Chapter 11: Chapter 11: Purchasing a Villa

By the time Melody Summers and Lester Archer drove back to the city, it was already dusk. The setting sun cast a soft, golden veil over the entire metropolis.

Melody Summers treated Lester Archer to dinner and tried to give him a thick red envelope of cash, but he refused to take it no matter what.

As they parted ways, Melody urged him again, "A few of my old classmates at the weather bureau have been saying the weather’s going to be abnormal over the next year. You should stock up on extra food and medicine at home. Better safe than sorry."

Melody thought for a moment before adding, "The job market isn’t great right now. It’d be best if you didn’t quit your job at the livestock station on a whim."

Lester Archer nodded in agreement. "I’ve zipped up the digital copies of all the livestock-rearing manuals and sent them to your email," he said. "You can take a look. Melody, drive safe on your way home."

When Melody got back to her residential complex, she transferred all the chickens, ducks, sheep, rabbits, pigs, and feed from her vehicle into the Arcadian Space.

[Ducks received: 10 total.]

[Chickens received: 20 total.]

[Rabbits received: 3 total.]

[Sheep received: 7 total.]

[...]

[All animals have been placed in the livestock area.]

It was past ten o’clock at night by the time Melody returned home. She found that Miss Lowell was already asleep.

Melody tiptoed back to her room to wash up before quickly entering the Arcadian Space.

The moment she entered the space, Albus leaped to her side and began weaving around her legs.

Melody stroked Albus’s head as she looked around. The crops she had planted two days ago had all sprouted. Even the sugarcane had grown a tall stalk. The efficiency of the Arcadian Space was simply astonishing.

Melody then headed straight for the livestock area. The individual enclosures were all spacious, clean, and tidy.

The chickens were already nestled comfortably in their coop; they would probably start laying eggs by tomorrow.

The duck pen came with a small pond where a few of them were already splashing about.

The sheep pen was semi-open-air, connecting to a large pasture where several sheep were grazing leisurely.

The mini-pigs were rolling in their sty, and they started oinking and squealing when they saw Melody approach.

There were only three rabbits, and they liked to huddle together, making their enclosure seem vast and empty.

Melody placed the feed she’d gotten from the livestock co-op into each enclosure’s trough. "Time is tight for the next few days, so you’ll have to make do with this for now," she said to the animals. "I’ll be able to process my own feed for you soon enough."

By the time she finished, it was the early hours of the morning. Melody left the space and immediately went to bed. She had to go out and buy a house tomorrow.

*

「The Lancaster Villa.」

"Mom, Dad, the mudslide at Mount Anworth caused too much damage to the mountain," Simon Lancaster said with a hint of resignation. "The project team spent three days assessing it, and they’re all recommending we don’t invest any more capital. The project is dead in the water."

Robert Lancaster pinched the bridge of his nose. "Put the Mount Anworth project on hold. For now, focus on moving forward with the company’s seaside resort project in Trinhai. As long as that resort turns a profit, the company’s current cash flow problems will be solved."

Elaine Hughes, who was sitting nearby, said with lingering fear, "It’s a good thing Melody moved out. That mudslide on Mount Anworth was terrifying. She hasn’t answered my calls for the past three days. I wonder if she’s worried this incident will bring trouble to the family, so she’s too scared to answer the phone or come home."

"Afraid? She wouldn’t be afraid," Silas Lancaster scoffed. "If you ask me, she’s the Lancaster family’s jinx!"

"Shut your mouth!" Robert Lancaster snapped. He then turned to Elaine Hughes and said, "She’s probably just frightened. Let’s try contacting her again in a few days. It was only a multi-million project. It’s not a huge deal for the Lancaster Family."

Elaine Hughes nodded slightly at his words. Although she hoped Melody would come home, she was also secretly unhappy with Melody’s hostility toward Sylvia Lancaster. She felt Sylvia had already been wronged enough and didn’t want her to be hurt again. She decided to give Melody the cold shoulder for a few days to let her think things over on her own.

*

Melody had been running around nonstop for the past three days. On the morning of the 6th, she woke to find Miss Lowell had already prepared breakfast.

"Miss Lowell, please take it easy and rest at home today. My grandmother and the others will be back this afternoon. Could you give them a heads-up about me selling the house so they’re prepared? We’re moving into the new place tomorrow."

After finishing breakfast, Melody drove straight to The Metropolis Residences.

The Metropolis Residences had been developed in Anworth a few years prior. Before construction began, rumors circulated that a new urban district would be established there, destined to become the new city center. This prompted several real estate developers to jointly invest in the project.

But years went by, and the planning for the new district never even began.

The area was considered a remote suburb, and development had coincided with a slump in the real estate market. Sales were dismal, and the occupancy rate was extremely low.

However, the location was nestled by mountains and rivers, with large, open plots of land behind the mountain suitable for planting. Its high elevation also gave it a natural advantage against flooding. Impressively, the complex’s property management and security were extremely diligent. They worked in perfect sync with the staff from the state-assigned local office to keep the crime rate within the community at an absolute minimum during the natural disasters.

In her past life, The Metropolis Residences had been hailed as the most stable community in Anworth and was even designated as one of the city’s post-disaster reconstruction zones.

During the apocalyptic blizzards, the Lancaster Villa was buried in snow. Melody had moved with the Lancaster family to this residential area, where they weathered both the blizzards and the floods. She often overheard Robert Lancaster and Elaine Hughes talking about how well-equipped the villas here were, regretting that they hadn’t bought one.

But by then, sales at The Metropolis Residences had been halted; it was impossible to buy a property there even if you wanted to.

Melody arrived at The Metropolis Residences and headed straight for the sales office. "Hello," she said. "I’d like to purchase a villa here. The specific location and the interior decor aren’t important, but it must have a full set of built-in fixtures and systems."

The employee at the sales office was stunned. Unlike the school district house Melody had just sold, properties in The Metropolis Residences were a tough sell due to the poor location. This was especially true for the villa section, where many owners had listed their homes but couldn’t find a buyer. They never expected someone to show up now, willing to take one of the villas off their hands.

The salesperson who greeted Melody was a young man. He welcomed her enthusiastically, "Hello, my name is Hollis. May I ask your name?"

"My surname is Summers."

"Miss Summers, based on your requirements, I’d recommend villa B16. The full price is seven million," Hollis recommended with enthusiasm.

"Seven million? That’s expensive!" Melody said, surprised. ’This is basically the suburbs. And weren’t the villas here supposed to be a hard sell?’

Hollis chuckled. "The original owner bought this villa for eight million as a bare shell, then spent another three million on renovations but never lived in it. The whole family has emigrated and they’re in urgent need of cash, which is why they’re selling it at a loss. Come and see it for yourself. I guarantee you’ll see it’s an absolute bargain."

Hollis drove Melody to B16, giving her a tour as he explained:

"The original owner spared no expense on the renovations, so it fits your needs perfectly. The villa is equipped with an independent power generation system, and they even had the electrical capacity upgraded. It can handle any number of appliances you throw at it."

"The central air conditioning uses the latest high-temperature cooling technology, so it works even in extreme heat. A normal AC unit will shut down in an overly hot environment, but this one won’t."

"Plus, the villa comes with a state-of-the-art central water purifier and a reverse osmosis system for drinking water."

The more Melody saw, the more satisfied she became, and the more her heart was set on it. It was as if the house had been prepared just for her. The high-temperature air conditioning was especially perfect, exactly what she would need to cope with the extreme heat waves starting in April.