Chapter 2624: Third-class Residents
Under the heavy rain, both the execution team and the anti-government alliance members suppressed the urge to take action and simultaneously turned their gaze.
Xu Huo didn’t fold his umbrella but stood in the rain and asked, "There should be a city near the station, Xinghua City."
Several players from the execution team exchanged glances, and the team captain said, "Xinghua City was destroyed a month ago. If you walk three times the distance ahead, you’ll reach the nearest city to the station, Yunguan City."
Destroyed? It wasn’t simply destroyed; the location of Xinghua City on the map had turned into a desert, with no trace of the city visible.
Without asking more, Xu Huo thanked them and used the spatial teleportation device to head straight for Yunguan City.
On the map he purchased, Xinghua City was a large tourist city near the station, famous for the eternally blooming apricot flowers, while Yunguan City, originally marked as Yunguan Village, was a little-known place.
However, upon arrival, he discovered that Yunguan Village had expanded to match the scale of Zone 014’s major city. High-rise buildings stood tall, aircraft frequently crossed the city’s sky, and floating holographic advertisements dominated the airspace. Mechanical reconstruction and erotic entertainment interchanged, with dazzling lights covering the entire ground.
Checkpoints were established at the city’s perimeter, requiring anyone entering, whether ordinary residents or players, to undergo inspections. The city was enveloped by a transparent bubble-like barrier that blocked all unauthorized entry.
Three lines stretched long, and as Xu Huo walked to the end of the queue, many ordinary people approached on foot, most of them with families, looking mentally exhausted, facing the city ahead with numb expressions, devoid of any hope for a new dwelling.
These people deliberately avoided the players in line, maintaining distance. From scattered conversations, it was clear they were residents of Xinghua City, forced to leave their homes after losing everything. Those who left early had already entered Yunguan City. Reluctant to enter the city, they hid in nearby woods, but after surviving for a month without food or drink, they had no choice but to enter the city.
"Why don’t they want to enter Yunguan City?" someone nearby wondered aloud to others in line.
Someone from the convoy replied, "They’re probably second-class residents of Xinghua City with limited assets. Here, changing residence requires a lodging fee; the more you pay, the better the treatment. First- and second-class residents can live in good places and houses, while third-class residents can only live in old, dirty, unrenovated areas. Besides, they have to do the dirty work for the whole city. Those unable to afford the fee, the original second-class residents, can only fall to third-class status. They probably didn’t want to live the life of third-class residents, hence their prolonged stay outside the city."
"But they don’t have other livelihood skills. What will they do if they don’t enter the city?" The speaker threw some bread to the group, prompting several adults to scramble frantically for it, then quietly feed it to their children upon returning to their families.
Given Yunguan City’s scale and development, there shouldn’t be a need to categorize people, but the resources in this area aren’t abundant, and there are frequent wars. Naturally, the powerful people occupy most resources, making equitable distribution impossible. Instead, they’re used as bait to keep the country running.
"I wish I could become a player," a child behind said enviously and hopefully, seeing the players at the front of the line obtain a pass by paying a minimal fee. "Once we become players, we can eat well and dress nicely!"
His parents, filled with bitterness, offered a word of encouragement, then fell back into silence.
"Welcome to Yunguan City." The player at the checkpoint handed Xu Huo a communication terminal, "This terminal is provided free for Outer Zone players, but it must be returned when leaving Yunguan City; any damage or loss will incur a fine."
Xu Huo nodded and passed through the checkpoint into the city. Residents from this zone behind him boarded buses already prepared nearby. There was a separately isolated road near the defensive barrier for those unable to pay sufficient lodging fees, denying them even the chance to set foot in the bustling metropolis, sending them directly to where they belonged.
He declined several autonomous aircraft offering rides and activated the terminal, walking along the street.
The terminal device could connect to the network, but it seemed to be a pared-down version. The collection of information terminal lacked more information about Xinghua City. Trying to browse from a ground terminal, he only found rumors of Xinghua City being flattened, with no official announcements regarding how or what forces destroyed the city.
Evidently, this area’s information management was very strict, and the maps bought from Beneath the Dimension might not be authentic or comprehensive.
After walking a short distance, holographic information about recruiting personnel for war zones popped up on a street ahead, listing the positions needed, main work content, and salary offers, but no passerby paid attention.
When Xu Huo passed by, only a face peered out from a sewer outlet to view the information.
Upon making eye contact, the person quickly lowered their head, touched the third-class resident wristband, and left through an adjacent passage with tools in hand.
"Third-class residents can’t come to the surface during the day," an elderly man opposite said while cooling off, "Don’t talk to them. If the execution team sees them speaking to Outer Zone players, delaying work, they’ll be punished."
The elderly man seemed merely wanting to chat, indifferent to Xu Huo’s response, "Luckily, I’m old and won’t live many more years. Otherwise, should Yunguan City be gone, I’d fail to pay lodging fees... I’ve spent a lifetime saving, stripped bare in an instant, and now feel pained even eating a meal with meat. The government never intended for ordinary people to live well; batch after batch of third-class residents ultimately fill the war zone."
Saying this, he fixed his gaze on a spot diagonally ahead, pursed his lips, and carried a chair into a nearby alley.
Two players approached Xu Huo, wearing the execution team’s hyena insignia. They glanced at him before walking past.
In this city, tall buildings flourished, streets were clean, and the place seemed prosperous, yet in reality, both the patrolling execution team and residents were on edge. Despite erotic ads being visible at any time during daylight, most people hid at home, with passersby hurriedly going about, unwilling to linger outside.
Xu Huo didn’t seek anyone to inquire but headed toward the city center. Upon crossing an intersection, a timid young woman carefully glanced around before hurriedly approaching from the opposite side. As they crossed paths, a round stone suddenly aimed at her forehead from behind!