Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 237 Heading to Area C

The bidder offering "4,000 points" was clearly the core and decision-maker in this small-scale hunt. The other three were merely tools to cooperate in the performance, responsible for creating the illusion of competition, applying initial pressure, and jointly highlighting the value of "rare commodity".

The chubby uncle, completely bewildered and lacking any effective information barriers or psychological preparation, was quickly assessed, precisely contacted, subtly pressured, and ultimately lured with a seemingly "reasonable" high price to complete the transfer of his newly acquired, yet barely warmed, "resources."

Xu Xiaoyan's fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of the inside pocket of her coat. Through the not-so-thick fabric, she could clearly feel the rectangular outline of the hard access card inside and the tiny circuit protrusions on the edge.

The fat man's brief journey from ecstasy to bewilderment to dazed compromise sent a chill down her spine. What she possessed was a 9-square-meter room with a much higher number than the fat man's 6-square-meter room.

This is not only a place to stay, but also a conspicuous landmark that may attract countless greedy eyes and schemes. The room in the East District is the survival base she must protect, but she must not become a "fat sheep" that others can easily catch, just like the fat uncle.

Xu Xiaoyan continued along the wide and quiet main passageway inside the East District, heading deeper into the area where her number theoretically belonged.

As she ventured deeper into the heart of the Eastern District, she felt not safer. Instead, she keenly sensed that the invisible atmosphere of "scouting" and "calculation" woven from countless assessing gazes was not diminishing. On the contrary, it became even stronger and more... professional at certain key passageways and area entrances.

If the hunters lurking in the entrance passage still have a bit of the eagerness and opportunism of "casting a wide net and catching many fish", their behavior pattern is more inclined to take the initiative and quickly screen.

Once you delve deeper into the eastern district, these "observers" appear near the entrances of certain numbered sections, and their target positioning seems to be more clear and precise.

They seemed to have figured out the general apartment types and potential value corresponding to different number ranges, as well as the possible behavioral patterns and psychological states of new residents holding these numbers, thus adopting a more targeted "wait and see" strategy.

For example, when she deliberately slowed down and passed by a passageway entrance marked with a brightly lit arrow on the wall that read "[Single Living Unit 23001-23500 →]", the light near that entrance seemed to be deliberately dimmed, forming a visual transition zone or shadow band with the bright, cool white of the main passageway. This in itself created a sense of psychological isolation and uncertainty.

In this area where light and shadow intertwine, several key "points" that are easy to observe but not easily noticed at first glance—in the heavy shadow cast by the corner above the stairwell, in the blind spot created by the protruding equipment next to the metal grille of the large ventilation shaft, and on the side of a light gray equipment box that looks abandoned or temporarily out of use—are figures standing in varying degrees of light and shadow.

Unlike the entrance hunters who need to constantly move in small areas, some of them lean against the cold, smooth wall, hands in their pockets, eyes lowered, seemingly resting or taking a simple break after a long wait, but occasionally they lift their eyelids to check on passersby.

Some were squatting on the ground, heads down, seemingly engrossed in fiddling with the old-fashioned wristbands on their wrists, or repeatedly wiping an insignificant little tool, but the orientation of their bodies and the angle of their heads tilted slightly covered most of the entrance's field of vision.

Others stood in pairs, very close together, talking in extremely low voices that only they could hear. Their lips moved very little, and their bodies were relaxed, as if they were just acquaintances chatting casually to pass the time. However, their positions were strategically positioned so that they could monitor the entrance and a small section of the surrounding passageway without any blind spots.

However, no matter how relaxed or focused they appeared on the surface, their eyes, whether deliberately vacant and half-closed or occasionally open, were always focused with exceptional precision on every new face that appeared at the entrance to this "23001-23500" sub-area.

Their eyes quickly swept over the access cards in the hands of pedestrians, whether their faces showed the excitement of a newcomer searching or the numbness caused by fatigue, whether their walking posture was eager with a clear goal or hesitant and indecisive, whether they were alone, and the possible backgrounds revealed by their clothing and appearance... Every detail was instantly captured, analyzed, and evaluated, and then a preliminary judgment was made as to whether it was worth "contacting" or "paying attention to".

Xu Xiaoyan did not show any abnormality under the focus of these gazes; she did not even allow her eyes to make direct contact with any gazes from the shadows.

She simply maintained the same pace as before, calmly passing through this area filled with invisible pressure, as if she were just an unrelated passerby who had taken the wrong turn or was simply passing by.

As we delve deeper, similar scenarios reappear in varying densities and forms.

Occasionally, new residents, with the excitement of finally finding a place to belong or the trepidation of uncertainty about the future, will hold the card that symbolizes their "new home" and awkwardly search for their own door number by referring to the number on the wall. Almost immediately, one or two, or even more, seemingly casual glances will sweep over them.

Some residents seemed to sense something was amiss, quickly lowering their heads and quickening their pace, almost jogging through certain sections of the road; others were completely absorbed in finding their exact location, oblivious to the undercurrents around them, and were even approached by people who "just happened" to emerge from the shadows with "friendly" smiles. The hushed conversations echoed in the corridor, where only the sound of ventilation could be heard. The content was indistinct, but the pattern of one party eagerly guiding the conversation while the other hesitated or seemed confused made Xu Xiaoyan, who caught a glimpse of it from afar, feel uneasy.

Xu Xiaoyan's heart sank. If the "observation" density and professionalism at the entrance of the 6-square-meter area were already like this, then what about the even scarcer 9-square-meter standard single rooms, which undoubtedly symbolize a better starting point and more potential value? What would those be like? Probably not just "observation," but a real "hunting zone"?

Out of caution, she didn't even dare to approach the main entrance of the 9-square-meter single room directly. She only took a brief moment to look at the main entrance of the 9-square-meter area from a distance, through a narrow slit of view, at a crossroads leading to other functional areas.

The passageway over there seemed more spacious than the 6-square-meter area, and the lighting seemed brighter. However, the brightness did not bring warmth or a sense of security; instead, it made the atmosphere feel eerily stagnant.

The area was sparsely populated, far less "lively" than the entrance to the 6-square-meter area. However, each person—whether leaning against a wall further away, standing quietly in the shadow of a decorative pillar, or sitting on an inconspicuous bench by the passageway—gave her a sense that they were not ordinary.

She witnessed a middle-aged man dressed relatively well walking towards that area. The moment he appeared, she could clearly feel many eyes that were originally hidden in the shadows suddenly focusing on him from all corners, until the man finally walked to a door, swiped his card, pushed the door open, and disappeared behind the door.

You can't go in! At least not now!

Under the watchful eyes of so many people, both in the light and in the shadows, she opened the door to a room that belonged to a 9-square-meter area all by herself... This was tantamount to clearly announcing to all the covetous eyes in the shadows, "Look, here! This is the fat sheep who won the lottery! Her room is right here! And it seems... she doesn't have any powerful backers."

She looked down and quickly glanced at the time on her phone: 3:17 a.m.

Three hours have passed since the emergency notification was received. The chaotic relocation, the strict security checks, the long wait, the thrilling lottery, and the gray environment witnessed along the way after entering the East District...

Large-scale emergency population migration cannot be completed in one go; it must be carried out gradually in batches, by region, and in an organized manner.

Those qualified for Zone B, being a priority group, had their entry time suddenly brought forward, likely among the first large-scale entry into the underground residential area. Following Zone B, those qualified for Zone C should be next, then Zones D, E, and so on...

Based on previous understanding, the population of Zone C should be much larger than that of Zone B. Their entry will inevitably bring huge chaos, with countless people carrying more luggage flooding into the underground.

The key question is whether the different areas are physically isolated. As adjacent areas, areas B and C may not have completely enclosed connections in certain non-residential areas. For example, could these connections lead to public work areas, centralized resource allocation areas, buffer zones where partitions are not yet fully in place, or equipment maintenance passages?

Rather than facing the gaze of countless potential prying eyes and entering that 9-square-meter room, trapping yourself in a fixed "point"... why not temporarily leave the eye of the storm in the eastern part of Zone B and wander around the edge of Zone C for a few days?

The idea made her heart skip a beat; the environment in Zone C might be even harsher, the population more diverse, and the survival pressure greater.

However, the potential benefits are also obvious: getting rid of the current predicament of being the focus of "attention"; using the initial chaos in Zone C to hide oneself, buy time, think about how to move into one's own room more safely, and perhaps even gain more information about the true situation of different levels of the dungeon as an observer in the chaos of Zone C.

This is a risky move, but rather than staying put and following the conventional path to the "bullseye," it's better to temporarily move from the "open" to the "dark."