Chapter 28: Continue the Free Shopping Spree

Chapter 28: Continuing the Zero-Dollar Shopping Spree

After dinner, the two entered their space and began organizing the items they had brought back earlier that day.

There was quite a lot, especially from the first supermarket. They took everything out of the boxes and arranged them on the shelves, maximizing storage efficiency to ensure there was enough room to collect even more.

They worked until midnight before things were mostly settled. Only about one-sixth of the space remained, which was still enough to hold a fair amount of supplies.

After finishing, they showered and went to bed, as they planned to head out again the next day for another round of "zero-dollar shopping."

Supermarkets were becoming crowded, so their next target was a commercial office building. They decided against smaller office complexes with cubicles; those held fewer items and required picking the locks of every individual small company, which was unprofessional, time-consuming, and simply not worth the effort.

Instead, they chose a high-rise office building for a large corporation. It was sure to have high-end items. Who knew? Perhaps the CEO had a penchant for gold and kept all sorts of golden ornaments. Such places would contain luxury goods that, while useless for basic survival, might prove valuable to them later.

Early the next morning, as soon as they finished breakfast, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng changed their clothes and prepared to head out.

While they were changing, someone knocked on the door. There was no need to guess who it was—it had to be their neighbors across the hall, as no one else could access their floor.

Lu Ruisheng walked over and called out, "Teacher Chen, give us a moment. We’re just changing and getting ready to head out."

Chen Shaonan and his wife were very tactful; they never pried into others' privacy. Knowing the couple disliked outsiders entering their home, Chen replied, "Understood. I’ll wait for you in the hallway."

Once changed, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng stepped out. Gu Pan locked the door and let Lu Ruisheng handle the conversation with Chen, as it was more appropriate for the men to discuss these matters.

Since the hallway on their floor was soundproof, they could talk without being overheard, provided they kept their voices low.

Chen Shaonan whispered to Lu Ruisheng, "I truly don't know how to thank you both. We went out yesterday and found plenty of food, which we’ve hidden outside. When we returned this morning, word had finally spread through the residential complex that the supermarkets were unguarded. Everyone is just starting to go now. The difference between those who left today and those who left yesterday evening is like night and day. Thank you, truly."

Lu Ruisheng replied, "No need for such formal thanks, Teacher Chen. We’re all on the same side."

Chen Shaonan nodded in agreement. "Yes, yes, we’re all in this together. I won't stand on ceremony then. You’ll need this mountaineering backpack again today, so here it is. I won't delay you any further."

Lu Ruisheng took the bag. "We’re heading out now."

"Stay safe," Chen cautioned. "There was a lot of fighting over supplies last night. Remember, it’s better to lose property than your life."

Gu Pan smiled. "We understand, Teacher Chen. Both of us value our lives dearly."

Chen Shaonan said his goodbyes and returned home to discuss with his wife and son how to bring some of their supplies back.

When Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng reached the sixth floor, Feng Zhekai and his wife were waiting for them in the hallway as well. Both sides understood the situation; they had already discussed the matter at home, and there was no need to waste time with endless expressions of gratitude.

Lu Ruisheng stepped forward and said to Feng Zhekai, "Doctor Feng, we consider ourselves on the same side now. Let's skip the pleasantries. We’re heading out to scout the situation, and we’ll let you know if we find anything worth knowing."

Feng Zhekai looked at them. "This is no small matter. I can't offer you a meal or anything right now, but from this point on, your concerns are our concerns."

Feng’s wife added, "Exactly. This is a matter of life and death for us; it truly means everything."

Gu Pan smiled at her. "Sister-in-law, things are chaotic out there, and there aren't many people left whom we can trust. Since we’ve reached a mutual understanding, there’s no need for these formalities. We need to get going now."

Feng Zhekai handed the mountaineering bag they had used the day before to Lu Ruisheng. "Stay safe."

Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng accepted it, bid them farewell, and left.

Once they reached a secluded area, Gu Pan retrieved their snowmobile. They rode it to the hospital first to scavenge for medicine. Medications requiring constant temperature control were already spoiled, but fortunately, they had bought plenty of those beforehand. Tablets, granules, and other shelf-stable medicines were still viable. Since most people were currently focused only on finding food, the hospital pharmacy remained largely untouched. They went inside and cleared out everything they could use.

As for CT scanners and EKG machines, there was no point in taking them. They required specialized medical professionals to operate and constant maintenance, making them useless in their current situation.

However, they did take the Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs); these were essential for life-saving emergencies.

Gu Pan also moved the traditional Chinese medicine herbs and patent medicines into their space. In the future, these would be more precious than food.

After leaving the hospital, they headed toward the city's largest real estate office building. On the way, they passed the exhibition center. Gu Pan remembered that auto shows were often held there, so she had Lu Ruisheng ride over to check it out.

Inside, they were stunned. It wasn't an auto show—it was a yacht show.

They couldn't leave empty-handed, and since there was still some space left, they took a yacht. The space was suddenly full; any further items would have to be stacked inside the yacht itself.

However, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng had recently discovered a fascinating property of their space: items could be stacked as high as they wanted, as long as they could be piled up or placed on makeshift racks.

But the base area was limited, so they couldn't fit a cruise ship. Gu Pan wondered if the space could grow, though she quickly reminded herself not to be too greedy; one must learn to be content.

They arrived at the real estate office building and, finding the doors locked, entered through a window.

They started searching from the first floor. The items were a mixed bag, mostly useless, though they did find some snacks in the reception desk drawers.

The second floor didn't have much either—just office supplies and more snacks in the cubicles.

However, they did find coffee and small snacks in the breakroom, which they promptly collected.

By the time they reached the sixth floor, they began to find the offices of various executives, though these were lower-level positions and contained little of value.

They climbed all the way to the twenty-second floor. Gu Pan’s legs were shaking with exhaustion, but the climb was well worth it.

The CEO’s office occupied the entire floor. The decorative pond at the entrance was larger than the living room of an average home, and the ornaments in the office were all antiques.

While there wasn't much gold, these antiques held significant collection value.

Speaking of antiques, Gu Pan recalled hearing in her previous life that when the military withdrew, they had taken the museum's artifacts, packing them into what were called "Human Civilization Seed Boxes." These valuable items from various locations were taken away by the military. Where they were taken, ordinary people like Gu Pan didn't know, but they weren't at the bases—Gu Pan had visited a base in her past life, and these items were nowhere to be found.

Of course, there had been ten bases in her past life, and they had only visited one, so there was much they didn't know.

Regardless, survival was their priority in the past life. In this one, they intended to live with more clarity, which meant exploring many things slowly.

The gold and valuables they gathered from this building added five minutes to their "time" limit, and they managed to collect a great deal of miscellaneous items as well.

They spent the entire day in the office building and didn't return home until after dark.

As they arrived, the young man from unit 901 was waiting at their door. He mysteriously pulled a package from his coat and handed it to Lu Ruisheng.

He whispered, "Brother, thank you. I managed to find some food. From now on, I’m with you. I brought this specifically for you and your wife. This isn't the place to talk, so I won't be overly formal, but I’ll keep this kindness in my heart."

After thanking Gu Pan, he headed upstairs.