Chapter 24: Dormitory Upgrade, Surveillance Cameras!

Xu Lang, blade in one hand and firearm in the other, charged up to the tenth floor without encountering any obstacles.

The players were all celebrating joyfully in the chat room, though few dared to venture out of their rooms prematurely. Fear still lingered, as they were uncertain if the zombies had truly been wiped out.

"Xu Lang, you're back!" Cao Yaxuan exclaimed in delight as she saw Xu Lang enter the room, carrying bags and bundles.

"Yeah." Xu Lang set down his miscellaneous items and asked, "Has anything happened at home?"

Tong Qi shook her head. "No."

Cao Yaxuan lifted her chin, looking smug. "If there had been a problem, we would have contacted you in the chat room long ago. It was me who told Tong Qi not to bother you unless necessary, so as not to distract you."

Tong Qi felt embarrassed. She hadn't even mentioned looking for Xu Lang.

Counting everything, Xu Lang had been gone for less than half an hour. While both women were worried, neither had sent a message, fearing they might drain his energy.

"Well done," Xu Lang praised.

"Hehe." Cao Yaxuan couldn't suppress a grin, looking as if she were basking in her own contribution, her pride practically radiating.

"Brother Lang, what are all these?" Tong Qi asked, looking curiously at the items Xu Lang had dropped.

"Trophies," Xu Lang replied briefly. He then added, "The three-minute mark is almost up. We can look at these after we claim our game rewards."

Tong Qi beamed at his words. Brother Lang was treating her as one of his own, not keeping these spoils hidden from her.

Less than ten seconds after Xu Lang finished speaking, the rewards from the "Dormitory Survival Game" arrived.

[Congratulations to Xu Lang for becoming the #1 player. Rewards: Dormitory Upgrade x1, Facility x1, Ability Potion x1, Free Attribute Points +6, Backpack upgraded to 3x3, 10,000 Copper Coins.]

[Congratulations to Zhang Dahai for becoming the #2 player. Rewards: Dormitory Upgrade x1, Ability Potion x1, Free Attribute Points +5, Backpack upgraded to 2x2, 7,000 Copper Coins.]

[Congratulations to Wang Ao for becoming the #3 player. Rewards: Dormitory Upgrade x1, Ability Potion x1, Free Attribute Points +4, Backpack upgraded to 2x2, 5,000 Copper Coins.]

[Congratulations to Wu Huihui for becoming the #4 player. Rewards: Dormitory Upgrade x1, Free Attribute Points +3, Backpack upgraded to 2x2, 3,000 Copper Coins.]

The rewards for players ranked fourth through tenth were identical. For players ranked below tenth, they only received 2 free attribute points, a 2x2 backpack upgrade, and 1,000 copper coins; there was no voice broadcast for them, only lines of numbers.

...

"Damn it, I actually ended up below Zhang Dahai!" Wang Ao, who was resting with a group of people, couldn't help but curse after hearing the broadcast.

He knew he couldn't surpass Xu Lang; that two-hundred-point gap was despair-inducing at a glance. But he was only a few points behind Zhang Dahai, and even though their rewards were the same, it still rubbed him the wrong way.

"Brother Ao, that Zhang Dahai just got lucky, don't be angry!"

"That Xu Lang is probably the same; they’re just scavengers!"

"Brother Ao, hurry up and see what your reward is. An 'Ability Potion'—sounds amazing!"

"Hey, should we go to Zhang Dahai's place and take his rewards?"

"Let's go, let's go together!"

...

Dormitory 186.

"Oh, that's great, Huihui, that's great! We’re fourth!" Wang Tingting cheered, jumping up and down with her hands raised.

"Hahaha!" Wu Huihui laughed heartily, her chubby cheeks squeezing her eyes into slits, her joy impossible to hide.

...

"Phew, that was close. I almost fell out of the top ten." Inside his dorm, Zhu Yan exhaled, clenching his fists with a look of intense excitement. He didn't ask to be the best, but he didn't want to be the worst either. Players outside the top ten were essentially just scraping by on a minimum allowance.

...

"Hey, brother, you're really gone," Cao Bin said, sighing as he looked at Wu Leiting's corpse. Judging by the wounds, Wu Leiting had been killed by a cat-demon. If he hadn't died, he might have been in the top ten as well. Cao Bin’s score was relatively low, and he didn't share the excitement or resentment of the others; he only felt depressed and nauseated at the sight of the blood-stained floor.

...

Dormitory 200.

In Xu Lang's field of vision, two orbs of light floated, one labeled "Dormitory" and the other "Facility," with a thirty-minute countdown ticking away.

"Can you two see two orbs of light?" Xu Lang asked, turning his head.

Tong Qi shook her head. "No."

"What orbs?" Cao Yaxuan blinked.

"The upgrade prompts for the dormitory." Xu Lang pondered a thought: if the two women had made it into the top three, could they have upgraded the dormitory three times at once?

After a moment of contemplation, Xu Lang reached out and touched the "Dormitory" orb first. While he could trigger it with his mind, using his hand felt more grounded.

Instantly, the dorm orb expanded, revealing three different layout options. Xu Lang thought it over and chose the middle one. This layout featured an entryway, a living room, a bedroom, an open-concept kitchen, and a bathroom with separated wet and dry areas. A private bathroom—the very thought felt luxurious!

Once Xu Lang made his choice, the entire room's layout began to shift as if on fast-forward. The sofa, living room set, chandelier, kitchen... all the furnishings appeared as if by magic!

[Owner: Xu Lang]
[Dormitory Level: 1]
[Area: 60 square meters]
[Tenants: 2/3]
[Facilities: Polished steel door, gas stove, premium sofa, incandescent lamp, refined water dispenser, flush toilet, showerhead, clock]

...

Dormitory 200 had undergone a massive transformation. Apart from the slightly unsightly clutter from his supplies, the entire space was brand new, resembling a modern public rental apartment.

Xu Lang felt the air itself had become fresher. He took a deep breath and immediately dove into the shower stall.

"Wait for me!" Cao Yaxuan cried out in a panic, hurrying after him. How could a boy hog the bathroom?

Even before entering the shower, Xu Lang had stripped off his clothes. He grabbed the showerhead, eager to use it, but was met with a prompt:

[Using the showerhead requires 30 copper coins per 5 minutes. Do you wish to pay?]

Seeing this, Xu Lang had a rough idea of how things worked. No wonder almost every monster dropped copper coins; it was all leading to this. If his expectations were correct, the flush toilet and the electric lights would likely require coins as well.

Xu Lang was still staring at the showerhead when Cao Yaxuan rushed in, already stripped bare. The two began to shower together. Later, Tong Qi joined them, and the three of them enjoyed the moment. A few small things happened, but it didn't take up too much time. There was still