"The food is here!"
"I’m so hungry!"
A group of men dressed in a chef's clothes were pushing dozens of five-meter tall, huge barrels into the hall. The crowd suddenly became restless. However, in the Reconstruction Area, everyone had to be disciplined. Even starving people had to restrain their desire and queue up patiently.
Of course, the heavily-armed soldiers in the hall may also have played a role in that. Luo Yuan stood up and got in line along with the rest of the crowd. There were thousands of people in the hall and dozens of casks. Half an hour had passed before Luo Yuan and the gang received their food.
Dinner was only two big pies per person, but they weighed around one pound in total. The pies were green in color, and they obviously did not look like they were made of flour.
"This is a cactus pie. I bet you’ve never heard of it before," Zhao Yali teased Luo Yuan when she noticed his hesitant expression.
Luo Yuan smiled unnaturally before he asked curiously, "Cactus pies are made of cactus?"
Indeed, he had never eaten this before. He looked down and bit into the pie, chewing slowly. He found that it tasted very rough when he swallowed it. It scratched his throat as if it was stinging.
"It’s called a cactus pie, so of course it’s made of cactus. We used to eat this very often in the factory. Steamed, cooked, fried... We had this thing every day for every meal," Mu Wenwen explained when she saw Luo Yuan’s distressed look.
After she had entered the Reconstruction Area, its disciplined environment and peaceful life had made her insecurities diminish greatly. She was a lot more cheerful than she used to be, and she could talk to everyone now. She was a completely different person compared to the time they had spent in the wild.
"In fact, what we have been eating is also cactus starch," Huang Jiahui explained embarrassedly, "but it’s finer than this."
"There is a difference of seven to eight times in price though," Wu Xiaoxiao muttered quietly, trying to hide her shock.
Regular cactus starch was not pure. There was still a small amount of fiber in it that had not been processed properly. Although that amount was very little, cactus fiber was a few times harder than bamboo fiber. Even if it was ground into powder, it was still very hard to swallow. However, it was cheap in large quantities and was very filling, so it had become the main dish in the Reconstruction Area.
Super fine starch, on the other hand, required more than a dozen procedures. By removing the coarse fiber, its taste became almost the same as that of ordinary starch. Of course, it cost as much as three pieces of mutated beast meat. Wu Xiaoxiao’s husband had a decent income, but they were still reluctant to buy fine starch. Ordinary workers could simply not afford it, so she had never expected anyone to actually use it as a main dish.
Huang Jiahui blushed. Luo Yuan had gotten used to eating wild meat for every meal when they’d survived in the wild, and he still did while they were there. His three meals a day had to include meat and vegetables, but his recent appetite had been too big, so for almost every meal he ate five or six days’ worth of meals. A thousand dollars was considered a large sum of money for the average person, but he’d almost spent that much within a month.
"Just be honest, Luo Yuan. What is your occupation?" Wu Xiaoxiao finally asked. She was really curious about it.
"I’ve told you, I’m temporarily unemployed," Luo Yuan replied helplessly as he ate quickly, swallowing his last bite. He took some water from Huang Jiahui and drank it.
The women secretly laughed.
"I don’t believe you, but it’s alright if you don’t want to tell," Wu Xiaoxiao said angrily, her mouth twitching. The women’s laughter made her even more suspicious.
"I’m telling the truth!" Luo Yuan said.
Suddenly, Secretary Zheng entered the hall and looked around. His unique vision helped him spot Luo Yuan and his gang. He was surprised to see Luo Yuan exuding boundless glory. He looked like the sun. When he went closer, he felt as if his soul was burning. Apparently, his strength had improved since the last time they had met.
He quickly calmed down and greeted him with a warm smile, "Hi, Mr. Luo! You’re here! No wonder I couldn't find you anywhere else. Mayor Wu has prepared a room for you all. Would you like to go there now?"
Luo Yuan was stunned for a moment before he smiled and stood up. "Hello, Secretary Zheng. Would it be too much trouble for you?"
"It’s our pleasure to invite you, it’s no trouble at all!" Secretary Zheng said quickly, his heart fluttering as he shook Luo Yuan's hand. Although he was in politics now, he was still an evolved human, so he was more fascinated with strength and power than the average person.
"There’s a lot of us here. Are you sure you can arrange it?" Luo Yuan asked embarrassedly.
"Seven of you? Of course, no problem!" Secretary Zheng said immediately as he glanced at the group.
To be honest, he was kind of frightened to be talking to such a strong man. The gap between them was too huge, and he felt that he might lose his life if he said anything wrong.
Wu Xiaoxiao and Sun Youde were shocked by Secretary Zheng’s flustered look. Who was Luo Yuan to get such special treatment from the mayor?
"Since you have invited us so kindly, let us go to the room," Luo Yuan said.
He discovered that there was another level below the shelter.
"This level is mainly a warehouse. It stores a large number of goods, such as food, water, ammunition, fuel, and so on, plus a spare factory. This way, even if the shelter is completely closed, we can survive for up to a year," said Secretary Zheng.
Noticing that everyone looked confused, he quickly added, "Of course, the ammunition depots are far from the residential areas. Don’t worry, we have adequate isolation facilities, so even if there’s an explosion, we will not be affected."
Everyone was relieved by his explanation. No one would want to sleep next to an ammunition depot that could easily cost them their lives.
"Secretary Zheng, do you know what happened outside?" Zhao Yali suddenly asked.
Luo Yuan was curious about it, too. It seemed like it was a very big issue this time. Desert City could possibly have been destroyed.
The question made Secretary Zheng halt. He hesitated for a long time before he whispered, "It’s a secret. You can’t spread it out. We do not want to cause panic among the population."
Everyone quickly nodded their heads.
"We have received a message from Top Management that a huge insect influx will pass through here. A few days ago, the war began at the frontline, but it hasn’t been going well. Once the frontline falls, Desert City may be temporarily evacuated."
Luo Yuan’s expression was serious. "In other words, we will stay here for a long time."
"It is possible, but if the situation becomes even worse, we might need to retreat to the next city," Secretary Zheng said, "After all, Desert City's population is nearly a million people. There are a lot of machines and equipment, and if they’re not maintained properly, they will rust very soon. Top Management certainly does not want to waste resources."
Although productivity in the Reconstruction Area had recovered, it still could not be compared to the time before the end of the world. Some equipment could not even be produced anymore, so it had to be salvaged from the occupied zone that had huge human and material resources. With the passage of time, most of the equipment in the occupied zone had already gotten damaged though, so they could not search around for materials and equipment like before. Every loss of equipment counted now.
"But there is only one double-track train in the underground with just two trucks. How could so many people and equipment be transported out in such a short time?" said Sun Youde with a pale face. Living through the Great Migration had made him sensitive and deeply aware that during critical times, the priority would always the equipment, talent, women, and children.
During the Great Migration, many people had been brutally abandoned. The rebels had been shot to death by machine guns, and there had also been countless people who had died on the way, some of them getting eaten by mutated beasts. All these cruel scenes had been giving him nightmares.
Even though the Reconstruction Area was relatively safe those days, during critical times there was always prioritization. His identity had been different back then, and his degree of importance had been good enough for him to be included in the first migration. Sun Youde had suddenly come to a lot of realizations.
Secretary Zheng stared at him in dissatisfaction as he said, "This is just my guess. It depends on the specific circumstances of the changing situation and the decisions from the top management. Even if the situation deteriorated dramatically though, at least the shelter would still be safe. If it’s impossible for everyone to migrate, the rest of the people could still survive for up to a year with the supplies here. Such a long time would be sufficient to rebuild the area and regain the lost ground."
Everyone relaxed. No matter how bad the situation was, at least it would be safe for them to stay there.
They continued to walk for a few minutes before they stopped in front of a warehouse. Secretary Zheng opened the door to a three to four square meter room. "This was an office area originally, but it was too big, so most of it has been turned into dormitories. Mr. Luo, you will live here. Hot water and meals will be sent soon. If there is anything you need, you can come find me. I am in room 2033. You can also go directly to Mayor Wu. We are in the same room."
"We have..." Wu Xiaoxiao was about to say that they’d already eaten, but she was held back by Huang Jiahui. Suddenly, she understood, and quickly shut her mouth.
Huang Jiahui knew that, considering Luo Yuan’s big appetite, the cactus pies he had eaten earlier would not have been enough. She had actually planned on giving him her own pies, but if there was going to be a meal delivered, she would definitely not be giving them away.
Once Secretary Zheng left, the team walked into the room. It was arranged like a student dormitory. There was a small space with eight beds, enough to accommodate everyone. There was also a bathroom inside.
The room was simple, but in this narrow, overcrowded shelter, they could not ask for much more.
"Huo Dong said he would arrange a room for us. How come you still followed Secretary Zheng to this room?" Huang Jiahui whispered, pulling Luo Yuan to the side.
"It’s not easy to get a room in this shelter, and he has just arrived, so he should not have that much power. I guess it’s the military behind him who will arrange for it," Luo Yuan explained. He had been there for so long that his name should have reached the top ranks by now. It would be strange if the military didn’t come to recruit him.
"Do you have anything against the military?" Huang Jiahui was confused.
"Of course not. But I’m more familiar with the other side, and they’re easier to deal with," Luo Yuan laughed.
The military was always tough, and they followed commands dutifully. Especially in this difficult situation, in the eyes of the army, everyone was a soldier. By contrast, politicians were much more tactful and easier to deal with.
Luo Yuan was used to acting freely, so it was hard for him to adjust to military life. Plus, no matter how strong he was, the power of an individual was negligible on the battlefield. Luo Yuan never expected that trouble would still find him, considering how much he tried to avoid it.
Less than five minutes later, there was a knock on the door.