Chapter 1617: Guo Qingbin Team's Lodging Fees

Although Zhang San ordered that Hong Yi not be allowed to visit the inspection team staying in Territory Seven, that helicopter still didn't go to Hui-Three Safe Zone, but landed on a newly cleared open space outside the south gate of North Zone One's territory.

In the face of the frantically evolving Blue Star, humanity is both insignificant and great, for they are adept at utilizing and reshaping the environment, multiplying and thriving.

When the wasteland was first opened in Year Nine of the Calamity, compared to the four territories right next to the Safe Zone, North Zone One's territory was the least favored. But after two years, it had instead become the best-developed one, with the largest area of reclaimed farmland.

After multiple discussions and inspections, in early October of Year Eleven of the Calamity, the Hui-Three Housing and Construction Bureau held a special meeting and announced plans to utilize the urban ruins between North Zone One and North Zone Three—totaling over 220,000 mu—the very ruins where Zhang Shi and Little Eleven had lived before moving into the hidden valley of Mountain Fifty, to build the second human Safe Zone for the Hui-Three Base.

To get everyone invested in the construction of the new zone, the Housing and Construction Bureau applied for special funding and issued a long-term mission to clear the ruins. Although the mission reward wasn't high, the Bureau made a promise: once the new zone was built, teams and individuals who had participated in its construction could exchange their mission contribution points for various new-zone benefits, including purchasing housing, opening factories, seeking employment, and opening shops.

This mission did not trigger enthusiastic participation from the Hui-Three populace, contrary to the Housing and Construction Bureau's expectations.

No human who survived to Year Twelve of the Calamity was a fool. The new-zone pie was indeed painted beautifully, but the fact that the Hui-Three authorities weren't sending troops and only issued missions to clear the ruins showed that the Base wouldn't be investing heavily in the new zone's construction.

The reason for formulating such a policy was simply to give out fewer mission points. In the Calamity years, every step was fraught with danger; many people didn't even know if they'd live to see tomorrow, so how could they possibly save up special mission contribution points that they wouldn't use for ten or twenty years?

So after this mission had been issued for three months, only a scattered handful of teams took it, clearing out a patch of over thirty mu outside the south gate of North Zone One's iron-net wall.

The Housing and Construction Bureau hadn't yet made specific plans for this area, so North Zone One put it to use as a temporary helipad and parking spot. Helicopters and vehicles that hadn't obtained North Zone One entry permits were all parked in this area.

Xia Qing didn't pay attention to how these people arranged things. Seeing the helicopter land and no longer pose a threat to the ground vehicles, she ordered the three armored cars to speed up.

As they accelerated, on the walkie-talkies of the lords of Territories 1 through 10 in North Zone One, Tan Junjie's voice sounded: "All lords, the Hong Yi researchers who came to Territory Seven and its affiliated experimental zone for inspection and study have arrived outside our zone's south gate. At this inspection group's request, the Inspection Team is issuing a lodging request: if any territory can accommodate 22 people, the inspection group can pay 300 points per day for lodging. The dormitory must be tidy, water and electricity are not limited, and they will pay for electricity at market rates."

Hearing that they'd pay so many points for just one day of lodging, many lords were tempted.

Tang Huai asked first, "Captain Tan, they came to Territory Seven for inspection and study, but didn't get Third Brother's permission?"

Tan Junjie's voice remained stern, "The Inspection Team has no authority to inquire into matters within a territory."

Tan Junjie didn't know that Tang Huai had directly called Territory Seven, "Third Brother, you there?"

Everyone……Huai-ge, did you forget you're on Third Brother's blacklist?

Zhou Jing beside Tang Huai also quietly reminded Tang Huai of this. Tang Huai glared, "Third Brother blocked Territory Two. I've already withdrawn from Territory Two and moved into Territory Twelve!"

Zhou Jing's eyes immediately lit up, "Boss, your brain works fast!"

Tang Huai kicked Zhou Jing aside, pressed the walkie-talkie button, and continued calling.

No one responded. Shi Du cheerfully gave Tang Huai a way out, "Huai-ge, Third Brother is probably busy and didn't bring his walkie-talkie. The people in Territory Seven might not have heard it either."

After Shi Du spoke up, Zhang Song finally came online, "I'm Zhang Song of Territory Seven. The Hong Yi inspection team didn't follow the itinerary we provided and arrived early. The dormitory in Territory Seven hasn't been tidied up yet, so we can't let them stay."

Hearing this, everyone understood: this inspection team didn't follow the rules and had been blacklisted by Zhang San.

Tang Huai, lord of Territory Twelve, was the first to respond, "Territory Twelve doesn't have the conditions to receive tenants."

Kuang Qingwei immediately followed, "Territory Six's employee dormitory isn't tidy enough, and it can't meet the requirement of twenty-four-hour unlimited water and electricity supply. We can't receive an inspection team from the capital."

Everyone wanted to earn points, but more important than points was their life. Zhang San's special medicine was the lords' lives—in short, Zhang San was their lives. So everyone rushed to declare their stance, afraid that if they took sides too late, the big shot would misunderstand them.

Chen Zheng, who was working inside Territory Three, also expressed refusal on behalf of Xia Qing.

All twenty-three territories in North Zone One, without exception, refused the inspection team's lodging request. Tan Junjie wasn't surprised by this result at all. Then the representative of the Hong Yi inspection team, who had been standing arrogantly outside the south gate of Territory Three, received notification that all the lords of North Zone One had refused them lodging, and could only huffily return to the helicopter.

After hearing the report, the leader of the Hong Yi inspection team frowned, turned to report the situation to Professor Guo Qingbin, and then suggested, "Professor Guo, let's stay at a hotel in the inner city of the Hui-Three Safe Zone? The lodging conditions there are better."

Guo Qingbin, with greying hair and wearing glasses, shook his head, "The Safe Zone is too far from here, it would waste too much time. Contact the Hui-Three Base Commander's Office and have them help resolve the lodging issue."

Not long after, Xia Qing, who was accompanying her idol up the mountain, received a call from Yang Benming, Director of the Agriculture Department. She listened expressionlessly, then politely responded, "Director, I can't make the call on this matter. I need to ask the person in charge of the Ninth Planting Center."

Yang Benming urged, "Talk to Third Brother properly. Professor Guo Qingbin's team cannot have any trouble at our base, otherwise we won't be able to answer to our superiors."

"Understood."

After hanging up the phone, Xia Qing consulted her idol, who was stepping on a freshly cleaned staircase and carefully observing an aggressive plant beside it, "Third Brother, Professor Guo's team from Hong Yi contacted our base. The Base Commander's Office is coordinating and hopes they can stay at the Ninth Center. What do you think?"

Zhang San responded irritably, "I don't want to look at it."

Everyone……

Xia Qing cheerfully agreed, "Alright, I'll arrange it as I see fit."

So Xia Qing dialed Director Yang's number, "Director, the Ninth Center did build a batch of dormitories because we're recruiting new employees, but since the employees haven't moved in yet, water and electricity haven't been connected. And as you know, we're tight on funds here. Even if we wanted to host Professor Guo's team, we lack the means."

Yang Benming understood perfectly and asked directly, "Three hundred points a day isn't enough?"

Xia Qing answered frankly, "Add two more zeros a day, and it's barely enough."

Everyone……