Looking at the key in his hand, a small wooden tag hung from it, engraved with the number 1023.
After bidding farewell to the middle-aged woman at the registration desk, Lu Heng pulled Lin Xue around to the back of the building to find their assigned room.
Behind the building stood three rather large factory workshops. Following the path within the compound, they soon arrived in front of the rear workshop.
The main gate of the workshop was open, and at the entrance, people were lazily gathered in small groups, chatting amongst themselves.
As the group saw strangers approaching, they all stopped their conversations and looked at Lu Heng and his companion with curious eyes.
"This man looks unfamiliar. I've never seen him around here before."
"Oh, that girl looks quite pretty. Beautiful girls are rare in the apocalypse. But she seems to be an ordinary person, her skin looks almost frighteningly pale?"
"How strange, it's been a long time since we've seen any newcomers."
"This girl is quite pretty, just a bit young. If not, I definitely would have..."
As Lu Heng walked past them, he heard the thoughts of each person, and he couldn't help but frown.
Glancing at the last man with lewd thoughts, Lu Heng remembered his appearance, thinking that if he had the chance, he would definitely eliminate this person. Such individuals, living in this world, were like demons to many women.
"Newcomers?" A man at the workshop entrance asked, tapping a stick in his hand.
"Yeah, what's up?"
"Nothing, just haven't seen new faces in a while, just asking." The man moved the stick he was holding aside, clearing the path for entry and exit.
Lu Heng ignored them and pulled Lin Xue into the workshop to find his room.
The workshop had been converted into many small compartments. Lu Heng, observing the relatively well-organized room numbers, quickly found the room he had temporarily rented.
Using the key, he opened the door. Inside was a small room of only nine square meters, but the bed built within it was quite large, occupying half the space.
There was also a square stool in the room, and no other furniture.
"Heh, as expected, there's a bed and a stool."
Lu Heng closed the door and inspected the space under the bed. It was empty, with no garbage or anything. The room was livable for now.
However, Lu Heng planned to rest in his space tonight. There was nothing here, so he would only stay for a few days. It would also be troublesome to bring bedding from outside as a disguise.
It was still early before dark, so Lu Heng decided to explore the shelter and gather some information.
While looking for the room earlier, Lu Heng had noticed that there were very few idle people around the rooms. Those people were either staying in their rooms or gathered at the workshop entrance chatting and exchanging information.
Therefore, Lu Heng locked the room door again and took Lin Xue to the workshop entrance.
"Yo, you're out already? Not staying?" the man who had blocked them with the stick earlier said, seeing Lu Heng emerge so quickly.
"No, there's nothing in the room, we're just coming out for a bit."
"How could there be nothing? Aren't you with a woman? Although she looks a bit young, but at least..."
With a loud crack, Lu Heng punched the man, sending him from the entrance into the workshop.
"Why are you hurting people? Fighting is not allowed here." Startled by Lu Heng's sudden action, the people who had been chatting around them all looked towards Lu Heng. One man closest to them couldn't help but speak up.
"He has a problem with his brain. I'm helping him clear it." Lu Heng glanced at the speaker and then rubbed his wrist after throwing the punch.
"Damn it, cough... cough cough, I, cough cough cough..." The man who had been punched into the workshop by Lu Heng took a while to make a sound from inside. Coughing, he shouted towards the outside.
"Let's go, let's sit over there for a while." Lu Heng pulled Lin Xue and found an empty spot to sit.
Seeing Lu Heng's forceful demeanor, none of the people who had been startled dared to stand up for the injured man.
The man Lu Heng had easily knocked away with a punch was a fourth-tier ability user. The people chatting at the entrance were no higher than fifth-tier, so they didn't dare to provoke Lu Heng further.
"Cough cough cough..." After a few more minutes, the man who had been sent flying by Lu Heng finally crawled out, clutching the doorframe.
"You, cough, why did you hit me so hard? I didn't offend you, did I?" The man didn't realize the impropriety of his words. For people who lived with their lives on the line every day, crude language was common.
"Your brain isn't right, and your mouth isn't clean either."
"I, cough, where do I have a problem? Just tell me, why would you resort to violence? I cough cough cough cough cough, I'm going to report you to the management office for hurting someone in the base, cough cough."
"Then I'll wait for you. I don't plan on going out again today." Lu Heng said nonchalantly to the man.
"You, cough cough cough, you wait."
With that, the man, holding the iron stick he had been carrying, bent over and walked towards the small building where Lu Heng had completed his registration.
"I say, you really shouldn't have struck someone here. Although we don't have many rules, fighting each other is still not allowed in the shelter," an older man nearby said kindly to Lu Heng.
"Yeah, I couldn't hold back just now." Lu Heng squinted, watching the man who was still limping his way forward.
About ten minutes later, several men returned, supporting the man who had gone to report the incident.
"Who was it that assaulted someone just now?"
"Cough cough cough, it was him."
Before Lu Heng could respond, the man who had gone to report pointed at Lu Heng.
"You're new here? Didn't they tell you at registration that fighting is forbidden here?"
"They did. I couldn't hold back for a moment. That person's mouth wasn't very clean."
"Cough cough cough, Brother Ming, I didn't, cough cough cough, I didn't say anything."
"Even if his mouth wasn't clean, that's no reason for you to assault someone in the shelter."
"Then what do you want to do?"
"Either you compensate him for medical expenses, or you leave here."
"I just paid rent today, do you get a refund?"
"You, being expelled, do not get a refund."
"Then I can't leave. I don't have many crystals, and I don't have anything to compensate him with." Lu Heng shrugged.
"Then don't blame us for escorting you out."
"Heh, you're going to lay hands on me? Isn't fighting forbidden? Or is it about who has the stronger fist here?"
"Brother Ming, don't waste your breath on him. Get him out of here." A thin, sharp-faced man among them rolled up his sleeves, ready to charge at Lu Heng.