Apocalypse Star House Hoarding

Chapter 180

After completing her trade with Zhou Ningyuan, Yu Xi drove her silver RV to continue the Star House’s bartering operations. Her first stop was the beach outside the hotel where she, Yu Feng, and Fan Qi were staying.

Besides her family, only Sister Wei’s team of over twenty people occupied the hotel, and today Yu Xi’s target was specifically them.

Recently, Sister Wei’s team had been facing constant trouble. After being falsely accused of stealing food by Shao Liang’s team and storming out of Cliffside Inn in anger, their bold exit left them anxious about the future.

Most nearby hotels were severely damaged by plants, their outer walls crumbling, and some were inhabited by mutated animals. On their first night in their current hotel, they were attacked by a massive owl. The bird sensed their presence and repeatedly slammed against the glass windows of a balcony, breaking a pane in the process.

The room’s occupants woke to find the owl’s head stuck in the broken glass frame, trying desperately to squeeze inside. The terrifying sight left them paralyzed with fear. Unlike inns, hotels often have large glass windows and sliding doors for aesthetics. Even after relocating to an intact room and securing the doors and windows, they couldn’t prevent further incidents.

Hearing the commotion, Sister Wei stopped her team from attacking the owl with knives and eventually drove it away with fire. However, they didn’t dare sleep in that room again, cramming into other teammates’ quarters for the night.

As expected, the owl returned the next evening, this time breaking into the original room. The following morning, they cautiously investigated and found signs of an owl’s nest on the balcony—feathers and small animal bones littered the corner. In their haste to move in, they had unknowingly claimed the owl’s territory, triggering the attacks.

They reduced their scattered seven rooms to four to concentrate their people for better defense at night. But with so many people packed together, their living conditions deteriorated significantly. The hotel, sprawling and interconnected, had many hidden corners that could harbor unknown mutated creatures.

Since moving in, the team hadn’t had a single restful night. Even during the day, Sister Wei refused to let all their able-bodied members leave to scavenge for supplies.

In stark contrast, Yu Xi’s family appeared unbothered, thriving in the same hotel. Some team members suggested asking Yu Xi for help or moving to the same floor to provide mutual support. Sister Wei vetoed the idea, unwilling to burden Yu Xi’s family with their entire group of over twenty people. She feared that if they pushed too far, Yu Xi might leave altogether, leaving them with no one to turn to in emergencies. Sister Wei had been searching for a new, reliable shelter that could accommodate their group. However, every secure location nearby was either occupied or unwilling to accept them. Exhausted and frustrated, she decided to study maps and explore farther areas for better prospects.

That morning, as she and her team stepped onto the beach, they spotted the silver RV parked nearby. The long table by its window held a portable induction cooker where the Star House owner was calmly frying egg pancakes.

The enticing aroma wafted through the air. As the frozen pancakes sizzled in the hot oil, the sound of crackling filled the quiet beach. The owner cracked two eggs onto the pancake, sprinkled salt, pepper, and scallions, then flipped it with a flourish. The golden pancake sizzled again, making the team’s mouths water.

“Sister Wei! It’s the Star House! Finally, we haven’t seen them around in days! And now they’re here, right outside our hotel. It’s like they know we’re desperate!” one team member exclaimed, practically in tears over the smell of the pancakes.

“Sister Wei! Let’s go! The sign says a successful trade earns a pancake slice! Even if it’s just one-fourth of a pancake, it’s huge!”

“Yes! Sister Wei, charge toward the pancakes!”

Sister Wei: …

Unable to resist her team’s enthusiasm, she returned to the hotel, gathered some mutated fruit they had scavenged, and nervously approached the Star House for a trade.

Yu Xi accepted the fruit but didn’t give them food or water as expected. Instead, she handed them an envelope.

Inside was an official residence permit allowing Sister Wei’s 22-member team to settle in a government shelter on the city’s other side. It also stated that team members over 60 and children under 14 would receive weekly supply subsidies.

The team stared at the permit in stunned silence. How had the Star House owner known their most pressing need? How had she obtained a permit, especially one that came with such privileges? Only teams that had contributed significantly to the base typically qualified for such benefits, yet they hadn’t even visited the base yet.

Suppressing her shock, Sister Wei asked, “Actually, we aren’t just 22 people. We have three more. Can they come too?” She thought Yu Xi’s family disliked crowded private shelters but figured the official base, with military protection, was different.

“They don’t need it. Focus on planning your route and getting your team to the base safely,” Yu Xi replied. She hadn’t expected Sister Wei to still consider her family’s situation in such a moment.

After some thought, Yu Xi retrieved a 30-liter portable fuel container from the RV’s storage (Star House warehouse) and handed it to one of the team members. “This should be enough. You’ll have to find your own vehicle—there are plenty of buses and minibuses around here.”

“Huh?” The recipient stared at the container in surprise, his mouth agape, unsure of what to say.

Another team member quickly recovered and began showering Yu Xi with effusive gratitude, peppered with exaggerated praise. Amused, Yu Xi cut the freshly made egg pancake into quarters, placed the pieces in a disposable box, and handed it to them.

Sister Wei observed silently, a wave of complicated emotions washing over her—gratitude mixed with deep admiration. Since the apocalypse began, she had encountered all kinds of people, and it was already rare to meet someone who adhered to principles and honored fair trade. Yet, Yu Xi’s generous, one-sided assistance, which came at immeasurable value, left her at a loss for words.

But Yu Xi didn’t do it for thanks.

This was her original world. With the apocalypse unfolding, she had watched others struggle to survive against mutated plants and animals. If she were unwilling to extend even small acts of help while ensuring her family’s safety, she felt she wouldn’t be able to face herself.

As Xing Min had explained, as long as she remained alive, her original world wouldn’t be overtaken by the System Tower and fall into a task-based world. Without realizing it, this world had become part of her mission.

She wasn’t a self-sacrificing saint who aimed to save everyone, nor could she distribute resources to the entire planet. But for the situations unfolding around her, for the people she could see and help, she was willing to lend a hand.

That was enough. Gratitude wasn’t necessary.

Yu Xi smiled at Sister Wei and said, “Safe travels.” Then, the silver RV and its owner disappeared into the horizon.

In the following days, Yu Xi continued her Star House bartering routine. However, knowing her time on Nanhai Island was limited, she didn’t spend all her time running the store. Instead, she used the ocean and surrounding plants to practice her ice-control abilities (ice fishing for seafood) and plant affinity (finding delicious mutated fruits).

She made a trip near the base and contacted Zhao Xuefei via her transparent phone. They arranged a meeting, and the next day, Yu Xi drove her off-road RV to the base’s outskirts.

“Are you sure?” Yu Xi asked after hearing Zhao Xuefei’s decision. She wasn’t entirely surprised, though it differed slightly from her expectations. In her mind, the odds of Zhao Xuefei leaving with them versus staying were 5.5 to 4.5.

That slight difference came from underestimating how deeply Zhao Xuefei had bonded with her new friends and comrades in just three or four months. Humans were social creatures, and while the base’s material conditions weren’t great, the emotional support provided by her comrades—those who fought alongside her and lifted her spirits—more than compensated for the lack of comforts.

Furthermore, with the base recently rid of its troublemakers, new agricultural plans underway, and the help of Yu Xi’s notes on mutated plants, life there was bound to improve. Zhao Xuefei had also started a new chapter of her life, forming meaningful connections within the base. These ties were things Zhao Xuefei couldn’t easily abandon.

“Yes. If this were at the start of the apocalypse, when plants and animals first mutated, I wouldn’t have hesitated. I’d have grabbed my mom and left with you, even if it meant dealing with her arguing with your mom later. But now… I’ve finally learned to rely on myself. I sleep well every night, and both my mom and I have adjusted to this life. We’re doing fine.”

Yu Xi looked at her. “But if you came with us, your life would be much easier. I can’t say too much now, but you should know that what you’re giving up might be a life without any worries.”

“I know exactly what I’m giving up.” Zhao Xuefei’s eyes were bright as she met Yu Xi’s gaze. If she had been guessing before—based on subtle observations like Yu Xi’s food preparation and coffee-making habits—Yu Xi’s words now all but confirmed it.

This sense of security and familiarity she had felt from Yu Xi since their first reunion wasn’t a coincidence. It came from family.

But that truth was likely Yu Xi’s greatest secret. Revealing even a fraction of it could bring endless trouble to Yu Xi and her parents. So, despite her suspicions, Zhao Xuefei didn’t voice them.

Everyone had their own opportunities, their own fate—hers and Yu Xi’s included.

Yu Xi smiled gently. “Thank you.” Thank you for suspecting yet not prying.

“Thank you for what, Sis? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Yu Xi playfully ruffled her hair and told her about the promise Zhou Ningyuan owed—a figurative get-out-of-jail-free card, a lifeline for Zhao Xuefei in times of dire need. As long as Zhou Ningyuan lived, she would always have a way out.

Having made her decision and voiced it, Zhao Xuefei felt a weight lifted from her shoulders. She and Yu Xi then planned for her to bring Yu Li out of the base to meet Yu Feng and Fan Qi at the RV.

The day before the meeting, Zhao Xuefei finally informed her mother about reconnecting with her uncle and aunt. Yu Li, relieved they were safe and already in contact with her daughter, reacted in an unexpected way—by lightly smacking Zhao Xuefei.

“What were you thinking, keeping this from me for so long? Did you think I’d still be petty enough to argue with my big brother in times like these?”

“I know you, Mom! They’re doing so much better than us. I didn’t want you to get upset…”

“Are you saying I’m petty and jealous in a roundabout way?”

“Prove me wrong with facts, then convince me.”

“You little brat! Just you wait!” Yu Li, holding back her frustration, resolved to prove that in such trying times, seeing her family again would bring only joy and gratitude.

However, the moment she saw the massive steel RV, she was stunned.

“Wow, this RV is huge… it even has a retractable terrace! It’s like a small two-story apartment! …Oh, having a fridge is handy—meat stays fresh for so much longer…”

Once the initial novelty wore off, Yu Li’s dominant emotion was the comfort of reuniting with her family.

That day, the reunited relatives shared a meal together, celebrating their connection. However, Yu Li didn’t stay overnight in the RV. By dusk, she and Zhao Xuefei returned to the base.

For Yu Li, no matter how impressive the RV was, there was no place like her own little “nest.” The room she and Zhao Xuefei now shared at the base was already much better than the communal bunk beds most others endured. They had their own private space.

Her daughter had grown confident and cheerful, laughing every day, and had proven capable by completing numerous missions. Whenever Yu Li walked around the base, teammates of Zhao Xuefei who recognized her would warmly call her “Auntie.”

The envious looks other refugees gave her during those moments reminded Yu Li of her past self. Now, it was Zhao Xuefei who was referred to as “someone else’s exceptional child,” and Yu Li had become the mother others envied.

The days flew by.

Yu Xi spent her time running the Star House, occasionally taking Yu Feng and Fan Qi out for practice runs, and meeting up with Zhao Xuefei. She made sure every day was full and purposeful.

Rumors of the Star House began to spread far and wide, occasionally bringing survivors from distant places seeking to trade. These were often people facing unique challenges who had no connections to the official bases. Yu Xi would first verify the authenticity of their hardships before offering assistance.

Many sought medical supplies, such as specialized injections for diabetes or heart disease medications. Fortunately, Yu Xi had stockpiled a vast variety of resources, especially during her time in the hospital in her previous world, where she had collected an abundance of medical supplies.

Her ability to meet these needs further elevated the Star House to a near-mythical status.

On April 4, Yu Xi hung a notice on the Star House announcing the end of its operations on Nanhai Island. Then, in a flash, she and the RV disappeared.

On April 5, Zhao Xuefei went to their designated meeting spot and met Yu Xi in the off-road RV.

For Yu Xi, this was their last meeting before her departure. She prepared a backpack for Zhao Xuefei containing essential medicines, some extra ammunition, several bags of chocolates, and assorted candies.

She knew that after she left, it would be hard for Zhao Xuefei to find sweet treats. The individually packaged chocolates were meant to last her a long time.

Sensing the gravity of the moment, Zhao Xuefei asked if this was goodbye.

“Yes, it is. But we’ll see each other again someday.” As long as Yu Xi could figure out how to cross the ocean, she would return to Nanhai Island.

“Sis, take care of yourself. The more secrets you have, the more cautious you need to be. I hope you, Uncle, and Aunt stay well. Next time, let’s go camping by the beach again—barbecue at sunset, stargazing, and chatting until we fall asleep.”

“Yes, we will. You take care too, and protect yourself and Aunt.”

Some memories are precious because they are hard-won.

The joys and warmth of that seaside camping trip would remain with them forever.

At midnight on April 6, in the simulated apartment, Yu Xi received her next world task.

[Eighth Apocalyptic World:

Difficulty Level: Advanced.

World Type: Seven-Layer Hell.

Role: Group Vice President.

Tasks:

Survive for one year (Reward: 1000 Star Coins).Randomly refreshed tasks (divided into optional and mandatory; rewards depend on task difficulty).Failure Consequence: Death.]

Yu Xi froze.

An advanced apocalyptic world?!

Seven-Layer Hell?

What was this?!

…

Thingyan: Just from the name alone, I’m already very scared for her.