Watching the convoy pass through the gates of the Sanctuary, Tang Yu clicked his tongue.
"Being human, acting so arrogantly, it's easy to invite retribution. By contrast, having such power, yet being so low-profile like him, is quite rare."
Of course, Tang Yu didn't have the inclination to meddle in others' affairs.
He had come to Lindong and probably couldn't avoid causing some trouble.
Most of the survivors around here were locals from Lindong Sanctuary.
These people would head out early every day and return at dusk, each seemingly showing some sort of identification before they were allowed to pass through the Gate.
Others, like them, visiting Lindong Sanctuary for the first time, had lined up next to the Gate entrance.
A simple shed had been erected there, with a banner hanging above bearing a few big characters: Identity Registration Office.
There were also some guide signs and related explanations.
Newcomers needed to register their details here before being permitted entry into the Sanctuary. The registration process wasn't complicated, only requiring basic information such as name, age, gender, plus any special skills, all to supposedly facilitate the Sanctuary's allocation of work.
There were three queues at the registration office, two for the general public and one for special individuals.
The special queue was reserved for Awakeners and professional talents, including medical staff, researchers, technical workers, as well as individuals with combat or leadership abilities, all of whom the Sanctuary was in short supply of. The Lindong authorities offered them considerable preferential treatment.
The special queue, though it had fewer people in line than the other two, effectively served as a VIP passage, providing preferential access as well as a means of recruitment.
Tang Yu thought that in addition to recruitment, many Awakeners were naturally hot-tempered; having them line up like refugees, meek and mild, alongside the other survivors could likely lead to conflict.
Tang Yu, for his part, didn't have a hot temper and fell in line behind the VIP queue.
Eileen, who had grown up in poverty, naturally didn't appear uncomfortable, while Grey Blade, as always, lacked a sense of presence... Well, that's when movies weren't being discussed.
The three of them, even in the VIP lane, still attracted some attention.
In this special passage, there were many professionals the Sanctuary was short of. However, like the other two queues' survivors, they were ragged and looked like refugees. Only a very few Awakeners looked spirited, but compared to Tang Yu and his companions, they still seemed quite disheartened.
Especially Eileen, who, despite wearing a hood that concealed her sky-blue hair, which was reminiscent of an anime character, her mere glance was enough to draw the eyes of those around her.
Tang Yu had thought that some might come over to strike up a conversation or even provoke them, but that didn't happen... Upon reflection, it made sense; most ordinary survivors didn't even have the courage to look their way, and even the more confident Awakeners dared not cause trouble under the Military's watchful eyes.
He shrugged his shoulders.
It seemed that showing off and slapping faces was unlikely to be triggered.
The VIP queue wasn't long, and since it had been over a month since the apocalypse, the number of new survivors arriving at the Sanctuary had dwindled. Soon, it was Tang Yu's party's turn.
Sitting at the opposite end of the service desk was a man who looked like a military officer, who observed them briefly before saying, "Two Awakeners, one normal person."
The man with the appearance of a military officer pointed at Eileen and Grey Blade, then pointed at Tang Yu. A young clerk beside him took out three forms: two for Awakeners to fill out and one for a regular person.
Tang Yu touched the tip of his nose. He originally wanted to claim he was an Awakener, but he hadn't expected that this military-looking man was essentially a human detector.
Indeed, Awakeners could sense each other's presence. It was obvious that Lindong Sanctuary wouldn't carelessly let ordinary people mix into the special queue, so they arranged for an Awakener officer to do the sensing.
Although Eileen and Grey Blade had concealed their presence, it could still be vaguely perceived, which left him in an awkward position. What exactly was this presence? Was it edible?
He decided to remain silent. Proving his identity as an Awakener seemed like too much trouble. Before the apocalypse, he detested going through all sorts of bureaucratic procedures the most. It was better to hurry up and get out of here after filling out the form.
He filled in the information casually and handed it back to the clerk.
As expected, the military officer turned towards Eileen and Grey Blade and began to speak, "Do you have any interest in joining the Military? The Military has the best treatment in the entire Sanctuary, whether it be various benefits or subsequent enhancement of personal strength..."
"Of course, joining the Military requires a series of assessments. If you're interested, you can fill out an application form first."
His voice was very mechanical, clearly having repeated the same spiel hundreds of times already.
Without even thinking, Eileen and Grey Blade shook their heads.
The military officer didn't ask any further.
In his mind, both Eileen and Grey Blade were just recently Awakened, not yet worth recruiting. He was just following standard procedure in asking.
As for Tang Yu, the military officer inwardly shook his head. He could tell at a glance that Tang Yu wasn't the type who fought often, but since he had come to register with two Awakeners, the officer let it slide that Tang Yu had listed "Combat Personnel" as his professional skill.
Stepping into the Sanctuary felt like entering another world.
The street facing the south Gate was very spacious. Even though ordinarily only Military vehicles could pass through, it was still bustling with survivors in various clothing coming and going, many of them hawking their goods like in a vegetable market.
Especially now, when many outdoor survivors were returning, some people simply found a spot to trade what they had gathered that day.
Tang Yu felt a bit dazed.
The buildings on both sides of the street were undamaged and retained their pre-apocalyptic state. If it weren't for the sallow faces of many survivors and their clothes, looking unwashed for days, he would have really felt like he had returned to the time before the apocalypse.
At the City Gate, some survivors held nothing in their hands, just staring at the entrance. Sometimes, when survivors walked in, these people would hurriedly flock to them, while at other times they remained indifferent.
A few survivors noticed Tang Yu and his companions, their eyes lighting up as they immediately approached.
A scrawny young man in tattered clothes spoke up first, "Boss, boss, do you need a guide? I am originally from Lindong Town, I watched with my own eyes as the Sanctuary was built from scratch. I may not have other skills, but I am very familiar with this Sanctuary. I can show you around the entire Sanctuary for just two kilos of grain."
Although the young man was shabbily dressed, he seemed more spirited than other survivors. Tang Yu considered for a moment then pulled out a palm-sized can of meat and tossed it over, "Is this enough?"
The scrawny young man clumsily caught the can of meat, his face filled with astonishment, "Enough, enough, no no, it's too much. I was only talking about two kilos of the most ordinary grain."
He seemed a bit overwhelmed, while the other survivors nearby looked envious and frustrated.
Tang Yu insisted the young man keep the can of meat and began walking, asking as he went, "Tell me about Lindong Sanctuary, will you?"