After the basic introductions were done, the staff member led them toward the accommodation area.
Just as the staff had said, entering through the large gate required each person to swipe their own residence card. One card per person, one entry per card. No one could swipe for anyone else—if they tried, an alarm would sound immediately.
Once inside, the staff member guided them to the reception desk on the first floor and said, "This is where you check in. Hand your residence cards to them, and they'll arrange your accommodation. My work ends here, so I'll head back now. Enjoy your three days here."
The four of them nodded in thanks and immediately began the check-in process.
Before arranging the rooms, the receptionist verified their residence cards once again. Ling Jiang muttered under her breath, "I know it's important, but I didn't expect it to be this important. You need it for everything."
Lao Gao replied, "Didn't you see just now? Someone came in without one and had to spend ages sorting it out."
The receptionist chuckled. "It can't be helped. Everything is linked to the residence card now. Without it, you can't go anywhere. Luckily, the system allows for reissues these days, or it would be even worse."
After that, the two receptionists finished their check-in and explained, "You'll use the residence card for the main gate, but for the elevators and your personal sleeping pod, you'll need this card I'm giving you now."
They handed each person a card. "The card shows your assigned floor, the exact route to your dormitory, and your bed number. The map is clear, but if you still can't find it, ask a staff member on your floor to guide you."
The men's dormitory was on the second floor, the women's on the third. While waiting for the elevator, the four compared their wristwatches.
"Let's meet at six. It's a little after five now. We can check out the dorms, rest for a bit, and then meet on the first floor to go to the cafeteria together," one of them suggested.
Mention of the cafeteria got Huang Jinghe excited. "I haven't eaten in a cafeteria in ages. Wonder if the food here's any good. And how crowded it gets."
They took the elevator up, and soon, the group split to head to their respective dorms.
Since their beds had been assigned together, their sleeping pods were located next to one another.
Following the directions on her card, Lan Jin left the elevator, turned right, walked to the end of the hall, turned right again, and soon found the dorm she shared with Ling Jiang, along with their assigned beds.
She had expected the place to be messy, noisy, and lacking privacy. Instead, it was surprisingly quiet. And more than that…
Each bed was actually a capsule.
Capsule rooms were well-known—small enclosed pods with doors and windows, each with its own light. Inside, there was even space for personal belongings. They could only be opened with the assigned card, ensuring both privacy and safety.
It was Lan Jin's first time staying in a place like this, and she said with genuine excitement, "I didn't expect the base's conditions to be this nice. And this is just a shared dorm."
"Yeah," Ling Jiang agreed softly. "If the J City base is like this, the Capital city base must be even better."
"I know, right? Now I'm really looking forward to it," Lan Jin replied.
Their beds were in the far corner of the room—Lan Jin's on the top, Ling Jiang's below. After a quick look around, they climbed into their capsules.
They had expected it to feel cramped and stuffy inside, but once they lay down, there was none of that. Instead, it was quiet and comfortable.
"I didn't expect the soundproofing to be this good," Lan Jin remarked.
After a short rest, they climbed back out. There would be time to sleep later that night. For now, they wanted to explore the rest of the facilities.
Following the map, they turned right again and found the restrooms. The showers were located separately and required another turn down a hallway to reach the dormitory's large communal bath.
The rest of the facilities were fine, but the bathhouse… it was completely open, without any partitions at all.
As Southerners, both women felt uncomfortable with the lack of privacy.
Ling Jiang whispered, "How are we supposed to bathe here?"
Lan Jin shook her head. "I guess… just like this?"
Back home, even large public baths had cubicles or private stalls. This one had nothing—just a wide, brightly lit space. Lan Jin felt her face heat up.
A middle-aged woman passed by and chuckled when she saw their stunned faces. "You two must be new. You'll get used to it."
Clearly, the woman was already used to the setup. Lan Jin and Ling Jiang were not.
"Let's just watch how others do it tonight," Ling Jiang murmured, tugging her away from the bathhouse and into the corridor.
Lan Jin looked up and pointed. "I was wondering why it felt so warm in here. The roof's transparent. The whole place is enclosed, but sunlight still gets in."
The dormitory building didn't have much else to see. After making a full circuit, it was nearly six.
"Let's head downstairs. Nothing else to explore here. After we eat, how about we check out the shopping center? We can see what's there and get an idea of the prices," Lan Jin suggested.
"I'm in," Ling Jiang agreed.
They hurried downstairs. They had expected Lao Gao and Huang Jinghe to still be upstairs, but the two men were already slumped in chairs, looking like they'd been waiting for ages.
Seeing them, Lao Gao asked, "It's not even time yet. Why'd you two come down so early?"
Lan Jin raised an eyebrow. "We should be asking you that. Why are you here so soon?"
Huang Jinghe grinned. "Nothing much to see upstairs. We looked around and figured out where everything was. Plus, the heating's so strong I was about to fall asleep, so we came down before we really did."
Lao Gao nodded in agreement. "My eyes could barely stay open."
"Probably too stuffy, so your brain isn't getting enough oxygen," Lan Jin said. "If you're hot, take off some layers. By the way, Ling Jiang and I are heading to the shopping center after dinner to check the prices. You two want to come? If you need anything, you can buy it there. It's all paid with contribution points."