Chapter 251
Themunity had a decent harvest. The potatoes were all good quality and quite uniform in size.
Together with the seed potatoes they''d nted, the two of them had harvested around 2000 pounds
of fresh potatoes.
Satisfied that everything was in order, Ste returned the sr generator to Eastwood Eden.
Just as they were about to leave, Mark called them over, "The vis in Newtown are almost
complete. I happened to see some wealthy folks secretly choosing their houses at themunity
center yesterday.
“There are only 50 vis in the first phase and construction materials are scarce, so no one knows
when the second phase will begin. I suggest you go choose your house as soon as possible."
Ste was taken aback. She hadn''t expected the need to rush. She''d been naively waiting for an
official announcement.
Why would the authorities insist on building vis when there was such a shortage of materials? Of
course, it was all about payback. They had seized factories,nd, and assets from the wealthy and
business owners and had to provide something in return.
Why did a three-bedroom vi cost 50,000 points? Because from the very beginning, it was not
intended for the average person. The 50,000 point price tag was just a way to raise the bar so that
the lower-ss survivors couldn''t reach it.
"Thanks, Mark."
They set off for Newtown, bumping along the rough roads.
Ste asked, "Are there any second phase vis in Newtown?"
Jasper pondered, "I don’t think so, but there are ns for second and third phase condos."
There was no choice. Only a handful could afford vis and the authorities had to cater to the lower-
ss survivors. So it wasn''t as simple as saving enough points to live in a vi. Ste had a bad
feeling that the prospect of getting a vi seemed slim.
Purchasing a house was never a simple matter. Those with connections had already chosen their
homes before the sale began. Meanwhile, the honest folks who waited for the sale to start, even if
they lined up at three in the morning, faced the disappointing reality of sold-out signs.
They hadn''t been to Hope Bay in two months and the changes were dramatic. Construction was in
full swing and the half-built houses were a dull gray.
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The condos were all six stories high with rooms of about 80 square feet where you could touch the
walls just by turning around.
The streets were well nned, all simple dirt roads.
Themunity center was bustling with people earning points and exchanging goods. After a bit of
wandering, they finally found the inconspicuous property center where two employees were dozing
off.
Ste politely said, "Excuse me, I''m here to choose a detached house."
The female employee didn''t even look up, "They''re not on sale yet. Go back and wait for the
announcement."
Ste didn''t get mad, "Aren''t most of them already chosen? What does the sale have to do with it?"
"A detached house, right?" The male employee on the right looked up, "How many points do you
have?"
"50,000 points."
"House selection is ranked by the number of points. This batch is not avable for those with 50,000
points. Wait for the next batch."
Ste squinted, "ording to the initial rules, 50,000 points are enough. It didn''t say anything about
the number of points."
"You''re right, but under the same conditions, priority is given to those with more points. Please
understand."
Well, that was an official-sounding exnation. If this were outside themunity center, Ste
would have already drawn her knife.
What a sham, the final interpretation right always lies with the authorities.
But slicing people wouldn''t solve the problem. There were only 50 vis, and causing a scene
wouldn''t help.
Ste took a deep breath, pulled out two bottles of bourbon from her bag and passed them over,
smiling, "Could you help us out?"
Bourbon? The employees'' eyes lit up. After a nce at each other, they quickly hid the bottles.
"Ahem, you''re lucky, there''s only one house left."
Ste didn''t believe her. They were probably all reserved for the upper ss.
The employee pulled out a blueprint, and Ste quickly pointed to a vi in a prime location, "I want
this one."
The employee, suppressing a smirk, diplomatically said, "That one costs 500,000 points."
Ste, with only 50,000 points, fell silent.
50,000 versus 500,000? Although the blueprints were the same, anyone savvy knew something
was off.
The female employee drew three circles on the blueprint, "You can choose one from these."
As expected, they were the picked-over ones.
There was no choice. The ones who could afford a 500,000 point vi must have provided
significant help to the government.
Recognizing the reality, Ste didn''t feel envious and decisively pointed to the one in the far corner,
"I''ll take that one."
She took out her point card and handed it over.
The employee swiped the card and started the paperwork, "Will you be paying in fine grains or
coarse grains? Coarse grains are double the price."
Fine grains referred to rice and corn, while coarse grains were sweet potatoes and potatoes.
Without hesitation, Ste said, "Half and half."
She would keep half of the fresh produce for immediate use and dry the rest. Fortunately, they had
a harvester and a peeling machine, otherwise, the work would have been overwhelming.
The paperwork was handed over, and the employee instructed, "Make sure to deliver the grains
within three days. Once you''ve done that, bring this paper back to get the deed."
Ste thanked her, then passed over two more cards, "My friend also has two condos."
The employees were speechless. The Bourbon was indeed not a free gift.
The bourbon was a good deal, so they processed it for her. "Which location do you want?"
Ste thought for a moment, "Do you have any across from the police station?"
Being right under the police''s nose, even if there were troublemakers in the eternal night, they
wouldn''t dare cause trouble across from the police station.
The employee handed over a blueprint, "We do, but they''re not finished yet."
After a brief discussion with Jasper, Ste chose rooms 301 and 302 on the third floor. The situation
wasplicated, but with two bottles of bourbon, they managed to secure the houses, which was a
good deal.
Since it was a long trip, Ste decided to deliver the grain before heading back.
Jasper had no objections. The climate had been rtively stable over the half-year, and many
survivors seized the opportunity to nt crops. Even delivering the new grains wouldn''t attract
unwanted attention.
So Ste prepared 3,000 pounds of frost-resistant potatoes and 1,500 pounds of corn. They drove
to a secluded, uninhabited spot to unload the truck.
And wouldn''t you know it, knowing the right people made things easier. Rules only bound honest
people.
There were quite a few vehicles delivering grains, trucks loaded with rice, wheat, corn. You could
tell from the scale that they were from wealthy individuals.
There were also those who came with wheelbarrows, tricycles. These were middle to low-ss
survivors who had connections, most of them buying condos.
After two hours in line, it was finally Ste''s turn to deliver her grains.
Whether it was potatoes or corn, there was no need to pick and choose. It was quickly weighed and
receipted.
Holding the receipt, they returned to themunity center, only to find a crowd of dozens of people
waiting at the property center, all waiting to choose houses. Most were middle-aged and elderly,
dressed a bit better than regr survivors.
Listening to the chatter while waiting in line, Ste learned that they were all rtives of research
personnel.
As she was listening, a familiar voice rang out, "Ste?"