They entered a multi-level area, a separate courtyard close to the business hall. The courtyard had a heavy iron gate, and the space, less than 100 square meters in total, consisted of a five-story building. It was evident that, knowing the extreme cold was approaching, the roof had been insulated. From the structure’s appearance, even if the building was fully occupied, it would only house about ten families.

Inside the small courtyard, there were many stacks of coal placed against the wall, covered with a shelter, neatly arranged in piles.

An elderly man was carrying coal in a basket.

When Qi Jin, who entered last, saw the old man’s back, he excitedly shouted, “Grandpa!”

The old soldier’s back stiffened for a moment, then slowly turned around. Seeing his grandson, who looked well and intact, his eyes shimmered with emotion. Although they had only been apart for a little over ten days, it felt like a lifetime. His voice was low and trembling: “Qi Jin.”

Qi Jin rushed forward and embraced his grandfather, feeling extremely happy.

The old soldier looked at his grandson’s slightly rounder cheeks, then turned his grateful gaze toward Nan Muran.

Soon, the people inside the house came out—Qi Jin’s parents and his younger twin siblings. The family gathered together, inspecting one another, filled with joy.

Although the Eagle’s parents didn’t fully understand the situation, seeing that Qi Jin’s whole family was here brought them some relief.

Guo Fei explained to Nan Muran and the others, “This courtyard is relatively small compared to the others in the area. It has a total of ten two-bedroom apartments. I’ve bought them all at the base’s transaction price and registered them under the Star刺 team.”

“Qi Jin’s family lives in two apartments on the first floor.”

“The Eagle’s family is on the second floor. The third floor already has two households, people you’re familiar with. The fourth floor is still vacant.”

As soon as Guo Fei finished speaking, two people came down from the upper floors.

One was a tall, youthful man with a refreshing aura—Chen Yunliang, Guo Fei’s law firm assistant before the apocalypse. The other, a slightly chubby man, was Zhang Bo, Guo Fei’s law firm partner and university senior.

Nan Muran recognized both of them.

“Miss Nan,” the two quickly greeted as they approached.

From the way they walked, Nan Muran could tell that two of the mutated fruits she had given to Guo Fei had been eaten by them, and they had already awakened their abilities—one with Earth powers, the other with Metal powers.

This worked out well. With these two looking after the elderly and weak in the courtyard, Nan Muran could feel more at ease, even when they went out.

Seeing that everyone in the courtyard was familiar, the Eagle felt relieved. “Dad, Mom, Big Brother, Taozi, you’ll be staying here.”

The Eagle’s parents nodded in relief. “Alright, then here it is.”

With the older couple agreeing, everyone let out a breath of relief.

The group began unloading the car. Since it was a move, aside from some large items that couldn’t be carried, the Eagle’s family managed to bring almost everything.

Although the two apartments only had simple furniture like a sofa, coffee table, bed, and wardrobe, they were still cozy. The houses were built after the military established the base, designed to withstand harsh environments, so they were very sturdy.

The kitchen used coal stoves, and the firewalls could heat the entire house, a very practical design for the extreme cold.

The Eagle’s parents and older brother stayed in the east apartment, while Taozi stayed in the west one, and the Eagle kept a room for himself.

“Fei Ge, is there somewhere we can talk privately?” After everything was moved in, Nan Muran asked Guo Fei.

“The fifth floor is reserved for office use.” It was clear that Guo Fei had already planned ahead.

“Qi Jin, Eagle, stay with your family. After we’re done, we’ll head back to Half Mountain this afternoon,” Nan Muran briefly arranged things, then followed Guo Fei and the others up to the east unit on the fifth floor.

Once inside, she saw that the entire house had been set up as an office, complete with a meeting room and a reception area.

Looking at the setup and considering how Guo Fei had arranged for Qi Jin’s and the Eagle’s families, Si Ye couldn’t help but look at Guo Fei with newfound respect.

He had brains, principles, abilities, and a vision. He also knew how to handle people’s hearts. Most importantly, he was absolutely loyal to Nan Muran. Such a person would have been a rare find even before the apocalypse.

Nan Muran wasn’t surprised by Guo Fei’s arrangements and directly sat in the main seat.

Guo Fei sat in the chair closest to her and gestured for Si Ye to sit opposite. Chen Yunliang and Zhang Bo also took their seats. The hierarchy among them was clear.

“Have you decided what business you want to pursue?” Nan Muran asked directly.

Even though it was her first time hearing about the Shen Sha organization, she could already roughly gauge its enormity. If she were to go up against them, she would need power, money, and military strength—each one of these three would need to be maximized.

She could handle the military strength herself, and with Guo Fei’s planning, power was taken care of. That left money as the most pressing concern.

“Exchanging pre-apocalypse resources directly for money is too risky, so it must be more subtle,” Zhang Bo said, looking at Nan Muran.

In the early days of the apocalypse, many people of high status still lived well because they had enough resources.

However, as time passed and survival of the fittest became more apparent, many of these resources were seized by those with greater combat abilities, and many lost their lives as a result.

So, resource exchange was risky and attracted unwanted attention, and there was no need to do it at this stage.

Nan Muran nodded in agreement. She had plenty of space-based items, but she didn’t plan to share them with all of humanity, so she wouldn’t be pursuing that business. “So, what’s your final conclusion?”

“Qi Huo Ju,” Guo Fei answered after their discussion.

Nan Muran was initially puzzled, but after a moment of thought, she understood the key. “An auction house?”

“Along with a pawn shop,” Zhang Bo added. He had originally thought Nan Muran might miss the point because of her youth, but clearly, some people had a natural business acumen.

“That’s a good idea. This business will require high security and will save us from a lot of small troubles. Have you picked the location?”

Guo Fei seemed hesitant, almost reluctant to speak.

“Fei Ge, just say it,” Nan Muran said, surprised by Guo Fei’s reaction.

“Villa No. 1,” Guo Fei answered directly.

Nan Muran was naturally familiar with Villa No. 1. It was the model house from Nan Mountain Cloud Gardens. A standalone villa located near the transaction hall, with unique courtyards front and back, the land, views, and layout were unmatched in the entire safe zone. Low-key luxury, with a mysterious charm—it was indeed a perfect fit.

However, securing this location from the military would likely require a huge payment. “Has Commander Chen been asking for a high price?”