Retired for A Hundred Years: Re-Employment for the Apocalypse Bigshot!-Chapter 368 - 363: Pure Misfortune
The environment of Nanling City is notoriously harsh.
Even within the city, it still feels like the sky outside is covered with a gray haze, never seeing sunlight.
Within the towering city walls, Bai Xiaotang, Lin Yuanyang, and You Le, each carrying 200 pounds of saplings, followed a group of Forest Guards, waiting to leave the city.
This was their training project for the day, to plant Purification Trees in the semi-Pollution Zone.
These Purification Trees are vegetation meticulously cultivated over decades by the research institute to purify the air in the Pollution Zone.
Each tree is valuable and requires proper planting and careful attention to achieve the purpose of purifying the air in the Pollution Zone.
Initially, the Forest Guards selling the saplings were worried that these outsiders might ruin their saplings, and followed them for several days.
Later, they found that their quality was high and they could meticulously meet planting requirements.
They also strictly adhered to the regulations of the Purification Forest and followed orders.
Only then did they gradually trust them and sell more saplings to them.
...
"Did you hear? A lot of saplings in the South District’s Purification Forest were damaged by mutant wild boars that sneaked in."
People waiting in line to leave the city chatted about recent news in their spare time.
"Yes, I heard the losses were severe. The defenses in the south are really lacking. The person in charge of the planting area there is quite unlucky."
"I guess this month’s target won’t be met again."
"Not only this month, but I heard they haven’t met it for three months in a row, getting criticized from above and having a lot of salary deducted."
"Tsk, tsk... I guess they’re going to be short on people again."
"Sigh... What can be done? The defense is weak, no matter how much is planted, it’s destroyed quickly."
"The people above do nothing but cause trouble. Why don’t they hassle the defenses instead? They keep breathing down our necks, with such little pay and deductions for performance, bah—"
"Shh—are you out of your mind?"
Suddenly, a Forest Guard pulled the complaining colleague aside and glanced at Bai Xiaotang and the others not far behind them, signaling him to stop talking nonsense to avoid trouble.
But Bai Xiaotang, who was listening intently, couldn’t hold back and asked with a naive smile, "Uncle, why don’t you report directly to the base, to send more personnel over? The base warriors are quite easygoing."
The Forest Guard’s face looked a bit awkward, as if he didn’t know where to start.
But the guard being stopped wasn’t one to hold back words.
Angrily, he said, "If the base took care of it, there wouldn’t be these problems. The southern defense line is managed by several Hunter Alliance teams. Those people are just..."
"Lao Zhao! Stop talking nonsense!" A Forest Guard suddenly warned with his eyes, then unhappily looked at Bai Xiaotang, "Girl, don’t inquire about things you shouldn’t here, it’s for your own good."
Then he picked up the tied saplings from the ground, carried them on his shoulder, and quickly walked towards the city gate.
Bai Xiaotang watched the moving queue ahead, her cheeks a bit flushed.
Lin Yuanyang walked up to her and whispered, "The Hunter Alliance people are not easy to deal with; the first base can’t control what’s going on there."
"What’s the Hunter Alliance?" You Le curiously asked.
"It’s a powerful civilian organization."
You Le: ...
As the team gradually moved, Bai Xiaotang and her party finally reached the city gate.
The base warriors guarding the city gave each person waiting to leave a simple gas mask and instructed, "Finish planting the trees and return to the city quickly; don’t linger outside."
When it was Bai Xiaotang’s turn, she took the gas mask with one hand and sweetly thanked them.
The guarding warrior paused, his dark face showing a shy smile.
Regarding Bai Xiaotang and her group, they had been instructed by their superiors to pay more attention to their movements and ensure their safety.
"Your time outside is six hours, please mind the time you leave the city," the guarding warrior carefully instructed.
Bai Xiaotang nodded.
***
Leaving the city gate, the group headed to the train station with familiarity.
This is a line specifically going to the planting area, with a train approximately once an hour.
From the city gate to the planting area is about 20 kilometers, with two large mountains to cross. Walking alone would take two days.
So Forest Guards with planting tasks would wait here for the train.
Today, they were lucky, and the train arrived shortly after they got there.
The train had a total of five carriages, spacious seats, and a dedicated area for saplings.
The Forest Guards could ride for free with their work certificates.
Bai Xiaotang’s group didn’t have work certificates, so they had to buy tickets to board.
One person per trip costs 20, covering round trips, to be used within one day.
If staying overnight outside, a new ticket would be needed for the return.
The first time Bai Xiaotang rode this type of train, she was intrigued, but after the train started moving, she quickly felt numb.
The train moved very slowly, the road was bumpy, and the seats were very hard, making half her bottom numb after a short while.
Plus, the windows were sealed, and the ventilation system in the carriage was terrible, creating a unique smell.
Especially after finishing work and returning to the city, the smell in the carriage was enough to knock people out.
This time, Bai Xiaotang learned from her first experience and brought air freshener.
Once on board, she sprayed it profusely beside her seat.
The uncle seated across from her had a good laugh, asking, "You guys are students from the agricultural college, right?"
Bai Xiaotang hesitated and was about to deny it when the uncle continued, "I know you guys, every year during winter and summer breaks, you have tree planting tasks. My son has to come back in a few days for the task too. I worked hard to put him through college, and he ends up doing farm work..."
Bai Xiaotang let out a chuckle, "I’m sorry..."
The uncle wasn’t annoyed, he raised his voice a bit, asking curiously, "I haven’t been to college, but do college students have to learn tree planting now?"
Beside him, Lin Yuanyang pushed his glasses up, "Not generally, only students in agricultural and forestry colleges studying related agriculture fields learn scientific planting and cultivate new crops."
"Yes, yes, my son studies some agricultural and forestry specialty, cultivating drought-resistant, pest-resistant Purification Trees. He has to come back to collect soil from the Pollution Zone for some experiment..."
The uncle enthusiastically shared many stories about his son and the planting area with Lin Yuanyang’s conversation, including major events in the southern planting area.
"Let me tell you, don’t spread it around." The uncle leaned forward, lowered his voice.
Lin Yuanyang and Bai Xiaotang cooperatively nodded.
"The southern planting area is simply unlucky, suffering a disaster for no reason."
"How so?"
"Here’s what I’ve heard..." The uncle glanced aside, seeing no one paying attention to them, he spoke even more quietly, "The first base captured a lot of Hunter Alliance people. They’re dissatisfied and deliberately let mutant beasts in during defense, just to pressure the first base..."
"How can they do that!" Bai Xiaotang was somewhat indignant. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
The uncle quickly shushed her, turned to look at a colleague who glanced their way, and smiled.
After exchanging pleasantries, he turned back and continued to speak quietly, "Lower your voice, don’t let anyone overhear."
Bai Xiaotang quickly covered her mouth.
The uncle continued, "They say when immortals fight above, the little devils suffer below. It’ll be fine once a winner is decided between them. The southern planting area is just unlucky, neighboring the area defended by the Hunter Alliance."
"But this matter will pass soon..."
