166: Chapter 166 The Second Shelter

"I'm no fool!"

A-Qiang sneered, his grip on the fire axe tightening.

"Don't think just because you're dressed all clean that I'll be afraid of you! If you want to make a move, I'm ready anytime!"

His words were fierce, but he didn't step forward an inch.

"A-Qiang, shut up."

Uncle Zhao barked a command to stop him, then took a step forward, positioning himself between the aggressive A-Qiang and the indifferent Song Yang.

"Friend, it's better to make friends than enemies."

"In a place as cutthroat as this, it's better to have one more friend than one more enemy. Fighting until both sides are hurt helps no one."

Seeing that Song Yang wasn't angry, Uncle Zhao took the initiative to share his information as a sign of sincerity:

"We're from the Danan City Shelter. We came to this Commercial District hoping to find some valuable items to take back and exchange for some contribution points to make a living."

Sister Juan, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines, had her eyes flicker when she heard 'mysterious object' and 'contribution points.' The calculating look in her eyes intensified as she looked at Song Yang.

"contribution points?" Song Yang repeated the term.

Uncle Zhao gave a bitter smile and pointed to their crude camp:

"Resources in the Shelter are limited. To avoid supporting freeloaders, the managers came up with this set of rules.

Everyone has to contribute to the Shelter. Whether it's going out to gather supplies or clearing nearby threats, you get contribution points once you're done."

"Food, drink, supplies—everything has to be exchanged for with contribution points."

"Once your contribution points hit zero, you're kicked out of the Shelter to fend for yourself. It's the same for everyone."

"I came here looking for mysterious objects," Song Yang said.

As soon as the words 'mysterious object' were spoken, Uncle Zhao's pupils constricted sharply. Even Sister Juan, who was standing nearby, looked over. Only A-Qiang was still savoring the pathetic hint of sweetness from the compressed biscuit.

The bitter smile on Uncle Zhao's face deepened as he sighed:

"Friend, I know you're no ordinary person, but this area has long since been picked clean. Every mysterious object that could be found has already been taken back to the Shelter and exchanged for astronomical amounts of contribution points."

"If you want to find a mysterious object now, you can only go to the Shelter and trade for one from those big shots."

"Take me there."

Song Yang reached into his pocket. A second later, he pulled out a chicken leg sealed in a plastic bag and tore open the packaging.

Everyone froze.

A-Qiang's nose twitched as he sniffed deeply. His eyes turned red instantly, and he stared fixedly at Song Yang's hand.

Sister Juan's throat moved involuntarily as she swallowed.

Even the little girl suddenly looked up. For the first time, a spark of light appeared in her dull eyes.

The aroma was overbearingly fragrant, invading everyone's nostrils and awakening taste buds and nerves that had been numbed by the torture of hunger.

"Take me to the Shelter, and I can give you more food. This chicken leg is a deposit."

Uncle Zhao took the chicken leg, feeling its heavy weight even through the plastic bag.

Uncle Zhao held up the chicken leg and took a huge bite.

The meat was firm and the fat was rich. That long-lost, almost forgotten flavor melted on his tongue and slid down his throat like a warm current, instantly dispelling the long-standing cold and hunger in his stomach.

He closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing.

After just one bite, he stopped.

He opened his eyes and looked at the little girl.

Xiao Ya was staring intently at the chicken leg in his hand, but she was sensible enough not to make a sound.

Uncle Zhao walked over and pressed the chicken leg, which was missing only one bite, into Xiao Ya's hand.

"Eat."

Xiao Ya was stunned. She looked up at him in disbelief, then back at the nearly whole chicken leg.

She took the chicken leg, lowered her head, and began to gnaw on it with all her might.

"Her father was my old Neighbors. He died at the hands of Mutated Plants after the apocalypse."

"So I took her in. This time, I had no other choice but to bring her out with me."

Having said that, he looked at Sister Juan and A-Qiang, who were still standing there in a daze.

"What about you two? Coming back with me, or staying here?"

"Go back?"

Sister Juan was the first to sneer. She crossed her arms, her eyes sweeping over the wolfing-down Xiao Ya like a knife. "Go back empty-handed and wait for my contribution points to hit zero and get kicked out? Old Zhao, you're kind-hearted, but we still have to survive.

Even a little brat can get meat to eat. If we follow you, I'm afraid we won't even get a sip of soup."

The man felt helpless and simply waved his hand at the two of them as a farewell.

The three of them crossed the supermarket hall, which was covered in dust and debris, and walked out through the broken glass doors.

After walking for about half an hour, a sturdy grey building appeared at the end of their vision.

It was a massive Warehouse. The walls had been reinforced with heavy steel plates, and there were even several half-person-high bunkers cast in concrete outside the walls.

Several Soldiers paced back and forth at the Warehouse entrance, carrying rifles.

"Halt."

Before they could get close, a cold command to stop came through a loudspeaker.

Uncle Zhao immediately stopped and raised his hands high to show he wasn't a threat:

"We're out gathering supplies. We're returning now."

A Soldier walked over. His gaze swept over Uncle Zhao and Xiao Ya before finally landing on Song Yang.

"Who is he? A new face."

"A survivor we met on the road. He wants to join our Shelter," Uncle Zhao said with a polite smile, his words careful and leaving no room for doubt.

The Soldier didn't ask further, simply gesturing with his chin to the side:

"Go over there and undergo inspection."

There was a small Sentry Post on the side of the Warehouse. Another Soldier signaled the three of them to enter one by one.

Song Yang saw a device inside that looked like a Security Gate.

"All metal objects, weapons, and food go into the basket outside."

Uncle Zhao skillfully placed a dagger from his waist and his backpack into the basket.

The inspection process was quick but extremely thorough.

A red light swept over them from head to toe. Only after confirming they carried no dangerous goods or abnormal biological reactions did the Soldier wave them through, signaling they could take back their belongings.

Past the Sentry Post was a heavy alloy door.

Accompanied by a piercing alarm and the 'hiss' of hydraulic rods, the door slowly opened, revealing a platform behind it that could only hold a few people.

It was a massive Freight Elevator.

"Get in."

The three of them stepped onto the platform, and the alloy door behind them slammed shut.

The entire space was instantly plunged into absolute darkness and silence.

A second later, a slight feeling of weightlessness came from beneath their feet, and the elevator began a steady and rapid descent.

In the darkness, only the dull hum of the elevator and Xiao Ya's nervous breathing could be heard.

This descent lasted for a long time.

By the time Song Yang had started counting to three hundred seconds in his head, the speed of descent finally began to slow.

"Ding—"

After a crisp notification sound, the elevator doors slid open to either side.

Blinding white light flooded in instantly, causing a sharp sting to eyes accustomed to the dim surface.

Song Yang quickly adjusted to the light. When he saw the scene before him, even his breath hitched for a moment.

What appeared before them was a massive underground space beyond imagination.

On the high, broad dome, rows of massive lights simulated daylight, illuminating the area below as bright as day.

Looking out, dense rows of buildings stood side by side. Houses constructed from shipping containers and steel plates stretched to the end of their vision, forming crowded and cluttered streets.

It was like a small city that had been moved entirely underground.