Chapter 10: A Miracle—Light, Heat, and Food!

The NPC didn’t make any special requests. She just stood beside Tang Danqing, smiling softly and agreeing to everything.

Tang Danqing decided to go with her own ideas for now. If the NPC objected to anything, she could change it later.

Her timid, rabbit-hearted roommate was simply too reserved.

The floors and walls of the hotel suite were already beautifully done, all understated luxury and sleek simplicity. Tang Danqing started by replacing the TV with a giant wall-mounted screen.

The glossy black display was so thin that it seemed to cling to the wall like a mural. It made the entire room feel more polished, as though the wall itself had something to be proud of.

Tang Danqing had seen plenty of her friends’ kids use screens like these to play games and watch television. That meant Little Jelly could use one at home too.

The leather sofa had stiffened in the cold, its hide visibly worn. The coffee table and display cabinets were made of high-end marble, but the freezing temperatures had cracked them. They all had to go. Not every expensive material had suffered, though. The high-performance porcelain floor tiles didn’t absorb water and had a moisture barrier beneath them, so they’d survived the long winter perfectly.

Tang Danqing replaced the furniture with a Conch Series Living Room Set: low-profile sofas and lounge chairs arranged along three sides around two round stone coffee tables, one large and one small. A side table stood beside one sofa arm, with a coral-shaped floor lamp across the room. A bronze vase holding a podocarpus provided a touch of greenery. It was small, so Tang Danqing set it on the coffee table.

She turned to the NPC. “Does this look good?”

The NPC smiled brightly. “It’s beautiful. Even better than it was before.”

After asking the NPC what she thought again and again, Tang Danqing replaced the dining table, display cabinet, wall shelves, TV stand, and framed pictures, one after another, from the smallest pieces to the largest.

The living room was spacious, so Tang Danqing made use of it. She added a bar, a wine cabinet, and a cocktail mixer.

Then she had another idea. She bought a three-meter-tall stuffed rabbit and sat it in a corner. She put a curved playpen around its feet and filled it with foam balls, colorful eggs, toy carrots, and other decorations, turning the space into a cozy little nook.

None of it was expensive. After sticking Renovation Coupons on all those furnishings, she checked her balance and saw she’d spent just over 40,000 Survival Coins. She still had more than 50,000 left.

Even if one Survival Coin converted to one yuan, decorating a real home would cost far more. Tang Danqing barely felt the expense.

Finally, she added a pot of lucky bamboo to an empty corner beside the television. The lush green stalks seemed like the first sign of life quietly blooming after winter.

Tang Danqing stepped back to the entryway and surveyed the new living room.

Not bad, right?

“Jelly, do you think anything’s missing?”

The NPC kept smiling and praising her in that soft, gentle voice.

“You thought of everything. There’s nothing I could add. You’re amazing.”

“Shan Qing, you’re like Doraemon from that cartoon. You’re always pulling something magical out of nowhere.”

For the first time, Shang You dared to probe a little.

After watching Tang Danqing conjure up food and supplies out of thin air, then produce mysterious slips of paper labeled Renovation Coupon that became real furniture the moment she stuck them somewhere, Shang You had gradually accepted that Tang Danqing was unlike anyone else. But she couldn’t keep letting herself be overshadowed by that unknown power.

Otherwise, she would become a pet in a cage, stripped of any say over her own life.

But Shan Qing kept her cards close and said nothing.

Tang Danqing thought the NPC was just making conversation. She smiled and said, “Let’s go make that cake.”

Shang You smiled and let her probing questions drop, following her into the kitchen.

An hour later—

[Achievement Unlocked: A Little Sweetness]

[Achievement Reward: 500 Survival Coins]

Tang Danqing could cook a proper meal without breaking a sweat, but she didn’t usually eat desserts, so her experience making cake was practically nonexistent. She and the NPC followed the recipe, copying each step as best they could.

Together, they brought a four-inch fruit-and-Oreo cake to the coffee table.

It looked a little rougher than something from a bakery, without the same glossy finish, but the sweet smell of cream and cookies still filled the air.

Tang Danqing put two gingerbread-person candles on the cake and pointed to them. “Jelly, you can be this one, and I’ll be this one. This cake is to celebrate our new living room. Things are going to get better for us from now on. Close your eyes and make a wish.” She smiled.

“Me…? All right.” The NPC obediently closed her eyes and sat quietly for a few seconds.

“I’ve made my wish.” She opened her eyes.

Tang Danqing affectionately rubbed her head, cut the cake, and put a piece on a plate for her.

Then she tasted the long-missed sweetness herself.

The living room was full of fresh, new things. Tang Danqing felt as if it had become a completely different place from the one she’d seen on her first day.

As she ate, she checked the Info screen.

She remembered what the system had said about the place before… something about it being worse than wilderness survival? Well, it couldn’t still be that bad. She wanted to see how much the rating had improved.

[Residence Information]

[Supply Score: 880 (Rating: You could do worse—even in this state, this place beats most shelters. At least it keeps you warm.)]

[Security Score: 30 (Rating: A shelter that would make anyone want to move in.)]

Huh? Wait a second.

The Supply Score rising into the hundreds was good, but Tang Danqing also noticed the Security Score had dropped quite a bit.

She considered what that rating meant.

Having something valuable was a crime in itself.

Knock, knock, knock—

At that moment, a heavy pounding struck the newly installed security door.

Tang Danqing shot to her feet like a bolt of lightning.

Shang You clutched her fork and stared toward the entryway. Then, without drawing attention to herself, she glanced at Tang Danqing.

Knock, knock, knock!

The pounding continued, hard and insistent.

Tang Danqing was completely baffled. What kind of event had just been triggered? She glanced back and saw the NPC cowering beside her leg, clearly frightened.

Tang Danqing gently stroked the top of the NPC’s head. “It’s all right. Don’t be scared. I’ll go take a look.”

Knock, knock—

The pounding softened, as though the person outside had begun to hesitate.

The NPC caught Tang Danqing by the hem of her shirt and stood up, speaking cautiously. “Be careful… I’ll go with you… Be careful…”

Tang Danqing remembered that the NPC had once said she was afraid someone would find this place and steal her food.

So this really was part of the game?

But with the Security Score so low, Tang Danqing had to be cautious.

And, if she was honest, the danger gave the game a thrilling edge. It was getting more and more lifelike.

She bought a telescoping baton from the Pocket Shop for 5,000 Survival Coins. It was shockingly expensive. A self-defense weapon cost almost as much as a major piece of furniture.

The Shop’s prices made it clear what mattered most in an apocalypse.

Tang Danqing took the baton and peered through the peephole. By now, the person outside had knocked four times, each blow weaker than the last. She told the NPC to stay behind her, then opened the door.

A man stood outside in a green military greatcoat and padded cap. His beard and hair had grown long, and his face looked worn and haggard. The moment the door opened, his cloudy eyes lit up.

His expression seemed to say, There really is someone here!

As he looked over Tang Danqing and Shang You, Tang Danqing studied the NPC at the door. Like Little Jelly on the first day, this man was filthy. He looked as if he’d been starving, his big eyes fixed on her.

Tang Danqing waited a moment. No quest appeared, so she asked him directly, “Who are you?”

The man’s frozen body seemed to sense the warmth drifting from inside. There was light here, and heat. It was a miracle! The two women didn’t look hungry, either. They were clean and alert, and there had to be food inside…

But he’d also noticed the defined muscles in Tang Danqing’s arms and the black baton in her hand.

The man’s voice came out hoarse. “I… I just wanted to ask for a little food. Please, kind people. Even a few scraps would do. I’ll leave right away…”

The man’s hands, poking from his sleeves, were black as charcoal. Red lines crisscrossed them, like blood from cracks in frostbitten skin. He looked at Tang Danqing with big, pleading eyes.

She turned her head toward her roommate. “Jelly, go get him something to eat.”

Shang You froze for a moment. “Be careful,” she murmured, then returned to the kitchen and brought back a leftover wedge of pumpkin.

Tang Danqing handed it to the man, calmly waited for him to leave, and closed the door behind him.

Shang You still couldn’t understand what she was thinking.

How could Shan Qing not see the blood on that man’s hands, or the greed and murderous intent in his eyes? Why let him go?