"Big Data is now synced with WeChat Fitness. It records where you went and when each day, and you can link a family member's whereabouts.
Effective immediately, all citizens must complete daily face-scan check-ins. Community Consolation and Counseling Specialists will conduct random video spot checks. District governments will audit compliance. Civil servants, certain public institutions, and citizens aged sixty-five and above are exempt.
In addition to personal profiles, Big Data provides reporting and emergency SOS functions. Next year we expect to launch Big Data barter markets, virtual currency exchange, and a same-city marketplace. Please look forward to it."
The broadcast ended, and WeChat rolled out an update.
That day, nearly everyone was talking about Big Data, marveling at the novelty. At the same time, the advantages of being inside the system stood out even more. Civil servants, who were already privileged exceptions, made more and more people green with envy.
Talk spread about inside the system and outside the system. What counted as inside the system?
Not just civil servants, but workers in public institutions and government-affiliated sectors: people managing recycled goods, those in charge of food supply, supermarket kitchen staff, cleaners, security, and more.
How to become a civil servant? First join any government-affiliated job. If your work is good, you can convert to a formal post. Of course, finding a formal job now is harder than climbing to the sky. Most people have only scattered temp shifts issued by the government, enough to barely eat.
After dinner, the family each opened WeChat, curious about their own data. "Strange, I actually went there that day? I do not even remember," someone said.
Jing Shu opened her own Big Data profile. From January 2023 to now, her routes were recorded in detail, with curves and analysis charts. Purchase and spending records went back to 2018.
There was also a Work section: Honorary Consultant, Development Zone Management Department.
The Recorded on File section read: January 14, 2023, bravery in a just cause, commendation.
May 29, 2023, assisted in capturing Zhang Qiang, leader of Zhetian No. 3, and multiple criminals, Second-Class Merit.
Note: Second-Class Merit holders receive face-scan priority, skipping queues.
Other people's records were for crimes. Jing Shu's record showed a Second-Class Merit. From now on she would not need to line up for anything. Wonderful.
"I do not need to check in," Su Lanzhi said, holding up her phone.
"I do not either," Jing An said with a sheepish grin.
"I do not either," Third Aunt Jing Lai said, pleased. Third Aunt Jing Lai was not yet a civil servant, but thanks to the seasonings Jing Shu had provided, Third Aunt Jing Lai had been made a team lead. The director said the next formal conversion would consider Third Aunt Jing Lai.
"I not only skip check-ins and face-scan lines when buying or trading, I do not have to queue for anything," Jing Shu said, full of feeling. In the last life she could not fill her belly and hovered at the edge of life and death. In this life Jing Shu had brought her family into the system.
A wonderful start.
Grandma Jing and Grandpa Jing said, "We are old now. We will not fuss with all that."
The whole family laughed. Life was good.
…
With Big Data public, the status of those inside the system rose with the tide. With grain and water tight, everyone still living on maggots day after day wanted even more to find connections and land work.
If hard approaches failed, people turned soft, bowing their heads under another's eaves. Food was in the government's hands.
The government now pushed the line that those who obeyed would eat, and those who did not would be dealt with. The daily executions shocked people to the core.
What no one expected was that Wang Zhong, the former boss from the renovation company that Jing An wanted never to be tied to again, came knocking.
Grandpa Jing and Jing An were very busy lately. Whenever the temperature dipped, they worked behind the villa on a new structure, an oversized garage to prepare for the RV. With earthquakes and disasters coming, the structure had to be solid and quake resistant.
There was another reason. Jing Shu had to stake out all the ground that should be staked before next year's floods. Otherwise, next year even the underground garage would be packed with people, and trying to claim space would be difficult. Fortunately, behind the villa was hillside, fairly desolate. Though technically community common area, no one would live there, so it would not bother others. When the time came, Jing Shu could pay a "fine" and be done with it.
That afternoon before dinner, Jing Shu was mixing cement at the front gate with cement obtained from Master Liu the renovation foreman when an electric bike rolled up. A middle-aged man climbed off, wrapped in an army coat, his features still somewhat delicate. He took two big bags from the bike, looked over the villa, then looked over Jing Shu.
So people still came bearing gifts in the apocalypse. Who was this for?
"Is this Jing An's home?"
"No."
The middle-aged man frowned. "The house number points to this one. Do you not know Jing An?"
"I do not."
"I am Wang Zhong, an old friend of Jing An. We were very close. His wife is Su Lanzhi, his daughter is Jing Zhu. Look, I came to visit. Lao Liu told me it was here. I even provided this cement. Are you Jing Zhu?"
Wang Zhong had reached his limit with his own lies, but kept a patient tone.
"Jing Zhu your sister. You cannot even remember my name and you dare bring gifts?"
"I do not know, and I am not Jing Zhu."
Jing Shu narrowed her eyes. So it was Wang Zhong, the legendary old friend she had heard about for more than twenty years, always on Jing An's lips in the last life and this life, never seen in person. Even that faithful brother had come needing help.
Jing Shu's impression of Wang Zhong had always lived in hearsay. Whether Jing An was poor or down, Wang Zhong never appeared. In this life, because of the butterfly effect from the tempered glass cover, Jing An had fallen out with the company and been forced to withdraw. The mastermind was Wang Zhong. There was even less chance to meet Wang Zhong.
"I will go knock," Wang Zhong said.
Jing Shu stepped in front of the door. Jing Shu said nothing, but in truth was turning over the deeds of Wang Zhong across two lives.
It had been Jing An and Wang Zhong who founded the company, but in the end it became Wang Zhong's company with several other shareholders. Jing An was pushed out. Jing An never fought back, taking two percent dividends each year until the apocalypse scattered everyone. Later the company was sold to buy grain and Jing An was not included.
This life was worse. Jing An was expelled and forced to cash out, breaking Jing An's heart.
"You brat, whose kid are you. Move," Wang Zhong said.
Jing Shu still blocked the door. By rights, Jing An had been trained well enough and was no longer a doormat, but Jing Shu worried that if Jing An met Wang Zhong, old habits might flare. Jing Shu also wanted to see the meeting and get an answer.
How many points would the test paper Jing An handed Jing Shu earn. Jing Shu felt a little nervous.
"Jing Shu, bring some more cement," Jing An called from behind the hill.
At that instant, Jing Shu's eyes rolled. Jing Shu shouted at the top of her lungs, "Dad, someone is bullying me."