Chapter 26: The Ruthless Landlady
Pei Dong had been so busy lately that she hadn’t slept. Unable to hold on any longer, she left instructions with her deputy and rushed back to Taoyang for a quick shower.
When she went to the small canteen for a late-night snack, she noticed a new public room. Upon entering, she was stunned.
The room was filled with toiletries and feminine hygiene products, leaving her in a daze.
She thought of the female soldiers in her team, who always had to make do with cloth during their periods, often staining their pants during training.
A single bar of soap was shared by over twenty girls, who would cautiously rub it, mentally calculating how many more uses they could get out of it.
Two years ago, the Pioneer Army had brought back a batch of shampoo and soap. Pei Dong had swallowed her pride, cornered Shi Zijin’s team, and managed to secure a box.
That day felt like a holiday. Everyone took a proper bath, and their perpetually tangled hair was finally smooth.
Pei Dong’s eyes welled up. She couldn’t wait another moment and knocked on Su Tao’s door.
Su Tao, seeing Pei Dong, was surprised. “Sister Pei, you’re back? Haven’t seen you in a while.”
Pei Dong responded with a cool “Mm” and got straight to the point:
“I want to buy a batch of toiletries and sanitary pads from you—enough for twenty people for a year. Name your price.”
Su Tao blinked and thought for a couple of seconds before saying, “Then come with me to the general store.”
She let Pei Dong buy as much as she wanted while continuously restocking the shelves.
Seeing the endless supply, Pei Dong’s shock grew. Despite her bulk purchase, there was no shortage at all.
“That’s enough for today. Any more and you won’t be able to carry it. Next time, come at night, bring a truck, and quietly move it out without letting anyone see.”
Pei Dong nodded. When she settled the bill, the three large bags of sanitary pads only cost a little over ten thousand federal credits.
She found it unbelievably cheap and couldn’t help but ask, “Are you running a charity?”
Su Tao countered, “Aren’t you? You’re not buying all this for yourself—you’re paying out of pocket for your team’s girls, right?”
Pei Dong lowered her voice, “I thank you on their behalf. Without these supplies, their lives are too hard.”
Su Tao shook her head. “They should thank you. Without your thoughtfulness, even if I had these supplies, they wouldn’t get to use them. You’re just like Major General Shi.”
Pei Dong fell silent for a moment, then said:
“If you need anything in Dongyang, just mention my name. I still have some sway over matters in the city.”
With that, she hoisted the three large bags of sanitary pads and walked away, proud and solitary.
Su Tao couldn’t help but laugh.
The next day, Pei Dong distributed the sanitary pads to various teams.
The girls were both shocked and delighted, asking:
“Sister Pei, where did you get these? Did you go and pester Major General Shi again? I didn’t hear anything about the Pioneer Army bringing back supplies lately.”
Pei Dong coldly replied, “Just use them. Why so many questions?”
Everyone knew she had a tough exterior but a soft heart, and they all thanked her with smiles.
Someone guessed, “Sister Pei, did you get these from Taoyang? Lately, people have been talking about that place like it’s heaven on earth. Is there really that much stuff there?”
“Of course! Look at what Sister Pei managed to bring. Besides the Pioneer Army’s reserves, where else could she get this?”
“Sister Pei, you live there—tell us, what’s Taoyang really like? I heard the landlady, that Su woman, is ruthless—is it true?”
Pei Dong pictured Su Tao’s harmless face and her small, thin frame. With a dark expression, she said:”Rumors are not to be trusted. She is a very good person. Without her approval, you wouldn’t be able to use these supplies.”
The girls believed in Pei Dong’s words without a doubt. Someone must have been spreading rumors to slander Taoyang because they couldn’t get in!
If anyone dared to badmouth Taoyang in the future, the city defense women soldiers would be the first to object.
*
In the coming week, the armed defenses of the Dongyang base became visibly tighter.
Although Su Tao never left Taoyang, just by observing the schedule of the city defense army’s deputy commander, the cool sister Pei Dong, she knew something was up.
Pei Dong’s workload had doubled, and she didn’t even have time to call for a truck to haul goods, as previously agreed.
Shi Zijin said she had been standing on the watchtower day and night, searching for traces of the mutated zombies, and her eyes were almost bloodshot.
Su Tao was puzzled, “Can she really see every street and alley of Dongyang?”
Shi Zijin raised an eyebrow, “Who said she couldn’t? Her ability is called ‘Sky Eye’ or ‘Hawk Eye.’ As long as her line of sight is broad enough, she can observe every corner within it.”
Su Tao was amazed, “That ability is just perfect for her. Truly incredible.”
Shi Zijin nodded, then asked as if he’d just remembered something, “Last time, Xing Shuyu asked about your electric fence wall. Is it ready now?”
The reason why the Dongyang base allowed zombies to infiltrate was largely due to inadequate perimeter defenses. Unlike Taoyang’s iron-tight electric grid, which triggered alerts upon contact, Dongyang lacked such security.
Su Tao’s face turned bitter at the mention, “No.”
She also wanted other defensive items, but the so-called hidden shop and hidden tasks remained untriggered.
She had no clues at all and could only stare at the grayed-out items longingly.
Shi Zijin understood her expression. Pressuring her wouldn’t help—she seemed genuinely out of options.
“I’ll set off the day after tomorrow to find building materials or manufacturing machines. If that doesn’t work, we’ll have to purchase from other bases. Dongyang can’t wait any longer.”
This statement gave Su Tao a bad feeling, “Dongyang is in such a rush to build city walls—not just because of that mutated zombie, right? What else is going on?”
She was indeed perceptive.
Shi Zijin didn’t hide it, “In the next two to three years, there is likely to be a large-scale zombie evolution. The evolved zombies will be extremely dangerous. Without the protection of city walls, they could very well invade the base, turning Dongyang into a living hell.”
Su Tao’s hair stood on end.
She had grown up for eighteen years, practically witnessing Dongyang’s establishment and maturation step by step. Though it was not perfect, with some areas still chaotic and dark, it at least kept the residents away from zombies, providing a glimmer of hope in this apocalyptic world.
Su Tao could hardly imagine it becoming a playground for zombies.
What on earth was this hidden task?
She scratched her head and asked, “If you do find building materials this time, how long will it take to complete the high walls and electric grid?”
Shi Zijin shook his head, “Not sure. At the earliest, a year; at the latest, four or five years. It depends on whether we can find enough workers and engineers.”
The loss of population and talent in the apocalypse was entirely unavoidable.
Su Tao thought her approach would be more efficient—no need for so many people.
She only needed to move the finished wall pieces into place and secure them with welding.
If Dongyang were part of her domain, like Taoyang, she could accomplish it with just a wave of her hand.
In her domain, she was nearly omnipotent.
