Surviving the Apocalypse with my Multiplier System - Chapter 101

Chapter 101: Major Announcements
They decided to first take a look around the area surrounding the building where they were living. The base had originally been designed to be a resort, so there were a number of winding paths meant to showcase all of the scenic areas.

Even after the natural disasters, a few places, like the overlook of the valley, remained beautiful. Unfortunately, many of the smaller trees and flowers were destroyed in the hurricane, leaving behind barren strips of land.

Rayne looked at the empty flower beds and vacant patches of land, and her mind was quickly filled with ideas for repurposing these spaces as small vegetable gardens. She had little experience with gardening but knew that with the help of some of the gardening books she had gotten from the library, she could probably grow at least something.

They continued walking around the base, heading closer toward the central area. The landscape quickly changed from empty scenic walkways to fields filled with tents and cardboard shelters.

“It looks like this base will need to address the housing issue soon. There’s not nearly enough space for everyone, and winter is on its way,” commented Julian as they walked.

Rayne agreed, although she wasn’t sure what the base would be able to do to solve this. Building more apartment buildings would take a lot of time, equipment, and experienced personnel, and she wasn’t sure what kind of resources the base had.

She hoped that at least something could be done because she felt bad for these people, especially the young children.

By the time they arrived at the large clearing in front of the main lobby of the resort, many people had already gathered, all waiting for the announcement.

Julian positioned himself so that he was standing directly behind Rayne, placing his arms around her. This position allowed him to shield Rayne from the people around them, as well as fulfill his selfish desire for physical touch.

Any onlookers who saw them simply thought they were a loving couple—nothing out of the ordinary. Rayne was also becoming more comfortable with his embraces, feeling at ease as she leaned against his chest.

A few minutes later, a group of two men and two women walked out of the lobby. One of them was holding a megaphone, ready to begin the announcement.

“Welcome, all residents… Today we are here to make a few announcements,” said the older man of the group.

The crowd quickly quieted down, eagerly listening for any useful information.

“The first announcement is the implementation of the contribution points system. For the longevity of this base and an overall better quality of life, we will begin to employ our residents for various jobs both on and off base,” he continued.

The crowd quickly burst into quiet chatter. Most of the people were hopeful and excited by this announcement, while others wondered what the benefits would be.

“Payment for these jobs will vary depending on the task, and will be made with contribution points. These points will be loaded onto your resident cards and can be spent at the base market,” he announced.

This time, even more people began to discuss their desire to get a job, happily speculating about what would be offered at the base market.

Once the chatter quieted down, the man picked up his megaphone again to continue. “The base market will open tomorrow on the second floor of the main lobby building. We have just finished reconstructing the area to fit our needs.

Items ranging from food to housing supplies will be sold there, with contribution points serving as currency. Another feature of the market is the ability to sell items to the base for contribution points.”

The crowd cheered. Having a store where they could buy food was very helpful to most people. Not everyone had the ability to go out and scavenge, so this store brought hope to many.

Rayne was happy to hear about the ability to sell items. She felt this was a good way to contribute to the base’s supply stockpile indirectly. Based on what the housing administrator had explained earlier, the point value of items fluctuates based on supply and demand.

If Rayne were to contribute a large amount of a single item, the price of that item would drop, benefiting the general public.

The man handed the megaphone to the woman beside him and walked to stand with the others on the leadership team.

The woman lifted the megaphone and continued with the announcements. “I would like to explain a bit more about the offered jobs. As mentioned earlier, they will be divided into on-base and off-base positions. The off-base jobs will mostly consist of scouting, scavenging, and the guard team.

Scouting missions will involve tasks like surveying the cities and looking for people. Scavenging missions will focus on gathering specific supplies, and the guard team will be responsible for keeping the base safe from any outside threats.”

Most of the men in the crowd got excited about the prospect of these jobs. The guard team, in particular, was a popular topic among the crowd.

“Some of the on-base jobs include administrative roles, the inner guard team, construction and maintenance, farming, and livestock—among many others, based on the needs of the base. We will be opening up sign-ups and interviews as early as tomorrow.”

The woman then handed the megaphone back to the previous speaker.

“Our last announcement is to address the lack of available housing. We have made plans to build a large, dorm-style hall where the current sports field is located. We are accepting volunteers to help speed up the process. Volunteers will have priority for living there once the construction is complete.”

Rayne and Julian took a moment to listen to the chatter among the crowd, hearing the public’s reaction. So far, people felt excited and hopeful for a better life, happy with the announcements.

There were, of course, a few people who were unhappy, feeling that the base should just provide everything to them for free. Thankfully, these people were a small minority and were mostly ignored by the rest of the crowd.

Julian leaned over to whisper in Rayne’s ear. “Shall we head back?” he asked sweetly.

Rayne lifted her head to look up at him. “Yeah, let’s head back. We still have a few things to discuss and lunch to eat.”

On the other side of the crowd:

Ella watched as the crowd began to disperse, noticing a woman who closely resembled Rayne in the distance. Just as she was about to call out excitedly, she noticed a handsome man place his arms around the girl’s waist.

She watched the couple smile at each other softly as they spoke, making Ella doubt that the woman was her best friend. The sea of people between her and the woman who looked like Rayne made it difficult for her to get any closer.

She watched them walk away in the opposite direction and shook her head.

“Ah, I miss you, Rayne. Hope you’re doing okay,” she mumbled to herself.