Luo Xiaole had only intended to try her luck when she called Fang Jie.
She hadn't expected Fang Jie to be so efficient!
In less than half an hour, Fang Jie had sent her a list of recently stocked medications from all the pharmacies in the city.
This kind of information... most people wouldn't be able to get, right?
Luo Xiaole was somewhat shocked.
"A friend I knew before worked in the Pharmaceutical Administration. All the drug information from every pharmaceutical factory in the base has to be reported. However, all the current pharmaceutical production in Luocheng Base is very transparent, which is why I could get the list. In the past, this was all confidential," Fang Jie explained patiently.
"I see... Thank you, I'll treat you to a meal later."
"It's no trouble. I already got a good commission from the house you bought a few days ago," Fang Jie said pragmatically.
Luo Xiaole didn't say much more. She wasn't just saying it casually; she would definitely treat Fang Jie to a good meal later, one where she could have anything she wanted.
With the list in hand, Luo Xiaole's plan of action became instantly clear.
She herself didn't understand medicine.
But even though she couldn't distinguish between types and knew what she needed, the pharmacies could provide hints!
She found a secluded corner, her mind a whirl, and walked into the pharmacy that glowed with a dazzling green light, the list in hand.
Holding the list, she scanned the display screen above the window at the pharmacy entrance.
"Beep... Your medicine list has been verified. The following medications have been collected."
The system's mechanical voice slowly chimed.
It really worked!
Luo Xiaole crossed off the medications marked by the system from the list.
Next, she just needed to cross-reference the list and visit other pharmacies for the remaining medicines!
She roughly estimated based on the list.
It should be enough to gather the 100 required medications...
However... this was a race against time and physical stamina!
Luo Xiaole's small arms and legs had been having difficulty moving since the weather began to deteriorate.
After just running two blocks, her limbs started to ache again.
It seemed she couldn't continue.
She would have to leave the task of collecting medicines to her companions.
It was time to mobilize the gluttons at home!
"Calling, calling!"
She pinged the companions in the villa one by one.
"Mobilize, brothers and sisters!"
She needed a lot of different types of medicine. After getting everyone's consent, she simply divided several medicines from the same pharmacy among them, letting them each go to purchase their share.
She also transferred some of the required points to each of their cards for purchases.
"No problem, Xiaole, leave it to us, and you can relax!" Luo Shu promised.
"Tonight, we will ensure Xiaole gets these medicines! Mission accomplished!" Zhou Xiaojun declared dramatically.
Lin Xia waved a hand, signaling her bodyguards to move out.
Mo Chen, without looking back, immediately bolted out of the house.
...
Luo Xiaole's mind was racing, considering shop locations and funding.
Unknowingly, she found herself at the shopping center.
Several previous shopping centers had been replaced, leaving only the current one, a large, 12-story building that had been rebuilt.
It basically covered all the essential items for everyone's life in the base.
Luo Xiaole looked up at the bustling, towering building before her and pulled out her base card.
"Hmm..." She glanced at the shopping center hesitantly, feeling it wasn't a good place to sell weapons.
The rent here must be super expensive, and her card balance likely wouldn't be enough.
Moreover, the foot traffic was too high; if a zombie outbreak occurred here, it would instantly become extremely dangerous.
And she was selling weapons. If an attack were to happen here, others would be in trouble.
She pouted, still not satisfied with the location, and decided to look further.
"Fang Jie, are there any places for rent near the downtown shopping center? Preferably a large space, and a single floor would be better," she messaged Fang Jie again.
A moment later, Fang Jie replied, pointing on the map to a location not far from the shopping center, near a small alley.
"This is an old factory compound. Although it's in the city center, the alley leading into the compound is quite secluded, so few people go there. Also, the compound is large, and the rent is a bit high, so it's not cost-effective. No other businesses are willing to rent it, so it's still vacant."
Fang Jie's next message piqued Luo Xiaole's curiosity: "The key thing is, the location is quite... mysterious~"
Luo Xiaole decided to go and see it first.
She bundled up her clothes, put on a mask and glasses, and pulled her hat down further.
Then, following the map, she walked into the small alley.
After passing through a somewhat narrow and long passage, she turned a corner and was greeted by a large iron gate.
"The merchant said no one usually comes here, so you can just go in," Fang Jie's message arrived again.
Just go in?
Luo Xiaole pushed the iron gate. It seemed rusted, and the lock directly "crashed" down.
The old iron gate let out a "creak" with a loud bang, the echo carrying far into the deserted alley.
"Cough, cough..." As soon as the door opened, dust billowed out.
Fortunately, Luo Xiaole had already put on her mask, blocking most of the dust.
As the misty dust settled, the scene before her made Luo Xiaole's eyes light up.
The courtyard was indeed an old, dilapidated building with a large open yard. Inside was a large, single-floor space like a factory. Although covered in a thick layer of dust, there were plenty of windows, making it very well-lit.
The entire large floor appeared bright and spacious, visible from end to end, with no immediate safety concerns.
Luo Xiaole walked for quite some time before reaching the back door.
She grabbed the doorknob and pushed outward. She froze for a moment, looking at the scene outside.
The back door was very well concealed, looking like an ordinary wall from a distance.
It connected to a road outside.
Most importantly, she finally understood why no one came here and why Fang Jie called it mysterious.
Across the road was the back door of her villa!
Her villa was a detached house, surrounded by quiet greenery.
Not many people ever came this way.
Coincidentally, the back door of this old building blended seamlessly with the surrounding wall. So, when Luo Xiaole and her group came out the back door to clean, they hadn't even noticed there was an old house nearby!
This was a full circle, ending up back at her own backyard!
"Wait... Isn't that perfect!"
This back door would be convenient for her to receive weapon shipments. That way, after each weapon reinforcement, she wouldn't have to transport them back and forth.
It was just across the road from the back door, making transactions easier to handle.
And the large space could easily accommodate weapons.
She didn't care if the alley was secluded or not. "The fragrance of wine needs no bush." As long as her weapons were for sale, location would never be an issue!
"Fang Jie, I'll rent this place," Luo Xiaole messaged back, extremely satisfied.
The shopkeeper was quite surprised.
He hadn't expected this property to be rented out anytime soon. He was counting on the future demolition of the area to get more points and buy other good shops in Luocheng Base.
He hadn't expected Luo Xiaole to rent it so quickly and without a fuss.
However, the problem was that Luo Xiaole's current card balance wasn't enough.
The monthly rent of 12,000 points was very high in the base. Although Luo Xiaole could afford it, she still had to pay a security deposit, which she couldn't cover.
She had planned to rent it for one month first. Once the weapons were sold and she received the money, she would surely be able to gather the security deposit. But the deposit had to be paid upfront...
"Don't worry, there's another way to avoid the security deposit. As long as you can join the elite team of the task base, you'll have a guarantor, and the security deposit won't be required," Fang Jie arrived and offered a helpful suggestion.
"What kind of bad idea is that?" The shopkeeper was exasperated. Someone like Luo Xiaole, her family might be able to give her some money to rent a place, but with her delicate physique, how could she possibly join an elite team...
"Stop joking. The missions that elite teams undertake involve facing zombies head-on. Aren't you just leading her astray!" the shopkeeper added earnestly.
Fang Jie then realized her oversight. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken."
Luo Xiaole's eyes, however, lit up.
This suggestion might be difficult for others, but for her, there was no downside!