246 Applying for an Upper-Cla.s.s Resident Card
If one wanted to settle down in the second base, one would have to apply for a permanent resident card. This was not difficult. The two of them left the hotel and asked someone on the way. After finding out the place to apply for a resident card, they drove directly there. Soon, they arrived at the place. There was a bright sign hanging in front of the office building on the side of the road, which read ‘Residence Office.’
This office building had a total of three floors. Compared to the other simple and crude buildings around it, it could be said to be luxuriously decorated. Especially this signboard that could even blind people in the thick fog. It was as if they were afraid that no one would be able to find it. Du Yue and He Xing each carried a backpack and entered the building. They found that the interior was equally bright. The transparent gla.s.s door completely blocked the thick fog outside.
There were all kinds of lamps on the ceiling, and the light they emitted was blinding. The floor was not made of cement but marble tiles that could reflect a person’s figure. Du Yue took a few steps and stopped to look back. Through the gla.s.s, she could see the thick fog outside. All the buildings around them were hidden in the thick fog.
This residence office seemed to be a different world from the apocalypse. It was isolated from all the dangers and unknown by a gla.s.s door. Du Yue stood where she was. She suddenly understood why the people here were fighting to become upper-cla.s.s residents and live in the inner city.
Perhaps it was because this was the only way they could temporarily forget the pain and suffering the apocalypse had brought them. They lied to themselves that everything here was no different from before the apocalypse, or perhaps even better.
Du Yue retracted her gaze and continued to walk forward, step by step. She was not fast, but her steps were steady. The two of them quickly walked to the counter and told the staff that they wanted to apply for a resident card. The staff member, who was wearing a black suit and had exquisite makeup, stood behind the counter and told them the conditions of applying for a resident card with a smile.
The conditions were exactly the same as what Ah Ping had told them. “If you want to apply for an upper-cla.s.s resident card, you need to pay 800 catties worth of food.”
After hearing the staff’s conditions, He Xing asked, “How much would it cost to pay with cigarettes and wine?”
Although things like cigarettes and wine were not food, they were hard currency in the apocalypse, and their value was far higher than food. The staff member was not surprised by He Xing’s question. She still had a faint smile on her face. “The value of cigarettes and wine is higher than that of food, but the exact amount will depend on the grade of your items.”
He Xing nodded, took off his backpack, and unzipped it. The staff followed his movement and looked over. The things in the backpack came into view. This mountaineering bag that was half the height of a man did not contain anything else but cigarettes, bottles of exquisitely packaged wine, and a few tea cakes.
Whether it was the cigarettes, wine, or tea cakes, just from the packaging and brand, it could be seen that they were all high-quality goods that were also expensive. Even before the apocalypse, not everyone could afford them. Of course, their value was even higher now. There were many rich and powerful people in the inner city. They liked to enjoy themselves, so they were not prudent when eating, drinking, and playing.
The only thing they were lacking now was the high-end goods brought by He Xing. After all, there were still people who issued requests and wanted to buy all kinds of things at a high price. As long as someone was willing to sell, they were even willing to pay several times the price.
The staff member was calm before this. After all, in her position, she saw a lot of supplies every day. However, at this moment, the signature smile on her face disappeared, and in its place was a look of surprise.
Just by looking at her reaction, Du Yue had a faint guess in her heart. This staff member did not have the ability to keep all of these things, but she was the first person to deal with them, after all. She could inform those who could give her benefits and sell the items at a higher price. She could take a cut from those people and win the favor of those powerful people at the same time.
This kind of thing was very common, whether it was before or after the apocalypse, so Du Yue was not surprised. Du Yue only wanted to know if these things were enough to apply for an upper-cla.s.s resident card. He Xing was also waiting for an answer. Seeing that the staff member was not saying anything, he could only urge her, “Excuse me, are these enough?”
He Xing’s voice pulled the staff member back from her thoughts. She nodded repeatedly. “These are enough.”
When the staff member looked at He Xing earlier, she still had a business-like att.i.tude. However, the look in her eyes changed after He Xing took out the items.