บท 74: Chapter 74、In the Face of National Crisis, We Are All High-Quality Citizens!
"Over here, everyone! Come and complete your registration! Pick up your identity badges! No one without a badge is allowed to move within the community!"
"Each of you gets an identity badge—keep it safe! Replacing it is a hassle, so don't be careless!"
Hearing the calls, the newly arrived survivors obediently gathered, quickly forming a long line under the guidance of the young women. The queue stretched all the way to where Li Jie and the other community workers were stationed.
"No whispering while you're in line! Maintain order!" one of the workers called out. "If you have any questions, ask the staff ahead of you!"
"No talking loudly, no causing a commotion—don't disturb the others who need rest. They have tasks tomorrow. We need to be civil and polite!"
The entire process was simple—mostly following peacetime management systems, with a few additional rules added by Jiang Xiaoci herself. The atmosphere was one everyone was familiar with. Even the new arrivals could quickly blend in. It felt like… home.
Cooperate, follow the rules, and that's it! No need to think too much, no need to worry. Just do as you're told—food, water, and safety are all taken care of. Yes! This feeling was familiar and comforting.
Li Jie wore a warm and welcoming smile as she looked at the new survivors. She knew tonight would be another busy, sleepless night, but she wasn't tired at all. She could feel the community gradually improving, inching closer to the way things used to be.
Yes, life might still be hard, tiring, and hot, but it was far better than living with constant threats to one's life.
In the daytime, Jiang Xiaoci had already gathered the older members of the community, including Li Jie, to explain the general plans for the future. With Jiang Xiaoci's promises, every original resident could sense a better future ahead and could clearly feel the leadership's ongoing efforts to maintain order and ensure everyone's safety.
At times of crisis, Li Jie felt that even former grassroots workers like herself had to step up, to take on responsibility and help alleviate the leaders' burdens.
"Come, come, comrades! Over here!"
"Everyone, line up and complete your registration! The information we need is just like what we used to have in peacetime, except now we need to include details about your shelters."
"As for your shelter information, don't be shy. Just tell us about your abilities and talents. You can keep the specifics of what you have in your shelter to yourselves."
"Unless it's something harmful or vital for rescue efforts, we won't ask about it. But if you have anything dangerous or helpful to the relief effort, you must be honest and comply with the arrangements."
Li Jie spoke as she processed the registrations, patiently explaining to each survivor.
This round of registration was much more relaxed than the previous one. The last registration was for the residents within the community. In Jiang Xiaoci's development plan, the areas closest to Yi Bai were subjected to stricter control, which meant that shelters within the community had to be dismantled, with all supplies handed over. That was a hard rule, and Li Jie and the others had already spoken to the survivors about it and eased their minds.
For the survivors outside the community, since they were farther away and the threats were less immediate, there was no immediate need to destroy their shelters. However, registering their abilities was still mandatory.
Jiang Xiaoci had thought ahead. Since most survivors had some sort of shelter talent, it would be wise to categorize and assign work based on their abilities. Simple: combat talents would support the army; auxiliary talents would assist in collecting and distributing supplies.
No talent would be allowed to be used recklessly. All talents had to be managed, distributed by assignment, and no one could use them privately or endanger the collective.
Li Jie didn't go into detail about the consequences of violating the rules. She simply emphasized that these military control regulations had to be followed by everyone.
Li Jie knew that once these rules were clear, most survivors wouldn't break them. Though some of Jiang Xiaoci's regulations might seem harsh and might lead to some dissatisfaction, Li Jie wasn't worried.
Who were we?
As long as the upper management guarantees safety, and we get food, water, and shelter, everything else is negotiable.
It was all about talents—just hand them over. Whatever they wanted to do with them, we'd obey!
This attitude was deeply ingrained in the people thanks to the country's strong education system in peacetime. High-quality citizens were easier to work with. Everyone understood that in times of crisis, unity was key to survival.
Moreover, most of the survivors who sought refuge with the army had weaker talents. In Li Jie's records, most of the abilities were rated C or D, with very few at B, and not a single A-grade talent.
Those with stronger talents had already found ways to survive in the early days of the apocalypse, so they weren't likely to immediately seek protection from the army. But that didn't mean the lower-grade talents were useless. They were just not enough to run a shelter on their own. Still, they could contribute in their own way.
For instance, one survivor had a D-class talent, the "Bread Tree," which could provide seven loaves of bread a day—enough to feed one person. It could solve hunger but not thirst. Even if they traded the bread for water, it wouldn't be enough to sustain a whole shelter. Without electricity or refrigeration, any disaster could wipe out the shelter.
Another survivor had a C-class ability, "Constant Temperature Halo," which kept their body at an optimal temperature and could adjust the surrounding temperature within a small radius. While this was useful in the heat, it didn't solve the bigger issue—food and water.
In the end, while each individual ability might seem limited, if combined, they could complement each other. The extra bread could be shared, and the constant temperature could act as a patrol—everyone could be comfortable and well-fed.
Most survivors understood this. They knew that cooperation was key to survival, though trusting others was always a challenge. But with the army in control, the coordination between talents would be guaranteed. The army acted as a manager, ensuring the safety and trust between the different shelters.
Everyone knew that this was in their best interest, and no one wanted to oppose it.
So even as over a thousand survivors poured into the community to register, the scene remained calm and orderly. No chaos, no confusion—just a perfect example of the quality of the nation's people in the face of crisis.
As Li Jie continued with the registration, Yi Bai stood by the window, surveying the crowd while occasionally checking the color of his watch. A faint red hue, just noticeable.
This was exactly what he expected. With over a thousand survivors arriving at the community, it was impossible to gain their complete trust right away. Among them, there would surely be some with ulterior motives.
"Xiaoci, how do you plan to arrange them?" Yi Bai asked, without turning around. Jiang Xiaoci stood behind him, calm and graceful. She responded softly, "Sir, I plan to allocate them according to their specialties, with a focus on ideological training. In a week, I'll make sure they're all working for you."
"A week, huh? Do you think that's enough time? People's hearts are unstable."
Yi Bai tapped the window ledge with his fingers, murmuring, "Xiaoci, there must be some among them who have ill intentions."
"I know, sir," Jiang Xiaoci nodded, her smile unwavering. "Humans are social creatures. The influence of the group is immense. Even if there are those with bad intentions, the collective will burn away those impurities."
"Besides, our multi-layered living system is already proving effective."
"The first batch of residents, the young women closest to you, have been trained by me. They will be the first to manage the community. Then come the other survivors. As for the newcomers, even if some of them harbor bad thoughts, to harm the shelter or you, they will have to go through many obstacles, facing the army's suppression, the scrutiny of other shelter talents, and strict surveillance."
"Even if someone manages to get close to you physically, they still have to contend with that robot and your nearly impregnable home."
"If someone can harm you under these conditions... well, I think only a god could manage it."
Jiang Xiaoci couldn't imagine that, with all the tight controls in place, anyone could even come close to threatening Yi Bai. In her view, his safety was nearly guaranteed.
And yet, she was still working to reinforce his security, increasing the community's influence while never forgetting Yi Bai's personal safety.
"Mm," Yi Bai nodded. "I trust you to handle things."
"Your approval makes me happy, Sir," Jiang Xiaoci replied, her voice softening. "Originally, there were concerns about food and water shortages, but considering these survivors have made it this far, their talents might help fill in some of the gaps."
Yi Bai looked out at the thousand-strong crowd below and smiled. "Based on tonight's turnout, I'm sure we'll be getting a supply reward tomorrow."
He paused, eyes gleaming. "I wonder… will we get another grand prize?"
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