Chapter 398: Chapter 154: Buying a Home Outright, Demolition Gifts, and a Beautiful Life of Hard Work

But perhaps because he was still wearing his heavy battle armor and raincoat, the house, which wasn’t small by any means, felt somewhat cramped.

When he turned towards the wardrobe, his arm almost touched the mirror standing in the corner.

And upon closer inspection, the spot on the wall that frequently grew mold, which had just been scraped off recently, now had faint mold spots again.

Upon closer look, the position corresponded exactly with the moldy corner wall of apartment 529 next door.

It seems the wall is seriously damp, and dealing with just his side wouldn’t work; both sides need to be fixed together.

"Should I... buy the apartment next door?"

Cheng Ye sat on the bed, took out a bag of nutrient paste, tore open the package, and sipped while pondering.

In terms of storage space, he wasn’t exactly lacking. Uncle Dong’s shop downstairs was a great place, more than enough for storing some items he didn’t often use.

But for things like nutrient paste, emergency medicine, spare parts, and survival supplies that might be needed at any time, he couldn’t run downstairs every time, and storing them in his room had already taken up a lot of space.

Moreover, having just returned from the Wilderness, he wanted to buy some new survival items and tool accessories, which would only make it more cramped.

If he could buy apartment 529 next door, it would solve the storage issue and let him fix the damp walls together. He could even break through a wall to connect the two rooms.

One side could be for living, and the other could be a storage and simple workshop, making the space much more spacious.

Thinking of this, Cheng Ye finished the nutrient paste in a few swigs, crumpled up the packaging, threw it into the trash can, and turned to open the security door.

In the corridor, a staff member from the Civil Affairs Bureau was still registering at the door of apartment 529. Cheng Ye walked over, pointed at the empty apartment, and asked the staff member he had spoken to earlier: "If I want to apply to purchase this apartment, what procedures do I need to follow? Do I just go to your Civil Affairs Bureau?"

It wasn’t that he pretended not to know, but that his predecessor had moved here through the procedures arranged by the Inspection Station. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Since he crossed over, he lived here directly, without any memory about "home purchasing" or "property transfer," and he was quite clueless about the housing policies of the Buffer Zone.

"Well..."

The staff paused, hurriedly put down the registration book, and patiently explained, "Sir, due to the tight housing situation in the Buffer Zone, especially in well-equipped areas like the Chaoyang Electronics Factory District close to the main city, these apartments are very scarce. Vacant apartments are usually recorded and put on the Civil Affairs Bureau’s system and are allocated by various departments based on demand, not sold openly."

He paused before adding, "If you want to buy this apartment, you can inquire at the Inspection Station to see if there are any available quotas."

"Is that so?"

Cheng Ye nodded, having a direction in his heart, "Hold on a moment. I’ll call and check now."

Returning to his apartment, Cheng Ye dialed the public number of the Inspection Station. The phone rang twice before being picked up on the other side, and a dutiful voice came through:

"Inspector Cheng, good afternoon, how may I assist you?"

"I want to inquire about housing." Cheng Ye got straight to the point, "I want to purchase an additional property in the Buffer Zone, right next to mine, in Building 3, Unit 1, Apartment 529 of the Chaoyang Electronics Factory District. I just asked the people from the Civil Affairs Bureau, and they said I need to first confirm if the Inspection Station has any available quotas."

"Alright, please hold for a moment, I’ll check for you."

The voice of the staff paused, and one could vaguely hear the sound of keyboard typing. After a few seconds, the reply came back, "Inspector Cheng, the Inspection Station has reserved 4 housing quotas in the Chaoyang Electronics Factory District. If you need, I can immediately check the contribution points required for redeeming a quota."

"Okay, please go ahead."

"According to the Inspection Station’s housing policy, if an on-duty inspector’s first property is less than 20 square meters, purchasing a second property comes at a discount. Your 530 apartment is 18.6 square meters, so it qualifies for the discount. Redeeming apartment 529 requires 100 contribution points."

So cheap?

Cheng Ye was surprised, despite the old and dilapidated condition of this tube-like building, with peeling walls and mold, it was in the main Buffer Zone city, a quiet spot in a bustling area, and the pipes in the neighborhood had just been repaired last year.

Besides some drainage issues, there wasn’t much to pick at.

In modern times, this would be regarded as a "prime location old small property," and definitely not cheap.

"Then please help me redeem it." Cheng Ye said without hesitation, "I have enough points in my account to cover it."

"Alright, I checked that your account currently has a balance of 559 contribution points. After deducting 100, you’ll have 459 left. Do you confirm you want to redeem a quota for apartment 529?"

"Confirm!"

"No problem! I’ll submit the application now. In ten minutes, you just need to use the Defense Communication to scan your identity badge for verification, then hand it over to the staff from the Civil Affairs Bureau for scanning and registration. We’ll coordinate the transfer procedures with the Civil Affairs Bureau, and you just need to pick up the property registration document at the Central Inspection Station in three days."

"Thank you, and sorry for the trouble." Cheng Ye was somewhat surprised at the efficiency, and couldn’t help but express gratitude.

"It’s no trouble at all! Serving the Inspector is our duty!" The staff member’s voice was slightly flattered and promptly responded courteously.

Hanging up the phone, Cheng Ye sat by the bed, suddenly overwhelmed with an uncontrollable thrill.

Is buying a house really that simple?

My goodness, when he graduated in modern times, not only was buying a house out of the question, but even thinking about it felt extravagant.

After all, without financial support from ’six wallets’, relying on himself alone, who knew how long it would take to save for a down payment.

But now, having traveled to the wasteland, with just a phone call and 100 contribution points, he secured a property in a prime location. It felt like a dream!