Chapter 97 - 87: Jiang City: 802561

Chapter 97: Chapter 87: Jiang City: 802561

The staff member’s polite reply gave Xu Mo a good first impression of the place. At the very least, it seemed orderly and efficient on the surface.

He parked the car in a corner, shouldered his essential backpack, locked the doors, and walked toward the brightly lit tent in the rest area.

Stepping into the tent, he found it more spacious than it appeared from the outside. Inside, several rows of simple, long benches were set up. Twenty to thirty people were already seated—men and women, young and old. Most wore expressions of fatigue and hardship, but their eyes held a glimmer of relief and anticipation that came with reaching a "safe zone." They were mostly gathered in small groups, talking in low voices, looking as if they had trekked all the way here as small squads.

Xu Mo’s gaze swept over the area, and he noticed a detail: very few vehicles were parked in the waiting area, and most of them were old and battered, a far cry from the vehicles belonging to the Scavengers outside. It seemed the vast majority of these new arrivals had made the arduous journey here on foot, from who knows where.

This made Xu Mo a little curious. ’I drove the whole way here and didn’t see any other groups of survivors on foot, aside from those three ambushers. They must have taken different routes or come from more remote areas.’

Xu Mo’s arrival drew some attention. A few people near the entrance glanced up at him, their eyes lingering for a moment on the long, cloth-wrapped object on his back and the bulky holster at his waist. However, they quickly looked away, showing neither surprise nor hostility. One person even gave him a slight nod and what passed for a friendly smile.

Xu Mo returned the gesture, nodding to the few who looked his way as a greeting. He then found an empty seat near the edge with a good line of sight and sat down.

After sitting down, Xu Mo’s attention was drawn to a large LCD screen hanging on the front wall of the rest area. A video was playing, and it looked like it was already halfway through.

On the screen, set to a majestic and hopeful score, a carefully edited montage began. First came a rapid series of black-and-white photos and blurry video clips, showing the chaos when the apocalypse began: explosions, fleeing crowds, and the difficult early days of the Jiang City Shelter as it established defensive lines and took in survivors. A steady male voiceover explained the origin of the Jiang City Shelter—how it was built upon parts of Old Jiang City and its surrounding military facilities, how it consolidated its strength amid the initial chaos, and how it gradually established a foothold.

Next, the picture switched to color, showcasing panoramic views of the shelter today: sprawling complexes of reinforced and retrofitted buildings; soldiers patrolling atop the perimeter walls; bustling but orderly crowds on the streets within; vast fields reclaimed for farming, planted with potatoes and hardy crops; a power plant letting off plumes of steam...

The voiceover chimed in with statistics: "To date, the registered survivor population of the Jiang City Shelter has exceeded seven hundred and fifty thousand, and we are still taking in survivors from the wastes. We have successfully repelled three major horde attacks, each exceeding half a million strong, as well as countless smaller-scale attacks by mutated creatures. With steel and blood, we have forged this sanctuary to preserve the flame of human civilization..."

The scene shifted again, showing the Jiang City Shelter communicating via radio and conducting limited trade with several other large shelters, stressing that humanity was not fighting this war alone.

Then, the video moved on to the topic of survivor benefits:

"Every survivor who passes screening and is registered will receive a standardized Identity Card produced and issued by the shelter."

The camera zoomed in for a close-up on the exact kind of metal plate Xu Mo had seen in the vehicle of the three Scavengers who had attacked him. It bore a serial number. "This will be your only proof of identity within the shelter."

"You will also receive a map of the base, a survival handbook, and a guide to securing the basic necessities of life."

The video then explained the "Contribution Points" system in detail. The Identity Card had an embedded chip for storing Contribution Points. These points could be acquired in several ways: by becoming a Scavenger and accepting the various collection, exploration, and extermination missions posted in the mission hall; by finding work within the base—here, the video flashed through scenes of construction sites, repair workshops, farm labor, and kitchen work; or by selling any valuable items—from weapons and ammunition to scrap metal, from medicine to books—to official or officially designated trading posts.

"Within the shelter, all forms of infighting and robbery among survivors are strictly forbidden," the voiceover’s tone turned stern. "You may carry weapons for self-defense and for missions outside, but the use of force against others within the base is absolutely prohibited. Violators will be severely punished by the enforcement team, with penalties up to and including expulsion or even death..." The visuals reinforced the message, showing simulated scenes of well-equipped officers in black uniforms on patrol, arresting rule-breakers with intimidating efficiency.

The propaganda video wasn’t long, but it was dense with information, and Xu Mo paid close attention. His initial impression of the Jiang City Shelter was that it was highly organized, powerful, and genuinely working to rebuild order and restore production. While it was sure to have its own set of problems, it at least provided a relatively stable, rule-based environment in which to survive. For him, someone who had struggled for so long in the wilderness, that was more than appealing enough.