Chapter 154: Shen Que, Find a Way to Get a Car
"What? We have to pay for living in this shabby house? Is there no justice in the world?"
"I won't believe it. If I don't pay the points, they dare not kick me out."
"How about this, in the end times, you don't know how to serve the people anymore?"
Meng Ci and his companion finally managed to wait until the flu was over before venturing out. They saw many people standing in front of a notice, expressing their dissatisfaction.
Meng Ci approached and took a look. The notice stated that starting from October 1st, housing would require points.
One room, thirty points.
One room with one living room, one kitchen, and one bathroom, fifty points.
Two rooms with one living room, one kitchen, and one bathroom, seventy points.
Three rooms with one living room, one kitchen, and one bathroom, ninety points.
Of course, there were also large communal rooms, ten points per month, with six people sharing one room.
Another notice mentioned working at the foot of the mountain and exchanging points.
The flood had long since receded, and the authorities had begun to establish a base.
In front of the notice, two soldiers stood in standard military posture, holding rifles.
"You can choose not to pay the points, but you must move out by tomorrow night at the latest."
"Otherwise, we will find people to help you move."
The Xishan refugee resettlement area had less than twenty six-story buildings, and initially, only about a third of them were occupied.
However, many houses, due to heavy rain and prolonged flooding, had already collapsed.
With the temperature rising, even the houses in Jin Shang Jia Yuan had collapsed by two-thirds, with the remaining third showing various cracks, making them very dangerous to live in.
Therefore, many people moved to the resettlement area.
Given the shortage of space, charging points was understandable.
Moreover, the government had installed solar panels to provide free electricity, so even if there were charges, the resettlement area quickly filled up.
However, the government had planned a new area at the foot of the mountain, using materials exchanged previously to build walls and construct a base.
It was expected that soon everyone would have a place to live.
Liang Xiu, due to his excellent performance during the flu period, had become an official employee of the Xishan refugee resettlement area.
He received five kilograms of grain, two cans of food, and some vegetables each month.
Initially, Liang Xiu wanted to stay in the official dormitory, but due to the shortage, four people shared one room.
As the temperature rose, even if everyone was clean, the smell from several men living together was unbearable.
Moreover, taking a daily shower in the dormitory was difficult.
Upon learning this, Meng Ci asked Liang Xiu to move back in.
After all, when Liang Xiu moved out, it was out of necessity.
Now that the flu was over, he should indeed move back.
Besides, when the villa was renovated, a room was prepared for Liang Xiu.
Liang Xiu agreed, but he left around eight in the morning and returned after five in the afternoon, and he had also advanced a month's salary, bringing back food.
Meanwhile, Meng Ci and Shen Que spent their days at home, eating ice cream and drinking cold drinks, enjoying themselves.
As for the air conditioning, Meng Ci hadn't turned it on yet.
Staying in the basement wasn't too cold now, and the ventilation system worked well, so the house wasn't stuffy.
With temperatures expected to rise further, the air conditioning might not be effective later.
While the weather was still mild, it was best to get used to it.
Sometimes, Meng Ci and Shen Que would go out for a walk.
To prevent getting sunburned, the sunscreen stored in the space came in handy.
However, the weather outside was getting hotter, with temperatures approaching fifty degrees.
Meng Ci was worried that if they needed to go out in the future, they would have to endure the scorching sun, and at such high temperatures, neither physical nor chemical sunscreens would be effective.
Moreover, not adapting to the heat could cause health issues.
Thinking about the recent sightings of various vehicles passing by,
Meng Ci considered whether it would be wise to take out a car from the space.
Moreover, he heard that the authorities had taken over several gas stations, but the cost of fuel was high, with thirty points required for one kilogram of fuel.
Meng Ci had stockpiled a lot of fuel in his space, so he didn't need to worry about running out.
Having a car would make travel much more convenient.
So Meng Ci told Shen Que about it, and naturally, Shen Que agreed to everything Meng Ci said.
It was already past ten o'clock at night. According to Liang Xiu's usual schedule, he would have been asleep by now.
Therefore, without hesitation, Meng Ci took Shen Que into the space.
"Shen Que, pick a car. We'll use it when we go out," Meng Ci said as he led Shen Que to where the cars were stored.
There were twenty-three vehicles, ranging from two-wheeled motorcycles to eight-wheeled SUVs, all of them top-notch.
Shen Que knew a lot about cars. As he touched each one, he realized they were all the best in their class, with critical components replaced by top-tier parts.
"But these cars are too new," Shen Que remarked.
"Driving them out might attract unwanted attention."
The vehicles were so well-maintained that even the paint on the outside was shiny.
In contrast, other people, even those with official vehicles, had to soak their cars in water before they could be repaired and used again.
Their exteriors and various parts were all old and worn.
Meng Ci nodded.
"Don't worry, we can make them look old."
Meng Ci fetched a bucket from the side, which contained some parts that had been soaking since the heavy rain. He had placed the bucket in a corner of the room, and now the parts floating on the surface were already rusted.
Shen Que nodded.
The two didn't rush to leave the space but went to the area where clothes were stored, intending to pick some to take out.
Meng Ci rummaged through the pile and found a few pairs of shorts, his eyes lighting up.
"It's so hot outside. Wearing these will be much cooler."
He picked up a few pairs of denim shorts and planned to try them on in the space house.
If they fit, he could wear them.
Shen Que saw this and his eyes darkened, quickly following Meng Ci.
Bang.
But before Shen Que could enter the bedroom, Meng Ci closed the door.
Shen Que paused, his hand on the doorknob, and waited for a few minutes before opening the door.
Before his eyes appeared a pair of straight, pale legs.
"Hey, I haven't finished putting on my pants yet. Why did you come in?" Meng Ci hurriedly pulled up his shorts.
Although the two had been intimate many times before, Meng Ci still felt a bit embarrassed at such moments.
The black shorts reached just above his knees and clung tightly to his legs, making them look even whiter.
To Shen Que, this sight was like a beautiful painting.
Meng Ci looked at himself in the mirror, finding the shorts quite fitting, and decided to take them off and try another pair.
But just as he started to take them off, Shen Que grabbed his hand from behind.
"What's wrong?" Meng Ci turned around and saw Shen Que's slightly red eyes.
"You!"
Before Meng Ci could finish his sentence, Shen Que pounced on him, pushing him onto the bed.
"Xiao Ci, we haven't been together for days..."
Shen Que lay on Meng Ci's shoulder, his voice tinged with a hint of grievance.