Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 413 Registering Tents

Xu Xiaoyan stared at the tent she had set up for a second.

The tent wasn't big, it was a single-person tent, and it was a faded military green. There were a few patches of a different color on the outer tent, which were neatly taped up with tent tape.

Xu Xiaoyan also got to work quickly, and in less than three minutes, two single tents were firmly erected in the best vantage point in the center of the mountaintop.

The tent door faces south, away from the prevailing wind direction from the mountaintop, with half-meter gaps on both sides to facilitate the construction of sheds or the storage of firewood in the future.

Lan Yue took two steps back, tilted her head to look, and then stepped forward to drive the ground nail on the left side in two centimeters deeper at an angle.

Xu Xiaoyan stood on the right side of the tent, kicked a few pebbles that were in the way to a distance, and then stomped down some of the fallen leaves at the tent entrance.

The wind blew in from the north side of the mountaintop, making the tent fabric flutter, but the tent pegs remained motionless, firmly gripping the ground as if they had been there from the very beginning.

In the distance, those who were still searching for a place, still hesitating, and still testing each other occasionally glanced in this direction.

About half an hour later, the two of them, bored, built a shallow drainage ditch around the entrance of the tent with pebbles.

This was Lan Yue's idea. She said she had learned her lesson the hard way before. It rained in the middle of the night, and water flowed into the tent, soaking half of her sleeping bag. She spent the rest of the night curled up in bed.

Xu Xiaoyan didn't reply, but bent down to help her dig the outlet of the drainage ditch deeper so that the water wouldn't backflow when it flowed out.

After the tent was packed up, the two went about their own business.

Xu Xiaoyan took out the pre-ordered compressed biscuits from her backpack, broke off a small piece and put it in her mouth, chewing slowly. Her gaze swept from the top of the mountain to the foot of the mountain, memorizing the surrounding terrain.

Instead of eating the cookies, Lan Yue took out a military green water bottle from the side pocket of her backpack, unscrewed the cap, took two small sips, tightened the cap, and put it back in the side pocket.

Sergeant Wu appeared at this time.

He walked up the path on the south slope, his raincoat hem covered in mud and his military boots caked with a thick layer of yellow mud, but he wasn't out of breath because of the hardship of climbing.

The rest of the group followed behind him, some carrying huge woven bags, others dragging suitcases that rattled and scraped against the gravel and tree roots.

They walked very slowly, and every few steps someone would stop to catch their breath.

People who were setting up tents also put down their work. In less than a minute, Sergeant Wu was surrounded by layers of people.

Xu Xiaoyan swallowed the last bit of compressed biscuit, patted the crumbs off her hands, put her hands back in her pockets, and stood there quietly.

Lan Yue stood to her right, her gaze passing over the shoulders of the people in front of her, fixed on the dark green figure in the center of the crowd.

No one made a fuss, no one urged him on; everyone was waiting for him to speak.

Sergeant Wu coughed lightly, raised his hand to press down the brim of his hat, and then pointed to a flat area in the southeast direction with his right hand.

The flat area was located at the southeast corner of the mountaintop, lower than the surrounding area, resembling a natural funnel-shaped depression. Several large pine trees with umbrella-like canopies stood along its edge.

The location is also excellent; it's not far from any direction on the mountaintop.

He pointed to the flat land to the southeast and said:

"That's where the six mountains meet. Originally, the military would bring tools to the foot of each mountain to trade with everyone, but now, with the approval of higher authorities, trading point number 23 has been upgraded to a military exchange point."

A low commotion arose in the crowd, and many people unconsciously leaned forward.

What does it mean to be upgraded to a military exchange point?

This means that it is no longer a temporary, makeshift trading point that may be canceled at any time, but a supplies exchange center directly managed by the military.

"Everyone can go there to exchange tomorrow morning!" As soon as Sergeant Wu finished speaking, the crowd cheered.

Someone raised their fist above their head and swung it forcefully, squeezing out the word "Good!" with a sense of exhilaration.

Someone clasped their hands together, looked up at the gray sky, and moved their lips, seemingly thanking someone.

Someone turned around, wiped their eyes with the back of their hand, their shoulders trembled slightly, but the corners of their mouths turned up, making it hard to tell whether they were crying or laughing.

Some people started clapping, sparsely, from one person to three or five, from three or five to a dozen, and finally it turned into a not-so-coordinated but enthusiastic round of applause.

Xu Xiaoyan simply took her hands out of her pockets and crossed them in front of her chest. Upgrading to a military exchange point meant that there was a fixed channel for the distribution of supplies.

Therefore, her and Lan Yue's "team logging" plan had a clear handover point, and the cut wood could be directly exchanged for resources.

However, at the same time, standardization means that management will become more and more standardized, and standardization means quotas, queuing, registration, and recording.

Seemingly remembering something, Xu Xiaoyan hurriedly said, "Sergeant Wu, we already have more than twenty people who have set up tents on the mountaintop, but we are afraid that our home will be raided when we go out to work."

Could you please record the tent's location and the name on it? This will help you handle any disputes fairly and impartially later.

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough. If she were only referring to herself, Sergeant Wu might have said, "Personal disputes should be resolved by oneself."

However, if this request was made on behalf of "more than twenty people who had already pitched their tents," Sergeant Wu could not easily refuse.

She has the endorsement of more than twenty people, even if it's just nominal.

Upon hearing this, those with tents echoed his sentiments.

Someone squeezed out of the crowd, stood next to Xu Xiaoyan, nodded vigorously, and said, "Yes, yes, yes," "We should register," "Otherwise, it will be difficult to explain later."

Someone has already started signing up. "My surname is Li. My tent is over there, next to that crooked pine tree. Please make a note of it."

Those who had tents, even if they had just been secretly competing over which position was better, suddenly found themselves standing in the same trench.

Because they all realized the same thing: the tent was their only, most valuable, and most irreplaceable private property on this hilltop.

Nobody wants to come back from work to find their tent occupied and their belongings ransacked.

Those who didn't have tents turned pale upon hearing this, as not everyone can afford a tent.

Some people only brought waterproof tarpaulins, plastic sheets, thick raincoats, or even nothing at all.

In an environment of extreme resource scarcity, the invisible rift between the propertied and the proletarian was torn open by a single, casual remark from Xu Xiaoyan.

Some people want to voice their opposition but don't know where to begin.