Since the Rong family had spoken, who would dare to oppose them? They were the top security force in the community. 

Moreover, it would both generate income and reduce duty time, only a fool would disagree. 

If the new tenants caused any trouble, there was still a guarantor. 

So, it was unanimously approved! 

Jiang Ning gave him a thumbs up, making the third young master of the Rong family feel as sweet as if he had drunk honey. 

When Lu Yu and the others heard the news, it felt like a dream. After a while, they cheered, “Really? Anning?” 

“Ofcourse,” Jiang Ning smiled. “Take some time to come and choose a house.” 

“We’ve already resigned, we’ll be there right away.” 

In half an hour, the four of them arrived at the community, and Jiang Ning took them to see the vacant villas. 

Initially, only the corpses had been incinerated, the house had not been cleaned. It was a mess inside, with even some darkened bloodstains visible. 

If it had been before the disaster, no one would live in a house where someone had died, even if you paid them. But now, who cared about such things? The living were much scarier than the dead. 

They looked at all the vacant houses. They didn’t choose the largest ones, as the rent would certainly be high, and large houses were harder to guard. 

The four of them chose Building 42, which had a layout similar to Building 50. The two families continued living together. Their family had a half-built wall that they planned to finish after the Eternal Night. 

After selecting the house, Jiang Ning discussed the rent. 

The third young master of the Rong family quickly said, “100 pounds of rice or flour.” 

Jiang Ning pretended not to hear, “How much? Say that again?” 

“Sis, it used to cost us around 20 pounds of grain to support one security guard. Now it’s for renting a villa, 100 pounds is already a favor for you.” 

“It’s eternal night now, and two families can send one person on patrol simultaneously, don’t talk about the terms of the polar day.” 

The third young master thought for a moment, “50 pounds?” 

Jiang Ning teased, “I’ll treat you to a meal.” 

“What do you say?” 

Jiang Ning pondered for a moment, “Twenty kilograms of food per month during the Eternal Night, and if it’s suitable later, they can buy it?” 

“Okay, since you’re my sister.” He didn’t really care about a few pounds of grain, it was more for the satisfaction. 

Both parties drafted and signed the contract on the spot. 

Grain was precious, so Jiang Ning suggested paying with tea, cigarettes, and alcohol instead. 

In the end, they gave 3 pounds of tea to cover a month’s rent. 

The house had been looted, but the furniture, kitchen utensils, and other essentials remained, including the owner’s clothes. It just needed cleaning before it would be ready to move in. 

Compared to the cramped apartment, even in the dark eternal night, this was already a paradise. 

The four hugged and cheered; they finally got to live in a villa. 

They didn’t have many belongings, so they moved everything over in one trip. 

With front and back gardens, a spacious house, and a soft, comfortable bed, they rolled around in joy. 

After some discussion, Lu Yu and Zheng Weili stayed downstairs, while Zhang Chao and Ding Qi stayed upstairs. 

They had seeds, corn, and peanuts. As long as they could solve the light issue, they could plant them for food or oil. 

They planned to trade for some poultry later, and life would get better and better. 

Moving from a cramped apartment to a spacious villa, the oppressive and irritable mood was released. 

They all knew that the third young master of the Rong family was willing to rent the villa at such a low price entirely because of Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen. 

To thank them, they decided to share some black market goods. 

Unable to refuse their kindness, Jiang Ning thought for a moment, “How about this? Huo Yishen and I will take one share, and the extra share will be a housewarming gift for you.” 

She didn’t lack supplies, so taking a symbolic share was enough, ensuring mutual understanding. 

There were six empty villas in the community, but the wealthy residents had a thousand tricks up their sleeves, especially when facing hunger and cold, their minds worked like sieves. 

On the surface, everyone was still dressed in their suits. Secretly, they were quietly taking the abandoned diesel generators or solar generators home for personal use or to trade for supplies. 

The slow-witted son of the landowner realized what was happening too late; by then, the generators had already been dismantled and disappeared without a trace. 

They were all prominent figures before, and since the Rong family didn’t lack these things, no one spoke up, and the matter was left unresolved. 

Therefore, Lu Yu and his group urgently needed to solve the lighting problem. Otherwise, they would be unable to grow food using artificial light, leaving them in the dark like blind men. 

Solar generators were useless during the eternal night, but diesel generators were prohibitively expensive, and even if they spent most of their savings to buy one, they still couldn’t solve the diesel issue. 

The authorities had long predicted the eternal night and implemented a series of measures, including simple generators. 

Having worked for many years, they were quite familiar with new technological products introduced by the government. 

Simple generators converted mechanical energy into electrical energy. Strictly speaking, they weren’t high-tech; they had used similar devices on the 18th floor, like pedal-powered generators. 

Back then, two of them were weak and easily overpowered by Anning. 

The improved simple generators were easier to pedal and had better efficiency. 

If they pedaled diligently, daily lighting and artificial lighting for plants and animals wouldn’t be a problem. 

Simple generators were great except for being expensive.  

The four of them pooled their resources and decided to buy one. 

After years of drifting and numerous brushes with death, they were mentally and physically exhausted. They wanted to settle down in the villa area and plan their future ahead. 

Jiang Ning had no idea about their plans. 

Everyone had their own lives; she could help with the big picture but wouldn’t involve herself in the details. 

In the apocalypse, supplies were the survivors lifelines. 

According to their latest decision, Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen prepared everything, dividing all supplies into five shares, including the batch of weapons they seized from the cave. 

They drove to deliver the supplies to the four of them. “I have some young poultry and grain seeds. If you need any, you can come over and trade for them. The rice I’ve given you is milled, and you can use the bran to feed the poultry.” 

Zheng Weili thanked her, taking out two bags of rice and two sets of keys from the cramped apartment. “Anning, here’s the rent and the keys. Without you and Brother Shen, we would have ended up homeless.” 

They gave more than the market rent, but Jiang Ning accepted it without hesitation. 

Life was their own; friends could only help during difficult times or add to their joy. She didn’t want to interfere too much in their lives. After delivering the supplies, she went home to rest. 

The two families divided the supplies again. Ding Qi suddenly said, “Jiang Ning takes good care of you.” 

Zhang Chao, packing supplies nearby, agreed, “Isn’t that right? Don’t be fooled by Anning’s cold demeanor; she has a warm heart. She’s been looking out for me and Lu Yu since we were kids, especially after the disaster. Whether it was on the 18th floor or now, without her help, we might not be here.” 

Ding Qi sighed, “It’s great to have such a friend.” 

Zhang Chao knew she had been betrayed by her companions multiple times, leaving her with many scars. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have chosen to be a lone wolf. 

But people were different, and Anning was absolutely trustworthy. 

It wasn’t that she would never change, but she had a strength about her that seemed to ensure she would never let herself fall into a desperate situation. 

Zhang Chao knew the evils of human nature, but as long as they didn’t reach a point of no return, she wouldn’t harm her companions.