Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 280 Home Visit Verification

Once this thought takes root, it grows wildly in the mind.

That's not a worship of violence, but rather an almost instinctive desire and calculation for the most basic self-preservation under extreme survival pressure.

If you have a gun, the situation is completely different.

Firearms greatly reduce the gap in physical strength, as they do not require users to have great arm strength or fighting skills.

All you need is a relatively stable wrist, basic aiming ability, and the determination and strength to pull the trigger.

A well-trained gunman is formidable, but even a novice can be dangerous.

At close range, the sudden appearance of a dark gun muzzle is extremely intimidating, enough to make most criminals freeze instantly and weigh the risks.

More importantly—she has space!

This unique ability has brought about an almost revolutionary change in the risk-reward ratio of "owning" and "using" firearms for her!

When danger approaches, she can unexpectedly pull out a gun from the air in an instant.

The shocking effect of "appearing out of nowhere," combined with the deterrent effect of the firearm itself, could very well turn the tide at a critical moment, or even subdue the enemy without a fight.

Even in the worst-case scenario, when she has to shoot in self-defense, she can immediately put the gun back into her spatial storage after the gunshots are fired, the threat is eliminated, or she is temporarily repelled.

This is simply the perfect way to conceal and destroy evidence!

Afterwards, regardless of the other party's background or how the base's security forces searched, they were absolutely unable to find any trace of the murder weapon on her or at the scene.

Without physical evidence, she could easily have disguised herself as an innocent civilian.

The existence of space makes holding a gun not only a weapon for her, but also an ultimate talisman that can be "invisible" and "disappear" after use.

This idea made her heart beat slightly faster.

For the first time, she felt a desire to control power. She wanted to rise from a weakling who could only passively hide to a survivor who at least had the ability to "flip the table".

Of course, beneath the boiling desire lies a cold reality.

In this underground city base where resource control is strict and stability is emphasized, firearms and ammunition are among the most strictly controlled contraband items.

They are usually only issued to armed patrol teams, internal security forces, and guards of certain important facilities under the jurisdiction of the management committee.

And a very small number of individuals who have undergone rigorous screening and possess special tasks or permissions.

Is it legal for private individuals to own firearms?

In Zone C, this is almost a pipe dream for ordinary residents.

There may be extremely secretive distribution channels on the black market.

But those places are like dragon's dens and tiger's lair, so the prices are bound to be outrageously high, and the source and reliability of the goods cannot be guaranteed at all.

What you buy may be unusable scrap metal, dangerous goods that are prone to exploding, or even a bait trap set by the law enforcement.

Not to mention the subsequent ammunition replenishment and maintenance, which are huge challenges and ongoing sources of risk.

The consequences of illegally modifying, concealing, or using firearms, once discovered, are hundreds or thousands of times more serious than those of illegal business operations, tax evasion, or even ordinary fights resulting in injury.

That would mean directly challenging the base's military monopoly and core security order, potentially facing the most severe penalties, or even being shot on the spot.

But... after the "but" came the three crisp and violent gunshots that kept replaying in her mind.

Tonight's experience served as a stark and cruel reminder to her:

Some risks cannot be avoided simply by not actively provoking them, being overly cautious, or being meticulous in your calculations.

They don't care whether you are "innocent" or not.

In such an environment, if one does not have a sufficiently deterrent ability to protect oneself, all wealth and effort may be violently stripped away in an instant, along with one's life itself.

"I have to find a way... I absolutely have to find a way..." The thought of obtaining a gun kept swirling and taking root in her mind.

Following "making a living," this has become another survival issue that urgently needs to be addressed, and perhaps even has a higher priority.

She tossed and turned in her cramped bunk, her mind racing with all sorts of dangerous ideas, until the exhaustion of both mind and body finally dragged her into a restless, light sleep.

Early in the morning, the preset electronic alarm rang sharply, waking Xu Xiaoyan up almost immediately.

One hand had already reflexively reached under the pillow, groping for the exact spot to silence the annoying sound.

Silence returned to the warehouse, broken only by her own slightly rapid breathing.

She squinted, adjusting to the absolute darkness, then looked up at the faint glow of the old-fashioned digital watch on her wrist: 8 a.m.

According to yesterday's original plan, she should be up now, wash up quickly, and then go to check out the alternative free parking spots in Zone C.

But at this moment, she sat on her bunk and did not move immediately.

A gunman appeared in Sector C and dared to openly fire so close to the residential area.

This means that the level of chaos and danger in the area, as she personally experienced the gunshots last night, has silently and brutally escalated to a disturbing level.

The bottom line of public security has been blatantly breached.

She was lucky last night that she wasn't in the passageway, but what about next time?

What if the next conflict happens right next to her stall?

What if she was loading and unloading goods, and suddenly gunshots rang out from across the street?

Or, even more frighteningly, if there are lawbreakers...

Did they set their sights on her small truck, which is allowed to travel across districts?

In the face of armed thugs, everything she possessed seemed so fragile and laughable.

No complicated plan is needed; it might just be a simple, violent robbery, with a burst of bullets.

Or simply pointing a gun at her head could make her lose everything, or even her life.

Xu Xiaoyan finally realized with absolute clarity that all her previous careful calculations, risk assessments, and business plans had been in vain.

All of this is based on a potential, perhaps overly naive and optimistic, assumption:

Basic personal safety is guaranteed in Zone C, and violent crimes involving firearms are rare.

But those gunshots last night, rang out so close at hand, ruthlessly shattered this psychological assumption that sustained him.

She recalled her identity in Block B, and a complex mix of regret, helplessness, and disappointment welled up inside her.

In the first place, I tried to avoid those ill-intentioned people, but now I've found myself in an even more chaotic and dangerous place called Zone C.

Xu Xiaoyan leaned against the warehouse wall, closed her eyes, and slowly took a breath.

She now owns that special vehicle that connects the BC area and has access to a purchase list with significantly higher authority.

This means she could completely change her approach—shifting the focus of her operations from the perilous Zone C to the relatively regulated and safe Zone B!

Whether you do well or not in Zone B, and how much you earn, depends on your ability, opportunities, and strategies. But at least you are "making a living" within a framework where your life is basically safe.

Having figured this out, the heavy feeling that had been weighing on my chest seemed to dissipate considerably.

She no longer forced herself to think about the specific details immediately.

Instead, he leaned back and lay down on the hard bunk, crossed his arms behind his head, and stared at the monotonous metal indentations on the ceiling.

She didn't know how long she had been "watching" with her eyes open like that.

Perhaps only a few minutes, perhaps longer, consciousness floats in a blurred zone between sleep and wakefulness, between reality and thought...

Just then—knock, knock, knock.

Three evenly spaced taps rang out.

The sound wasn't loud, but in the absolute silence of the capsule and Xu Xiaoyan's semi-conscious state, it seemed particularly abrupt and loud.

It instantly pulled her back from her daydreaming state.

Who?

At this time?

She didn't speak immediately, but instead nimbly turned over and sat up.

Listening closely, there was no conversation outside the warehouse door, only a silent wait.

She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart, reached out and grasped the cold handle on the inside of the door, slowly turning it to open the door a crack.

Standing outside the door was Xiaoling, the gossip-loving girl.

At this moment, the tension and unease of being entrusted with an "important task" still lingered on his face.

When she saw Xu Xiaoyan open the warehouse door, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, or perhaps she had found someone to pass on information to.

He quickly stepped forward, almost pressing his ear against the door crack, lowering his voice to a whisper but speaking rapidly:

"Ah, you're not asleep... Just now, someone knocked on our door. It was a staff member from the dungeon, wearing one of those dark gray uniforms with armbands!"

As she spoke, she glanced anxiously back at the end of the dimly lit corridor, as if worried that someone might appear there at any moment.

"They said they were going to conduct a 'key inspection' of our area to screen for 'dangerous individuals' who might have infiltrated, and they wanted all of us to cooperate."

Their attitude was quite serious. They were knocking on doors one by one, asking people to wake up those who were still sleeping, and telling everyone to get dressed quickly because they were about to come in for an inspection!

I happened to be at the door, so they asked me to help notify a few of the other rooms..."

Xiaoling spoke quickly, her eyes filled with fear and unease about the unknown official actions, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.

Dangerous elements?

Verification?

Xu Xiaoyan felt a chill run down her spine.

I immediately thought of the "dangerous people" that the kind-looking woman at the official management office had vaguely mentioned before, who might have recently "sneaked" into Zone C from the more chaotic Zone D or even Zone E.

And those chilling gunshots last night!

Is there any connection between these two events?

Why did the authorities take action so quickly, and with such a direct, door-to-door "key inspection"?

"Okay, I understand. Thank you for telling me." Xu Xiaoyan quickly showed just the right amount of surprise and a hint of nervousness on her face.

She nodded, her tone filled with gratitude, "I'll get ready and be out in a minute. You should also hurry back to your own cabin and get ready."

"Hurry up, they seem to be in a hurry," Xiaoling hurriedly reminded her again, then turned and jogged to the other people's storage areas.