“No, I don’t,” Huai Yu replied openly. “My Contribution Points are zero! But they still gave me soybeans and Nutrient Solution, and even the 600 acres of Qiangwei Gongguan Building 1 were allocated to me!”
As she spoke, a satisfied smile spread across her face. Under the flashlight beams shining from the soldiers’ shoulders, her dust- and grit-streaked face looked especially content.
At that, everyone fell silent.
Contribution Points of zero—they should have looked down on her.
But the person before them seemed like nothing more than a cherished, innocent young girl who, before the Cataclysm, would probably still have been preparing for college entrance exams.
Slowly, the group lowered their guns and asked, “Have you been here all night? Have you noticed anything unusual nearby? People? Animals? Or plants?”
Huai Yu thought for a moment, then answered firmly, “Only me.”
She was so resolute that everyone couldn’t help but chuckle. After a pause, someone spoke up: “I just checked—there’s nothing unusual in the entire area.”
“Don’t let your guard down. This morning, the Mutation Value in Corridor Zone 8 showed slight fluctuations. It didn’t reach the alert threshold, but having it happen twice in one day—we can’t afford to be careless.”
The soldier in charge signaled, and the group gradually regrouped, preparing to head back.
After taking a few steps, he turned back and asked, “Where are you staying tonight?”
Huai Yu pointed to the pile of rubble nearby. “Here! There’s a really spacious tunnel inside! It’s even a bit warmer than outside.”
She was quite pleased—it was much roomier than that Tree Cocoon!
The soldiers fell silent again.
Because the so-called “tunnel” before them was clearly just the foundation of what used to be Qiangwei Gongguan. And it was nothing more than a foundation at that.
But the military zone strictly prohibited outsiders from entering or leaving. Moreover, after years of Cataclysm, everyone was expected to take responsibility for their own choices and actions.
Zero Contribution Points, and choosing this largest allocated plot—that was her decision.
The team, disciplined as ever, regrouped and began their return journey. Huai Yu watched the departing vehicle with envy. “I really want one too.”
Then she turned and glanced once more at the Rose Corridor. The thorns above remained menacing, while the flowers were still soft and fragrant.
“Why are you so easily excited? Tonight, I’m going to stay far away from you—don’t tremble, don’t tremble! If you really get worked up, go drive away the mutants in the Wasteland instead. Just don’t cause any trouble here.”
She rambled on, her voice soft and gentle, carrying no hint of threat.
“There aren’t even any pine needles or leaves here, and the bricks on the ground are too hard—I won’t sleep well. Could you drop some petals for me?”
All around, silence prevailed.
But on the Rose Corridor, the branches rustled as they grew rapidly, and the unopened buds strained to expand and swell.
Finally, with a soft pop, they burst open.
Thousands upon thousands of blossoms bloomed at once, creating a wave-like sound that echoed through the quiet night.
Then, a gentle breeze rose from nowhere, swirling past the Rose Corridor. In the night wind, a sky-full of pink petals lifted into the air before cascading down to pile up at Huai Yu’s feet.
“Holy crap…”
Not far away, someone in a vehicle stared in shock, their face beneath the helmet frozen in disbelief.
Huai Yu felt a pang of annoyance… She hadn’t noticed anyone approaching.
But the person only hesitated for a moment before quickly driving closer—after years of Cataclysm, the romantic shower of petals before them clearly signaled nothing but danger.
Yet this was the Rose Corridor, which, along with the natural barriers of nearby Sanqing Shan, helped protect Huacheng from the threats of the Wasteland.
Its flowers… well, even if they bloomed a bit excessively, the other person didn’t think the petals or the spring breeze had anything to do with Huai Yu. Instead, they quickly walked over with a package:
“Don’t get too close to any plants, not even the Rose Corridor.”
“Also, this is a sleeping bag our team leader applied for you. Take it. It’s early spring now, and sleeping on the ground will make you sick.”
Huai Yu took it in a daze, then suddenly remembered everything she had experienced throughout the day and broke into a soft, genuine smile:
“Thank you, big brother. You’re all so kind.”
The person paused, clearly taken aback by the little-sister-like girl calling him “big brother” so sweetly, stirring a sense of protectiveness in him.
But zero Contribution Points…
His rationality returned, and after a moment’s thought, he still advised: “Little girl, the country is rebuilding from the ground up right now, and every industry needs hands. If you grit your teeth and work hard, don’t just drift along like this… otherwise, you really won’t have enough to eat.”
With that, he turned to leave, then doubled back, pulling out a bag to scoop up a pile of petals:
“The Rose Corridor showed three anomalies today. I’m taking these petals back for testing. Since you’ve chosen to stay here, be extra careful in everything.”
He left, and the surroundings fell back into silence, with only the rustling of the Rose Corridor’s branches, clearly not very pleased.
Huai Yu looked at the thick, pink petals piled like a soft quilt at her feet and said gently:
“Alright, alright, I have a sleeping bag, but the ground is still hard. I was planning to use you to line the tunnel, but now… I’ll just put the sleeping bag on top!”
…
After a lot of huffing and puffing, the maroon sleeping bag was stuffed full of petals and then emptied into the tunnel.
Huai Yu made trip after trip, and only when the square-shaped tunnel was filled with fragrant petals did she lay the sleeping bag on top and crawl inside.
“Wow! This is so comfortable to lie on!”
She let out a long sigh, looking up at the tightly sealed ceiling of bricks and concrete, when it suddenly dawned on her:
“Huh? Why does the Rose Corridor listen to me?”
And also… why did she keep sensing a restless vitality in the bag of soybeans she had brought back?
Lost in drowsy thoughts, she finally concluded:
“It must be because I’m really amazing, that’s why I have such abilities… Indeed, even though I can’t remember much from before, I’m definitely this incredible.”
Amid the rich fragrance, her body, along with the sleeping bag, was slowly enveloped by the pink petals, then gradually sank down.
…
The next morning, Huai Yu woke to the sound of a broadcast.
[Today is Thursday, March 19, 2066, sunny. Due to the influence of typhoons from coastal cities, our city is expected to experience rainy weather next week. Please be prepared…]
[Spring rain brings life, and all things flourish. All departments must remain vigilant in their work to guard against mutation.]
[Last night, there was a riot of mutants at the Third Prison. One person is currently at large. All residents are advised…]
The broadcast came from the loudspeaker on the tall pole from last night, clearly serving not only to detect Mutation Value but also as a communication tool.
But it was too close and a bit noisy.
Huai Yu wriggled out of the maroon sleeping bag, only to find that the once-rich petals around her had withered overnight into piles of dry, brown-yellow petals, stacked unpleasantly on the ground.
She sighed, realizing that a bed of petals was indeed not a long-term solution. Now she needed to find a stable place to sleep.
But looking at the vast foundation before her… even if the brick and stone structure was sturdy and level, it was built underground. It could serve as a shelter and block the wind, but if heavy rain came, the entire foundation would be flooded like a small ditch…
Huai Yu didn’t want to wake up one morning and find herself floating on water.