The shabby Building No. 7 still looked terribly out of place among the many old and dilapidated buildings around it.
Su Su walked toward the staircase.
As she passed several floors, she occasionally saw a few women carrying wet clothes.
They hung the clothes on the iron railings outside their doors before returning inside and closing their doors.
Although this was a densely populated residential area, it was not noisy at all.
After walking for a while, Su Su arrived at the door of Room 7707.
The door was made from a large sheet of iron and covered in reddish-brown rust.
A rough wooden plaque hung in the center, with the four numbers 7707 painted on it in black.
Su Su inserted the key into the lock.
With a click, the iron door slowly opened, scraping against the floor.
The door swayed gently, making a creaking sound.
The room was about half again as large as the one in the quarantine building.
The little space of just over ten square meters contained a single wooden bed.
Opposite the bed, against the wall on the far right side of the room, stood a wooden wardrobe. Beside it was a wooden desk.
Above the desk was a small windowsill.
The setting sun shone through the old-fashioned wooden-framed glass window, filling the room with a red glow.
Su Su walked inside and discovered that there was also a tiny partitioned area.
Inside was a toilet, a mirror, and a showerhead.
The few available items already filled the small space to the brim.
Su Su tore down a piece of paper beside the mirror. It seemed to be a schedule.
It listed the hours when water and electricity were supplied: from seven to seven-thirty in the morning and from six to seven in the evening.
After stepping out of the partitioned area, Su Su sat down at the desk and lit the only candle on it.
In the corner of the windowsill, which was only about half a palm wide, sat a tiny flowerpot.
The soil inside had already dried out.
She did not know what kind of plant had once been planted there. Perhaps the seed had died before it could even sprout. In any case, there was nothing but bare soil now.
Su Su sat at the desk, lost in thought.
“Attention, all residents of the city. It is now exactly six o’clock in the evening. Please make use of the water and electricity as quickly as possible. Waste is strictly prohibited. Attention…”
A mechanical female voice accompanied by static rang out through the citywide broadcast.
Only after repeating the announcement three times did it finally stop.
Su Su stood up and walked toward the partitioned area.
After taking a quick shower, Su Su came out, watered the little flowerpot on the windowsill, and placed it back in its original position.
It was already dark outside.
The only light in the room came from a small candle, leaving the room dim.
After checking once more that the doors and windows were locked, Su Su stood in front of the little flowerpot on the windowsill.
She transformed into the form of a Selaginella and planted herself in the pot.
“…Xie Anzhou…”
She missed him…
The Selaginella slowly contracted and spread its feather-like leaves, looking utterly lonely.
The Dongshan Base was a place where hope and despair existed at the same time.
It was humanity’s final ark, yet it was filled with a bleak atmosphere of death.
It was like a withered grave covered in blooming flowers, trapping everyone inside.
When dawn was just beginning to break, Su Su woke up in a daze.
It was still early. The morning sun had only just begun to peek over the horizon.
Su Su walked toward the wooden single bed.
There was only a thin set of white bedding on the bed, along with the backpack Su Su had placed there.
She unzipped the backpack and took out the identity card from the inner pocket.
The identity card was about the size of a postcard, making it very convenient to carry.
The staff had given it to her yesterday when she left the quarantine building.
The staff member had told her that the temporary pass was for people entering the base for the first time and could only be used once.
From then on, whenever she entered or left the base or visited any place within the city, she would need to use this identity card.
Therefore, it was best to carry it with her whenever she went out.
Su Su put her identity card into her clothing pocket.
She pushed open the creaking iron door and walked outside.
After crossing the staircase suspended outside Building No. 7, Su Su headed out of the concentrated residential area.
At this time, the Dongshan Base had yet to awaken. There were not many pedestrians coming and going.
Road signs were posted throughout the streets. Although some things were different from what she remembered from her previous life, Su Su could still find her way.
She walked east at an unhurried pace.
After crossing several main roads, the surroundings became increasingly quiet, while the patrols became stricter.
A little farther ahead was the location of the base prison.
Su Su paused for a moment and looked at the layers of electric fencing gradually appearing at the end of her field of vision.
Behind the electric fences and numerous checkpoints was an area enclosed by three- to four-meter-high black iron sheets.
That was where the base prison was located.
“Who are you?!”
A military patrol stopped Su Su.
“Identity card.”
Su Su looked at the tall and burly military personnel standing before her, dressed in dark green combat uniforms.
She took the identity card from her pocket and handed it over.
The leader inserted the identity card into a black device about the size of his palm.
Su Su’s identification information was then announced by the black device.
【Su Su, female. Ability not yet tested. Date of entry into the city: X Year X Month X Day…】
“You just entered the base?”
Su Su nodded.
After listening to the information, the leader standing opposite her figured that the young woman had probably just entered the base and taken the wrong route. His expression relaxed slightly.
“The area ahead is the base prison. Ordinary personnel are prohibited from entering.”
“…Sorry…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Just don’t go any farther.”
Su Su nodded and turned around, retracing her steps.
However, after the patrol had gone farther away, Su Su slipped behind a nearby barrier.
She weaved through the area, taking several twists and turns. Using the surrounding obstacles for cover, she made her way to the rear of the base prison.
The guards at the rear of the base prison were clearly much more lax than those at the front.
Only a few scattered patrols occasionally passed by.
After all, the wall at the rear was more than ten meters high and completely seamless. No one could possibly escape from there.
Su Su waited for a while, but nothing happened.
She frowned slightly as she thought about the culprit who had caused their deaths in her previous life.
Perhaps it was still too early. “That person” had not yet taken action or done anything here.
But she had time to wait.
At worst, she could keep an eye on this place from now on.
With enough persistence, she would eventually catch some clues.
“Don’t move.”
A cold, familiar, low voice came from behind her.
A handgun was pressed against the side of Su Su’s waist from behind.
Su Su froze in place.
The cool, clean scent of cedar reached the tip of her nose. It was a familiar and reassuring scent.
The moment she realized who it was, Su Su immediately relaxed.
“Xie Anzhou.”