Chapter 46 - 043: Hello, my name is Lin Fan, I am a security guard

Chapter 46: Chapter 043: Hello, my name is Lin Fan, I am a security guard Sunshine District. Room 603. The air was filled with the scent of baby poop, and the sensible Feifei also helped busily, continually taking the dirty diapers down to the trash. Mom and both grandmas were busy, and since both grandpas were getting on in years, this sort of light garbage duty fell to her. As stinky as it was, she didn’t mind the work at all—in fact, she preferred the smell to studying. The innocent Lin Fan wanted to help, but he didn’t know where to begin, so he could only watch them busy themselves about the place. He took the opportunity to learn by watching. Nobody is born knowing everything; we all learn little by little. Xu Guifen was applying medicine as she spoke, "It’s fortunate we found it in time. If we had been even a little later, this child might not have survived. But even now, we can’t be careless. Infants have low resistance, and now that her bottom is infected, and she has some other infected spots, she needs careful attention to recover." Babies that had survived in this post-apocalyptic world were few and far between. Babies were too young; they would cry when hungry, cry when they pooped, cry when they were uncomfortable, and their cries would attract zombies. The survivors who had already suffered through the apocalypse—how could they possibly keep a "ticking time bomb" that might bring disaster upon their group at any moment? So, had Lin Fan not taken in this baby, it would have become just another innocent spirit lost to the apocalypse. But now she was completely safe. Taken in by Lin Fan, nothing would happen to her. They hadn’t been with Lin Fan long, but they knew the kind of person he was. "Little Fan, what is the baby’s name?" asked Elder Wang, finding solace in the small new life that relieved some of the oppressive atmosphere, hoping against hope in these apocalyptic times. "Mengmeng," Lin Fan replied, smiling at the infant who had finished her formula and was resting with her eyes closed. It was great that she had been saved. If he took good care of her, she would surely grow up healthy. The baby was no blood relation of his, but it was truly pitiful. She had lost her parents as an infant, and only with her mother’s life-sacrificing protection had she managed to survive. No matter what, she deserved to live a life filled with warmth and hope. "And her surname?" asked Elder Wang. Lin Fan shook his head, "I don’t know; her mother’s diary only mentioned ’Mengmeng.’" "Mengmeng... She has no family name. Since you saved her, why not let her take your surname Lin?" Elder Wang suggested. In his past, he had comrades-in-arms who had come across orphans during battles. Taking pity on these children, they had brought them home to raise after the war, and the children took their saviors’ surnames. Lin Fan refused, "No, let’s just call her Mengmeng. Her life was fought for by her mother, who gave her hope for the future. When she’s old enough to understand, I’ll tell her all these things, so she knows that she had a great mother once." At that moment, Elder Zhou saw no issue with Lin Fan’s decision. "I’ll take care of the child for you from now on. After all, I’ve raised Feifei for so many years and have the experience," volunteered Li Mei. Lin Fan was still young and lacked experience in childcare, and both grandmas were getting on in years and couldn’t handle being up all night, but she was still young and could handle the sleepless nights. Unless you’ve done it, you don’t know how exhausting it is to take care of a child. Especially at night, when a child’s incessant crying could be quite terrifying. "Sister Li, please help me watch her during the day; I’ll take care of her at night," Lin Fan offered, not wanting to impose too much on others. Sister Li meant well, but he needed to find some work to do during the day. When he first arrived, he had some money and had managed by being frugal, but now with a baby, he needed to find work as soon as possible. He knew that taking care of a baby at night was hard, and Sister Li and Feifei needed their sleep. The four elders were too old for that kind of duty. Not to mention, it was he who had brought the baby back. He couldn’t just make the care of the infant someone else’s responsibility. Asking Sister Li for help during the day made him feel a bit embarrassed, let alone at night. He had seen too many films where the characters, overflowing with sympathy, brought back a burden and, lacking the ability to care for it themselves, casually handed it off to someone else, inadvertently shifting the unknown dangers onto them. He wouldn’t do that. He had brought baby Mengmeng back, knowing that he was capable, confident, and committed. Oh, right. Confidence is often the precursor to disaster; so, it’s safer to say he had the ability. Mengmeng was already sound asleep. Before they knew it, it was already noon. Li Mei wanted to invite Lin Fan to her home for a meal. He had originally thought not to bother and to just make something simple at home, but Sister Li said that in these apocalyptic times, they should help each other, and he agreed. It wouldn’t be right to decline such kindness. It was just a meal, so it wasn’t a big deal to accept. With the supplies he had bought, Sister Li and her family would be able to live comfortably for a while. Once the supplies ran out, he would go out and buy more himself. At the dinner table, Sister Li, always the gracious host, invited the Elder Wongs as well. "Little Fan, is something bothering you?" inquired Elder Wong when he noticed Lin Fan’s brow was frequently furrowed, as if he was pondering something. "Just a little," Lin Fan replied. "Tell me about it, maybe I can think of a solution," Grandpa Wang said with a smile. Everyone looked at Lin Fan. They owed their current lives to this young man in front of them, but they always felt that Lin Fan didn’t seem to take it to heart. Li Mei knew this. With the end of the world upon them, seeking shelter from others came at a high cost. Whether it was glamorous stars or daughters of wealthy businessmen, obtaining protection in the apocalypse required a price. Even those servants who were once casually insulted with money could turn the tables in a world where money was useless, treating their former employers like pigs or dogs to be slaughtered at will. She considered herself lucky. Even if it meant being toyed with by others, she would have crawled at their feet like a dog just to keep her daughter alive. But that was unnecessary. Lin Fan, who had brought hope into her life, was very kind to them. Living in the Sunshine District, there was an indescribable sense of security. "I was thinking that I should look for some money-making jobs. Mengmeng is still young, her expenses are high, and we definitely need to buy a lot of things," Lin Fan said seriously. The diners at the table stared at Lin Fan, dumbfounded. Not because they thought he was seriously ill. But because they needed a moment to digest what they had just heard. Feifei bowed her head and focused on eating, thinking it had nothing to do with her. This was the way adults communicated; as a child, she shouldn’t interrupt casually. Li Mei realized why one would have such a thought. Why should one pay for things in the world of apocalypse when just being alive was already good enough? Old Master Zhou smiled kindly. The two old grandmothers looked at Grandpa Wang as if to say, "Have a good talk with Lin Fan, and try to change his mind. In the apocalypse, there is no need to stick to the idea of paying for things. Sometimes, taking things without paying isn’t wrong, but rather..." "Indeed, prices are high now, and children’s expenses are large. If you don’t find a job, it will indeed be difficult to provide," Grandpa Wang said. As soon as he said this, everyone at the table, except Lin Fan and Feifei, looked at the old man in surprise. Grandpa Wang knew what they were thinking and wanted to say, "What do you know? When you understand, you’ll be able to see things from my perspective." You’re all still far from where I stand. "Right?" Lin Fan felt helpless; earning money was hard, just like eating unpleasant food. Even before the apocalypse, when he worked overtime drawing plans in the company, he felt it. "How about this, you can be the security guard for Sunshine District," Grandpa Wang suggested, thinking it was a good solution. "Security guard?" That was something Lin Fan hadn’t considered. A security guard’s role was significant – protecting the safety of the residents, requiring a sense of responsibility and dedication to the job. "Yes, that’s right, a security guard." "Am I capable?" "Certainly. We are residents of the district and surely have the right to apply for the security job. As long as we all agree, there’s no problem. I, Wang Zhongguo, agree, and if they agree too, then naturally there’s no issue," said Grandpa Wang, easily solving Lin Fan’s dilemma. Think about it carefully. What Grandpa Wang said seemed to make some sense. "I think I’ll give it a try," Lin Fan said. "There you go, whether it suits you or not, you should always try. Nowadays, a security guard’s monthly salary is generally around ten thousand, so let’s just make it ten thousand," Grandpa Wang said with a laugh, although the monthly salary was fictitious. A usual salary of ten thousand was just bragging. Being able to get three thousand would be fortunate. He knew that Lin Fan liked to spend money for his purchases, and as they always said now, the least valuable thing was money. Therefore, it was better to give Lin Fan the money he considered important slowly and reasonably. "Ten thousand?" Lin Fan’s mouth hung open, shocked. He shook his head, "Where does a security guard get a salary of ten thousand a month? The old guard at the gate of our district used to get only two thousand five hundred." Grandpa Wang said, "You’re different from them. You’re young, responsible, and very capable, plus you occasionally help us with shopping. These tasks, if done by others, would cost money. Ten thousand is really not a lot." He still had several million lying in his bank account, more than he could ever spend. Old Brother Zhou had even more. So money was absolutely not a problem. Lin Fan said, "Let’s make it five thousand. I won’t feel at ease with ten thousand. In life and work, the reward should be proportionate to the effort. I know you want to help me, but I’m young and able-bodied, I can manage." In the end... Persistent Lin Fan became the first security guard of Sunshine District after the apocalypse. With a monthly salary of five thousand. Utterly dominating.