Chapter 129: My Name is Li Tian

The officer frowned and waved his hand. “Enough. You, take a team and start organizing the belongings from the houses of the deceased and the criminals. Load everything onto the trucks. I’ll stay here to conduct an investigation.”

“Yes, sir!” responded the subordinate.

Shi Zi was forcibly taken away, and at the same time, a team of police officers, accompanied by four rows of criminals, began dividing up the list of addresses. They split into groups of five and headed off to clear out the designated houses.

Jing Shu explained to her grandparents, “The criminals they brought along are here for ‘re-education through labor.’ Their job is to clear out the belongings from the homes of the deceased or the convicted.”

Grandpa Jing had just pulled out a cigarette to smoke but thought better of it and put it back. “Those houses must be empty of anything valuable—no food, no knives. They’ve even taken things like sheets, fabric, and bowls. What else could be worth taking?”

“They’ll take anything—beds, sofas, cabinets, even doors and tables if they can. There’s no sunlight now, and with the drought and fires, trees are scarce. Other materials are hard to come by too. It might be years before anything can be produced again. The government is stockpiling for the future.”

Jing Shu figured the government had moved on from stockpiling food to hoarding fabric, cloth, and wood. These materials were still valuable, especially as fuel for the harsh winters ahead, and would save many lives.

On the ground, Zhou Xiang twitched for a moment, a pool of blood forming beneath him, before slowly going still, his life slipping away. Within minutes, a swarm of corpse-eating insects descended on the body to lay their eggs. Soon after, flies began to gather, doing the same in the blood.

It was the first time the residents of the neighborhood had witnessed the process of a body being devoured. Everyone was too terrified to speak.

The officer gave a salute and introduced himself, “My name is Li Tian. ‘Tian,’ as in the teachings of Confucius. You may call me Officer Li, and I’m in charge of your neighborhood’s security.”

He went on to explain the new laws, emphasizing the consequences for criminals. Those who committed murder or robbery would face immediate execution.

Then, he outlined the benefits of being a government official, highlighting the hierarchy and privileges to stir envy among the crowd.

Finally, Officer Li concluded, “As long as you follow the rules and cooperate with the government's efforts, those without any criminal records may have a chance to enter the system. Don't cause trouble, or the consequences will be severe.”

He then began conducting a census and investigation, going door to door.

When it was Jing Shu’s family’s turn, Officer Li couldn’t help but take notice. It wasn’t just because her family was clean and didn’t smell bad, but also because her grandparents were in their eighties and still relatively healthy, despite the extreme heat. In the apocalypse, the elderly were the most vulnerable, followed by children.

“You have high blood pressure. Are you still taking your medication?” Officer Li asked, looking at Grandma Jing’s records.

“How could I not? Luckily, my granddaughter stocked up on a lot of high blood pressure medication before all this happened.”

Officer Li scribbled notes. “What a lucky girl,” he thought. This girl, Jing Shu, had been a food blogger before the apocalypse and had made several large purchases of food, which she then sold, earning a substantial amount of money. That’s how her family had managed to live comfortably during these hard times.

“She’s really fortunate,” Officer Li remarked. He didn’t think too much of it. He’d seen others stock up too—one young man who believed in the apocalypse sold his house and spent over two million yuan on food, most of which ended up rotting or infested with corpse-eating worms. What a waste.

Jing Shu, however, was more focused on one man in the crowd. He kept stealing glances at her, and when she turned to look at him, he immediately dropped to his knees, begging for mercy. Jing Shu was perplexed. She didn’t even know this person.

Chou Chou, the man in question, felt like he was about to die. Thankfully, Officer Li spoke up just in time.

“Who is Zhang Bing Bing?” Officer Li asked.

Wang Qiqi led Zhang Bing Bing forward. She was wearing a dirty dress, holding onto a slightly bulging belly, and clutching the arm of a fifty-something-year-old man. A twenty-something young man stood beside them.

Officer Li frowned as he reviewed Wu Youai’s report. He had been briefed on the horrendous situation in this neighborhood. If it were up to him, he would’ve executed both men immediately. Zhang Bing Bing had been tormented into madness—what was the point of her living on like this?

But she was pregnant, and the child was innocent.

Officer Li forced a smile, which came out more terrifying than reassuring. He pulled a piece of candy from his pocket and offered it. “Here, have some candy.”

Zhang Bing Bing numbly accepted it and immediately gave it to the old man.

The old man grinned smugly. He had “trained” Zhang Bing Bing well. He had also taught her that if anyone dared to harm them, she should threaten to kill herself.

Unable to hold back any longer, Officer Li snarled, “To hell with this! Arrest both of them!” He waved his hand, and two police officers rushed forward, restraining the father and son while pulling Zhang Bing Bing aside.

“Zhang Bing Bing, they’re going to kill your husbands! The baby inside you will grow up without a father!” an officer taunted.

Zhang Bing Bing went berserk, pulling at her hair and slapping herself, desperately trying to break free from the officers’ grip. “I need my husbands! I need both of them! Without them, I can’t live! I want to die! I want to die!” she screamed.

Jing Shu was shocked. The once professional Zhang Bing Bing had been reduced to this—a woman so far gone, mentally broken and brainwashed.

The police had no choice but to knock her unconscious.

Seeing the murderous intent in Officer Li’s eyes, the old man panicked. “Officer! Officer! We are in a consensual relationship with Zhang Bing Bing! We take good care of her! Without us, she’ll kill herself! You can’t keep her restrained forever! And who will take care of her if we’re gone?”

Officer Li glared at the old man, then called over Wang Qiqi for a private conversation. After a brief exchange, he waved his hand once more. “That’s settled then. Dismissed!”

Although Jing Shu was standing some distance away, she still overheard him. “Keep an eye on them. Whether the baby is born or not, let me know. I won’t rest until these scumbags are dead.”

Jing Shu sighed. In the years following the apocalypse, there would be many more cases like this. The moral bottom line had plummeted to new lows.

Grandma Jing lamented, “What a sin!” as they returned to the comfort of the villa. Meanwhile, Jing Shu busied herself preparing dried vegetables. The first batch of dried daylilies and radishes had been completed and stored in her spatial space. The second batch of eggplants and cucumbers had already been planted, with a few more growing in the villa’s garden. With these, she now had a legitimate source for her vegetables.

That day, she harvested some fresh cucumbers and eggplants.

Dried eggplant was delicious when sliced and dehydrated, making it versatile for many dishes. Dried cucumber could be prepared in several ways as well, such as being placed in jars for pickling or rehydrated later.