Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Xu Xiaoyan hesitated for a moment, then took out half a dry biscuit from the side pocket of her backpack and tossed it to the man. "Thank you, this is for you."

The man hurriedly caught it, thanking it repeatedly, almost kneeling down.

The brother and sister, supporting each other, staggered and disappeared at the other end of the ruins.

Xu Xiaoyan quickly walked to Xie Yingtang and Wang Xiao's side and lowered her voice:

"The situation is more complicated than we thought. I had heard similar things from people in the military before, and I thought it was an isolated case, but it turns out to be a common phenomenon."

She took a deep breath and continued, "When things first got chaotic, some troops did take in large numbers of people out of humanitarian concern while carrying out rescue or evacuation missions, but many of them ran into problems."

She looked at her two companions and spoke faster, "Some teams have been infiltrated by malicious thugs who take advantage of the darkness or when defenses are weak to steal weapons and medicine."

When some teams encountered swarms of insects, the first reaction of the survivors was to strip the soldiers of their clothes, resulting in many injuries.

Some teams were brought down by plagues due to deteriorating sanitation conditions.

After several bloody lessons, many military units, especially those with urgent combat missions, are extremely cautious about taking in civilians, and some have even put it outright as a ban.

"Damn it!" Wang Xiao was so angry that the veins on his forehead throbbed, and a nameless fire surged into his heart.

"I knew it! It must have been those selfish bastards who did this! A few bad apples spoil the whole bunch! They don't want to live themselves, but they want to cut off everyone else's chance to survive!"

"If soldiers get bitten back like this, who the hell would dare to be a good guy?!" His anger was tinged with a sense of frustration at being implicated.

A suffocating atmosphere enveloped the three of them. What would they do if even the military route was blocked?

In the midst of this suffocating silence, Xie Yingtang said, "But not all troops will give up because of a minor setback; we must look at things from two sides."

"It is a logical military order for troops with clear, urgent combat missions that require high mobility and secrecy to refuse entry to civilians."

Upon hearing this, Xu Xiaoyan's eyes flashed with understanding. She immediately picked up on his train of thought, and her tone became more confident: "That's right! Brother Xie is right!"

Troops with special missions can refuse, but conversely—

What if the team's mission was to move to a rear base in the northwest, or their mission was to gather survivors along the way?

Such troops, whose core mission is to protect survivors, will not refuse civilians from joining them!

"Therefore," Xie Yingtang concluded, "our goal remains the same, but we must first determine whether they are carrying out a mission or are responsible for relocation and resettlement."

If it's the former, we won't force it and will look for another way; but if it's the latter...

He didn't finish his sentence, but the three of them understood. They tidied their belongings and continued along the main road.

The three of them could clearly feel that the "popularity" around them had increased significantly.

But what's even more surprising is that in some relatively open spaces with good views, people have brazenly set up stalls and started bartering businesses.

Most of the stall owners looked quite capable, and their stalls displayed a wide variety of items.

From rusty tools and a clean, unopened bottle of mineral water to snacks with damaged packaging but seemingly intact contents, and even gadgets powered by old batteries.

As the three of them carefully walked through it, observing this abnormal prosperity.

A small commotion ahead caught their attention.

At one of the stalls, two burly, fierce-looking men took out several boxes of brightly colored self-heating rice!

The intact plastic packaging, with its clearly printed pictures of dishes, stood out starkly and unreally in this dusty and despairing environment.

Xu Xiaoyan, Xie Yingtang, and Wang Xiao were all taken aback and slowed down. This kind of industrially produced, convenient, and durable food is definitely a top-tier hard currency nowadays.

Sure enough, many people were immediately drawn to the stall, crowding around it with barely suppressed longing in their eyes. Some eagerly asked, "How do I exchange this?"

One of the bald, burly men shouted in a booming voice, his voice resolute:

"Let's get this straight! Cash, gold, silver, and jewelry are completely useless now!"

We only accept tangible goods! Two pounds of fresh produce—vegetables, fruit, or an equivalent amount of river seafood—can be exchanged for a box of self-heating rice!

These words were like cold water poured into a hot oil pan; the surrounding crowd instantly erupted in disappointed boos and whispers.

"Two pounds of fresh goods? Are you trying to rob me?!"

"Where am I supposed to find two pounds of fresh vegetables? I haven't had any leafy greens for days!"

"This is outrageous! This price is outrageous!"

Most people shook their heads and walked away grumbling.

This price is truly staggering. In today's world, two pounds of fresh food that can immediately satisfy hunger is exchanged for a box of processed food.

For most survivors struggling to make ends meet, it's an extremely unprofitable deal.

Xu Xiaoyan and the other two exchanged glances and shook their heads slightly. Although they had some stock, it was far from enough to afford such extravagant spending.

Seeing that most of the crowd had dispersed, the bald, burly man wasn't in a hurry. Instead, he raised his voice and began to sell in a seductive tone:

"You all think it's too expensive? Use your brains! How many days can those new gadgets you have last? A day? Two days? They'll rot and stink and become just a pile of garbage!"

"But what about our self-heating rice?" He picked up a box and patted it hard. "Sealed packaging, officially labeled with an eight-month shelf life! In this awful weather, it can last a year without any problems!"

A boxed meal can be a lifesaver in a critical moment!

"Trading your soon-to-be-perishable goods for eight months' worth of life-saving food—in the long run, who benefits more?!"

These words were like a needle, precisely piercing the soft spot of some people, especially those who happened to have some perishable fresh goods on hand.

For survivors facing uncertainty about the future, it's true that fresh food is perishable, while self-heating rice that can be stored for a long time means a greater sense of security.

Hesitation and calculation spread through the crowd, and finally, a few people seemed to be persuaded.

A man wearing glasses carefully took out a few still-fresh radishes and a bunch of wilted greens from his backpack and placed them on the scale prepared by the stall owner.

Another woman took out a small piece of dried meat, wrapped in old clothes, from some unknown animal. After some haggling, they completed a transaction.

Seeing that someone actually made a deal, Wang Xiao couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Damn it, someone actually traded? Isn't this just blatant ripping them off?"

Xie Yingtang's gaze darkened slightly. "Everyone has their own calculations. For them, obtaining certain, storable food immediately is perhaps more important than guarding something that will soon rot."