Hyperthermal Hell || Apocalypse Paradise #1 [Complete]

35: Is This Really a Utopia?

From inside her truck, Lin Sanjiu watched as Miss Li and Luther walked through the large doors of the factory. The door of her truck was locked, and she had winded up the windows. A few men and women were chatting beside her truck, seeming to be at ease as if they did not have to struggle to survive each day. They even reminded her of how things were like before the apocalypse. Many of them also nodded and smiled at her when she gazed at them.

A young mother pushing a stroller walked past her truck. The chubby one-year-old in the stroller even pointed at Lin Sanjiu while making incomprehensible babbles.

Even though she had prudently gotten Luther to investigate the actual situation of the place, she found her shoulders relaxing at the sight of the child.

"Is it okay for him to follow Miss Li all by himself?" Marcie asked somewhat worriedly over the walkie-talkie. Out of the three of them, Luther was the most suitable person. If something really happened, he could quickly return if he created a distraction with his shapeshifting ability.

However, before Lin Sanjiu could respond, Luther, laughing into his walkie-talkie, answered Marcie. "Don't worry. The people are okay."

Miss Li spoke indistinctly beside him.

Lin Sanjiu gave a sigh of relief, although she was mainly worried about the supplies in their vehicles. She believed that people could pursue many lofty ideals, but to provide shelter for just any random stragglers without seeking reciprocation... It seemed too good to be true. Even without considering any hidden agendas, did the "Oasis" even have the resources to do so?

No matter how much she thought about it, she anticipated that they would demand everyone to hand over their possessions and distribute the shared resources evenly. It was only logical. If she were overseeing the Oasis, she would also do this.

"Xiao Jiu, Marcie. Their compound is huge... I think they even linked up this area to the factory district beside the mountain. Oh... what's this?" Luther's voice suddenly sounded quite surprised. "Why are they queuing up?"

"This is our canteen." Miss Li leaned towards the walkie-talkie as if she hoped that the other two could also hear her. "Every day at 6AM in the morning and 9PM at night, we share a meal in the canteen. It's almost time now. These are the people who haven't had their breakfast yet."

Before Lin Sanjiu could react, a flurry of noise came from Luther's end, and he commented in amazement, "Xiao Jiu, their breakfast consists of millet congee, roasted corn, and a plate of preserved vegetables. The servings are pretty large..."

"You should see our dinner. We make sure that everyone has a serving of vegetables, meat, and rice!"

"How is this possible? With such high temperatures, how could you obtain the meat and vegetables we had in the past? Furthermore, how much water must you use to cook so much rice?" Luther questioned, finding her words difficult to believe. His words also reflected both Lin Sanjiu and Marcie's thoughts.

"Didn't you see our roasted corn? Don't worry, we can eat as much meat and vegetables as we want, and you don't have to worry about water too. According to our rules, however, I can't tell you too much, since you guys haven't officially joined us yet. But once you become members of the Oasis, you will naturally find out."

After that shock, Lin Sanjiu's curiosity was piqued. She believed that Miss Li was telling the truth.

She could tell by observing the people outside her vehicle. Each of them was full of energy, having moist-looking skin and healthy pink lips and nails... Even though Lin Sanjiu's group had enough food and water, they only ate processed food, which did not have much nutritional value. Their meals only served to satisfy their hunger and provide them with the calories they needed. Compared to the people in the Oasis, they looked emaciated.