茶杯狐 -CUPFOX

Chapter 34: The House

Getting a job is out of the question, since occupations requiring interaction with people or sitting in an office all day aren’t well-suited for me.

However, it’s not that Xiang Kun has no options. He didn’t attend university for four years or work for the past few years for nothing. Apart from working overtime, he didn’t waste most of his time on leisure, entertainment or pursuing romantic pleasures, but rather dedicated himself to learning new technologies – hoping to shoulder more burdens once the company grows and goes public.

It’s impossible for him to get hired or go to work, but there’s no problem accepting some freelancing jobs from home. He does have connections for that.

Although the income would obviously be unstable, at least he would have relatively more freedom with time. There would be less need for prolonged human interaction, which seems like a good option for him right now.

Several mutations later, his physiological functions have significantly improved; his thinking speed, memory capacity, and the ability to concentrate are greatly enhanced, making it easy for him to work efficiently and for long hours.

Tasks that might have taken him 50 hours before can now be completed in less than 30 hours when he is highly focused and working steadily. Moreover, these 30 hours can be continuous, without eating, drinking or resting, which means he can do it all in just over a day.

However, Xiang Kun didn’t start taking on assignments right away. After going on a hike with Tang Baona the previous weekend, he came up with a new idea:

Sell the house and return to his hometown.

Since graduating, Xiang Kun worked for a company for seven years and could be considered a veteran.

Considering his years working there and his contributions to the company, his salary was comparatively lower within the industry. However, he had never cared much about it, as he had been working far more than the notorious 996 schedule for the past seven years, not for the wages, but for his company’s stock options.

When the company went under, his stock options naturally became worthless, and his seven-year goal was abruptly cut off. Unlike most of his colleagues, Xiang Kun didn’t have many expenses, and the salary he had earned over the past seven years was mostly spent on his house located in the outer ring of the city.

While the houses in the outer ring are not as valuable and do not appreciate as quickly as the ones in the inner ring, the value of Xiang Kun’s house has increased by more than eight thousand per square meter over the years since he bought it.

If he sells his house now, he pays off his remaining mortgage, plus his savings, and still has over a million left.

In 2019, over a million in this city is not insignificant, but it’s not a huge sum either. For instance, he couldn’t afford to buy a decent house in cash.

At first, Xiang Kun thought that if he died from his “illness,” the house would be left to his parents as a retirement fund.

In the beginning, he had the idea of “curing the disease” in mind, so he stayed in the big city where the medical condition and information would certainly be better if he could not hold out and had to go to the hospital.

However, after each episode of blood drinking and mutation, his mindset has changed quite a bit.

Especially after going hiking with Tang Baona, he felt it might be a better choice to stay away from crowds and cities.

Indeed, he doesn’t have any real reasons to stay in this city anymore.

If he returns to his hometown, he has a plan: with the million or so, he’ll buy a large-scale commercial insurance policy for his parents. Then he’ll save the rest. He only needs a small portion of the money to survive for several years.

If you don’t get married, don’t raise children, and don’t pursue a high quality of life, the cost of living is actually quite low.

As to whether to leave or to stay, Xiang Kun hasn’t exactly made up his mind yet.

However, regardless of his decision, the first step is to take back his house.

The previous tenants were the only renters of Xiang Kun’s house. Having rented the place since it was up for rent, both parties were easy-going, and they resolved disputes amicably over the years.

After moving out, the tenant even cleaned the house briefly. When Xiang Kun came over, there wasn’t a mess.

When Xiang Kun initially got the house, it came with simple decor, so he didn’t spend extra money on renovations back then. He figured he’d renovate when he moved in himself. Therefore, he only bought basic furniture, and essential appliances like air conditioners and washing machines. The tenant later added the TV and refrigerator.

Although the previous tenant was a decent person, they had two kids. After a few years, there was bound to be some wear and tear on the walls and floor tiles. But since it was a cheap and simple decor, Xiang Kun didn’t really care and generously returned the full deposit.

After cleaning briefly, Xiang Kun moved in that night – anyway, he didn’t have much stuff in his rental, and it only took him an hour to pack everything in the morning.

While moving, a little chubby girl who seemed to be in kindergarten, sucking on a lollipop, stood in front of Xiang Kun’s home door and peeked inside.

“Little girl, can I help you?” Xiang Kun approached and asked with a gentle voice.

“Did brother Xiao Min and brother Xiao Feng move away?” The little chubby girl pulled the lollipop out of her mouth and asked in a childlike voice while peering inside.

Xiang Kun knew that “brother Xiao Min” and “brother Xiao Feng” must be the two children from the tenant’s family, both boys in elementary school if he remembered correctly.

“Yes, they’ve moved. But they didn’t go far, just to the neighborhood next door.

Didn’t they tell you before they left?”

The little chubby girl pouted, apparently dissatisfied, and didn’t answer Xiang Kun. She turned and started to walk away, but seemed to remember something after a few steps and ran back. She took a lollipop from her pocket and handed it to Xiang Kun, “Uncle, this is for you.”

Xiang Kun was taken aback; he was about to decline, saying that uncles don’t eat candy, but he saw the hope in the little girl’s eyes and hesitated. He accepted the candy, patted her head and said, “Thank you. What’s your name?

“My name is Liu Shiling. The ‘Shi’ from ‘poem’ and the ‘ling’ from ‘bell.’ We live in 706, right over there!” The little chubby girl pointed to an open door across the hallway.

“So we’re neighbors. Can I count on your help then?” Xiang Kun smiled and nodded.

The little chubby girl nodded vigorously: “Mm-hmm, I will take care of you.”

On his first night in his own apartment, Xiang Kun didn’t go out to familiarize himself with the neighborhood but laid on his balcony, quietly gazing at the moon in the night sky.

Since buying this apartment, he had imagined countless times what it would feel like when he finally moved in.

Of course, in his imagination, by the time he moved in, the apartment would have been redecorated according to his preferences, with new furniture and electrical appliances and a female house owner.

That was the common fantasy occupying most of his spare time..