Some people say that all romanticism comes from the reality of wanting something but not getting it.
Of course, there couldn't be any stars in the subway. Besides the various pipes and wiring, the ceiling was lit by chandeliers spaced about ten meters apart. Unless you had Superman's vision, which he probably couldn't, you'd have a five-in-twelfth chance of seeing stars through a nuclear bunker forty or fifty meters thick, then through dense ash and dark clouds.
If humans could never return to the surface, perhaps future romantic literature would be about looking at chandeliers, candlelight, or simply the lamp lit by a deceased mother. People can only imagine the future based on their own experiences; in other words, the best writing is determined by their own experience.
Readers who have read this will probably curse, what a rubbish novel, the plot is long and boring. "I" can only say that "my" life, or most people's life is just like this "long and boring".
Of course, Jiang Ling's "life" would be more disgusting and lengthy than most people's, but she didn't care anymore because the deal went smoothly.
At the appointed time, she shouldered her oversized suitcase and, amidst the astonished gazes of passersby, leisurely strolled to Warehouse No. 4 of the "Three Yang Caravan." The would-be merchants had been waiting there since early that morning, and Jiang Ling had been crouching in the distance, observing for several hours.
"Good morning! Let's get started!" Jiang Ling broke the silence first.
Yang Hanqing nodded and gave a thumbs-up to Yang Jun, who was guarding the door. Yang Jun immediately lowered the shutter door and turned on the cold white light in the warehouse.
Jiang Ling put down the suitcase and zipped it up, revealing the organized weapons and ammunition. Yang Weimin raised his lip, reached out and took out a bayonet, and gently stroked the blood groove on it with his fingers.
"That one won't be given away!" Jiang Ling reminded.
"I know, I know! I just took a look. I haven't seen it for a long time!" Yang Weimin immediately answered while nodding, but the movements of his hands did not change.
"Look at the gun first. Where's my protective suit?"
"Here, it's in this box!" Yang Jun found a box as big as a schoolbag from a corner of the warehouse, put it on a cabinet and opened it, then stepped aside.
Jiang Ling went forward to check it out, and heard Yang Jun introducing it: "Weimin used his old connections to cut in line and got this good stuff. It's a reusable reinforced protective suit. Although it's a bit heavier than the regular type, the maximum exposure time isn't much longer. But look at this helmet!"
Jiang Ling noticed that the eye lenses were covered with film, with a tear-off tab at the top right and bottom left corners. Inside the helmet, a card slot was added, resembling the structure on the back of a terminal. Furthermore, there was a hanging point inside the collar of the protective suit, where a small bottle with a straw for an energy drink was already attached.
Yang Jun went on to explain: "They've modified it based on space suits, adding a lot of very practical small parts. They're still revising the production line, so the output is low and can only be provided to frontline troops."
“How many times can this film be used?”
"Thirty times, and after that you can only wipe it by hand. But you can buy it from someone in the military supply area, it's not very expensive. It's made of plastic and can be directly synthesized in the factory." Yang Weimin replied, picking up a gun: "You don't even use gun oil on this gun?"
"Yes, so there's half a barrel of propanol gasoline in the box as a bonus!"
"That's amazing! How did you get this channel? Twenty years ago, I thought no one was smuggling anymore!"
"Keep it a secret! I won't tell you how to make a living!" Besides, no one will believe it even if I tell you, so it's better to just get away with it.
"I won't bargain for the magazines, five points each. Bayonets are negotiable. For every thirty bullets you buy, you'll get five for free. You can see for yourself. Oh, and there's a dud in the iron box; I forgot to take it out."
The men exchanged glances, probably thinking that honesty and trustworthiness were indeed rewarded. Yang Weimin said, "Just give me a bayonet; they don't know how to use one."
"Okay, what's your price?"
"Your knife hasn't been sharpened yet, how about fifteen?"
"Of course it's new and unworn, twenty-five!"
"Twenty, about that. We bought a lot of things!" Yang Hanqing acted as a peacemaker.
"Okay, just this once, let's just be friends."
"Then we need three guns, six magazines, three hundred rounds of ammunition and a bayonet!"
"Five hundred and fifty points in total. That protective suit will be used to deduct two hundred and fifty points. I'll also give you eighty rounds of ammunition."
"make a deal!"
Several people shook hands with Jiang Ling, and everyone had a happy look on their face. This was probably what was called a win-win situation.
After counting the bullets, Yang Weimin immediately began to load the bullets into the magazine one by one, while Yang Hanqing transferred 300 points to Jiang Ling's account. The few of them also exchanged communication codes.
Jiang Ling packed the leftover items into a box. This time the weight was much lighter and she could carry it away. Of course, the so-called lightness was all her pretense.
Taking the first steps toward becoming wealthy, Jiang Ling stopped by the ration shop and bought all the limited supplies her pass allowed: fifteen bags of synthetic grain, seven barrels of water, four filter canisters, and a kilogram of clothing materials. She could have bought more purified water and cigarettes, but no one in her family smoked, and the water took up too much space. The clothing materials were actually a factory order, which she could transfer to her mother when she got home. She spent a total of 117 points. Jiang Ling had assumed the points had little purchasing power; if she had used them in her old age, she'd have spent a thousand or so yuan.
Dragging her suitcase back, Jiang Ling finally felt relieved. She began to look forward to the days ahead. She'd have to go up to the surface once in the next few days to get Li Wenjia's exoskeleton back and test the crossbow's effectiveness. If she could get a few mutants back, she could make a small profit at the distribution center. That's what the ration store janitor had said: they had a purchase point on the ground floor. Of course, the price wouldn't be as high as the small vendors'; they were selling in bulk.
Oh, I forgot to mention that the gate at the entrance for inspecting controlled items is actually no longer in use. Jiang Ling didn't learn about this until after the transaction, which caused her days of unnecessary worry. Ever since the interim government relaxed weapons controls, those gates have been on a demolition countdown, but somehow, the higher-ups haven't ordered their removal yet. They're probably considering making it easier to confiscate weapons when normalcy returns.
"I'm back!" The first thing Jiang Ling saw when she got home was Huang Yun dealing with Jiang Wenwen. It seemed that this guy had been discovered stealing the synthetic grain from home. Fortunately, his father diverted the firepower.
"Mom, take your time. These are for you!" She put down the suitcase and lazily sat on the sofa in Jiang Wenwen's aggrieved eyes.
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