259: Residents' lives

On this day, the winter sun pierced through the clouds, exceptionally bright and dazzling, generously spilling over the land of Hongdu, which had just undergone the baptism of war and was working hard to restore its vitality.

The air was filled with a faint mixture of disinfectant, fresh soil, and the aroma of food wafting from a distant cafeteria.

A trace of cold wind remained; when it brushed past the cheeks, it brought a cool touch, yet no longer held the bone-chilling despair of the past, instead making one's spirit feel refreshed.

Three days had passed since the complete liberation of Hongdu, and four days remained until that commissioning ceremony destined to go down in history.

The entire Hongdu Main Base (a large-scale base located in the former High-Tech Zone) was operating with astonishing efficiency. Soldiers of the Red Alert Legion and the Hongdu Independent Division had all joined in the work of settling the survivors.

This large base, built on a flat and open plain, had towering walls and a solemn defense. Inside the city, rows of brand-new standardized residential buildings were neatly arranged, and though the streets were simple, they were orderly and well-planned.

Over eight hundred thousand Hongdu survivors had been settled in batches within this main base and six small bases distributed across the other four districts and Jiancheng County and Zhongling County. Long-term hunger, fear, and displacement had left deep marks on almost everyone; the survivors were sallow and thin, their eyes filled with alarm or numbness.

Jiang Xin knew deeply that to truly settle people's hearts, it took more than just sturdy walls and armed soldiers; there had to be practical food and warmth, health, and hope.

He issued an order: all Hongdu residents would enjoy a half-month period of comprehensive physical conditioning and recovery. During this time, the base would provide sufficient nutritious food, safe housing, basic clothing, and, crucially—comprehensive medical security. After the residents' health recovered, they would participate in jobs already assigned according to their individual abilities.

The Hongdu Main Base Resident Hospital became one of the busiest and most hope-filled places in this wave of recovery.

It was a multi-story white building that came with the large base, simple, bright, and clean.

In the blood collection and testing area on the first floor, a long queue wound its way in an orderly fashion.

Most people wore the uniformly distributed, slightly oversized grey thermal clothing; although their faces still bore weariness, there was already light in their eyes as they conversed in low voices, their tones carrying a long-lost ease.

"Come, keep your arm flat and clench your fist," a young nurse wearing a pristine white uniform and a mask said gently to a dark-skinned, large-handed man in his thirties before her. Her movements were skilled and soft.

"Alright! Sorry to trouble you, Nurse comrade!" The man smiled somewhat nervously and complied, the muscles on his arm bulging slightly.

The nurse skillfully found a vein, the iodine disinfection bringing a hint of coolness, followed by the needle tip nimbly piercing in as red blood quickly flowed into the collection tube. The entire process was fast and steady, with almost no pain.

"There, press it down with a cotton swab, don't let go for five minutes, and don't rub it. Then take the slip to the right corridor and follow the instructions to the next department for your check-up," the nurse briskly attached a label and placed the collection tube into a tray, while carefully instructing the man.

"Ah, thank you! Thank you so much!" The man pressed the puncture site with the cotton swab, stood up, his face full of gratitude. He walked to a bench in the nearby waiting area and sat down, watching the people around him who were also waiting or had just finished their blood draw, unable to help but remark to a youth nearby who looked like a student: "This is so good... Who would have dared to imagine this before? Not only do they give us food and a place to stay, but they also give us free physical exams. This world... finally feels like a life for humans again."

The youth pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose, the lenses of which were somewhat worn, and nodded in agreement: "Yeah, it feels like a dream. By the way, Big Brother, did the base assign you a work direction?"

The man scratched his head and smiled honestly: "Heh, me, I'm just a rough fellow. Before the apocalypse, I was just a screw-turner in a factory. It's about the same now, just back to the factory! As long as I have strength and am willing to work, it'll be fine."

The youth encouraged him: "Don't say that, Big Brother. What's wrong with working in a factory? I heard the propaganda cadres say that our base implements standard working hours—five days on and two off, eight hours a day. Overtime really gets you overtime pay, and the points they give are substantial! Being able to eat by your own strength and live steadily is better than anything!"

Hearing this, the man felt much more at ease and asked, "Little brother, you look like an educated person. Where were you assigned?"

The youth smiled somewhat shyly: "Me? I was also studying mechanics before the apocalypse, doing equipment debugging in a factory. The base evaluated me and also sent me to a technical post; I guess I'll still be dealing with machines. We're in the same trade!"

"Then you're much better off than me!" the man said sincerely. "Having a craft and being educated makes you sought-after everywhere. Whether before the apocalypse or now, it seems that's how it works."

At this moment, a somewhat steady-looking man in his thirties nearby also joined the conversation: "Education is important, but right now, I still envy those Evolvers more. Flying and tunneling, with extraordinary power—that's true ability."

The youth sighed, the look behind his lenses somewhat complex: "That's true, but the base also said that by joining the army and earning merit, or saving up enough points, there will be opportunities in the future to exchange for crystal cores and try to awaken. But I heard the probability of awakening is inherently not high, and those who can awaken a combat Superpower are one in ten. It's hard..."

The first man moved his arm where he was pressing the puncture site, feeling it was about done, and stood up: "There's no use thinking so much. Let's nourish our bodies first and do the assigned work steadily. It's time for me to get my X-ray. Are you guys coming?"

"Sure, let's go together; we can chat on the way." The youth and the other man also stood up, and the three of them walked together toward the Radiology Department, their figures blending into the bustling yet life-filled crowd in the hospital.

In the waiting area outside the CT scan room, hundreds more survivors were gathered waiting for their numbers to be called. There weren't enough seats, so many people leaned against the walls or crouched on the ground. In the crowd, several girls who looked about twenty years old—though thin, their complexions had clearly improved after a few days of nourishment—were gathered together.

The girls huddled together, their low-voiced conversation quickly turning into lively chirping, adding a splash of vivid color to the hospital filled with the smell of disinfectant.

"Hey, do you guys know about our base's General Zhang Lei? General Zhang Lei himself is super handsome! And very young!" A girl with a ponytail and large eyes cupped her face with her hands, her voice full of uncontrollable excitement, her eyes seemingly filled with stars.

"I know, I know! The 'ice fire divine lord'! My god, he's not just handsome, he's super powerful, okay!" another short-haired girl immediately chimed in, gesturing animatedly. "The day I was rescued, the convoy was blocked by a monster three stories high and covered in black smoke! Everyone was scared to death! Then guess what? General Zhang Lei was like a god descending from heaven, riding a... Flame Qilin! Anyway, super handsome! One spear! Just one spear! With a 'puchi', he pierced that monster right through! Then with a 'boom', divine fire erupted, and that monster didn't even finish its scream before it was turned to ash! Oh my god, my legs went weak at the time—not from fear, but from how handsome he was!"

"Wow—!" The several girls together let out low gasps of wonder, their eyes full of yearning.

Another girl wearing a knitted hat clasped her hands together in a trance-like state: "Young, handsome, and his strength is number one in the Legion, and I heard he's ranked second in the whole country! Such a peerless hero—if I could marry him, let alone living in the apocalypse, I'd be willing even if it meant dying!"

"Wake up, sister!" A clear and pretty girl with an oval face laughed and gave her a push, but she couldn't help but fantasize herself. "What kind of fairy would a man like that be worthy of? Wuwuwu, I'm so envious of that unknown 'Mrs. Zhang'!"

At this moment, a girl who hadn't said much and looked delicate and quiet suddenly spoke up shyly in a small voice, a hint of a blush appearing on her face: "That... General Zhang Lei... he, he held me."

"What?!!!" The other girls instantly exploded, their gazes all focusing on her, full of disbelief and a raging fire of gossip.

"Tell us, tell us! What happened? When? Details! We want details!" The ponytail girl excitedly grabbed her arm.

The quiet girl's face turned even redder, her voice as thin as a mosquito: "It... it was when they were reclaiming our old residential area. I was hiding at home, hadn't eaten for a long time, and the water was all gone; I really couldn't go on. Suddenly I heard the sound of intense fighting outside, and then a knock on the door... I used the last of my strength to open the door, and I saw General Zhang Lei standing there. He had a bit of the scent of gunpowder on him, but his eyes were very bright and spirited. Seeing that I couldn't even stand steadily, without a word, he... picked me up. He was very steady and had a great sense of power... He took me to the rescue vehicle downstairs and even personally got compressed biscuits and water to feed me... At that time... my mind went blank, I just felt his chest was very broad and thick, very warm, and gave a great sense of security..." The girl's voice grew smaller and smaller, her head buried low, but that throb of emotion was clearly palpable.

"Oh my god—!!!" The girls' envious cries almost drew side-glances from the people around them. They quickly lowered their voices, but their excitement was beyond words. "You're too lucky! This is practically the opening of a CEO romance drama!"

"Alright, alright," the quiet girl looked up, the blush on her face not yet faded but wearing a clear smile. "A man like that is like a star in the sky to us. To be able to have such close contact once and feel that warmth of being protected by a male god, I already feel super lucky and can die without regrets. We wouldn't dare have any improper thoughts; that's not something ordinary girls like us can hope for."

"True," the oval-faced girl also calmed down, but then her eyes darted around and she revealed a cunning smile. "However, while stars can't be plucked, we can look at the fireflies around us! Let me tell you a secret—" She deliberately dragged out her tone, successfully attracting everyone's attention. "Me, I exchanged contact info with the officer who rescued me, a very upright and spirited second lieutenant! I told him directly that I thought he was very reliable and wanted to date him... He, he agreed to try dating first!"

"Wow! You moved too fast!" the short-haired girl exclaimed. "Tell us! Did you use a 'beauty trap'? Pretending to faint and falling into his arms?" As she spoke, she playfully poked the oval-faced girl's waist.

The oval-faced girl laughed while dodging: "What are you talking about! That was love at first sight! A mutual attraction, you know? When he rescued me, he was very brave and attentive. The first time I saw him, I felt... well, reliable!"

"I think he was just 'lusting after your beauty' more like!" the ponytail girl teased, reaching out to pinch the oval-faced girl's cheek. "Look at this little face; after only a few days of recovery, it's already got a blush. So pretty!"

The oval-faced girl suddenly sighed, looking down at her still-emaciated figure and lackluster skin, feeling a bit dejected: "Pretty? I've starved so much I've lost my looks, there's not even two ounces of meat on me, I'm like a skeleton..."

"Oh, you silly girl!" The quiet girl gently put her arm around her shoulder. "Don't we have food and drink now? The cafeteria food is so good, and there are nutritional supplements. Let's cooperate well with the treatment, nourish our bodies back to health, and everything we should have will be there! At that time, you'll definitely be even more beautiful than before the apocalypse!"

The girls encouraged each other, their low laughter echoing in the waiting area.

The sunlight outside was just right, shining through the bright glass windows onto their young and hope-filled faces.

Although the past was full of gloom and their bodies still needed time to recover, in this newborn base, the discussions about health, work, and even vague emotions all heralded a mundane yet precious life tenaciously sprouting anew upon the ruins.