The line moved forward slowly, and finally it was Xiao Jin's turn.
She handed her backpack to the soldier in charge of the inspection and was then taken aside for a body search.
The soldiers' actions were very professional, clearly indicating they were used to this procedure. After the body search, Xiao Jin was asked to fill out a form, one section of which asked, "Do you have any special skills?"
Xiao Jin glanced at the form and left that column blank without hesitation.
"Alright, you can go in now." The soldier took the form away, indicating that Xiao Jin could enter the inner city.
Xiao Jin nodded, slung his empty backpack over his shoulder, and walked through the inner city gate.
Her gaze swept around and she found that the streets of the inner city were orderly. Although it was night, patrol teams could still be seen everywhere, and there was a tense but orderly atmosphere in the air.
Soon, Xiao Jin and the other survivors were taken to the communal housing.
This is a large two-story building that looks simple on the outside, but is surprisingly clean inside.
Each floor was filled with hundreds of single beds, with almost no partitions between them, making the whole space feel crowded and oppressive.
Xiao Jin could understand; this was probably done by the higher-ups to save space.
"This is your bed." A staff member led Xiao Jin to a corner on the second floor and handed her a large package. "It contains bedding and toiletries. Food and drinks will be distributed regularly."
Xiao Jin took the package and nodded.
Her bed was on the second floor, far from the toilet, which was considered a lucky location.
Why do I say that?
The communal housing was a large, single-level building with only one large toilet on each floor, yet it had to be used by so many people; you can imagine the smell.
However, the leaders of this inner city were quite good; they seemed to have specifically assigned people to clean the toilets, so the toilets were not as bad as Xiao Jin had imagined.
They even paid attention to hygiene here; that shows real dedication.
Otherwise, the surroundings will smell terrible, making people more susceptible to illness and increasing the risk of viral and bacterial growth.
She placed the package on the bed, and Xiao Jin began to organize her own things.
She arrived just in time; it wasn't lights out yet, and the survivors around her weren't asleep.
Without cell phones and the internet, the only way for them to pass the time is to chat or play cards.
Xiao Jin's arrival attracted a lot of attention. Her appearance was already outstanding, and with her clean and tidy attire, she stood out in the crowd.
Seeing Xiao Jin finish making the bed and sit down, an older woman next to him couldn't help but come over and ask with a smile, "Young man, why are you only arriving at this hour? Mutant animals can be very dangerous at night!"
Xiao Jin: "It was because we encountered mutated animals that our trip was delayed."
"Oh dear, that's really bad luck." The horse patted its chest in relief. "But now that you're in the inner city, you don't need to worry anymore. It's still very safe here."
They have no worries about food or drink, and many people patrol outside every day.
"Yes, it's very nice here."
“Absolutely!” The woman perked up. “Although some people feel restricted, the outside world has become like that now. Being alive and having food to eat is better than anything else.”
At this point, the woman's eyes reddened, and she asked with a sigh, "I've been here for several days now, and I still don't know how things are outside?"
"The number of mutants is increasing every day, and they are becoming more and more powerful. Their destructive power and quantity are beyond what humans can match."
Afterwards, Xiao Jin briefly explained the situation outside, especially the mutated wasps and mutated cockroaches.
The older woman clicked her tongue in amazement, and the other survivors gathered around, chattering amongst themselves.
“We also had mutated cockroaches here yesterday. If it weren’t for the electric fence in the inner city, we would have all been eaten,” a middle-aged man said with lingering fear.
Xiao Jin was somewhat surprised, not expecting that the inner city's administrators had even prepared an electric grid. Her impression of the inner city improved slightly.
As the woman was chatting, she suddenly changed the subject and asked with a smile, "Young man, how old are you? Do you have a girlfriend?"
My niece is single, would you like me to introduce you to her?
As she spoke, the woman pointed to a girl on a bed not far away.
The girl looked to be in her early twenties, probably still in college. Seeing Xiao Jin's gaze fall upon her, she lowered her head shyly.
Xiao Jin's lips twitched, and he quickly said, "I'm sorry to trouble you. I have a girlfriend, but we were separated during the apocalypse."
The woman paused for a moment. Although she believed that Xiao Jin's girlfriend was most likely dead, she couldn't say that.
She could only laugh and say, "Oh, what a loyal and devoted young man. What's your girlfriend like?"
Xiao Jin didn't expect the old lady to keep asking questions, and the image of Jian Yiqiu immediately popped into her mind.
Her expression froze, and she secretly regretted thinking about that bastard.
"She has a great personality, warm and steady," Xiao Jin replied casually.
"What about your looks? You're so handsome, your girlfriend must be beautiful too, right?" the older woman continued to ask.
Xiao Jin pondered for a moment, and Jian Yiqiu's image involuntarily appeared in her mind: "Tall and fair-skinned, hmm... her fingers are very beautiful." She has a slender waist and soft hair.
Lost in thought, Xiao Jin became somewhat absent-minded.
She shook her head, inwardly complaining, "Have I been celibate for too long? Should I find a man in the dungeon to take care of things?"
Xiao Jin appeared serious on the surface, but little did she know that her mind was already wandering freely.
Seeing Xiao Jin lost in thought, the older woman assumed she was missing her girlfriend, so she turned to her bitter-faced niece and shook her head, indicating that it was hopeless.
………………
As night fell, the dormitory gradually quieted down.
Xiao Jin lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
The room was too crowded, and the air was filled with an indescribable stench. Although the toilet was kept very clean, it still couldn't mask the odor.
To make matters worse, the constant snoring, sleep talking, and teeth grinding around her made it impossible for Xiao Jin to fall asleep.
Finally, she had no choice but to take out a pair of noise-canceling earplugs from her storage space, put them in her ears, and barely managed to fall asleep.
The next morning, Xiao Jin was awakened by a noisy commotion.
She took off her earplugs and found that the dormitory was already bustling with activity; it turned out that the breakfast distribution staff had arrived.
Xiao Jin arrived late last night and missed dinner. To fit in, she didn't eat anything either, and now her stomach was growling with hunger.
Upon seeing this, she quickly got out of bed and followed the crowd to get breakfast.
Breakfast was simple: a steamed bun, a bowl of thin rice porridge, and an egg.
Although it wasn't a lavish meal, it was considered quite good treatment under these circumstances.
Xiao Jin also noticed that everyone, regardless of age, gender, or physical condition, received the same food. This was clearly not ideal for those with large appetites.
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