Embers Ad Infinitum
chapter-12

Translator: virtual group Editor: virtual group

In Room 15 of the 647th floor, Shang Jianyao—who had changed into a gray uniform—pushed open the door and entered.

Long Yuehong followed closely behind him and looked around curiously.

All kinds of weapons were reflected in his eyes. Some were long, some were short, some were silvery-white, and some were iron-black. Some were placed on the table while some were hung up. There were all kinds of weapons as if the room was holding an expo of hot weapons.

Frankly speaking, Long Yuehong had only seen the term ‘expo’ in books and learned the general meaning from his teacher’s explanations. He had never seen one in real life.

The only event that made him feel like it was an expo was the ‘new experimental species exhibition’ in the Indoor Ecosystem Zone a few years ago. Now, he felt that the sight before him was what an expo should be like.

Jiang Baimian stood by the door and sized up Shang Jianyao before nodding in approval. “You flesh out the uniform in style!”

The Security Department’s uniform was well-designed and stylish. Shang Jianyao was tall and well-built. He looked thin in his clothes and had a masculine aura. He fleshed out the clothes’ handsomeness and coolness.

“This uniform isn’t too good,” Shang Jianyao replied with a frown.

“Why?” Bai Chen asked in surprise.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Baimian opened her mouth and muttered, “I think it’s better to ignore him…”

At the same time, Shang Jianyao’s mouth opened as he answered Bai Chen’s question with a smile. “There’s no way to dance the Gold Coast hula dance in it.”

Bai Chen: “…”

“…Sometimes, I really don’t know if you’re joking or if there’s something wrong with your brain.” Jiang Baimian laughed as she looked at Long Yuehong. “Stop daydreaming. Go over there. Class is beginning!”

She paused and swept her gaze from top to bottom before smiling. “You look pretty smart and much more handsome than before.”

Long Yuehong—who had been feeling a little down because the two ladies had been paying attention to Shang Jianyao and neglected him—straightened his back and said, “Yes, Team Leader!”

When he arrived at the long table that Jiang Baimian pointed at, Bai Chen picked up a silver-white body gun and held the black anti-slip pistol grip.

“This is a gun that many Ruin Hunters and bandits in the wilderness have a love and hate relationship with. See this? The barrel is very thick and long. It uses 11.18 mm bullets, so it’s very powerful. It can be used to kill larger types of beasts. There are a few guns that are similar right beside it. Some are called Pythons.

“Its recoil is very strong. Without a strong body, it’s impossible to control it. Yes, all of you should have received genetic enhancement. There shouldn’t be any problems. Its original form comes from the Old World’s city ruins. This is the latest product of United Industries. The model number is 202, but it has one disadvantage: it’s easier to get jammed than other types of pistols. You have to pay attention to this when using it…”

Bai Chen told Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong about the United 202 pistol’s general information, structure, and usage experience.

After teaching them about this, Bai Chen picked up a black pistol on another long table.

“This one uses 7.62 mm bullets. It’s more powerful, smaller, feels good to the touch, and has high precision. It’s easier to carry and maintain. It’s just that it’s not too friendly to those with larger hands. It’s absolutely fantastic for me…

“The two commonly seen types in the wilderness are the Salvation Army-produced Ubei 6 and Ubei 7. One of their differences is that there’s a certain problem with the former’s design. Its stoppage rate is comparable to the United 202. Also…”

“…This one uses a 14.5 mm bullet. Its power is obvious. It comes from the ruins of Iron Mountain City, but the Orange Company has a replica. We all call it ‘Fatty’… However, it’s not the best among sniper rifles. I prefer Hawkeye and God’s Eye. Look, it’s over there…”

“…The best sniper rifles are actually gauss rifles and plasma rifles. However, there aren’t any here. Unless you encounter elite teams from First City or United Industries, you won’t encounter them in the wilderness.”

“…This is my favorite submachine gun, nicknamed Short Neck…”

Bai Chen introduced and explained each gun one by one. Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong listened attentively and familiarized themselves with them by holding them from time to time.

Jiang Baimian did not interrupt the lecture. When Bai Chen was thirsty, Jiang Baimian pointed at a thick steel tube on the table nearby and said, “Guess what weapon it is?”

Long Yuehong looked over and read the five Ashlands words from the tube: “Lin Nan Steel Tube Factory.”

“Haha.” Jiang Baimian laughed. “It’s actually a single-man combat rocket launcher. However, its main component comes from a seamless steel tube factory from the Salvation Army. Alright, you guys continue.”

…

At 6:20 p.m., Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong—who had showered and changed into their daily clothes—took their lunch boxes and found a seat in the No. 2 cafeteria on the 647th floor. The cafeteria in the Security Department opened at 6:10 p.m.—20 minutes earlier than the Residential Zone.

“My whole body hurts. Team Leader is too ruthless.” While Long Yue sat down, he touched the bruises on his body. It hurt so much that he gritted his teeth and couldn’t help but complain.

They had weapons lessons in the morning and combat training in the afternoon. Jiang Baimian did not hold back at all and trained them hard.

Comparatively speaking, Shang Jianyao could still last a little longer, but Long Yuehong was tragically defeated in less than 30 seconds each time.

“The effects of her genetic enhancement are definitely better than ours! Look, her strength, reaction speed, and coordination are crazy! She’s just like a monster! Ha, you’re also a monster, a little monster!” Today, Long Yuehong just realized that his good friend had not even used half of his strength in previous combat classes.

He actually managed to go a few rounds with such a monster! Even though he could only last for a short period of time, he still managed to throw in some blows.

Shang Jianyao smiled at Long Yuehong. “You can’t even defeat Bai Chen.”

Long Yue blushed and stammered. “She doesn’t play by the rules! Besides, didn’t you only defeat her a few times?”

He originally thought that he could easily win against a petite lady like Bai Chen with his size and strength. Who knew that he would lose again and again. After all, he had undergone genetic enhancement while still an embryo. Not only did he have a good physique and strength, but his reaction speed, coordination, and balance were also excellent. In addition, he also had many years of combat experience.

“There are no rules when fighting in the wilderness, only life and death,” Shang Jianyao calmly replied.

“That’s true. Her combat skills are very practical…” Long Yuehong said as he looked down at his lunch box.

On the potatoes dotted with white rice, the black dried preserved vegetables were spread out bit by bit. The gravy had already seeped into the rice. Above the dried preserved vegetables was a piece of meat that had more fat than lean meat, with layers and layers of alternating meat. This meat was dyed with the color of the gravy. It was thick, solid, and looked heavy.

This was the special meat dish that Long Yuehong exchanged for one contribution point—he had already enjoyed a plate of steamed pork in the afternoon.

“It smells so good…” Long Yuehong narrowed his eyes. “If I didn’t have to go out to the field, this job would be my dream job.”

Shang Jianyao glanced at him. “There’s still combat class tomorrow.”

There was no room for selection when it came to the special meat dishes. He also had steamed pork with preserved vegetables.

“…Stop talking. Eat quietly!” Long Yuehong’s face fell. He realized that he was getting more and more used to roaring after spending so much time with his team leader.

Shang Jianyao ignored him and buried his head to enjoy the potato braised rice and preserved vegetables steamed meat.

…

After dinner, Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong took their lunch boxes and took the elevator back to the 495th floor’s Zone C.

The two of them had just entered the Rec Center when they saw a tall girl with good facial features and a clean temperament walking over in a simple dress.

“Feng Yunying, why are you looking for me?” Long Yuehong forgot Shang Jianyao as he strode forward with a smile on his face.

The girl was a little stunned. “You just finished your meal? I’m here to return a friend’s item.”

Long Yuehong smiled and said, “I ate in the small canteen.”

“Small canteen? Where are you assigned to?” asked Feng Yunying curiously.

It could not be an ordinary department if it had a small canteen. In the Entertainment Department she was in, only the radio station had one.

Long Yuehong realized that he had let his tongue slip and forced a smile onto his face. “Security Department.”

Feng Yunying was stunned for a moment before she said politely, “Then you have to be careful.”

As the two of them conversed, Shang Jianyao walked to the side, pulled over a stool, and sat beside Chen Xianyu, the PIC of the Rec Center.

Chen Xianyu looked at the items in front of him and casually asked, “How is it? Which team were you assigned to? Do you want me to get someone to take care of you?”

“It’s a secret,” Shang Jian Yao said concisely.

“Heh…” Chen Xianyu turned his head away. He didn’t inquire further and patted Shang Jianyao’s shoulder. “Be careful.”

At this moment, one of Chen Xianyu’s employees came back from the ‘staff cafeteria’ with his lunch box.

Shang Jianyao looked at Chen Xianyu holding the lunch box in one hand and his chopsticks clicking rapidly in the other as he suddenly said, “Grandpa Chen, you said you know everyone on this floor?”

Chen Xianyu answered vaguely, “I don’t dare to say that I know everyone, but I know at least 95% of them.”

Shang Jianyao was just about to weigh his words when he suddenly saw a familiar figure. It was Li, whom he had seen at Zone A, Room 35 this morning, a parishioner of Life Ritual.

“Do you know her?” Shang Jianyao pointed at the beautiful lady.

Only

Chen Xianyu looked up. “Li Zhen. You should know her, right? You two used to be neighbors. However, you were young back then, so you might not remember. Sigh, she’s also a pitiful person. She got married and had two children. Then, she was transferred to another job with her husband. She was infected and could no longer have children. Meanwhile, her two children died in an accident a few years ago…”

Shang Jianyao silently listened to Chen Xianyu without saying a word. After sitting in the Rec Center for a while, he returned to Zone B, Room 196. As usual, he lay on his bed in a half-lying and half-sitting pose and waited for the radio broadcast to begin.

Before long, the familiar sweet voice echoed in every floor’s Residential Zone. “Good evening, everyone. I’m the news broadcaster, Hou Yi. It’s 8 p.m. now…

“…Due to the abnormal weather this year, monsters have already begun migrating in the Ashlands above…

“…There are traces of the Monks Conclave in the wilderness near the company…

“…

“…The animal diarrhea of Indoor Ecosystem Zone, Ranch 59 has been treated…

“…The Entertainment Department decided to hold a staff basketball match at the Rec Center this week on their rest day…”