Chapter 77

Mu Nan thought Qin Huai's perspective was more comprehensive than his own, and he trusted his judgment. It wasn't that he lacked independent thought, but rather that he wasn't as intelligent by nature. Some people are simply born smarter, with better observation, thoughtfulness, and logical decision-making skills. While decisions might not always be perfect, the likelihood of error is reduced. Hence, Mu Nan had developed a habit of unconditionally following Qin Huai's lead, trusting him with major decisions while making minor decisions himself.

Jian Chu also consulted Yu Zibai about this issue. Yu Zibai preferred the villa area, thinking that if each building had only a few households, it might be safer. After all, each villa had a courtyard with a fence. It could be converted into a secure space with a security door, and they could grow some vegetables in the yard. They could also handle repairs themselves. A small, enclosed villa provided a sense of security. However, if they chose the villa area, they needed to avoid the side close to the residential buildings, as people could easily see into their yard from the high-rise windows.

Xu Ming said, "Living in lower buildings is better. Although there's some risk of burglary, in the event of an emergency, villas are easier to escape from. Jumping from a window in a two- or three-story building is less risky than being trapped in a high-rise with no escape."

Yu Zibai said, "But can we really choose where to live right now? What if we settle in and then the original owner returns? Who does the house belong to?"

Xu Ming laughed, "You definitely can't live for free. Since the military will make arrangements, any subsequent issues will be their responsibility. The specifics, whether it's renting or buying, are still unclear. And for our first batch of people, we're essentially paving the way with our lives. We're bound to get some benefits."

Jian Chu frowned, "How much would it cost to buy a place? But now money might not be necessary; you could probably find a sack of it among the ruins. It might be more about trading for food, but there's so little food now, there's barely enough to eat."

Yu Zibai added, "In the future, if more people are relocated here, they'll have to go through the same route we took. The costs will be similar, but the first batch might have more choices."

Qin Huai shook his head. "Not necessarily. Later arrivals might have vehicles."

Jian Chu said, "I get it. It's a military base, right?"

Qin Huai explained, "Unless the entire base collapses into a giant pit, even if it does collapse, heavy vehicles won't be crushed. Bases typically have many open training fields, and buildings are usually not high-rises. Clearing the base and driving back shouldn't take more than a night."

Jian Chu couldn't help but say, "Thinking about it this way, it suddenly feels like we went through all this hardship for nothing. Why didn't we wait for the second batch?"

Xu Ming replied, "The second batch might not get to choose their preferred locations. The further you go, the fewer choices you have. And there aren't many intact buildings left here. It's not just us who are survivors; once the military base is cleared, large-scale rescue efforts will start moving here. With more people, we might end up building our own houses. But that shouldn't be too soon; they'll need to set up another site first and quarantine people for a while. Otherwise, it's just shifting the plague around."

Yu Zibai comforted them, "Even though the journey has been tough, we've arrived safely. By the time others arrive, we might already be settled into our future homes. Let's hope we never have to go through this kind of migration again."

Mu Nan suddenly turned to Yu Zibai and said, "You suddenly make me feel like you've jinxed us."

Since they had reached their destination, nearly everyone relaxed. There was a sense of relief and anticipation for the future, as if they had taken a significant step away from disaster. They felt they had moved beyond the worst, and now they just needed to follow the government's rebuilding efforts and settle into a stable life. With hope in their hearts, even though they were tired, their eyes shone with light, and they could even joke with those around them.

Mu Nan, lacking the energy to think about the future, was exhausted from the long ride. Knowing he wouldn't have to travel so intensely the next day, he relaxed and fell asleep beside Qin Huai.

While most people began to rest, Shi Yuanfei and several soldiers inspected the houses in the villa area. Some houses were indeed occupied, probably by residents from the vocational college area behind. Some of these were from rural areas, who had returned to their hometowns if possible. Those without a place to go had stayed behind. When the houses collapsed, the vocational college area still had some habitable spaces. Some school buildings could still be used, but those who had lived in rundown houses all their lives took advantage of the opportunity to move into the free villas.

During the inspection, some occupants were nervous, as they had broken in. Some were honest, saying they moved in because their homes had collapsed and they had no place else to go. Others claimed the houses were theirs, but Shi Yuanfei could tell with a quick glance that they weren't the original owners. The houses were in disarray, with some previously renovated interiors now completely ruined. No one would treat their own home so poorly.

But he didn't say anything further, just recorded the information and left. The situation here needed to be discussed with the military, and it wasn't something he could decide on his own. He just needed to investigate the situation first and plan accordingly.

The next day, the leaders of each team, who had already held a small meeting, explained the currently available vacant houses. It was certain that they would temporarily stay here, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, they would likely start rebuilding around this area. There was a solar power station nearby that was nearly completed, with available space and some facilities already in place. What was needed was manpower for cleaning and rebuilding, but their current number was insufficient, so they needed to find a place to settle down for now.

"Eventually, the surrounding infrastructure will be repaired, including water supply, electricity, and the rebuilding of farmland. There are plans in place for these, so there's no need for you to worry. The current issue is where to live and how to allocate the vacant houses. We have a list of houses that are ready to be moved into, and a rough layout has been drawn. The villa area we checked has houses with two units per building, small three-story units. The ground floor is a garage, and the second and third floors are duplexes. The total area isn't large, just over 150 square meters, but the actual living space is quite large due to the duplex layout. It's recommended that families with many members choose these. For high-rise apartments, there are small one-bedroom units of about 60 square meters, two-bedroom units of over 90 square meters, and three-bedroom units of 120 square meters. Please choose according to your needs."

After Xu Ge finished speaking, he let them look at the simple layout he had drawn. After a while, he continued, "Right now, everything is chaotic and people are still figuring things out. But order will eventually be established. Just because you choose a house today doesn't mean it's yours for sure. Keep in mind that whether the houses are rented or bought, and their prices, are still unknown. One thing that is certain is that money has become less valuable. There might be new systems in place, like point systems or barter systems. You should consider whether you can afford to live in a house of 100 or 200 square meters in the future. If you can't, you might have to give up the house you've painstakingly organized. Think carefully before making a decision."

Some people grumbled immediately, complaining about having to pay for something they had already struggled to afford. They felt their houses had collapsed after they had just finished paying off their mortgages, and they questioned who was responsible for this.

Hearing these complaints, Xu Ge laughed, "In the past, when houses collapsed in an earthquake, the government didn't compensate. Natural disasters are exempt from liability. And now, the upper management is providing water, electricity, and cleaning of the surroundings. All these resources are essentially falling from the sky. There's no such thing as a free lunch. If everyone wanted to get something for nothing, who would be willing to work?"

As others discussed among themselves, Mu Nan turned to Qin Huai and asked, "So are we going for a small villa? Excluding the garage on the first floor, the upper two floors are duplexes. I'm not sure if they're unfinished or renovated. If they're unfinished and lack windows and such, what should we do?"

Jian Chu also hesitantly looked at Yu Zibai and asked, "What about us?" He didn't think they could afford such a villa duplex and felt that a one-bedroom apartment would be sufficient. A larger house seemed like too much of a burden.

Although it was known that living in a lower building was a better choice, practical issues still depended on individual capabilities. Choosing the best option now might still lead to difficulties in the future if they couldn't afford it.

Xu Ming said, "Maybe we can share the burden."

Jian Chu turned to him, "Share the burden?"

Xu Ming explained, "I looked at the layout earlier. Although it's quite simple, it shows that there are two entrances: one directly into the garage and one into the first floor, which should have a small foyer. The second floor has the main living area with kitchen and bedroom, and the third floor has bedrooms with bathrooms. If we add another door to separate the second and third floors, it would be like living in two separate units, just sharing the main entrance and garage. Of course, if you feel this lacks privacy, choosing an apartment is also an option. However, Qin Huai and the others seem not to prefer apartments."

Even though Qin Huai seemed a bit younger than Yu Zibai, his calm and thoughtful decision-making made Xu Ming confident that he would manage any housing choice well. Xu Ming believed that his decisions were always well-considered, which provided a sense of assurance.

Jian Chu and Yu Zibai, on the other hand, were more anxious about the future and the uncertainties they faced. Xu Ming thought that even if they had to bear the cost of renting in the future, it wouldn't be too high, and as long as the government didn't collapse, they could still manage with their labor to get by for a few years.

After listening to Xu Ming, Jian Chu looked at Yu Zibai. This wasn't a decision he could make alone. Yu Zibai studied the layout for a moment before saying, "It's fine. Living in an apartment would be similar to living in a duplex. Fewer people here might actually be safer. Sharing the cost between two families would make it more affordable. We can first check the actual environment, but..."

Yu Zibai looked at Xu Ming and said, "If we live like this, won't it be inconvenient if you get married in the future?"

Xu Ming laughed at the concern for the long term: "You're thinking too far ahead. Getting married requires finding a partner first. And I don't feel pressured by external factors. If I can't meet someone I like, I might remain single for life. Besides, who knows if life is long or short? It was unpredictable before, and it's even less predictable now."

They eventually agreed to choose the same building, so they could share a small garden if they set up protective walls in the future. For now, they didn't have any conflicts or intolerable flaws among themselves, and they were comfortable with each other. They expected their relationships would either become closer or at least not turn hostile, making it better to live together than to interact with unfamiliar and potentially problematic strangers.

At this point, Wu Zheng came over and asked, "Are you choosing an apartment or a villa?"

Jian Chu replied, "We're choosing a villa. What about you?"

Wu Zheng said, "We'll also choose a villa. Let's go together later. I'll pick one next to yours." Since they had gotten along well, and even though they couldn't choose the exact unit next to them, at least half of the people nearby would be familiar. It was better than living among completely unknown people. If it weren't for Niu Niu, they would have gone for an apartment. But with Niu Niu, an apartment wasn't suitable.

Seeing that the brothers also chose a villa, Jian Chu couldn't help but mutter, "Is it always the case that those with brothers are so capable? We don't even know what the future rent and prices will be, yet you're going for something bigger. I don't have that kind of confidence."

Wu Zheng replied, "Even if it's expensive, it won't be exorbitant. Before, even if it was for rent, it was only around ten to twenty thousand a month. Now, it might be just a matter of some food. We still have points from the military base, right? With a lot of canned goods, rice, flour, and even rock candy, we could use points to rent a house for a year without any issues."

Jian Chu's eyes lit up with realization and delight, "Oh right, we still have points. How could I forget that?"

Mu Nan turned to Qin Huai, "I also forgot about that."

Qin Huai smiled, "You only need to remember to eat."

While some were still hesitant, others had made their decisions and were picking out houses. Some houses had people living in them already, and Xu Ge reminded them to avoid disputes with the previous occupants. They should choose from the empty houses. If multiple people were interested in the same house, they would have to negotiate.

Someone asked, "What if we can't come to an agreement?"

Xu Ge glanced at the person, "Then settle it with a fight. The winner gets to decide."

Many who were familiar with Xu Ge's style didn't take his words too seriously. But if two parties were determined to claim the same house, they might indeed have to resolve it with a physical confrontation.

The greenery in the area used to be quite nice, but now it was bare. The distance between buildings was somewhat far. The area resembled an abandoned construction site, with no shade and a desolate appearance. Some houses were obviously unfinished, visible through the glass from the outside. Others had some fabric coverings, indicating that people were living in them. Qin Huai and the others avoided houses with obvious coverings, knowing not to waste time on occupied homes.

Mu Nan slowly rode his bike beside them, "I think a clean, unfinished house should be good. Those that are already renovated might not be available to us. The people who were already living here probably know every corner."

Qin Huai said, "I'm checking the terrain here. We should choose a place that's easy to leave if something happens. Also, if we live on the edge, we can build a wall around the house later."

They circled around and found a house near a dried-up riverbed. The river had been dry for a long time, with no water left. There was a four-lane road between the river and the residential area. The road, once lined with greenery, was now overrun with dead trees, making it impassable even for bicycles.

Mu Nan climbed onto a fallen tree to look down at the riverbed, "Bro, if we live here, won't we risk flooding?"

Jian Chu laughed, "Flooding? You're being too optimistic. There's no water to flood us now. If there was, we wouldn't be in such a dire situation."

Qin Huai shook his head, "The chance of flooding is very low. The area is on a slope, so if the river did overflow, the water would flow away. If it could flood here, the lower areas would already be submerged. If flooding could reach here, people would have long since moved to higher ground."

Mu Nan looked at the house they had just checked, "Should we go with this one?"

Qin Huai nodded, "Yes, this one. It has a side entrance, and the collapsed wall in front should be repaired eventually. The house isn't damaged. Although it's not renovated, it seems to have basic fittings like ceilings and floor tiles. It's not completely raw. We can find curtains and furniture later and make it livable."

Jian Chu was also satisfied with the place they had seen. They could add a perimeter wall for security and even set up a small garden in the yard. The house seemed to be a bit off, as if the previous owner had never lived there after moving in, with nothing inside. The windows and doors were intact, and the surrounding area was untouched.

But then Jian Chu asked, "How do we get in? We don't have the keys. We can't break down the door, right? We'd have to find a new door to replace it later."

Xu Ming suggested, "We can climb up. Look, there's a glass door on the roof. If it's locked, we can break it. We'll figure out a way to replace it later. The important thing is to get inside, open the door from within, and reset the password. It's quite simple."

Mu Nan looked at them, "Who will climb up? This building is three stories high, and there's no place to grip."

Unexpectedly, before Qin Huai could speak, Wu Zheng, who had been with them, said, "Let my brother do it."

Everyone turned to Wu Zheng. Song Jia grinned, "Piece of cake."

After a few steps back, Song Jia moved into position under the house. Wu Zheng confirmed the spot and got into position. Song Jia took a running leap, lightly stepping on his brother's legs to push off. With remarkable agility, he used the wall to help himself up and managed to climb onto the second-floor balcony.

Mu Nan's jaw dropped in amazement. He had only seen such feats on videos before.

Song Jia tried the second-floor balcony door, but it was locked. Since they couldn't break it and replace it immediately, he had to climb up to a small terrace next to it. After a bit of struggle and holding a flashlight in his mouth, he successfully made it to the rooftop.

Luckily, the rooftop balcony door of the house that Qin Huai and the others were interested in was unlocked, so they were able to easily push it open and get down to the first floor to let everyone in.

The remaining task was for Xu Ming to change the password. Fortunately, the door lock still had power. If it had run out, it wouldn't have mattered because Mu Nan had a portable power source. Xu Ming pressed the internal switch, heard a long beep, and then said to Qin Huai, "Just input the new password."

Jian Chu, standing nearby, widened his eyes in surprise: "That's it? Anyone who climbs up here could just come into the house and change the lock." It seemed very insecure; it would be better to live in a high-rise apartment, where people couldn't climb that high.

Xu Ming explained, "This should be a newly handed-over house, and the door locks are uniformly installed. Since the password hasn't been changed yet, it's relatively easy to change it the first time. If you want to change the lock later, you need the old password or have to remove the lock. But if someone climbs in, steals something, and leaves, who would specifically change the password?"

Yu Zibai said, "It looks like the outer security wall needs to be installed quickly. It can't be left so exposed."

Mu Nan nodded: "Yes, it's too unsafe. It's hard to sleep well at night."

Qin Huai entered the password and fingerprint twice to ensure it opened and closed smoothly. Only then did Song Jia go up to the rooftop from inside the house, then climb over to the other side to open Jian Chu's house as well.

Mu Nan looked at the area where the second and third floors met, measured the width, and asked, "It's too wide, does this door need to be custom-made?"

Qin Huai knocked on his head: "Don't be silly. Just find some bricks and cement and build a wall here, leaving a space for a door."

Wu Zheng chose a house next to them, with a road between his house and Qin Huai's. They could hear each other even if they shouted through the windows on both sides. As for the house next to Wu Zheng's, it was still unoccupied. With the choice of residence and the door lock successfully changed, the next step was to go back to their respective homes and organize their belongings.

Mu Nan sat in the living room on the second floor, looked at the bare room, and sighed, "Where are we going to find furniture? At the very least, we need to find some curtains."

Qin Huai said, "Let's rest today. Tomorrow, we'll explore the area, look for bricks, and find a security door. We need to build the outer wall soon. Do you want to have a meal?"

Mu Nan glanced at the exposed balcony, noticing that almost every room had windows, and since this place was low, it felt uncomfortable without curtains. Anyone passing by could see inside: "How are we supposed to eat? It would be bad if someone saw us."

Qin Huai pulled him into the storage room. The storage room wasn't large, but it was big enough to fit a small dining table beside a swimming pool, and best of all, there were no windows in the storage room.

Mu Nan quickly set up a table of food, putting away what wasn't finished to avoid wasting it.

Enjoying the coolness from the ice and the delicious food, Mu Nan sighed, "This feels like living."

Qin Huai smiled and said, "In the future, we'll keep the living room simple, without too much furniture. We'll mainly live upstairs. Even if Jian Chu and the others come over, they won't easily come upstairs, so we don't need to worry about them visiting."

Mu Nan nodded repeatedly, thinking this was a good idea. It would avoid worrying about neighbors coming over and finding things that were hard to explain: "Brother, how long do you think we'll live here?"

Qin Huai wiped the dust off his face and said, "I hope for a lifetime." To be able to live in one place for a lifetime without moving would be a true sense of stability.