Chapter 105: Are There Any Vacant Rooms in Taoyang?
Hearing this, Su Tao felt a headache coming on.
“This sounds like a rumor. Dongyang has stationed troops, and their city walls are still under construction—it’s not that easy to break through. The people spreading these claims are just causing unnecessary panic.”
Not to mention, they were adding to Zhuang Wan and the others’ workload by sending a flood of inquiries.
Shi Ziyue nodded. “Yeah, it’s definitely unsettling people. But don’t worry, Sister Pei will handle it. Oh, by the way, about that teacher you asked me to find—I’ve found someone really suitable. But she’s not actually a teacher. She’s my classmate. Would that be okay?”
“But don’t worry, Sister Tao! My classmate is incredibly smart and hardworking. She’s top-notch in academics. The only problem is her family’s financial situation—they’re struggling. All four of them live in a collective dormitory, and she’s often harassed by the creepy old men living there…”
Su Tao’s memory clicked. “Wait, have you mentioned her to me before? I remember something—her family has four members, and both children are girls, right?”
Shi Ziyue nodded excitedly. “Yes, yes! Her name is Sheng Yulan, and her younger sister is Sheng Yuqing. They’re both pretty amazing.”
“Sheng Yulan has a photographic memory, and her younger sister, Sheng Yuqing, is a tactical genius. My brother once taught a war simulation class at our school and personally praised Sheng Yuqing for having the same strategic brilliance as Sister Pei.”
At this point, Shi Ziyue pouted slightly.
“Sheng Yuqing is a year younger than me, but my brother has never praised me like that. Well… to be fair, I’m not great at war simulations. He says I’m too straightforward and only know how to fight head-on.”
Su Tao chuckled. “These two definitely don’t sound like ordinary people. Even their names are impressive. And coming from you, that’s high praise! They must be really talented. Alright, bring Sheng Yulan to Taoyang in the next couple of days.”
Shi Ziyue bounced on the spot in excitement and grabbed Su Tao’s hand. “You’ll love her when you meet her!”
Su Tao patted her hand. “As long as she can teach Fangzhi, I’ll be happy.”
On the side, Lin Fangzhi was completely indifferent, focused on brushing the Sesame Cats’ fur.
The Sesame Cat stretched out comfortably, kicking their legs in bliss.
Shi Ziyue glanced at Lin Fangzhi and couldn’t help but feel doubtful. Would her friend even be able to teach this guy?
At lunchtime, they ate Grandma Cen’s homemade stir-fried baby bok choy and slow-cooked pork rib soup.
Lin Fangzhi was so absorbed in eating that he looked completely spaced out. Normally quiet, he had now turned into a rice-devouring machine, eyes glued to his bowl.
Grandma Cen adored him and felt her appetite improve just watching him eat.
She stroked his head with a smile. “Fangzhi has gained a little weight—he looks even more handsome now. Are you full? If not, I’ll get you some more.”
Lin Fangzhi, still hugging his bowl, let out a small burp, his gaze slightly dazed.
Grandma Cen was about to drop another spoonful of ribs into his bowl when Su Tao quickly stopped her.
“Grandma, don’t! He doesn’t always recognize when he’s full—he might overeat and get sick.”
The next second, the ribs landed in Su Tao’s bowl instead.
“Good girl, then you eat!” Grandma Cen beamed.
Lin Fangzhi suddenly snapped back to attention, copying her action by placing food into Su Tao’s bowl. “Tao, eat.”
Looking at the mountain of food in front of her, Su Tao sighed and forcefully “shared” her portion with Shi Ziyue.
Right after lunch, Su Tao received a call from Ma Dapao.
“Boss Su! I’ve got the mercenary team lined up for you. Have you heard of ‘Leopard Path’?”
“Last year, they took on a mission to transport weapons from Shou’an to Changjing. Fourteen members, a two-month journey, over two hundred zombies killed, only one minor injury, and the cargo remained completely intact. Since you’ve been outside the base, you probably know—they’re definitely top-tier.”
Su Tao replied, “I’ve heard of their exploits. They’re strong, but I bet their price isn’t cheap. How did you negotiate?”
Ma Dapao hesitated. “Ah… well, someone like me isn’t even worth their time. Their captain wants to speak with you directly. He should arrive at Panliu Mountain tomorrow afternoon.”
“Alright. What about you? Are you still in the underground shelter?”
“Thanks for your concern, Boss! I’ve left already. The zombies have retreated. Right now, I’m reaching out to the chef I found earlier. Once I also finalize a cleaner and a receptionist, I’ll bring them all to Panliu Mountain for you to approve.”
Su Tao thought for a moment and transferred 10,000 Federation Credits to him, adding:
“You’ve worked hard—you shouldn’t be doing this for free. Also, these kinds of connections sometimes require some ‘greasing the wheels.’ Use this. And most importantly, stay safe. Your life comes first. If you need help, call me anytime.”
Ma Dapao was moved to tears upon hearing those words.
These past few days had been incredibly difficult.
In the apocalypse, finding someone with a clean background, decent character, and all their limbs intact was already rare.
On top of that, they had to be a good cook with actual experience as a chef—that was like finding a needle in a haystack.
He had paid out of his own pocket to gather information, owed people favors, talked until his throat was dry, and ran around until his legs were about to break.
And then there was the “Leopard Path” team—at first, they didn’t even want to acknowledge him, seeing him as insignificant. He had to talk his way through an entire sleepless night just to establish contact.
Every step had been a struggle.
Ma Dapao never expected this young boss to even think about these things. He just wanted to do a good job so he could have a reliable backer in this chaotic world—somewhere he could live a more stable life.
But unexpectedly, this boss remembered everything.
This wasn’t just payment—it was genuine care.
“Boss Su, I know I usually run my mouth a lot, but right now, I… I don’t even know what to say. I’ll just tell you this—whatever you ask of me, I, Ma Dapao, will give it my all, even if it kills me.”
That afternoon, Su Tao headed to the office building and, as expected, found Zhuang Wan and Qian Rongrong completely overwhelmed.
The phones wouldn’t stop ringing—almost every call was about vacant rooms in Taoyang.
During a brief break, Zhuang Wan gulped down some water before complaining to Su Tao:
“This is a nightmare. I tell them there are no rooms, and they just won’t listen. Some even try to offer double the rent to move in. When I refuse, they start cursing me and my entire family for eighteen generations.”
Qian Rongrong looked equally exhausted, her face completely drained of emotion. “Some people have lost their minds over the rumors. One guy even threatened me, saying that if I don’t find him a room, he’ll come to Taoyang to kill me. Or worse, kill every Taoyang tenant he sees.”
Su Tao’s face darkened instantly.
“You two stop answering calls from now on. Only take inquiries from our current tenants. These people are ridiculous.”
Just as she finished speaking, her own communicator rang.
It was that Gu guy again.
Su Tao answered, but before she could even say a word, the person on the other end got straight to the point, “Does Taoyang have any vacant rooms?”
