Industrial Cthulhu doesn't believe in the end times.

Chapter 81 Work Points
Two days have passed since the expansion of the secret realm, and those caught up in it have not yet been able to get out. Survivors from nearby shelters have been moved to the other side of the city, which is farther away from the secret realm.

It wasn't easy; it involved many sacrifices, but we managed to do it in the end.

Several shelters were linked together, and under the pressure of this huge upheaval, Haiqu actually had the opportunity to establish a large safe zone first.

Inside the shelter, Zhuang Lei, who had returned to the rear due to his injuries, received a new mission.

In the battle against zombies, being wounded but not killed is extremely lucky; he was already very fortunate to have only lost an arm.

Haiqu has suffered a series of accidents, and now is a time when people are in short supply. He volunteered to do what he could, and came to the survivors with a severed arm in a sling.

Seeing people gathering, Zhuang Lei raised his voice and said to them, "As you can see, the factory needs workers, and the shelter has enough supplies for now, but it won't be unlimited."

"Get a job! The factory will provide you with basic employment!"

"You've all probably heard of work points, right? From now on, the work points issued by the factory can not only be used for food, but also exchanged for more supplies at the shelter!"

The survivors looked at Zhuang Lei, who was dressed as a wounded soldier, and exchanged bewildered glances.

Thanks to the propaganda carried out a month before the cataclysm, most of them already knew some things. After all, wartime rationing had already begun, and there had been rumors of a work point system being implemented. Ultimately, this was not implemented before the apocalypse, but they didn't expect it to start now.

They had no doubts about the matter at hand, but were quite worried about the specific tasks: "We don't know anything about it!"

"It's alright, experienced workers will teach you. As long as you're willing to learn, there will always be a job that suits you."

Before coming, Zhuang Lei had already learned about the situation. The various machine tools and production lines stored in the shelter were not too complicated. Although it would be difficult to become proficient, it would only take a few hours to a few days to get started.

Working and eating are things that are easy for most people to understand. At most, it's just that many of the survivors present originally had quite 'respectable' jobs, and for them, standing on an assembly line doesn't seem to be so easy to change their mindset.

“There’s nothing undignified about working on an assembly line. In the current environment, no matter what position you hold, you are contributing to the collective. As long as you contribute to the collective, the collective will guarantee your livelihood.”

Zhuang Lei's face was serious; this was something his superiors had repeatedly emphasized that must be thoroughly explained.

Then he changed his tune: "And you have to look at what time this is now. The whole world has changed drastically. How many of your old jobs are no longer possible?"

He looked at the few survivors who had arrived earlier, one of whom he had just chatted with for a few minutes. Zhuang Lei said to him, "I remember you said you used to write novels online, right? Now, forget about the internet, you don't even have a computer. Are you going to write them on paper? How many people would pay you to write them on paper?"

"But that doesn't mean you have to be a screwdriver. Use your strengths. Schools are short-staffed, so you could see if you could be a Chinese teacher. Hospitals are short-staffed, and construction sites outside are short-staffed too."

"Those who can keep accounts should do that, those with drafting experience should study blueprints, and if you can cook two dishes, you can work in the cafeteria, right?"

"If you don't even know what you're good at, then you should start working first and then slowly consider whether there's a suitable position available, right?"

Many people nodded in agreement with these words, but some asked, "We can work, and the factory provides us with meals, but what about the children?"

In this catastrophe, many children lost their parents, many parents lost their children, and many families were wiped out.

Of course, there are some lucky people out there.

Zhuang Lei said to them, "From now on, I can tell you very clearly that the children of the collective will be raised by the collective. All the children will go to school and nursery together. The collective will provide these children with food, lodging, medical care, clothing, and most importantly, education."

"So does that mean that all of us who go to work in factories are just raising other people's children?"

Everyone looked at the person who had spoken. The person shrank back, but still muttered under their breath, "That's how it is."

Zhuang Lei's expression also darkened, but he still patiently addressed everyone: "As you all know, in our Haiqu, three shelters were swept into that fog, and there's still no news from them."

"Nobody knows whether tomorrow or an accident will come first. We're protecting everyone's next generation. If I die, my children will be raised collectively in the same way. If you die, your children will be raised collectively in the same way." "But I don't have any children anymore..."

"..." Zhuang Lei looked at the person who spoke, and finally sighed: "Maybe it will happen again in the future, but it will all pass."

Seeing that everyone had fallen silent, Zhuang Lei paused for a moment before speaking again.

"As I said before, as long as you work, you will have a basic livelihood. If you work well, you can get extra work points, as well as benefits and subsidies."

At this point, Zhuang Lei took out his notebook, glanced at it, and read directly from it: "The shelter will provide subsidies to those over 65 years old and under 12 years old, as well as pregnant women and those who cannot work due to injury or illness, but others need to work to obtain basic security."

"Of course, if you do a good job, or if the students do a good job, or if you pass some assessments, you can get extra work points. Is there anything else you don't understand?"

"If we don't work, will the shelter stop providing meals?"

This question made Zhuang Lei pause, and he stared at the person who spoke.

The man didn't dare to meet his gaze and turned his head away. Zhuang Lei grinned and said, "Besides work, you can also choose to join the army."

"If you are injured or sick on duty, the military will not only provide you with basic support, but also give you certain benefits."

He raised his bandaged hand and showed it to the survivors, a gesture that made his injury particularly painful, but his expression hardly changed.

"You need to know how you survived. So many people fought to the death with zombies and mutated beasts on the front lines. So many people risked never to return by entering that fog. I was lucky; I only lost an arm. Some of my comrades didn't come back."

"Are they fighting to the death on the front lines so you can eat and drink for free in the rear?"

"Xiao Zhuang!"

"To!"

Zhuang Lei subconsciously responded, turned around, and saw an old soldier calling him, so he ran over.

"Hello, monitor."

Zhuang Lei didn't actually know the other person's rank; he only knew that the other person had brought him and a few others to give a presentation, but calling him "veteran squad leader" was definitely the right thing to do.

"There's no need to talk to them about those irrelevant things. Just cover what the higher-ups have asked you to say."

"I...I'm just so angry."

The veteran patted him on the shoulder, without scolding him or saying anything more.

Just as the two were about to leave, they suddenly heard a rapid alarm sounding, echoing throughout the entire shelter.

The two soldiers instantly became serious. The veteran turned to the survivors gathered there and shouted, "Get into the fortifications! Everyone get into the fortifications! Hurry up!"

Soon, a soldier who was specifically tasked with reporting the situation ran over. Seeing that the survivors were already gathering in the fortifications, he stopped and gasped for breath.

"What's going on? What's happening outside?" Zhuang Lei handed over a bottle of water, and the man took two gulps: "Zombies, a horde of zombies is heading towards the shelter."

Zhuang Lei turned and walked towards the defensive line. The veteran hurriedly chased after him, saying, "Go back first, you're injured!"

"It's okay, just a minor injury."

(End of this chapter)