But since he was already in, Jiang Chen took another bath in the bathroom, washing himself very seriously and meticulously.
He almost broke his previous record for the longest time spent bathing.
This showed just how much importance he attached to this 'friendly exchange.'
He had prepared for this moment for far too long.
When he walked out wrapped in a bath towel, Jiang Chen was completely dazed by what he saw.
Qin Lan was currently sitting obediently right in the center of the bed, waiting for Jiang Chen's arrival with a soft and charming grace.
She had put on that set of crimson Hanfu wedding robes.
Intricate phoenix totems were embroidered with gold thread onto the bright red silk and brocade, and the layers of wide-sleeved skirts spread across the bed surface.
Qin Lan's jet-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, creating a striking visual contrast against the bright red wedding dress and her snow-white skin.
The cinched waistline outlined a slender waist that could be held in one hand, and beneath the tight crimson silk were curves that made one's heart skip a beat.
Under the backdrop of these classical wedding robes, her mature and seductive temperament was neutralized somewhat, instead revealing a breathtaking, classical, and elegant solemnity.
Such a beautiful sight was likely something even an emperor had never seen.
"Xiao... Xiao Chen..."
...The final scene froze on the window.
Purple lightning tore through the ink-black sky, as if heraldic of the world's descent into ruin.
And inside the room, there was likewise a violent storm.
This was another kind of descent... Noon the next day.
The sky outside the window was still dark purple, filled with a suffocating sense of oppression.
Inside his shelter, however, there was a scene of lingering passion, as if it were a paradise independent of this Apocalypse.
Jiang Chen was awakened by a faint, satisfied hum, like that of a small kitten.
When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw wasn't a strange ceiling.
Instead, it was a patch of skin more delicate than snow, and jet-black hair scattered across the pillow like a waterfall.
Qin Lan was like a docile octopus, clinging tightly to him, her sleeping face peaceful and satisfied, with a trace of a crystalline tear still hanging from the corner of her eye.
On that stunningly beautiful face, which could bring ruin to nations, there was no longer any of that high-and-mighty, aloof queenly aura.
It was replaced by an almost holy languor and fatigue... Jiang Chen gave a satisfied low chuckle, his gaze sweeping across the bedroom, which had been completely transformed.
His room wasn't too large, but at the moment, it appeared very cluttered.
That crimson phoenix Hanfu wedding dress was tossed crumpled on the rug at the foot of the bed.
Lace stockings of various colors, evening gowns, teacher outfits, and sailor uniforms were scattered from the doorway all the way to the bedside.
Jiang Chen even felt a cold, smooth black high heel with a red sole next to his pillow.
He had played a bit too wildly last night.
But what did that matter?
He looked at the unclothed Qin Lan in his arms and felt immensely satisfied.
This icy older-sister type, who was unattainable in the eyes of outsiders and controlled a multi-billion dollar conglomerate, was now lying submissively in the crook of his arm.
Just then, a mechanical voice sounded in Jiang Chen's mind:
[Daily settlement beginning...]
Jiang Chen's eyebrows twitched slightly; he had almost forgotten about this.
So, after the settlement was finished, he immediately checked his current balance of survival coins.
A full 1,000 survival coins had appeared in his account out of thin air!
"System, bring up the settlement rules for survival coins."
[Rules are as follows:]
[Shelter a B-Class Talent (1 in 1,000): 1 survival coin settled daily.]
[Shelter an A-Class Talent (1 in 10,000): 10 survival coins settled daily.]
[Shelter an S-rank Talent (1 in 100,000): 100 survival coins settled daily.]
[Shelter an SS-Class Talent (1 in 1,000,000): 1,000 survival coins settled daily.]
[Shelter an SSS-Class Talent (1 in 10,000,000): 10,000 survival coins settled daily.]
Looking at the tenfold increments, Jiang Chen finally understood the terrifying nature of Qin Lan, an SS-Class Talent.
"A full tenfold difference..."
It seemed this system didn't follow a quantity-based route but instead valued quality more.
One SS-Class Qin Lan was equal to ten S-Classes, or a hundred A-Classes.
He had originally thought he could win through sheer numbers in the future.
Now it seemed that idea probably wouldn't work.
The quality of talent was the crucial factor.
"So above SS-Class, there's actually SSS-Class?"
Jiang Chen's gaze fell back onto Qin Lan in his arms.
An SS-Class Talent was already this perfect.
As for an SSS-Class existence, just how peerless would she be?
A metropolis of ten million people might not necessarily produce a single talent of that level.
And he would have to ensure she didn't die in this Apocalypse due to various accidents.
However, if he could successfully shelter an SSS-Class Talent, what kind of massive boost would it provide to his forces?
It was truly something to look forward to.
Jiang Chen then suppressed the stirrings in his heart, knowing now was not the time to think about that.
He might not even see one such peerless goddess in his entire life.
Even a talent at the level of one in a hundred was enough to become a 'white moonlight' that an ordinary person could never forget.
Meeting Qin Lan was already a great achievement, enough to make the vast majority of men in the world die of envy.
But thinking too much was useless; things would work themselves out when the time came.
The top priority now was still to improve his own strength as quickly as possible.
Only then could he survive better in this cruel Apocalypse.
Since he now had 1,000 survival coins, it was time to spend them.
With a thought, Jiang Chen opened the System Mall.
A blue virtual interface expanded before his eyes.
The mall was divided into four major categories: [supplies], [weapons], [enhancement], and [curios].
Jiang Chen first clicked on the [supplies] column.
[A loaf of bread: 1 survival coin]
[A bottle of purified water: 1 survival coin]
[High-calorie chocolate bar (100g): 1 survival coin]
[Antibiotics/Anti-inflammatories/Painkillers (Full Set): 10 survival coins]
...These were necessities that people would fight to the death for in the Apocalypse.
In the System Mall, the prices were dirt cheap.
Jiang Chen gave them a cursory glance and quickly lost interest.
"Just meals to maintain vital signs."
If he could only eat these things, what pleasure was there to speak of?
He still had a Top-Tier Self-Service Restaurant in his possession that he hadn't checked out yet.
Jiang Chen didn't care for this ordinary food and water at all.
However, if he needed to in the future, he could use the items inside to trade with others.
Surely these things he looked down upon would become highly sought-after life-saving supplies in the eyes of others.
Jiang Chen then closed the [supplies] column and clicked on [weapons].
[Fire Axe: 10 survival coins]
[Military Machete: 50 survival coins]
[Military Hand-Crossbow (Includes 10 bolts): 100 survival coins]
[Type 92 Pistol (Includes 50 rounds): 300 survival coins]
[AK-47 Assault Rifle (Includes 100 rounds): 500 survival coins]
[Fragmentation Grenade: 50 coins/each]
...Jiang Chen's gaze lingered on the AK-47 for a moment.
With the arrival of the Apocalypse, the importance of firearms was beyond doubt.
As the saying goes: if my neighbor hoards grain and I hoard guns, my neighbor is my granary.
Firearms could provide unparalleled security and deterrence.
Although he was currently protected by the shelter, he couldn't hide like a turtle forever.
However, Jiang Chen was in no hurry to redeem anything yet.
It wouldn't be too late to decide after he finished browsing the mall.
So he clicked on the [enhancement] column in the System Mall.
When he saw the items on this page, Jiang Chen couldn't help but feel lucky about his decision just now.
Because the things inside were simply too enticing!