54. Cloud Peak City

Fu Yunong and Shi Dong followed the main group and were taken to a small courtyard surrounded by stone houses. A wooden sign that read "Disinfection Area" stood at the entrance of the courtyard.

The staff gave each person a bar of rough soap and a set of faded old clothes. After washing and disinfecting together, the two were led through several streets to the dormitory area.

The dormitory area was also made of stone. Pushing open the door, there were seven bunk beds inside, and the aisle was so narrow that you could only walk sideways. Fortunately, it was relatively clean and there was no strange smell.

The lower bunks further inside were already taken, so Fu Yunong and Shi Dong could only choose the remaining upper bunks, which were conveniently located near the main entrance.

The woman who brought them handed them two yellow slips of paper. "These are meal tickets from the base. You'll have to earn work points to get food from now on."

"You guys really hit the jackpot. The food at our base has just gotten a bit better lately, and that's when you arrived."

Fu Yunong took the meal ticket and saw that it was printed with the words "Third Canteen Meal Ticket" and the expiration date was marked in the corner.

The woman didn't say anything more, just gave them both a strange look, and turned to leave.

Shi Dong knew what she was looking at. Clothes could be worn out, and faces could be smeared with dirt, but everyone was naked when taking a bath. She and Fu Yunong didn't look like refugees at all.

Sure enough, their abnormality was quickly reported up the chain of command. By the time it reached Ru Feng, their information had been fully presented.

Ru Feng sat in a large armchair, twirling a photograph between her fingers, a slight smile playing on her lips. "They turned the Watchers base upside down, and now they've come here to find some peace and quiet."

The woman behind her placed her hand on her shoulder and whispered, "Could they have ill intentions?"

"With their capabilities, they wouldn't need to go to such lengths if they really wanted to do something." She tapped her fingertips lightly on the table. "Let's just pretend we don't know anything and observe how things unfold." She changed the subject, her tone becoming more playful. "Speaking of which, we should thank them. They blew that place to smithereens, but we still managed to get a share of the spoils."

The woman behind him looked somewhat mournful. "What a pity, that good spot was snatched up by the Azure Dragon Base. Who would have thought that their city lord, who never shows his face, would actually come in person? Unlike here, it's all rocks."

Ru Feng's eyes turned cold as she looked out the window at the cliff. "No rush. Sooner or later, what belongs to them will be ours."

It's getting dark a bit later now, and the shadows of the stone buildings are stretched long on the ground.

The survivors who had just finished work returned to their dormitories one after another. They weren't too surprised to see two more people in their dormitories; it was normal for people to come to the base for help from time to time.

At the end of the corridor was a makeshift laundry room, which was supervised by a designated person. The survivors lined up to get some cold water, wiped themselves down quickly, and then went to the canteen in twos and threes to eat.

"Would you two like to go out for dinner together?" The speaker was a round-faced girl who seemed quite enthusiastic.

Fu Yunong and Shi Dong exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement, "Okay, thank you."

The girl smiled and waved her hand, "Don't mention it, my name is Jiang Xing, I've been here for almost two months."

According to Jiang Xing, there are a total of three canteens in this area, and the three canteens are built on a small hill.

Using the remaining light on the horizon, Fu Yunong and Shi Dong followed behind her uphill, and could smell the aroma of food from afar.

The canteen was made of stone and was quite large. Every few steps along the wall, there was a kerosene lamp. Although the light from each lamp was not very bright, the sheer number of them made the canteen brighter than the administrative headquarters canteen of the Watchers' Base.

"Do you have lunchboxes?" Jiang Xing led them to the window to line up. "If you don't want to eat here, you can get your food and eat it back in the dorm."

Fu Yunong shook her head, "Let's eat here."

The cook at the window worked quickly and efficiently, serving each portion evenly. Today's dishes were stir-fried bean sprouts and stewed potatoes with pork cracklings, with a fist-sized multigrain pancake as the main course. The pancake was hard and required slow chewing, but once chewed, it had a subtle wheat flavor, making it very popular among the survivors.

Shi Dong picked up a piece of potato crackling; it was only the size of a soybean, and there were only a few pieces, but she was filled with shock. After all, many of the lower-level survivors in the bases could only drink some gruel of unknown origin every day, and it was considered good if they could add a little salt. It was truly rare for the lower-level people in Cloud Peak City to be able to eat oily food.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, someone came to the dormitory to call them to work. The task assigned to Fu Yunong and Shi Dong was to chisel stone, to carve large blocks of bluestone into regular stones.

This was truly hard work, but to their surprise, before starting work, the foreman actually gave everyone safety helmets and masks. Although they were simple and crudely made, it was clear that they were specially prepared labor protection supplies.

Seeing that the other survivors were used to wearing them, Fu Yunong and Shi Dong exchanged a glance and saw surprise in each other's eyes.

They continued digging until noon, when the foreman came over with a cloth bag and gave everyone two whole-grain cakes as a snack. After eating, they continued working until evening when Fu Yunong and Shi Dong finally received their meal tickets for the day.

Fu Yunong ate her dinner at the cafeteria, finishing every last bite on her plate. Unfortunately, she wasn't hungry, but she was far from full either.

The next day, the two went to work on empty stomachs. They had only been chiseling for half a day when they heard the foreman calling for help outside.

Fu Yunong looked up and saw Xiao Linfang standing upright in a dark black uniform, a stark contrast to their disheveled appearance.

The foreman, all smiles, asked, "Are you here to find someone?"

Xiao Linfang suppressed a laugh and pointed at the two people squatting on the ground eating pancakes, "Those two."

In an instant, everyone's gaze towards Fu Yunong and Shi Dong changed. Good heavens, these two actually know someone with superpowers!

Even if someone with superpowers wants to take someone away, they still have to follow procedures. The foreman quickly reported it up the chain of command, and soon permission came. He dutifully had the two people sign the papers before smiling and letting them go.

Before leaving, Fu Yunong took out a handful of chocolates from her pocket and stuffed them into Jiang Xing's hand, saying, "See you again someday."

Jiang Xing, holding a bag full of chocolates, stared blankly as they walked away.

On the way, Fu Yunong asked Xiao Linfang, "How are you feeling over there?"

Xiao Linfang smiled and said, "It's great. The people here are very easygoing, the superhumans don't bully ordinary people, and the people in charge are reasonable." She pulled the two of them in another direction, "Come on, let's go to my place first, look at how dirty you are."

Xiao Linfang's single room was much better than the dormitory. Opening the door, there was a bright living room with a stone floor so polished that it reflected your image. The inner room also had a private bathroom and even 24-hour hot water.

"...They even provided me with a dedicated laundry service. If I didn't feel like doing anything, the cafeteria could deliver my meals to my door."

Fu Yunong's teeth ached from hearing this. "Stop it! I should have made you do manual labor."

Xiao Linfang laughed and said, "My ability level is easy for people to tell."

After the joke, Fu Yunong had a thought and released Lin Songsong, Huangfu Jinrang, and Huahua from the space.

The three of them were eating snacks and watching TV in the living room of the space when they came out and saw Fu Yunong and Shi Dong's appearance, and immediately burst into laughter.

"Sister, are you going to mine coal?" Huangfu Jinrang came over and tugged at Fu Yunong's arm.

Lin Songsong laughed along with him.

Fu Yunong waved their hands away, both amused and exasperated, "Stop fooling around, let's go wash up first."

Just as the two finished tidying up, there was a knock at the door, and a guard's respectful voice rang out, "Gentlemen, the city lord requests your presence."

The group exchanged glances, unsurprised. They followed the guards into the car, which drove towards the city center, finally stopping in front of a pointed-roof building.

The walls here are made of uncarved raw stone, and two uncarved stone pillars support the entrance, giving it a simple and solemn feel.

This is the political center of Cloud Peak City, the City Lord's Office.

Ru Feng was already waiting at the door. When she saw them get out of the car, she immediately greeted them with a smile, "It is an honor to have you grace us with your presence."

Ru Feng didn't ask them why they were there. After some pleasantries, she led them inside, saying, "I've prepared a small feast. Let's eat and chat."

A round stone table was set up in the banquet hall, with about a dozen hot dishes neatly arranged on it. There were both vegetables and meat, and although it was not luxurious, each dish exuded a sense of sincerity.

As she sat down, Ru Feng said with a smile, "Don't laugh at me, but if it weren't for the supplies you provided last time, I probably wouldn't even be able to afford a feast like this right now."

Fu Yunong was stunned for a moment. At the Watchers' base, there were more than ten kinds of appetizers and cold dishes. Cloud Peak City looked much more organized than the Watchers' base, so how could there be a shortage of supplies?

Before she could speak, the woman standing beside her whispered, "The city lord cares deeply for the people. Most of the base's resources have been used to improve people's livelihoods, while he himself is a bit strapped for cash."

Ru Feng smiled and introduced, "I forgot to tell you all, this is my personal assistant, and also my cousin, Su Ya."

Su Ya had a pale complexion and looked delicate and frail. Upon hearing this, she nodded slightly to the group.

Fu Yunong nodded silently at Su Ya's words, having truly learned that lesson herself.

After several rounds of dishes, Fu Yunong put down her chopsticks and got straight to the point, "Lord Ru, we've come here to discuss cooperation with you."

Ru Feng raised her eyes, a knowing glint in them, signaling her to continue.

“We don’t want to get involved in any more base conflicts.” Fu Yunong said frankly. “Our ‘Conscience Supermarket’ will continue to operate. If Cloud Peak City needs supplies, we can give you a 10% discount on the listed price. However, you will have to come and pick up the supplies yourself.”

She paused, then added, "As for your desire to unify the various factions, as long as it doesn't affect our transactions, we won't interfere. Everyone gets what they need, and we won't interfere with each other."

These words were exactly what Ru Feng wanted. What she needed was stable material support, not the unrealistic expectation of binding these powerful individuals to her cause.

She laughed heartily, "No problem! I agree to all your conditions." With that, she raised her glass to Fu Yunong, "Cloud Peak City will always be your most steadfast partners. If anyone dares to cause you trouble in the future, I will be the first to object."

Fu Yunong smiled and raised her glass to clink with hers.