Two days passed, and under the leadership of Lan Qingya from the Nanqing Intelligence Department, about a dozen of her own department's intelligence officers and some Municipal Department workers sprang into action. They employed ordinary yet unusual means such as leaflets, small advertisements, and rumors, gradually recruiting several hundred survivors.
There was no concentration in one area; instead, the survivors were distributed across various strongholds in the slums, each harboring about a few dozen survivors.
Many more had been eliminated during the screening process.
In some bar's backyard in the slums, the comings and goings of survivors had noticeably increased in these two days.
After finishing his last bite of compressed rations, Tang Wenliang couldn't help but lick the crumbs from the corner of his mouth, sighing in satisfaction.
Next to him, another survivor who was also sitting against the wall nodded in agreement:
"I thought having a full meal would be great, but I didn't expect it to be this delicious. I think I tasted beef; I can hardly remember the last time I tasted beef."
The compressed ration was just a bit larger than a regular packet of cookies, and it looked quite unremarkable.
Disappointed, Tang Wenliang received the compact packet of rations from an expressionless man through the selection process.
It wasn't even palm-sized, very thin, wrapped in transparent white film, and he weighed it in his hand—it wasn't even a pound.
But Tang Wenliang didn't complain.
The other survivors who had passed the initial screening didn't complain either—they were just the lowest level of survivors.
Despite its small appearance, a packet of rations was a pleasant surprise.
As Tang Wenliang tore the outer wrapper and bit off a corner of the square ration, chewing it in his mouth,
A rich aroma burst forth instantly, and that small chunk of ration wriggled on his tongue. He savored it thoroughly for a long while, until the rich aroma dissipated, only then did he allow himself to swallow the mushy ration down his throat.
The delicious taste was just a minuscule part of it.
After digesting for a moment, Tang Wenliang was surprised to discover a warm flow emerging from his stomach, soaking his organs and flowing through his limbs.
Having starved for a long time, his extremely weak body slowly began to recover under the influence of this warm flow.
He had nibbled only a third of the ration but already felt a long-lost sense of fullness.
Having had his fill, Tang Wenliang looked around the large room at the other survivors like him.
There were twenty or thirty people, each had received a packet of compressed cookies and a thick coat, which he now wrapped tightly around himself, finally feeling warm in this cold weather.
Being fed and clothed, it couldn't be the work of a devil that devoured humans.
The anxiety he had been holding on to also eased.
Only, he wondered, what exactly were these people recruiting them for? And he worried that this good life might disappear at any moment.
Hai Honghui pushed open the door, and the two Intelligence Department officers guarding inside nodded at him respectfully.
He clapped his hands, and the sharp sound drew the attention of the survivors, whether seated or lying down.
"Many of you are wondering what we are doing and what you will do in the future. Due to confidentiality regulations, I can't say much now."
Seeing some faces numb, others disappointed, Hai Honghui didn't care, paused, and continued, "But you don't need to worry. Those of you who have passed the initial screening, at the very least, will have a job to sustain yourselves. If you work hard enough, some of you here could even change your destinies. That is all I'll say for now; you'll see for yourselves in the near future."
"Soon, you will leave Nanqing with us. Those of you with families, remember to report in advance."
No one answered; no one moved; the atmosphere was somewhat dull.
But inside, Tang Wenliang felt a fervor burning.
"These survivors are too dispirited."
Entering with a push of the door, Hai Honghui shook his head.
In the room, several Intelligence officers were present; this was the hub receiving messages from most strongholds around Nanqing.
Lan Qingya had also seen those survivors, "Some might not believe what we say; others are here just for the food, probably accustomed to a doleful existence. Once at Green Shadow, I hope the Municipal Department can change these people's mindset."
She merely sighed slightly, but quickly got back to work, "Currently, we have a total of 351 talents related to runes, but the number of new talents passing the selection is getting smaller... And although our methods are covert, the movement of hundreds of survivors might still catch the attention of local powers in Nanqing..."
Pausing, she said, "I've decided to take the first batch of high-talent individuals to Green Shadow."
At the bar, stronghold number one, housed survivors who were the highest quality talents from the initial selection.
These twenty or thirty people were even more important than the other few hundred.
Hai Honghui frowned, "These survivors are all slow walkers; Green Shadow is far from here. There are many dangers along the way, and even with all the people you've brought, it would be difficult to get them all to the Sanctuary safely... Moreover, once you leave, my end will be short on hands."
"Unless we use vehicles, but as you know, since the change, vehicles have become increasingly difficult to procure. Besides, transporting survivors by vehicle to and fro would take a lot of time, and now the failure rate of vehicles is high. It might be easier to wait until the railway lines between the two places are connected, then sending them over would be simpler."
Lan Qingya shook her head:
"I know, but the railway between Green Shadow and Nanqing won't be connected anytime soon. Ordinary talents can wait until the railway is operational, but this batch of high-talent individuals should be sent to the Sanctuary sooner to start training several Rune Masters earlier."