RIACMET chapter 60

 

At exactly five in the afternoon, a long, low whistle sounded across the base.

Those doing volunteer labor outside the protective wall stopped working and began returning to the base in groups, filing through nearby passageways.

The whistle blew for half an hour. Once everyone was back inside, the outermost gates would begin to close at 6:30 p.m.

The criminals, dressed in rags with unkempt faces and dull, lifeless eyes, trudged toward the dormitories, escorted by fully armed soldiers carrying live ammunition.

Now and then, a few of them muttered complaints, leaving a strong impression.

Jiang Nian, who was about to leave, stood by the car and watched them from across the road. He was expressionless and showed no sympathy.

Don’t be fooled by how pitiful they looked now. Before the base sanctioned them, each one had committed serious crimes, taking advantage of the end times to indulge their worst impulses. Some were high-priority arrest targets in the early days of chaos, while others were picked up later for various reasons.

“I heard in the restroom this morning that the weather’s getting hotter and hotter,” Jiang Wenwen said lightly. “Every day, some of the volunteers collapse, sunburned and fainting.”

She secretly felt relieved when she saw them. At least she’d never gone that far. She’d managed to keep her moral compass, only killing those who truly deserved it and never provoking others unless they crossed her.

Jiang Nian nodded indifferently.

“It’s clean and environmentally friendly. It also stops zombies from eating fresh corpses and evolving too fast.”

There were plenty of ways to dispose of criminals’ bodies. Throwing them outside the walls was rare in South City Base.

But that was quite common in Base Z in his past life. Local officials and ability users mostly controlled that place. The outer guards weren’t regular soldiers and could act however they liked.

Because of that, large flocks of scavengers—vultures, crows, and hyenas—gathered around Base Z, along with the zombies.

The weirdest part was that these animals never ate zombies and never got infected. Up until he died in his previous life, he hadn’t heard of any animal mutations. Or maybe the news just hadn’t spread.

Jiang Wenwen sighed softly.

“Some of them still have families. I heard that, even when their relatives asked for their ashes, they were refused. It’s kind of sad.”

Jiang Nian let out a cold snort.

“What’s so sad about it? In most cases, the families benefited from their crimes. They should be grateful that they aren’t being held accountable for harboring criminals. What ashes do they think they’re entitled to? They should be lucky if they can save their own skins.”

Children may be considered innocent, but any adult is responsible for their choices. Sooner or later, the price always comes due. Nobody has the right to expect pity.

“… ”

Jiang Wenwen paused, then nodded thoughtfully.

“Yeah, I heard a lot of them were superpowered criminals. Before the base caught them, they were living it up and bossing around a bunch of underlings.”

Jiang Nian smiled faintly.

“This is just ordinary evil getting the retribution it deserves. Come on, let’s eat.”

In any base governed by formal military forces, there are always huge rewards for reporting criminals. For example, in Nancheng Base, the bounty started at ten thousand points. Of course, you needed solid evidence; words alone wouldn’t suffice.

Since official bases followed strict, standardized processes, many who had rampaged freely during the apocalypse were arrested the moment they set foot inside, often betrayed by the people around them.

Typically, the more underlings a criminal had, the quicker they ended up dead. It was a test of human nature, and the reckoning could come at any time.

Sometimes, the criminals would even rat each other out. The first informant received the reward, traded it for supplies, and tried to escape to an unofficial stronghold.

In the early days, quite a few managed to pull it off. Later, though, the base changed the rules. Any points earned from reporting someone could not be exchanged for supplies right away. You had to wait out a review period.

The result of these “mad dogs” snitching on each other was mutual ruin—more arrests, escape attempts, and confusion when there was insufficient evidence. After the new rules were implemented, there were fewer false reports, and reports became more accurate. Every time someone was caught, it was legitimate.

…

By dusk, viewed through the car window, the apocalyptic world looked even more desolate.

Dry, blackened earth. Towering, cold walls. Dust swirled along the roads as people and vehicles came and went.

From time to time, there were eerie screeches or the pitiful calls of birds beyond the barriers, sending a chill through the air.

“I never thought I’d ride in a luxury car,” sighed Jiang Wenwen from the passenger seat as she munched on snacks Jiang Nian had given her. “Before the apocalypse, I didn’t even have the chance. If this satellite phone could do anything besides make calls, I’d take a picture to post on WeChat.”

Even before the collapse, she’d felt like she fell short compared to others. After the collapse, nothing had changed. Comparing yourself to others only makes you miserable.

Her satellite phone was secondhand—some buttons barely worked, and sending a message was difficult. The reception was poor, too. It paled in comparison to Jiang Nian’s, which was obviously military-grade.

Jiang Nian shrugged lightly.

“I’m the same. It’s all thanks to Brother Jing.”

He wouldn’t be driving this kind of car if not for his boyfriend—he’d be watching it pass by, breathing in dust.

Seeing how modest he was, Jiang Wenwen looked at him curiously.

“So, what did your husband do before the apocalypse?”

Cheng Jing didn’t seem like a spoiled rich kid, but he clearly came from a good background.

“Security.”

Jiang Nian answered honestly.

“Security?”

Jiang Wenwen frowned a little.

“You mean like a security guard?”

“Uh…”

Jiang Nian hesitated, then decided there was no harm in clarifying.

“You could say that, or maybe a senior security officer.”

Jiang Wenwen asked again:

“A mercenary?”

“… ”

Jiang Nian thought seriously about the kinds of jobs Cheng Jing and the others took on, then nodded.

“Pretty much. If we were overseas, that’s probably what you’d call it.”

Jiang Wenwen looked enlightened.

“I see. No wonder he seems fierce and wealthy.”

A man with his own business—no wonder he was so steady.

“Uh…”

Jiang Nian tilted his head.

“Brother Jing isn’t fierce. He’s a soldier. He’s just a little serious.”

He’d never thought of Jing as scary. Even when he looked intimidating, he never seemed cruel.

Jiang Wenwen curled her lips into a knowing smile.

“You’re just in love—head over heels. I’ve been there.”

When you like someone, you can treat them like treasure, even if they’re ugly.

At first glance, Cheng Jing seemed like the possessive, controlling type, but he was probably also fiercely loyal.

“… ”

Jiang Nian didn’t deny it. He didn’t feel the need to argue. So what if he was a little domineering? He’d never treated Jiang Nian badly.

If Brother Jing were the kind of person to play around, that would be a real problem.

After a moment, Jiang Nian tilted his head thoughtfully and asked,

“So, do you mind telling me more about your ‘head-over-heels’ experience?”

Everyone has a little gossip in their heart.

Jiang Wenwen gnawed on half a boneless duck foot. She pressed her hands together, shut her eyes dramatically, and intoned,

“Breaking up is like a bereavement. Let us honor the deceased. The next one will be better.”

Jiang Nian: “… ”

Did Brother Jing go around telling people he’d died when they broke up?

After a moment, Jiang Wenwen held up a packet of boneless chicken feet and looked worried.

“With Cheng Jing’s personality, are you sure it’s okay for you to treat me to dinner in secret?”

Jiang Nian kept one hand on the wheel and waved the other dismissively.

“Don’t talk nonsense. It’s not a secret—I already messaged Brother Jing to tell him.”

No matter how bold he was, he wouldn’t dare drive his boyfriend’s car and treat a girl to dinner without telling him. Reporting in was basic courtesy.

Otherwise, the nature of the whole situation would instantly change. He’d be known as a model of male virtue.

Even though she’d been the one to bring it up, Jiang Wenwen was momentarily speechless.

“Are you really that scared of him?”

Had Cheng Jing been abusing him?

Jiang Nian shook his head.

“It’s not fear. You don’t understand—it’s called love.”

Jiang Wenwen: “… ”

Oh God! We were just supposed to be eating dinner, but now we’re eating dog food too!