[edited]

Before she started, Huo Yishen deliberately took out his phone and took a few pictures of Jiang Ning. 

With the buzzing of the electric clippers, more and more hair fell to the ground. 

Doudou ran over and looked at Jiang Ning with a crew cut while blinking repeatedly. “Sister, you look like a little brother.” 

Jiang Ning took the mirror and, um… 

Her haircut was actually quite nice. The crew cut looked good, and it even gave her a slightly heroic appearance compared to before.

She looked tough, and as her smile gradually faded, she unconsciously gave off an aura that seemed to say, “Stay away from strangers.”

With the crew cut, as long as Jiang Ning didn’t smile, she gave off a cold aggressiveness, as if she were ready to fight.

The next day, as she went out to fetch water from the rooftop, she happened to run into Zhang Chao and Lu Yu, who were just collecting popcorn. 

The two of them were astonished. “My God, when did a female bandit sneak into the 18th floor?” 

Jiang Ning decided to amuse them and snatched the water bucket away. “Robbery!” 

The two of them split half a basin of popcorn for her. “Seriously, Anning, this hairstyle looks pretty good, chic, cool, and refreshing!” 

“Are you guys trying to flatter me?” 

As the sun set, three crew-cut heads bantered on the rooftop. 

Zhang Chao went downstairs and brought up three bottles of ice-cold beer. 

The three of them sat on the rooftop and drank into the bottles. 

As they drank, Jiang Ning noticed Zhang Chao was drinking particularly fast. While Lu Yu was a bit slower but he had that lackluster look. 

They grew up wearing the same pants. It would be strange if Jiang Ning couldn’t tell they were troubled about something. 

Jiang Ning spoke up, “What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing.” Zhang Chao smiled. “Compared to others, we’re practically living like immortals. What trouble could we have?” 

They didn’t want to talk about it. And Jiang Ning, being tactful, didn’t ask again. 

… 

A pound of drought-resistant sweet potato seedlings wasn’t much. Jiang Ning planted them in the black soil garden and carefully tended to them for over a month. Until finally, they grew long vines that could be cut into two sections. 

Just as she finished cutting the sweet potato seedlings and was about to find a garbage bag to cover them, Huo Yishen came over. 

After being around him for a long time, she knew he was a bit mischievous. He often let Doudou lure the dog away so he could come over alone. 

Sure enough, Coke was next door, eating popcorn. 

Seeing her cover the seedlings with a bag, Huo Yishen was somewhat surprised. “Aren’t you afraid of suffocating the seedlings?” 

There was no choice. Jiang Ning didn’t want to, but the black soil garden had good fertility, and the sweet potato seedlings were growing well. It would be suspicious if she took them to 1803. 

After covering them with bags for two days, the leaves turned yellow, and drying them out a bit more would be perfect. 

With her tasks completed, Jiang Ning sat on the sofa and turned on the radio. 

The extreme cold had passed, and the water level was gradually decreasing. The municipal administration was gradually recovering. There’s a lot of news being released on the radio, so you can’t go wrong by paying attention in time. 

While listening, the daily political reports brought shocking news—the establishment of the base! 

The municipal government announced that the provincial base has officially accepted survivors. 
 

An official base and a military base were constructed in five phases. They are capable of accommodating 300,000 people. The first phase had already been completed. 

After two years of natural disasters, the base was finally established. 

The official base is in Jiacheng, located in the northeast of the province. It is a typical mountain city with relatively backward industry and a development direction towards green agriculture. It is about 500 kilometers away from Fengcheng. 

The military base is in Huicheng, which is located in the north of the province. It is considered a semi-industrial city. It is located between the Dongjiang River and Wanshan Lake, the richest water resources in the province, and is more than 300 kilometers away from Fengcheng. 

The two bases were more than 200 kilometers apart. Which is not particularly far apart in terms of driving distance. 

In her previous life, Jiang Ning didn’t have a radio. She only heard about the base’s affairs later on. 

What does it matter, even if she knows? She doesn’t even qualify for entry. 

In the official base, each person needs to contribute 20 kilograms of food, while the military base requires 50 kilograms. 

Jiang Ning didn’t understand. “Why is there such a big difference?” 

The lower-class survivors couldn’t even come up with 20 kilograms of food, let alone 50. 

Huo Yishen explained, “The official base is sponsored by the provincial government, jointly established and managed by various municipal governments, with the military maintaining basic order. 

The military base, on the other hand, is arranged by the state, and it’s entirely established and managed by the military. There’s a fundamental difference between the two.” 

He paused, then revealed the harsh truth: “The military base, also known as the ‘Seed of Fire’ base, is humanity’s last hope in times of crisis. Fifty kilograms of food is just the basic requirement, and they’ll conduct rigorous screening; not everyone can get in.” 

Jiang Ning vaguely understood. Fifty kilograms of food were just the entry ticket. 

Whether from the lower class or the upper class, Capable individuals could easily obtain 50 kilograms of food. 

In other words, the military base only accepted capable individuals. 

“Not only do they need to be capable, but they also need to have a clean record. Those with a criminal history or those involved in illegal activities have no chance at all. Once survivors enter, the base is managed militarily. Those who resist or cause trouble will be expelled after three accumulated offenses. As for criminals, they’ll be executed on the spot.” 

Jiang Ning was shocked, but it made sense when she thought about it. 

Though it was strict, in such special times, special measures were necessary. The military’s mission was to ensure the survival of survivors and continue the propagation of human civilization. 

With a large base accommodating 300,000 people, without strict management, chaos would inevitably ensue in the future. 

As natural disasters continued, the external survival environment would become increasingly harsh. 

Jiang Ning pondered, “Do you want to enter the base?” 

Huo Yishen had already considered this. “The original intention of establishing the base is good, but human nature is complex. When the forest is big, all kinds of birds are present. The official base not only accepts political offspring but also numerous upper-class elites. With the increasing number of people, major problems will soon surface, such as power struggles and the law of the jungle. The legal system can only restrain those who are defenseless. 

The military base is strictly managed. Survivors who enter will be assigned work. As long as they are willing to work hard, eating to satisfaction shouldn’t be a problem. But the military has absolute control.” 

In the initial stages, those who entered the base would be assigned to participate in the later construction or production of food reserves, all of which involved strenuous labor. 

He didn’t mind himself, but he didn’t want Jiang Ning and Doudou to suffer. 

Although they could hide at home and use their space to eat and drink, they shouldn’t underestimate the detection capabilities of military bases. 

They could hide for a year or two, but definitely not for five or ten years. 

Once Jiang Ning’s space was exposed, who could guarantee her safety and freedom? 

Perhaps she wouldn’t be killed, but she might be taken for research or forced into things against her will. 

He had already sacrificed ten years in his previous life. This time, Huo Yishen just wanted to protect the people he cared about. 

“We’ll stay in Fengcheng with Doudou and Coke. If the environment becomes so harsh that survival is impossible, it won’t be too late to seek refuge in the base.” 

Different places experienced different natural disasters. Fengcheng had gone through some brutal ones, but at least he had lived in this city for ten years. Starting over now, with proper planning in advance, they wouldn’t have to live too poorly. 

Now, it was indeed time to deploy. 

Huo Yishen asked, “Anning, can you collect supplies that’re located underwater in your space?” 

Jiang Ning was puzzled. “What do you want to store?” 

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