Chapter Five "The Stars"

No. 196, Area B, Level 495

That was the first time he saw the starry sky

In this dimness, countless brilliant points of light are densely scattered, slowly rotating as if they form a dreamlike river sprinkled with diamonds

However, Shang Jianyao can no longer fit into those clothes in the wardrobe

However, the corridors among the rows of rooms are quite spacious, paved with milky white smooth stone tiles, allowing at least five or six people to walk side by side.

Long Yuehong opened her mouth slightly, as if she wanted to persuade

Shang Jianyao walked among them, quickly leaving Area C, crossing a street covered in graffiti, and entering the more densely packed Area B.

And now, he seems to be amidst the stars

On the other side of the door, beneath the four-pane window, there is a relatively sturdy red-painted wooden table, piled with numerous books, and resting on it is a black fountain pen and a bottle of ink of the same color

He then lowered his palm, maintaining his current posture, and ceased all further movements

No. 196

This room is not the home that Shang Jianyao remembers. He recalls that his original home was number 28 in Area A on this floor, which contained one large room and one small room, along with a very narrow bathroom

This is a room that is 2 meters wide, 3 meters deep, and 4 meters high. A wooden bed, barely allowing the occupant to stretch out his legs while sleeping, is placed horizontally at the back, leaving less than 10 centimeters of space between the foot of the bed and the wall. Naturally, no furniture can be placed here, but the walls are embedded with expansion screws, from which hang two sets of plain-colored, simply styled clothing

The silhouette of this person has both hands extended outward, maintaining strict symmetry, as if imitating a balance scale

Shang Jianyao sat for a while longer, then picked up the tray and walked towards the exit, handing over everything he was carrying to the cafeteria staff stationed there

Being able to complete personal hygiene wrapped in a blanket without leaving the house is the dream of many employees

This is a mandatory regulation set by the company, reportedly to address certain emergencies and to prevent congestion at critical moments

The wooden table comes with a cabinet, behind it is a backrest chair painted in reddish-brown, showing many mottled marks. Behind the backrest chair are two stools that seem to be on the verge of falling apart, as if they are propping up the so-called "living room"

This underground building indeed has an excessive number of floors and accommodates too many residents. Both the elevators and the ventilation, drainage, and power supply systems face daunting challenges. Therefore, not only are there numerous elevators, each located in different areas and only serving specific floors, but the ventilation and drainage systems are also divided into individual subsystems, with every 15 floors or specific numbered floors sharing a single subsystem

The entire room became unusually quiet, and the sense of dimness seemed to deepen further

... ... is also fine

This wooden table and the clothes that his mother sewed herself, which were kept in the cabinet underneath, along with the two appliances, were returned to him after being entrusted to the orphanage for three years

商见曜 has always been very satisfied with the existence of these two facilities, as not all rooms are equipped with them

Shang Jianyao was once again stunned by the scene before him, unable to find words to describe the situation.

... ...

Many employees have to queue outside the public restrooms in their "block" to wash up, and during the night and early morning, when energy supply is insufficient, many floors in the residential area are extremely cold

At this moment, the light from the "street lamp" on the ceiling of the street penetrates through the window, casting a glow on the table, making the text on the surface of the books barely visible

His voice echoed hollowly, resonating throughout the entire hall, as if conveying the revelation bestowed by the "Stars"

They are covered in rust, suggesting that they have been used for many years

Behind this "living room" is the wooden bed placed horizontally

In the majority of the underground building known as the "Living Area," the concept of architecture is largely absent; the employees reside in rooms rather than houses. Many who work in the "Inner Ecological Zone" often compare themselves to those who have seen a real beehive.

With a crackling sound, Shang Jianyao pressed the doorknob with his other hand and pushed it forward, opening the door.

In this position, Shang Jianyao immediately noticed the electric frying pan and rice cooker placed on the stove.

Shang Jianyao closed his eyes, raised his right hand, and pinched his temples on both sides.

This spared Shang Jianyao from having to queue at public restrooms during his childhood, and from having to endure the strong stench.

One cost, three blessings

Shang Jianyao's gaze casually shifted, landing on the wooden table by the window

Shang Jianyao did not turn on the lights in the room because his energy allocation was limited, and he needed to conserve it

The rooms that were later separated no longer had electronic locks installed in order to conserve energy; instead, various ordinary locks salvaged from the ruins of old-world cities were used. Additionally, some were produced by the internal factory.

If one is not positioned exactly between two fluorescent lights, the lighting effect is poor. Therefore, businesses can avoid wasting energy quotas and complete reading under streetlights.

Shang Jianyao reached into his pocket, took out a brass-colored key, inserted it into the lock of the same color, and gently turned it

Shang Jianyao opened his eyes and, as expected, saw a vast and spacious hall

He could only recall the images of the starry sky that the teacher had displayed on the screen when he first entered university

Next to them, separated by half a sheet of plastic film, is a standalone washbasin. On the other side of the washbasin is a stove with a range hood above it, and below it is a cabinet used for storage.

However, that apartment was reclaimed by the company after his father went missing and his mother passed away, and it was reallocated to eligible employees. The current one was newly assigned to him when he left the orphanage after being admitted to university

He picked up the pillow stuffed with grain husks, placed it upright against the wall, and then leaned against it, half lying down and half sitting.

In this way, even if a failure occurs, it will only affect a portion of the area and will not lead to an overall collapse

Since the beginning of Shang Jianyao's memories, they have been in their own home: one was brought back by his father during an external operation for the "Security Department" from the ruins of a city in the Old World; he sacrificed other spoils allocated by the company to obtain this item. The other was obtained by Shang Jianyao's mother after their marriage, having saved contribution points for a long time, exchanged at a small market—new products from the "Supply Market" are quite expensive and always in short supply.

Among them, in order to ensure the stability of the drainage system, only a small portion of the numerous rooms subsequently constructed by the company were connected to the pipes

He heard his mother say that this was when she and his father had just gotten married, and his father, being frugal, bought wood from the "material supply market" and made it by hand

Shang Jianyao lay there, as if he had already entered a deep slumber

This is larger than the entire "material supply market"

Outside the "Material Supply Market," fluorescent lights cast their orderly beams from the ceiling, illuminating the path to the rest of the floors. Employees of various ages and genders gather in small groups, either heading to the "Activity Center," returning home in pairs, or watching children run and play incessantly

The hall is surrounded by black walls that shimmer with a metallic luster, giving a chilling sensation. Above, there is a dim mass, obscuring the ceiling, leaving one unaware of its height.

The only thing that allows Shang Jianyao to confirm that this room belongs to him is the white number on the door

After removing the key and closing the door, Shang Jianyao walked through the area illuminated by the streetlights and arrived at the dark bedside

The door opened only halfway before stopping, as it was blocked by Shang Jianyao's stove behind it

In the center of the hall, the "starlight" scattered, coalescing into a blurred human figure

It bears no distinction in appearance from the rooms on the left, right, or opposite; the walls are a solid black, possessing a certain degree of reflectivity, which gives it an unexpectedly profound look. The wooden door is entirely a reddish-brown, and beside it is a small four-pane window

Shang Jianyao walked for a while and saw the room that belonged to him

One cost, three blessings