Ai Bing had a stern face.
Since the morning, she had been messaging Zhou Lin, but not a single reply came back.
This made Ai Bing very anxious.
Weren't they supposed to handle the property transfer today? She really liked that house in Lanshan, and the name on the title deed meant her share of a significant interest.
So she was very worried that something might go wrong. She had even taken out a loan online, which included substantial fees and interest.
"I went to pick up my sister." Zhou Lin acted as if he didn't notice Ai Bing's anger, wandering around the house, realizing that his parents were not home.
Zhou Caijun was likely at the farm, as there were still many things to handle there.
As for Cheng Yali, she was probably out shopping for supplies. With them so busy, dinner was likely not happening tonight.
It wasn't even four o'clock yet, but it was as dark outside as if it were eight or nine in the evening. Without the lights on, the house was pitch black.
"I'm asking you a question!" Ai Bing puffed her cheeks.
"Didn't I tell you yesterday? I don't have enough money."
"Didn't I say I have some?"
"Then transfer it to me," Zhou Lin replied.
"I'll transfer it tomorrow at the property center," Ai Bing calmed down. She was the type not to release the rabbit until she saw the eagle, so she would never transfer the money to Zhou Lin now.
"Fine, I'll see what we can have for dinner."
"Where are Uncle and Auntie? I haven't seen them all day." Ai Bing made no effort to help, mostly because she couldn't. After staying at Zhou Lin's house for two or three days, she felt his parents' attitude toward her was odd—not the warm welcome one would expect for a "future daughter-in-law," nor even the standard guest treatment.
"Busy," Zhou Lin replied from the kitchen.
"Do your parents not like me?"
"Absolutely not. They don't dislike you," Zhou Lin said confidently.
"That's good," Ai Bing pretended to be relieved, patting her barely-there chest, thinking it didn't matter if they liked her as long as she got the house. Little did she know, Zhou Lin was thinking, they didn't dislike you; they wished you were dead.
When dinner was almost ready, Zhou Caijun returned, but Cheng Yali stayed at Lanshan.
With Ai Bing present, Zhou Caijun silently ate his meal, then went straight to the study, ignoring Ai Bing entirely.
"I'm done, you can wash the dishes," Zhou Lin said.
"Why? You never made me do this before," Ai Bing pouted.
"That was then," Zhou Lin said. "If you don't show some effort, how will my parents trust you enough to put your name on the property title?"
Thinking of the property title, Ai Bing compromised and reluctantly started cleaning up.
In the study, Zhou Lin received a call from Zhou Li.
"Brother, I forgot something important."
"What?" Zhou Lin asked, glancing at the sleepy Zhou Caijun.
"Weapons! Will there be zombies? Even if there aren't, people can be dangerous. Without enough weapons, our food storage could become someone else's. If we can't get firearms, we should get cold weapons, bows, crossbows, optical sights, spears, javelins, steel rods, and close-range weapons like machetes. They must be high-quality..."
Zhou Li went on and on for over ten minutes, listing weapons from simple cold arms to standard firearms, even how to make petrol bombs, explosives, and chemical agents, suggesting how to use pesticides from the farm.
Zhou Lin knew about most of this, but her suggestion to use pesticides and fertilizers for weapons made him wonder if they were truly from the same parents.
"Dad, what's your IQ?" Zhou Lin couldn't help but ask after the call.
"Me? I attended a university equivalent to the top 985 now. What do you think my IQ is?"
"Then why are you raising pigs?" Zhou Lin couldn't understand.
"To make money. Does a 985 graduate have to avoid pig farming?" Zhou Caijun countered.
Zhou Lin scratched his head. "Just now, Zhou Li said we should prepare weapons. She mentioned fertilizer and pesticides. Do we have any?"
"That girl's brain is indeed sharp. How come I didn't think of it? We have fertilizer, but not much urea, and the pesticides are low-toxicity. I'll buy out the stock from three agricultural companies tomorrow. They're good stuff, easy to make into weapons with simple equipment..." Zhou Caijun continued mumbling, which Zhou Lin couldn't fully grasp.
Now, Zhou Lin began to think Zhou Li was their biological child, while he was a bonus or picked from a garbage dump.
As the eldest son, Zhou Lin felt a deep sense of helplessness.
"Dad, I don't know about that stuff, but I can get firearms. Also, little sister already knows I was reborn and guessed I have a space for storing things." Zhou Lin didn't mention the aircraft carrier, but now he thought he needed to reveal some cards to maintain his family standing.
"Your mom and I had already guessed you have a space," Zhou Caijun said, unfazed. "We planned not to ask since you didn't bring it up."
Indeed, parents are the only ones who never betray you. Zhou Lin could only silently appreciate their understanding.
Talking about the family's finances, Zhou Caijun said he had 7 million in liquidity, and Cheng Yali mentioned she had 5 million the previous night, though the current amount was unknown.
"Use it up. In four days, it will all be bartering. The government will introduce credit points, but they will only be useful in survivor bases, and each base's credits won't be interchangeable. In the end, material goods will matter most..."
Zhou Caijun nodded. "I understand. By the way, your grandparents and grandpa refused to come. Your mom and I tried to persuade them, but we couldn't tell them too much. We'll see if there's a chance in the future."
The night passed uneventfully, except for Zhou Lin's happiness at gaining more experience points for his powers.
Symbiosis:
[Primary 110/1000]
Currently Symbiotic Vehicles: Lifebuoy (large surface vehicle)
Available Vehicle Slots: 0
Storage Space: 1/1
...
Zhou Lin initially thought experience points increased daily, but now he realized that wasn't the case; otherwise, it should be "107/1000". In his past life, he hadn't activated his powers, so without major changes, he had to put this aside for now, especially since there was no one to discuss it with.
"Maybe Lily can figure it out..." But recalling Zhou Li's curious eyes, Zhou Lin quickly dismissed this idea. He didn't want to be dissected by her, knowing she'd probably do it if given the chance!
The next morning at nine, Zhou Lin took Ai Bing to the property center.
Remarkably, the property center was brightly lit, and the staff were on time.
Unlike the usual hustle and bustle, it was now almost deserted.
This worked to Zhou Lin's advantage, quickly getting into the process. Ai Bing, seeing her name on the submitted documents and a 50% property share, transferred 700,000 yuan to Zhou Lin.
Leaving the property center, Ai Bing was all smiles, hugging the file bag. "Zhou Lin, how much do you think this house will appreciate in two years?"
"Appreciate?" Zhou Lin didn't answer, thinking, "You'll find out in a few days."