Chapter 568: Points City

Chapter 568: Points City

After arriving, the forces from Zhang Yi’s city and eleven others were guided by staff members to their designated temporary living quarters.

Everyone's eyes were filled with curiosity.

Zhang Yi turned to the female staff member and asked, “Miss, what do ordinary people here do? Why don’t I see anyone around?”

The woman smiled as she answered, but her expression was too professional—devoid of warmth, like a mask of politeness fixed onto her face.

“They’re all working.”

She led the way at a steady pace and continued, “In Blizzard City, everyone is assigned work based on their abilities.”

“To keep this city running, someone has to be working 24 hours a day.”

“So, most ordinary people work more than 14 hours a day.”

“In other words, aside from eating and resting, all of their remaining time is dedicated to labor.”

“Of course, this only applies to basic-level workers. Those in specialized technical positions or rare talent roles enjoy a much higher standard of living.”

“The more capable someone is, the better their quality of life.”

“But the majority are just ordinary workers, meaning they spend most of their time laboring.”

After hearing her explanation, a glint of amusement flickered in Zhang Yi’s eyes.

“What about elderly people and children who can’t work? What happens to them?”

Lu Keran interjected, “They must receive special care, right? After all, seniors and children have different needs compared to young adults.”

The staff member’s smile widened, but there was a hint of bleakness beneath it.

“That’s not how it works! Whether elderly or children, unless their families can contribute enough to compensate for their lack of labor, they don’t qualify to live in Blizzard City.”

“What?!”

Lu Keran looked stunned. “That’s way too cruel!”

“This is just a basic rule of survival in the apocalypse.”

Zhang Yi responded calmly, “There’s no need to be shocked. Even though the Jiangnan District headquarters has plenty of resources, they still have to strictly control the population in this post-apocalyptic world.”

“If they can only sustain a limited number of people, it makes sense that the spots would go to those with greater value. It’s logical.”

Lu Keran sighed. “I get the reasoning, but… isn’t this place supposed to still uphold human civilization? I thought it would be different from Tianhai City. At the very least… they should take care of the children.”

Zhou Ke’er and Liang Yue both looked uneasy.

Indeed, at the very least, children should be protected.

Because children are the future.

If Blizzard City expelled children just because they couldn’t provide enough labor value, what would happen in the long run?

The staff member, however, was unfazed.

“That’s not a problem at all.”

“As long as those with greater value have more children, it balances out.”

“Blizzard City has a birth quota! In times of need, having children is a mandatory duty in the apocalypse.”

Lu Keran opened her mouth but was at a loss for words.

She couldn’t fathom that such laws were actually enforced here.

Zhang Yi, however, remained indifferent.

Upon reaching their destination, they found a bus waiting for them.

Everyone boarded. Xiao Honglian and the others were extremely cautious, keeping their conversations to a minimum.

They knew that anyone in Blizzard City could potentially report their words and actions.

One wrong statement could spell trouble.

Zhang Yi had already warned them about this before they set out.

Once on the bus, they received a message on their communication devices containing Blizzard City’s regulations.

Zhang Yi quickly skimmed through them. The rules were extensive—over a hundred in total.

It was clear that these were hastily drafted post-apocalypse policies, yet they covered all aspects of life with strict guidelines.

Among them, more than a dozen were highlighted in red—special reminders for visitors like Zhang Yi.

For instance, Blizzard City imposed a strict curfew after midnight. No one was allowed on the streets unless they had special authorization from the city’s leadership.

Another rule strictly prohibited fighting. Violators would face severe punishment.

The exact punishment wasn’t specified—probably dependent on the circumstances—but it was safe to assume it wouldn’t be light.

After all, internal conflicts were something the leadership wanted to avoid at all costs.

Zhang Yi carefully read through all the regulations.

Fortunately, most of them didn’t impose too many restrictions on outsiders like him.

As long as he stayed put and waited for the conference to conclude, there wouldn’t be any issues.

However, the way the city governed its residents left Zhang Yi feeling stifled.

He glanced at the female staff member with her ever-present fake smile.

Now he understood why she seemed so emotionally detached.

Here, survival came before living.

For those used to the freedom of a pre-apocalyptic society, suddenly being subjected to such strict governance naturally stripped away parts of their humanity—especially their sense of freedom and joy.

Zhang Yi flipped through the rules once more and checked the time.

It was a little past 7 PM.

There were still a few hours left before curfew.

Zhang Yi spoke up, “Miss, if I go out now and return before midnight, that shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

The staff member’s expression subtly tensed.

She politely replied, “I’d advise against it. There are patrols stationed throughout the city. Wandering around at night could cause unnecessary trouble.”

I already feel like this is more than enough trouble.

Zhang Yi thought to himself.

There was no way he was staying in his quarters all night.

Since he was here, he wanted to find Baili Changqing.

A face-to-face conversation could help him gather more intel about Blizzard City.

At the very least, given their shared secret, Baili Changqing might give him some pointers to avoid making any missteps in tomorrow’s meeting.

Any extra intelligence could prevent him from making a critical error.

That was crucial.

Zhang Yi didn’t argue further.

This staff member was just a low-level worker, clearly among the lowest ranks in Blizzard City.

He would contact Baili Changqing directly.

As an investigation captain, Baili Changqing’s status should be quite high in Blizzard City.

Author's Note