Chapter 89

Chapter 89

After Liang Yunhao left, the following days were quiet and uneventful.

During this time, Jiang Nian occasionally encountered Xia Weiwei in the base, but every encounter was met with cold stares and ended badly.

Soon, it was almost May, and the weather kept getting hotter.

The renovation of the grocery store was completed, with Jiang Nian made sure to check the insulation thoroughly to ensure the shop could withstand the scorching heat.

After the final inspection, he settled the remaining payment with the workers, wrapping up their work.

However, while busy preparing for the store’s opening, Jiang Nian also hired those same workers to evaluate the construction of protective fences and greenhouse setups for the farm.

No hurry—they could take their time. Judging by the current pace, large-scale farming would likely have to wait until after the extreme heat passed.

Since they'd worked together before, the workers were easier to communicate with. They immediately agreed to take measurements and draft plans the next day, finalizing the plans before drawing up a contract and starting construction.

Jiang Nian promptly paid a partial deposit, then turned his full attention to getting ready for the store’s opening.

With the basic structural work done, the rest of the changes were on him.

To assist, Cheng Jing put in for time off from his squad. They only had four days off this month, none of which had been used yet.

After checking in with Zhou Li by phone, everyone took leave the next day to help Jiang Nian.

It had to be said—knowing people sure made things easier. Otherwise, he would’ve had to personally visit the command center the next day to fill out various reports.

But with Zhou Li and Yang Kai around, they could take care of all the paperwork for him.

……

The workers had already wired up the store's basics and outlets, so the modifications were relatively simple.

The first priority was ensuring a stable power supply. Since the store needed to run freezers, round-the-clock power was essential.

For most people, keeping a shop lit around the clock was already a challenge, let alone powering power-hungry appliances.

But Jiang Nian and his group were prepared—it was no problem at all.

Aside from the usual solar-powered basics for daily life, they had multiple types of generators:

Gasoline, diesel, and solar-powered.

Each type had several units—plenty to go around among their team’s dormitories. All were prepared by Cheng Jing, so quality was guaranteed.

The solar generators could be used at home, while the louder gas and diesel models could later be moved to the farm—perfect!

Jiang Nian figured based on last time that the extreme heat would begin around mid-July and gradually normalize by late October.

In other words, for the next few months, solar generators would do just fine.

Moreover, under the scorching sun, regular shoes would melt right off from just walking on the ground. Only specialized equipment could endure such conditions.

Air conditioners, fans, and freezers were Jiang Nian’s three must-haves for surviving the extreme heat. Whether others had them or not didn’t matter—he did.

The store had them, and so did the dormitory.

After a day of setting up and modifying the electrical system, he had all the backup batteries and solar panels set up, on standby just in case.

The next day, they shut the store for restocking:

Staples, snacks, household sundries, and even some medications quickly filled the shelves.

Normally, a grocery store wouldn't be allowed to sell medications, but in the apocalypse, it was permitted.

Aside from items explicitly banned by the state, almost anything could be sold.

The glass counter doubling as the cashier station held cigarettes, alcohol, and tea.

After setting up the shelves and counter, they cleared out two large freezers from the space ring:

One was half-filled with ice cream, popsicles, beverages, sodas, and desserts, while the other half stored frozen foods, noodles, meats, and various ready-to-cook meals.

They didn’t stock too much, planning to replenish as needed.

The other freezer was left empty for now, divided into compartments with food containers. Jiang Nian planned to use it for cooling tea, saline solution, and sweet water—affordable options.

Back when he first arrived at the base in his previous life, he occasionally wandered outside and remembered how these disposable cup drinks sold for 5 points each.

During heatwaves, water was scarce, and bottled drinks were unaffordable for many, making these simple alternatives popular.

They had plenty of sugar, salt, and cooling tea packets, even milk powder and flavored instant drinks.

"..."

As the teammates listened to Jiang Nian’s plans and watched him and Cheng Jing unload items one by one, they grew as excited as kids in a candy store:

Having never gone hungry in the apocalypse, they were used to eating well, but today’s excitement came from the fact that their two "benefactors" were outfitting their dorms with solar generators, batteries, and solar panels.

Not only would they have normal electricity, but they could even host a rave at night.

In the base, as long as you didn’t break the rules, whatever you acquired was yours—including, but not limited to, firearms.

This was why many powerful and ambitious metahumans could establish factions and private shelters in the apocalypse.

The zombie apocalypse had plunged the nation—and the world—into temporary fragmentation, though the government forces remained the strongest and largest.

With the shelves stocked, freezers in place, and the point reader in the glass counter activated, a recliner was placed behind the counter. Just like that, a fully-functional convenience store was ready.

The front of the shop was set up conventionally, but the real highlights were in the back:

A carefully designed common area combining a kitchen, dining area, and lounge, fully equipped with appliances.

The kitchen and dining area were insisted upon by the teammates, who straight-up said they’d be coming over for meals. What was Jiang Nian supposed to say?

With everything prepared, Jiang Nian finally pulled out the ledger to balance the books:

Over 30,000 points had been spent in total, covered by traded supplies, teammates’ contributions, and help from the three Lis and Li Cheng.

In short, opening the store was a team effort.

Aside from the expenses, Jiang Nian shared his current point balance with the team—280,000 points in total.

Of that, 200,000 points came from supervising Xiao Ya.

Jiang Nian felt his teammates, especially Huang Qian and Lu Ningzhou, had contributed more to Xiao Ya’s supervision, but the two flat-out refused to take any share.

The others all refused as well, saying they’d been eating and drinking on his tab since the apocalypse began. So, all 200,000 points went into his account.

"Just 200,000, Bro Nian should get way more."

Tang Yi said earnestly, earning nods of agreement and praise from the others. They truly believed it from the bottom of their hearts.

Cheng Jing also thought this arrangement was good and immediately spoke up:

"Since it's everyone's wish, then Nian can handle the team’s money from now on. You’ll handle withdrawals, investments, and future plans."

Nobody planned to go solo or do their own thing, so pooling the cash and spending it as they saw fit made sense.

"Alright then..."

Jiang Nian could only graciously accept the responsibility. Checking the account balance, he briefly pondered before sharing his next plan:

"The farm renovations will still require spending points. Once everything is fully set up, we’ll start saving. The next step is to buy a house—one where we can all live together."

The dorm was okay, but too cramped. Having teammates scattered around was inconvenient, making it hard to discuss things promptly when situations arose.