Jiang Ning asked, “The sea is so deep; how did they use the suction dredger?” 

The administrator’s attitude was average, and he glanced at him coldly. “You wouldn’t understand the specifics of how it’s dug. Just focus on your work and planting. In this life, we should unite and support each other. Don’t worry too much about how the base operates.” 

There were too many curious people; they should solve their hunger problems and focus on their lives first, instead of constantly complaining. 

The base had too many difficulties to resolve. What could they accomplish by talking to ordinary survivors? 

Jiang Ning decided not to say anything. The continued and climbed the stairs to the third floor with the  keys. 

The residential area of Area B was completed first. The active military personnel lived in Zone 1-3, and the ordinary survivors lived in Zone 4. 

No matter which military base they were from before, as long as they want to enter the new base, they have to obey the new arrangements again.  

There are more than 12,000 survivors, the vast majority were military personnel, and the rest were well-qualified from official bases. Those who could survive on their own were extremely rare. 

The soldiers had to work and were almost never around during the day; some who went to sea didn’t return for ten days or even half a month. That’s why Area B is not crowded. Ordinary survivors even occupy the private planting areas in Zone 1-3 to grow more food. 

Jiang Ning came to Room 370, where a planting pot was already placed at the door. 

She moved the pot to the side with her feet, opened the door, and stepped inside. 

The container room is very small, about 1.5 meters wide and 2.5 meters long. There is nothing except a ventilated window in the upper right corner. 

To her surprise, the room was separated by movable steel panels, and both sides had sliding bolts. If both parties agreed, they could move the steel panels apart. 

They connected the three rooms into one, creating a space of 2.5 by 4.5 meters, which is more than ten square meters and much less cramped and suffocating compared to before. 

The steel panels were quite thick and made noise when walked on, but they felt stable and safe. 

Fortunately, it wasn’t extremely hot; otherwise, the steel house would be unbearable. 

Huo Yishen let Coke out and warned it not to bark. 

After working with the trainer for almost ten years, the dog could understand his commands and wagged its tail excitedly. 

The house was newly built and had not been lived in yet. The three of them took a break for a bit and began to clean up. 

Jiang Ning took out a simple folding sofa from her space. It could be folded up to be used as a sofa during the day and unfolded to be used as a bed at night. 

Of course, the furniture that can enter the exhibition hall is not simple in design or price. 

It is simple and stylish but looks low-key and luxurious. 

The base does not have water and electricity, but the sofa has a USB charging port and a retractable lampshade that can be pulled out for lighting at night. 

Since the sofa bed doesn’t take up much space, Jiang Ning also took out a small round table and a few fabric stools, making it their temporary home. 

It was still quite cramped, but much better than what other survivors had. 

Area B could accommodate ships, and survivors from the same base tended to stick together. A lot of them were physically weak and couldn’t exchange labor for food; those who couldn’t pay rent simply lived on the ships to save money. 

The conditions on the ships were poor, but at least they provided shelter. 

If another storm hit, they could quickly move to the platforms to avoid disaster.  

The base understands their difficulties and chooses to turn a blind eye. 

The housing is standardized, and there is no gap between the rich and the poor. 

There were better houses available, but they were assigned based on military rank. 

Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen were ordinary survivors, so they could only rent one room each; it was impossible for them to rent more in exchange for additional food. 

At lunchtime, Jiang Ning spread out the sofa and took a single bed for Doudou. 

The room wasn’t very soundproof. Listening to the sound of waves hitting the giant drill column outside and the occasional voices of people talking, it still feels like a dream and creates an uneasy atmosphere.  

Jiang Ning slept until five o’clock in a daze, then opened the door and stood in the corridor to get some fresh air. 

The sunlight from the west reflected on her face, making it a bit glaring. 

A lot of people were already carrying their buckets or basins downstairs to line up for water.  

Back in the room, Jiang Ning took out two wooden buckets from the space. Doudou stayed at home with Coke, while she lines up for water with Huo Yishen. 

These days, beauty and ugliness are no longer judged by appearance. Everyone is so thin that their heads look big with their thin body. Their uneven faces also show a sickly look. 

The first thing that attracts people’s attention now is no longer their faces but the flesh on their bodies. 

The two of them stood out from the crowd and attracted a lot of attention. 

This is the inconvenience of living in a group; they are almost watched like a monkey show. 

After waiting for half an hour, it was finally their turn to get water. 

The water was well filtered, and the salty and fishy smell was greatly reduced. If she didn’t smell it closely, there was almost no smell. 

Jiang Ning saw someone drinking directly from their bucket. 

Carrying the bucket upstairs, she found a woman in a red skirt standing at the door. 

She was very thin, and her worn-out dress hung loosely on her body. She didn’t know how many years she had worn it, and there were several patches on it. 

The woman held a kitchen knife in her hand, looking at the overturned planting pots in the corridor, and spoke fiercely, “Which bastard kicked my potato pot?” 

Then she went to knock on the door of 370, raised the knife in her hand as if she’s getting ready to pick a fight. 

Jiang Ning felt displeased. “Your pot was blocking my door, so we had no choice but to move it aside.” 

Hearing the voice, the woman turned her head subconsciously. Her thin face was full of fierceness and toughness. 

She was about to curse but was shocked when she saw Jiang Ning’s appearance. “You…” 

Jiang Ning doesn’t want to draw attention, “Sorry, I accidentally knocked over the pot blocking my door.” 

The woman quickly put away the knife and replaced her fierce expression with a surprised smile. “Jiang Ning?” 

The speed of changing her face was so fast that even the Sichuan Opera master couldn’t keep up. 

An acquaintance? Jiang Ning studied her face, which was so skinny that she couldn’t recognize her. 

“It’s me, Wang Meili.” 

Wang Meili? Jiang Ning thought for a moment but couldn’t remember her. 

“My husband sells goods with Qin Chuan and the others.” 

Jiang Ning looked at her red skirt, and memories instantly flooded into her mind. She’s the wife of sharp-mouthed monkey! 

In this vast sea of survivors, she hadn’t expected to run into someone familiar. Jiang Ning asked in surprise, “Where’s sharp-mouthed monkey?” 

Wang Meili smiled awkwardly. “He went out to do something and will be back later. I live in 351, and I thought that no one lived here yet, so I moved my planting pots out to dry, but I didn’t expect to block your door.” 

Her tone was gentle and enthusiastic, with no trace of the fierceness just now. 

The two sides had known each other for many years, and Jiang Ning thought of the days when he traded with sharp-mouthed monkey. 

 Sister, you’re my only sister. 

That mouth was truly skilled at business and flattering people. 

Thinking about how many supplies were stored thanks to the sharp-faced monkey, Jiang Ning couldn’t help but ask, “Are you all doing okay?” 

Wang Meili paused, “Yeah, we’re doing well.” 

Jiang Ning was not particularly familiar with Wang Meili, so she naturally asked about Qin Chuan. 

“Brother Chuan and the others are doing well at the Jiacheng base, but the plate collision came suddenly, and we got separated during the earthquake…” 

They drifted on the sea for several months, and they didn’t know how they survived. It still feels like a dream. 

Perhaps meeting someone familiar brought back too many memories, Wang Meili’s eyes suddenly reddened. “I’ll move my things back first, and I’ll find you later when my husband comes back.”