Regarding the matter of awakening lightning abilities after transformation

"What about the specific intensity?"

"If you go all out, you can cook an egg."

So you just used your abilities to fry eggs? Su Wanxi tried hard to control her facial expression.

"Besides electric shocks, you can try to do other things with your abilities." For most awakened individuals, it is very difficult to improve their abilities quickly. If Gu Cheng wants to apply them to actual combat as soon as possible, she might as well try a different approach.

Of course, there's also the most important point: Su Wanxi really didn't want to hear a similar answer the next time she asked her.

I can fry five eggs at once! That would be amazing.

Thinking differently... what else can we do besides discharging electricity? Gu Cheng had never really considered this question.

"You can go back and think about it carefully. That's enough for today." Su Wanxi put on her coat and ended the training session.

The two returned the gun and the collected shell casings to the logistics department and said goodbye in the office building.

See you Monday.

"Hmm." Watching Su Wanxi's figure disappear around the street corner, Gu Cheng felt like there was something she had forgotten to ask.

Oh right, she remembered that address. Su Wanxi had given a specific location in the text message, but she was unfamiliar with the area and might not be able to find it.

Su Wanxi had already walked far away, so it wouldn't be appropriate to keep asking. Anyway, there was still plenty of time, and they could probably find her eventually.

Gu Cheng turned on the GPS location on her phone and searched for relevant address information as she walked.

The place I was going to wasn't too far; it was only two streets away and the distance was less than two hundred meters.

"Excuse me, is Youjia Real Estate Agency located along this street?" Just to be on the safe side, Gu Cheng also asked the pedestrians around her for directions. She chose to ask one of the older women, who was wearing a red coat and had wrinkles on her face.

“Yes, turn right at the end and you’ll be there soon.” The woman nodded, pointing her withered finger to the right side of the street, her tone enthusiastic.

"Thank you!" After politely thanking the old man, Gu Cheng continued walking forward, hugging the shade of the trees.

After turning the corner, the towering building finally came into full view. A giant billboard at the entrance read "Youjia Real Estate Agency," along with accompanying advertising slogans.

Passing through the transparent revolving door, the sweltering air is shut out, making the room exceptionally cool.

The environment wasn't noisy; the occasional crisp sound of high heels clicking on the tiles rang out. A magnificent glass chandelier hung from the ceiling, its light refracting through the glass ornaments and illuminating the surroundings, creating a hazy, warm ambiance when combined with the orange side lamps on the walls. At the center of the space stood a marble-carved display stand, both an exquisite decorative piece and a perfect division of the space.

The spacious reception hall is a world apart from the small places I used to rent.

Gu Cheng looked around but didn't go to the front desk to ask. Instead, she found a secluded corner to sit down.

What a coincidence... The opaque floor-to-ceiling window beside her confirmed her inner thoughts once again.

This is the end of the last rift, the giant spider's lair.

Gu Cheng turned her gaze to the ground, where the spider had attacked her earlier.

The porcelain-white floor is smooth and flat, unlike the dirty mess in the cracks. The bricks that were dented by the spider legs are still intact in reality.

This place is magnificent and luxurious, while the other world is desolate and bleak after the splendor has faded.

After a moment of silence, Gu Cheng stood up with a faint smile, almost forgetting the purpose of her visit.

Reality is reality, and cracks are cracks. Team Leader Su and the others have definitely experienced more than she has. If she has to stop and agonize over every similar situation, she should go see a psychologist for PTSD as soon as possible.

"Hello, sir. What can I do for you?" Gu Cheng walked to the front desk, where the receptionist greeted her with a smile.

"Hello, I'd like to rent a house."

"Okay, may I ask your name, esteemed guest...?"

"My surname is Gu, Gu Cheng." As soon as Gu Cheng finished speaking, the waitress turned slightly and exchanged a glance with the manager next to her.

It was someone Miss Su had instructed, so the manager promptly stepped forward and took over the conversation.

"Please go this way." Gu Cheng didn't notice the two's subtle movements and simply followed the manager through the corridor.

Upon entering a spacious room, the lobby manager took out a stack of documents from a drawer and handed them to Gu Cheng for careful review.

The document contains detailed information on various types of rental properties, covering everything from interior design to location and price, and even includes interior and exterior photos of the properties.

Gu Cheng looked around for a while and then chose one of the houses that matched her aesthetic preferences without being too expensive.

"Don't rush to sign the contract. We'll contact the homeowner. See if you can find some time to visit and confirm in person soon." The manager took back the document, his smile even brighter than before.

"Okay, it can be done tomorrow. Here's my contact information." Gu Cheng handed her phone number to the manager for safekeeping and sat quietly waiting for the other party to continue.

"No collateral required?"

"Of course not." You are a distinguished guest, the manager said with a beaming smile.

"Is there anything else? If not, I'll be going now."

"Please take care."

After saying goodbye to the manager and leaving the agency, Gu Cheng walked to the nearest subway station.

The place Ms. Su recommended was indeed reliable; the service was good, and the room rate wasn't too expensive.

Because the rental process went so smoothly, Gu Cheng, sitting in her seat, couldn't help but hum a little tune to herself.

Section 16, Chapter Sixteen: The New Home

"The school's exam schedule has been released, and I'm planning to book train tickets for July 6th. Do you have time on the evening of the 7th?"

Gu Cheng smoothed her messy hair and lay on the bed, staring blankly at her phone. Because of the intense training these past two days, she was going to bed an hour earlier than usual, and some messages wouldn't be available until the next day.

The message in front of him was from Qin Jin. For the past few days, Gu Cheng had been avoiding him, not answering his calls or replying to his messages, as if she had vanished into thin air.

"Ugh..." Feeling a bit uncomfortable with the pressure on her chest, she propped herself up on her arm, pressing the back of her hand against her cheek, and let out a helpless sigh.

Regarding Gu Chengyan's identity and whether he should stay or leave, Song Shiyan gave Gu Cheng a great deal of room for choice.

First, it will be temporarily retained, and all documents related to him can still be used.

Secondly, they skipped unnecessary steps and directly applied to the Hermit Bureau for a disappearance, treating Gu Chengyan as one of those who had vanished into the rift.

The former option has a two-year time limit, while if Gu Chengyan chooses the latter, all of his identity information will be cancelled, meaning he will truly die on a social level.

Gu Cheng didn't give an answer immediately, and the question was naturally left unresolved. Her finger hovered over the text message screen for a long time before she finally put the phone down, turned over, pulled the covers over herself, and slowly closed her eyes.

Escaping is often seen as a sign of cowardice, but it does work. At least for now, Gu Cheng can put aside her worries and quietly enjoy the first morning of her vacation.

As a result of doing so, when she opened her eyes again, it was already noon.

Wearing loose pajamas, Gu Cheng got up, not caring about her fair skin exposed to the air, and opened the refrigerator door.

Tomatoes, water spinach...

Carefully select the necessary ingredients, and thoroughly clean and rinse the vegetables under running water. Slice the garlic, and shred the ginger and pork before cooking.

Stir-fried water spinach with shredded pork and tomatoes and eggs made for a simple lunch. It was a simple dish and soup, not fancy, but enough to fill my stomach.

For Gu Cheng, this amount of food would even need to be divided into two meals to digest. Feeling roughly full, she put the remaining food in the refrigerator and went back to her bedroom to change out of her pajamas.

Wearing a dark blue crew neck shirt with loose-fitting jeans, her style leans towards androgynous. However, with her long hair flowing down her shoulders and her prominent chest, her obvious feminine features actually make this outfit less like a tomboy and more like a young girl who has secretly worn her boyfriend's clothes.

Gu Cheng stared at the mirror for a long time before slowly looking away. The girl in the mirror was beautiful and charming, but she merely admired her without feeling anything in her heart.

Modern medicine has proven that hormones can affect a person's mood to some extent.

A strange sense of loss crept over Gu Cheng, and she felt that something important was gradually being lost.

Perhaps years later, she will no longer like girls and will instead marry and have children without any qualms... The moment this thought took root, Gu Cheng felt goosebumps all over her body. Better to forget it; the thought of that future made her uncomfortable.

After confirming that she was properly dressed, Gu Cheng left the rented apartment with her ID card. The real estate agent had already sent her the address and also helped her contact the landlord, scheduling a viewing for this afternoon.

After getting off the subway, I transferred to a bus and soon arrived at my destination.

"Are you Miss Gu?" After sitting on a bench by the roadside for a while, an elderly couple approached.

"Yes, that's me. Are you Mr. Liu?" Gu Cheng stood up, leaned forward slightly, and answered with a smile. The real estate agency's records showed that the house was owned by a couple with a good reputation in the neighborhood. The husband's surname was Liu, and he was over fifty years old.

"Yes, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. My wife and I were taking a walk in the park next door." Although it was their first meeting, Gu Cheng's neat appearance and polite words made a good impression on him.

"It's nothing, I just arrived." Although it was still quite a while before the agreed time, both sides tacitly arrived early. After exchanging pleasantries, it was time to get down to business.

The Liu couple led Gu Cheng upstairs and gave her a brief introduction to the surrounding environment.

“Our community isn’t very big, but the property management company is quite responsible.”

"The nearest supermarket is on the first floor of that building in front, and there's a small park behind it. You can go for a stroll there often after dinner..." As she spoke, Mrs. Liu opened the door.

The living room faces a floor-to-ceiling window with openwork curtains drawn on either side. Warm sunlight filters gently onto the floor, giving the carefully polished birch planks a warm glow.

"This is the kitchen." Madam Liu pushed the sliding door to the right, leading Gu Cheng on a detailed tour. An induction cooker, microwave, and all kinds of tableware were readily available. A row of storage cabinets on the stovetop held various glassware. To save space, the dining room and kitchen were combined, equipped with matching tables and chairs.

"It's beautiful, I like it very much."

The actual visit was even better than the pictures showed; the well-organized layout was very pleasing to the eye. Gu Cheng gently placed her hand on the chair, feeling its smooth surface and subtle coolness.

"Hehe, let me show you around the bedroom." Receiving the compliment, Madam Liu's smile became even warmer.

The bedroom is located to the east of the living room, and the entire room is decorated in cool tones. The wallpaper features a gradient design from cyan to blue, seamlessly blending with the deep blue ceiling. A classic table lamp sits on the wooden bedside table; when switched on, the light emits an orange glow, slightly dispelling the coolness of the space. On the other side of the bed is a sliding glass window; leaning close to the window and gazing into the distance, one can enjoy panoramic views.

"This is..." On the white bed sheet was a life-sized plush bear with a cute smile on its face.

“Oh, that was left here by my daughter,” Mrs. Liu explained.

“She used to live here alone and liked to buy these plush toys to keep. Later, after she got married and bought a new house, she couldn’t bear to part with these things, so she took them all with her.”

Was the one kept because he didn't really like it? Gu Cheng wondered, somewhat puzzled.

“This bear was bought by my daughter; she said she didn’t want the room to be empty.” As she spoke, a gentle tenderness shone in Mrs. Liu’s eyes.

"If you don't like it, we'll take it back."

"No...it's quite cute." Gu Cheng was indifferent to these kinds of plush toys, but she didn't dislike them either.

"That's good." Madam Liu nodded, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyebrows smoothing out considerably.

Overall, Gu Cheng was very satisfied with the house, especially the fact that the bathroom had a bathtub, which wasn't mentioned in the real estate agent's brochure and was a pleasant surprise.

After viewing the room, the two sat down at the dining table and discussed the terms of the rental agreement.

The monthly rent is 2,000 yuan, and rent is collected every six months. First-time renters need to pay a deposit for two months' rent. Utilities are the responsibility of the tenant. All of these terms are clearly stated in the regulations.

As a prefecture-level city, Lanjiang already has high property prices in the city center. With such exquisite decoration, the rent is quite reasonable.

“We don’t have many requirements, we just hope that you can guarantee that you won’t damage any of the house facilities, and that you won’t make the indoor environment dirty and messy,” Mr. Liu said earnestly, gently holding Mrs. Liu’s hand.