Chapter 40 Base Supermarket
After they finished eating, they drove off in two SUVs. Their new house didn't have a stove yet, and it was so cold that they couldn't stay there. So they went out together, at least they could turn on the air conditioning in the cars.
Having a car makes things fast; they arrived at the parking lot in no time after driving around the base.
It's the same procedure: swipe your card, then go inside and drive.
They use this card-swiping information to prevent people from lingering in the parking lot for too long, and also to prevent people from stealing other people's cars. By logging the information, it's easier to find people at the base.
Although a disaster occurred on the ground, the satellites in the sky were still usable. The major bases gathered relevant scientific researchers and asked them to do their best to repair the base's system operation.
That's why the statistics were collected so quickly when they entered the base.
After swiping her card, Bai Tang quickly entered the parking lot, found their RV, and then drove the RV out of the parking lot.
After leaving the parking lot, they asked Lin Fan to drive the RV back to the courtyard. They put a bicycle in the RV and asked Lin Fan to ride it to the parking lot area to find them later.
Most ordinary people in the base rent bicycles to get around, but some people can't even afford to rent bicycles and have to walk.
Fortunately, there were large snowplows working continuously at the base, otherwise the roads would have been covered by snow long ago.
They waited in the car for a short while before Lin Fan arrived on his bicycle. After he arrived, he put the bicycle on the roof of the off-road vehicle.
Then he quickly got into the off-road vehicle, saying as he got in, "It's too cold riding a bicycle, let me get in the vehicle and warm up."
When Lin Fan arrived, they drove two SUVs to the base's supermarket to do some shopping.
Hopefully, they'll find the furniture or something else they want inside.
They drove for half an hour and finally saw the base's supermarket. After parking their car, they went inside and found armed soldiers standing at the entrance.
The supermarket is jointly controlled by the government and the military, so the items inside are naturally limited. Each person has a limit on the amount of food they can buy each day, and even contribution points cannot buy everything.
If anyone tries to cause trouble, those armed soldiers at the gate are not to be trifled with.
Nowadays, supermarkets don't allow people to just wander around. They can only buy what's available in the supermarket that day by looking at the electronic screen in front of the counter.
Moreover, when you buy things, you don't pick them up yourself; instead, staff take your order and prepare the items you want.
This can effectively prevent theft.
Supermarkets also stock crops grown in greenhouses at the base, but they are usually sold out early in the morning.
Fortunately, Bai Tang and his group were not there to buy food, but to look at furniture. They saw some tables, chairs and other furniture piled up in a corner of the supermarket.
Then Bai Tang asked the staff, "I'd like to ask, do you sell furniture there?"
Staff member Qian Lili glanced at Bai Tang with an arrogant expression. Seeing that Bai Tang was just a young girl, she asked, "Can you afford it? Do you have any contribution points in your account?"
Qian Lili forgot that she herself only found this job, sheltered from the wind and rain, because of her family connections.
She considered herself superior because she had found a good job, and she always looked down on customers who bought things from her.
However, she encountered a tough nut to crack today: Bai Tang.
Bai Tang remained calm and composed, saying, "If you can't decide whether to sell or not, then please call your manager out."
Qian Lili continued, "Who are you? You want to see our manager? You're not worthy!"
Before Qian Lili could finish speaking, Manager Liu from their supermarket came over.
He was so angry that he almost lost all his hair. To make matters worse, she was someone who had been placed in his position and could cause trouble for customers countless times a day.
When she encounters customers with little influence, Manager Liu usually just talks to them politely and lets it go. She hasn't run into any tough customers yet.
Manager Liu came over and first said a few words to Qian Lili in a light tone, then turned to Bai Tang and the others and said:
"Gentlemen, please be magnanimous and don't take it to heart. She's new here and doesn't know the rules."
Bai Tang said, "It's alright, we didn't come here to argue."
Then Gu Yanxu told Manager Liu that he wanted to buy the furniture in the corner of the supermarket.
When Manager Liu heard that it wasn't grain they were buying, but rather that pile of unwanted furniture, he was surprised.
He quickly said, "That pile of furniture was collected before. We spent 130 contribution points when we collected it. I'll round it down to 100 contribution points for you."
Bai Tang understood what Manager Liu meant; he was doing them a favor by asking them to let Qian Lili go this time.
Bai Tang hadn't intended to make things difficult for her; it was she who jumped out and started attacking people randomly.
Without much conversation, Bai Tang simply took out his card and had Qian Lili swipe it.
Qian Lili outwardly accepted Bai Tang's card with respect, but inwardly she looked disdainful.
She was shocked when she swiped her card to contribute points. There were more than 3,000 contribution points on her card. She had worked there for quite a while and had never seen many people with more than 3,000 contribution points on their cards.
She immediately realized she might have messed with the wrong person.
Immediately and properly deducted 100 contribution points, and then returned the card to Bai Tang.
Bai Tang took the card and casually put it in her pocket. Actually, she put it directly into her spatial storage space, as there was no safer place than her spatial storage space.
Manager Liu then asked if they needed to send a car to transport the goods back to them, to which Bai Tang replied, "No need, we have our own car."
After saying that, Bai Tang stood aside with the canned food, and let Gu Yanxu, Bai Jiyang, Lin Fan and the other men move the furniture onto the roof of the off-road vehicle and tie it down.
The physical labor in their household is always done by the men. Otherwise, Bai Tang would be feeding and supporting them for nothing. It's like: if we don't use them now, when will we?
After moving everything, Bai Tang carried the canned goods onto the car, and then the group left the base supermarket.
Manager Liu sighed to himself, "They don't use their contribution points to buy food, but instead buy furniture. That's how rich people think. We poor people just can't understand it."
Bai Tang and the others drove back to the courtyard in no time, unloaded everything and carried it inside. After a busy day, it slowly got dark.
After Bai Tang and the others put their things away, they drove two SUVs to Pingping's house. Pingping's yard was big enough to fit two SUVs.
They just left that RV in the yard. Large RVs aren't afraid of being stolen; even without the key, they can't steal it or open the door. On the contrary, it would only make them furious.
Bai Tang and the others drove to Pingping's house without worry, since to outsiders, their house didn't seem to have a place to sleep.
They stayed at Pingping's house for the time being. During the day, Baitang asked Lin Feng to take Pingping to pay their heating bill for a month.
Gu Yanxu noticed that their room had heating pipes, but no heating. Pingping and the others could only use a stove, probably because they didn't have enough contribution points to pay for heating.
They need to stay here for a few more days. They can't work all day and then come back to sleep in the cold at night, so we're paying for their heating for a month.
When Pingping found out, she said with tears in her eyes, "Sister, if you ever need anything, just come to me. I won't charge you; just consider it as this month's heating bill."
Bai Tang smiled. If she really argued with him about contributing points for his work, wouldn't she exhaust him?
An'an also said, "When I grow up, I can also help my brother and sister with chores."
Bai Jiyang, standing to the side, said with a smile, "Then you two can be temporarily employed by our family."