As for those at the bottom of society, they are forced to live in cramped and shabby quarters. Their homes are dark and damp, often with several families sharing a single, cramped space. Food supplies are meager, barely enough to sustain basic survival. They perform the most arduous and dangerous work for meager pay.
The disparity in resource allocation is even more pronounced. Those at the top have priority access to fresh food, clean water, and precious medicine, while those at the bottom often only receive leftovers or even spoiled food.
Opportunities for education and training are also strictly limited by social class. Children of the upper class receive the best education, learning advanced knowledge and skills. Meanwhile, children from the lower classes often lack the opportunity to even learn to read and write, forcing them to struggle to make a living from an early age.
Even in the base's social activities, the boundaries of class are clearly visible. The gatherings among the upper echelons are luxurious and lively, while those at the lower levels can only work quietly in the corner, as if they are two completely different worlds.
This strict hierarchy, like an invisible net, bound everyone in the base, making life in the new base not as good as Xiao Yi had initially imagined. At the bottom of the new base's hierarchy, the houses were so dilapidated that they looked like ruins forgotten by time.
Most of these houses are made of simple wooden boards and rusty iron sheets, with cracks and holes in the walls, allowing the wind to flow in unrestrainedly. The thatched roofs have long been rotten, and every time it rains, the houses will drip continuously.
As I walked into the house, a damp, moldy smell hit my nose. The floor was potholed, filled with stagnant water and mud, making it easy to slip. The so-called windows were just a few pieces of rags casually covering them, and the light that filtered in was very weak, making the room permeate a gloomy atmosphere.
The room was small and cramped, with little furniture. Perhaps a rickety wooden bed covered with threadbare, smelly bedding. Perhaps a battered wooden box in the corner held a meager collection of personal belongings.
The paint on the walls was peeling, revealing the rotting wood underneath. In some places, you could even see insects crawling in and out of the cracks. Due to years of neglect, the structure of the house had become precarious, as if it could collapse at any moment.
At night, cold winds would blast in through the cracks, waking people up from their sleep. In the summer, the sweltering heat wouldn't dissipate, making the house feel like a steamer, unbearable.
These dilapidated houses are a stark reflection of the plight of the lower classes, and a poignant corner of the rigidly hierarchical new base. The mountain on which the new base sits towers into the clouds, its steepness and sheerness daunting. Its slopes are almost vertical, crammed with jagged rocks and thickets of thorns, a seemingly insurmountable obstacle set by nature.
Xiao Yi embarked on this difficult climb, and every step he took was full of danger. At first, he tried to grab some protruding rocks to maintain his balance, but some of those rocks were loose and fragile. When he grabbed them hard, the rocks suddenly fell off, causing his body to lose support instantly and slide down several meters. Fortunately, he grabbed a tough branch in time and avoided the fate of falling into the abyss.
Continuing to climb, the steep slope offered almost no foothold. Xiao Yi had no choice but to cling to the mountain wall, searching for tiny bumps and cracks to support his weight. Once, his foot missed a step, and he was left hanging in mid-air. He could only cling to the cracks in the rocks with his hands, his fingers bleeding from being worn. With his tenacious perseverance and amazing strength, he finally found his footing again.
The thorns on the mountain were also a major threat. They grew densely, and the sharp thorns scratched Xiao Yi's clothes and skin, leaving blood marks on his body. Every contact with the thorns brought a stinging pain, but he had no time to care and could only bite the bullet and move forward.
Even more terrifying was the constant howling of strong winds between the peaks. The winds were so strong that Xiao Yi felt like he was about to fall. He had no choice but to crouch down, clinging to the mountain wall tightly, waiting for the strong wind to pass. Once, a sudden gust of wind nearly swept him away. His body swayed violently in the wind, and his heart was in his throat.
In addition, there are some unknown traps hidden in the mountain. Sometimes the ground looks solid, but it is actually a thin layer of loose soil. Xiao Yi will sink into it as soon as he steps on it, and it takes a lot of effort to get out.
Every danger Xiao Yi encountered during this climb was terrifying, but his yearning for his new base and his unwavering dedication enabled him to overcome his fears time and again, forging ahead courageously. As Xiao Yi climbed the steep mountain, falling rocks struck him like a nightmare. The rocks varied in size, some as large as fists, others as massive as millstones. They tumbled down from above without warning, carrying a terrifying potential energy.
As the rocks began to slide, Xiao Yi first heard a chilling friction sound, followed by a dull thud as the rocks hit the mountain wall. Debris flew everywhere, dust flew everywhere, and he could only desperately look for shelter. Once, a sharp rock brushed past his shoulder, instantly tearing through his clothes and leaving a deep bloody mark on his skin. Another time, a huge rock came straight at him, and he narrowly dodged to the side, and the rock rolled down beside him with a gust of wind that made his heart beat wildly.
The inclement weather made Xiao Yi's situation even worse. The wind howled, as if it would tear him off the mountain. The sound of the wind echoed through the valley, like the howling of ghosts and wolves, deafening. The wind, mixed with icy raindrops, mercilessly lashed his face, making it almost impossible for him to open his eyes. The rain soaked his clothes, adding weight to his body, making every movement more difficult.
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