Han Meng narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling the warmth seeping into his skin.
The temperature inside this building was at least fifty degrees higher than outside.
Liu Ying's breathing also slowed slightly.
She had been traveling through the wind and snow for nearly a month, chilled to the bone. As the warmth seeped through her skin, her tense muscles slowly relaxed.
Bai Shumo didn't speak, but his grip on his black wooden staff visibly relaxed.
Han Meng's gaze swept across the spacious first-floor lobby. The floor was covered in smooth grey tiles, the walls were painted a pale white, and the overhead lighting was soft and even.
Under Su Wan's guidance, the three of them toured the Terminal Station main building like tourists.
They saw the convenience store and the various supplies neatly lining its shelves.
There was compressed food, clean drinking water, warm clothing, tools, spare parts, and even some well-packaged canned goods and condiments.
They also saw the public cafeteria, where several tenants wearing aprons were busy at work, steam drifting from the service windows carrying the aroma of hot food.
Walking further in, there was a medical station. Several clean-looking injured people sat on benches waiting to have their dressings changed, with white robots bustling around them.
Han Meng withdrew his gaze, a wave of shock rippling through him.
This was no vagrant shelter; it was clearly a fully equipped fortress.
Every few paces along the corridor walls, a wall lamp cast a soft, gentle light.
The floor was so clean it was reflective. Occasionally, a few children ran down the corridor, their faces flushed with a healthy color.
Standing in the corridor and witnessing this scene, Han Meng and the other two felt dazed for a moment.
All three of them were Level 4 Ability Users who held high positions in the Azure Blade Gang of Glory City, enjoying the best resources and treatment.
Yet even so, when they went out on missions, they couldn't avoid sleeping in the wild, making do for a night in ruined buildings within the Ruin Zone, or shivering in temporary camps on the edge of the Non-Safe Zone.
Yet these vagrants, whom they usually viewed as mere ants, actually lived in a place like this.
Clean rooms, warm surroundings, abundant food, complete medical care...
Even as Level 4 Ability Users, the three of them had never enjoyed such treatment.
Standing behind Han Meng, a complex emotion flashed in Liu Ying's narrow, phoenix-like eyes. Her lips pursed slightly, but she remained silent.
Bai Shumo's expression remained normal, but his fingers tightened around his wooden staff once more.
Han Meng suppressed the indescribable emotions in his heart and turned to look at Su Wan, his tone a bit more polite than before:
“Miss Su, I have a bold request...”
Su Wan raised her eyebrows slightly. “Please, go ahead.”
“Our Azure Blade Gang has a long-term trading relationship with a certain faction in Tianshu City, so our members frequently travel back and forth between Glory City and Tianshu City.”
“Each round trip covers at least three to four hundred li. Eating and sleeping in the wild is a common occurrence.”
“If we could book a few exclusive rooms here to serve as a permanent rest stop for the Azure Blade Gang in Panshi City, we wouldn't have to search for a place to stay every time we pass through...”
He paused, his voice sincere. “I wonder if Miss Su could accommodate us? Of course, we will pay the rent as usual.”
Hearing this, Su Wan's heart stirred slightly.
System, show me Panshi City's geographical location within the entire Yongming Province.
【Retrieving map data...】
A 3D map expanded in her consciousness.
The territory of Yongming Province was shaped like an irregular leaf, with mountains, rivers, ruins, and cities interwoven across it.
And Panshi City was located right in the south-central region of the province.
With Panshi City at the center, Glory City lay three hundred li to the east, Fengyuan City lay five hundred li to the west, Tianshu City lay four hundred li to the north, and Tiebi City lay six hundred li to the south.
Four major travel routes converged here like a crossroads.
Su Wan's eyes lit up slightly.
For any Ability User traveling between these cities, passing through Panshi City would make this the most convenient place to stop and rest.
Wasn't this a natural transit station?
With such a geographical location, it would be a massive loss not to open an Ability User hotel!
A series of plans quickly flashed through her mind.
Terminal Station would no longer be just a shelter for vagrants; she could set aside a dedicated area to serve as a rest stop for traveling Ability Users.
The rates wouldn't need to be calculated monthly either, but on a daily basis.
Su Wan looked at Han Meng, a slight smile playing on her lips. “How many rooms do you want, Gang Leader Han?”
Han Meng held up one hand. “Five. Miss Su, our Azure Blade Gang has at least a dozen member-trips back and forth between Glory City and Tianshu City every month, with each stay lasting anywhere from one to two days.”
“If we can have five rooms permanently reserved here, it would be incredibly convenient for our brothers in the gang.”
Su Wan calculated quickly in her mind.
Five rooms. If billed daily at one hundred Star Coins per room, five rooms would be five hundred a day, which amounted to fifteen thousand a month.
And that was a conservative estimate.
Furthermore, Ability Users were far wealthier than vagrants.
Their spending power on lodging, dining, and shopping would far exceed that of ordinary tenants.
Most importantly, as long as they stayed in Terminal Station...
They would all become her people!
This would be much faster than building her own army of Ability Users from scratch!
“As for the rent—” Su Wan looked at Han Meng. “What price do you think is appropriate, Gang Leader Han?”
Han Meng looked around, his gaze sweeping over the lobby, the corridors, the warm rooms, and the fully equipped facilities.
He was silent for a moment before holding up two fingers. “Five rooms, twenty thousand Star Coins a month.”
“A long-term lease, prepaid monthly.”
“Regardless of whether our people come or not, these five rooms must be reserved for us, dedicated solely to the Azure Blade Gang.”
Without hesitation, Su Wan nodded. “Deal.”
“As long as you pay the rent on time, our service will definitely satisfy you.”
For the first time since entering Terminal Station, a genuine smile appeared on Han Meng's face.
He extended his hand. “You're a straightforward person, Miss Su. Then it's a deal.”
Su Wan reached out and shook his hand.
The two smiled at each other.
Su Wan arranged three adjacent rooms for Han Meng's trio, all located at the end of the corridor on the sixth floor of the main building.
They were quiet, had good natural light, and opening the windows offered a view of the ruins outside Terminal Station's perimeter wall.
“The rooms have private bathrooms, and hot water is supplied without limit.” Su Wan stood at the doorway, her tone casual.
“If you're hungry, you can go to the cafeteria. If you want to buy anything, just go to the convenience store. Everything can be charged to your tab, and we'll settle the bill when you leave.”
She paused and added, “During the Death Tide, various areas in the building will have restrictions, but your range of movement won't be too constrained. Just don't enter any areas marked 'No Entry,' and you can wander anywhere else.”
Han Meng cupped his hands. “Thank you, Miss Su.”
Su Wan nodded and didn't linger, turning to leave the corridor.
The sound of her footsteps gradually faded in the stairwell until they could no longer be heard.
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