Chapter 98 - 87: Jiang City: 802561

Chapter 98: Chapter 87: Jiang City: 802561

The promotional video played on a loop. About half an hour later, a middle-aged man of about forty, also in a Deep Blue uniform but with a calmer, more composed demeanor, walked into the rest area. He was accompanied by a soldier holding a rifle and carried a tablet and a bag in his hands.

"Hello, all you newcomers." The middle-aged man stood beneath the screen, his voice loud and clear. "I’m Official Wang, from the base’s registration office. Welcome to the Jiang City Sixth Forward Base. I will now register your identities and issue your Identity Cards. But before we start, I will briefly reiterate the base’s core regulations..."

Official Wang quickly re-emphasized the core rules mentioned in the video—the prohibition on personal conflicts, the Contribution Points system, and the Scavenger system—in a tone that left no room for argument.

"Now, please come forward one by one and state your name, age, place of origin—a general area is fine—and whether you have any special skills. We will verify the information, but we will primarily rely on your own statements."

The registration began. People lined up and came forward one by one. Official Wang recorded the information on his tablet, then took a new metal Identity Card from the bag, engraved it with a handheld device, and handed it to the person. The process was fast, averaging less than two minutes per person.

When it was Xu Mo’s turn, he stepped forward.

"Name?"

"Xu Mo."

"Age?"

"Twenty-six."

"Place of origin?"

"The Cyan Pine Ridge Town area."

"Any special skills?"

"None."

Hearing Xu Mo say he had none, Official Wang looked up at him, then glanced at the cloth-wrapped rifle on Xu Mo’s back and the pistol at his waist, but said nothing. He just calmly recorded the information on the tablet, then took an Identity Card from the bag and engraved it with the device.

After a soft BEEP, he handed the Identity Card to Xu Mo.

Xu Mo took it, feeling the cold touch of the metal. On it was only a string of laser-engraved numbers: [Jiang City: 802561]

’Eight hundred two thousand, five hundred sixty-one.’ The number caused a slight twitch at the corner of Xu Mo’s eye. He remembered that the three ambushers’ ID numbers had been in the three-hundred-thousands, while his was in the eight-hundred-thousands. The sheer leap in the numbering spoke to how quickly the Jiang City Shelter was absorbing new people.

"This is your Identity Card. Please keep it safe. After entering the base, you can use this card to activate it at a designated location, and then it can be used to store and spend Contribution Points," Official Wang explained matter-of-factly. "Now, you may all proceed into the base in an orderly fashion. Vehicles can be driven inside; follow the signs to find the public parking lot. A final reminder: violence is strictly forbidden within the base. If you want to learn more, you can read the survival manual and look at the map, or go to the mission hall for information."

Just then, a young-looking survivor in the line timidly raised his hand and asked, "Um, sir? Weren’t we supposed to be tested? Don’t we need to be checked for infection?"

Before Official Wang could answer, an older, more experienced-looking survivor next to him sneered and answered for him: "Kid, what did you think the test was? A blood test? We don’t have the resources for that. Making you wait here for an hour or two, *that* was the test! If you were scratched by a zombie and got infected, the virus would’ve kicked in after ten or twenty minutes. The fact that you could sit here peacefully, watch the whole video, and line up to register basically proves you’re not infected. This is the most primitive, and most effective, ’waiting test’."

Official Wang silently confirmed the explanation and added, "After entering the base, if you notice anything abnormal with your body, report to the medical area immediately. Anyone who conceals their condition will be solely responsible for the consequences."

It dawned on Xu Mo. ’I was just wondering how they were going to test us,’ he thought. ’I never expected the wait itself to be part of the test.’

The registration was complete, and everyone had received their Identity Cards. At a gesture from Official Wang and the soldier, people began to leave the rest area one after another, heading for their vehicles or proceeding on foot toward the base gate—a gate that was finally open to them, symbolizing order and hope.

Xu Mo ran his thumb over the metal card in his hand, the one engraved with [Jiang City: 802561]. He felt its cold texture as a mix of emotions washed over him. This wasn’t just an ID number; it was a new beginning. He glanced back at his SUV, took a deep breath, and strode toward it.