The group set off one after another, leaving the vacation village that had somewhat relaxed their spirits behind.
After a day's journey, they finally arrived at the survival base established in the provincial capital city, Pei Cheng.
Fu Shiwu was astonished, and everyone couldn't help but be amazed as they gradually caught sight of the enormous city walls.
While at the Yun City Storage Center, they had reinforced walls, but it was nothing compared to the spectacular sight of Pei Cheng rising from the ground.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Fu Shiwu stepped down from the co-driver's seat, and Tang Xuhai, observing the convoy ahead, simply halted and got out of the vehicle.
"These walls were built by ability users," Fu Shiwu observed for a while, affirming.
"Hmm?" Tang Xuhai blinked, crossed his arms, glanced for a moment, and asked, "How did you figure that out?"
"This construction method couldn't have been completed in just two months by mechanical engineering," Fu Shiwu gazed at the lengthy walls, "nor could it have been accomplished by manpower alone. Only the current combination of earth-based abilities and metal abilities could achieve this miracle."
Tang Xuhai, not as familiar with this field as Fu Shiwu, understood the unusual aspect of the walls due to Fu Shiwu's professional insight.
"Reinforced concrete..." Fu Shiwu's eyes gleamed, murmuring, "Certainly, there must have been a tremendous change inside."
At this moment, Horn Ting walked over from behind, hearing his words. Feeling uneasy, he asked, "What's wrong with Pei Cheng?"
Tang Xuhai turned to him and said, "Nothing's wrong, but after the Sky Dome opened, even the way people build houses changed. They don't even use bricks now."
Horn Ting didn't grasp Tang Xuhai's sarcasm. Fu Shiwu, with a serious face, reiterated his earlier discovery, which made it click for Horn Ting.
"Oh," Horn Ting sighed in relief.
"Do you have relatives in Pei Cheng?" Tang Xuhai inquired.
"Yeah, I have an uncle from my family over here," Horn Ting forced a smile. "I wonder how he's doing now?"
"In a survival base of this level, the chances of survival are still significant. No need to worry," Fu Shiwu reassured, pushing his glasses up.
The convoy entering the city was long, but its impact was not as significant as the arrival of the Pingnan people.
Two months had passed, and it had been a while since such a large group of survivors rushed in.
Administrative officials of the base immediately rushed over to personally welcome and handle the placement of these survivors.
Tang Xuhai's trio was mistaken for their leaders.
A government official named Zhu warmly shook Tang Xuhai's hand, excitedly saying, "We're thrilled to welcome citizens from Pingnan City to Pei Cheng. Rest assured, we have mature procedures for the settlement of survivors. You won't suffer hunger or hardship. Just relax."
Tang Xuhai, with a grim expression, pulled his hand away, and said, "You've got it wrong; we're not from Pingnan, we're from Yun City." He turned and shouted, "Zhou Weihua!"
Zhou Weihua jogged over.
Tang Xuhai pointed to the official, "They are from Pingnan."
Though taken aback, the official managed a smile and addressed Tang Xuhai, "We also warmly welcome the people of Yun City. How many of you are there?"
"Not many, just about a dozen," Tang Xuhai replied, somewhat subdued.
The official's smile remained undiminished, "Don't worry; we'll settle you just the same." Then, he turned, walked a few steps, shook hands with Zhou Weihua, and said, "You've been through a lot! We've heard about the grim situation in Pingnan, but our capacity is limited. The atrocities by Shi Zheng have caused great suffering to the people there. But now that you're in Pei Cheng, there's no need to fear anymore. Everyone will have food and work. Things will get better."
Zhou Weihua was engulfed by clouds of uncertainty, led solely by this surname Zhu.
Wen Zhaoming stood by, observing with a cold eye, lightly snorting.
In such situations, Ma Dong found it most awkward. He had already coldly positioned himself like a statue on the sidelines.
Seeing the official shifting focus to Zhou Weihua's group, they breathed a sigh of relief.
Then came a moment of self-reflection for Fu Shiwu. As the leader of their team, he shouldn't have had such an avoidant mindset; it wasn't appropriate.
However, dealing with officials like Zhu was indeed quite challenging. Their methods were far more sophisticated than their bureau director's.
At this point, Miao Jia, appearing from somewhere, gave them a signal. Fu Shiwu nudged Tang Xuhai, who turned to look, and the three quietly moved aside.
"I've inquired already," Miao Jia whispered, stealing glances at the bustling scene, "Pei Cheng's city area has undergone comprehensive reconstruction, divided into three parts: East Development Zone, Old City Zone, and New City Zone. The Old City Zone is where the new refugees like us are meant to settle. It's a significant portion planned out of the formerly intact Pei Cheng to accommodate newcomers. The New City Zone, entirely constructed by ability users, concentrates commerce, entertainment, dining, administration, research, residence, and also accommodates the surviving Pei Cheng residents. The East Development Zone is the original Pei Cheng's newly developed area. The facilities there are intact and haven't been damaged by the aberrations. It's particularly suitable for residence, so the military personnel, influential individuals, and groups formed by ability users have been settled there."
"The East Development Zone?" Wen Zhaoming, a native of the provincial capital, pondered for a moment. "Let's not go to the Old City Zone, sell off the medical equipment; let's move directly to the East Development Zone."
Surprised, Miao Jia asked, "But the houses there are quite expensive. Will the proceeds from our equipment suffice?"
Thinking for a moment, Wen Zhaoming said, "You know what they're using for transactions in Pei Cheng now? Currency has probably devalued severely, and I doubt my previous savings will be of any use."
Wen Zhaoming's family was local, and although they should have had a house, none of them were around when the disaster struck. They had no idea if their house still stood after the reconstruction.
Miao Jia nodded, saying, "I've looked into it in advance, just hadn't had a chance to tell you. While on the road, I checked online. Major survival bases have stopped using the national currency but haven't abolished it. They've temporarily implemented a labor-point system. Those original savings can be exchanged for the new currency once order is restored."
The fact that savings hadn't turned worthless was a huge relief for ordinary people. It meant they could continue using them once peace was restored, offering a glimmer of hope.
"So, transactions are using labor points now? How does this labor points system work and where does it come from?" Fu Shiwu asked, fascinated by this new system.
Miao Jia explained, "It's a unified measure to value all kinds of work. The more labor points you accumulate, the better your life in the base. Everyone can earn labor points through different tasks assigned by the base. It's a way to ensure everyone contributes to the community and gets rewarded fairly."
Fu Shiwu mulled over this new system. It seemed fairer than the previous monetary system, at least in terms of contribution to society.
"In that case," Tang Xuhai interrupted, "we'll go to the East Development Zone."
"Sure," Wen Zhaoming agreed. "Let's sell off the medical equipment first."
The group acted fast, heading towards the market in the New City Zone to find potential buyers for the medical equipment they carried. The sooner they settled down, the better.
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