouldn't be in such a hurry unless it was something urgent.

Could something really be wrong?

The more they thought about it, the more uneasy they felt. Eventually, they decided to alert everyone to be on guard.

Hurley had just reached the ground floor when he saw Alice swiping her key card to enter.

"Where are you going?" Alice was about to wave and say hello, but she suddenly noticed his hurried expression.

"To pick you up," Hurley smiled.

Ignatius had come by yesterday and asked if Alice had visited, which was when Hurley learned that his uncle had given her the key card. He hadn't expected her to show up the next day.

Alice explained her purpose, "There are people harassing us every day in the courtyard over there, so we have to come here to live. Are we welcome?"

"Perfect timing. There are fewer people living here, and anyone below the tenth floor can stay," Hurley grinned.

As they walked upstairs, Hurley briefly explained the layout of the office building. Alice learned that the upper floors were used for storing supplies and as guard rooms. She decided to stay on the eighth floor to keep some distance from them.

The office rooms on the eighth floor were vacant, so she picked a few and arranged the beds, cabinets, and desks.

Hurley helped her tidy up, and Alice said, "I've talked to the Base Commander. If we move in, I'll help with guarding the supplies. Add my name and the names of my two brothers to your rotation schedule."She didn't want to stay here for free. She didn't like owing others.

Understanding her character, Hurley didn't try to persuade her and simply nodded in agreement.

After cleaning up a few rooms, Alice returned home. "Those rooms are ready. We just need to pack up the things we use in the RV, and then we can leave," she explained.Afterwards, she went into three rooms, packed up the foam boxes containing the mushroom spawns, and took down the shelves. By the time she walked out, they had finished packing their luggage.

Alice stored the two RVs in the storage space, even taking a few large rocks and iron plates—just in case they might need them.

The family pretended to carry a few suitcases and walked towards the office building. Hurley was waiting downstairs, and as he saw them approaching, he immediately went to help.

"Uncle, Auntie, let me help you with your luggage," he offered.Blanche dodged his hand and said with a smile, "No need, there's not much inside. It's not heavy."

Hurley insisted on helping and took the luggage from her without hesitation. As expected, the suitcase was very light, almost weightless. He guessed that all their belongings were stored in Alice's space. He also took Atticus's suitcase. Although it wasn't heavy, carrying it up to the eighth floor was still tiring.

When they reached the room prepared by Alice, Blanche pushed the door open and walked in. The bed and all the furniture were already arranged inside. Having space was indeed convenient, making moving much easier.

Hurley explained the layout of the office building again. "The twelfth floor is where supplies are stored, and the eleventh floor is where those of us who guard stay. If you want to explore, feel free to go up."

Atticus pondered for a moment after hearing this. "It might not look good if we just move in without contributing. I'll also help you guard the supplies and ensure they aren't stolen."

Hearing this, Hurley couldn't help but think that they were indeed father and daughter; their thoughts were exactly the same. They didn't want to be taken advantage of, but they also didn't want to lose out.

However, Arnold and Alexander were different. Atticus was older and needed rest. It wouldn't be suitable to assign him such tasks.

"Uncle, we have an age limit. It's only for those under thirty. You don't qualify," Hurley said with a slight smile.

This wasn't something he made up. After all, guarding the supplies could be dangerous, and younger people would react more quickly. That's why they sent young people for this task.

Atticus didn't seem pleased with this. "Are you discriminating against older people?"

Hurley was about to come up with an excuse when Blanche gave her husband a glare. "Stop causing trouble, Atticus. You're old. Just stay here honestly."

While they were talking, Alexander had already run up and down several floors.

"It's great. Except for the first floor being flooded, everything else is intact and clean. It's much better than living on the mountain or in the RV."

Living in the RV was convenient, but the space inside was too small. The three of them squeezed together without any privacy, which was tiring.

Now, everyone had their own room, even one floor per person if they wanted. But they had to remember that this was someone else's territory, so they needed to be careful.

"Uncle, Auntie, are you hungry? Would you like to come to my place for a meal?" Hurley smiled and invited them.

Blanche remembered the cooking issue. "Living so close, wouldn't it be inconvenient to cook? Especially since we like meat, and our meals always include meat. If others smell it, they might be curious and cause trouble."

"The cooking issue isn't a problem. We just need to install a range hood," Hurley said in a low voice. "That's what I did."