“Catch!”
The girl’s reflexes were incredibly sharp, reacting almost the instant the bread left Su Wan’s hand.
She didn't try to catch the plastic bag mid-air. Instead, she shifted her body slightly, letting the bag land on the open ground not far from her feet with a soft thud.
Only after confirming there was nothing suspicious did she quickly crouch to pick it up, then retreated several paces before coming to a halt.
She scanned her surroundings warily first. Once certain no new threats were present, she lowered her head and opened the plastic bag with a reverence that bordered on the religious.
As the faint aroma of grain wafted out, Su Wan clearly saw the girl’s throat bob violently, her nostrils flaring slightly.
She pinched the bread, brought it to her nose, and took a deep breath. For a fleeting moment, a look of dazed intoxication crossed her face.
A second later, she could no longer restrain herself. She brought the bread to her mouth and took a massive, ravenous bite!
She ate with desperate haste, her eyes narrowing and her long eyelashes trembling. It was as if all her senses were concentrated on that small piece of dry, coarse food that carried the sweetness of salvation.
She ate with absolute focus, chewing each mouthful thoroughly, reluctant to swallow too quickly—as if she wanted to engrave this flavor into her very soul.
However, just as Su Wan thought she would finish it all in one go, the girl’s movements suddenly stopped.
With visible reluctance, she wrapped the remaining half of the bread back in the plastic bag and tucked it into a small pocket sewn onto the inside of her undershirt.
Only after doing this did she look up and cast a faint glance at Su Wan.
Without staying a moment longer, her figure became like a ghost melting into the night. With a few agile leaps and bounds, she vanished silently into the deep, intersecting shadows of the ruins.
Su Wan quickly closed the fire door, her palm still tightly clutching the two clumps of gold.
The gold bean was about three grams, and the gold necklace was about ten.
She did a quick mental calculation. Based on the gold prices in her world, these thirteen grams were worth roughly twelve thousand yuan!
A piece of bread worth one dollar had been traded for twelve thousand dollars worth of gold?
Then... what about a steamed bun?
What about the cheapest pack of instant noodles?
A regular box of biscuits?
A bottle of clean water?
This apocalyptic world lacked basic survival resources. Here, gold was far less important than food and water.
And Su Wan, through this unfinished building that could travel between two worlds, could bring cheap food and water from her original world where prices were normal!
Could she use cheap daily necessities to trade for massive amounts of gold, jewelry, or even more valuable things from this apocalypse?
Leaning against the wall, Su Wan’s thoughts raced, her eyes growing brighter by the second.
【Ding! Detected a successful cross-plane transaction.】
【Traded Item: Local plane resource, 13g of high-purity gold.】
【Evaluating value conversion... Approximately equal to 130 Star Coins...】
“Star Coins? That must be the currency of this world...” Su Wan muttered.
【Hidden Side Quest: First successful cross-plane transaction completed!】
【Reward: 31 Points.】
【System Basic Function “Basic Exchange Module” unlocked!】
【Notice: Points can be used to exchange for various items provided by the System Mall to build and strengthen your exclusive shelter.】
“Points? Exchange?” Su Wan’s spirits lifted. She immediately focused her thoughts. “Open the exchange panel.”
In an instant, a holographic interface with a faint blue glow expanded in her field of vision, its structure clear and organized.
In the most prominent position was a slowly rotating 3D model—it was the twelve-story unfinished building she was currently in.
The model was extremely detailed; she could even see the rough concrete structure of each floor, the exposed rebar, and the pipes.
It was an apartment-style residential building. Each floor had twelve rooms, totaling 144 basic residential units.
Aside from these standard “concrete shell” units, each floor also had several special, larger spaces.
In the system’s labels, these special locations showed potential directions for renovation:
【Can be set as: Public Canteen, Small Shop, Medical Clinic, etc.】
Her own Room 102 was highlighted in the model, appearing in a “fully renovated” state that was warm and complete, standing in stark contrast to the surrounding gray, unfinished rooms.
Su Wan’s gaze shifted to the other side of the exchange panel, where the newly unlocked “Exchange Mall” was located.
The list was currently short and clearly categorized:
【Shelter Sign (Unnamed): 1 Point (Unique Item)】
【Standard Security Door & Window: 30 Points/Set】
【Reinforced Composite Flooring: 25 Points】
【Simple Single Wooden Bed: 10 Points】
【Simple Table and Chair Set: 20 Points】
...
The items on the list weren't fancy—just basic building materials and simple furniture—but for this literal “unfinished building,” every single one was vital.
Focusing her thoughts on the 【Shelter Sign】 that only cost 1 Point, Su Wan chose to exchange for it without hesitation.
【Confirm exchange for “Shelter Sign (Unnamed)”? Cost: 1 Point.】
“Confirm.”
【Exchange successful.】
【Please name your shelter.】
Su Wan pondered for a moment, and a name surfaced clearly in her mind—“Terminal Station.”
The final stop. The end of the line for those with nowhere else to go.
“Let’s call it ‘Terminal Station Shelter,’” Su Wan whispered in her mind.
【Naming successful. Generating “Terminal Station” shelter sign...】
Almost the instant she confirmed it, the 3D model of the unfinished building changed.
On the blank concrete wall above the entrance of the model, two characters with a cold metallic luster appeared— “Terminal Station.”
The font was massive and possessed a certain sense of stability, looking as if it had grown from within the building itself, incredibly solid.
The characters emitted a soft, faint glow, appearing exceptionally conspicuous amidst the ruins.
Su Wan then used her mind to click on the 【Standard Security Door & Window】 icon.
The 3D model of the building changed once more.
Faint green phantom outlines appeared over all the doorframes and window openings of the rooms where none were installed.
At the same time, a prompt appeared: 【Please select installation location.】
With a thought, Su Wan focused her attention on Room 103, which was also on the first floor and directly across from her own room.
The outline for Room 103 instantly changed from a green phantom to a highlighted white.
【Confirm installation of “Standard Security Door & Window” in Unit 1, Floor 1, Room 103? Cost: 30 Points.】
Su Wan happened to have exactly 30 points left.
At this moment, Su Wan seemed to understand why the system had given her a 31-point reward.
“Confirm!”
The points were instantly deducted, dropping to 【0 Points】.
Almost simultaneously with her confirmation, Su Wan saw the previously empty doorway of Room 103 across from her miraculously sprout a dark gray metal security door!
The door was tightly shut, the lock looked sturdy, and it appeared completely out of place in this dilapidated environment.
Su Wan walked to the front of Room 103. With a thought, there was a soft “click,” the lock automatically disengaged, and the door creaked open a crack.
Pushing the door open, the interior was still rough concrete floors and walls—a standard unfinished state.
But with the addition of a door and windows, the entire feel of the space was completely different!
Though it was still cold and simple, it was now at least a room that provided privacy and basic protection!
A safe shelter was one of the most fundamental and precious needs in the apocalypse.
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