It is not uncommon for new buildings not to be updated on the map in time. 

Huo Yishen roughly outlined the direction of the rescue efforts, and Jiang Ning had a vague idea that heading southwest couldn’t be wrong. 

The area is a newly developed zone, and it belongs to the direction of city expansion. There are indeed new buildings, and the place is relatively spacious. 

Huo Yishen drove, while Jiang Ning sat beside him to give directions. 

When they arrived at the development zone, there were abandoned buildings, dry rivers, and cracked land everywhere. 

Driving onto the overpass and taking out binoculars to search. Jiang Ning found several buildings with signs of life, and then she ruled out the old buildings. 

Driving around, it turned out to be Aoyuan. 

Belonging to Wangjiang Mansion, the main entrance was designed luxuriously yet artistically. 

There were about ten buildings inside, and the spacing between them was extremely wide. 

If there had been no natural disaster, the houses here would have started at least at five million. 

Although the property was large, from observation, it seemed that not many people were living there. Unexpectedly, there was something hidden inside. 

There was a security booth at the gate, and there were actually six security guards on duty. 

To call them security guards might not be accurate; judging from their attire, they should be residents of the neighborhood. When they saw the Hummer stop at the entrance, they immediately became alert. “What are you doing?” 

Jiang Ning leaned out, revealing a friendly smile. “Brother, we’ve come out to look for a house. Do you have any houses for rent here?” 

Renting a house? The group didn’t relax their guard. “Where are you from, and why do you want to rent a house?” 

“We live near the university town. The house we live in has cracks and is not safe.” 

The group whispered among themselves, “We have houses, but you need to pay rent, and you also need to do the interview.” 

Surprisingly, renting a house also needs an interview. 

Jiang Ning found it strange, but it could be understood. After all, in the apocalypse, people’s hearts were unpredictable. Who would dare to easily let others in? What if it was a wolf in sheep’s clothing? 

However, the Aoyuan neighborhood seemed quite united. They actually arranged for residents to guard the gate. 

Unlike the Jinrong community, where anyone could come in, the gate was wide open with no one managing it. 

Jiang Ning couldn’t help but be interested. “How much is the monthly rent?” 

“10–20 catties of grain per month, depending on the situation.” 

Jiang Ning asked carefully, “Coarse grain?” 

After receiving an affirmative answer, she asked again, “When is the interview?” 

“You wait here; I’ll go inform them now.” 

Before coming, Huo Yishen had already driven around Aoyuan. The entire neighborhood was surrounded by courtyard walls, and broken glass shards were inserted on top of the walls. There were also residents on duty in the neighborhood. It seemed that the awareness of security and prevention was quite strong. 

Although sitting in the car, Jiang Ning secretly observed the several people guarding the gate. 

Although they say that the heart is unpredictable, the appearance reflects the heart. Struggling in the catastrophe of the end times for a long time, sometimes you could really see some clues. 

The car windows were covered with privacy film. Although they were also observing her, Jiang Ning felt alertness and caution from them but didn’t sense any malice. 

Moreover, there was a big shot who understood lip reading sitting beside her. 

Regarding the Aoyuan neighborhood, Jiang Ning couldn’t help but feel a bit excited. 

After waiting for about half an hour, the interviewer finally arrived. 

He was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a slightly old grey T-shirt, but it was very clean. His thin, square face exuded a hint of elegance. 

He walked out of the neighborhood, and the two followed suit. 

Huo Yishen’s memory became clear; he was the man who led the neighborhood members to form a rescue team after the earthquake. 

The man reached out his hand. “Are you two planning to rent a house?” 

Huo Yishen shook hands with him. “Yes, we want to take a look here.” 

The weather was too hot, and sweat was dripping profusely in a moment. The man invited the two into the guard booth and introduced himself: “My surname is He, He Tianming. You can call me Old He. May I ask your names?” 

“Please, call me Huo.” 

He Tianming invited them to sit down and handed over two palm-leaf fans. 

As he fanned himself, He Tianming asked about everything in detail—age, gender, address, hometown, family members… 

Jiang Ning frowned. “We just want to rent a house. Are you checking our household registration?” 

“Sorry, you misunderstood,” He Tianming explained. “Aoyuan Phase One was just completed not long ago when the disaster struck. At that time, several households, including mine, had just moved in, and the other houses were all empty. 

Alone, we couldn’t withstand it, so several families joined forces to survive. Later, we also gradually took in some people. So far, there are about a hundred people in the neighborhood. 

The living conditions are harsh now, and people’s hearts are even more unpredictable. Although our neighborhood is open for rent, not everyone can come in. 

Once you live in Aoyuan, we are all part of one big family, so the screening of residents is particularly strict. 

I was a psychologist before the disaster, so I took on the task of interviewing. I hope that everyone who moves in here is a good person and can find a sense of home here.” 

So, he was a psychologist. No wonder it felt like an examination. He could make judgements about tenants character from their conversations. 

Although it was just a simple conversation, it could help him filter out seventy to eighty percent of suspicious survivors, thus keeping danger outside the door. 

The interview continued, and He Tianming first asked Huo Yishen, “Mr. Huo, what did you do before the disaster?” 

“Special police, retired due to injury.” 

Knowing his profession, He Tianming was very interested and asked many related questions. 

After chatting for more than ten minutes, it was Jiang Ning’s turn. She introduced herself: “I grew up in an orphanage, without any relatives, and I’m a student at the medical school.” 

He Tianming looked Jiang Ning up and down. “If you move in, besides bringing a child, do you also have pets?” 

Pets? Jiang Ning was surprised. 

He Tianming smiled. “If I’m not mistaken, you should have a dog, a mastiff.” 

On an extremely hot day, Jiang Ning felt a chill all over her body. How did he know? 

But she quickly realized that when she left, Coke rubbed against her. 

Sure enough, there were a few dog hairs on her clothes. 

She couldn’t help but wonder: were there any secrets left in front of a psychologist? 

Afraid of her misunderstanding, He Tianming quickly said, “Don’t get me wrong. Pets are allowed in our neighborhood. I also have a dog, a Teddy.” 

Jiang Ning was even more confused. Is this the Garden of Eden in the apocalypse? 

She had the ability to cheat with space, but what kind of family conditions would an ordinary person need to afford to keep a dog during the catastrophe? 

Was it truly not a butcher’s shop? She didn’t want to end up as a barbecued pork bun. 

Seeing the confusion between the two, He Tianming explained, “Most of the people we take in from outside have survival skills, and the rent we collect is distributed according to labor. We can barely make ends meet.” 

Talking about rent, Jiang Ning was curious. “How much grain do you collect in a month?” 

He Tianming considered carefully: “For each household that moves in, one member must contribute labor, patrolling the neighborhood every day. Do you have any objections?” 

“No problem.” 

“Ordinary people need to pay 20 catties of grain per household.” 

Jiang Ning was slightly surprised. “20 catties isn’t cheap.” 

“If Mr. Huo can teach self-defense techniques to the young adults in the neighborhood, and Miss Jiang can provide medical treatment to the residents of the neighborhood, we can waive 10 catties of grain.” 

Jiang Ning spoke truthfully, “Even with 10 catties of grain waived, it’s still not cheap.” 

He Tianming smiled. “There are other benefits in the neighborhood, and 10 catties of grain isn’t expensive.” 

Jiang Ning also reciprocated with an observation of her own. “Do you have wells in your neighborhood?”

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