After buying a backpack, Su Jin read through the materials Fu Qingdai had given him along the way as he took a taxi to the outside of Rencai Community.
There were no high perimeter walls around the compound. Standing by the roadside, Su Jin could easily see the drab, grayish six-story walk-ups inside.
The buildings were spaced moderately apart, their outer walls streaked with dark gray cracks, clearly showing their age.
Aside from being rather old, there was nothing unusual about them, but fortunately, the building numbers were marked on the facades.
Building 7, where Fu Qingdai lived, was visible right from outside the compound.
After scanning the area for a moment, Su Jin was in no rush to head inside. He pulled out the map Fu Qingdai had sketched and began strolling around the neighborhood's perimeter.
It took about thirty minutes of circling before he returned to the main entrance.
The young girl, Fu Qingdai, was remarkably meticulous. Her hand-drawn map of the neighborhood had every line measured out with a ruler.
Even the surrounding supermarkets, print shops, and other establishments were plotted with relatively accurate scale.
For now, at least, he wouldn't need to spend much extra effort studying the lay of the land.
Stepping into the compound, he noticed there was no access control, and the security booth by the gate was practically an empty formality.
Standing below Unit 2 of Building 7, the pungent odor of swill drifted toward him.
Beside the entranceway for residents, there was a square opening in the wall about forty centimeters across.
Food scraps, greasy broth, and plastic bags lay strewn beneath it.
A low concrete partition stood beside it, separating the building doorway from the chute opening.
He had seen this kind of design in the neighborhood where he grew up as a kid: a garbage chute.
Each household had its own corresponding chute opening, allowing residents to dump trash straight down from the corridor.
It just smelled terrible and clogged easily... Outside of a handful of older buildings, such designs were rarely seen anymore.
Right in front of the building stood an old tree.
Su Jin strode over to the tree and circled it once. Near the roots, he indeed spotted a red dot—faded, but still clearly discernible.
This had to be where Fu Qingdai had buried her money!
Looking left and right to make sure no one was around, Su Jin pulled a pair of gloves from his bag and began digging.
About ten centimeters down, a mottled tin biscuit box caught his eye.
He lifted the tin out and pried it open, revealing rolled-up small-denomination bills and coins.
Having no time to count them thoroughly, he couldn't help praising Fu Qingdai once more in his mind.
Su Jin quickly stowed the tin box away and kicked the dirt back to fill the hole.
Then he turned his gaze up toward the glass windows overhead, his eyes flashing with delight.
Fu Qingdai lived on the fifth floor, and rental phone numbers were pasted on both the second and fifth floors.
If all went well, he might even be able to live right across the hall from her... That would make dealing with any complications so much easier.
Having made up his mind, he committed the phone numbers to memory and looked around.
Spotting a middle-aged woman, he strode over without hesitation.
"Excuse me, sister, could I borrow your phone for a second? Mine died."
Thirty minutes later, on the fifth-floor landing.
A middle-aged man in a gray short-sleeved shirt unlocked the door while Su Jin stood behind him.
"Xiao Su, you've got good taste. Don't look down on this building just because it's old. Back when housing was allocated, it was reserved for people of status in the work units—professors, cadres, veterans, all from that era."
Pushing the door open, the landlord gestured for him to enter, continuing, "Lao Fu across the hall, and Captain Xiao Cheng, the head of security by the gate—they're both retired from the military. The surroundings might be a bit rough, but living here gives you peace of mind, and it's comfortable.
"My son used to live right below me. If he hadn't begged me to move, I wouldn't have left. I've taken great care of the place too. Take a look and see what you think."
"Your son is dutiful and earns well. If I had half his ability, my parents wouldn't know what to do with themselves. Plenty of folks must envy you!"
"Ah, he's alright, he's alright! You're not doing too bad yourself, young man!" The landlord feigned modesty, though a proud grin crept across his face.
Su Jin said no more, stepping inside to inspect the rooms one by one.
Two bedrooms, one living room, a bathroom, and a kitchen. Aside from having no appliances or a flush toilet, it had all the basic tables, chairs, and benches... The total area was roughly seventy-odd square meters.
The landlord followed behind, explaining, "It's got standard furniture, plenty for daily life, but you'll have to provide your own appliances. As for cooking, there's a gas station right outside the compound where you can pick up a liquefied gas cylinder—sixty for a tank, with a hundred deposit. The morning market is just a street over... What do you think?"
The two stopped in the living room at the same time.
Su Jin got straight to the point. "Looks good. How much a month?"
"Five hundred. For the deposit... since you seem like a decent, upright guy, Xiao Su, let's just make it one month's rent."
"Works for me, no problem." With that, Su Jin paused, shifting the conversation. "Brother, you mentioned your son moved out too and used to live downstairs. Is the unit below vacant as well?"
"Yeah, it's empty. But that's my son's place. He never thought about renting it out in previous years, so it's just been sitting vacant."
"Would he rent it out?"
"Huh?" The landlord paused in surprise, then nodded. "The conditions downstairs are pretty much the same as here. If you want to rent it, that'd be great—I can make the call on that. But just how many people are staying here?"
Su Jin thought for a second before saying, "Brother, like I told you, I came to Longshan from out of town to look for work. I'll be living in this apartment alone, but I've got a friend who wants to come over too—a female friend... I figured I'd find a place for her in advance before she arrives, just to make a good impression, you know? I promise you, one person per apartment, absolutely no shady business."
"Ah... you're trying to woo a girl, are you?" The landlord chuckled. "Alright, no problem!"
Su Jin offered an honest-looking smile and thanked him, then looked slightly embarrassed as he continued, "There's just one thing, though, Brother... I just arrived, so renting two apartments at once puts me in a bit of a financial pinch, and my expenses might be even higher once my friend gets here in a couple of days.
"I'll pay the first month's rent for both places right now. As for the deposits, you can come collect them from me in half a month. We can put it in the contract, no problem. That way, when you come by next time, you can inspect the places yourself. If they're trashed or messed up, don't even bother collecting the deposit—just kick me straight out. How does that sound?"
The landlord hesitated for a moment, then clapped him on the shoulder with a laugh. "You're an honest young fellow. Over a little thing like this, I can't go spoiling your chances with a girl! Alright, it's a deal!"
An hour later, inside the quiet rental apartment, Su Jin stood alone before the window, chewing on a bitter, unidentified vegetable leaf as he gazed out with melancholy eyes.
Before him, the sun dipped westward, casting its lingering rays across the world and coating everything in a layer of golden light.
In the span of a single day, he had gone from his home to an unfamiliar world, visited a psychiatric hospital, and finally rented two apartments... putting down roots.
While rushing about outside, his tension and helplessness had been forcibly suppressed by the unfamiliar surroundings and sheer rationality.
Yet now that he had a secure place to stay, alone, with his body and mind relaxing... everything felt like a dream, yet was terrifyingly real.
Su Jin leaned forward slightly, resting his forehead against the glass, and closed his eyes with a long, drawn-out sigh.
The bitter taste in his mouth grew more pronounced, and the panic and bewilderment bottled up inside him surged violently to the surface.
A job forced upon him, and having to prepare for the end of the world...
How did I end up transmigrating... How is it suddenly the apocalypse?!
Why did something like this have to happen to me!
I'm just an ordinary person! I never wanted any of this!!
Clutching his chest, Su Jin felt his thoughts spiraling into complete turmoil.
Chapter 10