Xiao Hao lightly kicked the two of them. Hmph! Don't think I don't know what you're up to.
He tugged at his hair, looking utterly disgusted.
"Brother, they didn't really put lice on our heads, did they?"
Pei Nansheng felt nauseous, but he had to pretend to be nonchalant. "So what if it's done? I'll just shave my head."
Xiao Hao is at the age where he cares about his appearance, and he doesn't want to be bald. The guards would laugh at him. Frustrated, he kicked 003 and 017 several times.
Damn it, you guys just can't stand to see us siblings doing well.
She stored the person and weapons in her spatial storage, looked around to make sure nothing was left behind, and comforted Xiao Hao:
"Alright, with just a few strands of hair, it'll grow back in a few days. What's there to worry about?"
Xiao Hao pouted, "Sister, you make it sound so easy, but you're still unhappy about it yourself."
A series of natural disasters have drastically altered the landscape. Along the way, ravines and gullies crisscross the land. Pei Nansheng had been to many places before, but now he could no longer distinguish where they were.
The official base of Shuzhou is built in a depression, which is called a depression because it is surrounded by hills of varying sizes, all less than 500 meters high.
The authorities made full use of the terrain, choosing the narrowest point between the two mountains to build the base gate. Once the gate is closed, it has a kind of imposing presence, like a man holding the pass against ten thousand men.
Many people were queuing to enter the base. Zuo Ling and her brother did not have entry and exit permits, so they went to the registration desk on the side.
The person registering was a young man with a round face. He looked up at Zuo Ling and her brother:
"Name, age, place of origin".
"Wang Gang, 35, Shuzhou."
"Wang Yan, 33, Shuzhou."
"Wang Xiaoxiao, 15, Shuzhou."
The three siblings not only used pseudonyms, but their ages were also incorrect.
The young man frowned:
"You share the same surname, are you siblings? Are you locals? Your accents don't sound like it."
Pei Nansheng explained, "Before the apocalypse, we went to the north and lived there ever since."
Before the young man could ask any more questions, Pei Nansheng casually handed him two wilted sweet potatoes, saying, "I'm sorry to have troubled you."
The young man's eyes lit up. The sweet potatoes might not look appealing, but at least they were still a real food source.
His eyes swept over the three men. The tattered clothes basket swished. He was puzzled. They couldn't even get food out of a mouse hole. Where did these three guys who looked like beggars get sweet potatoes from?
"This... this isn't enough to get into the base. We've changed the rules here. If you want to get into the base, you have to deliver supplies, like food, clothing, daily necessities, firewood, steel, and the like."
Pointing to the people queuing to enter the base, he said, "See? Even if I register you, if you can't hand over the supplies, you'll still be kicked out."
Indeed, quite a few people were handing over supplies, and a few who couldn't hand over their supplies were arguing with the gatekeeper.
Zuo Ling rummaged through the tattered bundle for a while, and finally pulled out a pair of worn-out sneakers and handed them to the young man.
"Could you please register us? Whether we can get in is our business."
The shoes were ones Pei Nansheng no longer wore; although old, they were neither torn nor leaky.
Zuo Ling noticed that the young man's shoes were cracked, so she figured he needed some.
Sure enough, the young man's eyes lit up when he saw the shoes, but he still looked hesitant.
I understand, the benefits aren't enough.
Zuo Ling pulled out two more dirty hard candies. "Please."
The young man sighed, pretending to be troubled: "Fine, you're lucky to have met me."
In reality, with successive natural disasters causing so many deaths, every base is short-staffed.
These things are not the young man's concern. They only care about extorting and demanding bribes. He doesn't care what to do; he also needs to survive.
After obtaining their registration cards, the three of them lined up to enter.
Zuo Ling noticed that some people didn't have to pay an entrance fee, while others did.
After observing for a while, it seems that the ID card contains identification information. If the deadline is not reached, it does not need to be submitted; if the deadline is exceeded, it must be submitted.
The items handed in were varied, mostly old clothes or daily necessities, but some also included wire and wooden boards.
When it was Pei Nansheng's turn, his ID card was scanned on the machine. The red light flashed, and the security guard looked at Pei Nansheng. "You, are you new here?"
Pei Nansheng nodded, pointing to Zuo Ling and Xiao Hao: "We are one family."
The gatekeeper frowned. Three more penniless fellows arrived. "You need to hand over supplies to enter. What are you handing over?"
Zuo Ling handed over a bag of old clothes that she had prepared in advance.
The security guard shook his head. "Not enough."
Whether it's enough or not depends entirely on his word.
Zuo Ling reluctantly pulled out two bars of soap. The gatekeeper's expression softened, and he weighed the soaps in his hand. "Go in."
As soon as he turned around, the gatekeeper muttered under his breath, "These poor bastards, you can't squeeze any oil out of them."
This was because Zuo Ling and the others were dressed too shabbily; otherwise, they would have been skinned alive.
The poor man's mouth twitched as he listened.
Not far inside the door, a crowd surged forward.
"Looking for a place to stay? My place is cheap, want to check it out?"
"Where are you going? Do you need me to show you the way? Just give me some money."
"My house is a proper brick house. Come stay at my house, the price is negotiable."
"..."
The three siblings: "..."
Given our current state, do we look like we can afford a house?
But it also shows that with the overall environment being bad, people are starting to desperately try anything, taking a shot in the dark.
"A food factory is hiring! Food and lodging provided! A food factory is hiring! Food and lodging provided!"
A loud voice suddenly broke in, and everyone rushed towards the source of the sound.
Before they could even open a shop, someone else had already snatched it away, and the vendors looked on indignantly.
Zuo Ling and her brother had come specifically for the food factory. Just as they were about to take a step, they were stopped by a middle-aged man hawking housing information.
Don't go.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
