It was incredibly awkward.
Why, you ask?
Because at the most embarrassing moment, Yao Yao, who just happened to be coming downstairs, walked in and saw the scene.
Yao Yao stood frozen at the foot of the stairs, her face flushed, her mouth slightly agape, caught in that indecisive moment of whether to go forward or retreat.
The scene in the living room had gotten a little too heated, and on top of that, the villa wasn't just occupied by the two of them anymore. But in that intense moment, both of them had conveniently forgotten the fact that there were other people in the house.
Ahem, though, let's be honest—it did feel great.
But then, in an act of uncharacteristic betrayal, Sun Jiao had slipped away, leaving Yao Yao to witness this embarrassing situation. Yao Yao was now wishing she could crawl into a hole and bury herself, and maybe even drag Jiang Chen down with her...
Yet, when she left, she didn't untie the ropes on Jiang Chen. To be fair, the ropes were of exceptional quality, and Sun Jiao was quite skilled in her tying. Jiang Chen had tried every trick in the book but couldn't break free.
"...Hey."
"Brother, brother…" Yao Yao, her face redder than a ripe apple, was thrilled to see Jiang Chen, but now, in his current predicament, she couldn't bring herself to rush over and hug him.
"Yao Yao, um… could you untie me, please?" Jiang Chen, swallowing his pride, asked for her help. But with his pants halfway down his legs and—well, you get the picture...
I just want to die...
"Mm… mm." Yao Yao's face was so red it looked like it might burst, and she shyly lowered her head as she cautiously approached Jiang Chen, not daring to look directly at him.
Her hands, trembling from nervousness, fumbled over the ropes for what seemed like an eternity, unable to undo the knots.
"Is it… done yet?" Jiang Chen asked awkwardly.
"Gulp."
"Hmm?"
"Nothing, nothing! It'll be done soon!" Yao Yao exclaimed, startled by the sound of her own voice, which made Jiang Chen jump. But despite her reassurances, Jiang Chen didn't feel any loosening of the ropes.
Yao Yao pouted, clearly frustrated. She had been startled by Jiang Chen's voice earlier, causing her to bite her tongue.
Looking again at the "dangerous" sight before her, Yao Yao's heart began to race. She knew exactly what it was, but seeing it in person was a whole different story.
Could it even fit...?
Her mind started to wander, and she involuntarily swallowed, her face burning even more as she frantically tried to untie the rope.
"Sun Jiao, get out here! Have mercy on me!" Jiang Chen called out, exasperated. He knew Sun Jiao must be lurking nearby, enjoying the scene. She was too much of a little devil for him not to know.
If she kept her hands on him like this, Jiang Chen was sure things would get even worse...
Just as he suspected, Sun Jiao, now fully dressed, was peeking from behind the door to the dining room, watching with delight as she observed Yao Yao's blushing face and Jiang Chen's wry smile.
...Hmph, this is so satisfying.
But satisfaction aside, she knew she had gone a bit too far. Sun Jiao pouted, realizing the situation had crossed a line, and she opened the door to untie Jiang Chen.
In truth, Sun Jiao had other reasons for doing this.
She had started to suspect Jiang Chen's secret and guessed he might have other women on the side. This made her feel a sense of crisis.
Honestly, she didn't mind Jiang Chen having multiple women... well, she did care, but that wasn't her biggest worry.
What scared her more was the thought of Jiang Chen disappearing from her life, and her being unable to follow him. After all, one side was an empty, barren world, and the other was a "paradise filled with food." If she had to choose, she certainly wouldn't stay in this side. If Jiang Chen had already found a place like that... she didn't dare think any further.
She knew it now—she had fallen for him.
So, she came up with a little plan to draw Yao Yao into the mix. Though Yao Yao's physical development had been slowed by the cryosleep, she was already in the early stages of puberty. Sun Jiao didn't believe that Yao Yao, who clearly had strong feelings for Jiang Chen, would be indifferent after witnessing such a provocative scene. Once there was some kind of attraction, she didn't fear there being no opportunity later on.
Yao Yao was still too innocent, thinking that a simple kiss would satisfy the "big bad wolf."
If one wasn't enough, then two would do the trick!
That was Sun Jiao's plan. She was determined to keep Jiang Chen here, and to create bonds that would be difficult for him to break.
With that thought, a devilish smile crept across Sun Jiao's face.
"Coming! Just wait a sec, hehe."
"Damn, you really were hiding! Were you laughing just now? I bet you were laughing!" Jiang Chen grumbled.
"I have something important to tell you both." Jiang Chen had managed to put his pants back on, stretched his stiff wrists, and, despite the embarrassment, forced himself to act seriously as he looked at the still-blushing Yao Yao and the unaffected Sun Jiao.
Sun Jiao's playful grin faded, replaced by a serious yet gentle expression as she nodded. This rare look on her face made Jiang Chen pause for a moment.
Yao Yao, her head bowed, seemed ready to retreat to her room, but Jiang Chen stopped her by holding her hand.
"Ah!" Yao Yao jumped, startled by Jiang Chen's grip, her cheeks red as she couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye.
Great, now I've really embarrassed myself...
Jiang Chen, his face dark with frustration, shot Sun Jiao a fierce glare, but she was completely uninterested, gazing at the ceiling instead.
"I-I'll just go back to my room," Yao Yao stammered.
"No, you're family too." Jiang Chen gently stroked Yao Yao's head. He had made this decision the day she saved him.
Without her courage, both he and Sun Jiao might have ended up as food for the cannibals. At the very least, he would have...
"I'll help you take it off," Jiang Chen said as he noticed Yao Yao enjoying the head patting. His hand instinctively reached for the electronic collar.
He had always wanted to remove it. He never treated her like a slave.
"No," Yao Yao gently placed her hands over his, "I want... to be a very special girl to you, brother."
Special?
Jiang Chen was completely stunned. He didn't quite understand what Yao Yao meant.
Yao Yao's face turned as red as an apple again, and she moved her lips but didn't say another word.
"Ahem, is it really okay for you two to be so lovey-dovey in front of me?" Sun Jiao, narrowing her eyes, spoke up.
It's one thing to accept Yao Yao as his woman, but to show off like this in front of me—really?
Sun Jiao's thoughts were clear as she started grinding her teeth.
Jiang Chen, sensing the devilish gaze, couldn't help but shudder.
"Yes!" Yao Yao jumped, startled by the sudden tension, shrinking back like a little rabbit. Though Sun Jiao had never bullied her, she was still terrified of her...
"Didn't you say you had something important to tell us? Hurry up," Sun Jiao sighed, clearly uninterested in these trivial matters.
Jiang Chen's face regained its seriousness as he gently led Yao Yao to a seat, then walked to the center of the living room.
Yao Yao watched him curiously, while Sun Jiao seemed to have guessed something, resting her chin in her hand, waiting for the explanation.
"I'm from another world."
Although she was mentally prepared, hearing Jiang Chen say it out loud still left Sun Jiao in shock. As for Yao Yao, she was completely dumbfounded.
"...Let me just demonstrate it for you," Jiang Chen sighed and extended his left hand.
The subspace, which stored food and supplies, opened without any flashy effects. There were no dramatic sparks or special lighting—just cans, fruits, rice, and a pile of other goods gradually materializing in the living room, as if they were appearing from thin air.
Even Sun Jiao was now completely stunned, while Yao Yao stood frozen in place.
Looking at the two girls' dumbfounded expressions, Jiang Chen scratched the back of his head.
"Uh, I haven't explained everything yet… How come you two are both acting like this?"
"Brother… Are you a god?" It was surprisingly Yao Yao who snapped out of it first. Her big eyes were filled with awe as she stared at Jiang Chen, clearly captivated.
To be honest, it was quite satisfying to be looked at with such innocent admiration by a little girl like Yao Yao.
"Cough, cough, no, I'm not a god. These things didn't just appear out of nowhere… How should I put it... Over where I'm from, you can exchange gold for these items very cheaply."
"So… are you from a parallel world, before the war?" Yao Yao nodded thoughtfully. Having grown up before the war, she still remembered the world's prosperity.
"Smart. That's more or less what I meant." Jiang Chen gave Yao Yao an approving thumbs-up. She had summed up the very issue that had been troubling him.
"...This... so much?" Sun Jiao, who had grown up in an underground shelter and seen little of the outside world, stared wide-eyed.
Seeing Sun Jiao still in a daze, Jiang Chen couldn't help but laugh.
He shook her out of her shock and briefly explained his origins, assuring both girls that he wasn't about to suddenly "disappear."
However, when Sun Jiao asked if it was possible to bring people along for the crossing, Yao Yao's eyes glistened with hope. Jiang Chen, however, knew that he would disappoint them. He didn't say much; instead, he placed the hamster cage—containing the now-dead hamster—on the table. Both girls fell into a brief silence but eventually accepted the situation.
"Yeah... crossing dimensions is already miraculous enough. If we could bring living beings with us, it would probably... really mess things up," Sun Jiao sighed, shaking her head, and then slumped down on the table, defeated.
"Exactly... There are mutant bacteria everywhere here, and only humans with a certain level of resistance won't turn into zombies. If Jiang Chen brother could bring living things, the bacteria would spread back there, too..." Yao Yao, with her deep thinking, brought up an even darker issue, sending a chill down Jiang Chen's spine.
Right, the bacteria were everywhere. If he brought zombie bacteria back...
Jiang Chen shuddered again. It was an oversight—he'd been so focused on making money that he hadn't even considered the possibility of bringing back mutant bacteria.
Fortunately, the cross-dimensional bracelet would stop all life activity, except for the host. Otherwise, as Sun Jiao said, things would definitely spiral out of control...
The exact principle was beyond Jiang Chen's understanding. Maybe dissecting the hamster would clarify things? But that wasn't his area of expertise.
"Anyway," Jiang Chen shifted the topic, "Since you two are my women, I have an obligation to make sure you live well." Sun Jiao and Yao Yao blushed in unison. "I've brought back a lot of supplies. To store them, we'll need more fridges, preferably cold storage units. There are also a lot of cans, compressed biscuits, and the like, which I plan to exchange for sub-crystals, and then buy things that will help reinforce our villa."
Sun Jiao nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, with the compressed biscuits, one piece can probably get us a little sub-crystal. We don't need to go all the way to the Sixth District; there are nearby survivor communities where trade can happen. Although the villa's already reinforced, the defenses are still too weak. Getting military-grade supplies, like firearms, would be ideal."
Jiang Chen thought for a moment and then said, "Let's make a shopping list for everything we need, and buy everything in one go. Also, I think it's better to go to the Sixth District for items. Small survivor camps... honestly, I don't really trust them."
Though the villa had been reinforced, there was still a severe lack of manpower. If Sun Jiao was the only one trying to protect it, it would be difficult. If food became a point of contention, hungry survivors might quickly turn into armed raiders.
The Sixth District, however, was different. As of now, there had never been any reports of raids on other survivor bases along the trade routes. It maintained a strict neutrality, which was why it had grown to such a scale.
"Though, there's something I'm worried about... the Gray Worm Mercenary Group is bound to investigate our whereabouts in the Sixth District. Is it really safe?" Sun Jiao expressed her concerns. After all, Jiang Chen had lost almost an entire raiding team to them last time. If the two factions met again, it might turn into an all-out conflict.
"No need to worry," Jiang Chen smiled. "For me, escaping danger takes less than two seconds."
As soon as he finished, Jiang Chen vanished from their sight.
Then, in a blink, he reappeared right in front of them.
"Damn... this frequent traveling is a bit too much," Jiang Chen staggered and grabbed the nearby chair, almost falling over.
Using this ability continuously seemed to have side effects, like brief dizziness.
"You... What did you just do?"
"Hmm, I returned to a peaceful world for a moment," Jiang Chen rubbed his dizzy head and gave a wry smile.
Now that he had confessed, he wouldn't need to hide his ability to travel anymore.
The "fee" for the sub-crystal energy wasn't much—basically the equivalent of one compressed biscuit.
"It's just too unbelievable..." Yao Yao was still in awe, and Sun Jiao nodded absentmindedly.
"Well, the danger from the sewers is gone..." Jiang Chen hesitated, trying not to recall the horrors he'd witnessed, "With that, I can go alone to the Sixth District. I'll bring back the supplies in one go."
"I'm not so sure," Sun Jiao gave him a worried look.
"You'll be staying behind to guard the place. We don't have enough people... Oh, I think I'll buy some extra manpower this time."
"By buying more beautiful girls, right?" Sun Jiao teased him with a sly grin.
Yao Yao puffed her cheeks, but she couldn't change Jiang Chen's mind. After all, in a way, she too had been bought...
"What do you think of me, some kind of perv?" Jiang Chen laughed bitterly, scratching his nose. "This villa is too big for just you to guard alone. Besides, I need people with special skills."
The wasteland was full of treasure, especially when it came to people with "offbeat" skills. Jiang Chen could easily use these people's talents to create wealth for his "Future Tech Company" in the real world.
"I'll learn, Brother, you don't want me anymore?" Yao Yao suddenly got teary-eyed and came closer.
"How could that be?" Jiang Chen chuckled, ruffling her messy hair. "But I don't want you to get too tired. You're already helping me a lot. And remember to rest, no more staying up late."
"Mm..." Yao Yao smiled contentedly, quickly forgetting her earlier worries.
"Hmph, this is what you promised! What if you bring home another sister?" Sun Jiao narrowed her eyes at Jiang Chen, not as easy to appease as Yao Yao.
"I swear on my life!" Jiang Chen sighed and raised his finger.
Only then did Sun Jiao reluctantly let it go.
In truth, Sun Jiao's worries were unfounded. Jiang Chen had no such plans. While he was carefree, it wasn't because he was reckless. In the short time since the apocalypse, he'd matured a lot more than when it all started.
He had no intention of turning this place into some kind of brothel, even if he had the power to do so. He simply didn't have the energy for it.
Compared to those things, there was still much to be done.
The villa was in desperate need of more hands. The watchtower by the wall needed someone to stand guard, and Jiang Chen wasn't willing to have Sun Jiao do it every day. The various appliances inside also needed repairs, and someone skilled had to do it. Sun Jiao could manage the solar panel repairs, but even that was a struggle. The fridge was still functional, but it was purely by luck—its electrical system was damaged, but not beyond repair.
As for those survivors, Jiang Chen wasn't about to trust just anyone. Not after seeing how much trouble people could cause in this kind of world. But slaves bought with electronic collars were a different matter. With those, Jiang Chen had no concerns about disobedience.
Forget rebellion—those people would be lucky if they didn't feel grateful for the food. Jiang Chen had more than enough supplies to give them a better life than they'd ever known.
He didn't consider himself a bad person—treating slaves well was just good business.