The next morning.
"Let's go out for a stroll today, buy some curtains, and then get some furniture that can be displayed."
Although Xu An didn't plan on anyone visiting her home, she decided to put on a show just in case.
Xu Yan nodded in agreement. After finishing their meal, they put on their clothes and went out.
The temperature inside the Lighthouse was maintained at around 18 degrees Celsius, and people had shed their sun protection clothing, opting for more comfortable attire.
Xu An didn't bring Gou Dan with her this time; it was just her and her mother.
Instead of taking a hovercar to the Fountain Garden, they went to the "Dawn Shopping Center" located in the central district of the first floor, as Song Jing had mentioned yesterday.
"I feel like this place is no different from the shopping centers before," Xu Yan said, looking at the rows of cafes and restaurants around them. "It's just that the decoration style here is so uniform. Outside, it's all the same silver-white door frames and storefronts."
"It looks neat and tidy, but it feels a bit lacking in vitality, and it's strange, as if it were produced on an assembly line."
Xu An couldn't understand either. While the Fountain Garden had some Nordic decorative style, the design style before her could only be described as the result of a designer with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Specifically, an obsession with minimalism.
They walked into a furniture store. The displayed merchandise each had a metal standing sign indicating the price.
Inside the entire store, the only customers were Xu An and her mother.
"Hello, what can I help you two with?" a woman who looked a bit older emerged from the back, asking in a gentle voice.
Xu An looked at the elegant and refined woman before her, then glanced at the jade bracelet on her wrist, guessing that this woman's status was not ordinary.
Anyone who could open a store in the Lighthouse was certainly not a common person.
"We want to buy some curtains."
"Then follow me... Are you looking for the living room or the bedroom?"
"The living room, preferably with good soundproofing."
"Alright."
As she spoke, the shop owner recommended several curtain styles to Xu An, all of which suited her taste, though they were not cheap.
Before the apocalypse, she could buy things without looking at the price because, at the time, she was in a hurry to spend all her money; second, her mother's assets were enough for her to indulge.
But now it was different; every penny she spent required careful calculation.
Seemingly sensing Xu An's hesitation, the woman spoke.
"We also have a newly developed curtain, and the price is quite reasonable. I don't really understand the material, though. My old man tinkered with it at the Lighthouse Research Institute. Would you like to see it?"
Xu An's face lit up when she heard this, and she immediately said, "Yes, please! Can you take me to see it?"
The woman walked and introduced, "These curtains, you can see outside from the inside, and even light can come through, but from the outside, you can't see what's inside. The soundproofing is also very good. My husband told me last time that it was made of a material similar to a light screen, but I don't really understand it, hahahaha. However, I use this type in my own home."
Xu An was even more tempted after hearing this. This way, she wouldn't have to worry about anyone seeing her home from the outside, and it would also allow for ventilation, killing two birds with one stone.
She inwardly thought that this person's background was indeed not simple.
Most importantly, how bad could something researched by the research institute be? And this curtain was less than half the price of the previous ones.
Xu An observed the woman before her, suspecting that she herself only had a vague understanding of this furniture and that opening this store was purely to pass the time.
After learning some basic functions, Xu An liked it even more.
"I'll take these curtains!"
"Hahaha... Alright, actually, this is the last one. I was thinking of keeping it myself if it didn't sell. It seems we're destined to meet. I'll give you a discount; just 15 trading coins."
"Thank you."
"After you swipe your card, you can leave. We have delivery services here, and they'll send it directly to your home. It would be inconvenient for you to carry it."
Xu An had just learned that delivery was available within the Lighthouse, so she thanked the woman, as this saved her a lot of trouble.
Before leaving, Xu An specifically inquired about internal communication within the Lighthouse and then headed straight to a "mobile phone" store according to the address the woman had given her.
The shop owner was a man who looked a bit older, with slightly graying hair meticulously combed.
"Hello, I'd like to buy a mobile phone," Xu An said, looking around.
"We don't have mobile phones here. If you're looking for a communicator, it's in the display cabinet on the left. This device can only be used within the Lighthouse. If you go more than ten meters away from the Lighthouse, it will automatically become invalid."
Xu An pondered, ten meters. That was exactly the safe distance mentioned in the Lighthouse regulations. The Lighthouse truly implemented the principle of "minding one's own business" to the fullest!
"Can it connect to the internet?"
"Yes, but you'll need to activate the iris system, which costs an additional 30 trading coins per month."
Xu An mentally grumbled, "Good heavens, isn't this the same as broadband fees?"
"What is the iris system?"
"Have you watched science fiction movies? It's like sticking a chip on your temple, and then a holographic screen will appear on your communicator, which you can control directly with your thoughts."
Xu An: "..."
"Hahaha... Can you believe it? When I first came to the Lighthouse, I was also surprised by these things. But you'll get used to them. The technology in the Lighthouse is at least 20 years ahead of what we understand as human technology," the man said with a chuckle, a hint of pride in his voice.
Xu An didn't express much of a reaction. Having gone through her previous life, she often found it difficult to empathize with the people on the Lighthouse.
It was one thing to accept, and another to understand.
If the Lighthouse was salvation, faith, and a god that brought light to its chosen people,
Then, conversely,
For the survivors, the Lighthouse was the force that plunged them back into hell and pushed them into the abyss. The Lighthouse indifferently observed the survivors' despair, watching them fend for themselves.
Just like Xu Yan had once wondered, if the Lighthouse truly possessed such capabilities, why didn't it provide more assistance to people?
Xu Yan didn't understand, Xu An understood even less... and the countless survivors on the ground understood even less!
No one would explain it to them, just as Xu An couldn't understand the pride of these native inhabitants now.
She walked to the side and looked at the row of watch-like communicators displayed in the cabinet.
"Mom, how many should we buy?"
"I think buying two, and activating one iris system, should be enough. This way, we can receive any internal Lighthouse messages promptly. With two communicators, we can act separately and still keep in touch."
Xu An thought it made sense, walked over, and told the owner, "I want two communicators and to activate one iris system. How much is that in total?"
"Two communicators are 50 trading coins, plus the first month of the iris system fee, so that will be 80 trading coins."
"Okay, please register here. Later, someone will deliver the iris system to your home. It will come with instructions."