Apocalypse Rebirth: 3000 million won at the beginning

Qing Province.

Qaidam Basin.

The cities of Delinha on the eastern edge of the basin and Golmud on the southern edge are the two most populous places in the entire basin.

Although the Qaidam Basin covers an area of ​​hundreds of thousands of square kilometers, its population is not large due to its extreme climate, very little rainfall, poor soil and water conditions, and severe salinization.

The basin is covered with deserts, barren lands, and salt flats, and is mainly composed of saltwater lakes.

Delinha is located near the Qilian Mountains in the northeast and near the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the south. Both places are supplied by snowmelt, so they have a relatively large population.

The Qaidam forces were based in the Qaidam oil field before the apocalypse, and they suppressed the entire Qaidam Basin with powerful force.

Furthermore, they used force and unequal fuel trade to exchange a very small amount of fuel for food, meat products, and other supplies from various survivor settlements.

Before the arrival of the big camphor tree, the three major sheep breeding farms in Qinghai were also oppressed by the forces in the Qaidam Basin.

Now, the liberated serfs are singing songs of triumph, and with the support of the great camphor tree, they are no longer afraid of the power of the Qaidam Basin.

Since the last time the Qaidam forces came to Qinghai Lake and were driven away by Li Tie with strong measures, the Qaidam forces have never come to Qinghai Lake to collect protection money again.

However, the residents of other settlements in the Qaidam Basin, without the protection of the large camphor tree, continued to pay tribute to the Qaidam forces on a quarterly basis, just as before.

Previously, Dazhangshu's core focus was on two things: production at the Qinghai crystal refinery and resolving the issue of Indian incursions into the south.

There was no time to argue with the Qaidam forces, and the Qaidam forces were also honest and hadn't caused any trouble since they were driven away last time, so they were never taken seriously.

However, recently, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway in Dazhangshu has undergone comprehensive renovation, with nine construction sites being carried out simultaneously, attracting 300,000 workers to the Qinghai-Tibet Railway construction site.

Coincidentally, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway starts from the Qinghai branch base, passes through Delingha and Golmud in the Qaidam Basin, and then heads south to cross the entire Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

The railway line coincides with many survivor settlements in the Qaidam Basin.

Even the only large-scale freshwater lake in the Qaidam Basin, Keluke Lake, is only 3 kilometers away from the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

Around Lake Crook, there are many survivor settlements.

The Qinghai-Tibet Railway, section No. 1 under repair.

Workers are laying the roadbed and repaving the rails.

Ma Xiaotiao was wearing a baseball cap and holding a fan. He was fanning himself while supervising the workers.

"Sigh, I wasn't assigned to a nearby construction site with Uncle Xu and Uncle Sui this time. It's so boring."

He glanced at the nearby construction site next door.

"That crippled Zhang on the east side is unresponsive, and Zhao San on the west side is an old man; we can't have a conversation at all."

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a worker violating operating procedures out of the corner of his eye and quickly shouted:

"You, it's you. I've told you so many times, smooth it out first, then press it down."

He looked at his supervisors and questioned them:

Didn't you tell them?

The first-level supervisor under him quickly explained:

"Brother Ma, I've already spoken to them, but they won't listen."

"So annoying," Ma Xiaotiao said coldly.
"Then let's punish you according to the railway maintenance management manual. You keep an eye on things, and if there's a problem with the section of the railway I'm responsible for during the final maintenance, I'll skin you alive!"

The first-level supervisor glared at the worker, then turned to Ma Xiaotiao and said:
"Understood, Brother Ma, I'll keep an eye on things from now on."

"Hmm." Ma Xiaotiao waved his hand, his mind already planning to go to Lake Kruk after work.

Yesterday, he saw a very pretty girl by the lake.

Unfortunately, the girl left after only a fleeting glance.

I don't know which community they're from.

The section of road he was in charge of was located near Lake Keluke.

Just then, a large convoy drove by from the north.

Dozens of trucks drove by, kicking up clouds of dust.

Ma Xiaotiao frowned and looked over. He saw the burners on the light trucks and the Molotov cocktails on the waists of the people in the pickup trucks. He immediately knew where this convoy came from.

Not only did he see the convoy, but members of the railway guard militia brigade also saw it, as did the workers on the construction site.

However, they only glanced at it and then continued with what they were doing.

This isn't the first time they've seen it; it happened last week.

However, this convoy belonging to the Qaidam Basin forces was not targeting them, but rather the survivor camps. They had no contact with them and maintained a state of mutual non-interference.

The convoy disappeared from Ma Xiaotiao's sight.

But he couldn't calm down; he suddenly became worried about the safety of the pretty girl he had seen by the lake yesterday.

"I wonder if the forces in the Qaidam Basin will take action against her camp."

Although he only caught a fleeting glimpse of the girl by the lake, she left an extremely deep impression on him.

The image of that girl reappeared in my mind.

Disturbed, he looked at the members of the militia brigade by the railway.

Why don't you ask your buddy?

Thinking of this, he walked over.

"Team Leader Wang, busy?" Ma Xiaotiao took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offered one to him.

Wang Zan is a group leader in the 45th Armed Forces Brigade.

A full-strength militia brigade consists of 200 people, with three companies, nine squads, and twenty-seven groups.

There are 7 people in the group, including the group leader.

Although Wang Zan was only the lowest-ranking leader in the militia brigade, he still held a position and was a formal member of the militia brigade, belonging to the militia department of the military department, a proper level three personnel.

Wang Zan shifted his gaze from the direction of the vanished convoy, then turned to see the cigarette Ma Xiaotiao was offering him.

He accepted it with a smile and replied:

"Busy my ass, there's nothing to do."

"What?"

"Want to go fishing after work?"

Wang Zan pointed in the direction of the vanished convoy and said:

"I don't have time to go with you today. The people from the Qaidam Basin are here again, and we have to keep an eye on the construction site. I suggest you don't wander off either. Although the people from the Qaidam Basin are afraid of our Zhangshu, we're afraid they'll cause trouble."

Ma Xiaotiao picked up a lighter and lit his cigarette.

He opened his mouth and asked:
"Brother Wang, why don't we just take over all these surrounding settlements in Dazhangshu? Wouldn't that fit Dazhangshu's development strategy?"

"And what about that force in the Qaidam Basin? Why not just take them down directly?"

Wang Zan exhaled smoke and replied:

"How would I know? What can a team leader like me say about decisions made by those above?"

As he spoke, he thought for a moment and then replied:
"I reckon it's because the higher-ups were focused on India a while ago. I heard that things are all settled there now, and the snow region is stable too."

"Perhaps next they will take action against the forces in the Qaidam Basin."

"However, that's not necessarily true. If the forces in the Qaidam Basin are obedient and don't affect us, the higher-ups might forget about them and be too lazy to deal with them."

Ma Xiaotiao nodded thoughtfully, "I see."

“But,” he raised his head again and said, “the forces in Qaidam are entrenched in the Qaidam oil field and often wander around our railway line. They don’t affect us now, but who knows what the future holds.”

"This is an uncertain factor."

Wang Zan paused slightly and gave him a deep look:
"Little Ma, you seem to care quite a bit about these things."

"Did you have your eye on that girl from yesterday? Hahaha."

Wang Zan's eyes were like knives, seeing right through Ma Xiaotiao's thoughts.

When Ma Xiaotiao heard him say that, he simply stopped hiding it. "Brother Wang, I'd like to go to that town by Keluke Lake after work later. Could I borrow your sidecar motorcycle for a bit?"

Wang Zan frowned and said, "No, I was right."

"What if you run into people from the Qaidam Basin forces while wandering around after work?"

"Besides, how do you know that girl lives in a town near Lake Keluke? What if she lives somewhere further away?"

Ma Xiaotiao knew that doing this was somewhat risky, and there was absolutely no need to take the risk for a girl he had only met once.

But he felt uneasy.

I have a vague feeling that something is wrong.

The people in the Qaidam Basin are all reckless, and their style of doing things is similar to that of bandits.

He was worried that the people coming from the Qaidam Basin might take a fancy to a girl and kidnap her.

Although the probability is very low, it is still entirely possible.

“Brother Wang, I know everything you’re saying. I’ll take responsibility for anything that happens. As for that sidecar motorcycle, just say I stole it.”

During the days that Wang Zan guarded the railway, he and Ma Xiaotiao got along fairly well.

but
He knew how risky this was. If Ma Xiaotiao clashed with the forces in the Qaidam Basin, the forces in the Qaidam Basin would sabotage the railway, affecting its normal construction.

The consequences could be very serious.

At this time, stability is the most important thing.

“Brother Wang, I’ve made up my mind. I’m going, even if you don’t lend me your motorcycle, I’ll walk there.”

"Sigh," Wang Zan looked at Ma Xiaotiao and sighed.

"Why bother? You're at least a Level 4 staff member and Level 2 supervisor in the construction department. Once the railway repairs are completed, based on your seniority, you could very well be promoted to a Level 3 staff member and Level 3 supervisor!"

"With such a bright future ahead of you, you can find any kind of girl you want. Why fixate on a girl you've never even spoken to!"

Ma Xiaotiao smiled wryly:

"I don't know, I just feel like I really like her."

Wang Zan didn't want to persuade him any further, so he thought for a moment and said:

"Okay, come find me after work and I'll give you the car keys."

"Thank you, Team Leader Wang!" Ma Xiaotiao said gratefully.

Ma Xiaotiao returned to the construction site and continued to supervise the workers under his command.

In Qinghai, due to the high altitude and westward longitude, the sunset is relatively late, starting at 8:30 pm. It's almost 9:15 pm by the time it's completely dark. However, the sunrise is very early, with daylight appearing before 6 am.

They usually finish work at 19:00 PM.

Time passed second by second.

During the wait, Ma Xiaotiao was extremely anxious, and he would pick up his watch every now and then to check the time.

I recall seeing that girl with a bucket in her hand; she must have come to fetch water.

It should be a small town located on the east side of Lake Keluke.

Otherwise, there would be no reason to fetch water from the east shore of Keluke Lake. There are rivers to the north, and if one lives in the north, one can fetch water from the rivers in the north.

He pondered where the girl might live while keeping track of the time.

And so, it was 19:00 PM.

As the railway construction site officially closed for the day, many workers rushed to the nearby logistics support vehicle.

He then summoned several of his top supervisors and instructed them to manage the workers effectively.

He then took an entrenching tool and went to the nearby militia brigade's encampment tent, where he found Wang Zan.

"Team Leader Wang, I've come to get the keys." Ma Xiaotiao said anxiously as soon as he came in.

Seeing his anxious look, Wang Zan asked:
"only you?"

“Yes,” Ma Xiaotiao replied.

Wang Zan was feeling a bit awkward and asked:
"What the hell? What if something happens to you if you go there? I'm responsible for protecting the railway and the safety of you construction workers."

"Damn it! I just can't do anything with you."

He stood up and walked straight out the door.

Ma Xiaotiao quickly followed, "Brother Wang, you promised to give me the key."

Unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped out of the tent, he heard Wang Zan say to his team members:

"Old Niu, I have to go out for a bit. You stay here at the construction site and keep an eye on things."

"Su Nong, Xiao Pang, you two fill up those two sidecar motorcycles with gas. Come with me later."

Deputy team leader Lao Niu walked over, frowned, and asked:
"Team Leader Wang, this is against the rules. Where are you going?"

Wang Zan glanced at him. "What? Do I need to report to you?"

"I suspect that the group of people in the Qaidam Basin are trying to sabotage our railway. I'm going to investigate and see if I can find any evidence."

"Huh? This is such a big deal, should we report it to our superiors?" Old Niu asked in surprise and with some concern.

Wang Zan shook his head and said:
"It's just speculation, there's no concrete evidence yet. Keep your walkie-talkie on, and if you encounter any problems, remember to come and support me."

"How about I go with you?" Old Niu volunteered.

Wang Zan refused:
"No need, I can go by myself."

The claim that forces in the Qaidam Basin might sabotage the railway is a completely fabricated reason.

If Lao Niu finds out that he was just taking Ma Xiaotiao to find a girl, Lao Niu will probably tell on him.

On the other hand...

The reason he went with Ma Xiaotiao was not only to protect him, but also because of a sense of justice in his heart.

He had heard about the behavior of those people from the Qaidam Basin when he was at the sheep farm.

The sheep breeding farm is at least stronger, so what the people in Qaidam did wasn't too outrageous.

However, it is said that the forces in the Qaidam Basin are even more ruthless in driving down the price of food in some of the weaker survivor settlements, and they may even beat or kill people if they encounter unreasonable local leaders.

He disapproved of this kind of behavior.

Although the Great Camphor Tree has not yet issued orders to conquer the forces in the Qaidam Basin, everything is focused on railway construction.

But he just doesn't like this kind of force that bullies the weak.

soon.

Su Nong and Xiao Pang filled up the fuel tank of the sidecar motorcycle.

The two of them didn't ask where Wang Zan was going. They listened to Wang Zan's every word, so Wang Zan invited them along this time.

"What are you standing there for? Get in the car!" Wang Zan called out to Ma Xiaotiao, who was still standing at the tent entrance.

Ma Xiaotiao quickly ran over.

Wang Zan tossed him the keys to his sidecar motorcycle, saying, "You can drive it."

As he spoke, he checked his automatic rifle, clicked his fingers through it, and then sat down in the passenger seat.

Ma Xiaotiao looked at Su Nong and the other person and asked, "Are they going together?"

"Yeah, stop talking so much nonsense, hurry up, it'll be dark in an hour and a half, get it over with!" Wang Zan urged.

"Okay, thanks, Brother Wang!" Ma Xiaotiao excitedly gripped the keys and hopped on the motorcycle.

That's amazing!
Three members of the militia brigade went over together, along with three bodyguards.

Even if they encounter people from the Qaidam Basin, their safety is guaranteed.

(End of this chapter)