Chapter 2: The Poorest Landlady in History
Following the address on the key card, Su Tao arrived at the location, just outside Gate No. 2 on the northern side of Dongyang Base—the gate most frequently used by the Pioneer Army.
Before her lay a large fenced-off plot of land, roughly 3,000 square meters by her estimate.
She was stunned.
She knew this place well. Having grown up in Dongyang, she had heard from the older folks that this piece of land had mysteriously appeared overnight.
In Dongyang Base, where every inch of land was precious, even her father’s modest 60-square-meter apartment would cost not only 6,000 contribution points but also more than three million federal coins.
Many had their eyes on this 3,000-square-meter vacant lot.
Yet, even the highest-ranking officials of the base didn’t dare touch it.
The high walls and electric fences around it were impenetrable. Without a valid access card, not even a zombie could get in.
And now, out of nowhere, this land belonged to her?
Su Tao swallowed hard. She approached the gate, held up the key card provided by the system, and swiped it against the sensor.
“Ding! Welcome home, my master.”
The gate slowly opened.
In the middle of the vast, empty land stood a simple, ordinary little house with blue-painted walls.
Staring at it, Su Tao suddenly felt a bit of a lump in her throat.
In her eighteen years of life, this was the first time she had felt a sense of belonging. It was as if this place had always been her home, patiently waiting for her return.
She jogged to the front door, swiped the card again, and pushed the door open with eager anticipation.
Huh?
It was completely empty—not even a chair?
Su Tao stood frozen.
For a brief moment, she regretted not dragging along that military cot from the bathroom.
At least then she’d have somewhere to sit or lie down.
But going back was out of the question.
Nor could she afford to buy anything new. She was so broke that her pockets echoed, with only 50 federal coins to her name—barely enough to buy a chair.
[System Notification]
[Detected that the host has arrived at the destination. Please name this plot of land.]
Su Tao thought for a moment. Since it was near Dongyang, why not call it “Taoyang District”?
[System Notification]
[The area has been named Taoyang District. Would you like to accept the beginner’s quest?]
Su Tao rubbed her nose, “Accept.”
[System Notification]
[Great! Please receive your beginner’s gift pack.]
The moment Su Tao accepted, a translucent panel appeared before her eyes, with a gift pack floating in mid-air.
She tapped to claim it.
[Reward: 2,000 Federal Coins]
Su Tao: “!!!”
She quickly took out her ID card. Twenty years into the apocalypse, ID cards had become touch-screen devices—thin and light, completely replacing smartphones. They could also be used as communicators.
Su Tao logged into her account, and sure enough, her balance had increased to 2,050!
This was the largest sum of money she had ever received!
Just as she was basking in excitement, the system prompted again:
[System Notification]
[Congratulations! Your total assets have exceeded 2,000 Federal Coins. You can now upgrade this system to Level 1. After upgrading, you will receive a single room and unlock the home furnishing store. Would you like to spend 2,000 Federal Coins to upgrade?]
Su Tao froze. So the system could be upgraded too?
She glanced at the empty room around her and, despite the heartache, chose to upgrade.
The money she had just received hadn’t even warmed her pocket before it was gone…
[System Notification]
[The Landlady System has been upgraded to Level 1. A single room has been constructed, and the home furnishing store has been unlocked. Please inspect your new assets.]
As soon as the notification sounded, Su Tao felt a slight tremor under her feet.
A 10-square-meter empty room appeared before her eyes.
The original house gifted by the system was now positioned to the right of the new single room, with a small corridor connecting the two spaces.
Su Tao’s heart trembled.
The speed of construction was like a game—just a click of the mouse, and voilà! The efficiency was incredible.
She reopened the system panel and, as expected, saw the [Home Furnishing] section.
She intended to check if there was a suitable bed. At the very least, she needed two for emergencies—she couldn’t just sleep on the floor at night.
However, when she saw that even the cheapest wooden plank bed cost 120 Federal Coins, she quietly closed the page.
Her entire fortune was only 50 Federal Coins.
She might own a large piece of land, but she was essentially still dirt poor—couldn’t even afford a bed.
What if she rented it out as is?
[System Notification]
[Currently unable to rent out the property. Please meet the minimum rental requirements: Bed ×1, Toilet ×1, Sink ×1.]
Su Tao almost passed out.
These three basic items would cost over 1,000 Federal Coins in the home furnishing store.
Where was she supposed to find that kind of money?
Su Tao scratched her head and finally decided to try her luck at the base’s secondhand market.
The system didn’t say these furnishings had to be purchased from the system store.
If she could find cheap secondhand goods outside to meet the requirements, that would work just fine!
With her mind made up, Su Tao set off for the marketplace with her entire fortune of 50 Federal Coins.
To save money, she walked on an empty stomach and even smeared more dirt on her face to look less conspicuous.
Though there were no zombies inside Dongyang Base, in this world of broken order, humans were often scarier than zombies.
By the time she reached the secondhand market, it was already past 4 p.m.
The market was divided into East and West zones.
The West Zone had better security and more legitimate goods for sale, including common furniture, appliances, communication tools, and even secondhand underwear.
But as you moved deeper into the East Zone, things got bizarre—children being sold, half-eaten sausages, zombie skulls… The ground was filthy, covered with unknown stains and waste.
Sometimes Su Tao felt this world was truly twisted—crowded, dirty, and utterly chaotic.
Su Tao returned to the secondhand furniture section. The cheapest bed still cost 20 Federal Coins, and it had a broken leg—not worth it. Plus, the remaining money wouldn’t be enough to buy a toilet and a sink.
Finally, she stopped in front of a stall selling discarded military supplies.
The items here were all surplus or defective military goods—canteens, boots, helmets, sleeping bags…
Sleeping bags! Those could work as beds too.
“Boss, how much for this sleeping bag?”
The stall owner, a skinny man in his forties, took a drag on his homemade cigarette. He raised an eyebrow, eyeing her up and down with a greasy look:
“20 Federal Coins. Or, spend the night with me, and it’s yours for free.”
Su Tao knew she couldn’t show any weakness. She took a discreet deep breath, her expression turning a bit harsher:
“Cut the crap. If you want to play, go 300 meters left—10 Federal Coins for two girls to keep you company till morning. 15 Federal Coins if you want better quality. Frankly, no one else would spend money on this old sleeping bag but me.”
The boss paused, the cigarette still in his mouth, and finally retracted his gaze. He let out a chuckle:
“Tough one, huh? Fine, take it.”
Su Tao quickly grabbed the sleeping bag, slung it over her shoulder, and bolted.
Over the past 18 years, Su Tao hadn’t mastered much, but pretending to be tough to ensure her safety? That she could do.
Toilets were both expensive and heavy, and there was no way she could carry one alone. Instead, at a stall selling plastic goods, she bought two plastic foot tubs for 5 Federal Coins.
The system never specified that the toilet had to be a flushing one.
A bucket could work—after all, everyone was just surviving in this apocalypse. There was no need to be too particular.
As for the sink, Su Tao used the same approach and bought two plastic washbasins, spending another 5 Federal Coins.
With all the essentials gathered, Su Tao huffed and puffed, struggling to carry everything back.
But there was just too much. She hadn’t walked far before she was out of breath. She set everything down to rest.
“If only I could teleport back home…”
Su Tao mocked her own wishful thinking.
Just as she was about to pick up her things and continue, in the next instant—she found herself standing right at the gate of Taoyang District…
