Chapter 34

Chapter 34

In the days that followed, as the initial group sent to work on the surface returned safely each day, those who had been waiting and watching began to stir, increasingly signing up with the manager.

Now, hundreds of people went to the surface every day, not only for planting but also to assist the military in disinfecting ruins or burying exposed corpses.

Since these tasks were rotated, Qin Shen, having finally mastered the skill of using a hoe, began working on transporting corpses.

Fortunately, he only had to transport corpses for three days before it was his turn to disinfect again.

The corpses on the surface layer were all dried up, like black tree roots, gnawed and disfigured by animals. Now, without enough body bags, two people would cooperate, directly lifting the hands and feet, and tossing them onto a nearby truck, which would then take them to a large pit dug by an excavator at the city's edge for burial.

The first time Qin Shen had to carry a corpse, it was so disfigured and mutilated by animals that its limbs were missing, and only a short-sleeved shirt and black trousers indicated that it might have been a company employee in life.

He hesitated to start, and his impatient partner suggested he go back if he couldn't do it, prompting Qin Shen to grit his teeth and lift the corpse's feet.

However, after the first time, it became less difficult, and he repeatedly lifted various corpses onto the truck. Intact bodies were rare; most were missing arms, legs, or heads, and some were reduced to skeletons gnawed by animals.

But the real challenge was not moving the dry corpses, but transporting those in enclosed spaces, still in the stages of advanced decay.

Even with the air filtered by his thermal suit, the stench of the corpses was overwhelming, causing a gagging sensation. The feel of moving them was something he would never forget.

His fingers first sank into a semi-fluid substance, slightly sluggish, then pierced through it, touching bone. As the body was lifted, chunks of brownish-black material fell off in large pieces, revealing the yellowish-black bones inside.

After tossing the corpse onto the truck, Qin Shen’s fingers wouldn’t stop trembling. He rubbed his fingers repeatedly, but the sensation of sinking into that semi-fluid substance lingered.

His partner seemed to be struggling too, as unlike the silent Qin Shen, he kept talking non-stop, as if that helped to release his emotions: “This skirt is pretty, young girls love wearing them this year. I prefer light yellow, but this pale green one is also nice... This must be an old man; my dad used to wear this kind of sweatshirt, said it was breathable and sweat-absorbing, and cheap too...”

Qin Shen continued working until he paused suddenly upon uncovering a brick and seeing a curled-up body underneath.

His partner came over, not noticing Qin Shen's reaction, and started to drag the body out roughly, “I can handle this alone, you go find others. This is a kid, a little boy. Kids love these dark blue denim overalls, and the T-shirt's pattern is what kids like nowadays, something NuNu...”

"Put him down," Qin Shen suddenly said in a hoarse voice.

"Huh?"

"You put him down, let me do it," Qin Shen's tone was slightly harsh.

The partner hesitated but put down the body, muttering as he walked away, "Weird, teenage rebellion..."

Qin Shen bent down, removed the bricks on top of the body, carefully turned it over, and lifted it horizontally.

The child was about the same size as Yan Bubu, probably only a few years old, with slightly curly hair, his face no longer distinguishable. Qin Shen cradled him in his arms, feeling the weight pressing heavily on his heart.

He found an adult jacket in the ruins, wrapped the child’s head in it, and then placed him in a corner of the truck where other bodies wouldn’t crush him.

Returning to the underground settlement in the afternoon, Qin Shen leaned against the elevator’s iron railing. As the view changed from dark rocks to the hive buildings, he immediately turned his head to look down to the right.

—There was a large rock where Yan Bubu would sit every day, holding Pinunu and waiting for him.

Today was no exception; a small figure was perched on the rock, looking up at the elevator.

Every day after work, the thermal suits had to be returned to the military for disinfection and reissued the next day. While most people took off their thermal suits after getting off the elevator, Qin Shen would remove his as soon as he entered the main passageway, letting others take it to the military.

He did this because as soon as the elevator stopped, Yan Bubu would rush to greet him, and Qin Shen was worried about the dirtiness of the suit.

Another elevator creaked and slid down. Yan Bubu stood up, staring intently. Two elevators had already arrived without Qin Shen; he wondered if this one would be different.

The elevator was still mid-air when he spotted the familiar figure behind the iron railing, who was also looking at him through the gaps.

Joy swelled in his chest, and Yan Bubu stood up, waving and tiptoeing, calling out 'brother.'

The person inside the railing waved back at him.

With a clang, the elevator stopped and the railing opened. Yan Bubu immediately rushed forward, weaving against the outgoing crowd to get inside.

"Qin Shen, your little brother is here to pick you up again," someone nearby joked, then saw the usually quiet and handsome young man flash a rare gentle smile.

Qin Shen stepped out of the crowd, and Yan Bubu dived into his arms, wrapping his arms around his waist.

But today, unlike usual, Qin Shen didn't just pat Yan Bubu's head and then lead him towards the hive. Instead, he picked him up, burying his face in his shoulder.

Yan Bubu felt tickled by the warm breath on his neck, squirming and laughing.

"Don't move," Qin Shen said in a muffled voice.

Yan Bubu indeed stayed still, then whispered after a moment, "Brother, you're a bit different today."

"How am I different?"

Yan Bubu thought for a moment, "You're more clingy."

Qin Shen replied, "Then let me be clingy for a while."

"Okay."

Holding Yan Bubu, Qin Shen discerned the difference from the child he had placed on the truck earlier in the day. He felt the heartbeat, the warmth of the body, and the faint scent of shampoo. Confirming it wasn't the same, he finally set Yan Bubu down and led him towards the hive.

Qin Shen asked, "What did you have for breakfast?"

Yan Bubu counted on his fingers, "Two buns and a bowl of porridge."

Qin Shen inquired, "And for lunch? What dishes did you have?"

Yan Bubu continued, "There was tofu and bean sprouts. Oh, right, one of the bean sprouts looked so funny, ha ha ha ha ha... ha ha ha..."

Qin Shen: "..."

After finishing his laugh, Yan Bubu said, "That bean sprout had three black spots on its sprout leaf, looked like eyes and a mouth. I saved it to show you, didn’t eat it. Look."

Qin Shen looked and paused, "...Hmm, it is kind of funny, but don't keep food in your pockets in the future."

Yan Bubu: "Got it."

……

Their conversation filled with laughter, mostly from Yan Bubu, while Qin Shen listened quietly and attentively. The floodlights of the underground shelter cast long shadows of the two hand in hand.

In the following days, after completing his shifts in corpse transportation and disinfection, it was Qin Shen's turn to work in the plantation.

Entering the plantation gate that day, he habitually glanced at his wristwatch, expecting to see 43°C, but surprisingly, the temperature displayed didn’t decrease and was still around the same 68°C as outside.

Somewhat puzzled, he pressed the button on his wristwatch, intending to clear and restart the data. The temperature in the plantation, although still hot, shouldn't be that high due to cooling measures.

As people began to remove their thermal suits, a soldier suddenly shouted, "Don't take off your thermal suits, something's not right here."

At these words, everyone froze, nervously scanning their surroundings.

"Look, there's a hole in the wall," someone exclaimed, pointing upwards to the right.

Qin Shen followed their gaze, noticing a missing section where the roof and the wall met. Intense sunlight poured through, illuminating a stone on the ground that hadn't been there before.

The hole was clearly enlarged, with traces of animal claws tearing at its edges.

"What happened here? Why is there such a big hole on the right side?"

"Damn, could it be from the military clearing mutant species nearby yesterday afternoon? Maybe the explosion broke it when a rock hit the spot."

"That must be it. We had just finished work when the explosion happened, and I was closing the gate. I think I heard a loud bang inside the garden."

Several soldiers rushed towards the plantation, and upon realizing the situation, others stopped worrying about the hole and quickly followed.

The field was planted with potatoes and corn, which were due to mature in a few days. The young cornstalks were essential sustenance for everyone in the underground shelter – they couldn't afford any damage.

Reaching the edge of the plantation through a long corridor, the leading soldier suddenly stopped dead, staring ahead in shock. The others, unable to halt in time, nearly knocked him over. When they saw what lay ahead, they too were rooted to the spot in disbelief.

From the back, Qin Shen saw the cornfield in disarray, as if hit by a tornado. Stalks were broken and toppled over.

The potato field was even worse – the green plants were uprooted, and the ground was littered with partially eaten potatoes.

"Who the hell did this? Who did this? Which bastard is responsible?" someone yelled in a hoarse rage.

A soldier, looking at the chaotic footprints in the field, spat out bitterly, "Do we even need to ask? Something came in through that hole last night."

"What do we do now? If we can't harvest these potatoes, the shelter will run out of food... What do we do..."

As all hope seemed lost, some people squatted on the ground, covering their faces and weeping, others cursed angrily at the sky, and even the soldiers had red-rimmed eyes.

Pushing through the crowd, Qin Shen walked into the cornfield and crouched to examine the footprints. He remembered the wild boar tracks he had seen during training in the mountains, similar to these.

A single wild boar could destroy a large swath of cornfield in one night. Judging by the footprints, not one but a whole herd of dozens of wild boars had ravaged the field last night.

This batch of corn was beyond saving. He moved to the potato field, picking through the uprooted plants.

Under each potato plant were clusters of potatoes, not yet as big as eggs, many of which were half-eaten. The bite marks weren't from wild boars but from small rodents, likely in the thousands, who had invaded the plantation along with the wild boars and left before dawn.

However, not all potatoes were destroyed. Some plants were densely packed together, with at least half of the potatoes still intact.

Qin Shen's actions caught the attention of a soldier, who wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and also started picking potatoes, peeling back the outer layer to inspect the inside.

"Stop whining, damn it. These potatoes can still be saved; you won't starve," the soldier yelled, turning around.

Those making noise at the edge of the field suddenly fell silent, as if collectively muted, staring at him in stunned silence.

The soldier shook the potato in his hand, "Each plant still has about half of its potatoes intact. They were almost ready for harvest anyway. We’ll pick all the untouched ones and discard those that are bitten. Even though we've lost the corn, we can still salvage half of the potato crop. As long as we don't starve, we'll continue planting tomorrow."

Everyone had panicked at first, but upon closer inspection, they realized not all the potatoes were destroyed, which somewhat eased their minds.

Just as the soldier said, they might not have enough to eat their fill, but at least they wouldn't starve.

The soldier shouted, "Hurry up and pick the potatoes. Remember, discard the bitten ones. Don’t be stingy. We can’t risk a potential deadly virus by eating them."

"Got it, understood."

With all the potatoes needing to be harvested that day, track vehicles shuttled back and forth between the shelter and the plantation. First, technicians were brought to repair the hole in the roof, followed by four to five hundred people to help with the harvest.

Without enough thermal suits, some of the stronger individuals went without them. They were red-faced and continuously drinking water, their clothes soaked with sweat.

While picking potatoes, Qin Shen overheard two soldiers talking quietly.

"Must be rats, right? Or field mice? But so many, thousands of them. Were there always this many rats in Haiyun City?"

"Probably multiplied in large numbers after the earthquake, likely mutated too, smart enough to leave before dawn."

"These damn mutants, can’t kill them all."

……

Although some potatoes were saved from the ravaged plantation, it wasn’t much. The food reserves in the underground shelter were becoming increasingly strained.

The buns in the cafeteria, which used to be the size of an adult's fist, had shrunk to half their size and seemed likely to get even smaller. The price for a meal had gone from five to eight credit points.

Those who had boasted about living on basic credit points alone were now eagerly signing up for work. With more people wanting to work than positions available, there were shortages again. The plantation was bearable, as it didn’t require thermal suits and could accommodate more workers, despite the struggle on the way. However, for outdoor work, thermal suits were mandatory, limiting the number of people who could go out each day.

Fortunately, as part of the first group to work outside, Qin Shen and his team received extra care from the military, including increased basic credit points. While others had to wait a couple of days for a work opportunity, they had jobs every day, easing their concerns about credit points.

Qin Shen spent the day working in the plantation, which had newly planted corn just sprouting. Upon returning to the shelter and exiting the elevator, Yan Bubu greeted him as usual, first hugging him affectionately, then fetching a lunchbox filled with cool water from the stone.

Drinking the water, Qin Shen observed Yan Bubu's cheerful face, noticing that he hadn’t regained the weight he lost from insufficient food. His cheeks, once plump, were now gone, leaving his chin sharp and his eyes appearing larger.

Qin Shen pinched Yan Bubu's chin, turning his face side to side, and frowned deeply.

"What did you eat today?" Qin Shen asked.

Yan Bubu, used to being asked this daily, counted on his fingers, "For breakfast, I had two buns and a bowl of porridge. For lunch, I ate one potato, half a corn cob, and half a bowl of rice."

"Did you eat enough?" Qin Shen felt the portion sounded sufficient.

Yan Bubu nodded, "I ate enough."

Qin Shen took his hand, "Let's go, we'll get dinner from the cafeteria."

The cafeteria was already packed with people, each of them grumbling after getting their food – the buns were too small, their potato smaller than others', there were stir-fried bean sprouts last night, and tonight not even a single vegetable dish.

Qin Shen, using his and Yan Bubu's credit points, lined up and got two buns and two potatoes each.

He swiped his card first. When Yan Bubu swiped his, Qin Shen glanced at the screen and noticed the balance was still 750 points.

Qin Shen was momentarily stunned.

His breakfast and lunch were with the military recently, so he left only 200 points on his card for his dinners. The rest he transferred to Yan Bubu's card, which should have been 750 points.

Yan Bubu said he ate twice today, 8 points each time, so the balance should have decreased by 16 points. But why hadn’t his points decreased at all?

Just as Yan Bubu stepped out of the line with his tray, Qin Shen pulled him aside.

"Tell me, did you eat today?" Qin Shen asked.

Yan Bubu's eyes fixed on the buns in his tray, swallowing before replying, "I did, two buns and a bowl of porridge for breakfast, and for lunch—"

"You're lying," Qin Shen interrupted him coldly.

"Ah... uh... I..." Yan Bubu muttered softly, and seeing Qin Shen's expression turning grimmer, finally shut his mouth, standing with his head down.

"Have you been hungry all day?" Qin Shen's tone and expression were stern.

Yan Bubu sneaked a glance at him, then quickly lowered his head again.

"I transferred credit points to you just yesterday, and today you're starving yourself. What’s the reason? Picky eating? Don't like potatoes?"

Yan Bubu hurriedly shook his head, "No, it's not that. Potatoes are delicious, soft and fragrant. I really like them."

Qin Shen observed Yan Bubu's demeanor, which seemed genuine, especially when he visibly swallowed at the mention of potatoes being tasty. After a brief consideration, he suppressed his anger and asked, “Are you worried about not having enough credit points?”

This time, Yan Bubu neither nodded nor shook his head, simply fidgeting with his pants, but Qin Shen understood.

He glanced at Yan Bubu’s lunchbox, took it, and walked towards the serving window, "Auntie, please add another portion for me."

"No need to add more, I have enough, really." Hearing Qin Shen asking for more food, Yan Bubu quickly ran up, trying to reach for the lunchbox on tiptoes.

Qin Shen, without even looking at him, held the lunchbox high, "Auntie, I’ve swiped my card." At the same time, he grabbed Yan Bubu’s wrist and placed it on the identity scanner.

After a beep, confirming the identity, Qin Shen swiped Yan Bubu’s credit card to purchase an additional meal.