Chapter 126 - 117: Tailor Shop
To the side was a set of wooden shutters.
Inside the room sat a small wooden table, upon which were two kerosene lamps.
On another table that served as a workbench, scissors, a tape measure, tailor’s chalk, a thimble, and a pincushion bristling with needles lay scattered about.
And then there were several large bundles of black, white, and gray thread.
It all looked rather humble, but it inexplicably possessed a unique charm.
Qin Ziwen glanced around, a little perplexed. ’This is an ancient building, but it has a somewhat Western-style feel to it.’
He had never seen a building in this style before.
The buildings in his own Home were predominantly Eastern in style.
He didn’t know if it was due to the Building Card itself or a difference between Home owners.
’I guess I’ll find out once I build my own tailor shop.’
Qin Ziwen looked at the tailor shop before him.
’Use Insight.’
[Permission check in progress... Insight successful!]
[Level 1 Tailor Shop: Level 1 Stitching Efficiency Boost, Level 1 Leather Armor Flexibility Boost]
Qin Ziwen was surprised. ’This tailor shop’s effect is pretty good. It boosts stitching efficiency and even increases the flexibility of Leather Armor.’
One improves efficiency, and the other increases the flexibility of the armor.
This meant that for Leather Armor crafted in this tailor shop, the final product would be tougher, even when using the same materials.
The Leather Armor produced in Zhao Pu’s tailor shop would be more competitive than similar products.
"Is everything alright, Mr. Qin?" Zhao Pu asked.
Qin Ziwen nodded. "No, not at all. It’s great."
Zhao Pu breathed a sigh of relief. "That’s good."
The way Mr. Qin had been looking around ever since he came in had put him on edge, making him worry that something was wrong with his building.
"Dad, we have a Card now, too!" Zhao Shuhuan said as he walked in, his eyes widening in pleasant surprise at the set of tailor’s tools on the table.
"Do you want to learn tailoring?" Zhao Pu asked with a smile.
Zhao Shuhuan quickly shook his head. "No, I don’t want to."
Seeing this, Zhao Pu didn’t press the issue. He knew that interest is the best teacher. "If you’re not interested, then forget it. When you find a profession you like in the future, you can learn that instead."
Hearing his father say that made Zhao Shuhuan feel a little embarrassed. He said quietly, "It’s not that I have anything against being a tailor, I just don’t really like it. I like the feeling of setting traps and catching prey."
"You want to be a Hunter?" Zhao Pu was taken aback. ’This kid is usually so quiet, yet he wants to be a Hunter?’
Zhao Pu cautioned him, "Being a Hunter is very dangerous. Don’t be fooled by how impressive the members of the Hunting Team look every day. The truth is, every time they go out, they can’t even guarantee they’ll make it back safely."
For the first time, Zhao Shuhuan opened up to his father. "I know, Dad. I’ve looked into it."
Looking into his son’s eyes, Zhao Pu fell silent for a long while. "I’ll see what I can do. But first, you need to build up your strength. If you’re going to hunt beasts, physical fitness is crucial."
Qin Ziwen said, "Well, Dr. Zhao, I should be going."
"Thank you, Mr. Qin." Zhao Pu saw Qin Ziwen to the door.
Only after hearing Mr. Qin go upstairs and shut his door did he close his own.
Zhao Shuhuan asked curiously, "Dad, does this mean you’ve awakened a Home?"
"That’s right," Zhao Pu said with a smile, summoning the small, glowing orb that was his Home.
As he watched the small orb float before him, emitting a shimmering white light, its reflection danced in his eyes. He reached out, cautiously trying to touch it.
But his finger passed right through it.
He could see it, but he couldn’t touch it.
Zhao Shuhuan said excitedly, "Dad, I heard very few people in the Gated Community have awakened a Home—only about ten percent."
"Seventeen percent," Zhao Pu said.
Zhao Shuhuan was surprised to hear such a precise figure. "Huh?"
"You can see it in the Home interface," Zhao Pu said, then glanced at the notification about the next transmigration.
But he couldn’t see everything. The most conspicuous thing was a two-word message: Insufficient Permission.
𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂
Zhao Pu mused, "It seems Mr. Qin’s permission level is higher."
"Dad? Dad?" Zhao Shuhuan called out to him.
Zhao Pu snapped back to reality and looked at his son, smiling. "Shuhuan, I promise I’ll make sure we live a good life here."
...
After leaving his apartment, Qin Ziwen called on Du Yu, and they headed toward Building 1.
By this time, the market in the center of the Gated Community was winding down. Most of the stalls had been packed up, and the area was growing quiet.
They arrived at Unit 1, Apartment 801, in Building 1.
After they knocked, the apartment remained silent.
"Brother Wang, it’s me, Qin Ziwen."
Only after Qin Ziwen spoke did footsteps approach from behind the door.
A moment later, the door opened a crack.
Wang Yun, his hair a mess and his expression haggard, stood behind the door. He sized up Qin Ziwen, his gaze finally landing on Du Yu.
When he saw Du Yu, a peculiar look flashed in Wang Yun’s eyes.
Having recruited Hunters before, he’d had long-term contact with people from ancient times. The moment he saw Du Yu, even with their short hair, he could tell they were definitely not a modern person.
There was a natural difference in bearing between people from the modern era and those from ancient times.
"It’s only been a few days, don’t be such a stranger," Qin Ziwen said with a smile. "I’ve heard a bit about what happened. And don’t worry, I haven’t joined the Alliance Association."
Hearing that last part, Wang Yun was silent for a moment before pulling the door fully open and stepping aside to let them in.
Once inside, Qin Ziwen saw that the room was somewhat empty. It felt much more desolate than on his previous visits.
Sitting on the living room sofa, he asked casually, "Hey, where’s your wife?"
A pained look flickered in Wang Yun’s eyes.
"She’s sick. With the infectious disease."
As soon as he spoke, a fit of violent coughing erupted from the bedroom.
Lin Yi’s hoarse voice followed. "Is that Xiaoqin? I’m sorry, I’m sick, so it’s not convenient for me to come out and greet you. I hope you’ll understand."
Qin Ziwen asked, "Has she taken any medicine?"
"She took some herbal medicine, but it didn’t do much good. She wasn’t in great health to begin with," Wang Yun said, his expression full of bitterness.
"There are no hospitals here, and medicine of any kind is scarce. If you get sick and can’t treat it yourself, all you can do is pray your immune system is strong enough and leave the rest to fate."
Qin Ziwen said, "I had the same illness before. I took some antibiotics and I have a few left over. If you’d like, I can bring them over in a bit."
Hearing this, Wang Yun’s eyes lit up, and his voice trembled. "This... this..."
He had begged everyone he could think of, asked anyone who would listen, and searched everywhere he could.
But he had offended the Alliance Association, so its members refused to sell him anything, and everyone else claimed they had nothing.
"Brother Qin, this—"
Wang Yun didn’t know how to express the overwhelming emotions he felt.
But his expression quickly turned bitter. "If you’re thinking of joining my team... I’m sorry. You probably know a bit about my situation. The team... well, those who aren’t dead have scattered."
"The altar I discovered is now controlled by the Alliance Association. I have nothing to offer you. But if you need me to do anything, just say the word."
Qin Ziwen said, "Alright, then I’ll take you up on that. Brother Wang, I came to invite you to join my team."
Wang Yun didn’t hesitate, nodding immediately. "Alright. Are there any conditions? Once my wife is better, my life is yours!"
Qin Ziwen smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "There’s no need for that. This is a proper team, not some shady organization where you have to sell your life. By the way, where’s that Hunter you had before?"
At these words, Du Yu glanced toward the balcony. Wang Yun gestured toward it with his hand.
A silent, taciturn man in a tracksuit emerged from the balcony.
Qin Ziwen was surprised. ’I’ve been here all this time and didn’t even notice someone else was on the balcony.’ He used Insight on the man.
[Permission check in progress... Insight successful!]
[Ordinary Human: ☆☆☆]
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