Because of this unexpected encounter, Aaron stayed overnight in the designer's stronghold, because according to the designer, if they set out now, they would probably not be able to safely enter the area around the district government until sunset, and once it gets dark, they will be like

Such ordinary people's ability to perceive the environment will be greatly reduced. Let alone avoiding the dangers that can be moved, just walking through the ruins is an irresponsible adventure for oneself.

Near dusk, the other two search teams at this stronghold also returned to the stronghold. One of the teams brought back two boxes of packaged food with the "Government Relief Supplies" mark printed on them, while the other team unfortunately returned empty-handed.

It could have any effect. Seeing the two young men's dejected and self-reproaching looks, even Aaron wanted to go up and comfort them.

But no matter who found the supplies, they were all eventually handed over to the one-armed man for safekeeping and distribution. It seemed that everyone trusted this man quite a bit.

In the evening, the one-armed man made a pot of recycled packaged food. It tasted weird. I don't know if it should be called soup or porridge. Everyone in the stronghold, including Aaron, the visitor, could get a bowl, and those who went out to do things could get extra.

They were given a chocolate energy bar, but according to the one-armed man, it was an advance payment for their rations for tomorrow.

"Brother, are you really going to take this risk?" Those half-dead people took away their share of the food and left in silence. The ones who stayed here to eat were basically using their own abilities to earn a living.

people.

"Adventure? What are you going to do again, uncle?" The half-grown boy who had met outside before looked over curiously. His work was now being taken over by the two self-reproaching search team members.

"Why are you a kid asking so many questions?" the one-armed man frowned unhappily.

"I'm just asking casually, so that I can know exactly where I can't go in case my uncle fails to come back after going out this time." The boy's reason was simple, but the meaning behind it was cruel.

"I have to go to the district government." The one-armed man stretched out his hand and pretended to hit him, but the designer himself spoke.

"Ah? Isn't that asking for death?!" the young man said with wide eyes.

"Some things have to be done by someone, and it's best for a guy like me who won't be missed when he dies." The designer just smiled after hearing this.

"Don't say that, uncle, I will still miss you after you die." The young man's tone didn't sound like he was joking.

"But you won't run to collect the body for me. Wouldn't the result be the same?" The designer gave him a blank look.

"That's true." The young man curled his lips and went to drink his soup.

"If it's around the district government, we won't be able to collect the body for you, so you'll have to ask for help." The leader of the search team who brought back the food glanced at Aaron, who was silent next to him, turned around and followed calmly.

designer says.

"I don't plan to come back after I go there." The designer shrugged, "I will draw a few places I know for you later that may still have supplies. Whether you can find them or not depends on your ability."

"Thank you." The leader simply thanked him, lowered his head to drink the soup and stopped talking.

The room was filled with the sound of these people snoring and eating. Aaron, who was sitting alone in the corner after listening to the conversation just now, was calm on the surface but found it hard to calm down on the inside. People in District 9 seemed to have a kind of human outside.

The group consciousness that does not exist in them, sharing this consciousness allows them to survive the cruel involution and at the same time achieve some kind of strange internal harmony. If the few people eating here now completely drive out the other half-dead guys, nothing will happen.

There is no doubt that their supplies can last longer, but these strangers who don't care much about each other's life and death are surprisingly consistent in tolerating those unproductive burdens. In turn, those who have completely given up resisting fate have not.

Because other people's kindness goes too far, they seem to be walking zombies, but they still survive silently and stubbornly.

If the same number and situation of outsiders were put in the same situation, Aaron felt that the outcome might be much more positive than it is now, or it might be much uglier than it is now, but the probability of things turning ugly is much greater than the positive situation.

After eating, people dispersed again and went about their own business. The one-armed man began to count the inventory again. The sentry boy found a sponge mat and fell asleep. The designer drew him for the leader of the search team as promised.

They knew the location of the material cache and told them to give the same portion to another team of people who were currently on guard outside.

Sitting under the lamp that occasionally malfunctioned and flickered, Aaron suddenly felt drowsy. He closed his eyes and thought of the other members of the investigation team whose condition was unknown, and of his father who was trapped in an illusion with only one brain left.

Thinking of my aunt and Xiaoxiao, who didn't know whether they were safe or not in this disaster, my consciousness soon fell into sleep.

When he opened his eyes again, there was still the flickering light tube above his head. The young man on the sponge cushion opposite had disappeared. The one-armed man was lying on his counter and snoring. There was no sunlight here, so he could not tell the time for a while.

"You woke up quite early, I thought you would sleep a little longer." The designer happened to walk in from outside.

"Five-thirty," Aaron took out his phone and glanced at the time on it, "I have never gotten up so early in my life."

"It's a nice machine, where did you get it?" The designer took a look at Aaron's cell phone.

"I used to work for Yu Wanzhi, and now I'm not unemployed." Faced with this stranger who was about to accompany him through life and death, Aaron told the truth.

"I knew you were not that simple. Is there a map on it?" The designer leaned over and asked without any surprise on his face.

"Here, do you have any good ideas about the route?" Aaron called up the map and handed his phone to the designer to look at.

"It's definitely not possible to take the right path. Beyond this building is a first-class dangerous zone. This area was the most noisy when the cyborgs started going crazy. Later, the government threw a lot of noise here as if it wasn't lively enough.

If you pile up drones, you are simply seeking death." The designer glanced at the relative positions on the map and said.

"What about the detour? Since you are willing to accompany me, there must be a safe route." Aaron was not in a hurry and waited for the designer to continue.

"Safety is also relative. If you just search for supplies, I won't go there even if you kill me. We have to go here." The designer curled his lips and drew another route on the map.

"Kaiyang Street?" Aaron has been to this place before. The whole street was once the property of "Old Man Zhang". Aaron still remembered his arrogant look when he met him, and he didn't know that he had a lot of prosthetics on his body.

Is the reformed person still alive?

"The man named Zhang was always afraid that one day the government would send troops to invade, so he built his property like a fortress. Although the result was completely different from what he imagined, at least the preservation rate of the buildings on his street was one of the best in the central area.

It is very high, and there are a lot of secret passages and basements inside, all of which are connected to each other, which is enough for us to use these hidden routes to pass through the most dangerous above-ground spaces." Speaking of Mr. Zhang, the designer's face showed the characteristic of intellectuals and ruffians.

An expression of disdain.

"But there must be a lot of crazy prosthetics still alive in that place, right?" Considering that almost all of Mr. Zhang's thugs are prosthetics, Aaron can imagine the problems he will face when passing there.

"This is why I say safety is only relative." The designer scratched his head depressedly, "If you go underground, you will inevitably encounter a few crazy guys who are still trapped below, fighting with the prosthetics at close range.

Not a good idea."

"I understand." Aaron has a deep understanding of this matter. He has already encountered the same thing once in the underground pipe network.

"If you want to regret it, now is your last chance. Don't lose your life because you can't lose face. That's the stupidest way to die." The designer stared at his face and said in a sincere tone.
Chapter completed!