The woman nursing her child recoiled in fright and shouted, "Scared me half to death! So it was you. What's with that getup? You've struck it rich, haven't you?"
Zijin replied calmly, "If you don't do guilty deeds, you won't fear ghosts knocking at your door. Auntie Zhang, stop calling me the hairy monster from now on."
Auntie Zhang forced a laugh while squeezing her shriveled chest to draw out more milk. "I just like giving people nicknames. I've been calling that man Wang Pockmark every day and he never got mad. One ought to be broad-minded."
Jing Shu noticed that Zijin's bed was right in the center, with no other beds within three meters of it. Clearly, her presence was too dangerous. After all, sometimes a red nematode dropped and could be eaten as a snack, but if a python-sized, thrashing red nematode landed on you in your sleep, no one would take it lightly.
"You finally cut your hair? That's great, I don't have to bring you food anymore." In the dim room, only silhouettes were visible. Xiao Mei had only seen that snake-like mass was gone.
It was five in the afternoon, the temperature about to drop. Everyone who went out to work or scavenge had to return before the cold set in, or they'd risk catching illness. Most of the families on the thirty-first floor were heading home, some already back from the cafeteria with meals.
"I didn't cut it. I washed it, coiled it, and tucked it under my waterproof hood. That problem won't happen again. I've troubled everyone enough before. Once I have some virtual coins, I'll compensate those around me."
Auntie Zhang shook her baby while staring at her. "Oh, so you even washed your hair with salt water? And with this fancy outfit too. You must be doing well. Since you admit you've caused trouble, if you're really going to compensate, then at least give each of us a bowl of white rice."
"What I use to compensate, and who I compensate, is up to me," Zijin answered coolly. Her life was carefully budgeted. There was no way she'd get careless just because she earned four virtual coins a day.
But the moment people heard "compensation," they gathered eagerly around.
"Zijin, that day one of your red nematodes fell all over me. I didn't even get a chance to tell you."
"Zijin, I'm only ten meters from you, but your red nematodes keep hopping over to me at night. You owe me."
"I don't care, me and my baby both deserve double shares," Auntie Zhang demanded shamelessly.
Still smiling serenely, Zijin said, "There are only so many things. I'll hand them to the people closest to me and let them divide them among themselves. I won't interfere. If anyone is still dissatisfied, I'll just take them back."
The clamor died down. After all, even if she had compensation to give, how could it satisfy everyone unless they all got exactly the same thing?
The spectacle ended before it even began, leaving Jing Shu slightly disappointed. She nearly forgot the purpose of her visit: to upgrade Zijin's living space.
But this place seemed beyond saving. There were simply too many red nematodes, hopping around like fleas. Jing Shu even saw idle people lying on their bunks picking them off one another to eat. It was worse than in her past life's home.
Since people constantly brought more in from outside, there was no stopping them. Jing Shu could only make Zijin clean her bunk bed thoroughly, wash everything in salt water, and then cover the space with an integrated PVC plastic shell to isolate it. At night, she was told not to remove her enclosed raincoat and to wipe everything down daily. That was the best temporary solution until she could be moved somewhere else.
Around them, people munched on today's cafeteria meal of mushrooms boiled with bug eggs and rice mixed with paste, all while watching the commotion. Unable to stomach the nauseating mushrooms that made her want to vomit, Jing Shu slipped away quickly.
Xiao Mei asked curiously, "Zijin, who was that just now?"
"My boss."
Auntie Zhang couldn't help but probe, "Then why is she so good to you, giving you all that stuff?"
"I start work tomorrow. Where I'll be working, not a single red nematode can appear. You know how rich people are, they can't stand seeing these things. That's why I need to tidy everything up."
An older man nearby looked envious. "What kind of work is it? Can I do it too?"
"Making handmade clothes for someone. The requirements are strict. You all know this is the only skill I've got," she answered, not mentioning the silkworms.
Auntie Zhang rocked her baby to sleep before adding, "Zijin, you're about to rise up. Don't forget about us."
The only reply was the sound of snores echoing through the cramped space.
Even the most poorly off on the thirty-first floor were living better than the people stuck in Banana Community's underground parking lot. Jing Shu felt comforted. Whatever their personalities or manners, these people had family who had risked their lives for the nation, fighting on the front lines. They deserved better treatment. Although the military's casualty rate was low, there were still many who died in service.
The benefits in the family quarters weren't bad: each household got a kettle of hot water daily, meals could include paste, bunks were provided, and housing and furniture were distributed based on rank.
"Maybe I should check out Li Yuetian's place. I heard he's got a forty-year-old dominatrix wife. A thirty-something man like him actually went for an older woman. That's pretty curious."
The next morning, Zijin showed up in the same outfit as the day before. Carefully soaking off all the red nematodes in the saltwater pool at the entrance, she then discovered that a four-square-meter shack had already been built under the villa's awning, stocked with all the tools she needed.
It was touching.
Unfortunately, it was Grandma Jing who had arranged it. She learned that Jing Shu had gone out early.
A twinge of disappointment stirred in her heart.
"It must be your blessing that I found such a good job, right? Don't worry, I'll work hard and live well in this apocalypse until the day we meet again."
By late March, Jing Shu's second batch of blood mushrooms had matured. She originally wanted to wait a little longer. Blood mushrooms were so valuable they never lacked buyers, but she couldn't afford to take too many out at once. Su Mali, however, told her that a major client planned to buy up the entire crop at an auction.
"They're not paying in virtual coins, but in petroleum," Su Mali said smugly. "How about this yellow open-shoulder dress on me?"
"You look good in anything," Jing Shu said with a yawn, eating the spring roll egg pancakes Grandma Jing had fried that morning, stuffed with sausage and vegetables. "So you dragged me out here at four in the morning just to watch you try on dresses? It's just a business deal. Did you really have to dress so formally, and so early?"
She had only gone to bed at two the night before, rolling cigarettes.
Four in the morning—when would this cursed timing ever end? The Rubik's Cube Space felt less and less ordinary, steeped in strange mystery.
"But the buyer is Qian Duoduo, our group's top competitor. Of course I have to project momentum. The road to Xishan is blocked, so we'll have to take a detour."
"Qian Duoduo? That's impossible. I've worked with him several times. If he knew I was the seller, he'd come directly to me instead of paying a middleman. And this is such a small deal, I doubt he'd even bother," Jing Shu said with a raised brow. Something didn't feel right.