Wang Fang kept itching to peek at the kitchen door. During the meal, Jing Shu had gone in several times to add dishes. Through the crack, Wang Fang could only glimpse a dazzling array of supplies. Jing Shu ignored these little maneuvers. Fortunately, she had planned ahead. Could her aunt not learn from Su Long and simply sit at the table and eat in peace? What little schemes was she planning.
"Elder Brother, I forgot to ask how you handled that black pig last time," Su Lanzhi asked. "Did you give it to Sister-in-law's elder brother?"
Su Lanzhi was harboring a private concern. She worried her sister-in-law might have given all the benefits to her own family.
Her elder brother Su Yiyang grinned. "We leveraged her brother's connections, and my wife and I both entered a government office. Now we are in charge of visiting our community. The job title is Consolation and Counseling Specialist, a newly added government role. You know your sister-in-law used to be a lawyer, and they happen to be short of talent in this area."
Jing Shu narrowed her eyes. In their previous life, even with Wang Fang worshiping her elder brother, she had not managed to get into the system. She had not expected that in this life, a single pig would get them both into the system.
Visiting the community, frankly speaking, meant serving as the government's eyes and ears. It was a job many envied, and the authority grew considerable in the mid to late stages.
Upward, their task was to report the number of survivors and deaths, and to understand the situation of every household under their jurisdiction.
Who might commit crimes, what each person did each day, then matching those reports with big data. If both big data and the visiting officer judged that someone had committed a crime, a conviction was basically guaranteed, and before long an official mark would be placed on them.
Downward, their task was to visit each household to console them and tell them the world would improve, to have faith in the nation's strength, guide public sentiment, and discourage disorder. If you did not listen, you did not eat.
On ordinary days, they also served as online commentators, shaping positive public opinion.
In ancient times, winning hearts meant winning the dynasty. Today, controlling opinion means controlling the nation's lifeline.
After the apocalypse, remember this: almost everything you can see online is what the government is willing to let you see.
With the rise of big-data monitoring, it would not be long before the government announced that everyone must carry a phone with GPS turned on. On one hand, it was to protect you. On the other, it was to monitor you.
Which made the visiting specialist even more powerful.
Jing Shu had always wanted her father to become the visiting officer for their community. It would make many things far easier later. Still, raising poultry was not bad either. Even visiting specialists would crave meat.
"Consolation and Counseling Specialist? That is a good post," Su Lanzhi nodded. Government posts now were all handled internally. It was not about corruption, but about trust and recommendations. If someone went wrong, the recommender also bore responsibility.
That was the national reality. If two people applied, one known and reliable, the other a stranger, they would choose the known one. But if problems arose, the recommender could not escape blame.
Wang Fang smoothed her messy hair and said excitedly, "Exactly. While others get moldy oyster mushrooms and maggots for relief meals, those of us in the system still get some vegetables every day. Add the daily work credits, and we can just about stay fed."
Su Yiyang added, "Trading one black pig for an iron rice bowl is a long-term win." He did have an eye for the future.
This was the difference between those inside and outside the system. The gap was already showing. Countless people would soon fight to get inside rather than working endlessly for a few virtual coins.
Seeing it was getting late, Su Yiyang urged that they should head back. The frogs they had received last time were at home. In this heat, if no one watched them, they might die. Frogs were now treated like treasures. "Lanzhi, thanks to your frogs, we kept our last bit of food."
"We are family," Su Lanzhi said, and still had Jing An drive them back. On the way, they dropped off some zongzi, pickles, and braised meat at Jing Shu's eldest aunt's home.
Naturally, there was nothing for Jing Shu's second aunt.
This followed Grandma Jing's words. "The eldest still thinks of his old mother and invited me to have rice and zongzi for the Dragon Boat Festival. The second is an ingrate and said nothing. Do not send her anything. Let her come on her own if she wants."
When Jing An returned, he brought back all the frozen pears and homemade rice zongzi from the eldest aunt's house. Jing Shu had praised them last time, so the eldest aunt kept thinking about it.
Jing Shu's eldest aunt was a sensible person. Even among relatives, give and take is the way to keep things long-term. With the ones you love most, you still cannot only take and never give.
That is the way to conduct oneself, and the way to deal with others.
On the Dragon Boat Festival, they shared some of the eldest aunt's rice zongzi with the armed police in the patrol car. Ordinary fare, but Jing Shu could feel the patrol grew even more diligent. Still, there was no news of the group Zhetian. That made Jing Shu irritable, as if eyes in the darkness were watching her.
In mid-June, the patrol cars finally withdrew from the villa. At the same time, Yang Yang arrived with Wang Dazhao.
"Let's talk at the door. I am filthy," Yang Yang crouched, studying the pit traps.
There had been no resolution with Zhetian. According to the latest information, the nationwide agents with code names had all fled to the United States.
"Are you sure you want to follow them to the United States?" Jing Shu asked, looking at Wang Dazhao who had undergone a third transformation before her.
At first, Wang Dazhao was a sunny young man, joyful at becoming a father. Then his pregnant wife died tragically, and he lost all reason to live, wanting only revenge.
After killing more than a dozen men, he said his life now belonged to Jing Shu. Back then, he was like a walking corpse. Jing Shu told him to infiltrate Zhetian, and he went to Zhetian. Perhaps he lived only to follow Jing Shu's orders.
After Zhetian's local cell was destroyed, Jing Shu told Wang Dazhao to follow Yang Yang. In less than a month, Wang Dazhao had turned swarthy, grown a short beard, and looked sturdier, with a new glint in his eyes.
The color of life.
Wang Dazhao looked at Yang Yang, his eyes shining. "Capturing Zhetian is part of the mission, but the lieutenant colonel also has major operations to do in the United States. How could I miss that. Do not worry. I will avenge you."
Yang Yang stood, boots scraping. "Do not think only the United States can stir trouble for China. This time, if I do not turn their world upside down, I will not return. They will learn what tooth for a tooth really means."
Jing Shu gave a thumbs-up. "I like the sound of that."
"I heard from Wang Dazhao you are looking for an RV," Yang Yang coughed, finally stating why he had come. "We do have a target, but you will have to retrieve it yourself. And you owe me a favor."
"Where is it? What model?" Jing Shu asked. Ordinary RVs no longer impressed her. Judging from Yang Yang's expression, her intuition told her this was not going to be simple.