Chapter 252: Household Incinerator

Melody Summers asked in surprise, "Officer Rhodes, what brings you here?"

Her family had just moved in yesterday, and Roman Rhodes was already at their door today. ’He’s certainly persistent!’

Roman Rhodes was in a crisp police uniform today, a rare sight that made him look exceptionally handsome and sharp.

Seeing Melody Summers come in, Roman Rhodes set down his teacup and smiled. "I heard you moved in yesterday, so I brought some fruit over to see how you’re settling in."

Beside the living room coffee table sat three boxes, all filled with various kinds of fruit.

Colin Summers stood to refill Roman Rhodes’s tea, saying with some embarrassment, "Officer Rhodes, you’re far too kind! You always go to such expense for us. We feel terrible about it."

Roman Rhodes replied with a smile, "You don’t have to be so formal with me. My brother and I ate more than our fair share of Miss Lowell’s cooking when we were young. My brother and I must have gone through at least half of the ration tickets she brought home each month! Besides, these fruits are homegrown, so they didn’t cost a thing."

Rhodes Enterprises specialized in indoor farming, so they had these kinds of supplies in abundance.

Mr. Rhodes doted on his eldest son and sent loads of supplies to Roman’s apartment every week. Since Roman lived alone, he couldn’t possibly get through it all himself.

Roman Rhodes glanced at the foam boxes lined up neatly in the corner of the living room. Inside, various vegetables were thriving under the glow of grow lights.

Rows of bottled water were stacked against the base of the wall, arranged neatly to account for the floor’s load-bearing capacity.

He sighed inwardly. ’The Summers family really knows how to manage. They keep everything so perfectly organized, they don’t need my help at all.’

’That didn’t leave him many opportunities to impress them...’

Winnie Summers was a very independent woman. Roman felt that if he wanted a chance with her, he would have to put in more effort.

With that thought, Roman Rhodes took a sip of tea, looked up, and asked, "Are you settling in okay here?"

Was there anything he could help them with?

Miss Lowell nodded and replied with a smile, "Everything’s fine. Don’t you worry about us."

Melody Summers, on the other hand, looked as if she’d just remembered something. She slapped her forehead and told everyone what had just happened in the elevator.

As everyone in the living room listened to Melody’s account, they all frowned.

Grace Sutton slapped her thigh in frustration. "Her again, from 1505! Yesterday, she was the one insisting we should give up our apartment, and now today she’s prying into our supplies. What’s wrong with her?"

Melody Summers sighed. "I guess we should try to eat less aromatic food from now on, like boiled noodles and vegetables. The smell from frying and stir-frying is too strong. It can travel a long way through the cracks in the doors and windows."

This was the second year of the disaster, and nearly every household was surviving on sand vine cakes.

The few who still had jobs might be able to afford some real food to supplement their diet, but such people were exceedingly rare. Even they couldn’t buy it often; once or twice a month was already a luxury.

If the scent of cooking wafted from the Summers’ apartment every day, it was bound to attract the attention of the other residents in the building.

People were unpredictable; they had to be on their guard.

Roman Rhodes considered this for a moment before suggesting, "Would you consider moving? I can arrange for you to stay at the Nimbus Hotel downtown. Don’t worry about the cost—it would be free of charge."

Melody was taken aback. ’The hotels downtown have been booked solid for ages. How could Officer Rhodes still get a room?’

But Melody quickly put two and two together. Roman wasn’t just a high-ranking officer; he was also a member of the Rhodes Family. It wasn’t surprising that he could arrange for a room.

The Summers family all waved their hands in refusal. They had stayed at the Nimbus Hotel during the wildfire on the back mountain and knew how expensive it was. They couldn’t possibly let Roman Rhodes foot that bill.

"No, please don’t. That hotel is far too expensive!" Winnie Summers said, waving her hands.

Roman’s gaze fell on Winnie, his voice softening unconsciously. "Don’t worry about the money. My family’s company owns shares in the Nimbus Hotel, so we have an entire floor reserved for our use. It’s better for you to move in than to let it sit empty."

Roman’s expression was sincere, but Winnie continued to shake her head and refuse.

They hadn’t done anything to deserve such a favor, so the Summers family felt they couldn’t accept Roman’s kind offer.

Melody also spoke up. "Officer Rhodes, we’re doing just fine here. We have all the supplies we need, so you don’t have to worry about us."

Melody knew how difficult it was to get a room at the Nimbus Hotel. Roman had already helped their family so many times; she felt bad about troubling him again.

Besides, this heavy snowfall was different from the wildfire on the back mountain. Back then, they had only stayed at the Nimbus Hotel for half a month. This time, it would take at least half a year for the snow to melt!

’She wasn’t shameless enough to live in a ridiculously expensive hotel for free for half a year!’

’But if she offered to pay for it herself, she’d have no way of explaining to her family where she got that much money!’

’Even at 200,000 a night, half a year would be 36,500,000! If Roman or her family asked, how could a college student like her explain having that kind of money...’

’Melody didn’t know how she would explain it. She couldn’t afford to create more complications!’

Seeing their reactions, Roman knew the Summers family didn’t like being indebted to anyone, so he had to drop the subject.

Grace Sutton comforted everyone, "The snow has already started, and the temperature will only get colder. Once it drops to fifty or sixty below, who’s going to be opening their windows for ventilation every day?"

Roman nodded. He thought for a moment, then added a warning. "Aside from that, you also need to be careful about trash disposal. There was a case in another complex where the culprit went through a household’s garbage, found their food scraps, confirmed they still had a stockpile, and then broke in to rob them."

Melody nodded. She had already thought about that. "We have a furnace, so we can just burn most of our household trash."

’As for anything that couldn’t be burned, Melody could store it in her space for now and find a chance to get rid of it later.’

But Roman shook his head. "Burning it directly like that isn’t a good idea. A lot of household waste produces toxic fumes when burned. And since you’re in a residential building, venting the smoke is also a problem."

"I know of a small, professional-grade household waste incinerator. It’s a new technology that was just released. It’s completely sealed, so no fumes leak out, which makes it perfect for residential use. I can arrange to have someone come and install one for you!"

Hearing this, the Summers family quickly thanked him. "That would be wonderful! Thank you, Officer Rhodes!"

After thanking him, Winnie added, a little shyly, "Officer Rhodes, thank you so much for helping us so many times. If there’s ever anything you need in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask. If there’s any way we can help, we’ll certainly do our best."

Colin Summers puffed out his chest. "That’s right, Officer Rhodes! It’s so good of you to always be looking out for us. If you ever need anything, just say the word. Don’t you hesitate!"

Roman looked into Winnie’s eyes, which were as clear and serene as a lake, and felt the tips of his ears grow warm.

He covered his mouth with his hand and gave a slight cough. "...You really don’t have to be so formal with me... Oh, right. Your supply distribution point is starting to prepare the winter gear today, isn’t it? My car is downstairs. I can give you a ride!"