Chapter 653 - 407: Everyone Is Selfish

After the combat meeting ended, Su Mo drove the black ark alone, returning to New Moon City overnight.

Recalling the first time he entered New Moon City, all he could see was the spectacle of a high-tech metropolis. Although a closer look revealed the oppression buried beneath the city’s glamour, overall, it was still bustling.

But now, all that remains here is the desolation caused by war.

The victory of the Tiyang campaign indeed injected a shot of adrenaline into those who wished to resist the World Government and giant corporations; they were all inspired.

But inspiration is not a substitute for food.

Under the World Government’s previous war policies, the structure of social operations had been severely damaged.

Factories that were supposed to produce synthetic food, civilian equipment, were replaced to produce military guns and bullets instead.

Strategic reserves were severely depleted; the reserves that would have fed the entire city’s populace for a year had long been diverted by the military to the front lines.

Even the most basic of resources—human labor—was being exploited beyond recognition.

Young and healthy adults of the right age were largely forced into conscription, causing the population structure of New Moon City to become unbalanced.

All these factors combined to further exacerbate New Moon City’s plight.

Even though this city indeed came under control during Sikinkov’s initiated mutiny, restoring normal operations is unlikely to be accomplished in just a day or two.

Su Mo piloted the hovercar, flying at low altitude near the ground. Looking out, the streets were littered with rubble and debris, remnants of previous fierce battles between the security forces and the Upper Court Guard.

The once prosperous commercial street was now reduced to ruins and shells destroyed by artillery fire; the walls of many buildings were riddled with bullet holes, some having completely collapsed, leaving only a few exposed broken steel bars.

The vegetation and trees lining the roads had withered and broken, leaving only bare trunks and a few dry branches trembling in the cold wind. Occasionally, a few withered leaves were swept up by the wind, spinning into the distance.

Megacities like New Moon City should have been cities that never sleep, vibrant with nightlife every evening. Now, the streets were cold and deserted, without the roar of vehicles or the bustle of crowds, only refugees could be seen everywhere.

In a corner alley, a mother carried her dying child. Her face was full of dried tears and dust as she searched for leftover food near a trash bin.

But she was destined for disappointment.

Under the current circumstances, food was more precious than diamonds.

Those who could still eat well and dress warm were likely the wealthy with underground storerooms.

The common people could only eat the rations distributed daily by the City Council, which was not enough to stave off hunger. Everyone eagerly licked even the breadcrumbs off their clothes.

Leftovers? Practically nonexistent.

Even if there were leftovers, in a garbage bin rifled through by many, they would have long been taken away by someone else.

In the end, the mother only found an old coat in the trash bin, full of holes like a rag.

She shook it out and wrapped it tightly around the child, trying to give him some warmth, but the late winter’s cold wind mercilessly slipped through the holes.

The child’s little face was pale as paper, shivering from the cold. His eyes, devoid of the light that should belong to someone his age, merely stared numbly at the night sky.

A small square that used to be a leisurely spot for nearby residents to stroll after dinner was now severely damaged.

The statue in the square had collapsed, shattered stones scattered all over, and the fountain pool was filled with sewage and garbage.

Dozens of refugees sat around a makeshift bonfire, burning various scavenged trash to keep warm. The firelight illuminated their weary faces, their eyes reflecting the dancing flames yet seemingly unable to see any hope.

An elderly man returned from outside, taking out a few bags of hard, dry bread from his pocket. It was relief food just distributed by the City Council.

Several men and women wanted to rush forward to receive it, but the old man covered the bread with his hand and shook his head, pointing to the young children, indicating they should eat first.

The men and women swallowed and stepped back, letting the children run up to grab the bread and devour it ravenously.

One child, although emaciated, did not come forward for food. He sat in the corner by himself, possibly autistic or with other intellectual disabilities.

In his hand, he held a stone he had picked up and was drawing circles on the ground, then sketching radiating lines around them.

It was a sun illuminating the darkness.

The destruction wrought by war was omnipresent; every corner of New Moon City was filled with pain. Yet amidst the ruins, one could still see people of all shapes and sizes tenaciously surviving, waiting for a dawn that no one knew when it would come.

Su Mo, traversing the city in the hovercar, first went to the City Hall in the Municipal Center District.

In the past, the Municipal Center District belonged to the City Council’s office area, and outsiders were not allowed to enter without official business appointments.

But after Sikinkov fully took power, he opened this area to the public, vacating non-essential office facilities to accommodate refugees.

Rooms like the large meeting halls used less than twice a year, or the oversized office buildings created for image projects—leaving them empty was pointless, so it was better to let people move in.

Although it wasn’t possible to accommodate everyone, providing refuge for a batch was better than nothing.

Besides, Sikinkov had a knack for managing humanity; he knew well that it’s not about the lack but inequality that people worry about.

If they settled people based on who arrived first, there would inevitably be discontent and cause chaos.

Therefore, he only accommodated vulnerable groups here, such as pregnant women, infants, and those with disabilities, which maximized the use of the facilities and reduced countless idle chatter.