Chapter 251 It’s a Secret Laboratory
It's a sunny day today.
It was about two kilometers from where Qiao Lan lived to the transfer station at the laboratory. The road conditions were very good, and Qiao Lan drove the scooter very fast.
The streets of the capital were cleaner than those of City C. Officials had specially organized manpower to clean them up, so traffic flowed smoothly in the core districts, unlike the chaotic mess in most of City C. However, manpower was limited, as were the supplies needed to hire them. Outside of the core districts, the area was still in ruins. Even the well-organized capital could only manage this these days.
After arriving in Beijing, Qiao Lan learned that several riots of varying sizes had broken out here in the early days of the apocalypse. The Temple organization had also flourished for a time, and Saint Yes and some other bad forces had also been rampant, resulting in the deaths of many people.
At that time, the government was severely damaged and could not handle too many things for a while. Later, when it gradually recovered its strength, it gradually took action. After rounds of powerful deterrence, it finally established the current relatively stable order.
Some core departments and specialized organizations in the city are now operating normally, with employees working every day from nine to five, with no holidays. The survivors who have awakened have generally been recruited by the government and sent to various locations for employment. Ordinary people who are able to work are employed at various construction sites, relying on their physical labor for meager rations; those with special skills and knowledge may also have opportunities for light labor.
There's no salary, only food or points to redeem for necessities, medicine, etc. According to the laws of previous societies, this would have been severe exploitation, but in today's environment, having food and a job is like a paradise, something everyone craves.
What's more, the public security in the capital is gradually improving. Robbery and murder used to happen frequently, but now at least no one dares to rob openly in broad daylight. The patrol team is not a pushover. This is much better than other areas where vicious incidents such as cannibalism still exist.
Generally speaking, the living environment is far worse than before, but in the end times, it is already very good.
"The city is in good order. I really hope that City C can stabilize as quickly as the capital."
When she arrived at the transfer station, Qiao Lan met Xiao Liu, the staff member who was responsible for receiving her, and praised him.
Xiao Liu was a Level 2 Awakener, a former bodyguard from the South China Sea before the apocalypse. He possessed a high level of combat prowess, yet was known for his easygoing nature. He led Qiao Lan into the Imperial Garden ruins, winding through many turns, deep underground, and into the outer entrance of the laboratory.
After hearing Qiao Lan praise the city's good security, Xiao Liu sighed and said, "To restore order, many people died in various battles. Some died tragically, no less tragically than you did on the Eastern Front. I had several close comrades and colleagues, and they're all gone."
"Do they still have a chance to participate in drug experiments?"
"No, they passed away early. At that time, no one knew that the new medicine could also bring back the body to life," said Xiao Liu.
He felt somewhat disappointed. "A lot of people really died. Not counting the windstorms, snowstorms, frost disasters, and epidemics, at least over 100,000 people died in the capital simply because of the rampant evil forces. There were brave soldiers and innocent people. It's so tragic. The current short-term stability has been so hard-won!"
It's the same in the east, Qiao Lan thought.
When she rode the Temple's mechanical bird to her hometown to collect the villa, she passed by the main eastern battlefield, the one Ye Qi was temporarily commanding. She saw the densely packed ground with corpses, both friendly and enemy. Thick smoke billowed over the wilderness as the logistics team responsible for clearing the battlefield burned and disposed of the bodies. Due to the sheer number of bodies, they had only processed half after more than ten days.
To prevent disease and unpredictable corpse transformation, the remains of the martyrs could not be buried normally. Instead, they were sprinkled with special treatment chemicals and burned to ashes along with those of the enemy. Resurrection with new drugs was impossible. There weren't enough drugs, and the chances were too low. Clinical trials hadn't even been successful. Xiao Tang's trip to Beijing was just a last-ditch effort; how could it be used on a large scale?
When Qiao Lan saw the battlefield like that, he felt very uncomfortable.
Later I learned that the situation was similar not only in the eastern region but also in the capital and other war zones. People had made great sacrifices to gain the temporary stability we now enjoy.
"However, the difficulties have passed, and the environment is much better now. We will definitely get better and better! We will never forget those who sacrificed, and work hard to move forward!" Xiao Liu quickly put away his melancholy, and his face was filled with confidence and determination.
This isn't about boasting or being heartless. To survive and make a difference in troubled times, many people have learned to forget and hide their pain.
Xiao Liu gathered his emotions and sincerely wished Qiao Lan: "I hope your friend Comrade Tang Xiaoyao can be resurrected successfully."
"Thank you. Our lives will definitely get better and better."
Qiao Lan said.
It was with this kind of optimism and determination that she brought Xiao Tang to Beijing.
Xiao Liu shook off his heaviness and changed the subject, "Miss Qiao, how was your stay last night? Was there anything you weren't used to? Please let me know if you have any questions."
"No, no, it's so comfortable, it's great. I never thought there would be such a nice house to live in these days."
Qiao Lan quickly praised.
After arriving in Beijing, she was assigned to live in a private house in the central city. The rows of courtyard houses in front and behind had been recently renovated after the disaster and were currently used as dormitories for certain department staff and for receiving guests from outside Beijing.
Honestly, it was far inferior to Qiao Lan's own safe house, but Qiao Lan had the blessing of a rebirth space, which ordinary people couldn't compare to. Having such a guest room in the apocalypse was indeed not easy, and it also showed that the government's power was rapidly recovering.
The two walked for a while underground and boarded a subway train. Only the driver's cab and the two rear carriages remained, a small subway train used by core government staff for underground commuting.
The outer entrance to the laboratory beneath the Imperial Garden was dozens of kilometers away from the inner entrance. The capital's complex underground transportation network had been preserved during the apocalyptic disaster. Officials had cleared and protected several of these routes, relocating key departments to underground spaces along the route.
The laboratory where secret pharmaceutical research is conducted is located inside.
The road twisted and turned, and the tracks crisscrossed. Qiao Lan boarded the train and walked for over half an hour. At first, she could remember the route, but then she became disoriented by the train's repetitive movements. This was her second time here, and she still hadn't memorized the route.
It really is a secret laboratory, it’s quite secretive.
Well, the laboratory's confidentiality work is pretty good. Ordinary people can't get in, and it's safe for Xiao Tang to use the medicine in there.
"Ms. Qiao, what have you thought about my last proposal?" Xiao Liu asked tentatively as they were almost there. "I really hope you can agree to it."
"Uh..." Qiao Lan smiled politely.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
