Chapter 18

Most of the shops on the street were closed now, and there were hardly any pedestrians around. Those few who hurried by all wore anxious expressions.
With the mist gone, her view was broad and unobstructed. Su Han wandered aimlessly for a while, planning to buy a fleece blanket or cotton quilt. But after traipsing down several streets, she found only closed doors, no shops selling what she wanted.
Tired from walking, she decided to set up a street stall instead. A handwritten sign offered to trade for blankets or quilts, she was happy to negotiate. As bait, she spread out some instant noodles, snack cakes, toothpaste, and toothbrushes, anything to catch people's eyes.
It wasn't long before a customer appeared, rushing over in a fluster. "How do you want to trade?" she asked eagerly.
Su Han answered patiently, "Depends what you've got, and whether it's actually warm."
"Coral fleece, thick and extra plush." The woman replied instantly, without blinking.
Su Han thought for a second. "How about two packs of instant noodles for it?"
"That's not enough!" The woman scowled, clearly displeased. "My blanket is brand new and so soft! Five packs of noodles, two snack cakes, that's my final offer. Deal or not?"
Su Han thought, Not a chance. She hadn't even seen the blanket, no point haggling if you can't see the goods.
Just then, another person rushed over, arms piled with a thick blanket, shouting, "Forget her! Trade with me!"
Su Han took a closer look, the blanket was big, at least 1 meter by 2 meters. She didn't know the material, but it felt wonderfully soft, instantly warming her up.
"This is alpaca wool. Super warm. One price, four packs of instant noodles!" The newcomer lowballed themselves, clearly desperate for food. Their family was out of food, and they didn't need extra blankets right now, so trading it for supplies was a sweet deal.
"Deal." Su Han nodded. Sure, she could've bargained, but it was hardly worth it, food wasn't a problem for her.
The transaction wrapped up fast.
Su Han rolled up the blanket and slung it over her shoulder, then packed up her stall and walked away.
The first customer glared, heart aching. If only she hadn't tried to haggle so much, it could've been her walking away with food right now.
At exactly 9 AM the next day, the system's flat robotic voice announced: "Day 7. Tornado inbound. Anyone weak may be blown away. (Players with Satiety ＞80 are immune.)"
"Gale-force winds, some areas will suffer catastrophic damage."
"Due to poor air quality (affected by the mist), people may develop rhinitis. (Players with cleanliness ＞60 are immune.)"
Su Han frowned. "What do you mean, 'catastrophic damage in some areas'?" The answer hit her a second later.
A parked sedan on the street whipped straight up into the air, then crashed at speed into a shop across the road. Luckily that store was shut and empty, but the scene was still shocking.
Su Han suddenly realized: living on the fifth floor didn't guarantee safety... What if a car blew up here and smashed through her window?
But then again, with the tornado this strong, was anywhere on the island really safe? Whatever, might as well stay put. That calmed her down again.
Suddenly, four bottles of milk, a loaf of dark bread, a meat floss cream bun, and a piece of chocolate cake materialized beside her, her talent skills must have all triggered at once, scoring her a double deluxe meal set.
Su Han used two packets of instant noodles to pay the rent, then curled up in her room, wrapped in the alpaca blanket, and watched the tornado rage outside. When she was hungry, she snacked on candy and biscuits; when she was thirsty, she boiled water. Life was good.
The next day, the system announced: "Day 8. Gale-force winds persist. Even more areas will suffer catastrophic damage."
Su Han glanced outside and decided this was absolutely not weather for going out.
Suddenly, a blast of wind tore through. A massive roadside tree, so big it would take several people to encircle it, crashed to the ground, injuring passersby and smashing down onto the cars below.
"Yikes," Su Han muttered under her breath.
She'd barely finished speaking when the streetlight nearby started wobbling, then was wrenched clean away by the wind.
Right at that moment, someone knocked at her door and called, "It's me, here to collect the rent."
Su Han didn't think twice and opened the door.
But as soon as she cracked it, someone slammed it wide open with a kick. At the same instant, the agent was shoved hard to the floor.
Su Han sprang back in a flash, dodging without a scratch. She studied the newcomers coolly and saw that all four were young men, each armed and clearly dangerous. Her face darkened. In a frosty voice, she demanded, “What’s the meaning of this?”
The leader, a bald guy, gave a lazy grin. His tone was calm, almost bored. “Heard rent is paid in food around here, so we dropped by to help ourselves.”
Su Han’s brow twitched. Damn it, I miscalculated. If it were just two, she might take them in a fight. If they were further away, she could kite or at least make a run for it. But now she was cornered inside her own room, with nowhere to escape or hide!
She shot the agent a glare, furious he’d led people here. But then again, they were practically strangers. With a blade to his throat, of course the agent caved, who wouldn’t?
“Hurry it up. Hand over the food, and anything to drink.” One of the guys flipped a knife in his hand, impatience sharp in his voice.
Su Han bowed her head, silent, as though weighing her options.
He immediately lost his temper and stormed closer, cursing. “You deaf or just stupid? Gonna make me slice up that pretty face before you smarten up?”
But as he got within arm’s reach, Su Han struck, snagging his wrist with her left hand and swiping the knife with her right. In a blink, she’d stripped him of his weapon and turned him into her hostage.
“Shit!” someone barked. The other three scrambled for their own weapons, bracing for a real fight.
The agent, terrified, quickly edged out of the way.
As the standoff tightened, the thug with the tang blade suddenly let out a strangled grunt. Everyone whipped around, only to realize they were surrounded. When did a guy with a baseball bat get behind them?
“Hey, kid, this doesn’t concern you,” the bald guy growled, threat clear. “Back off.”
Zhong Rui just leaned against the wall, his tone maddeningly casual. “Once they’re done with 501, clearly 502’s up next. I’m not an idiot; why would I leave now?”
Couldn’t argue with that logic.
The bald guy hefted a brick, all bravado. “It’s two-on-three! And one’s just a girl. What are you scared of? Go!”
The tang blade thug raised his weapon, but Zhong Rui was faster, his bat cracking down on the guy’s wrist, then knee.
Tang blade guy crumpled, forced to his knees.
The blond, wielding a kitchen knife, swung at Su Han without hesitation.
Su Han dragged her hostage forward, making him take the blow, a human shield, no question.
The kitchen knife came perilously close to slashing his own teammate. Blondie jerked back, flustered, blade halting midair. Even so, the hostage broke out in a cold sweat.
Su Han advanced in a single bold step, pressing her shield ahead and, without a hint of mercy, slashed the blond’s wrist with her knife. Blood spurted. Blond sprawled to the floor, clutching his arm.
Baldy’s scowl deepened, clearly he hadn’t expected his guys to fold so fast.
The hostage’s eyelid twitched. This girl’s a maniac, way too dangerous! He started struggling, desperate to break free.
Su Han didn’t hesitate. She drove her knife into his gut, and yanked it out.
Down he went, crumpling slowly to the ground.
“Was it really necessary to go that far?” The bald guy inhaled sharply, adopting a stiff new tone. But with three of his crew down, what choice did he have? Numbers didn’t lie, they were done for.
“If the tables were turned, you’d be far more ruthless,” Su Han replied, face expressionless. “When my life’s at stake, survival is all I care about. What happens to my attackers… that’s not my problem.”
Or rather, I don’t have the luxury to care.
Baldy fell silent, lost for words.
“Don’t start preaching just because you lost. That’s not gonna work on us,” Zhong Rui drawled, completely unfazed.
Walked right into a steel wall! Baldy finally realized just how royally he’d screwed up.
“Only you left standing,” Su Han said coldly, flipping the knife in her hand as she closed in.
Baldy made an instant decision and bolted for the door.
Zhong Rui didn’t hesitate, he swung his bat hard into the guy’s elbow, then his knee.
Baldy tried to tank the hits and crash through the exit, but after two solid blows he crashed to the ground and couldn’t even crawl.
Zhong Rui grinned, easygoing. “Honestly, these guys talk tough, but they’re nothing special when you actually fight them.”
“Only for you,” the agent muttered under his breath, barely audible.
After everything they’d been through together, Su Han somehow found Zhong Rui a lot more agreeable now. Still, surveying the wreckage, she sighed. “So…what do we do with this mess?”
The agent trembled as he got to his feet and offered, “We can take them to the police station.”
Su Han blinked. Police station? There’s one in this instance?
Zhong Rui slung an arm around the agent’s neck, friendly as ever, but Su Han noticed the hidden force behind his grip. “We just saved your ass. Don’t you think you should thank us?”
Su Han’s voice was ice-cold as she cut in, “I haven’t even brought up the part where you led the thugs straight to my door.”
“I, what choice did I have…” The agent looked miserable. “How about, how about I waive one month’s rent, would that work?”
Su Han arched a brow, genuinely curious. “You’re just an agent, can you actually make that call?”
The agent stared at the ceiling. “My name’s Cai Sheng. The apartments…they’re actually mine. I’m not a rental agent.”
Su Han was speechless. She remembered perfectly well, when they first met, he insisted he was an agent. So it was all a lie?
“It’s just easier. Say you’re the owner, and people try to haggle. Pretend to be a middleman, and the tenants won’t even try,” Cai Sheng explained further.
“We get the same deal?” Su Han asked, feigning annoyance.
Cai Sheng quickly sized up the situation and caved. “I’ll throw in five extra packs of instant noodles. Call it an apology.”
“Now we’re talking.” Su Han broke into a satisfied grin.
With that, Cai Sheng and Zhong Rui hauled the thieves off to the police. Su Han stayed behind to clean up the aftermath. Finally, after what felt like ages, her room looked normal again.