Chapter 125 Meow meow meow
After No. 3 took Jian Yunlan and Taotie through many turns in the residential area, they stopped in front of a small gray building.
"Our Eastern Base has been established forty years ago," No. 3 explained proudly, "Among all the bases, our residential area ranks highly in terms of comfort and livability. Not only does every household have two hours of electricity per day, but each person also has a shower ration once a week. There is also a planting area in the base, where you can buy food with credit points."
Jian Yunlan followed No. 3's explanation and looked around.
Although it is a 'residential area', as a gathering place for the surviving humans in the apocalypse, the residential area of the Eastern Base is very different from the residential areas of humans in the civilized era.
The biggest impression that this place gave Jian Yunlan was that it was dim, small and cramped.
Countless small houses are crowded together, like small cells in a honeycomb. In each small cell window, a few numb and tired faces are reflected.
After passing through another dim alley, the three stopped in front of a room labeled 'J Zone 108'.
No. 3 took out two keys, gave them to Jian Yunlan and Taotie respectively, and then opened the door with another public key. Behind the door was a small one-bedroom apartment with only a bed, a table, two folding benches, and a small bathroom separated by a curtain.
"This is your room." Number Three said, "There aren't many rooms with bathrooms, so I secured this for you two."
Jian Yunlan didn't say anything, just nodded and thanked him.
Taotie, however, took a look at the only bed and looked uncomfortable. He frowned and said, "Only one bed?"
Number 3 was stunned. "Do you need two beds? Two beds require additional application and may not be allocated until next week. If you need them, I will help you submit the form."
Number Three couldn't help but look at Jian Yunlan and Taotie.
The looks of these two people are really too outstanding in this era. Although both men looked dusty and had scars and mud on their faces, No. 3 could tell at a glance what was hidden under the hood.
Of the two of them, one was taller, with silver hair, and looked like someone who was not easy to mess with; the other was thinner, with a distant but gentle temperament, and had blue eyes.
Although the two of them did not do anything intimate, the familiar feeling between them could not be faked.
In this era, when seeing two people like this standing together, almost everyone would naturally think that they are a couple.
Could it be that I was wrong?
Number Three stroked his chin.
Jian Yunlan: "Uh——"
Taotie suddenly spoke again
"No need." Taotie said stiffly, his ears red, "Just confirming."
Jian Yunlan also blinked innocently and said, "No need."
...Anyway, Taotie can turn into a dog, so it doesn’t matter where he sleeps, right?
The black-hearted boss Jian started to ponder in his heart.
Number Three nodded: "Oh."
Without dwelling on this issue for long, No. 3 began to introduce them to the rules of the Eastern Base, such as curfew time, the division of various functional areas, where to collect supplies, etc.
Then, No. 3 gave each of them a thin card.
Jian Yunlan took the card in his hand and observed it, and saw the number '11324' in the upper right corner. This was his number in the Eastern Base.
"The common currency in the base is credit points," said No. 3. "The monthly fee for a child in the nursery is 100 credit points, and adults have to pay 50 credit points to the base every week. Since you are new, you can be exempted from the first week's fee, but you will have to pay it regularly starting from the next week."
"What will happen if the fee is not paid?" Jian Yunlan asked.
"The consequences..." Number Three gave him a meaningful look, "Anyone who fails to hand in credit points for two consecutive weeks will be expelled from the base."
The Eastern Base is one of the few remaining safe zones in the hemisphere. The outside of the base is now filled with alien species, radiation, and pollutants. Any F-level pollutant can kill dozens of people instantly, not to mention the recent report from mercenaries that S-level pollutants have been observed...
The consequences of being expelled from the base can be imagined.
"Even S-rank mercenaries can't survive outside the base for more than three days, let alone ordinary people." No. 3 said, "So, you'd better start preparing for next week's credit points now."
"Remember I just asked you if you have any special skills?"
As he spoke, No. 3 took out two flyers and handed them to the two people: "There are three main types of professions in the Eastern Base. The first type is mercenaries."
On the first flyer, there was a muscular man wearing camouflage clothes and goggles. The muscular man was carrying a gun and had a confident and hearty smile. The leaflet had these words in bold:
'Eastern Base Recruitment Plan! Join us, become a mercenary, and protect your family and children! Weekly salary starts at 200 credit points and there is no upper limit! '
Mercenary is a high-risk and high-reward profession.
After a simple training, you can go out to perform tasks. Because they need to go outside the base every day to conduct surveys, search for resources, and hunt for pollutants, mercenaries have high wages, but also have an extremely high casualty rate.
Taotie took the flyer, glanced at it briefly, and immediately said, "I will be a mercenary."
Number Three gave him an approving look:
"Generally, every family will have at least one mercenary as the main breadwinner. As for the other family member, I recommend you choose this..."
As he spoke, No. 3 handed the second flyer to Jian Yunlan.
On the flyer, there is a doctor in a white coat holding a stethoscope. The leaflet reads:
'Join the Logistics Department of the Eastern Base and create a better future! '
The logistics department of the Eastern Base is a huge organization. In addition to the medical staff at the top level, there are also cleaners, broadcasters, patrolmen, kitchen staff, etc. who all belong to the logistics department.
"Although the weekly salary is not high, it is safe and stable, you can start working immediately, and the benefits are very good." No. 3 looked at Jian Yunlan, "No. 11324, you just said that you were a chef before. I recommend you to apply for the job in the kitchen."
Jian Yunlan showed a thoughtful expression: "What is the job of the kitchen staff?"
"The kitchen staff is responsible for making the nutrient solution," No. 3 said with a smile. "It's a very easy job. A new employee like you will most likely be in charge of the assembly step. Every day, you only need to put the finished nutrient solution into portable sealed bags."
The work in the kitchen is simple and easy to get started. Although the salary is also the lowest, only 20 points per week, many people are still willing to choose the kitchen because it is simple, safe and stable.
Jian Yunlan: "..."
I don't mean anything else, but for a job like this, does it really require someone with previous experience as a chef to do it? !
"Of course, if you work hard, you may be promoted in the future. You may be able to move to a more senior department in six months." No. 3 said, "If you have no objection, I will help you submit the form--"
Jian Yunlan finally couldn't help but interrupt:
"that……"
"You just said that the professions in the base are divided into three categories. The first is mercenary, the second is logistics, what about the third?"
Hearing this, No. 3 was strangely silent for a moment: "..."
Number Three: “You really want to know?”
Jian Yunlan: "Yeah."
"The third type of job," No. 3 showed an awkward expression, "...is the 'black market'. It's a mixed bag of people, with groceries, cheap food, and sex workers. It's not a good place."
However, Jian Yunlan keenly captured the key words from his words.
'Cheap food'...
Isn’t this the apocalyptic version of a roadside snack stand? ? !
Jian Yunlan's eyes lit up instantly.
At the same time, a 'ding dong' sound came from Jian Yunlan's mind -
[Ding Dong!] The cooking system in your brain has been activated. 】
[Main mission: Sell a total of 500 servings of porridge at the price of 3 credit points per serving within three days, regardless of location. Please note that this task is a three-day scheduled task. The time to sell 500 servings of porridge cannot be more than three days, nor less than three days. 】
[Are you willing to accept this main quest? Accept/Reject】
…
[Task accepted successfully!] Current progress 0/500】
[Obtained [Porridge Recipe Collection]]
[Obtained [Lead-free Preserved Eggs] x50, [Pork Shank Meat] x50]
[Obtained [Casserole] x1]
[Obtained [Insulated Porridge Bucket] x1]
.
Half an hour later.
Eastern Base, at the entrance of the black market.
Two patrolmen squatted at the entrance of the black market in a daze. Jian Yunlan had the letter of introduction written by No. 3 in his arms. Before he could speak, the two patrolmen just glanced at the huge thermos in his hand and let him in.
There was sympathy mixed with some disdain in their eyes.
——Patrolmen like them are used to seeing hawkers who come to the black market with large and small bags to make money, but only a few of them can actually make any money.
Compared with other areas with strict security, the black market seems particularly lax.
Of course, the official name here is not the black market, but the 'free trade market'. It is a broad square building with two entrances, one in the north and the other in the south.
No. 3 took Taotie to the mercenary camp to register, so Jian Yunlan was the only one who came to the black market at this time.
It was 9:30 in the evening. There were not many people in the black market, but people began to pour in one after another. According to No. 3, the black market would not really become lively until around 10 o'clock in the evening, when most of the mercenaries had completed their missions and returned to the base.
The black market is divided into several different areas, and the overall feeling it gives is just like its name, that is, chaotic, dark, and mixed.
The large area on the left is the grocery area, where some goods and ingredients that the base does not accept will be sold. Most of the sellers are relatives or friends of the mercenaries, and can get first-hand sources of goods from the mercenaries.
In front of the lighted small tents and stalls, there were many stall owners, both men and women, yawning constantly. However, they were either old or had obvious disabilities and could not be mercenaries. Even the logistics department would not accept them, so they could only set up stalls in the black market.
Among the three types of occupations introduced by No. 3, jobs in the black market are the most unstable and have the lowest salary. The environment here is chaotic and it is possible that one may not make much money even if setting up a stall for a whole day. Most of the people here are the elderly, the weak, the sick, or those with a criminal history.
After walking a few steps inside, a heavily made-up man came up to Jian Yunlan and tried to get close to her. He said enthusiastically, "Sir, is this your first time here? My name is Xiangxiang. Would you like to try Xiangxiang's massage service? It's very cheap, 10 credit points per hour, and you can get a discount if you apply for a card~"
Jian Yunlan politely declined the offer: "I'm not a customer. I'm also a black market colleague and a newcomer."
——"Could you please tell me how to get to the dining area?"
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