Xia Chujian understood and said with a smile, "Then shall we go to East District to look at apartments? By the way, how much money do you have left?"
Ping Qiong bit her lip and said, "I'll ask my mom. I gave her... 800,000 yesterday."
Xia Chujian: "..."
But thinking that she had transferred almost a million to her aunt, she felt relieved.
They were all family, and anyway, if she needed money, her aunt wouldn't refuse.
As a result, after Ping Qiong talked to her mother, her whole spirit deflated. Xia Chujian then understood that the relationship between relatives can be different.
Ping Qiong said blankly, "My mom said there are many younger siblings at home, so we can't spend money recklessly. If I want to buy a house, I should earn more money and buy one for my brother to keep..."
Xia Chujian's principle has always been: treat me with respect, and I will treat you with respect.
If you don't respect me, then don't expect me to respect you.
Therefore, when she heard what Ping Qiong's mother said, she immediately asked, "Cai Jie, how much do you have left?"
Ping Qiong said, "Only 200,000."
Xia Chujian suggested, "We should urge Ye Dui to collect the bounty from the Hunted List. You can get 400,000, which makes a total of 600,000. You can buy a well-located, fully furnished two-bedroom apartment in that East District neighborhood. Why not buy it right away and put it in your own name, without letting your mom know..."
Ping Qiong's mind was still echoing with her mother's sharp scolding.
For so many years, from childhood to adulthood, she was the eldest in the family, so everything had to be prioritized for her younger siblings. What they left over was hers.
Since graduating from high school, she had been working like a dog to earn money to support her family.
But in her mother's eyes, all the money she earned had nothing to do with her.
Even a clay figure would be aroused to anger...
Moreover, Ping Qiong was also stimulated by Xia Chujian's "buying a house" feat today, and because she already had this idea, she was determined to buy one for herself.
Just like Xia Chujian said, it's not like she can't afford it.
Xia Chujian was a practical person and immediately contacted a real estate agent, requesting to see apartments in that East District neighborhood.
Although it was still the New Year holiday, it was already a week after New Year's Eve.
Except for government agencies, hospitals, and banks, most other companies had started working.
The real estate agent Xia Chujian contacted was randomly found on the Star Network.
She just looked for a large and reputable real estate agency, and then picked a local agent with a high rating from the photos listed online.
She made a call, and they quickly answered.
When they heard that she wanted to see apartments, they agreed very readily.
Both parties agreed to meet in two hours at the entrance of that fully furnished, high-end neighborhood in East District.
The agent claimed that he would be wearing a black coat and formal attire, a black exotic animal fur hat, and carrying a backpack with "Jiahao Agency" written on it.
After agreeing on the time to show Ping Qiong the apartment, both of them were happy and planned to find a restaurant for a good meal.
At this time, it was too early for lunch, but a bit late for breakfast.
Fortunately, they found a noodle shop that was open 24 hours a day, serving only noodles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Ping Qiong said, "I haven't had breakfast yet."
Xia Chujian waved her hand, "Then let's go have breakfast."
Although she had already had breakfast, it didn't stop her from having a second breakfast with Ping Qiong.
In such a cold winter, you can't resist the minus thirty or forty degrees Celsius without eating more.
This restaurant was very small, with a storefront of only about fifteen square meters and six tables.
At 9:30 in the morning, the shop was full of people.
Soon, the steaming aroma of food wafted from the restaurant's kitchen, all the way to the front door.
Many ragged children came over, drawn by the smell.
None of them dared to enter, and they just leaned against the door, desperately sniffing, as if smelling more of the aroma would fill them up.
Xia Chujian turned her head away, unable to bear the sight.
Ping Qiong, sitting next to Xia Chujian, said, "They should all be orphans. A Disciplinary Officer should be here soon to send them to the Imperial government-run orphanage."
Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, two Punishment Department duty Flying Vehicles descended from the sky.
Through the restaurant's glass windows, they saw several Disciplinary Officers in uniform getting out of the Flying Vehicles, cursing and swearing as they picked up the children one by one and threw them into the duty Flying Vehicles like cargo.
Suddenly, a male Disciplinary Officer threw a child directly out of the duty Flying Vehicle, looking disgusted, and said, "Your vital signs are failing. The orphanage won't take children like you. It's a waste of food."
The child looked no more than two or three years old, very thin and small, and seemed unable to even stand steadily.
He was draped in a dark blanket, his face was dirty, and his appearance was indistinguishable, only his eyes were clear black and white.
Despite being treated so roughly, he showed no anger, resistance, or fear, but simply opened his pure, innocent eyes, quietly looking up as the Punishment Department duty Flying Vehicle left with the group of vagrant children.
Xia Chujian couldn't stand that kind of look.
She opened the restaurant's insulated door and walked out.
"Here." She took out a Low-Level Nutrient Solution from her pocket and stuffed it into the child's hand.
The child's aura was indeed very weak, as if he would leave this world at any moment.
But after Xia Chujian gave him a Nutrient Solution, there was light in his eyes.
He stared intently at Xia Chujian, his eyes moist, like a little fledgling bird just opening its eyes to see the world, as if he wanted to remember her appearance firmly in his heart.
That look was too heartbreaking.
Xia Chujian didn't even mind his dirty hair and rubbed his head.
The child shyly tilted his head and smiled at her, revealing a small birthmark on his neck, like a red star.
A very unique birthmark.
Xia Chujian took another look, and simply stuffed the remaining Low-Level Nutrient Solution into his hand, and asked in a low voice, "...Do you have any relatives at home?"
The child's eyes dimmed, he didn't lower his head, but pursed his lips into a straight line.
In such cold weather, once it got dark, the temperature would drop to minus eighty degrees.
Could a two or three-year-old child survive outside alone?
Xia Chujian continued to ask the child, "...Where is your home?"
The child didn't speak, smiled at her, hugged the two Nutrient Solutions, got up and left.
His small body, although walking unsteadily, looking like he couldn't even walk straight, but his pace was very fast.
Before long, he turned the street corner and disappeared from Xia Chujian's sight.
Only then did Xia Chujian breathe a sigh of relief, feeling relieved.
It seemed that this child should have relatives and a place to live, just begging outside during the day.
Ping Qiong saw everything clearly through the glass window.
After Xia Chujian came back, she sighed and said, "This child is so young, how could his family bear to let him come out to beg alone?"
She remembered that when she was a child and had nothing to eat, it was her aunt who went out to beg...
Ping Qiong seemed to have remembered something, and her eyes darkened.
Seeing her suddenly become silent, Xia Chujian quickly changed the subject and said, "I heard the Yangchun noodles here are especially delicious. Let's each have a bowl, and then go to East District to look at houses for you?"
Ping Qiong regained her thoughts, nodded, and said, "Okay, let's eat Yangchun noodles! No, this time I want to add an egg!"
Xia Chujian said "generously", "Add two, I'll pay for one egg."
Ping Qiong knew that Xia Chujian had always been frugal for her aunt's sake, and was reluctant to eat even Advanced Nutrient Solutions. When she was doing missions outside, she always ate Low-Level Nutrient Solutions.
But now, this thrifty little miser was actually willing to add an egg for her...
She couldn't help but be moved, and jokingly cupped her hands and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Xia Chujian waved her hand: "You're welcome, you're welcome!"
Xia Chujian and Ping Qiong went to order food, specially asked the chef to add an extra egg for Ping Qiong, and when paying the bill, indicated that she would pay for the extra egg.
When the two bowls of Yangchun noodles were delivered, Ping Qiong's bowl really had two poached eggs.
She hadn't had breakfast yet, so she immediately started eating heartily.
Xia Chujian had already eaten breakfast, but this Yangchun noodle soup was particularly clear and smelled quite good.
She also ate heartily.
The two quickly finished their noodles, left a small tip, and departed.
Stepping out of the small restaurant, the biting cold almost froze them into ice pops.
"Run! It'll be better once we get on the Suspension Train, it's freaking cold!" Xia Chujian rubbed her hands, pulling Ping Qiong forward.
The Inner City Maglev Train station was right next to the plaza garden, about five hundred meters in a straight line from the small restaurant, but they couldn't walk in a straight line. They had to go around various buildings, signs, and sentry boxes, so the actual distance was probably closer to a thousand meters.
At this time, the number of pedestrians on the road gradually increased.
Various private Flying Vehicles flew in the air, as well as the Punishment Department's patrol speeders.
Self-driving cars on the road crashed around, and pedestrians dodged one after another.
Xia Chujian and Ping Qiong tried to stay on the sidewalk to avoid being affected by the cars on the road.
Just as the two were about to reach the Inner City Maglev Train station, a huge roar suddenly came from the sky above, like an engine out of control, or like some ancient beast descending from the sky, about to fall in front of everyone.
Xia Chujian and Ping Qiong looked up together, and suddenly saw the two Punishment Department patrol speeders that had just picked up a group of orphans emitting thick black smoke and rapidly falling to the ground.
And it seemed that the place where they were about to fall was not far from them!
Ping Qiong, who had always been Xia Chujian's spotter, suddenly grabbed Xia Chujian's hand and said, "Run! To the center of the plaza!"
Ping Qiong then unleashed the power of a Rank C peak Gene Evolver, running so fast that her figure almost left a trail of afterimages on the sidewalk.
At first, Xia Chujian was dragged along, but Xia Chujian's speed couldn't keep up with the superhuman speed of a Gene Evolver, so Ping Qiong ended up carrying her on her back.
Xia Chujian's weight was nothing to Ping Qiong, a Rank C peak Gene Evolver.
In less than a minute, they ran to the center of the plaza.
*BOOM!* A loud noise shook the ground of the entire plaza garden.
The two turned back in horror.
The sidewalk in front of the small restaurant had been directly hit by the patrol speeders falling from the sky!
The two patrol speeders were smashed to pieces, emitting thick black smoke, and huge flames soared into the sky.
People rushed out of the small restaurant, some with fire extinguishers, some with buckets, pouring water on the burning patrol speeders.
"Save people! Quickly call the Punishment Department fire brigade! Come and put out the fire!"
"Run! The fire is spreading! There's no saving the people inside!"
"What do you mean no saving?! Didn't you see there are still children inside?!"
-----------
This high quality machine translation is powered by: https:// randomtranslator.com/
To read the full translation, as well as more than 444+ fanfic and original translations or request new translations, check out: https:// randomtranslator.com/
You can also join the RandomTranslator community on Discord to connect with other readers: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua
-----------