Chapter 500: Homebound Reflections

After returning home, Lu Xin took several days off to rest properly.

He couldn’t explain it—though this experiment was supposed to be short, he felt utterly exhausted.

It was as if he had witnessed a major event that, in theory, should have filled him with joy, yet the expected thrill was noticeably absent.

It wasn’t just him; ever since returning from the Sea Country, even his family had been acting strangely.

In the past, each group outing would naturally lead to a family meeting. Now, with moments like the transition from Happy Town to the early phase of the Heaven’s Kingdom Plan experiment, it seemed only natural to hold a fourth family meeting.

Yet, nobody had mentioned it up until now.

Lu Xin felt a family meeting was necessary but didn’t want to bring it up himself—if his family proposed it, he would agree.

But his family hadn’t taken the initiative, almost as if they were waiting for him to speak first.

His mother had been busy lately, leaving home at dawn and returning late every day, so much so that her presence was rarely seen.

Meanwhile, his father had become increasingly furtive, spending more time hiding in the kitchen after coming home.

However, lately, the sounds of chopping bones and stewing meaty chunks were rarely heard.

Occasionally, as Lu Xin returned from work, he could distinctly hear the crisp, slicing noise of meat being cut in the kitchen.

How mysterious—what could they possibly be up to…

His younger sister had also been acting out of sorts recently; unlike before when she was always clinging to him.

Before speaking, she would tilt her head, appraise him for a moment, and then start her conversation.

Lu Xin wasn’t fond of that feeling.

He believed family members should trust one another and communicate more openly.

Maybe it was truly time to convene that fourth family meeting, but just the thought made him feel lethargic…

He decided to put it off a little longer.

……

……

After this experiment, the atmosphere in Qinggang had noticeably changed.

The changes were subtle on the surface, but beneath it all, there was a palpable surge of confident vitality.

As a junior manager at a business company, Lu Xin could sense differences in both work and life that set this period apart from before.

For one, new business opportunities had suddenly surged: construction, transportation, procurement, and numerous ventures were being launched non-stop by the administrative offices of various Satellite Cities, igniting fierce competition among groups and enterprises in Second Satellite City.

Even the business company he worked for had landed several deals related to construction materials transportation, promising hefty profits.

Lu Xin understood that Qinggang was busy repairing Sixth Satellite City—it was a comprehensive, massive project.

Logically, the best way to integrate the residents from Sea Country would be to disperse them among the five major Satellite Cities.

However, given that Sea Country residents had previously undergone severe pollution, and though data showed they were cured after the preliminary phase of the Heaven’s Kingdom Plan experiment, it was safer to keep them separate for now.

Qinggang’s current strategy was to first rebuild Sixth Satellite City, arrange temporary accommodation, and then proceed slowly from there.

Moreover, the reconstruction of Sixth Satellite City wasn’t solely for Sea Country’s sake.

After the ‘Wasteland Treasure Hunt’ incident triggered by the Technology Church, an undercurrent of panic had spread through the scattered settlements around Qinggang. This apprehension was shifting the mindset of those who had been indifferent to Qinggang’s strict lifestyle—they now expected to have their own space.

Of course, whether it was about peacefully assimilating the people from Sea Country or systematically integrating the scattered settlements under Qinggang’s wing, it was a complex and enormous task managed by professionals at the Administration Hall, so Lu Xin hardly needed to worry about it.

Instead of mulling over these issues, he preferred to focus on how to maximize the profit from his current projects…

After all, there were too many places that needed funding!

……

……

Lately, Han Bing hadn’t seemed very busy. Not only had she helped Lu Xin purchase a villa—the one they had selected earlier—completing all the ownership transfer procedures, but she’d also spent plenty of time helping him with thorough cleaning and repairs before the official move.

Lu Xin had never imagined buying a villa would be so complicated.

Wasn’t it enough just to pay and get the keys?

But now, the usually unhurried Han Bing was meticulously recounting every minute detail to him.

Once the villa became his own, shouldn’t he clean it, make repairs, and remodel any parts that didn’t match his taste?

It all cost money!

Even though she had already arranged for a few swings and seesaws for Lu Xin, it was far from sufficient…

Wasn’t it also necessary to purchase some new equipment and give everything a complete upgrade?

It all cost money!

And since it was being prepared for the children at the orphanage, shouldn’t the dormitory for them also be well-arranged?

Should they sleep in a large common dorm or in bunk beds?

If the orphanage were to admit more children in the future, wouldn’t more beds be necessary?

Thus, he had to consider whether to knock down some walls to create a large dormitory, purchase additional beds, and even build other rooms like a game room, a movie screening room, and a library for old books…

It all cost money!

Furthermore, the director’s bedroom, study, and office needed to be meticulously set up.

He also had to account for future needs, like additional dorms for other teachers and a combined office space.

And that didn’t include property management fees and pre-planned expenses for utilities.

……

All these miscellaneous projects cost Lu Xin nearly…

…200,000!

It was almost equivalent to the price of a wristwatch!

Reflecting on this, Lu Xin mused, “Life has really gotten better.”

He continued, “It’s bizarre—spending money with abandon, yet never seeming to deplete it…”

…

The card Han Bing had given him already held enough money to buy the villa.

Later, thanks to Han Bing’s connections, he managed to save on the pre-move maintenance costs.

Combined with funds from his own card—accumulated from past projects like Central City, Happy Town, the Eye Worm incident, and even the security costs from the Heaven’s Kingdom Plan—Lu Xin began to see money as merely digits on a screen.

After carefully accounting for the expenses needed to run the kindergarten, he made a crucial decision.

He would deposit his funds into a bank in Qinggang, let it mature, and earn interest!

Thus, after depositing over 10 million, Lu Xin found a renewed drive to keep making money…

Perhaps that was the charm of money—it never seems to be enough!

…

……

……

Although renovating the new orphanage involved countless tasks, with money and Han Bing’s assistance, Lu Xin managed without losing track.

Han Bing had been coming over often for the project, leading Lu Xin to assume that even the Special Cleaning Department wasn’t busy.

But upon inquiry, he learned that the Special Cleaning Department was very active—only Han Bing seemed free at the moment.

The department was also involved in the construction of Sixth Satellite City and the project to build a ‘Spiritual Amplification Tower’ in the other five major Satellite Cities, not to mention their daily tasks of providing psychological support and guiding the rehabilitated residents from Sea Country to work in Sixth Satellite City, and negotiations with Happy Town.

Qinggang had already begun formal negotiations with Happy Town, and that was when Lu Xin learned the news.

What surprised him even more was that the representative for these negotiations turned out to be Gecko…

And according to Han Bing, Gecko had performed exceptionally well—he didn’t even shed a tear on the way to Happy Town.

…

In a leisurely pace lasting nearly a month, the entire renovation was finally completed.

Even though Lu Xin subconsciously wished the work could last longer, there wasn’t anything else that needed doing.

The villa—or rather, the orphanage—was fully prepared now, and all that remained was to invite in those who were meant to live there.

So on the evening after installing the final swing, Lu Xin pulled out a chair and sat in the courtyard, resting his chin as he gazed at the freshly arranged space that somehow felt strangely familiar.

Han Bing came out carrying a bucket and a stool and sat beside him.

Inside the bucket were several bottles of beer. She opened one and handed it to Lu Xin.

Lu Xin accepted it with a smile, saying, “I really appreciate all your hard work these past few days.”

“Mr. Single Soldier, if you keep being so polite, it makes me a bit uncomfortable…”

With a playful tone, Han Bing remarked that she wasn’t drinking alcohol but savoring a cup of tea. She laughed, “Now that the dormitory, office, small playground, fruit orchard, and even the vegetable garden are all set—what more could you possibly want?”

Lu Xin thought for a moment and shook his head, saying, “Nothing at all.”

“I do have one question…”

Han Bing turned to him with a smile, “Mr. Single Soldier, you’ve been incredibly meticulous—from selecting the perfect villa to overseeing every aspect of the renovation. You even considered details like whether the children might get scared passing through long corridors at night. But what puzzles me is…”

She paused, cradled her tea, then looked at Lu Xin and said, “It seems you forgot to leave a room for yourself.”

“Uh…”

Stunned by her remark, Lu Xin glanced back at the small villa with its warm lights glowing from each room.

Taking a slow sip of his beer and a small smile playing on his lips, he replied, “There just aren’t enough rooms.”

Han Bing nodded slowly and chuckled, “I’m really curious—who is it that deserves Mr. Single Soldier’s such dedicated attention?”

She didn’t ask for the reasons behind it, yet how could a villa spanning three floors with over thirty rooms, four bathrooms, even a cellar beneath a 200-meter courtyard, not spare a single, tiny room for him?

……

Lu Xin sipped his beer slowly, noticing how quiet the courtyard had grown.

After a while, he broke the silence with a smile, saying, “Tomorrow, I’m going to pick up Teacher Xiao Lu and the others.”