“We’ve arrived at the base city.”
Familiar yet foreign steps, like history repeating itself once more.
Su Aoxue looked at the towering city wall before her, familiar fragments of memory surfacing in her mind.
She then glanced at the backs of her mother and younger sister, sensing the surrounding environment—the clamor of voices rising and falling.
Everything was so familiar, yet the tall figure was missing.
“Dad…”
Su Aoxue’s dirty face was full of exhaustion, her expression somewhat numb.
This period of fleeing had awakened many unpleasant memories for her.
…
Refugees from other base cities were not allowed to enter the core area directly.
Instead, they were housed collectively in a refugee camp for supervision until they obtained a resident permit for this base city.
But there were exceptions to everything…
The President of the Martial Arts Association, Meng Fei, was now carrying two metal boxes to the front of the crowd.
In front of Meng Fei were those on the protection list from this evacuation plan.
“You are all students about to take the martial arts academy entrance exam, so you have special passes.”
“Given the sudden circumstances, the passes can only be issued now.”
“Now, when I call a name, that person steps forward.”
As he spoke, Meng Fei opened the two metal suitcases one by one.
One seemed to be some kind of precision instrument, while the other was filled with things that looked like bracelets.
The first person called was a female student.
Meng Fei took a sampling tube and pricked her hand, then placed it into the instrument beside him.
As the blood was injected, the instrument’s display quickly showed a set of identity information.
After comparing it, Meng Fei took a bracelet from the other box, connected it to the instrument’s data cable, and began transferring the data.
Once the data was uploaded to the bracelet, Meng Fei handed it to the female student.
And so, the cycle began.
Before long, Su Aoxue also received her own bracelet.
“This bracelet is your identity proof, also a temporary pass. It records your personal information and talent potential. It also allows you to stay in hotels and enter areas below the second level of the base city, and you can claim a temporary relief fund.”
“At the same time, your family members enjoy the same rights, but they need to verify their relationship through identity checks. If you need this, remember to go to the hospital first.”
“Remember, do not reveal your personal information to others, and do not lose your bracelet. If lost, report it to the Martial Arts Association immediately!”
“If you have any other questions, you can go to the Martial Arts Association in this base city. I’ll be there.”
“That’s about it. Now, go to the Martial Arts Association to sign up for the martial arts academy you want to attend.”
After saying these serious words, Meng Fei left.
As a member of the Martial Arts Association, he had his own identity card, which was valid in every base city.
He didn’t need to stay in the refugee camp.
He could even be treated as a guest of honor.
Now, focusing on Su Aoxue, her family and Shen Yan’s family were staying together.
Originally, Ye Yao wanted to come over too, but after receiving her bracelet, her father pulled her away.
Her father seemed to be a member of some chamber of commerce, with his own connections.
“Let’s go. First, to the hospital.”
Shen’s father said, holding the base city map, walking ahead and occasionally looking back at his family following behind.
As the only experienced middle-aged man among the two families with B-rank martial artist strength, Shen’s father took on the role of pillar, leading both families out of the refugee camp.
…
“The pass only allows us to stay in designated hotels. One room in this designated hotel costs 1,000 fire crystal coins a night. Damn, why is it so expensive!”
“Why don’t they just rob us!”
At the hotel front desk, Shen’s father was stunned when he saw the price list.
Even the 1,000 fire crystal coin rate was the lowest tier.
Just then, Shen’s mother spoke up: “Then let’s rent three rooms. Sister Min can share one with Xiaoqing, we’ll take one, and Xiaoyan and Xiaoxue can share one.”
“This way, we save money. When we go to No. 3 Core Base City later, there will be plenty of places needing spending. Saving a bit is good.”
Su’s mother nodded as well: “Yes, that’s right.”
At the same time, her gaze glanced toward Su Aoxue.
‘I hope Xiaoyan can help guide you.’
As Su Aoxue’s mother, during these days of escape, she had noticed her son’s unusual emotions early on.
His expression was growing colder, his face somewhat numb.
Worried that her child’s psyche might be traumatized by this city-destroying crisis, Su’s mother only hoped that Shen Yan, as a peer, could help her child.
In the end, both sets of parents decided firmly to rent three rooms.
As for Su Aoxue and Shen Yan, neither spoke.
But just as they were about to enter the room, Su Aoxue stood at the door, looking at the single bed inside, and suddenly froze, as if remembering something.
She said hesitantly: “Only… one bed?”
“This type of hotel indeed only has single-bed rooms.”
Shen Yan explained nonchalantly: “Usually, no one stays in these hotels specifically for outsiders, but regulations require every base city to have one. To increase revenue, the owners set it up this way over time.”
During the war in his past life, Shen Yan had slept in communal bunkhouses with no privacy at all. He was long used to it.
So now, he naturally started pulling clothes out of his backpack to change.
“…”
Su Aoxue was silent upon hearing this.
Because at that moment, she suddenly realized a problem—she was a girl now!
A girl!
Could a girl sleep in the same bed as a man?
Su Aoxue couldn’t help but swap her current situation with her sister Su Muqing’s.
Imagining Su Muqing sleeping in the same bed as another man made Su Aoxue’s fists clench.
Her fists clenched!
How could she sleep in the same bed as a man, even if it was Shen Yan?
Su Aoxue said with a dark expression: “I… have a cleanliness obsession. I’ll rent another room.”
But just as she acted, Su Aoxue suddenly remembered that all her money seemed to be handed over to her mother.
After all, when they arrived at No. 3 Base City, they would need money to buy a house there…
“Why aren’t you going?”
Shen Yan turned back, puzzled, looking at Su Aoxue standing still at the door.
“I don’t have money. Can you…” Su Aoxue said, somewhat embarrassed.
In response, Shen Yan spread his hands helplessly: “Well, not really. My money all went into your stomach.”
“?”
Su Aoxue’s eyes widened slightly as she looked at Shen Yan.
Then she realized that the potion she had drunk earlier from Shen Yan—she hadn’t paid a single coin.
‘Should I sell the silver gray grass to get some money now?’
But just as this idea formed, she remembered that during the escape, worried about losing the silver gray grass, she had sold it all to Ling Feng.
And now, she had no phone, unable to contact Ling Feng, who had disappeared into the city!
For a moment, Su Aoxue’s face changed colors rapidly.
Like a Sichuan opera face-changing act.
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