Zhang Lingfeng went to the cafeteria and received two bowls of porridge made from millet paste, a piece of bloody rat meat weighing about a pound, half a cabbage, and a dull-colored apple.
This was the only meal subsidy provided daily for senior martial arts students.
In order to combat the Alien Race invasion, humanity once resorted to large-scale use of nuclear weapons, which resulted in fewer planets suitable for human survival.
South City had also suffered invasions from the Alien Race and extraterrestrial creatures.
Not only was the city's infrastructure severely damaged, but radiation levels in many places exceeded the limits. It was becoming increasingly difficult to find suitable locations for planting flowers, fruits, and vegetables, not to mention human habitation.
Often, a single building could house thousands of people.
For many in South City, the meal subsidy that Zhang Lingfeng received was already overwhelmingly sumptuous.
Countless people hadn't tasted fruits or vegetables for a long time, even most of the rice and meat they consumed contained residual pollutants.
With resources scarce, it became unusually difficult for humans to become martial artists.
To ensure the continuation of humanity, and to have powerful martial artists to fight against the Alien Race, the Seven Great Star Systems Alliance mandated that academies provide each senior martial arts student with one subsidized meal per day.
The requirement was to have meat, vegetables, and fruits.
Almost every day, the meat provided was rat meat. Ever since the nuclear war broke out, many species across the star systems went extinct, but rats proliferated and evolved.
Some of them even grew to several hundred pounds.
Initially, humans dared not consume these mutated creatures, but as resources dwindled, they finally set aside their prejudices, treating Jerry as a second-in-command.
They even developed equipment to remove contaminants.
Additionally, over the years, not only have plants and animals mutated, but humans also started to mutate. After two generations of elimination, humans slowly moved into radiation zones and began building new homes there.
South City became a home full of radiation.
Zhang Lingfeng picked up the bloody rat meat, tore it in half, eating one half on the spot, and keeping the other half. Likewise, he saved part of the apple and cabbage.
Only the two bowls of millet porridge he consumed in one go.
"Tonight at eight, Teng Qingshan from Ninth High School will represent the school and spar with the genius Hu Bin from First High School in the Star Realm. I hope students won't miss the live broadcast and can watch it in the Star Realm to learn useful skills from them."
A holographic announcement appeared in the cafeteria, showing a handsome, cheerful young man, causing the scene to erupt in cheers.
Zhang Lingfeng then learned from his bracelet that Yang Liru required all class members to watch the match between Teng Qingshan and Hu Bin in the Star Realm that night.
Zhang Lingfeng merely glanced at it lightly, packed the rest of his food, and left amidst the hubbub, boarding the nuclear-powered floating tram to the West Warehouse District in South City.
This area was the largest slum in South City, characterized not only by its congested population but also by its high radiation levels, accommodating over three hundred thousand people.
"Mr. Liu."
Along the narrow corridor, Zhang Lingfeng bumped into his middle school physics teacher.
Humans could adapt to radiation gradually but couldn't completely immune themselves against it. Mr. Liu became an entry-level martial artist at thirty, and under radiation's influence over the years, his bones had stiffened significantly before turning fifty, making him walk like a robot.
"Xiaofeng, I heard you'll turn eighteen in two months. Be sharp on the front line. It's best if your second uncle spends some money to keep you in logistics. Alas, Da Wu was taller than you by half a head, went to the frontline for less than two months, and was killed by a Fish Demon.
Mr. Liu sighed.
"Uh... Da Wu is dead."
Zhang Lingfeng froze, and after a while, heard the crying of Da Wu's family from the depths of the corridor.
The Seven Great Star Systems Alliance stipulated that everyone must join the frontline against the Alien Race for two years upon turning eighteen if they hadn't become entry-level martial artists, with a few exceptions.
If they survived the two years, they wouldn't be sent back to the frontline unless the Alien Race invaded a home city. During service, the family would receive three resource subsidies daily.
These subsidies could be exchanged for points, potentially allowing relocation to an Inner Ring City.
If they sacrificed, the family would continue to receive survival subsidies for two years.
Da Wu was the former owner's playmate, four months older than Zhang Lingfeng, and was also a student at Ninth High School who scored 9.7 on his combat power test two months ago.
But less than two months later, news of Da Wu's death spread throughout the district.
As he passed Da Wu's house, Zhang Lingfeng stood outside watching for a while, seeing Da Wu being placed in a box, a female leader accompanied by two Armored Warriors comforting Da Wu's father.
In this era, especially in places like the West Warehouse District, few families were complete.
Da Wu and his father depended on each other. The father lost a leg and an arm, replacing them with mechanical prosthetics, and worked in the district as a water delivery man.
Once he used his mechanical arm to grasp a ten-pound rat, earning the nickname Iron Man among the district kids.
On receiving the news of his son's death.
Iron Man lay across the table, wailing sorrowfully.
Zhang Lingfeng quietly walked away.
Such incidents happened almost every day; it was merely that Da Wu was a playmate of the previous owner, making him more familiar.
"Second Uncle? How come you're back so early today?"
A while later, when Zhang Lingfeng returned home—more accurately, to his second uncle and aunt's house—he opened the door to see his second uncle and exclaimed in surprise.
His aunt signaled him with her eyes when she saw what he was holding.
Zhang Lingfeng realized quickly, hiding the items behind him.
"Bring it over."
His second uncle, Zhang Lei, rapped the table.
"Second Uncle, I..."
Zhang Lingfeng hesitated.
"I said bring it over."
Zhang Lei ordered angrily.
Zhang Lingfeng had no choice but to hand over the lunch box.
Zhang Lei quickly opened the lunch box, revealing the rat meat, cabbage, and half a yellowed apple inside. He shut his eyes, clenching his fists.
"Xiaofeng, why didn't you finish your food at school?"
His aunt queried urgently.
"I have a small appetite and couldn't finish it. I planned to eat it later."
Zhang Lingfeng explained.
"Clap!"
Zhang Lei slammed the table.
Pointing at his aunt Liu Feng, he accused, "You dare lie in front of me? Is it because you asked him to save half for Qingqing!"
When the original owner's parents passed away, Zhang Lei became the original owner's guardian. He had a son and a daughter, and normally, he drove deliveries to the Great Radiation Zone.
His son served as a technician at a nuclear power plant, exempted from military service despite not becoming an entry-level martial artist at eighteen, thanks to his outstanding academic performance, securing a position to work on new nuclear weapons for humanity.
His daughter, like Zhang Lingfeng, was also a student at Ninth High School, only four months younger than Zhang Lingfeng.
Both would turn eighteen this year.
"Why are you yelling at me, am I that kind of person?"
Liu Feng retorted angrily.
"Second Uncle, you misunderstood. I truly have a small appetite. Don't blame Aunt."
In Zhang Lingfeng's mind, memories of the original owner surfaced.
"Xiaofeng, look, Qingqing's combat power has already reached 9.3. If you help her, she can definitely become an entry-level martial artist before she turns eighteen."
"Aunt, what do you want me to do to help her?"
"Can you save half of your school's subsidy for Qingqing? Honestly, if we hadn't taken care of you all these years, Qingqing might have already become an entry-level martial artist, or even entered the Elite Class for cultivation."
"This... alright."
Under Liu Feng's pleading gaze, the original owner nodded in agreement.
And because of losing that half-subsidy, the original owner worked harder in cultivation, but it eventually led to his demise due to overexertion.