45: What a good person!

Ai Yue composed herself and drove in the direction Gu Xiheng pointed, her face betraying no emotion.

The road became increasingly remote, making Ai Yue wonder if Gu Xiheng was leading them into a trap to kill them and steal their car... Just as she was having wild thoughts and considering stopping, Gu Xiheng said, "We're here." Ai Yue looked closely and indeed saw the faint outline of a tower spire in the distance. Her racing heart finally settled; it was a false alarm.

Gu Xiheng had long since noticed that while she appeared calm on the surface, she was actually panicking inside. He gave her a half-smile. Ai Yue guiltily pretended not to see and continued driving the marauder toward their destination with a stoic expression.

Half an hour later, a majestic base appeared before Ai Yue's family of three. The base was so vast that its end was nowhere in sight. A wall three meters high and one meter thick enclosed the entire base. Inside the walls, giant towers rose from the ground like steel behemoths, with even more towers under construction in the distance.

Each giant tower was fifty or sixty stories high. Standing at the base, a person felt as small as an ant. The towers were so large and tall—how many people could they house?

As they drew closer, everyone was stunned. It had everything inside: bustling streets, crowded sidewalks, and various shops. Moreover, the people inside all wore happy smiles. Was this the Apocalypse? This seemed more like a paradise forgotten by the Apocalypse.

To be able to establish such a prosperous base in the Apocalypse, one could only imagine how powerful the leader here must be!

"What? Surprised?" Gu Xiheng was used to such expressions and didn't find it strange at all. Ever since the Apocalypse began, everyone who came here for the first time wore that same shocked look.

Ai Yue nodded blankly, not yet having recovered from the shock.

In her previous life, she hadn't had the ability to reach a Safety Tower at all, so she had never seen what one actually looked like. It was truly spectacular and far beyond her expectations.

"Alright, stop dazing and let's go!" Gu Xiheng said with a genuine smile.

Seeing Ai Yues family so stunned, he felt a faint sense of pride. This place had been built by his family under the nation's orders during the crisis, and it was one of the best among all the constructed Safety Towers.

Ai Yue drove the marauder to the main gate for security inspection. Anyone who could drive a car at this stage, especially such a good one, was certainly no ordinary person. Driving the marauder, Ai Yue drew envious looks from everyone along the way.

Since Gu Xiheng presented a pass and vouched for the three of them, Ai Yues family was allowed in by the guards after a simple registration.

Ai Yue drove the marauder to the parking lot. After parking, the group stepped out onto the ground of the Safety Tower. They sighed with emotion at how difficult the journey had been, but fortunately, heaven rewards those who persevere—she had finally brought her whole family inside.

Ai Yue felt more relaxed than ever before.

Gu Xiheng led Ai Yues family and Da Wang into a small six-story tower at the very center of the base. This small tower was the most important place in the entire base; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it the heart of the base.

Yet Gu Xiheng could come and go freely with others, showing that his status in the base was far from ordinary.

Gu Xiheng took them directly to the top floor. Passing through layers of security, they finally reached the innermost room. Opening the door, they saw a middle-aged man in his forties sitting at a desk, writing busily.

Hearing the noise, he looked up. His originally solemn face instantly broke into a wide smile. He stood up quickly, walked over to Gu Xiheng, and punched him in the shoulder with a fist the size of a sandbag. "Well now, you brat! I knew the King of Hell couldn't take your life. Seeing you back in one piece, your old father's heart can finally rest easy."

Gu Xiheng winced and gave his "old" father a helpless look.

"Dad, this time I went to..."

"We'll talk about your business later. These three are...?" He waved his hand to interrupt Gu Xiheng and looked at Ai Yue and the two others who had been brought in.

One must know that without his permission, no one could enter this office. Only this brat, Gu Xiheng, could come and go as he pleased. Anyone he brought in certainly wasn't an ordinary person.

Gu Xiheng had no choice but to delay his report. He introduced Ai Yue and the two others first, then recounted everything that had happened in detail to the middle-aged man.

"Dad, that's how it was. If they hadn't saved me, I'm afraid I really would have died there."

After hearing his son's dramatic account, Gu Xiheng's father, Gu Yan, grabbed Ai Guosheng's hand and said gratefully, "Thank you so much! If you hadn't lent a helping hand, my son might have died a truly pathetic death there! Rest assured, as my son's saviors, I will definitely make proper arrangements for you here in the Safety Tower."

Gu Yan paused, then continued, "How about this? From now on, you three will be honored guests of my Yingjin City Safety Tower. I'll also assign you a two-bedroom apartment, exempt you from mandatory labor, and grant you three years of free passage in and out of the Safety Tower. How does that sound?"

Gu Yan looked at Gu Xiheng with affection while speaking to Ai Yue and the two others.

Seeing that his precious son didn't react, Gu Yan understood and continued, "The three of you can also choose any job you like. Will that do?"

Gu Xiheng finally showed a hint of a smile and nodded in satisfaction. Just having a place to live wasn't enough. Without a source of income, the three of them wouldn't be able to live peacefully in the base! He believed in seeing a good deed through to the end.

Gu Yan said nothing more and told Gu Xiheng to go get settled and report back later.

Gu Xiheng led the three, who were still dazed as if they'd just been hit by a stroke of luck, out of the small tower and toward the East District.

Gu Xiheng personally took Ai Yue and the two others to complete all the formalities and fully settled them in before taking his leave.

"I didn't expect Gu Xiheng to be so shrewd yet such a decent guy. He arranged everything for us so meticulously. What a good man," Ai Yue sighed, swaying her head. She completely forgot that she had once listed him as one of the most dangerous people to avoid.

"Indeed. Did you see the envious and jealous looks on those people when they saw Gu Xiheng personally handling our business? Ah, having someone to look after you really makes a difference. We certainly benefited from his influence today," Li Shilan added with a sigh.

"Perfect. We can use his influence to live our own little lives peacefully and save ourselves a lot of trouble," Ai Yue said with a mischievous smile.

The family of three looked at each other and smiled. Life in the Safety Tower had officially begun.

After seeing Gu Xiheng off, the three and the tiger returned to their two-bedroom apartment. Though not large—about sixty square meters—this was a residence usually assigned only to high-ranking officials. The fact that it was given to them showed just how important Gu Xiheng's life was to the Gu Clan.

After closing the door and touring the rooms, the three and the tiger could no longer resist the temptation of delicious food.

Two plates of Big Plate Chicken, three braised pork hocks, chicken stewed with mushrooms, boiled pork slices, a vegetarian Mapo Tofu, shredded cold dish, and a large bowl of rice—they were going to feast.

These past ten days really weren't fit for humans.

They hadn't suffered this much since the Apocalypse began!

Seeing there was nothing for him, Da Wang nearby started howling anxiously, repeatedly nudging Ai Yue.

Of course, they couldn't forget the adorable Da Wang. Two bloody fresh pig hind legs were placed in his exclusive oversized bowl.

Seeing the meat, Da Wang's eyes lit up, and he pounced on it with a big bite.

Ai Yue and the two others also picked up their chopsticks and began to eat heartily. Tasting meat again after ten days, Ai Yue felt that nothing in the world smelled better than meat—so delicious she almost wanted to swallow her tongue along with it.