CHAPTER 127: NO, DON’T KILL ME!

Fatty Girl: "The people in these units are really great. Not only do they receive work points every day, but they also get vegetables. Now that this has happened, they don’t even have to come in; even the canteen ladies have a higher status than us."

Luo Zhu: "Yeah, it’s a pity that you need a civil servant as a sponsor to get in, and each civil servant only has two spots, which are incredibly precious. I heard that snacks can be traded for a spot. @Mr. I Have a Child, did you manage to trade for one?"

Mr. I Have a Child: "I traded all the dried sweet potatoes from my house for a security job at the Ai Family Supermarket."

Fatty Girl: "I really regret it. Three months ago, my uncle said he could recommend me for a security job if I gave him two bags of rice, which included a meal every day. I thought the food supply would last until the end of the Dark Day. Oh, if only I had listened to my uncle! I might not have vegetables now, but at least I’d have work points and rice to eat every day."

Zhang Bingbing’s husband: "It’s because of such corruption, having to rely on connections everywhere for benefits. Doesn’t anyone report this kind of behavior?"

Jing Shu was usually a lurker in the chat, but she always opened it when others were talking; she couldn’t stand having unread messages due to her obsessive compulsion. At this moment, Jing Shu was somewhat surprised. The police were about to check posts soon, and these two bold individuals weren’t running away yet?

The group chat became contentious over the public trade of food for civil servant sponsorship positions.

Everyone in Huaxia knows the new law: Civil servants not only have a supply of vegetables every day but also have two additional sponsorship spots, allowing them to recommend others for jobs such as security, kitchen management, sanitation, goods retrieval recording, and organization of recycled materials.

Of course, this is provided that they have committed no crimes.

Accordingly, being a sponsor also has its risks. You’d have to take responsibility if the person you recommended gets into trouble, a system which mirrors the ancient practice of guarantors.

Because production is limited during the Dark Day, and no significant technical skills are required, as long as someone is loyal and reliable, they could keep their job indefinitely, somewhat securing an ’iron rice bowl’ and inclusion within the system.

Becoming a full-fledged civil servant involves selecting those who excel in the jobs mentioned above, thereby granting them daily vegetable privileges.

All new laws are effective during the Dark Day.

Wang Qiqi: "I think this method is great. Why should someone compete for a job that thousands of people want without paying a price? Why should others take risks to recommend you? If something goes wrong, they have to take responsibility. Moreover, after paying a price, you will cherish the job more; otherwise, not only will you lose the iron rice bowl, but your previous efforts would also be completely wasted."

Fatty Girl: "Right, right, that’s what I mean. This kind of joint liability law is a way for the government to prevent crime, dramatically increasing the cost of committing one."

Jing Shu generally agreed with Wang Qiqi’s opinion.

At noon, Grandma Jing stewed a winter melon and radish pork rib soup and cooked pancakes, served with pickled cucumbers and soaked garlic sprouts. Grandpa, Grandma, and granddaughter had a simple lunch together.

But since Jing Shu’s appetite was too large, one big pot of pork ribs wasn’t enough. She ended up cooking another pot of dragon whisker noodles, fried six sunny-side-up eggs, and added some vegetable leaves to the pork rib soup.

She turned it into a pork rib noodle soup, slurping up both the noodles and the soup, and even gnawed the bones clean, leaving not even the ginger condiment untouched.

Water was becoming increasingly scarce. In Jing Shu’s house, everyone’s bowls were labeled with their names, and they would use the same bowl for every meal they had in a day. Afterward, all the bowls were washed together in the dishwasher. The dishwasher’s water was treated, filtered, and recycled, though about 10% was lost in the process.

More than twenty buckets of ice were placed in the villa’s yard for cooling. Otherwise, the yard would be like a steamer. The ice was replaced whenever it had almost completely melted to prevent excessive evaporation.

After feeding the Domestic Poultry, Jing Shu, together with Grandma Jing and Mr. Jing, went to the basement. Wang Qiqi had already organized the community’s residents into a line, and the police from the Second Team had also arrived.

The weather was still scorching hot, 52°C. Opening the villa door, a fierce heat wave rushed in. Jing Shu instantly felt like she was in a sauna again. The news had recently reported that the atmosphere had become terrifyingly humid due to the heat, predicting a downpour soon, and that everyone just needed to endure a little longer.

Jing Shu knew that at this moment, the atmosphere, heavy with moisture and dust, was nurturing a new species: the red earthworm.

She quickly arrived at the basement, where the temperature had dropped a few degrees. The community’s residents had already gathered, whispering among themselves. After half a year of the apocalypse’s ravages, they now looked even dirtier than those from refugee camps, emitting an unpleasant odor, especially from their hands. Having touched insects, their hands were covered in the insects’ fluids mixed with soil, forming thick scabs.

At the same time, ten canvas-covered military trucks arrived. Their headlights illuminated the basement, revealing two rows of police officers standing tall and proud with long guns. Behind them stood four rows of criminals, shaky and shackled.

This was the first time in this life Jing Shu had seen police officers post-apocalypse. They still conveyed an unshakable sense of security, while the criminals looked like frost-stricken eggplants, their faces sallow.

Grandma Jing, Mr. Jing, and the other community members were intimidated by the spectacle.

"What’s this about?"

"Are they trying to intimidate us?"

One of the young officers asked Wang Qiqi, who was holding a list, "Is everyone here?"

The noticeably thinner and darker Wang Qiqi handed over the list. "Captain Li, we’re missing Wang Jin from Building 14 and Liu Qin Yi from Building 18. Everyone else is present."

"Alright, Zhou Xiang, Shi Zi, Luo Zhu, the three of you step forward!" the officer shouted. The crowd instantly fell silent. Although the three didn’t step out, everyone else backed away several steps.

"Who is Luo Zhu?"

A young woman, realizing she couldn’t hide, raised her hand.

The officer waved his hand. "Cuff her and take her back for questioning." Immediately, police officers handcuffed the woman and took her to a vehicle.

"Who is Shi Zi?"

A man in his thirties, covered in sores, raised his hand.

"Shackle his ankles. Revoke his housing rights and confiscate all his possessions. The other two who knew they committed crimes fled quickly. They’ll be handled the same way as Zhou Xiang: their crimes will be officially recorded, and their houses and all possessions confiscated. Do they think they can escape? Unless they don’t drink water and die of thirst outside," the officer snorted coldly.

Two more police officers came out and directly shackled Shi Zi’s ankles, dragging him aside. Shi Zi’s legs trembled. "What... what did I do? Why aren’t you even asking?"

After examining the information, the officer addressed the last terrified person, "Are you Zhou Xiang? Is he Zhou Xiang?"

The man nodded blankly, and Wang Qiqi also nodded.

"Execute him on the spot. Confiscate all his possessions."

The officer’s voice was like that of a judge from Hell. As soon as he finished speaking, two police officers rushed out. They were extremely skilled—one pinned him down while the other stabbed a knife into his heart and quickly pulled it out. The entire process took less than five seconds.

This series of actions terrified everyone in the community. Fluid leaked from Shi Zi’s trembling legs, and he collapsed to his knees. "No, don’t kill me!"