Thinking that Jiang Ning didn’t understand because they were new here, the assistant started to explain, “The conditions for joining the army are very harsh. You have to undergo high intensity training every day, but the food and accommodation are the most stable. If you really encounter an irresistible natural disaster, there are also bases to provide a safety net for the soldiers.” 

Ordinary workers are laborers, but the base will arrange accommodation. The food and accommodation environment are a little worse, but it is still much better than outside. 

Scavengers were okay in the past few years. Although there are risks when going out, you can earn a lot if you are lucky. A good trip is enough to cover the expenses for two or three months, but it’s not okay now. There is almost nothing left outside, and going out is a waste of effort. 

With nothing to find outside, survival meant having to take from others in the same field. 

Of course, they don’t dare to mess around in the base. They all go out to ambush or challenge each other. If they win, they can take away the supplies. 

What’s more, there are even some who go to sweep the black den. 

In short, it’s very chaotic. 

They chatted well, and the assistant suggested that the two reconsider, “Scavengers are really too dangerous.” 

Jiang Ning smiled bitterly, “We also want to join the army, but we have a child to take care of at home.” 

Every family has its own problems, and the assistant tactfully didn’t give any more suggestions, and they were free to choose. 

Back in the center hall, Jiang Ning took out 4 packs of expired cigarettes, 5 bottles of brand-name liquor, and 6 kilograms of tea. 

The real estate leasing and sales department did not give a price, so she took it to the trading center to convert it into points. 

The two went to the trading center and had to pay for 30 catties of food to rent for half a year. 

Jiang Ning didn’t want to pay for food, so she continued to use tea to offset it. 

After completing the formalities and getting the house key, she saw that it was still early and wanted to learn about submarines, but Huo Yishen was against it. 

“The military base is different from the outside. We are not guarding against others but the military. It is not appropriate for us to go directly to ask when we have just arrived. Let’s wait for an opportunity to find other channels to learn about it.” 

Huo Yishen is familiar with the military and police system, and Jiang Ning chose to listen to him. The two drove back to the courtyard of No. 196, Area B. 

The courtyard has two floors, three bedrooms, and one living room, and the suite is about 80 square meters, which is still quite simple. 

As usual, the first thing to do when you come in is to check whether there are any monitoring devices. 

Huo Yishen checked very carefully and almost tore down the wall and he even inspected the drains. 

The independent courtyard is not like the villa area. The distance between the buildings is less than five meters. If you speak a little louder, the neighbors can hear you. 

After making sure there are no problems, they start installing curtains to avoid being seen by others. 

This place wasn’t like a villa; you can do whatever you want if you have the ability. 

Jiang Ning only took the most commonly used furniture such as beds, tables, sofas, etc., all of which were old furniture they used on the 18th floor. 

It took several hours to finally complete the layout and have a temporary home again. 

After a quick lunch, everyone went back to their rooms to rest. 

Jiang Ning leaned on Huo Yishen’s shoulder, “If the natural disaster ends here, it would be great if we can live a simple life like this.” 

In the past 9 years, Jiang Ning has grown from 19 to 28 years old, and Huo Yishen is no longer the young man he was back then; he is already in his thirties. 

In another two years, Doudou will be an adult. 

Changing nests is relatively simple, but their spirit is exhausted, and they don’t know when it will end. 

Even whether there is an end is unknown. 

Huo Yishen hugged Jiang Ning, “As long as we don’t give up, maybe there will be a day when it will end.” 

She fell into a deep sleep and vaguely felt as if someone was calling her downstairs. 

Jiang Ning thought it was a dream. She was so tired that she couldn’t recover for a long time. Huo Yishen pushed her and said, “Anning, it seems someone is looking for you.”  

The voice sounded familiar. Jiang Ning got up and opened the curtains. She saw four people in military uniforms standing downstairs—two men and two women. 

Jiang Ning was surprised to see Zhang Chao, Lu Yu, and the others. 

“Did you all come in too?” 

Not only did they come in, but they also joined the military. 

Although she was surprised, she did not forget to put away the familiar furniture and replace it with more tattered ones. 

Going downstairs, they hugged each other after a long separation. 

Lu Yu was a little excited, “Have you found Brother Shen?” 

Jiang Ning was very happy, “We found him. He was seriously injured. We have been recuperating outside for a few months. We just rushed to the military base last night. We just rented a house at noon. I was thinking about whether I could find you later. I didn’t expect you to come.” 

Hearing that Huo Yishen was fine, the few people relaxed and hurriedly asked, “Is Coke, okay?” 

“Coke was also injured, but he has recovered.” 

Jiang Ning hurriedly welcomed the few people into the house and said to the empty first floor with a bit of embarrassment, “We just arrived and didn’t have time to prepare anything.” 

Zhang Chao and others didn’t care about it and sat on the ground directly. “It’s good to have a place to stay; no need to be so particular.” 

After opening the conversation, they talked about what happened after they separated. 

All four of them were injured, and they found a relatively safe place to recuperate for a full month. 

Without transportation, they could only walk more than 100 kilometers to the military base. On the way, they encountered several groups of refugees and robbers. In these years of living on the edge, surviving to today wasn’t due to luck. They managed to clean up the threats quickly and even obtained some supplies.  

The first thing they did when they arrived at the military base was to inquire about the whereabouts of Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen. 

Unfortunately, there was no news. 

The four of them signed up for the assessment, and Zheng Weili’s dark history of fighting and being kicked out of the official base was easily dug out. 

Just when everyone was frustrated and ready to leave, the military assessment official website gave Zheng Weili a three-month probation period if she passed the assessment. 

Jiang Ning was surprised, “The military has always been ruthless; is this the sun rising from the west?” 

Or is there any special reason? 

The military didn’t say, and the four of them were confused at the time, but they slowly figured it out later. 

The military’s leniency had to be due to special reasons. 

First, it is true that Zheng Weili fought, but her brother and sister-in-law starved her parents to death, so her impulsiveness is understandable. 

Second, all of them have worked as security patrolmen in Fengcheng twice, and their performance and achievements have been recorded by the police station, which can be easily found by the military. 

Third, the four are in good health and have extraordinary courage, and they all have excellent scores in the assessment. 

Fourth, and most importantly, there are very few women with outstanding abilities in the military base, especially those who are good at surviving natural disasters, and Zheng Weili is just at the right age for marriage. 

Under the same natural disaster conditions, she may have a higher chance of survival than most women. 

The military base has another name—the Fire Seed Base. 

The fire seed base not only advances human civilization and technology but also has the crucial task of ensuring the continuation of life. 

Only by continuing life can humanity continue, and the fire can be lit. 

When the natural disaster occurred, young people like Zheng Weili were at their best stage in terms of age and physical fitness. Most of the younger ones were damaged by the natural disaster, and the older ones have lost their fertility in recent years and their physical fitness is also declining. 

The natural disaster has lasted for nine years and may continue for another nine years. If the natural disaster ends during this period, they will still have the ability to reproduce. 

Therefore, when selecting excellent fire seeds, the base would give some preferential treatment as long as there were no issues with their character. 

But this matter cannot be made public, and whether it can be understood depends on the individual, but it is undeniable that the ratio of men to women in the base is seriously unbalanced. 

Therefore, in the selection over the past two years, under the same conditions, the pass rate of women is relatively higher. 

Jiang Ning was surprised. She didn’t expect the country to consider such comprehensive factors and to think much further ahead than ordinary people. 

But she still didn’t understand, “Why did you decide to join the army?”