Chapter 40: Not Even One of the Three Spots for You
Old Mei handed Su Tao another stack of blueprints.
When Su Tao took a closer look, she realized they were all about details—like how to connect the two apartment buildings with the cafeteria. The connection would be designed as a terrace, allowing residents to access the cafeteria directly from the apartments, significantly shortening the walking distance.
Su Tao felt a rush of excitement and praised, “This terrace looks amazing! When summer comes, everyone could even hold gatherings up there.”
Old Mei laughed heartily, “If conditions allow, you could set up some grills. Before the apocalypse, people loved camping, setting up grills for barbecue, bringing out a speaker, and enjoying music while chatting. That kind of life…”
He sighed deeply, his face full of nostalgia.
Su Tao couldn’t help but follow his train of thought, her mind filled with beautiful visions.
“When you’ve built the corridor and terrace, I’ll draw up the detailed design for a small park in the central area for you.”
Su Tao agreed, “Sure!”
“By the way, I’d like to use one of the spots, but I can’t find the person I want to give it to right now. It might take some time.”
Su Tao said, “No problem. Who are you looking for? Maybe I can help.”
Mei Hongyi smiled bitterly, “He’s an old friend of mine from many years ago, named Wu Jianyi. He should be 72 years old by now. Before the apocalypse, he was an excellent architect and a national engineering academician. He even served as the director of the Capital University’s Environmental Research Center. I lost contact with him in the 13th year of the apocalypse. The last I heard, he was at the Shou’an Base.”
Shou’an…
Su Tao knew of this base. It wasn’t far from Dongyang, about a day and a half’s drive.
She nodded, “I’ll ask a friend to help look into it.”
Of course, this friend was Shi Zijin. Only the Pioneer Corps could leave the base and had a better understanding of the outside world.
Mei Hongyi sighed, “My old friend didn’t have my luck. Who knows what kind of suffering he’s going through now… or maybe he’s already gone… Ah, Peach Girl, if it weren’t for you, this old bag of bones probably wouldn’t have lasted a few more years.”
With a broken leg, poor food and sleep, and constant abuse from his son and daughter-in-law, had he met Su Tao a few years later, he might have ended it all himself.
In this apocalypse, this life, maybe it was better not to live stubbornly.
Su Tao laughed, “Don’t overthink things.”
In the middle of the night, night owl Su Tao was out building again.
But as poor as she was, her little stash of money had been squandered down to just over 10,000 Federal Coins. She barely managed to lay the foundation for the office building and shape its exterior before running out of funds.
Not to mention building the terrace and corridor.
She was truly bone dry.
Su Tao was on the verge of tears.
She also realized that she might really lack any sense of aesthetics—the office building she constructed looked like two shoeboxes stacked together.
Forget it. She’d wait until the new tenants moved in and she had money before worrying about it.
The next day, Su Tao and Guan Zining went to discharge Chen Xi from the hospital.
After being observed overnight, with no signs of infection or blindness, the hospital told them to leave to free up space for other patients.
There was no choice—the hospital in Dongyang was indeed a bit small for a base with nearly 60,000 people.
Little Chen Xi, with her head wrapped like a dumpling, carefully held Zhuang Wan’s hand as they walked downstairs. She spotted Su Tao and called out happily, “Sister Tao!”
Su Tao quickly stopped her, “Don’t shout, you’ll hurt your wound.”
Chen Xi winced but still laughed carefreely.
Zhuang Wan felt helpless, but her expression couldn’t hide her exhaustion and worry. The long scar on her daughter’s face might be there for life.
Suddenly, in the bustling hospital lobby, a man strode angrily toward them, his face full of rage:
“Finally, I’ve caught up to you! Where’s my dad? Where did you take him?”
Bodyguard Guan Zining drew her gun, “Back off, or if this gun goes off and hits your vital parts, I won’t be responsible.”
Mei Xingxian stepped back in fear, remembering that this woman might be the armed, possibly military person his wife mentioned.
He forced himself to act tough, “I don’t care who you are, but shouldn’t you give an explanation for taking my dad? It’s been twenty years since the apocalypse started. Even in Dongyang, we have laws. What’s your agenda, detaining people at will?”
Everyone in the lobby turned to look.
Mei Xingxian, feeling emboldened by the attention, raised his voice: “I was only gone for two or three days, and when I returned, I heard that my 75-year-old father was taken by these women. Everyone knows about Taoyang’s recent recruitment of planners, right?! My dad was a renowned planner before the apocalypse. These people must have learned of his skills and kidnapped him to exchange for Taoyang’s promised benefits!”
“Poor old man, at his age, being forced like this. As his son, my heart is breaking. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep for days.”
Zhuang Wan now knew who he was. Hearing such twisted words, she was so angry her lips trembled.
Whispers spread around them:
“These women look familiar. Are they from Taoyang?”
“Kind of looks like it. Let me check the photos Taoyang published last time. They should be in there.”
“The younger one might be Taoyang’s boss.”
“No way, really? Some folks were even joking about ambushing her to ask for a place to live. Haha…”
Mei Xingxian also heard these words and stood there, stunned.
Guan Zining quickly pulled Su Tao’s hat over her head, “Your identity is sensitive.”
Su Tao nodded, comforting Zhuang Wan and the two kids, and said to Guan Zining, “There are too many people here. Drag him outside.”
Guan Zining holstered her gun and lifted Mei Xingxian like a chick, hauling him out.
The difference between an ability user and a regular person wasn’t just about powers—there was a massive gap in physical strength too.
Zhuang Wan took a deep breath and led the two children outside.
Guan Zining threw Mei Xingxian in a secluded spot.
Instinctively, Mei Xingxian tried to crawl away, but smart little Chen Yang stuck out his leg. Mei Xingxian fell flat on his face, eating dirt and knocking out a tooth.
That fall seemed to clear his mind.
The old man wasn’t kidnapped but was directly approached and taken by Taoyang’s people?
So the planner Taoyang recruited recently was his father?
Then why didn’t the old man come to him?
And what about the three spots?
Could he finally escape that sewer-like place?
Mei Xingxian’s thoughts were all over the place—fear and excitement mingled. He didn’t even care about his broken tooth and the blood in his mouth.
Su Tao squatted down and asked, “Do you want me to take you to your father? He’s living well in Taoyang, eating well too. But he specifically told us not to give you even one of the three spots.”
Hearing this, Mei Xingxian, who was initially scared of his lies being exposed, suddenly exploded. His eyes turned red: “Why not give me a spot? I’m his son! I’m his only family left—there’s no one else related to him by blood! If he doesn’t give it to me, who else would he give it to?!”
