Chapter 136: The new tenant on the eighth floor

"Rice cookers are automatic. You think I’m a fool just because I’m old? Come back here!"

Auntie Zhang angrily pretended to chase after Elder Sister Liu, causing the latter to run even faster into the nearby apartment building.

Only after all the gossipy women had finally left did she remain standing there, still with her hands on her hips.

It was then that she noticed a figure standing not far away.

Auntie Zhang blinked.

"Hmm? Young man, are you a student looking for a rental? Sorry, our building is fully rented out. No more spaces available."

As she said this, she scanned the boy from head to toe.

The boy was tall and slender, wearing a faded white shirt and denim jeans, with a baseball cap on his head and a face mask covering his face.

Although his face could not be clearly seen, judging from his eyes, the shape of his face, and his straight nose bridge, it could be seen that he was quite good-looking.

Auntie Zhang thought, ’He looks like a pampered young master at home who’s going out for the first time.’

Such soft and tender, unblemished skin on his neck and hands, clearly pampered, yet the clothes he wore looked simple and even faded.

’He must be from a family who suddenly encountered bad fortune and is now penniless.’

The old woman, who had watched countless TV dramas, finally reached her conclusion.

"I rented the unit on the eighth floor," the boy said as he stood upright under the tree-lined street, with pedestrians passing by around him.

"So it’s you." Auntie Zhang finally understood. Then she pushed back the thoughts that this young man was impoverished.

Because the rental price of the units on the eighth floor was very high. A struggling down and out young man would choose a smaller and cheaper unit.

"You came just in time. We’ve already cleaned up the apartment unit."

The old woman guided the young man into the building and stepped into the elevator.

They first went to the ninth floor so that Auntie Zhang could check the records, call her son to confirm, and get the keys.

After that, they headed down to the floor below.

The young man quietly followed behind the old woman like a tail, dragging along the suitcase, quietly observing the interior of the building.

The apartment building had nine floors up from the ground.

The first floor was a commercial space for storefronts and shops. From the second floor until the ninth floor were the apartment units.

There was also a basement floor, which used to house poor migrant tenants and impoverished students before.

But after the policies banned rentals for basement rooms due to the unhealthy windowless environment, the basement was instead converted into maintenance storage rooms, while the other unused rooms were padlocked.

The staircase and the elevator were located in the hallway across the the middle of the long, rectangular apartment building. The stairs were on the north side of the hallway, and the elevator was on the south side.

Right next to the staircase on each floor was a fire exit with glass windows, while a fire extinguisher and fire alarm were installed nearby.

A surveillance camera was installed on the corner of the hallway in each floor.

It was basic, but it fulfilled all the needs and conditions of a properly functioning apartment building.

"Each floor usually has four apartments: two larger units with two bedrooms each, and two smaller one-bedroom units. But the eighth and ninth floors are different. Each has only two large apartments, so the units are much more spacious."

Auntie Zhang explained as she inserted the key into the lock.

"There’s an double lock on the outside, separate from the doorknob lock. And on the inside, there’s a bolt and another chain lock that can only be operated from within. It’s a bit of a hassle, but you can be sure your apartment is secure."

Auntie Zhang had always thought the building owner was being overly paranoid when he had the doors installed back in the early 2000s.

But as a member of the caretaker’s family, she naturally had to turn even this into a selling point.

Other apartments in the building had, at most, a double lock and a chain lock. Some had nothing more than an ordinary doorknob lock.

But their apartments came with practically every kind of lock imaginable!

Even burglars feared entering their apartment!

The young man watched silently as she went through the unlocking process.

There was a hint of curiosity in his eyes, as though the elaborate locking system was something new to him, but he said nothing.

Once they stepped inside, they were greeted by a spacious but completely empty apartment.

Without any furniture, the place looked even larger than it already was.

"These two units are the only apartments on this floor, and both have two bedrooms. The one across the hall has always been occupied, but this one has been sitting empty all this time."

As she spoke, Auntie Zhang glanced at the young man.

Just three days ago, they had received a call from the property owner instructing them to clean the apartment. He had even given them a series of very unusual instructions.

Those weird instructions were clearly to take care of the boy, but they were also told to keep it a secret and not let the boy notice.

Fortunately, they were given a large bonus for their efforts.

This young man must have some connection to the owner.

’Perhaps he is a relative or a friend.’

Auntie Zhang nodded to herself.

Meanwhile, the boy placed his suitcase in the middle of the empty apartment.

With not a single piece of furniture in sight, he stood there for a moment, as if at a loss on what to do next.

Auntie Zhang cleared her throat.

"Young man, the name on the rental record is Lin Feng, right? Are you planning to live here alone?"

"Yes. My name is Lin Feng, and I will be living by myself here."

Auntie Zhang’s suspicion that this was a rich young master who had decided to experience ordinary life for himself grew even stronger.