Chapter 23 Dawn Base
Meanwhile, in the northern part of Jiangzhou City, in a "Northern Safe Zone" converted from a large logistics park, the scene of survival is equally cruel, and even more chaotic.
There are no relatively orderly structures like air-raid shelters here. Instead, it is pieced together from warehouses, containers, and temporary shantytowns. The management is also far less strict than that of the West District security zone where Ruan Ning is located. It is more like a jungle where the strong prey on the weak.
Lin Jiaojiao and her family of three are crammed into a narrow, cold, and musty corner of a shipping container. This metal box, less than ten square meters in size, has been divided in two by a tattered cloth curtain they found and are "shared" with another family of survivors.
The shipping containers were scorching hot during the day but freezing cold at night. Ventilation was extremely poor, and the air was polluted.
They had no proper bedding, only a few old clothes stained with unknown dirt and dug out of the rubble. The neighbor had a child who kept coughing; the sound echoed from the tin box, which was both irritating and increased the risk of contracting disease.
The distribution of supplies here is even more uneven, completely controlled by a few strong search teams and the local bullies who originally operated in the logistics park.
As newcomers, Lin Jiaojiao's family hadn't demonstrated any special value, so they only received a few moldy breadcrumbs or watery porridge each day. Lin Wanyun had tried to use her remaining charm and silver tongue to ingratiate herself with the leader distributing supplies, but all she got in return were lewd looks, more blatant hints, and disdainful glances from those around her. She could only slink back home.
Ruan Chenyang tried to take on the most dangerous wall reinforcement work in hopes of earning more food, but having lived a life of luxury, his physical strength was simply not up to par. He almost fainted after working for half a day and was sent back by the foreman, who cursed at him.
Lin Jiaojiao and Lin Wanyun were assigned to sort garbage—searching for anything that might be useful in the mountains of waste. This was the lowest level of work, the dirtiest, and the most likely to cause injury and illness.
By the end of the day, my hands were covered in tiny cuts and my whole body smelled terrible.
At night, amidst their rumbling stomachs and the coughing of the neighbor's child, the family of three huddled together, their whispers almost always revolving around Ruan Ning, whom they had "abandoned" and "schemed" against.
"It's all that brat's fault!" Lin Jiaojiao's voice was choked with sobs, but filled with resentment. "If she had just given me the bracelet obediently, we might have awakened our superpowers long ago! We wouldn't be suffering like this here!" She completely forgot that she was the one who intended to steal it, and blamed everything on Ruan Ning's disobedience.
She rubbed her empty wrist, as if there should have been a bracelet there that could change her destiny.
Lin Wanyun looked haggard, her usual gentle facade long gone, her eyes filled with resentment: "That ungrateful little brat! We raised her for so many years for nothing! She's completely useless when it matters! If only we had known..." She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear.
Ruan Chenyang remained silent; he understood the harsh reality better than his wife and daughter.
He would occasionally feel a pang of regret, wondering if things would be different now if he had treated Ruan Ning better. But this thought was quickly suppressed by a stronger desire to protect himself.
His voice was hoarse, tinged with a sliver of hope and a desire to shift the blame, as he said, "Don't mention her... she might have already died in the city... we have to find a way to survive ourselves." However, deep down, he had also fantasized that if Ruan Ning were still alive and capable, might she come looking for them out of consideration for their father-daughter relationship?
Although this fantasy was so faint, it became a weak and pathetic thought that sustained his struggle in this hell.
They did not know Ruan Ning's exact whereabouts, or even whether she was still alive.
But in their narrow and selfish mindset, all their misfortunes seemed to stem from Ruan Ning's "non-cooperation" and "disappearance." They twisted their own difficult situation into resentment and longing for Ruan Ning, and this complex emotion fermented in the torment of despair, becoming increasingly unforgettable.
They were like rats in a sewer, struggling in the mud, cursing their "savior" who might already be dead, while fantasizing about getting something for nothing.
Meanwhile, in another safe zone unknown to them, Ruan Ning, whom they "worried" about day and night, was growing rapidly and sharpening his claws.
The paths of fate will eventually intersect, and at that time, what awaits them will not be the salvation they long for.
The passage of time appears blurry and slow in the apocalypse, yet it also seems to change in an instant.
After paying a heavy price, the military and surviving technicians finally managed to partially repair and rebuild some longwave signal towers. Intermittent radio broadcasts, intermittent and filled with noise, once again became a fragile umbilical cord connecting the outside world.
That day, Ruan Ning had just finished her morning work on water purification and was about to rest when she heard a piercing electrical noise coming from the loudspeaker in the air-raid shelter, followed by an excited, slightly distorted voice:
"Fellow countrymen! Fellow survivors! This is the Jiangzhou Temporary Safety Zone Command Center! We have received a stable signal from the outside world! Repeat, we have received a signal from the outside world!"
The entire air-raid shelter, whether in the noisy general area or the relatively quiet B area, instantly fell into an eerie silence, and everyone pricked up their ears.
"According to the latest news, the Dawn Base, led by national forces and constructed by the Southern Military Region, has been initially completed and put into operation in a neighboring province! The base is located in the suburbs of the former H City, about 500 kilometers away from Jiangzhou City! The base has complete defensive fortifications, restored production capacity, research institutions, and military support! It is a true home for survivors!"
The words "Dawn Base" exploded in Ruan Ning's mind like a thunderclap!
Fragments of memories from her past life flooded back—towering concrete walls, orderly division of areas, relatively stable supply of materials, and... the scene where Lin Jiaojiao, disguised as a spatial ability user, thrived there, while she herself struggled like dust, ultimately being pushed into the zombie horde!
That was the end of her past life's tragedy! It was also where Lin Jiaojiao climbed to the top with the help of her spatial bracelet!
The broadcast continued, announcing the approximate locations and situations of several other large bases, but Ruan Ning couldn't hear it anymore. Her heart was pounding, and the sound of her blood rushing through her ears was deafening.
Dawn Base! It really exists, and in this lifetime, it has been officially confirmed and made public ahead of schedule!
Five hundred kilometers... a mere few hours' drive before the apocalypse, but now, that journey is akin to traversing hell. Yet, the hope it represents holds a fatal attraction for those struggling to survive.
After the broadcast ended, there was a deathly silence inside the air-raid shelter, followed by a tremendous roar!
The cries, cheers, and excited discussions nearly lifted the roof off the cave! The gloom of despair seemed to be dispelled by this light from afar, and the flame of "hope" was rekindled in the eyes of many.
Ruan Ning stood rooted to the spot, seemingly isolated from the surrounding clamor. Her gaze, initially filled with shock, quickly turned cold and sharp.
Dawn Base... She will definitely go! But not like in her previous life, as a helpless and vulnerable person at the mercy of others.
That is the final stage for her revenge. There, she will take back everything that Lin Jiaojiao possessed, along with her life from her previous life!
At the same time, she immediately realized that the announcement of this news would completely change the existing landscape of the safe zone.
Those with ability and ambition will inevitably begin planning their move to large bases. The population of safe zones may decline, and the competition for resources may undergo new changes.
The military's policies toward people with superpowers and ordinary people may also be adjusted accordingly.
She needs to improve her strength and accumulate capital more quickly to make full preparations for the long and dangerous journey to Dawn Base that is about to begin.
“Dawn Base…” she murmured the name, a cold and resolute smile curving her lips.
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