Chapter 634: “Husband… Grandpa?”
Many strength-type ability users were assigned work. Some people had done jobs like laying pipelines and repairing air-conditioning units before the apocalypse. With so many strength users, it only took a few questions to find several who knew how to install biogas pipelines.
The high-rise building across from the Grand Fortune Hotel was lively, full of noise and bustle like Chinese New Year. But inside the Grand Fortune Hotel, the atmosphere was completely different.
The central air conditioning still ran. The power was still on. In the third-floor banquet hall, card tables were scattered with playing cards—but no one sat around them. The brightly lit stage no longer had dancers swaying under the lights.
Everyone hid in their rooms, afraid to come out and cause trouble.
Green vines crawled along the empty corridors, threading through guest rooms.
In the conference room, An Ran sat at the long table, holding Doll.
Doll clutched a beaded toy, its tiny fingers sliding beads back and forth while humming a tune.
Zhan Lian walked over with a metal ruler in hand and leaned against the edge of the table. Soon, the ruler transformed into a small hollow bell. It jingled crisply, attracting Doll’s attention.
Doll reached out to grab it, but Zhan Lian teased her, refusing to hand it over. As he played with the child, he asked An Ran, “Did you find him?”
“No.” An Ran reached out, snatched the bell from Zhan Lian’s hand, and passed it to Doll. She glanced at him unhappily. “Move aside. Haven’t you arrested a bunch of Chen Chaofa’s men? Why don’t you make them talk?”
“Then you’re staying here alone?”
“Mm. You all go and do your jobs. Little Mint will stay with me.”
“Ohh… Aren’t you afraid?!” Zhan Lian leaned in playfully, getting close to her face. He pinched her chin and teased, “Hubby can stay with you. If you’re scared, call me husband.”
“Scram!!!” An Ran swatted his hand away. “It’s broad daylight. There are people everywhere. Aren’t you afraid I’ll scream harassment? Get out already. Stop bothering me.”
“Okay, okay.” Zhan Lian grinned and straightened up.
Before leaving, he suddenly leaned in, wrapped an arm around her neck, and planted a hard kiss on her lips. Then he led the chuckling men out of the room.
Only An Ran, Doll, and Little Mint remained in the mansion. But all the soldiers had already been subdued, and Chen Chaofa’s people had been captured. An Ran could handle the rest.
Silence stretched on for nearly a full day—until, finally, some people in their rooms, starving, cautiously emerged in twos and threes, hoping to find food in the kitchen’s freezer.
When they stepped out, they saw no more violent thugs—only a few green vines in the hallway. All the soldiers who had tried to stop Zhan Lian and Luo Feifan had been crippled and sent to the building across the street, either to recover or to provide information.
“How is it? Is it safe?” Several women bent over and crouched along the vines. They poked their heads around the corner and peered toward the elevator, eyes full of longing.
Once inside, the elevator led directly to the first-floor kitchen. Although the ground floor was buried in ice and snow, the kitchen still functioned. Inside, there was a walk-in freezer filled with plenty of meat.