Even if life here felt a little like retirement, the things they had to do weren't going to disappear. Tasks like missions outside the base still needed them, because without their powers, the base wouldn't manage. But since their abilities were too strong, they weren't needed for simple errands. Finding something else to pass the time wasn't a problem.
The car twisted and turned through the streets until it stopped at the dormitory building. It dropped off the members living in capsule dorms first, then drove over to the suite housing.
Regular people and base staff lived in separate suites, all for easier management.
After dropping off the only two members with families, Lao Gao suddenly remembered Huang Jinghe's situation. "Xiao Huang, did you contact your parents yet? You living with them or sticking with us?"
"I asked earlier," Huang Jinghe said. "They're out on a mission, not in the base right now. No idea when they'll be back. So I'll stay with you guys for now. Honestly, I'll probably just keep living with you later too."
He felt he was old enough not to stay with his parents anymore. Keeping some distance while still living with his teammates suited him just fine.
"When they come back, I'll introduce you all," Huang Jinghe added.
"Alright."
The suites were all in the same district. After dropping them off, the car turned one corner and stopped again.
Captain Zhang waved his hand. "Go handle the check-in yourselves. It's the same process, I don't need to take you up."
"Okay. There's Wi-Fi here, right? Once my phone's charged, we'll contact through that." Lan Jin stepped down, then turned back. "Captain Zhang, are you sure the missing vial won't cause trouble?"
He froze for a second, not expecting her to ask that.
The charge of acting without authorization was serious, but since he'd brought back so much, the base wouldn't punish him too harshly. No need to explain all that.
"No problem. If there was, you think they'd have let me walk out?"
That made sense. Everyone nodded. "Alright, we'll head up then."
"Yeah. I checked already, the place has everything. Just move in. Go on, get upstairs."
With that, he climbed back into the car and left.
…
The dorm districts were huge. Before they could enter the building itself, they had to pass through a central office for registration. This was when residence permits came in handy again. Cards could get lost, but permits carried too much info to risk losing.
Once the paperwork was done, they waited for the elevator. The employee dorm building wasn't tall, just twelve stories, but it had elevators. Their rooms were on the twelfth floor.
When Lan Jin swiped her permit, the twelfth floor button lit up. After getting out, they walked down the hall to a gate where each person had to swipe their permit again. Then they found the right door, swiped once more, and entered the suite. Everyone registered could enter. During sign-up, Lan Jin even remembered to add Nana's permit.
Utilities weren't free though. Just like in H City, charges came off her card, but they balanced it out later. She hadn't lost a single point in all that time.
When the last step was done, she clapped her hands. "Pick your rooms. I'll unpack the toiletries and clothes, then we can wash up and get some sleep."
It wasn't really a choice. Since she had Qiao Qiao and Nana, the others immediately gave her the master bedroom, same as in H City. Grandma Ling and Ling Jiang took the second room. Lao Gao and Huang Jinghe stayed in the guest room.
This guest room was bigger than the one before. After swapping the bed for their old ones, there was still space between the furniture to walk freely.
They cleaned the rooms, then it was time for everyone to wash.
Water and electricity cost contribution points. Lao Gao and Huang Jinghe were quick, so it wasn't expensive. But for the women, the best way to save was still bathing in Lan Jin's space.
The water there wasn't just endless, it was spirit spring water. No need to worry about wasting it.
So Lan Jin left the two men outside and took Lan Qiaoqiao, Ling Jiang, and Grandma Ling into her space.
…
Grandma Ling was old, and after all this time running around with them, she'd only managed to hold on thanks to daily spirit spring water.
So the first thing Lan Jin did in the bathroom was take out two big tubs, fill them with spirit spring water, and urge the old woman and the little girl to soak inside.
The moment Grandma Ling sank into the water, her tired face softened. "Comfortable… this spirit spring really is different. I thought these old bones wouldn't hold up, but after this bath, I feel like I can last a while longer."
Ling Jiang smiled. "Then soak longer, stay strong, and keep me company."
Grandma Ling only chuckled faintly. Every day she was still alive felt like profit. She didn't dare hope for much more. But she didn't worry about Ling Jiang anymore. She wasn't alone. Wherever she went, she'd have companions who'd share life and death with her. She could finally let go.
With a small smile, she closed her eyes and leaned back to rest.
Ling Jiang washed her gently, while Lan Jin washed her child.
But as she bathed her, Ling Jiang's smile faded. The heat in Grandma Ling's body slowly slipped away. No matter how she tried to rouse her, she didn't respond.
At first, they thought she'd fallen asleep. Lan Jin even hushed Qiao Qiao. "Sweetheart, quiet voice. Grandma's resting."
"Okay Mama. Quiet quiet," Qiao Qiao whispered.
But when they finished the bath and tried to wake her to dry off, they realized the truth.
Grandma Ling had stopped breathing.