To be honest, that couple was truly something else. Ever since they moved in, they had been arguing nearly every single day. It didn't matter what the topic was—if they opened their mouths, they were guaranteed to get into a spat.
And it wasn't like the soundproofing in this building was bad. Actually, it was built pretty well. Yet even from inside her own apartment, Lan Jin could clearly hear the two of them going at it. Their voices were just that loud.
After putting the freshly drawn water into her space, Lan Jin started dishing out food for Qiao Qiao. As the all-too-familiar shouting drifted over again, Qiao Qiao frowned and said, "They fight again."
Lan Jin nodded. "Yep, again."
"Why they fight every day?" the little one mumbled, stuffing a piece of green vegetable into her mouth and chewing diligently.
"Who knows."
Lan Jin pulled out a pot of soup she had made earlier. The food was good, but sometimes she still wanted a bit of soup with her meal. Lately, Qiao Qiao had really taken to tomato and mushroom soup. She didn't drink much, just a shallow little bowl, but she enjoyed it immensely. Naturally, Lan Jin had prepared a small bowl for her today as well.
Once the soup was on the table, Qiao Qiao was too focused to care about the noise next door. She picked up her bowl, took a sip, and then concentrated on her dinner. By the time they finished eating, the shouting from the next apartment had finally stopped. Lan Jin figured the couple must have started eating too. Otherwise, there was no way to shut those two mouths.
Fetching water had become as routine as clocking in for work. Once a day, like it or not. No one had the time or patience to accommodate those who didn't feel like getting used to it.
After five straight days of water runs, a rumor started spreading like wildfire through the community: the supply cooperative was reopening.
Everyone immediately tore through their homes, searching for leftover RMB. But before anyone could figure out how much cash they still had, the official announcement came. The supply co-op really was reopening—but it wouldn't accept RMB. Only gold.
That single piece of news sent shockwaves across the compound. People couldn't sit still anymore.
But even if they were panicking, there was nothing they could do. The higher-ups didn't care what you thought. Buy if you wanted. If not, fine. That just meant they had fewer supplies to give out.
Then, the day before the co-op officially reopened, Lan Jin received an unexpected gift—an invitation from the Capital Base.
It had been delivered by one of Huang Jinghe's parents' comrades, addressed to both Lan Jin and Huang Jinghe.
When Huang Jinghe placed the invitation in her hands, Lan Jin felt like she was dreaming.
But there it was, clear as day: an invitation from the Capital Base.
She blinked at it, then asked, "Wait… we need an invitation to enter the Capital Base?"
She knew J City Base didn't require one. Of course, J City couldn't really compare to the Capital, but this kind of difference still seemed extreme. Thankfully, she had met Huang Jinghe. Otherwise, when the floods receded and she made her way over, only to be denied entry at the gate, that would've been a truly painful outcome.
Huang Jinghe had already been briefed by his parents. Now he passed on the explanation to Lan Jin.
As she listened, Lan Jin's mouth twitched. "So this is just the entry-level requirement? That means there are other conditions too? The invitation alone isn't enough?"
Huang Jinghe nodded. "Right. My parents mentioned it before. I just didn't bring it up since the full requirements hadn't been released yet. Now that they've been finalized, they had their comrade deliver the invitation letters for both of us."
He continued, "Because of my parents' positions, I only need the invitation as a direct relative. But for anyone else, they'll need a lot more—like supplies or something else valuable. The invitation by itself isn't enough. But if Sister Lan wants to go, we could bring supplies with us and head over together."
Lan Jin did have supplies. Plenty, in fact. Taking them out on her own was easy enough, but it would be tricky to explain everything if she traveled with Huang Jinghe. Still, having someone trustworthy by her side for the journey brought a sense of security.
But… was the base even ready yet? Could it really be built that fast? The J City Base wasn't even finished.
Huang Jinghe answered as if reading her thoughts. "No, it's not done yet. My parents didn't tell me when to head over either. They said they'd let me know when the time comes. If transport is available, we can go by vehicle. If not, we'll have to find our own way—maybe hitch a ride with the military. But my parents said it's best if we make our own arrangements. So if Sister Lan wants to go, we can travel together."
Lan Jin rubbed her temple. "Sure, but let's wait until the base is actually built before planning the trip. If the high-speed rail is running, we'll get there quickly. But if we have to drive, I think it takes over a week."
That's not even counting the roads. In the post-apocalyptic world, you couldn't expect the highways to be anything like they were before. Who knew what could happen along the way? Making the journey in the same amount of time as before seemed unlikely.
Huang Jinghe chuckled. "Exactly. This isn't something that'll happen overnight. Honestly, I don't think they'll finish the base this year. It has to accommodate so many people, and there's no way that can be done in just a few months. So no rush. Besides, once we go, we probably won't come back. Sister Lan can use this time to think it over."
Lan Jin understood what Huang Jinghe was getting at. Uprooting your whole life was no small thing. You couldn't make that kind of decision in a moment of excitement. But she wasn't stupid. Her original goal had been the Capital Base all along. Between the two bases, was there even a question which one was better?
As for the residential community—
If you didn't have strength, there was no way to live in peace here.
Of course, she wasn't talking about leaving right this second.
Looking down at the invitation in her hand, she felt a bit awkward. This was such an important thing, and she was just accepting it so casually. Lan Jin said, "This invitation is too valuable. I really can't accept it."
She truly wanted it, but that didn't mean she was lying. Still, she didn't want to reject it either. Before Huang Jinghe could say anything, she added, "But I don't want to give it back. It already has my name on it anyway, so I doubt you could give it to someone else. I'll go with you when the time comes, but I can't just take this for free. Let me think about how to repay you."
Huang Jinghe hadn't expected her to be so direct, but the fact that she wasn't trying to return it was good enough. He was thankful to Lan Jin and relieved to have fulfilled the task his parents gave him.
"No need to thank me. I should be the one thanking you. During the poisonous fog… any one of those things we went through could've ended badly. I'm not ungrateful."
Lan Jin shook her head. "That's not the same. I just gave you a heads-up. Whether you listened or not was up to you. But this invitation is a real, concrete benefit. You can't compare the two."