Banana District was now crowded with 100,000 people. Each apartnt typically housed around a dozen individuals, and families with just one room were considered fortunate. It was even worse for those squeezed into a single parking spot.
If it were just for a few days, it might have been bearable, but this had been their life for over half a year. Every day brought endless minor conflicts and issues. These mostly concerned disputes like soone placing salvaged items in communal areas and others disagreeing. For instance, one day a piece of clothing might go missing, and the next, a cup from soone’s ho would disappear.
Before the apocalypse, such trivial household items were of no consequence. After the apocalypse, however, they had beco extrely sought after. Many who realized this too late found that by the ti they went to salvage anything, it was already gone. Consequently, many learned their lesson and picked up anything they could, useful or not, like scavengers picking through refuse. They amassed these items, trying to find ways to repurpose the scraps.
Life was incredibly tough for these people. Torrential rains frequently caused water to seep into their shelters. If they wanted to improve their als beyond the governnt’s relief food, they had to work relentlessly. While working, they also had to constantly clean their living spaces. Keeping the basent from flooding was only possible because thousands of people bailed out water scoop by scoop every day.
So when Jing Shu saw the tidy stone houses crafted from huge boulders, she was genuinely shocked.
"Our section is located on the outermost ring of this cylindrical structure," Housekeeper Cai explained. "This ring houses all D-level employees. Each unit is five square ters, large enough for a double stone bed and a storage cabinet. There’s a communal bathroom every three hundred ters."
The three of them walked into the smallest employee unit. It resembled a stone cave, but advanced cutting technology had been used to carve out stone beds for sleeping and stone recesses for storage.
The stone was a refreshing bluish-green color, giving a clean and comfortable feeling. The cutting was very neat, with everything perfectly square.
"Hey, our mountain base has magma beneath it. Although it’s not active, the temperature down here isn’t low," Housekeeper Cai whispered. "Actually, our Wu City is surrounded by inactive volcanoes. This whole West Mountain area is volcanic; it just has never erupted."
Jing Shu touched the stone bed; it was indeed warm. Lying here with a mattress would definitely be a hundred tis better than those constantly flooded spaces in the underground parking lots, she thought. Most importantly, there’s no water seepage. Even if the bedding gets damp, at least it won’t be soaking wet.
If there really is a volcano beneath, then this base, this One-Stop Base, might not have issues with water seepage or excessive dampness. This place is well-built, Jing Shu mused.
Su Malie shook her head. "It’s a bit small."
"Please follow ," Housekeeper Cai said. "This second ring houses C-level managent staff. Each room is fifteen square ters, and four rooms share one bathroom."
They walked out of the D-level stone units into a narrow, arc-shaped corridor. It supposedly ford a complete circle, aning one could run a full loop and return to the starting point.
Each employee tier had its designated pathways, and lower-level employees were not permitted to enter the residential areas of upper-level staff.
"This feels like the standard in a starship hotel. Each room has a double stone bed and cos furnished with a stone table, sofa, and cabinets. It’s quite well-equipped," Jing Shu remarked. She lightly lifted one side of the stone table, then, with more effort, lifted it again. There was a SNAP as she accidentally broke it off its base.
Housekeeper Cai’s mouth fell open. "My goodness! All these furniture pieces are carved directly from the native rock, intentionally left connected. The stone is part of the mountain, and you... you just forcefully broke it off!"
"Er, I thought it was crafted elsewhere and then brought in here. Cough, cough... let’s head to the next spot," Jing Shu said, a bit embarrassed. The Magic Cube Space had upgraded a few months ago, and she knew her strength had increased, but she hadn’t expected to be able to manhandle even this stone table.
Housekeeper Cai swallowed hard. So the rumors were true! he thought. This woman really could dismantle a bomb with her bare hands, even forcibly remove a section of one that was already lit!
"Please, please, this way! Look, this is for B-level mid-managent: forty square ters, with one bedroom, one living room, and one bathroom."
"Over here is for A-level managent: seventy square ters, with two bedrooms, one living room, and one bathroom. I am very honored to be part of A-level managent, and I now live here with my Honey."
Jing Shu glanced at Housekeeper Cai. I wonder if his Honey is male or female, she mused.
"There is also S-level managent: one hundred square ters, fully equipped. Electricity is free, and residents can even cook for themselves. Everything is just like it was before the apocalypse."
"The central area contains guest suites, each one hundred and fifty square ters with four bedrooms. All anities, like electricity and natural gas, are available. These are designed according to the standards of the pre-apocalypse villas at West Mountain and are used by Mr. Qian to entertain VIPs."
"As for the very central suite, it’s the presidential suite. It spans five hundred square ters at the heart of the facility and is rumored to include a swimming pool and various entertainnt venues. We don’t have the clearance to enter there..."
Su Malie nodded continuously. "I really like this place."
In this apocalypse, the environnt inside Xishan Base is exceptionally good, Jing Shu thought. It’s truly fitting for the wealthiest man; his resources are indeed vast. I just wonder if this base will withstand next year’s massive earthquake.
"I heard Mr. Qian has relocated more than one thousand people in here recently?" Su Malie asked, blinking as she probed for information.
Housekeeper Cai exclaid, "Well, nothing gets past a young lady like you! The outermost ring of the cylinder houses unofficial workers. It’s like train sleeping berths there—six people per compartnt. It’s too chaotic, so we didn’t take you."
"You’ve suddenly brought in so many people. Mr. Qian must be planning sothing big, right?"
Housekeeper Cai glanced at the surrounding bodyguards, who were all looking straight ahead. He then whispered, "He is planning sothing significant, but I’m not at liberty to discuss the details. You’ll find out when the ti cos. It’s a good thing, beneficial to the country and its people. Oh! It’s ti for the event. We better head up, or we’ll be late."
Jing Shu squinted, trying hard to rember. In my previous life, did Qian Duoduo make any major moves? Damn it, I never paid attention to these things back then! I was always so slow to react; often, I’d only learn about events years after they happened...
The group rushed back up from underground. Jing Shu suddenly felt the air below had been sowhat stuffy and hot. It was much better above ground; the air was fresher. It seems there are downsides to living underground for too long, she considered.
"The One-Stop Base! What is a One-Stop Base? We’re in an apocalypse now. Tis have changed, and so must our lifestyles. What’s most important in the apocalypse? The essentials: food, water, shelter, and security! The Xishan One-Stop Base is a place that can et all these needs," Housekeeper Cai began his pitch.
"This underground level provides living accommodations. Are you aware of the second level? That’s where Mr. Qian is responsible for cultivating crops. The third level is for rearing Dostic Poultry. The fourth is for agricultural processing and provisioning, the fifth for manufacturing, and the sixth is the trading auction house... and so on. Mr. Qian’s vision is to shape this base into the Happy Stone Garden—a place where everyone has shelter, everyone has work, and everyone has food to eat!"
Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! I think I rember now... As Housekeeper Cai ntioned the words ’Happy Stone Garden,’ an image flashed through Jing Shu’s mind: a boss who had starved to death. Could that have been Qian Duoduo?
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