Dark Ruins Dawn

Chapter 30 Collapse
The next day, a new foreman took office at the hideout.

He was a gaunt old man, his face so wrinkled it could trap a mosquito, and his cloudy eyes revealed little emotion.

He was a long-time criminal who had spent thirty years here before finally making it to the grassroots level.

He was taciturn, made no speeches, announced no new rules, and was not as arrogant as Nissen.

He simply stood with his hands behind his back, scrutinized everyone, then raised his withered fingers and tapped the yellowed work schedule on the wall.

Everything is business as usual.

So Zhuang Fan and his companion were sent to the incinerator.

This time, Zhuang Fan didn't bury himself in his work as usual. He walked through the garbage mountain and stood in front of the foreman.

“Starting today, we can identify twenty high-value items every day.”

The foreman squinted at him, but didn't say anything.

“But I want my share back. In return, I can give you 30% of the profits.”

Zhuang Fan continued, "If you don't agree, then I'd rather go to the front lines and never come back here."

The foreman smiled, stubbed out his cigarette, and stood up. "I like win-win situations. Now that Nissen is gone, our cooperation will be even more pleasant."

He straightened up and stared at Zhuang Fan: "However, I want 50%."

"can."

Zhuang Fan nodded; this was the answer he had expected.

While working, the aftereffects of condensing the black mist last night were still present, and he remained mentally exhausted.

These aftereffects will last for at least a few days.

When it was time to wrap up work, the foreman had twenty high-value items neatly arranged on his desk.

Nutrient solution synthesizer, military-grade energy storage module, display screen, air purification device, sodium solid-state battery.
After he finished counting, he had a total of 400 credits.

This time, however, Hua Sheng only asked for 100 credits, and gave the remaining 300 credits to Zhuang Fan.

“Brother Guangtu, you’re the one who really put in the effort. I was just picking up trash. It’s not fair to split it in half.”

Watson was unusually persistent.

Zhuang Fan glanced at him but didn't press the matter further, as he was indeed short of money at the moment.

Day three.

Same landfill, same process.

Zhuang Fan then selected twenty more high-value items and piled them in front of the foreman.

Just as the foreman was about to settle the accounts, several heavily armed soldiers walked over.

The leader was a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, with a refined demeanor and sharp eyes.

Xie Ke'en, the battalion commander of the 86th Battalion.

He glanced at the items on the table, then looked Zhuang Fan up and down, his face showing undisguised surprise.

"He found all of these?" Xie Ke'en's voice was gentle, revealing no emotion.

The foreman immediately bowed, a fawning smile plastered on his face: "Yes, Battalion Commander."

The battalion commander didn't say anything, he just waved his hand casually.

Two soldiers immediately stepped forward, their movements efficient, their eyes lingering on the items for only half a second before they accurately selected the ten most valuable items.

"He's one of my men."

Xie Ke'en's voice remained gentle: "What he found naturally has half of my contribution, and I believe the factory manager thinks so too."

The foreman's expression changed, and he dared not voice any objection.

Xie Ke'en's gaze fell on Zhuang Fan and the other person.

"Take them away and check them out first."

Zhuang Fan and Hua Sheng were escorted through several cold iron gates to an interrogation room.

Then, a metal helmet was put on his head, and several thin probes automatically extended, causing a sharp pain in his temples.

Memory extractor.

Zhuang Fan did not resist, but instead lowered his mental defenses and revealed all his conflicts with Nissen without reservation.

Withheld wages, disputes over the location of the operation, arguments in the mine, threats from being cornered.
All the memories and emotions are clear, real, and reasonable.

A technician respectfully reported to the data stream on the screen: "Battalion Commander, no anomalies were found. The memory sequence is complete and consistent with emotional fluctuations."

"Well, let them in."

Zhuang Fan and the other person were taken into Xie Ke'en's office.

The office was large and spacious, with a huge black rock desk in the center.

Xie Ke'en sat behind his desk, his fingers interlaced, frowning as he looked at Zhuang Fan.

“Nissen, you did it, didn’t you?” He used a declarative sentence.

Zhuang Fan's face first showed a perfectly timed look of astonishment, which then turned into anger.

“Sir, I admit I hate him and have wanted to kill him more than once.”

His voice was slightly hoarse and suppressed, which perfectly conveyed his helplessness and resentment.

"But what I want more is freedom. I don't want to spend my whole life serving in the military, I don't want to go to the front lines to move corpses, I don't want to mine coal, and I don't want to wash bones."

Shekorn smiled and didn't continue the topic.

How many items can you find each day?

"Sir, about twenty pieces."

"That might not be enough."

Shekorn extended two fingers and tapped the table lightly:

"No matter how many you find, I will take twenty items every day from now on. If you find one less, I will deduct 100 credits from your account."

Zhuang Fan didn't hesitate for long before revealing a hint of gratitude: "Thank you for giving me this opportunity, sir."

"Okay, you can go back now."

Shekorn was satisfied with his attitude and picked up the water glass on the table.

But Zhuang Fan did not leave immediately.

He stepped forward and said earnestly, "Battalion Commander, the waste incineration plant is a good place."

"continue."

"Well... once we've been redeemed, could we apply to stay and continue serving you? If I could become a foreman over there, I could earn even more for the commander!"

"You guys are really trying to climb up the pole."

Shekorn laughed and said he wasn't surprised at all.

In this wasteland, having a powerful force to rely on and a job that can fill one's stomach is a luxury that many people yearn for but cannot have.

He continued, "Forget about the foreman position. Once you've been redeemed, getting a casual worker position won't be difficult."

"Thank you, sir. I will definitely do my best!"

Hua Sheng was stunned. Guang Tu was really something. He had quietly arranged a job for the two of them that guaranteed them a stable income regardless of drought or flood.

Just then, there was a knock on the office door, and a soldier walked in with some documents.

Sherker took the document, glanced at it, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Those guys from Nuclear Engineering really don't like causing trouble."

He waved his hand: "You can go out now."

"Yes Yes!"

After Zhuang Fan turned around, he slowed his pace, listening intently to every word behind him.

"Have all the battalions in front agreed?"

Shaco's voice came from behind, tinged with displeasure.

"Yes, sir. Most of the battalions ahead have signed agreements to assist in the investigation. The criminal battalion and the mutant battalion are working together."

"Hmm, does it start with the First Battalion?"

"Yes"

The door clicked shut behind me.

Zhuang Fan did not stop walking.

Those involved in nuclear-related matters will eventually have to undergo large-scale screening.

……

In the landfill, a few well-informed old criminals huddled together, whispering amongst themselves.

"I heard that the Nuclear Corporation is looking for some bounty criminal, and the person is in the criminal camp."

"It's not just the criminal camp; they've started investigating the neighboring mutant camp too. They've set up over a dozen machines, and they're going to check everything."

"It seems like all the guys who wanted to buy their freedom these past two days have been detained. They say they have to wait until the investigation is over. These people are just messing around."

Although there were exaggerations in the words of these sinners, none of them were lying, and their credibility is extremely high.

Zhuang Fan bent over, rummaging through scrap materials, his mind racing with calculations of time.

If the entire border defense zone of Linhai City were fully staffed, the total number of criminals and civilians would be 30, and the number of mutants would be 50.

It's impossible for the nuclear forces to screen all 80 people one by one; that would be too time-consuming and resource-intensive. The most efficient way is to start counting from the day he escaped and then check the list of all new recruits.

He continued to sort through his memories.

Based on the ratio of new recruits to attrition in your own 86th Battalion, you can try to estimate the approximate figures.

Since he joined the camp, the border area has seen an increase of about 5 displaced people, and if the number of mutants doubles to 10, the total is 15.

The nano-cabin operates 24 hours a day without interruption, screening one person every 20 minutes, and can screen 72 people per day.

If more than 20 nano-chambers are operating simultaneously, nearly 1500 people can be screened every day.

Conservative estimates suggest that all newly identified migrants could be identified in less than 100 days, and the time would be even shorter if more equipment were added.

The safe window of opportunity left for him is less than a month.

Time is his most scarce luxury.

When they finished work, Zhuang Fan and Hua Sheng had exhausted all their efforts and found 40 high-value items.

Shekorn's soldiers arrived on time and, like tax collectors, expressionlessly picked out 20 of the best-quality items.

The remaining 20 items were split 50/50 between Zhuang Fan and the foreman.

This time, he only received 200 credits.

Watson got 100 points.

at night.

The entire beehive suddenly shook violently.

"Rumble--"

A dull, loud thud came from underground, and dust fell from the walls, choking people and making it hard to open their eyes.

"Big earthquake!"

A terrified scream ignited fear in everyone.

Zhuang Fan sat up abruptly from his bunk.

He could easily kick over the cage door with just a little effort, but he still had to patiently wait for the guard to open it with a single button.

The piercing alarm blared throughout the camp, and the red warning lights flashed wildly, turning the terrified faces bloodshot.

After Zhuang Fan ran out of the hideout, he saw that Hua Sheng was not too panicked and just grabbed onto a tree trunk that was shaking violently.

"Around magnitude nine, the focal depth should be around twenty kilometers, not bad, I'm used to it."

Watson even had the leisure to make a judgment.

The foreman rushed over, his voice hoarse.

"Everyone, go to area B3 to clear the landslide! Anyone who slacks off will have all their pay docked!"

In the chaos, the overhead power grid snapped due to the violent shaking, sending sparks flying.

More than a dozen fog lights failed one after another due to short circuits.

The dense, eerie fog that had been suppressed for so long suddenly found an outlet and surged out like a tidal wave.

In the darkness, Zhuang Fan hesitated for a moment.

He seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and frantically absorbed the surging eerie mist.

Many criminals thought their chance had come, and a huge commotion was also coming from the neighboring mutant camp, with everyone thinking of taking advantage of the chaos to escape.

But Zhuang Fan knew it was all in vain.

"Boom boom boom——"

The automatic machine gun turret on the outpost spewed fire, instantly turning them all into mangled flesh.

A few minutes later, everything returned to deathly silence.

4 month 10 day.

Ten days have passed since that massive earthquake.

Zhuang Fan paid off the previous debts, and finally 1500 credits were deposited into the collar account.

But on this day, more than a dozen criminal battalions were urgently conscripted, including the 86th Battalion.

Zhuang Fan and the others were taken to an underground tunnel that had completely collapsed due to the earthquake.

This tunnel connects Linhai City with another, larger city—Zhongdu.

Zhuang Fan's vague memories were triggered.

Zhongdu, located at the very center of the World Island, is the last line of defense for human civilization, where the vast majority of the population gathers.

Zhuang Fan and his team's task was to clear the collapsed tunnel and restore traffic between the two places as soon as possible.

"Hurry up, all of you! A big shot from Zhongdu is coming soon. Anyone who dares to delay the construction will be severely punished!"

The overseer brandished his electric whip, weaving through the crowd and shouting incessantly.

Zhuang Fan, like the other criminals, was given the most primitive tools.

A shovel, a wheelbarrow, and a pair of worn-out gloves.

No salary, just enough to eat.

The so-called "full meal" means two protein bars a day, plus a tasteless nutritional paste.

"boom--!"

The explosion occurred without warning, the sound so loud it hurt people's eardrums, and the ground trembled.

Inside the tunnel, the dust and moisture from the blasting mixed together to form a murky fog, resulting in extremely low visibility.

A piece of rock broke off from the rock layer and landed precisely on the head of a criminal who was engrossed in his work.

He didn't even utter a sound before his body went limp and he collapsed, blood seeping from the gaps in his helmet.

His companion dragged the body aside and then picked up the shovel he had dropped.

Here, tools are more important.

A dozen high-powered searchlights cast a ghastly white beam of light.

Zhuang Fan wiped his forehead; sweat and coal dust mixed together, leaving black furrows on his face.

A thin boy who looked only fifteen or sixteen years old collapsed to the ground, exhausted from working hard for a long time.

The supervisor rushed over immediately and stun gun was placed on his back.

"Fuck-"

A blue arc of electricity exploded, followed by a scream, then violent convulsions and foaming at the mouth.

"This is what happens when you slack off! Everyone, get to work! No slacking off allowed!"

Hua Sheng instinctively wanted to step forward, but Zhuang Fan grabbed him, saying, "What good will it do if you go? Don't get involved."

Watson watched as the boy was dragged away like a dead dog, and felt a tightness in his chest.

"Just do your own thing."

Zhuang Fan's voice was very soft and devoid of any emotion.

His arms were already so sore that he had lost all feeling, and with every breath, dust burned his lungs.

It's really hard to breathe.

They worked continuously for 18 hours until the next shift of workers came to relieve them, then dragged their tired bodies back to the camp, their heads completely numb.

He learned from the squad leader that the battalion commander was away on a mission and would not be back for at least the short term.

The foreman saw through Zhuang Fan's intention and said gently:
“I know the battalion commander assigned you to the landfill, but this was an order personally signed by the administrative officer, it has the highest priority, and even the battalion commander has to obey it.”

"So, just stay put and don't slack off."

The administrative official of Linhai City was equivalent to the highest-ranking official, and he was in charge of the entire border defense area.

Zhuang Fan is now in a dilemma.

But the nuclear team wasn't going to wait for him; they were still steadily screening, and had already screened more than a dozen battalions.

For the next ten days, Zhuang Fan and his companion worked in the tunnel, becoming complete miners.

Four or five criminals from the same hideout have already died.

Brother Bao's neck was crushed by the rolling boulder, and he died on the spot.

"Respect Brother Bao, after all, we've been in a fight together."

"I did all of this, you coward."

The two tried to find humor in their misery; their faces were ashen, except for their white teeth.

Finally, the tunnel renovation was successfully completed, lighting was installed, and then security soldiers entered the site, while Zhuang Fan and the others were sent back to the camp.

There were almost no recreational activities in the camp, with only a few old virtual reality headsets available.

Hua Sheng had been busy for more than half a month without pay, and he felt like he had contracted pneumoconiosis. He was still feeling frustrated.

"Brother Guangtu, do you know who that official in Zhongdu is?"

"do not know."

"I heard they're coming to visit our criminal camp this afternoon."

"Hehe, it would be best if you came and stayed."

(End of this chapter)