Chapter 2: 2. Chapter 2: Plot No. 3

Chapter 2: Plot No. 3

Tang Lu, who had a foul temper and loved to compete and throw her weight around, had arrived. Xia Qing felt that the probability of securing her desired plot of land had increased by another thirty percent; it was almost a sure thing.

The crowd in the hall, seeing Tang Lu actually deign to stand in line before the empty desk, couldn't help but develop different thoughts about the task of farming outside the Safe Zone—a task previously viewed as a "death sentence."

Soon, the number of people queuing to claim land grew from thirty to over a hundred. The long line snaked twice across the hall, resembling a long serpent coiled within.

Tang Lu looked back at the people jostling and bickering to grab a spot, then shot a fierce glare at the two soldiers who were ostensibly maintaining order but were actually there to supervise her uncle. She snorted in disdain.

If it weren't for the military sticking to her like flies, she wouldn't have to come here and smell this stench!

When Tang Zhengrong walked out from the office area with his staff, Tang Lu, who had been wearing a sour face for over an hour, immediately stood straight and put on a sweet, obedient smile.

Tang Zhengrong, dressed in simple attire, pretended not to see his niece and walked straight onto the half-meter-high platform set up beside the desks to begin his speech.

"Everyone knows that our country's agricultural system has collapsed, and food shortages have become the main bottleneck threatening the survival and development of our people at this stage. Thank you all for responding to the national call, taking the initiative to claim land, and contributing to the country's food production. As long as we are united, we will surely overcome all disasters, defend humanity's dominance on the Blue Star, and rebuild our home..."

Xia Qing lifted her face, which was as grimy as most others, and calmly gazed at the man on the stage—the man who firmly held the position of second-in-command at the Hui San Base and appeared so gentle.

"Residents who take the initiative to claim land today will receive a special reward from the base: two months of rations per person, a five-year tax exemption on the claimed land, and the state promises to provide professional assistance."

"Whoa—"

As soon as Tang Zhengrong's voice fell, the hall and the area outside erupted. The line instantly grew by two more bends.

"However, there are two points that must be made clear to everyone." Tang Zhengrong spoke again, his gentle voice turning stern.

"First, the claimed land cannot be transferred or resold; it can only be inherited by the land user's—the lord's—own biological children. If a lord dies without heirs, the land use rights revert to the base. Second, the base will conduct an annual assessment of the farming situation on the land. If the standards are not met for three years, the land will be reclaimed. Once the land is reclaimed, the land user not only loses their status as a lord but can no longer apply for any position or task within the Hui San Base."

Once these two points were stated, more than half of the people scrambling to queue vanished, and those still in line became hesitant.

The thin, tall man standing behind Xia Qing asked loudly, "Mayor Tang, what counts as meeting the standards?"

Before the natural disaster, Tang Zhengrong had been the mayor of the city where the Hui San Base was now located. After the disaster, it was converted into a base, and he became the deputy base commander, still in charge of civil affairs, while the base commander was a military general.

Because "Deputy Base Commander" didn't sound imposing enough, the residents still respectfully addressed him as Mayor.

Hearing the resident's question, Tang Zhengrong smiled and explained, "For the first five years, as long as there is an annual increase of more than two mu of edible plant cultivation area on the land, it counts as meeting the standard."

Only two mu a year—that wasn't hard! The thin, tall man breathed a sigh of relief, and Xia Qing's tense nerves relaxed slightly as well.

Seeing a few who had left return to the line, Tang Zhengrong's smile deepened. He waved his hand and ordered, "The Hui San Base's first land-claiming ceremony officially begins. Everyone, please gather at the South Gate of the Safe Zone within two hours of receiving your land; the base will send vehicles to take you there."

Two hours? Xia Qing glanced quickly at Tang Zhengrong. Why the rush? Afraid that everyone would regret it after claiming the land and refuse to go?

As soon as Tang Zhengrong finished speaking, Tang Lu, who had long been impatient, tapped her snow-white fingers on the desk and urged the clerk, "Hurry up."

The fair-skinned male clerk immediately picked up the land use certificate and handed it to Tang Lu with both hands. "Miss Tang, this is yours, please keep it safe. According to the regulations, the first resident to claim land receives an extra two months of rations. Please take your certificate to the desk on the right to collect your rations, supporting supplies, and crop seeds."

As Tang Lu pinched the certificate with two snow-white fingers and turned to walk away, Xia Qing saw the words "Plot No. 2" on the certificate. She let out a silent sigh of relief and stepped forward to the desk.

The male clerk asked without looking up, "ID number, name."

Xia Qing raised her voice and countered, "According to the regulations, the top three can choose their own land and receive double rations, right?"

"The top three can choose their land and get double rations? Really?" The thin, tall man in third place let out a shout, drawing the eyes of hundreds of people.

Nonsense!

The male clerk frowned and looked up. When he saw the cold gaze of the grimy woman in front of him and the green badge she wore, cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.

If he said there was no such rule, this Evolver would surely seize upon the fact that he had given Tang Lu extra rations just now and cause a scene. He didn't know what would happen to Mayor Tang if the matter reached the base commander, but he knew his own position would certainly be lost.

His family of four relied entirely on this job to eat. The clerk felt wronged and stifled; it wasn't as if he were the one who set Tang Lu's preferential policies!

"You—"

Hearing the dirty woman's words, Tang Lu, who was in the middle of collecting her rations, turned to curse, but she was silenced by a seemingly bland look from her uncle.

Tang Zhengrong stopped his brainless niece, walked over to the desk, took a quick look at the slightly bowed Xia Qing, and asked with a smile, "There is indeed such an incentive policy. Young lady, which plot of land would you like to choose?"

Xia Qing's mud-stained fingers pointed firmly at a plot on the map north of the Safe Zone, which contained a long, narrow stretch of blue water.

"Here, Plot No. 3."

Targeting the most peripheral land—was she with the military or the Azure Dragon Team?

Tang Zhengrong's tone remained gentle, but his meaning was very clear. "Plot No. 3 is the outermost farmland cleared by our base. It's over a hundred kilometers away from the Safe Zone, making it very inconvenient to travel back and forth."

Xia Qing pretended not to understand and spoke eloquently, "Thank you for the reminder, Mayor Tang. I am an Evolver; I should go to the most dangerous and remote places to grow more food for the country and make a greater contribution."

Tang Zhengrong's smile stiffened for half a second before he formally glanced at Xia Qing's ID badge. "It is excellent that a young lady has such ideological awareness. Clerk Zhang, process the paperwork."

Clerk Zhang felt a sense of relief and hurriedly registered Xia Qing's personal information and printed the land use certificate for Plot No. 3.

Xia Qing confirmed everything was correct, collected her double rations and other supplies at the adjacent desk, and went straight to the window on the east side of the hall to exchange points from her ID card for two high-capacity power banks.

Power had not been restored outside the Safe Zone, and before installing solar power equipment, she would need the power banks to charge her phone and radio.

Xia Qing carried her supplies out of the hall, walked past the sallow-faced onlookers who were staring intently at the grain bags in her hands, and quickened her pace.

Tang Lu, sitting in a car by the roadside, stared at Xia Qing with a "you're finished" look. However, Xia Qing didn't care. Listening to the broadcast repeatedly announcing that those who had claimed land should gather at the South Gate, she quickly returned to the Evolver dormitory to pack her things.

It was working hours, so most Evolvers were at work. Xia Qing only encountered one or two people in the dormitory area, who appeared to be returning to pick up items.

During the disaster years, everyone was busy earning daily necessities and had no energy to pay attention to what others were doing, so when they saw Xia Qing returning with bags, they didn't ask questions, just nodded in greeting and hurried away.

Xia Qing returned to her dormitory and found her roommate inside.

Feng Wen, a Level 3 olfactory Evolver, saw Xia Qing return looking grimy again, immediately covered her nose, frowned, and put on an act as if she were about to be sick from Xia Qing's stench.

Xia Qing couldn't be bothered to deal with her. She opened the heavy lock on the iron box under her bed, pulled out the bags of luggage she had packed long ago, stuffed them into a large canvas bag, and then bent down to pack the bedding from her single bed.

Feng Wen, still covering her nose, widened her eyes. "Are you really going to the land? Have you worked yourself stupid?"