Chapter 94

After using the brass key to open the door, Shang Jianyao, with the help of the light from the ceiling lamps, saw the familiar wooden bed, sink, swollen screws, red-painted wooden table, and the matching backrest chair.

It was exactly the same as when he left.

Thanks to the good ventilation system and unique geographical environment of the underground building, Shang Jianyao did not even feel the room was stuffy, nor did he see any obvious dust.

He slowly entered, closed the door behind him, took down the old rag hanging by the sink, turned on the tap, and wet it.

Then, Shang Jianyao bent over and squatted down from time to time, wiping every place he could.

By the time he finished, it was exactly 7 o'clock.

Shang Jianyao, who had already showered and changed into regular clothes at the security department, then took the key and headed out to the "Activity Center" on this floor.

Along the way, employees who had finished dinner were returning one after another, and among them were many who knew Shang Jianyao.

They nodded to each other, a form of greeting.

Soon, Shang Jianyao arrived at the "Activity Center" in Zone C, where he saw several young men chatting, either squatting or standing at the entrance, and Shen Du was walking towards him.

The middle-aged man who had guided Shang Jianyao to join the "Life Sacrifice" cult looked surprised and said,

"Xiao Shang, you're back from your field duty?"

Shang Jianyao smiled and replied,

"Yeah, I came back from collecting garbage."

"..." Shen Du couldn't quite understand Shang Jianyao's response and instead explained, "I heard from Old Chen that you hadn't been seen for several days, and I thought something had happened to you. It turns out he told me you joined the security department and went on field duty."

"What a pity," Shang Jianyao responded.

"..." Shen Du couldn't follow his train of thought and could only laugh, "Everyone misses you, see you later."

Shang Jianyao showed a troubled expression,

"Unfortunately, I didn't bring any gifts for you.

"Would you like a performance?"

"No, no need." Shen Du realized they were talking past each other.

He then hinted at the gathering at midnight the next day and hurriedly said goodbye to Shang Jianyao.

Shang Jianyao then entered the "Activity Center" and greeted the people he knew and those he didn't.

Chen Xianyu, the supervisor of the "Activity Center," was sitting on a creaky small stool. Seeing Shang Jianyao enter, he raised his right arm, waved, and signaled him to come over.

"How was it? What did you get this time?" he asked curiously.

Before Shang Jianyao could answer, he pointed to the scattered items in front of him,

"Would you like the old man to sell them for you?

"Only a small contribution point fee."

Shang Jianyao squatted down, picked up an old mechanical watch that the old man had been trying to sell for a long time, and asked seriously,

"Would an armored car be too crowded here?"

"?" Chen Xianyu didn't understand at first.

Shang Jianyao continued,

"Can a heavy machine gun be sold here?"

"Are you crazy!" the old man instinctively scolded, "They will definitely make you turn it in! Well... also, you just got back, and all your gains are still under review, so you don't know what you'll end up with."

Chen Xianyu laughed and scolded,

"You could have just said it directly, why go around in such a big circle?

"An armored car, a heavy machine gun, why not say you also got a military exoskeleton?"

Shang Jianyao thought for a moment,

"It depends on whether you really want it.

"Pity..."

"Pity my ass!" Chen Xianyu cursed, then asked, "How was it? Was the field duty smooth?"

Shang Jianyao recalled,

"Very exciting."

"Exciting my ass!" Chen Xianyao laughed, "You newbies, what dangerous field duty could you have? At most, you'd be hunting rabbits around the company, playing survival in the wild."

Shang Jianyao "hmm"ed,

"Rabbits are really hard to deal with."

"Ha ha." Chen Xianyao laughed, "I remember when I first hunted rabbits, I used an old-world rifle, which is probably obsolete now. Anyway, one shot, and the whole rabbit was shattered. I was so heartbroken..."

At this moment, an employee came over to look at the items on the ground, and the old man quickly started introducing them, no longer paying attention to Shang Jianyao.

Shang Jianyao slowly straightened up, walked to the most secluded corner of the "Activity Center," pulled a chair, and sat down.

He didn't chat with anyone, quietly observing the surroundings:

A group of men were gathered around a small wooden table, playing cards. Whoever lost would have their chair taken away and could only squat to play;

Next to them, more people were gathered, some with their arms crossed, making comments, some loudly expressing regret, some laughing, and some frequently urging to play;

Further away, Ren Jie and other women were sitting together, chatting about various rumors within the company. Some were also using scraps of cloth to make shoe soles, using yarn from the "Supply Market" to knit winter clothes for their children, and using plastic bottles passed down for generations to feed their babies;

In another corner, several young couples were whispering to each other. In front of them, some had placed candies and pastries, some had glass bottles of orange or green, all luxuries from the "Supply Market" that ordinary families would only exchange during holidays, but young people who had just started working and were in the dating stage were relatively more extravagant, as they could still rely on their families for food and shelter;

Outside the "Activity Center," at the edge of the light from the ceiling lamps, shadows moved between the rows of houses, sometimes elongating, sometimes separating;

On the road to the "Supply Market," some people were carrying empty glass bottles of various colors, hoping to exchange some contribution points;

Inside and outside, wherever there was more open space, it became a battlefield for children to run around...

Shang Jianyao watched this scene with a calm expression, not moving at all.

After watching for a while, Long Yuehong entered from the door.

After greeting the people he knew, Long Yuehong noticed Shang Jianyao in the corner,

"Why are you here?"

He remembered that Shang Jianyao liked to stay at home at this time, waiting for the news and various radio programs.

Moreover, after just returning from outside, he definitely needed more rest.

Shang Jianyao didn't answer Long Yuehong's question but smiled and asked,

"Why didn't you go find Feng, the girl at the radio station?"

"Feng Yunying." Long Yuehong sat down and sighed, "I just went to find her and discovered she's dating someone else."

Shang Jianyao sighed too,

"Ah, I only did the gene modification..."

"Stop!" Long Yuehong interrupted him, then said, "Actually, I can understand. I was away for a month, not knowing when I would return or if I would return. Besides, we just met, barely friends. How could she wait for me?"

Shang Jianyao looked at Long Yuehong,

"Do you know what I was going to say?"

Long Yuehong answered with a solemn expression,

"This is the Ashland."

"No." Shang Jianyao shook his head, "Even if you didn't go on field duty, the chances would be slim."

"..." Long Yuehong didn't know whether to cry or be angry, "You're so hurtful!"

"Let your mom introduce you to someone else." Shang Jianyao put his hand on the table and stood up.

"Okay, it's at least two months before the next field duty..." Long Yuehong nodded and asked, "Are you going back?"

Before Shang Jianyao could respond, he said to himself,

"Also, after coming back from outside, I feel much more relaxed and at ease.

"Once I relax, I feel very tired."

As he spoke, he also stood up,

"Let's go back to sleep."

Shang Jianyao glanced at him,

"The news is about to start."

"You're not tired, and you're still listening to the news?" Long Yuehong was a bit surprised.

As he spoke, he suddenly realized,

"In the 'Old Adjustment Team,' the only one who feels so tired might be me..."

Shang Jianyao didn't say anything more, waved goodbye to Long Yuehong, and headed back to his place.

Under the white light of the ceiling lamps, his shadow stretched and shortened.

Not long after, Shang Jianyao opened the door, took off his coat, and leaned back on the bed.

He didn't turn on the light, letting the light from outside shine through the window, making the room half bright and half dim without a clear boundary.

In this silence, the speaker hanging from the ceiling first made a buzzing sound, then a sweet, childlike voice said,

"Hello everyone, I am the news broadcaster Hou Yi. It is now 8 o'clock...

"Today, the company's board member, Vice President Lin Yang, inspected the 'Energy Zone' and emphasized the need to ensure winter energy supply...

"According to the surface weather forecast, a cold wave will move south from the ice plains in the next few days, causing a 5-degree Celsius drop in the Black Swamp Wilderness...

"...Today, another case of 'Heartless Disease' appeared in the factory area, and the patient has been controlled...

"...The Entertainment Department has invited the heads of various units to discuss the year-end performance...

"..."

The broadcast echoed in the slightly cold room, adding a bit of life to it.

PS: Second update of the day. Two more updates in the afternoon~