Chapter 214: Chapter 214: Time
Janet’s words carried pride and admiration for the unknown base leader.
Ron refused to comment. To test the water, he went to the special department Janet had told him about, and after confirming his identity and background check, he received a key.
Even after opening the door to a relatively well-to-do apartment and sitting on the sofa, Ron was in a daze.
"This... this... is so good to be true..."
The special department clerk had told him that he could stay in the apartment for the next month for free. After that, he needs to give 500 crystals every single month until he reaches the age of 16.
Once he turns 16, he will have to pay for his rent on his own.
But to Ron... this was already the biggest mercy. Even before the apocalypse... the conditions in the orphanage weren’t as satisfactory as they are now.
He had parents, but his mother was a drug addict and his father had run away long ago.
Hence, just 10 months ago, he was left in an orphanage. After the apocalypse arrived, he went to find his mother... only to realize that she had turned into a zombie.
Maybe it was because of the last bit of humanity left in her. Or maybe it was because of a mistake; his sister was hidden in a faraway corner.
Ron hugged his little sister close and leaned back on the sofa. His chest rose and fell quickly. The soft cushions under him felt like a dream.
He blinked many times, scared that if he closed his eyes, the room would vanish and he would wake up back on the road, hiding from zombies and greedy men.
His stomach growled, reminding him that he had not eaten much since yesterday. He touched the pouch tied around his waist.
There were still a few pieces of dried meat and a handful of firm biscuits.
He decided to give his sister some warm water first. He was unsure whether this base provided food, but he could not afford to waste the little he had.
With that thought, he walked up to the tap and slowly turned it on.
The cool, pristine, clear water coming from the tap surprised him, but he quickly closed it and tried to find a glass.
Only after warming the water and feeding it to his sister did he realize... the water here was free!
Suppressing his excitement, he decided to explore the market and took his sister with him. Soon, he arrived at the only store in the entire base, where a huge line of customers crowded the entrance, so he joined the line.
3 hours passed.
When it was his number to enter, a man with a scar running down his cheeks and a bulky frame towered in front of him.
In an instant, Ron’s mind was filled with various possibilities, and he wondered if the man would beat him up or ask for his spot... or even worse... ask him to buy things for him?
’Should I act meek? Or should I fight back? If I fight back... I might seem like an aggressive person and create a negative impression on other base members... but if I don’t, then others may take me for granted and force me to do all the chores for no food or crystals.’
However, the expected scene didn’t happen. Instead, the scarface man asked,
"Hey, young lad, can you sell me your spot?"
"Eh?" Ron was stunned before coming to his senses. Knowing it was a good opportunity, he stated softly,
"Sure. How much are you willing to pay?"
"500 crystals." The scar-faced man made his offer with a calm expression.
"Deal!" Ron agreed.
The scarface was shocked before his expression softened; he took out a pouch from his waist and threw it in Ron’s direction. He didn’t forget to advise kindly.
"Kid, the rates here are 1000 crystals."
Ron caught the pouch and almost dropped it because of how heavy it felt. His eyes widened when he peeked inside. It was packed with shining crystals.
He quickly tied it back to his belt, afraid someone might see and snatch it away.
"Th-thank you," Ron muttered, bowing his head a little.
He had just earned 500 crystals for nothing more than waiting. To him, that was the easiest gain in his life.
After thinking for a while, he again got in the line, and soon it was his turn. Like before, a woman approached him, but this time he refused and entered the shop.
Looking at the rows of different food, his eyes fell on a packet of tomatoes. It was just 50 crystals. There were also some other vegetables.
In the end, he took two packs of milk, a bag of potatoes, and a packet of salt. His 500 crystals were gone. Just like that. However, he wasn’t discouraged.
Instead, Ron suddenly felt that the woman who had told him about this base was an angel!
If it wasn’t for her, he might have missed out on such a good base.
Returning to his home, he boiled the milk and slowly fed it to his sister. Then he boiled the potatoes, and after peeling off the skin, he sprinkled some salt and ate them with relish.
’One day... when I become powerful... I will repay this base and that pretty sister.’ He thought, while tears shimmered in his eyes.
The food here was cheap, and he was also given a chance to survive.
His tense expression slowly relaxed, and a wave of sleepiness washed over him.
After eating and cleaning up, he started to sing a lullaby for his sister, and when she fell asleep, he too lay on the soft bed.
The moment he closed his eyes, his stiff muscles relaxed, and something inside him seemed to have been unlocked. And the next second, the boy felt a wave of coolness wash over him.
He only thought that it was some breeze.
But what he didn’t know was... time seemed to have paused for a fraction of a second before it continued to work normally.