Chapter 184: Young Master, Let's Exchange the Items
"Young Master, when do you plan to move?"
Liang Xiu asked, offering to help.
Meng Ci replied, "Today, we'll go and see if there's a suitable residence."
This reminded Meng Ci of Zhao Jingyu.
From their earlier conversation, it could be inferred that Liang Xiu had been taking care of Zhao Jingyu for the past few days, but it was unclear what he planned to do with him next.
Based on their previous encounters, Meng Ci saw Zhao Jingyu as someone who needed constant care.
Liang Xiu couldn't continue caring for him indefinitely.
"Uncle Liang, what are your plans?"
After a moment of thought, Liang Xiu answered truthfully, "Now that you, Young Master, are capable of taking care of yourself, I believe that even Director Meng and the others can now rest in peace."
"I won't be living with you, Young Master."
"Zhao Jingyu's father had purchased a piece of land in the base, where a two-story villa has been built. It was delivered just a few days ago."
"I owe Zhao Ting a debt. Since Zhao Jingyu is injured, I plan to live with him temporarily to take care of him."
The favor that Liang Xiu mentioned was from a time when he was almost swept away by a flood, and Zhao Ting had sent people to rescue him.
Meng Ci knew that Liang Xiu always repaid his debts but didn't want him to be burdened by this.
However, Liang Xiu had already made up his mind. In his view, as a young couple, Meng Ci and Shen Que were like dry tinder and fire, bound to be passionate.
An old man like him living with them would interfere with their normal interactions.
So, when the flu ended, he had considered moving out, but at that time, there wasn't enough housing in the refugee settlement, and his plan was interrupted.
Now that the base was complete and the rent was affordable, Liang Xiu decided to move.
Regarding Zhao Jingyu, Liang Xiu felt the need to care for him only until he recovered. After that, Liang Xiu planned to rent a place of his own.
Seeing that Liang Xiu had made up his mind, Meng Ci and Shen Que didn't try to dissuade him further, but they considered the stockpile of rice and flour that Meng Ci had accumulated in the villa. Liang Xiu had already seen these, so they couldn't just leave them there.
Liang Xiu had also considered this and suggested, "Young Master, the rice and flour you stockpiled have been there for over a year and may have already spoiled.
Why not take this opportunity to exchange them for points at the exchange center and get fresh food?"
Thanks to the scientists' cultivation efforts, wheat has been harvested twice, and the exchange point offers fresh flour, though it's slightly more expensive than the older flour.
Meng Ci found the idea feasible but was concerned that exchanging so many items at once might raise suspicion.
Zhao Jingyu also intends to replace the items in his basement.
"Young Master, you can mix yours with his."
Meng Ci trusted Liang Xiu greatly, but there were still doubts about Zhao Jingyu and the others.
However, this was only an initial discussion, and how to handle it would require further planning.
The following day, they spent the entire day at the villa and didn't leave until around 8 PM.
They drove their off-road vehicle to the rental office at the West Mountain Wilderness Base.
The rental office at the base was a small two-story building. Although it was brightly lit, the foot traffic was not as heavy as at the points redemption center or the item exchange point.
As a result, Meng Ci and Shen Que were quickly greeted warmly by the staff, and after the staff explained, they gained a general understanding of the base's housing options.
Most buildings in the base were six stories tall, with one- to three-bedroom units still available.
However, due to the current scorching weather, the rent varied for floors below the sixth floor.
Sixth-floor units were the cheapest because they were the hottest, so only a few remained.
First- and second-floor units were more expensive, so more were still available.
They were momentarily unsure which option to choose.
Noticing Meng Ci and Shen Que's hesitation, their neat attire, and the off-road vehicle parked outside, the staff member assumed they weren't short of points. He then began to promote other options to them.
"If you're not satisfied with these units, you can choose a plot of land to build your own house," the staff member said, handing Meng Ci a booklet.
When the West Mountain Wilderness Base was established, a special area was designated for those who weren't short of points to build their own homes.
Now, over twenty villas have been built in this area, ranging in size from thirty to several hundred square meters.
Meng Ci suddenly recalled what Liang Xiu had said: the Zhao family had purchased land here to build their villa.
If they could build their own villa, it would make their lives much more convenient.
"What is the pricing here?" Meng Ci put down the booklet and asked.
Having not read much lately, Meng Ci found it difficult to analyze after flipping through just two pages. His eyes could see, but his mind struggled to process the information.
Seeing that Meng Ci and the others seemed interested, the staff member hurriedly provided an enthusiastic explanation.
After all, if a deal could be made, he would earn a lot of points as commission.
"The area for self-built villas is in this section of the base," the staff member explained, pointing to a simple map of the base on the table.
"As you can see, this is the best location in the base, close to the points redemption center, the exchange point, the hospital, and other places."
The staff member went on and on about the advantages of the location, but Meng Ci couldn't help interrupting and asked again, "How much is the land?"
Those able to purchase land in the base were certainly either wealthy or noble. Official selections would definitely be convenient, so these introductions didn't attract Meng Ci's interest.
Seeing the customer's displeasure, the staff member hurriedly introduced the key points they wanted to know.
"From this area to here, it's 1,000 points per square meter."
"From here to here, it's 900 points per square meter."
"For the remaining area, it's 800 points per square meter."
Meng Ci looked and saw that the area was divided into three zones from the center of the base to the outer wall, with prices decreasing accordingly.
On the base map, the plots of land that have already been sold are marked in red.
Meng Ci considered the points in his card and realized there were still plenty left.
If they could dispose of the items in the villa's cellar, they would gain even more points, enough to purchase the land.
After discussing it, Meng Ci and the other person agreed to buy the land.
Meng Ci pointed to an area near the base's wall and said, "I want to buy land here, about 100 square meters should suffice."
Despite Meng Ci choosing a remote location, the staff member remained attentive.
After all, the cost per square meter was still quite high.
The staff member, Xu Cheng, was proactive. He quickly found a surveyor with a cap and enthusiastically led Meng Ci and the others to inspect the land.
He was so enthusiastic that, if they weren't sure he was an official base staff member, Meng Ci might have suspected him of having ulterior motives.
Since both Meng Ci and Shen Que had a car, Xu Cheng had the rare opportunity to ride in a car in this post-apocalyptic world.