Chapter 37: Useful Resources

The building manager knew that they had killed people, and that the bodies were still left in Room 902. The door to 902 had been broken during the struggle and was never repaired, remaining half-open; the other residents had peeked inside during the day and were terrified.

However, the manager also realized one thing: Gu Pan and her group were formidable. As long as they lived in the building, the others felt relatively safe, as common thieves and robbers would not dare to target them easily. The residents had secretly discussed not offending Gu Pan’s group, hoping to keep them there by any means necessary.

Therefore, the manager quickly said, "We’ll continue with the patrols. We won't put you on the schedule anymore so that everyone can have some peace of mind."

Gu Pan was well aware of their intentions, but she saw no reason to bicker over such trivial matters. "Do as you please," she replied, and led her group upstairs.

The manager found it strange. Gu Pan was the youngest woman in the group, yet her presence was so imposing, almost murderous; her gaze felt like that of a demon from hell. Why was everyone so willing to follow her lead?

It was a mystery they would likely never solve. After all, how could they know that Gu Pan was a woman reborn, carrying the killing intent and bitterness of three years of the apocalypse? It was something those who had just entered this new, brutal world could never comprehend.

Once home, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng entered their storage space. They gathered various electrical components, a toolbox, and some steel pipes, then sent them to their neighbors for Chen Shaonan to experiment with in making electric batons. Relying solely on physical combat was inherently dangerous, so they needed to craft more equipment.

While in Chen Shaonan’s study, Gu Pan noticed books on chemistry mentioning explosives. She looked at Duan Shumei and asked, "Teacher Duan, if you have the materials, can you make grenades or smoke bombs?"

Duan Shumei nodded. "If I have the materials, I can."

"We’ll find the materials," Gu Pan promised.

Duan Shumei suddenly recalled something. "Our school laboratory has materials. It would be perfect, as Old Chen mentioned needing to go to the school anyway; that generator of ours is missing parts that we could probably scrounge up at the lab."

Lu Ruisheng said, "Then we’ll go to the school tomorrow."

With the plan set, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng returned home. Once inside, they went back into their space to organize the items they had collected recently. They were shocked by the sheer volume of supplies; they had everything, but the space was cluttered. If they wanted to maximize the area, they would have to stack items much higher. They had previously considered storing a whole building inside, but without a foundation, that was currently impossible.

They still had to study how to optimize their space usage. After today's organization, however, they had significantly increased the usable area.

The next morning, they went to 901 as usual to practice self-defense before heading out to scavenge. The school wasn't far—it was the reason Chen Shaonan and his wife had chosen this neighborhood—taking only about half an hour to reach on foot. Their goal was clear: they might not find food, but there would certainly be plenty of useful supplies.

By now, many people had already entered the school and factory areas, so the paths were well-trodden, saving them the effort of clearing snow. When they arrived at the school, the road to the cafeteria was packed flat, indicating heavy traffic. The classrooms and offices had been searched more than once.

Gu Pan’s primary target was the laboratory. Fortunately, no one had been there yet. At the entrance, they donned gas masks they had scavenged from a hotel—items others had ignored, but which now proved invaluable.

Everything liquid in the lab had frozen and cracked, or evaporated over time, so there was no real danger. Gu Pan didn't know much about the equipment, so she let Chen Shaonan direct them. She didn't bother putting these items into her space, as they were only useful to professionals. They filled two large storage bins in no time.

Next, they went to the chemistry lab, Duan Shumei’s domain. They collected various chemicals that Gu Pan couldn't identify, but which Duan Shumei insisted were necessary for explosives. However, Duan Shumei noted a snag: "We don't have suitable shells for grenades. We might need to check a car repair shop or similar place for better materials."

Cheng Yang’s eyes lit up. "I have a friend who is a military enthusiast. He once took me to a military club where they had 1:1 replicas. Could we use those?"

Gu Pan mused that this was the benefit of having high-end connections. Some things were known to ordinary people but rarely touched; the social elite played with high-end toys. Not understanding this niche, she looked to Lu Ruisheng for a professional opinion.

Lu Ruisheng was well-versed in such things. "Of course. Do you remember the exact address?"

Cheng Yang quickly replied, "I do, but it's very far. It might take three hours to walk there. How about we go first thing tomorrow morning? If we go today, it’ll be dark by the time we get back, and we might get lost."

Gu Pan knew there would be many treasures there. Even if they went with a group, they might not be able to carry everything back. Since she had her storage space, she wanted to hoard everything useful for the future. "Just write down the address clearly," she said. "Ruisheng’s comrade has a snowmobile stored inside his house that we can use anytime. We’ll go borrow it, which will save us time."

Hearing that they could borrow a snowmobile, Cheng Yang looked at the two of them with admiration. "Brother, Sister, your friends are incredible! To think you can borrow something like that—I really hit the jackpot by joining you."

Gu Pan smiled. "Your brother’s comrade runs a business selling extreme sports gear after retiring from the military, and he happens to live nearby. We’re just lucky."

Feng Zhekai added, "Then let's get these things back so Lu and Gu can head out early."

They began transporting the goods back; with the ground covered in snow, the sleds moved easily. The trip back was smooth, and once home, they moved the supplies inside. Then, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng set out with the address Cheng Yang had provided.

Following the directions, Lu Ruisheng reached the spot in half an hour, and the two pried the door open. Seeing the walls lined with gun models, Lu Ruisheng felt a surge of excitement; these weapons felt like old friends. By combining these shells and models with the accessories they had already gathered, their home arsenal would become truly sophisticated.

Gu Pan didn't need to ask what was useful; she simply swept everything she saw into her storage space. She kept the explosive weapons, like grenades and stun grenades, in a box to be delivered to Chen Shaonan and Duan Shumei later.

Lu Ruisheng selected several pistols and placed them in a box to be modified for their group; although ammunition was limited, it was essential for everyone to have a sidearm. He didn't hide the weapons meant for the others, keeping them in the open boxes. He also picked out two submachine guns and two sniper rifles, placing them where his teammates would see them, giving them a sense of security.

Finally, he packed helmets, bulletproof vests, and tactical backpacks until the boxes were full, stowing the remainder of the gear into the storage space.