Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 277 Revitalization Plan

However, among the underprivileged population facing immense pressure to survive, there is an inevitability to their existence—

There will always be people who need cheaper and faster food, and there will always be people who need to rely on this meager and unstable income to survive.

Thus, a subtle "cat and mouse game" was formed.

As long as the vendor isn't caught red-handed by the base administrators, the items sold and the points or supplies earned belong to the vendor.

However, once seized, not only will the goods and production tools used that day be confiscated, but the stall owner may also face fines or even short-term detention.

Risk and reward go hand in hand, depending entirely on luck and the stall owner's grasp of the "rumors".

The stall in front of us is run by an elderly woman who looks quite old.

She was wearing a thick, faded cotton coat and a headscarf whose original color was no longer discernible. She was slowly wiping the simple countertop with a rag.

Xu Xiaoyan stopped in front of the stall, where only a few kinds of food were displayed:

The food consisted of rough-looking, coarse grain steamed buns, slightly burnt pancakes, and several bowls of what appeared to be a paste made from some kind of grain or root vegetable, served in plastic bowls.

The variety is meager, and the quality is poor.

She looked at the food, then at the old woman's numb and tired face.

The blackboard also had "Mixed grain steamed bun 0.8 points", "Pancake 1 point", and "Vegetable paste 1.5 points" written in chalk.

Choosing a hero among the dwarfs, Xu Xiaoyan's gaze lingered briefly on "Pancake 1 point".

"I'd like a pancake," she said.

The old woman raised her cloudy eyes and slowly used a pair of tongs made of bamboo strips.

He fiddled with the few pancakes he had, and seemingly by sight or touch, picked up one that looked slightly larger.

Then she turned to a jar with its mouth open next to her.

Using a pair of chopsticks, carefully pick up a small handful of dark, seemingly pickled vegetable bits that appear to be formed from some kind of root vegetable after being heavily salted for a long time.

The pickled vegetables emitted a dull, pungent salty smell.

The old woman's wrists trembled as she spread the small handful of pickled vegetable bits as evenly as possible in the center of the pancake, an area about the size of her palm.

Then, with her withered hands, she folded the pancake in half, and the pickled vegetables were wrapped inside.

She didn't use any special wrapping paper; she simply pulled out a scrap of newspaper from a pile of old newspapers in the corner of the counter, rolled up the pancake haphazardly, and handed it over.

Xu Xiaoyan accepted it.

The pancake, wrapped in paper, radiated a faint warmth through the paper, indicating that it had been out of the pan for some time, but had not yet cooled completely.

It has a moderate firmness; it's not too soft or mushy, but it's definitely not loose or flimsy either.

She didn't say anything, but wanted to transfer 1 point to the old woman using her phone.

But she said she didn't have a cell phone; her son had taken it out for something. Xu Xiaoyan sighed helplessly, took a dry biscuit out of her backpack, and handed it to her.

Xu Xiaoyan turned around and rejoined the sparse but hurried flow of people on the street. After walking for about several dozen meters, she stopped at a corner.

She lowered her head and carefully peeled back the layer of newspaper that was already stained with oil.

The true appearance of the pancake is revealed:

The color is an uneven, burnt yellow, with many overcooked spots distributed along the edges and surface.

The amount of pickled vegetable bits inside was even less than she could perceive through the newspaper; it was a small, dark clump that would be almost invisible if you didn't look closely.

She raised her hand, brought the pancake to her mouth, and took a small bite.

The first thing you notice is the "chewiness" of the crust.

It's not crispy, but rather has a fibrous chewiness characteristic of unleavened dough that lacks sufficient fermentation and oil.

It takes a little force for the teeth to penetrate the slightly hard outer layer and cut inside.

The inside of the biscuit is also dense with very small pores, requiring more saliva and patience to chew.

Then there's the unique flavor of flour after simple fermentation and baking, but because it lacks oil and fine processing, this flavor has a slightly sour taste.

As she chewed the biscuit filling, her teeth would occasionally grind over the tiny bits of pickled vegetables.

In an instant, an extremely strong, dull, and cloyingly salty taste exploded out, so salty it was almost bitter, so salty it almost overwhelmed all other tastes.

The over-pickled vegetables, instead of enhancing the flavor or stimulating the appetite, only accentuated the blandness and tastelessness of the bread itself.

Xu Xiaoyan remained expressionless, as if she were not tasting food, but rather completing a necessary energy replenishment procedure.

Her gaze wasn't focused on the simple food in her hand, but rather swept across the street and the occasional passerby.

The pancake was quickly finished, and then she clapped her hands and brushed the crumbs off them.

He straightened up, crumpled the dirty old newspaper into a ball, and looked around—there were no trash cans; this basic service was often missing on the outskirts of Zone C.

She hesitated for a moment, then stuffed the crumpled paper into a small mesh pocket on the side of her backpack, intending to discard it later when she found a suitable place.

She adjusted her backpack straps, preparing to continue walking towards her rented capsule pod.

However, she hadn't gone far from the block when she keenly sensed something was amiss.

It wasn't rush hour, but near the intersection of the main road a few dozen meters ahead, the flow of people showed an unusual and clearly directional trend.

Many people walked briskly towards the east side of the main road without prior arrangement.

Their faces revealed an barely suppressed excitement, curiosity, and even a long-lost, eager anticipation.

The whispers and murmurs were much louder and more frequent than usual.

"Hurry up! Hurry up! If we're late, we won't be able to squeeze in!"

"Really? You get a house after five years of service? Or is it permanent?"

"It's over on the notice board! Go see for yourself! The management committee just posted it!"

"Now... now there's finally some hope..."

"Are my standards too high? I wonder if I'm good enough..."

"Let's go, let's go see what the specific job is!"

The fragmented words drifted into Xu Xiaoyan's ears. Although the information was fragmented, a few keywords were enough to outline the general contours of the event.

Something must have happened up ahead.

Moreover, it is a "major event" that is enough to break the dull and oppressive atmosphere of Zone C day after day, a "major event" that concerns the vital interests and future direction of many people.

Curiosity was piqued, but more than that, it was an instinct to gather information.

She subtly changed direction and blended into the eastward-flowing crowd.

After walking for about ten minutes, the crowd finally stopped at the edge of a relatively open small square.

This square is probably the center of several nearby areas, and it was packed with people at the moment.

Those who arrived first quickly gathered in the center of the square, forming a thick human wall, while those behind them kept standing on tiptoe and craning their necks, trying to see what was going on inside.

Everyone looked up, their gazes fixed on the same direction—the top of the newly erected, three-meter-high metal pillar in the center of the square.

At the top of the pillar is a sizable rectangular electronic display screen.

The screen must have been activated today, or just now, for the purpose of releasing important information, because it was still black when Xu Xiaoyan passed by yesterday.

At this moment, an announcement is being displayed on the screen in clear, prominent white standard font, scrolling continuously.

The background is a deep blue, symbolizing the authority of the Underground City Management Committee, and the committee's logo is displayed at the top and bottom right corner of the screen.

An abstract dome-shaped graphic representing shelter and stability, surrounded by gears and ears of wheat.

The title of the announcement is in the largest font: [Underground City Revitalization Plan - C District Special Talent Recruitment and Housing Incentive Announcement].

Xu Xiaoyan wasn't very tall, and from the outside of the increasingly dense human wall, she could only see the upper half of the screen.

She frowned slightly, moved a few steps to the side and found a slightly higher step.

She stood up, and although it was still a bit difficult, her vision was finally able to see over the crowd of people in front of her and see the scrolling text on the screen more completely.

She squinted, focused her mind, and blocked out the increasingly noisy discussions around her, quickly and carefully reading the white text that kept scrolling upwards.

The gist of the announcement gradually becomes clear as the text scrolls:

In order to comprehensively promote the construction of the "New Era Underground City" and effectively address the current severe situation of continuous shortage of various professional and grassroots personnel, the Underground City Management Committee has now decided to take action.

We are launching a large-scale, multi-level open recruitment plan for grassroots management and technical positions, open to all legally registered residents of Zone C.

The screen began listing job openings one by one, covering a wide range of fields and with an astonishing number of positions.

From "Regional Grid Coordinator", "Materials Warehousing and Distribution Dispatcher", "Junior Technician for Underground Pipeline and Ventilation System Maintenance", "Ambient Air and Water Cycle Quality Monitoring Assistant", and "Public Lighting and Basic Energy Line Inspector";

From "Resident Information Data Entry and Verification Officer," "Basic Medical Point Auxiliary Caregiver," "Community Cultural and Sports Activity Organizer and Promoter," "Waste Sorting Supervisor," "Basic Education Training Assistant"...

There were a total of twenty or thirty different job titles listed.

Each job title is followed by a very brief description of its responsibilities.

It's nothing more than "being responsible for daily liaison and coordination in the XX area", "assisting in the registration and distribution of XX materials", "conducting routine inspections and simple maintenance of XX equipment under guidance", and so on.

However, what truly caught everyone's attention were the key promises highlighted in slightly smaller but still bold font after each job description.

[Core Incentive Policy]: All those who pass this open, fair, and impartial selection and assessment process and are formally hired will be eligible for the position.

He signed a five-year special service agreement with the Underground City Management Committee and pledged to continue serving in the corresponding position for a full five years.

Furthermore, their annual performance evaluations all reached the "qualified" level or above.

Upon the expiration of the agreement, and after a comprehensive review and without objection, the recipient will receive a gift directly from the Underground City Management Committee—

Eligibility for permanent ownership housing in a standard three-square-meter living unit.