Apocalypse Rebirth: 3000 million won at the beginning

Oil City.

Today, the oil city comprises four areas: the main city, the trading market, the buffer city, and the peripheral city, covering an area of ​​over 100,000 acres and home to over a million people. It is a truly large city in the post-apocalyptic world.

Before dawn, the oil city was shrouded in a thin layer of morning mist.

The streetlights were on, their dim yellow light blurring in the mist like clumps of indistinct yarn.

Trading market.

A room in a residential building in Area A.

Zhao Shanhe opened his eyes, lay in the darkness for a while, and looked around at his other relatives who were still sleeping.
He quietly washed up, changed his clothes, and carefully left the room, closing the door behind him.

We left the residential area and came to the street outside the residential area.

It was still early, and the streets were quiet.

call--

He exhaled a breath of stale air, rubbed his face, and tried to clear his head.

In the distance, several early morning electric buses were slowly pulling out of the station, their headlights cutting out pale yellow beams of light through the fog.

A cool breeze blew by, carrying the scent of damp earth and coal smoke, mixed with the aroma of noodles wafting from a distant breakfast stall, spreading throughout the street.

Zhao Shanhe's eyes were somewhat unfocused, as if he were in a daze.

A little over a month ago, he was still in the Sanjiang Stone Alliance, but now he lives in the Oil City, which is almost no different from the city before the apocalypse.

Zhao Shanhe walked towards the bus stop.

When he arrived at the platform, he stood by the platform for a while. There were quite a few other people on the platform, who, like him, had gotten up early to prepare for work.

After a while

The bus he was waiting for arrived.

Zhao Shanhe got on the bus, swiped his points card, and then sat in the window seat.

A thin layer of mist condensed on the car window. He wiped a patch with his sleeve and, through that small clean area, saw the shops on both sides of the street gradually opening their doors. He quietly gazed out the glass.
In front of a steamer selling buns, steam rose from the steamer, and the owner was bending over to add firewood to the stove, the firelight casting flickering shadows on his face.

The pretty proprietress handed out the steamed buns while saying, "They're fresh out of the steamer, eat them while they're hot!"

A man in overalls bought a steamed bun, took a bite, and slurped it up because it was so hot, but he still didn't stop.

Seeing this scene, Zhao Shanhe couldn't help but exclaim: "What a vibrant sense of life!"

The lights came on in a small noodle shop along the road, and the owner was squatting at the door sweeping the floor, his movements unhurried.

As the vehicle moved, the bus turned a corner and passed by the foot massage shop.

A young man stood drowsily at the door, wrapped in a thick coat. Next to him was a loudspeaker playing a pre-recorded script: "Cupping, scraping, pedicure, all for only 0.2 points!"

The bus continued on, passing a main road outside the commercial area.

A dozen minutes later, the vehicle stopped at a station.

The bus announced: "Dear passengers, we have arrived at the third residential area of ​​the trading market. Please disembark in an orderly manner. Thank you."

Upon hearing the broadcast, Zhao Shanhe quickly got out of the car and began his first round of patrols that day.

After joining the oil city, he was assigned to the city's infrastructure department.

As an infrastructure inspector, you are responsible for checking infrastructure problems in various residential areas and streets, and reporting any problems you find.

It's not very difficult and is relatively easy, but its advantage lies in its stability.

After arriving at the third residential area, he went to area A first.

The buildings in Area A are spaced further apart than those in Area B, and the roads are a bit old, but they are very clean.

The residential buildings on both sides are mostly six or seven stories high, with light-colored paint on the exterior walls.

In some places, the paint has peeled off, revealing the grayish cement underneath, which looks like patches of gray nails.

By this time, the sun had already risen.

Downstairs, several old men were playing cards under a tree.

When the old men saw Zhao Shanhe, they greeted him with familiar smiles.

An old man wearing an old felt hat waved to him: "Master Zhao, here for inspection again?"

Zhao Shanhe replied with a smile:

"Old Li, you're up so early today?"

The old man chuckled twice, revealing a few teeth that were half-missing:
"I'm getting old and can't sleep, so I might as well get up early and wander around."

Another old man next to him chimed in, "Old Li went to the arena to watch the matches again yesterday, and stayed up until midnight."

Old Li glared at him: "What's it to you?"

Zhao Shanhe smiled and ignored them.

These old men are mostly military personnel or working parents.

An ordinary old man could never be so leisurely.

He walked around the area according to the route and found a street lamp that was malfunctioning. He quickly jotted it down in his notebook.

Just report the problem to the Interior Ministry building when you get back, and a professional repairman will come to fix it.

Sudden.

An old lady came down from upstairs and found Zhao Shanhe.

"Mr. Zhao, could you take a look at the drain cover downstairs in my building? It's been emitting a foul odor for the past few days."

Zhao Shanhe agreed, "Okay, take me there."

The old woman led him to the manhole cover, and before they even got close, he could smell a foul stench.

He covered his nose, frowned, squatted down next to the manhole cover, lifted it with his hand, sniffed it, and confirmed that there was indeed a problem. Then he added a note to his notebook.

He looked up at the old lady and said, "Okay, I've registered it. I'll report it to my superiors later, and someone will come to fix it in a couple of days."

The old lady nodded in satisfaction. "Thank you for your help. This smell is really awful. I can smell it even when I'm sleeping at night."

"Yes, someone will come to fix it." Zhao Shanhe stood up, dusted off his knees, and continued walking.

The morning passed by slowly, and before I knew it, I had explored the entire third residential area.

During the inspection, several minor issues were discovered, and they were all recorded in the notebook.

His assigned area covers the area east of the trading market, as well as the third and second residential districts.

After inspecting the third residential area, he planned to take another look at the trading market.

Generally speaking, there are more problems in trading markets, while there are fewer problems in residential areas.

Arriving at the trading market.

He walked along the street, one shop after another, occasionally stopping to chat with the shopkeepers and ask them about any infrastructure problems.

When I passed by Desheng Auto Repair Shop, the owner was squatting at the door, holding a wrench and turning the wheel of an electric vehicle.

Nowadays, many residents cannot afford a four-wheeled car, but they still need to leave the city, so they choose a two-wheeled electric scooter.

Thanks to the mass production of solid-state batteries, the electric scooter's range can even reach 250 kilometers, which is enough for residents to travel around the oil city for hundreds of kilometers.

The repair shop owner saw Zhao Shanhe passing by, whistled, and looked up to greet him: "Brother Zhao, what brings you here today?"

Zhao Shanhe squatted down next to him and casually asked, "How's business?"

The boss tightened the last screw, dusted off his hands, and replied with a smile:

"It's alright. We've repaired a few more cars than last month, but the parts are hard to come by. Sometimes it takes several days for them to arrive."

Zhao Shanhe nodded, not intending to chat with him.

Today's tasks are quite tight, the trading market area is large, and there are many things to check. It is estimated that only one-third can be inspected today.

It was noon.

He passed by a small shop selling potstickers.

The owner was lifting the pot lid when a cloud of steam billowed out.

The potstickers were fried until golden brown and crispy, making a sizzling sound.

Several customers were standing in line at the door, waiting.

A child in long sleeves stood on tiptoe, straining to see into the pot, while a woman pulled him along.
"Don't push, it'll be our turn soon."

Zhao Shanhe checked the time; it was lunchtime. The aroma of the potstickers made him a little hungry.

So he stood in line at the back, and after a while it was finally his turn.

He quickly took out his points card, swiped it to buy a serving of potstickers, and ate them right there on the roadside.

click-

The moment you bite into a potsticker, the crispy outer layer and piping hot meat filling explode on your tongue.

He glanced down at the potstickers in his hand and thought to himself that these things were indeed much tastier than the food from the Sanjiang Stone Alliance.

What Xiao Jun said back then was indeed true. Although coming from Sanjiang Shimeng has made me busier than before, I feel more at ease. Most importantly, my quality of life has indeed improved a lot.

In no time, he finished all four potstickers.

Continue patrolling.

It was three o'clock in the afternoon. As he patrolled the perimeter of the arena, he heard cheers and shouts coming from inside.

The poster at the entrance has been changed to one featuring a boxer with his head covered in bandages, with the words "This week's champion challenge, winner receives 500 points" written next to it.

There were several people queuing in front of the ticket window, and some were taking out their points number cards.

A young man in a leather jacket leaned against the wall, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, bragging to the person next to him:
“I bet on the game last week and got the right score, earning 15 points.”

The blond guy next to him glanced at him sideways: "Didn't you lose two games last week?"

The young man choked and couldn't speak. He put out his cigarette, turned around, and left.

Zhao Shanhe glanced at it, but didn't stop. He stepped forward and asked the arena guards.

Do you have any repair requests submitted?

Upon hearing this, the guard quickly replied, "Yes, several lights in the private room are broken."

Zhao Shanhe shook his head and said, "This is not our responsibility. I'm talking about public infrastructure, such as the streetlights and sewers outside your dueling arena, or the seats outside."

The guard rolled his eyes. "I have no idea."

Seeing his attitude, Zhao Shanhe didn't bother to ask any more questions and went to check it himself.

at the same time.

Shen Yan was also inspecting the western section of the trading market.

He stopped to inspect a newly repaired public facility as he walked past it.

He shook the newly replaced railing with his hand, and after confirming that there was no problem, he put a checkmark on his notebook and closed it.

Just as he was about to turn back, he turned around and saw a familiar figure brush past him.

The man was wearing an old jacket, his head was down, and he was holding an unlit cigarette in his hand.

Shen Yan recognized him.

"Old Dai!"

The man looked up, saw Shen Yan, paused for a moment, and stopped in his tracks.

He opened his mouth, paused for a few seconds, and then said somewhat awkwardly, "Alliance Leader."

Shen Yan waved his hand self-deprecatingly: "The Three Guardians of Fanyuan Alliance is gone, I'm no longer the leader, now we're all people of the Big Camphor Tree."

"How have you been lately? I heard you went to a waste treatment plant? How's it going? Are you settling in well?"

The man rubbed his hands together, shifted his gaze elsewhere, and said with a hint of melancholy:
"It's good. I've been assigned a job, and the accommodation is alright. It's just that... I'm not used to it. The garbage treatment plant smells a bit strong."

"Hmm," Shen Yan carefully examined his expression, her feelings inexplicably complicated.

"Anyway, having a job is a good thing. Just work hard here. In this world, stability is more important than anything else."

Old Dai nodded, looked up, and replied with some relief:

“I know, actually, when you think about it, it’s pretty good. This oil city is quite prosperous, it’s convenient to buy things, and the city is very orderly. I just sometimes think about the days of the Three Guardians of the Brahma Plains.”

Shen Yan patted his shoulder and said, "You'll get used to it gradually."

Old Dai nodded. "Alliance Leader, I'm in a hurry to get to the recycling station now, so I'll be going now."

"Okay, you go ahead and get busy. We'll get together again when we have time."

Shen Yan watched him walk away, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Back then, Lao Dai was considered one of the middle and high-level members of their Fan Yuan Three Guardians Alliance. Now that he has come to the Oil City, he has been assigned to the garbage treatment plant. The difference in their status must be huge.

However, as a high-ranking member of the faction fighting against the Great Camphor Tree, it was already quite an achievement for him to be able to protect himself.

He shook his head and continued his patrol.

As I passed by an electronics store, I was suddenly drawn to a radio displayed in the window.

The radio was an older model; the casing was a bit worn, but it was well-maintained.

The knobs on the body were polished to a shine, and a fine dustproof mesh covered the flare.

"Hello, how many points does this cost?"

"4 points."

"Okay, swipe your card."

Shen Yan bought the radio and put it in his handbag.

When he's bored, he can also use it to play some music tapes.

He doesn't really like the music played on his phone; he always feels that the old songs played on the radio on cassette tapes are more classic and have more character.

Having just bought a radio, he overheard the conversation of passersby and was immediately captivated.

"Have you heard? A university is going to be established in the oil city, just like the one at headquarters."

"Really? How can I get into the university in the oil city?"

"It is said that a unified exam will be conducted, which will probably be similar to the previous college entrance examination."

"Tsk tsk, I heard from a rumor that the headquarters in Dazhangshu is holding a civil service exam so that we might have a chance to enter the government."

"Holy crap, is this for real? Before, if you didn't reach the required level, you couldn't even dream of working as a butler. If we can really pass the exam now, it would be fantastic for people like us."

"Who can argue with that?"

Shen Yan listened quietly to their conversation, her eyes filled with shock.

This is a big camphor tree.
Major reforms are needed.

However, upon closer examination, there are also significant advantages to doing so.

It can greatly promote talent development in Dazhangshu, providing a continuous stream of managers and professionals from all walks of life.

The outside world is now infested with mutants, and there are almost no new residents.

The only way to cultivate new talent is through internal training.

Shen Yan was, after all, the leader of an alliance, so his perspective was naturally different from that of ordinary people.

Based on these rumors, he could roughly guess the purpose of the big camphor tree's actions.

However, this also seems to show that the big camphor tree has really given up on those mutants outside.

Lost in thought, he continued walking forward to finish his work for the day.

Before we knew it, the sun was setting and it was evening.

As he passed through the central square of the business district
Suddenly, I heard a piercing electrical sound.

I walked over quickly and saw a large group of people gathered in the commercial center square. Some people even rode electric bikes and parked them on the side of the road, with their feet on the ground, watching from a distance.

There is a person in the center who is adjusting the speakers.

He was squatting behind the drum set, fiddling with a microphone, with several guitars and an old erhu piled up next to him.

sizzle-

A piercing static crackled from the speaker. The man tapped the microphone and shouted into it:
"Hello? Hello? Let's test the sound."

A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd.

The man held a wooden guitar and began playing the prelude to "Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies".

Shen Yan was immediately drawn to the prelude, his eyes fixed intently on the man in the center.

This song is his favorite song, without a doubt.

As the intro ended, the man's voice was a little hoarse, but his enunciation was very clear.

The performance begins.

Cantonese.

"Today, in the cold night, I watch the snow drift by, my heart, chilled, drifting far away."

Some people in the crowd started humming along.

Countless times, I've endured cold stares and ridicule, yet I've never given up on my ideals. A fleeting moment of disorientation, a sense of loss, has unknowingly faded, but the love in my heart remains.

"Forgive me for my unruly and unrestrained love of freedom throughout my life."

Unconsciously, Shen Yan also started singing along, his eyes slightly reddening.

Seemingly recalling some past events, tears welled up in his eyes as he sang, but he didn't let them fall.

He didn't listen to the song until near the end.

Go against the flow of people drawn by the singing, and leave.

The silhouette echoes the song.

The end of the song felt like the curtain falling on his past glory.

He disappeared into the crowd when the song ended completely.

The leader of the alliance, the leader of 100,000 people, and his past...
But it's all just fleeting smoke.

He is now just an inspector of the city's infrastructure in the oil city.

(End of this chapter)