Huang Jinghe was still young and had lost contact with his parents for so long. Deep down, he really wanted to make this call. After glancing at the other three, he nodded and agreed.
"All right, let's make the call now."
They didn't need to go far. Next to the supply exchange point was a large service desk. It had a phone, though only internal staff normally used it.
After a short conversation with Brother Zhang, the staff at the desk immediately brought out a phone directory.
Just one.
But that single directory contained the phone numbers of all official bases. They could call any base directly.
Lan Jin looked curious at the device and asked, "Brother Zhang, that thing that looks like a 'brick phone,' is that the kind of phone we use now?"
Her description was accurate. The device looked almost exactly like the old brick phones from a long time ago.
Brother Zhang explained, "Out there, there are no signal stations, so the bases communicate with satellite phones. This one is a stationary satellite phone… kind of like a landline. It's heavy and brick-like, so it's meant to stay at the front desk. The satellite phones I mentioned upstairs are mobile, so you can carry them with you."
Lan Jin asked, "You said the satellite phones have other functions. What kind of functions?"
Meanwhile, Huang Jinghe had already started dialing his parents. To avoid standing awkwardly together, Lan Jin asked Brother Zhang questions he could answer.
Brother Zhang continued, "The basic function is of course calling. As long as you have a phone, you can use it anywhere. But if you're inside the base, most bases have internet. You can access the official forums, base forums, get weather updates, see missions, and other basic information everyone can access. The base also kept some old apps, so if everyone has a phone, you can chat with each other. Everything depends on having internet, of course."
Lan Jin understood. The phone Huang Jinghe used at the service desk was a satellite phone. If they wanted to buy one, they'd need the "satellite mobile phone" upstairs. That one was compact and elegant, similar to the phones they had used before.
The only difference was the limited apps on the device.
Ling Jiang asked, "If these satellite mobile phones are so useful, are they expensive? If they're too expensive, no one can buy them."
It didn't matter how practical a device was if no one could afford it. In reality, few people used these satellite mobile phones. Most people who came to the base moved in with their families, so they rarely needed to make calls.
Important information, like today's weather or base-assigned missions, would be displayed on the big screen. Tasks disappeared once claimed. Nobody living in the base would be left uninformed.
Other than that, there was internet access. But when people were barely eating enough, who had time to go online? So buying a satellite phone was optional.
Lan Jin was curious anyway. "How much is one of these phones?"
"Five thousand contribution points. Not too cheap, not too expensive."
It was affordable if needed. But since the three of them didn't have anyone to contact, there was no reason to buy one. As for Huang Jinghe…
After a few minutes, Huang Jinghe hung up, disappointed. "My parents are fine, but they're out on a mission and haven't returned. I left a message for them, so at least they know I'm safe. That should put their minds at ease."
Lao Gao explained the satellite mobile phone situation to Huang Jinghe, expecting him to want one. But Huang Jinghe remained calm. "No need to waste money. If I really want one, I'll get it at the Capital city base later. Knowing my parents are safe is enough. I don't need to make this call."
Fine.
With everything settled, it was naturally time to eat.
They had expected the cafeteria to be crowded like at J city base, but when they arrived, they found it surprisingly large.
Brother Zhang said, "The second floor was originally the cafeteria. We expanded it a lot, so even if everyone comes to eat, it won't feel crowded."
Meals cost five contribution points each. They borrowed bowls and chopsticks and served themselves. Even eating procedures in the official base followed the exact same rules. After finishing, they said goodbye to Brother Zhang.
Later, the four of them sat in the first-floor dorm hall, seriously discussing whether to agree to Brother Zhang's request.
Before the discussion formally started, Huang Jinghe spoke first. "First, I admit my mistake. I acted rashly before without thinking. This was my lack of consideration. I'm sorry, and I sincerely apologize to all of you."
Knowing Huang Jinghe recognized his mistake, it was hard to blame him for acting on his own. It was understandable.
Lao Gao said, "It's not serious enough that you need to apologize. You weren't stupid, and I believe you won't do anything like that again. Just like Sister Ling, don't cheap out on insect powder just for a little food."
Mentioning insect powder made Ling Jiang frown. "Without me, would you even have abilities?"
Lao Gao twitched his mouth. "Thanks to you. But your tone makes it sound like you haven't realized your own mistake. Forget it. Let's stop talking about that and decide whether to agree."
"Agree. There's a chance we'll get a very powerful weapon. I asked carefully before. That gun is called Sun Chaser, a tier-one weapon, costing ten thousand contribution points more than my ring. Of course, it has its own advantages. Honestly, I'm tempted. We already have weapons, but letting something this good go without even trying… I'm sure none of us can just accept that."
After a pause, Lan Jin added, "But with such an attractive reward, the mission probably won't be easy. Just the rabbits and snakes we faced before, we hadn't encountered anything like that. From Brother Zhang's tone, this won't be the last time we face such challenges. What we need is combat experience."