Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 230 Verification of Qualifications

The commotion wasn't violent, but it was exceptionally clear, instantly shattering the usual low murmur of the ranks. Several stern reprimands rang out, followed by a man's abruptly raised voice, filled with obvious panic and urgency, protesting, "...No! Comrades, listen to me! This really is mine! I have a record! I can explain!..."

The young man seemed to be making a final struggle, his body instinctively leaning back, trying to break free from the two iron-like arms, but the difference in strength was too great, and the uniform sleeves only made deeper wrinkles on his jacket.

He repeated in vain, his voice distorted with fear and urgency, sounding particularly sharp and piercing in the empty, high-ceilinged hall, "I really am qualified! Are you sure you've got it wrong? Let me try again! I'll definitely pass if I try again! I paid for it! I..." His words were interrupted by an even stronger grip, turning into a muffled sob.

This sudden turn of events seemed to silence the entire hall for a moment, as countless eyes turned to the source of the commotion.

Xu Xiaoyan subconsciously tiptoed, craned her neck, and looked over the shoulder of the woman in the red down jacket in front of her. She saw two security personnel in crisp black uniforms, one on each side, firmly holding a young man who looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, and taking him out of the line without giving him a chance to explain.

The man's face was ashen, his forehead covered in cold sweat. He struggled in vain, trying to explain himself incoherently, but the security personnel ignored him and simply led him up the stairs they had come from. They disappeared around the corner of the stairs in the blink of an eye, leaving only the man's last few words, which were choked with sobs.

Everyone seemed to hold their breath, and then low murmurs quickly spread through the various queues, only to be quickly suppressed and turned into even more secretive whispers.

"Look, another one."

"Tsk, what a waste, getting caught at this crucial moment."

"Who knows if it's true or not, maybe it's something else entirely..."

"Who cares? Every one less is a blessing in disguise."

Most people wore an indifferent expression, as if it were none of their business, or a vague, unspoken sense of relief—thankfully, they weren't the ones who were found out.

"Huh?" Xu Xiaoyan exclaimed in surprise, staring at the stairwell where the three had disappeared. "This means... they didn't pass the pre-screening? They were taken away directly?" She had originally thought that even if there were issues with their qualifications, there would at least be a process of debate, review, or temporary isolation for investigation. She hadn't expected the handling to be so swift and so uncompromising.

Sister Wang behind her sighed. She held the child and moved closer to Xu Xiaoyan to make sure that only the two of them could hear clearly, "It should be someone who doesn't have the official qualifications for Zone B. I don't know what method they used to try to sneak through. When they got to the pre-inspection station, the system could immediately recognize them by scanning the chip or the referral code. The fake can't be real."

"Trying to take advantage of the chaos? Even at this point, there are still people this bold?" Xu Xiaoyan found it unbelievable. The checks here seemed extremely strict. The crowds upstairs might create chaos, but the pre-screening hall downstairs was orderly. Each checkpoint operated independently and the systems were directly connected. It was almost impossible to get away with it by creating chaos. Moreover, the consequences of failure were obviously extremely severe. Judging from the way they were taken away, there would probably be further punishments.

Sister Wang shook her head, her expression becoming somewhat complicated. She leaned closer and said, "It's not necessarily because he's bold. I've heard that in the last six months, especially as this wave of migration approaches, some shrewd scammers on the black market have been doing this kind of unethical business. They either sell fakes or forge those things that look very legitimate but require secondary manual review or endorsement from specific guarantors, like 'temporary recommendation letters' or 'special approval slips.' As for the price, it's, of course, much, much cheaper than going through the proper points redemption or technical assessment channels."

She paused, seemingly organizing her thoughts, her gaze cautiously sweeping around to make sure no one was paying attention to their whispers. "There are always some people who aren't well-informed but really want to go to better areas, clinging to a gamble, thinking they can get away with it if the checks aren't too strict. These scammers are incredibly smooth-talking; they can make the lies sound amazing, even forging so-called 'internal document screenshots' and 'success stories.' They spend their money, live their dreams, and in the end, like that person just now, they come here for questioning, their true colors immediately revealed. Losing both money and face is the best-case scenario; what I fear is..."

Xu Xiaoyan's heart skipped a beat, and a chill crept up her spine. Qualification fraud? In such a crucial matter concerning the allocation of living space and almost determining one's future? She immediately thought of Xie Yingtang and his group's "information fee" scheme.

Although the fee was considerable, at least Xie Yingtang and his team provided a genuine and effective method for technical assessment with clear objectives. It was more like a "gray service" that exploited information asymmetry and loopholes in the rules. Although it also operated on the fringes, it ultimately delivered "real" results.

The act of selling fake qualifications that Sister Wang mentioned... is simply blatant murder for money! It defrauds people of resources that they might use to buy their last survival supplies or to which they have placed all their hopes, only to give them a bubble that bursts at the drop of a hat. Those who are deceived not only lose their resources, but also face severe punishment for trying to use fake qualifications.

"There's such a thing... I hadn't noticed any news about this before," Xu Xiaoyan murmured. She had always thought she was vigilant enough and focused on stockpiling supplies, but she never expected there to be such dirty undercurrents beneath the surface.

Sister Wang smiled helplessly, a bitter smile. "In these kinds of situations, if you don't get scammed, who would go around telling everyone? Everyone keeps quiet, afraid of being laughed at, even more afraid of getting into trouble. You just have to be careful. There's no such thing as a free lunch; most cheap deals are actually traps. Sigh." She glanced at the stairwell again, her voice even lower. "That young man just now, he didn't look very old. I guess he was also a poor soul who got scammed. I just wonder what will happen to him..."

The whispers subsided, and people turned their attention back to the line in front of them, though their eyes held a hint of caution and barely perceptible tension.

Xu Xiaoyan looked up ahead, and the outline of the pre-inspection platform became clearer and clearer. She could see the flashing indicator lights above each inspection point and the cold profiles of the staff in their crisp uniforms behind the platform. They moved swiftly and rarely looked up to meet the gazes of those in line.

Finally, their line was nearing the end of the diversion process, with each line precisely assigned to an independent inspection port separated by semi-transparent explosion-proof glass.

Behind the glass, uniformed staff sat on a high platform, in front of them a curved screen embedded in the platform, flashing various data and codes, as well as a variety of biometric identification devices such as fingerprint, chip, and iris recognition.

The hushed conversations that had lingered in the lobby earlier have now fallen silent here, leaving only the low hum of the central air conditioning system, the regular beeping of various scanning instruments, and the brief, clear, and emotionless instructions from the staff.

This silence itself creates a powerful pressure, making people involuntarily hold their breath and repeatedly check in their minds whether they have all the items they are carrying.

As Xu Xiaoyan moved forward with the group, she could feel Sister Wang's slightly nervous gaze on her back, and she could also catch a glimpse of the side front from the corner of her eye.

Across the line from the inspection checkpoint, the lady in red gracefully and calmly placed her small silver suitcase flat on the conveyor belt. Her movements were practiced and her expression was calm and composed. That natural composure was a silent declaration of her status and confidence.

It's finally her turn!

"Raise your left hand to verify your identity chip," the male staff member behind the counter said in a flat, clear voice. There were no titles or eye contact. His white-gloved fingers quickly tapped a few keys on the keyboard, his gaze fixed on the screen.

Xu Xiaoyan did as instructed, quickly raising her left wrist and placing the inside of it close to the scanning area.

A slightly drawn-out beep sounded, indicating that verification was in progress, and then the indicator light above the scanning area lit up steadily in green.

The screen in front of the staff scrolled through several lines of encrypted data quickly before finally freezing. Even from a distance and with the glare, Xu Xiaoyan could vaguely see the striking bold text: [Admission Qualification: Dungeon B District (Permanent Residence)]. She felt a little more at ease, but still dared not completely relax.

"Valid eligibility. Baggage screening. Please put all personal belongings, including coats, into the security scanner." The staff member didn't say anything more or even glance at the baggage. He simply pointed to the entrance of the tunnel next to him, which was flashing a green light and resembled an old-fashioned X-ray machine.

The passageway was short, with another female staff member in the same uniform at one end monitoring the screens and checking the items.

"Okay," Xu Xiaoyan replied softly. She first took off her slightly bulky coat, carefully felt the pockets to make sure there was nothing inside, and then folded it up.

Then, she took off the backpack she had been carrying all the way, unzipped the outermost main compartment, and without looking at the coarse flour biscuits and mineral water that she had deliberately placed on the top layer, she simply and steadily placed the entire backpack, along with her folded coat, onto the black rubber conveyor belt.

The conveyor belt started silently, carrying her "belongings" slowly forward, disappearing behind the dark curtain.

"Beep—beep—beep—" The green light flashed in succession, with a steady rhythm, indicating that it was through. The backpack and jacket slid out from the other end and landed in the clean collection basket.

The female staff member in charge of the inspection nodded to Xu Xiaoyan and indicated in a businesslike manner, "That's fine, take your belongings."

The entire process, from identity verification to retrieving her luggage, took less than a minute. Xu Xiaoyan quickly put on her coat, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when she heard a loud noise from the adjacent inspection booth, which was separated by only a transparent partition. This noise significantly increased and broke the quiet atmosphere of the place.

"Sir, please explain what this is?" A voice, noticeably harsher than any of the previous commands, rang out, carrying an unquestionable tone of inquiry.

Like many others around her, Xu Xiaoyan almost reflexively glanced to the side and saw a middle-aged man in an elegant dark brown fur-collared coat standing in the next passageway, his face flushed and beads of sweat instantly appearing on his forehead.

Beside his feet, a dark brown leather suitcase that looked expensive was stuck on the conveyor belt. On the screen next to it, which displayed a perspective image, the image was magnified and highlighted in detail—between the thick lining and panels of the suitcase, several narrow, high-density white shadows with the metallic feel were clearly embedded.

The shadows are clearly defined, with smooth lines, obvious curves, and straight blades. Even a layman can recognize at a glance that they are not ordinary metal parts or tools, but rather... knives. There are more than one; judging from the length and shape of the shadows, there are at least three, all of which exceed the control standards in length.

"This...this...these are just a few handcrafted knives from my personal collection! They're works of art! Look at the scabbards, the craftsmanship!" The portly man tried to explain, his voice trembling with urgency and panic. He gestured with his hands, "I carry them...they're also for self-defense! The situation in the underground city is unknown. Even if Sector B is the best, who knows if there will be chaos when we first settle down? I need something to protect myself and my family, right? It's perfectly reasonable!"

His explanation sounded particularly hollow in the silent hall. The staff member in charge of the passageway was older and had a more stern face. He didn't even raise an eyebrow; he simply tapped the highlighted shadow area on the screen with his fingertip, his voice completely flat, as if reciting some predetermined legal provision.

According to Article 7, Paragraph 3 of the "Regulations on the Management of Underground City Relocation and Residence," sharp blades, unlicensed crossbows, firearms and their key components, high-power laser emitters, etc., are all Class A controlled items and are strictly prohibited from being brought into any level of residential area or public area.

He paused for a moment, then said, "Judging from the footage, the blade lengths of these three knives are all significantly excessive, and there are no verifiable tool registration records. Therefore, they are not allowed to be brought in. According to the supplementary regulations, any controlled items seized must be immediately handed over to the security department for registration and sealing. If you refuse to hand them over, it will be considered a violation of the security regulations, which will directly affect the final assessment of your entry qualifications and may even lead to the temporary suspension or cancellation of your qualifications."

"Hand it over? I spent a fortune to buy it from... from the flea market! It's a collectible!" The man panicked, his face turning from red to white, then faintly bluish, his voice filled with heartache and resentment.

"Hand it over, or don't enter the dungeon," the staff member interrupted him, leaving no room for negotiation. At the same time, his other hand, which was under the counter, had seemingly unintentionally moved to a button with a red mark.