The government was still adept at managing public sentiment, knowing exactly when to make decisions to best calm the restless populace.
After the water supply in Mu Nan's neighborhood also became difficult, local news stations and the community began to announce that starting from Monday, residents of each neighborhood could collect government-subsidized supplies at designated locations according to a set schedule. Each person had to bring their ID card to collect the supplies, and proxy collection was not allowed. For those who were unable to go out due to mobility issues, they had to report to the community, which would then deliver the supplies personally.
Initially, the supplies offered were limited. Each person could choose between three one-liter bottles of water, two kilograms of rice, or a bag of five small packs of instant noodles. As for vegetables, there was nothing much to offer. Due to the extreme heat and lack of rain, open-air crops, whether vegetables or grains, were almost completely sun-scorched. Though there were some high-end vegetables grown indoors using hydroponics, their quantity was insufficient to supply an entire city, let alone a district. The scarcity of resources meant there was little left to distribute to the public as a form of comfort. Moreover, the supplies were distributed every three days, meaning this small amount was meant to last one person for three days. It was essentially the bare minimum needed for survival.
Despite this, many people felt somewhat reassured. At least there was free food available; even if it was limited, it was enough to prevent starvation. With high prices leaving many people struggling, and even if one was willing to spend money, many items were simply unavailable.
When it was time for Mu Nan's neighborhood to collect supplies, everyone on their floor except for the Zhang family had agreed to go together. The situation outside was getting chaotic with robbers on the streets, stopping cars, breaking into homes, and committing crimes more boldly than ever. However, the rule of law still held, so most criminals targeted isolated or vulnerable individuals, grabbing what they could and fleeing to avoid getting caught. Since they were a group of tall and strong men, their presence was less likely to attract trouble, making the situation feel safer.
Since Mu Nan's food poisoning incident, Qin Huai had not allowed him to go out. However, since the supplies couldn't be collected by proxy, Mu Nan had to go out as a means of getting some fresh air. At the agreed time, the three families left together and gathered at the elevator.
Upon meeting, Jian Chu immediately asked the other families, "Are there many cockroaches at your place?" He felt as though he had developed cockroach anxiety, constantly thinking the pests were everywhere in his home.
Xu Ming smiled and replied, "Not too bad. I brought a lot of pet insect repellents from the hospital, which are somewhat effective against cockroaches too. However, the hospital is out of stock for now. We should have a new batch next week. If you need any, I can reserve some for you."
Mu Nan glanced at Qin Huai, who nodded, and quickly said, "We want some! Can we get a whole box?"
Xu Ming said, "It depends on the stock when it arrives. I'll try to get you a box if possible."
Jian Chu, being practical despite his desire, asked, "How much is it per bottle?"
Xu Ming replied, "I can get it at the hospital's current purchase price, which is 360 per bottle for 500 milliliters. It mainly repels insects like cockroaches, mosquitoes, and fleas. The price used to be around 70-80, but now anything related to insects has skyrocketed."
Hearing this price, Jian Chu sighed, "So expensive. Forget it, manual pest control is more cost-effective."
Soon, the elevator arrived. Luckily, it was relatively empty as they had left a bit late. Many people had gone out as soon as it got dark to collect free supplies, so there were fewer people going up and down the building at this time.
Jian Chu noticed Mu Nan holding a misting fan and said with a smile, "This is pretty good. It sprays and fans at the same time, and the breeze feels cool with the mist. I didn't think of getting one of these before."
Mu Nan sprayed Jian Chu with the fan and said, "I used to stay at home drawing comics, and during summer I could stay indoors for months, always in the air-conditioned room. Even with a humidifier, it was still dry. Then I saw these misting fans and thought they were interesting, so I bought one."
This fan was something he had bought previously. Now, it proved to be much more effective at cooling than regular fans. After rebirth, he specifically looked for such fans and bought many. However, Qin Huai preferred using a hand-held fan and didn't want to use the cute misting fan with its built-in spray feature.
Looking at Qin Huai with his hand-held fan, Mu Nan used the misting fan to spray a few more times to cool him down.
Qin Huai only gave him a glance and let him be.
As more people became nocturnal, the streetlights outside had been reinstalled. While not as bright as daylight, they were definitely more densely packed and brighter than before. Some streetlights were even equipped with mosquito traps, attracting swarms of insects that buzzed around the traps.
As they walked out of the neighborhood, many people had already collected their supplies and returned. Some complained about the government being stingy, saying the amount provided was barely enough to fill gaps. Others were grateful for the timely assistance, lamenting that without these supplies, they would have run out of food. They were uncertain how long the supplies would last and hoped they would continue until life returned to normal. Without such aid, with job losses, extreme heat, and food shortages, they feared they might not survive.
Jian Chu remarked as they walked, "I heard some neighborhoods have started installing solar panels. With the current solar heat and daylight hours, generating power is quite easy."
Xu Ming replied, "Those neighborhoods are probably villas. For a residential building, unless the entire exterior is covered in solar panels, it might not be enough. Villas are suited for solar power since their rooftops are ideal. In our type of neighborhood, solar power would likely only cover elevator and streetlight consumption."
Yu Zibai said, "But if this extreme heat and sunlight become the norm, solar power will definitely become more widespread. It's just uncertain whether this is a temporary situation or a permanent change."
Jian Chu said, "If it becomes permanent, it's terrifying. With so little rain and such intense sunlight, it's as if the Earth's water is being evaporated. Humans would be left with no means of survival."
Xu Ming said, "It seems like there's a trend of people returning to rural areas. Many who can't stand the city anymore want the government to arrange for them to go back to the countryside to farm."
Qin Huai, having not seen such news online, asked, "Is it like the old days when intellectual youth went to the countryside?"
Xu Ming said, "It's definitely not like the old intellectual youth program. Even if the government wants to relieve city pressure by sending people to the countryside, rural residents might not be willing to accept them. And now, there's hardly any extra land available for farming. Developing wasteland isn't something that can be done quickly. Plus, city dwellers don't know how to farm. Even if there was land, the extreme heat would make it difficult to cultivate."
Jian Chu was curious, "So how does it work?"
Xu Ming explained, "There might be a household registration check, encouraging rural residents to return to their villages. Some people are looking to take advantage of this opportunity by paying to follow those who can return to the countryside, hoping to settle there. There's a rumor that if you help someone settle in, you don't need to register but can get a place to live and some farmland. The reward can be over a million in gratitude."
Jian Chu was puzzled, "With so much money, why not just buy a house in the countryside? Why go through all this trouble to have someone bring you there?"
Xu Ming smiled and said, "You think only city folks are smart? As the situation worsens, people remember that in our thousands of years of tradition, having land is always better than having nothing. Especially in natural disasters, city dwellers are left without water or electricity, which feels like the end of the world. Those once-looked-down-upon rural areas have suddenly become desirable. But if a large number of city people flood into the countryside, it would disperse the resources and benefits meant for the original rural residents. They might not accept outsiders without connections. They've become very united and exclusive."
Xu Ming's words were accurate. Mu Nan had heard similar things in his past life. People in private bases had mentioned that during high temperatures, some city people, seeing the worsening situation, tried to move to rural areas. However, whether they arrived early or late, if they didn't have connections with the villagers, they were often excluded and driven away. Even those who tried to buy their way in found that money no longer had much value, and they were also expelled.
Mu Nan had never considered moving to the countryside after his rebirth. Farming was not something one could just jump into and be successful. Even if he went to the countryside a year before the collapse of order, he might still be treated as an outsider and driven away. With no home left in the city and no place in the countryside, it would be futile.
Hearing Xu Ming's words, Jian Chu sighed and looked at Yu Zibai, saying with some regret, "We don't have those connections, and we missed out on the benefits of urban redevelopment and poverty alleviation policies. Now, we lack the conditions for rural living. Once, having an urban household registration was valuable, but now it's useless."
Yu Zibai said, "My grandfather was from the countryside."
Everyone looked at him, including Jian Chu. Although they had known each other for many years, Jian Chu didn't know much about Yu Zibai's family. He knew Yu Zibai's mother had passed away years ago, his father had remarried, and he had a younger half-brother, making it a new family. So, Yu Zibai had little connection to his old family. But Yu Zibai hadn't mentioned much about his grandfather.
Seeing their curious looks, Yu Zibai shrugged and smiled, "Unfortunately, I never met my grandfather. He passed away a long time ago, and my mother was still young and living under others' roofs. She later worked her way out of the countryside and never went back."
Jian Chu sighed, "What do you think those who worked so hard to leave the countryside only to find that staying there was better will think? Especially those who struggled to make a living in the city but found opportunities in the countryside. I wonder if they feel like fate has played a cruel joke on them."
Xu Ming smiled and said, "Who knows? It's just fate."
As they exited the neighborhood gate and headed toward the supermarket, they noticed some vendors setting up stalls along the road. It seemed that with the distribution of aid starting in recent days, the foot traffic had increased, so they seized the opportunity to make some money. The stalls sold various items: light-up toys, clothing, daily necessities, and some even had ice cream freezers and generators, selling ice pops right on the roadside.
Mu Nan glanced over at the stalls. The freezer displayed two signs: one for 30 yuan and one for 50 yuan. It seemed the ice pops inside were divided into two categories—one side priced at 30 yuan, and the other at 50 yuan. Curious, he went over to check what was being sold. He saw that what used to cost about 2-3 yuan now sold for 30 yuan, and those that were slightly more expensive, around 4-5 yuan, were now priced at 50 yuan.
After walking for a while, Qin Huai, worried about Mu Nan getting too hot, asked, "Want to buy one?"
Mu Nan shook his head. He was just looking, and besides, he had plenty of supplies at home. Why buy overpriced ice pops and eat them on the street? He wasn't that foolish.
As they walked away, a child ran up to the freezer and pointed at the ice pops, saying, "Daddy, I want this one."
The child's father, seeing the prices, tried to pull his son away, saying, "Hurry up, let's get our stuff and go home. It's so hot!"
The boy persisted, "I want this ice cream, Daddy. I want it, I want it!"
The father, irritated and overheated, slapped the child on the back of the head and said, "What ice cream? We can't even afford food, and you want expensive ice cream? Can't you understand?"
The child cried loudly as his father dragged him away. Passersby only glanced and didn't intervene. No one commented on the ridiculously overpriced ice pops. With any cooling item, whether ice pops or water, there was no cheap option. Prices of 30 to 50 yuan were considered normal, with some places charging up to 100 or even 200 yuan.
When they finally reached the supermarket, there was already a long line at the entrance. The distribution of supplies was managed by soldiers in camouflage uniforms, with two armed guards who clearly weren't supermarket employees. Next to them was a large advertisement banner, well-lit by several spotlights, clearly displaying the distribution rules.
Qin Huai and Mu Nan had excellent vision and could read the rules from a distance. The rules stated that supplies were distributed every three days and could not be collected by proxies. If there were children under 12 at home, parents could collect supplies with their household registration book, but it must be direct family members. For those over 12, they had to come to collect the supplies in person. There was no age limit for the elderly; those who could move should come themselves, and those who couldn't should report to the community for delivery.
Mu Nan used his small fan to spray Qin Huai's face and neck, making the breeze feel cooler. "Brother, should we get rice or flour?"
Qin Huai replied, "Let's each get one type. You get the rice, and I'll get the flour."
Yu Zibai, who was standing behind them, told Jian Chu, "Let's each get one type too."
Xu Ming, who was at the front of the line, looked back at the group and said, "Looking at you guys, I suddenly feel like the freedom of being alone isn't as appealing anymore."
Mu Nan comforted him, "It's okay. You still have your dog, even if it's someone else's."
Xu Ming said, "Speaking of dogs, did you know that many cats and dogs in the neighborhood have been killed recently?"
Jian Chu frowned and asked, "Did they kill them for meat? Do people eat cat meat now?"
Xu Ming looked disgusted and said, "When people are at their lowest, they'll eat anything, even grass roots. What's a cat to them?" Despite his words, he was deeply repulsed by this behavior. Although he understood that it was out of desperation, people who had never kept pets would never understand the feeling of considering pets as family. Even in peacetime, there were many criticisms of people who spent money on pets. Now, it was even worse.
Xu Ming was somewhat relieved that, although he was a veterinarian, he didn't have pets. Otherwise, he couldn't bear to see pets he had raised becoming food for others.
The line moved quickly, and soon it was their turn. When it was Qin Huai's turn, he handed over his ID and asked, "Can we still go into the supermarket to buy things?"
The soldier in charge of distribution replied, "Yes, you can. Scan the code over there to enter the online supermarket. For online transactions, you'll get a pickup number to collect in-store. Remember, the ID used for the purchase must match the person collecting the goods. No proxies allowed, and purchases are limited to once a week with restricted quantities. You'll see the details once you scan the code."
After receiving his ID back and collecting the water and instant noodles, Qin Huai scanned the code. Soon, Mu Nan had collected the water and rice, and Qin Huai opened his bag for him to pack the items. Mu Nan also scanned the code on his phone, planning to review it thoroughly later.
Turning around, Mu Nan saw Yu Zibai putting the water Jian Chu collected into his own bag, and Qin Huai carrying supplies for both of them, which made him smile.
Qin Huai, noticing Mu Nan's smile, asked, "What's so funny?"
Mu Nan used the fan to cool Qin Huai and said, "Just thought of something funny."
Qin Huai didn't press further. He took out a wet wipe from his backpack and wiped the sweat from Mu Nan's forehead and neck. The cool wipe, along with the fan, made things much more comfortable. "I told you to wear a tank top, but you insisted on wearing a short sleeve."
Mu Nan looked at people who weren't even wearing shirts and said, "Some people aren't wearing any clothes and are still sweating profusely." He felt self-conscious about wearing a tank top with his slim build.
After Yu Zibai and Jian Chu finished scanning the supermarket codes, they headed back. Jian Chu couldn't resist checking the app he had just scanned and exclaimed, "A bottle of water is 25 yuan, with a limit of five bottles per person and only one purchase allowed per week."
Yu Zibai asked, "How many liters is it?"
Jian Chu replied, "500 milliliters."
Xu Ming sighed, "It seems that water resources are really tight. Even the official supermarket has these prices. Did you notice that the people distributing supplies today are all soldiers? A little over ten days ago, the supermarket closing caused quite a panic. They said it was for renovations and would reopen soon, but when it did, there were no regular employees left."
Jian Chu also sighed, "The situation is severe." Soon he would be unemployed. When the smog was still around, he had done errands for this supermarket. Later, when the smog cleared but the weather became too hot, the supermarket no longer needed errand runners, so he found a job in logistics, mainly handling loading and shipping. Now it seemed like their logistics company might also be closing, and he hadn't found a new job yet. With prices like these, even those with jobs are struggling. Without work, he would really have to rely on government aid to survive.
Understanding Jian Chu's stress, Yu Zibai patted his shoulders to offer comfort. Even though he didn't have much money left himself, sticking together was better than enduring alone.
As they were discussing the issue of killing cats and dogs for meat while in line, they heard a dog's anguished cries on the way back. They saw a motorcycle with someone on the back seat gripping a golden retriever's hind leg tightly. The front half of the golden retriever was being dragged along the ground, leaving a dark trail on the road as it cried out in pain.
The motorcycle sped past them quickly, but the dog's cries drew the attention of nearly everyone around.
After the motorcycle had gone a short distance, a girl who seemed to have lost a shoe was running with a half-broken leash, crying and shouting as she chased after the motorcycle. Exhausted, she eventually fell to the ground and couldn't get up. Her hands and feet were covered in blood as she continued to scream in despair.
The desperation and helplessness in her voice were heart-wrenching.
Qin Huai put his arm around Mu Nan and gently guided his head away, forcing him not to look.
Xu Ming handed his backpack to Yu Zibai, saying, "Please take this back for me. My clinic is very close. I'll go treat her wounds." Although the dog couldn't be saved, he could at least help the girl.
Yu Zibai agreed and sighed. Watching Xu Ming walk toward the girl, he said, "Let's go home. We can't see these suffocating tragedies once we're back indoors."