Quarantine Zone, Zone E
Power Station
As the primary source of electricity for the entire quarantine zone, the power station's importance was self-evident. It could be said that if anything went wrong here, all factories relying on electricity within the zone would be rendered completely useless.
Unlike the chaos caused by rumors or the Resistance Army—something that could be contained—if the power station failed, the entire quarantine zone would collapse instantly.
Therefore, as one of the zone's vital lifelines, the streets surrounding the power station had been completely cleared. The military was stationed directly around it, strictly prohibiting any ordinary quarantine zone civilians from approaching. All personnel lived inside. Leaving required formal approval. Nothing was allowed in; only outgoing items were permitted. Supplies were delivered via escorted vehicles. The security was extremely tight.
The power station was divided into three zones: the inner core area, the middle maintenance area, and the outer security perimeter. As Brian stood outside the fence-lined wall, these details came to mind.
Of course, such information wasn't something a mere search team captain like him would normally know. He had learned it from Lulu, a friend who worked inside. Anything more detailed was classified—she wouldn't tell, and he wouldn't press.
Although standing outside the facility, the moment Brian appeared, the soldiers on guard at the entrance immediately became alert.
—Hello!
Under the watchful eyes of all the soldiers, Brian calmly walked up to the guard booth, stopped in front of a young soldier, saluted, and presented his identification.
The soldier glanced at the ID, his expression softened slightly, but he still followed protocol:
—What do you need?
—I have a note for Lulu, the head of the engineering team. Could you pass it to her during her break?
After getting his ID back, Brian pulled out a small piece of paper he'd written on the way, folded it neatly, and placed it on the booth's counter. When he removed his hand, a small pack of biscuits sat on top of the note.
There was no other way. As a high-security site, the power station didn't allow casual visits, even for fellow quarantine zone soldiers. Plus, all the workers lived in the middle maintenance area and rarely left. To contact them, you had to send a message, which they'd then use to request leave.
Years ago, in the early days of the quarantine zone, simply leaving a message would've been enough. But now, everyone knew the situation. Without an incentive, no one would bother running the errand. They'd only deliver messages in batches when they'd collected enough. By the time the recipient got the message, days—or even two weeks—might have passed.
The soldier glanced at the small pack of biscuits on the counter and smiled. Though it was just a little thing, in this era of scarcity, it was quite valuable.
Without making a show of it, he pocketed the note and biscuits.
—Don't worry. I'll give it to her later.
—Thanks —Brian nodded, turned, and walked away. He still had others to notify.
But he'd only taken a few steps when he suddenly paused. His expression shifted slightly, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
Because he saw, at a street corner near the power station, a middle-aged man with an aged face leaning against the wall, resting. That face… was unmistakably the same man he'd drawn yesterday—the one who'd spoken with Anna.
—What's he doing here?
The question flashed through Brian's mind. But after observing the man, he continued walking forward with a calm expression. Only the brief hesitation in his step betrayed his surprise.
The man's attention clearly wasn't on Brian. He didn't notice the brief anomaly. As Brian passed, he gave him a cold, indifferent glance and then looked away.
Once Brian had passed calmly, he slowly slowed his pace, turned his head, and looked back. Following the man's line of sight, he realized the man was observing the power station.
Brian feared his gaze might be noticed, so he only looked for a moment before turning back. His eyes filled with deep thought.
He immediately recorded the incident in his small notebook, so he wouldn't forget.
After delivering the message to Lulu at the power station, Brian's next stop was the agricultural plant factory in Zone B.
This was where crops—lettuce, fruits, vegetables—were grown within the quarantine zone. It also cultivated medicinal plants and herbs that could nourish the body and treat diseases.
Across the entire quarantine zone, there were three such agricultural plant factories. Though not as critical as the power station, they were still one of the key resource production sites.
However, due to limited land, the fruits and vegetables grown here never reached ordinary civilians. Almost all of it went directly to the high-ranking officials of the quarantine zone government, who had first access. Only after that did it trickle down.
In the last two years, rumors had even spread that a secret section was growing poppies to produce drugs, which were then smuggled outside the zone in exchange for supplies.
Since no one had actually seen it, the truth of this rumor remained uncertain.
Brian, however, believed it completely. The information came from Dick, an apprentice working there. The reason it was so unknown outside was not only because sellers forbade buyers from talking, but also because the distribution channel was upward, not downward.
Anyone with a bit of common sense would understand: ordinary civilians and soldiers at the bottom were barely surviving. Even if they craved the drugs, they wouldn't trade their scarce food for them.
But the children of high-ranking government officials lived carefree lives, unaware of hardship. They never lacked food or clothes, yet had no purpose. They spent their days on parties and drugs.
When Brian explored the quarantine zone before, he'd once seen the only "rich district" from afar. It was incredibly lively—music and laughter could be heard even from a distance. While people outside struggled to survive, those inside lived in decadence.
Unlike the power station, the agricultural plant factory, though important, wasn't under such tight security.
Moreover, unlike Lulu, who worked deep in the core area, Dick was just an apprentice under a professor. Normally, he could only wander the outer areas. He didn't even have the clearance to enter key zones.
So when Brian slipped a small incentive and explained his purpose, the guard at the entrance readily agreed.
—Brian!
After waiting for about ten minutes, with a creak of the door opening, Brian heard a shout from his side. He turned. A boy around sixteen or seventeen, with freckles on his face, walked out.
—Dick.
Seeing the boy, Brian smiled and stepped forward to hug him.
The last time he'd seen Dick was half a month ago at school. Unlike Alan, the troublesome kid, Dick was quiet and obedient—the one who caused him the least trouble. Sometimes, he even helped keep Alan in check.
Brian had been surprised when Sarah told him a botany professor had taken a liking to Dick, made him an apprentice, and brought him into the plant factory.
But with a mission coming up, he hadn't had time to learn more. Now that he had free time, he naturally wanted to check in.
—Nice! You've gotten stronger! —He patted Dick's back—. How's it going? Any problems?
—Not really.
Feeling Brian's genuine concern, Dick felt a warm rush in his chest.
—Other than having to learn endless knowledge, it's not much different from school.
In truth, he was lying. Besides learning massive amounts of information, he had to tend to the plants his professor monitored and was oppressed by others, assigned long hours of agricultural labor. Every day, he was physically and mentally drained.
But he didn't want to worry Brian. Compared to those struggling between life and death outside, he was doing well—trading a little labor for knowledge and daily meals. It was already a good deal.