Shen Yunyun remained silent. She couldn’t quite pinpoint what she was feeling. If she said he was right, something felt off. If she said he was wrong, there didn’t seem to be any issue. But one thing she was sure of—she admired him. This was probably what they called perseverance, growing stronger with every setback. A person with such determination and a positive mindset—it would be a crime if he didn’t succeed.
“So, what are your plans next?” Shen Yunyun had just transferred him 800,000 yuan, though she didn’t know how much of that came from loans. Sure enough, he said the next second, “First, pay off the debts.”
“After you pay them off, will you have any money left?” Shen Yunyun asked.
“I took out a loan of 500,000 and borrowed 200,000 from others. After paying off the principal and interest, there won’t be much left.”
Shen Yunyun: “So, are you planning to go work in a coastal city again?”
Liao Zhen felt a bit awkward and cleared his throat. “That’s the plan.”
Shen Yunyun thought for a moment and said, “How about working with me instead?”
Liao Zhen looked at her with surprise. “What do you want to do? As long as it’s not illegal, I’m in.”
Shen Yunyun hadn’t planned to meddle, but now she wanted to help this unlucky Liao Zhen.
“Doesn’t your village still have grapes? Why not go into downstream processing?”
“Like grape juice? Wine? Raisins?” Liao Zhen immediately thought of the downstream products grapes could make. Raisins were out—Xinjiang’s were better. But grape juice and wine were doable. Still, the equipment would cost a lot.
“Think it over carefully. See what else you can do. Call me when you’ve decided.” Shen Yunyun gave him her phone number.
Liao Zhen was thrilled and nodded eagerly.
Shen Yunyun remembered Little Tangyuan asking for warm clothes, planning to go zero-cost shopping in the apocalypse. But before heading to the apocalypse, she needed to buy some daily necessities to deliver to Zhang Yifan and the others.
The vegetables in the community were growing well, and crops like corn, sweet potatoes, and potatoes were thriving.
“Come with me to scavenge for supplies again,” Shen Yunyun said to Zhang Yifan.
“Okay.” Zhang Yifan didn’t ask any questions and drove Shen Yunyun out.
The city roads showed signs of being cleared. They arrived at the clothing wholesale market.
Shen Yunyun took everything she saw—clothes, shoes, socks, bedding, winter and summer items alike. Zhang Yifan had no idea what she needed them for, but since she wanted to collect them, he didn’t mind. They wouldn’t use that much anyway.
Back at Building 11, Zhang Yifan handed over the gold and silver he’d recently scavenged to Shen Yunyun.
“Can you get a few more laser guns?” Zhang Yifan asked.
Shen Yunyun raised an eyebrow. “Not enough laser guns?”
“We rescued seven more people, two of whom are veterans.”
Shen Yunyun glanced at the crystals in her space and nodded. “I’ll try.”
She realized the stuff she’d zero-cost shopped was too mixed. It was fine for ordinary people, but for the military, it was too shabby. No, she needed custom uniforms and bedding. And tents, right? She had plenty of tents from zero-cost shopping, but again, the models and colors were too varied—unsuitable for military use. Military supplies had to be custom-made.
That evening, she delivered the supplies to the Empress Dowager.