Cave Refuge

After seeing off the two officials downstairs from the upper floor, the family then locked the door firmly and retreated back inside.

Instead of returning to the closed-off conference room, they chose to linger in a fairly spacious office area. The floor-to-ceiling windows on the outer side of this office, made of pure glass, allowed for a clear view of the outside scenery.

Standing by the glass windows, Dong Tianyu pointed to the small boat body below and remarked, "I happened to encounter the officials relocating when I arrived today. It seems my guess was right. This office building is about to be transformed into the West City District Command Post."

"So a lot of people are going to live in this office building?"

Dong Tianyu answered his cousin Haiyang's question only with a silent nod.

"Dad, how are you guys living now? Is there anything else you need?"

Hearing that Dong Tianyu was still considering their needs, Father Dong laughed and said, "We aren't lacking anything at the moment. Having food to eat and a place to live is plenty in these times. We can't ask for too much."

When Dong Tianyu had begun speaking, Haiyang had been about to chime in, but his father pulled him back. In the end, Haiyang didn't interject.

"Oh, wait a minute."

Dong Tianyu recalled the backpack he had left in the visitor's lounge then turned around to retrieve it.

The bag didn't actually contain anything substantial, but as Dong Tianyu picked it up, he retrieved a slew of items from the Shadow Space and stuffed them inside.

Upon opening the backpack, the first items he pulled out were large bags of boned and prepared chicken, followed by a big bag of marinated chicken eggs.

Seeing Dong Tianyu take out meat and eggs from his backpack, everyone present immediately looked surprised.

"We at my workplace started trying our hand at domestic poultry. They beasts are rather small and full of bones, but at least it's meat. The large bag of marinated stuff is these critters' eggs.

If we had the conditions to raise these animals, I'd even contemplate getting a few more."

Hearing Dong Tianyu say this, Father Dong promptly scolded, "Simply take what you've brought this time. Don't indulge in such practices again. Having a good workplace in these times is already exceptional. Don't conduct any inappropriate actions."

In reality, Father Dong was aware of the conditions at Dong Tianyu's Refuge Center but played along with his son's act when Dong Tianyu mentioned it was from his workplace. He didn't know why his son chose to say it this way.

Dong Tianyu's second oldest brother also chimed in, advising Dong Tianyu, "Your father's right. Be stable in these times. If you have a good workplace, be content with it. We can bear with less food; it shouldn't negatively impact you."

While the two were reprimanding Dong Tianyu, Haiyang's father feared that if he joined in, they might incite Dong Tianyu's rebellious streak. He intervened, "That's enough. Tianyu is just acting out of filial piety. He's already brought the stuff back, so let's not harp on about it.

But Tianyu, you do need to be careful next time. Don't repeat such mistakes."

Thanks to Haiyang's father mediating the situation, it passed, and Dong Tianyu achieved his objective.

Next, Dong Tianyu began describing the conditions and environment outside based on his experiences during his trip.

Even if Dong Tianyu hadn't told them, they could gather a fair bit about the situation outside on their own. When they found out they had to move into an office building, Haiyang's father had swapped several telescopes with his neighbors.

High magnification telescopes that would normally cost thousands were traded for just two packs of cigarettes. The family had time to spare, so they would look out through the glass windows to observe the changing landscape outside with their telescopes.

Occasionally, they would venture out from the 30th floor to other floors, scouring for supplies. However, since this office building had already passed through the peak of the fiercely cold times, the available resources within the building were sparse.

While the group was in the midst of discussing the potential impact the arrival of the officials would have on their circumstances, their young niece ran in from outside, beckoning them to come for dinner.

Seeing his niece running towards him calling for uncle while making her way to his side, Dong Tianyu scooped her up, played with her for a bit, and then followed his father and the rest to the dining area.

As the chicken Dong Tianyu had brought was prepared rather late, it hadn't been served for dinner. Since they were in an office area, there was no lack of tables and chairs.

Perhaps it was because their number had dwindled, or because the table here was larger, but ever since they moved here, the family hadn't dined at separate tables.

The family gathered around the conference table, chatting and laughing. It was quite lively.

At the same time, when Wryden reported the situation at the Dong's to the top tier officials of the Command Post, he hadn't paid much attention afterwards.

After the top-level officials of the Command Post learned about the situation at the Dong's, they convened a brief meeting and came to a decision.

The floor the Dong family resided on had already been designated as a residential area. As long as the Dong family didn't create issues, they could continue to reside there.

To prevent any potential issues, Dong Tianyu purposely stayed here for two more days. Perhaps due to the relocation, no officials had been sent over since the previous two departed.

He didn't know what method the officials had employed, but they managed to restore the function of the elevator, which had sunk underwater.

This move, apart from significantly reducing the difficulty of their move, also presented some dangers to the Dong family.

Unlike the already sealed staircase, the elevator was situated at the center of the floor. Initially, they hadn't paid much attention to this area while renovating the place, thinking the elevator was out of order. Now the officials had restored the operation of the elevator, implying the elevator opening would need to be reinforced.

But where could they get the materials from?

And where would the electricity come from?

Fortunately, they had swapped a generator and some fuel for cigarettes from the elevator maintenance team. Dong Tianyu hadn't taken the welding machine when he welded the iron railing at the staircase, which made it look more natural, and he had also left behind some materials.

They spent some time sealing the elevator opening with the remaining materials. Due to the lack of resources, they didn't manage to make a functional door like they did for the staircase. Instead, they simply sealed it directly.

After remedying this anomaly, Dong Tianyu prepared to leave. He couldn't cultivate while staying here, which had caused him to miss several hanging sessions over the past few days.

As for Dong Tianyu's departure, although Father Dong and Mother Dong felt a bit reluctant, they found some solace in knowing that Dong Tianyu would be back after some time. Consequently, they didn't say much.

Dong Tianyu didn't wait for anyone to send him off. He walked out of the stairwell and told them to lock the main door before departing on his own.

As he descended the stairs, Dong Tianyu occasionally bumped into people who were hurriedly carrying stuff upsairs. These individuals paid no attention to Dong Tianyu descending the stairwell but were busy moving their stuff upstairs.

Through the main doors of the stairwell, Dong Tianyu could catch glimpses of the floors where people had already started to reside. The lower the floor, the more bustling the foot traffic.

When Dong Tianyu reached the water-facing floor, the originally haphazard entrances and exits had been significantly expanded and showcased clear signs of renovation.

The pedal boat he had brought here a few days ago and left in a corner had disappeared. He didn't know where it had been moved to.