Snowstorm: I’m Super Rich in the Apocalypse
Chapter 280 Another Friend Comes

Chapter 280: Chapter 280 Another Friend Comes

Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng bid farewell to Lu Jianguo, then drove home. The items they had brought back from the headquarters didn’t need to be given to Lu Jianguo right away; they could keep them at their own place, and when Lu Jianguo visited their house, he could just take what he wanted.

The two parked the car in the yard and came out again to greet the neighbors and inform them of their return.

But just as they stepped out the door, they heard a voice that was both surprising and familiar, "Xiao Gu, Xiao Lu."

"Teacher Chen," Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng shouted in unison, then hurried forward to greet them.

Chen Shaonan also quickened his pace, "We’ve finally been waiting for your return."

When they reached Chen Shaonan, they saw he had lost weight. There was a deep and long scar on his forehead that stretched down to his cheekbone.

Gu Pan asked first, "Teacher Chen, Teacher Duan and Chen Lang have both arrived, right?" This was a hope, filled with concern.

Chen Shaonan nodded, "They’re both here." He paused for a moment before adding, "You’ve just come back, head home and get yourselves organized, have a good rest, and we’ll come over later."

Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng could sense that Chen Shaonan was deliberately withholding something, but since he didn’t elaborate, they didn’t press for answers.

So Gu Pan said, "That works, it’s good as long as everyone is here."

Lu Ruisheng also said, "Right, it’s good everyone is here, the base is still more suitable for survival."

Chen Shaonan’s face carried a smile, "Yes, being able to come here and see you guys also makes us feel hopeful that living is worth it."

Gu Pan asked, "Where are you staying now?"

Chen Shaonan replied, "Over there in the apartment building. Dr. Feng offered to let us stay at his place, but we thought it would be more convenient to live on our own."

During their conversation, Squad Leader Fang came out, "Xiao Gu, Xiao Lu, you’re finally back. Xiao Chen’s family came last night; we’re nearly all gathered now. I was worried I wouldn’t get to see these friends again before my old bones gave out, and now we’re just missing Guo Gang and his family. I hope they can arrive here safely."

Gu Pan and the others knew that Squad Leader Fang’s health was not good; although his care had been adequate, the health deficits were hard to reverse, and his life expectancy would be much shorter compared to a normal person.

In fact, not only Squad Leader Fang but many who lived through the apocalypse, had their lifespans shortened because of the many disasters that continuously impacted human health.

Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng greeted Squad Leader Fang, exchanged a few words, and learnt that Chen Shaonan and the others had only just arrived a couple of days before and were helping to deliver coal, which was rationed. Everyone was busy with work, and having just arrived without proper jobs yet, Chen Shaonan had taken on the responsibility to collect and deliver coal with their family IDs; unexpectedly, they ran into Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng returning home.

Then Lu Ruisheng said, "Let’s not stand outside talking, it’s dark and inconvenient. Let’s go inside and talk."

Squad Leader Fang replied, "I’ll not come over; I have porridge simmering on the stove at home and I can’t stay out for long."

Gu Pan said, "Okay, then later when everyone is back, let’s all get together."

Squad Leader Fang agreed and hurried back to avoid the porridge burning on the stove.

Chen Shaonan also didn’t follow them inside, knowing they must have brought back many items and had a lot to sort out; it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to accompany them.

So he said, "You’ve just come back and must have a lot to organize. I’ll go first, and after you have sorted everything out, we will come over."

Gu Pan suggested, "After everything is set up, we’ll come and get you to join us. Besides, once you’re settled, you should come and live closer here too. It’ll be more reassuring for all of us to be together, that apartment is just for the time being."

Chen Shaonan replied, "That place is good enough, just somewhere to live without too much trouble."

Lu Ruisheng countered, "That’s not the point; now that we’re all together, we can do great things. It’s inconvenient to be far apart."

With that said, Chen Shaonan didn’t insist further, "We’ll discuss it later, you two go get organized, and I will also go talk to Teacher Duan and Chen Lang about your return, they will be very happy."

Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng didn’t keep him longer, knowing they indeed had much to arrange since they had just returned. They agreed to pick Chen Shaonan and the others up later for a get-together after settling in.

After Chen Shaonan left, the two returned to their yard, which was very clean thanks to neighbors who regularly helped with cleaning.

The house was also tidy. Before leaving, they had stored everything that shouldn’t be seen by others into their Space, so there was nothing suspicious left in the house. They left it in the care of their neighbors, asking them to clean it regularly and ventilate it by opening the windows, as leaving it uninhabited for too long could create unwelcome smells.

Thus, Lu Xuerong and Fang Lanlan would make the time to come and help clean. The house was very tidy.

It didn’t require much organizing; after turning on the rechargeable light, they moved the things they had brought back inside and set them up, then took out the bedroom items from the Space. In no time, it all looked just as it had before they left.

It was actually afternoon, but because of the polar night, the sky was dark, which was indeed inconvenient.

Luckily they hadn’t removed the blackout curtains from the continuous daylight period, so they pulled them down now, preventing anyone outside from seeing inside. They could use electricity and other such things without drawing attention.

The journey hadn’t been tiring, so they planned to invite everyone for dinner that evening.

After all, there were semi-prepared items in the Space just waiting to be used, so once everyone got off work, they could cook together.

Lu Jianguo wasn’t needed today; with the plants and vegetables transported from the headquarters, his work was crucial, and he was likely to be working overtime. Once the food was prepared, they would save a portion for him, and Lu Ruisheng would deliver it later.

Although they hadn’t lived there long, the place had the feeling of home, and they felt very relaxed upon their return.

After showering and changing clothes, they replaced the bedsheets and duvet covers and tossed them into the washing machine. Afterwards, they used the dryer to avoid mildew and bacterial growth in the absence of sunlight.

Everything was in order, and they took out the food to prepare. Then, after a discussion, they decided to go see Chen Shaonan and Duan Shumei because something in Chen Shaonan’s manner made them feel he hadn’t told them everything.

Taking some food with them, they headed over to the apartment building.

The moonlight was quite bright that day, so even though it was a dark sky, it wasn’t completely black.

Upon reaching the fourth floor, which was quiet, they weren’t quite sure which unit Chen Shaonan’s family resided in, but since they had rented three rooms, knocking on doors one by one would do.

Unexpectedly, someone opened the door at the first knock. Chen Lang, holding a dimly lit kerosene lamp, was thrilled to see them and leapt up in excitement, "Bro, Sis, you’re here."

Before parting, he, like Cheng Yang, had changed the way he addressed them. Since Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng had always called his parents Teacher Chen and Teacher Duan, he felt that this form of address was not binding, and perceiving it to be more intimate, he had adopted it as well.

Lu Ruisheng smiled and reached out to pat Chen Lang’s shoulder, "You’ve grown taller..." His sentence was cut short, feeling a gap beneath his hand.