Chapter 26: A Burst of Hope in the Inner City

All eyes were fixed on the two—Yenir and his companion.

To everyone, Yenir, dressed in combat gear, looked no older than a teenager; his uniform marked him as a freshly awakened at the lowest rank.

The girl beside him, in tattered clothes, was unmistakably one of the impoverished from the outskirts.

Upon regaining their senses, the onlookers couldn’t help but wear odd expressions at such an unusual pairing.

In their eyes, Yenir was most likely a lucky Awakener emerging from a poor family.

Who dares come in bragging about being in a rush to buy a house? That’s downright naive.

From the visitor sofa, a middle-aged Awakener sneered, considering Yenir nothing more than an inexperienced fool who thought his new status meant he could afford a home.

Nearby, several receptionists, though somewhat perplexed, maintained their professional smiles.

“Hello, what type are you looking for? Have you seen any before?”

In response, a pretty young girl curtseyed slightly and hurried over to greet them.

Regardless of whether Yenir could actually afford it, they dared not show even a hint of disdain.

After all, Yenir was an Awakener.

“If you’ve got one in mind, just show it to me,” he said.

With a slight nod, Yenir, calm as ever, took his sister’s hand and walked straight toward the model display.

By his side, Ye Xiaoan watched in alarm as Yenir insisted on dragging her along to buy a house.

Even though she didn’t know how expensive things were, the moment she stepped into the Inner City and saw its lavish decor, she instinctively wanted to run away.

Clutching his sister’s hand, Yenir offered a gentle smile to put her at ease.

With all eyes on them, the onlookers grew even more convinced of their assumptions.

Some chuckled softly, teasingly eyeing Yenir as if they anticipated his panic when he saw the price.

Not to mention a mere fledgling Awakener— even veteran Second-Stage Awakeneds wouldn’t be able to afford it.

As they headed toward the development, just when Yenir was about to choose a building at random, a joyful shout suddenly rang out:

“Yenir?”

“Hmm?”

Yenir instinctively turned his head at the sound. Once he recognized the caller, a look of astonishment flickered in his eyes.

“That’s… Wang Zhen?”

Seeing that Yenir had noticed her, Wang Zhen quickly stood and jogged over, her expression lit with excitement:

“Yenir, have you become an Awakener?!”

Her refined features parted in obvious surprise.

With a slight nod, Yenir’s gaze softened as he looked at Wang Zhen, who, despite her suit uniform, still exuded a pure, endearing charm.

Wang Zhen had been his classmate during cultural lessons before he entered the Awakener training camp.

After the apocalypse, all minor survivors received free education in the Safe Zone to learn basic cultural knowledge. Due to limitations, the nine-year compulsory education was compressed into three years, with most lessons focused on survival.

But ever since he entered the Awakener training camp, they had scarcely kept in touch.

He remembered that in his previous life, the warm-hearted Wang Zhen had helped him countless times during his darkest moments, always offering words of encouragement.

However, when disaster struck a year later, ordinary Wang Zhen was obliterated in the first wave.

After calming her racing heart, the girl eyed Yenir’s combat uniform with a mix of envy and sincere joy.

“Yenir, I always knew you’d become an Awakener!”

“You worked so hard—I’ve always believed in you!”

Yenir smiled gently, feeling quite pleased, just as he was about to speak, when the middle-aged Awakener behind him sneered.

“Miss Wang, is that how your receptionists act?”

“What’s the matter? Did you run into someone you know and suddenly stop working?”

Noticing the girl’s respectful attitude toward Yenir, the middle-aged man mockingly added:

“Kid, don’t think that just because you’re an Awakener you’re something special.”

“A Zero-Stage… ha! I tell you, you couldn’t even afford a single brick around here.”

Hearing his mockery and threats, Wang Zhen’s face drained of color. After a moment, she could only offer a contrite bow to Yenir and apologize:

“Yenir, I’ll catch up with you after my shift… I need to go now.”

Before she could finish, Yenir calmly turned to look back at the man.

Without further ado, he chuckled softly and pulled the girl along.

“No need to leave,” he said.

“I’m buying it right now, directly from you.”

The girl startled, glancing at Yenir with confusion. Although she heard him mention buying, she had assumed he was just browsing. As a classmate, she never looked down on his background, but she knew exactly how challenging it was.

“Yenir, these houses are so expensive… please don’t get carried away,” she began timidly.

She spoke hesitantly, almost instinctively.

Before she could finish, their eyes met and she was shocked to see absolute confidence shining in Yenir’s gaze.

Elsewhere, the middle-aged Awakener, clearly displeased by Yenir’s insolence, burst into a sarcastic laugh:

“Kid, you’re not that impressive.”

“What? Trying to use an excuse to see your sweetheart and now too embarrassed to back down?”

Casting a sidelong glance at the girl, he continued:

“Miss Wang, let’s see if your classmate can actually afford it!”

With a spectator’s air, the middle-aged man casually crossed his legs and raised his hands in a dismissive gesture.

Elsewhere in the hall, the onlookers, as if watching a spectacle, began to pay keen attention.

Disregarding the stares, Yenir walked calmly toward the development.

“Which one is available?”

Noticing Yenir’s calm demeanor, the girl hesitated briefly before steeling herself and moving forward. Her expression was conflicted—as if torn between worrying that Yenir might be humiliated later and the prospect of public mockery. She had always admired him and truly didn’t want to see him embarrassed.

With a soft sigh, she introduced:

“Right now, within Tianfeng, there’s only one apartment building left in the residential area built on a Spirit Energy Node. This node radiates Ling energy every day to boost your strength.”

“The flats are priced at 6000 Credit Points, offered in three tiers corresponding to different levels of Ling energy intensity to aid in upgrades. Security is excellent, with Second-Stage Awakeneds guarding the premises.”

“If you intend to purchase, this tier offers the best value…”

Her voice trailed off as Wang Zhen cautiously observed Yenir’s face, worried that revealing the price might rile him.

A set costing upwards of ten thousand Credit Points—a price steep enough to daunt most survivors.

Nearby, Ye Xiaoan listened in disbelief as the outrageous price was announced, her wide eyes growing more horrified.

Ten thousand Credit Points! At that price, how many meat pies could one afford? She’d never earn enough, even if she worked herself to the bone.

Terrified, Ye Xiaoan gripped Yenir’s hand tightly, her expression bordering on tears.

Yet just as everyone braced to watch Yenir’s panic unfold,

the Yenir standing before the development simply pointed at one of the buildings and said casually:

“Then I’ll go with that tier.”

“Credit Points—who’s receiving them?”

His voice was soft, but it cut through the room like a knife.

The Second-Stage Awakener lounging on the sofa, initially there for the spectacle, stared in disbelief as Yenir produced his ID card.

Beside him, the girl stood dumbfounded, her mouth agape—she had been ready to come to Yenir’s defense, but now her words were caught in her throat.

For a moment, the whole hall was enveloped in an eerie silence.