Chapter 509: Shared Electric Scooters

Chapter 509: Chapter 509: Shared Electric Scooters

"A bus? You must be seeing things. How could there possibly be a bus now!"

"I’m not mistaken! Look, if you don’t believe me!" The survivor pointed at the bus slowly driving away.

The other survivors followed his finger, but all they could see was a trail of exhaust and a flash of bright yellow.

But the flash of bright yellow quickly turned a corner and vanished, as if it had never been there at all. The survivors by the roadside burst out laughing.

"You definitely saw it wrong. A bus, really!"

"Yeah, even having a tricycle or a bicycle would be pretty damn amazing, okay!"

"Doesn’t Boss Hart have that dealership? Have you guys checked it out? What kind of vehicles do they have inside?"

"They have everything. From RVs, coaches, and sedans, down to bicycles and electric scooters. What, are you looking to buy one?"

While the survivors here were chatting excitedly, the bus had already arrived at its first stop.

It was the main entrance to the planting zone.

The planting zone was primarily used for growing edible plants with no tendency to mutate, providing food for the survivors in the base or for the research institute to study.

The large iron gate of the planting zone was wide open, with a steady stream of survivors coming and going.

Some were arriving for their shifts, others were getting off the night shift, and all of them looked completely drained, reeking of the daily grind.

But at this moment, they all froze in place, staring at the bright yellow bus slowly approaching them from a distance.

’What... is that?’

’A bus?’

Suddenly, someone in the crowd exclaimed, "Hey, look what this is!"

The gazes of all the surrounding survivors turned toward the source of the voice.

They saw him pointing at a metal sign taller than himself. There seemed to be words on it, and out of curiosity, everyone gathered around.

"Bus Stop... South Gate... Planting Zone Main Entrance..." someone murmured, their eyes growing brighter the more they read.

"Th-th-that... that really is a bus!"

Everyone was so excited they were becoming incoherent. Then the bus slowly came to a stop, and through the glass, they could clearly see Lily Hart appear at the front door.

She grinned and waved at everyone. The front door opened with a CREAK, and her bright, cheerful voice rang out.

"This is Central Command’s new bus! Anyone want to give it a try?" Lily Hart stepped aside, clearing a path for them.

A survivor outside called out, "How many points per trip?!"

"It’s super cheap! Just ten points to ride the entire line. Isn’t that easier than walking?" Lily Hart hollered, sounding a bit like an old lady hawking vegetables at the market.

When everyone heard it was only ten points, they were tempted.

In truth, they were used to walking everywhere and didn’t find it particularly tiring. The main reason was that it had been so, so long since they’d ridden a bus, and they just wanted to experience it again.

This wasn’t just a bus; it was a symbol of Central Command’s growing prosperity.

’If they have buses now, can other things be far behind?’

The survivors who had just finished their night shifts surged forward. Following Lily Hart’s instructions, they tapped their Light Brains on the scanner, then conscientiously moved to the back to find seats.

But a single bus has a limited capacity, and many survivors couldn’t get on.

Lily Hart blocked the front door with a CLICK. "Don’t worry, everyone! There are several more right behind this one. Please wait patiently."

Hearing this, the crowd slowly stopped pushing forward and waited obediently in place, watching the front door shut with a CLACK.

They then watched the bright yellow bus slowly drive away until it disappeared from sight.

And so, they began to eagerly await the next bus, wondering just when it would arrive.

The bus was filled with chatter. Some people were settled comfortably in their seats, while others stood, holding onto the handgrips overhead.

Everyone was looking around with curiosity, just like Elder Shaw’s group of five had when they first got on.

But now, Elder Shaw’s group of five sat in the back row, having already regained their usual composure. They simply smiled and nodded in response to others’ greetings.

Lily Hart stood by the driver’s seat like a ticket conductor, holding onto a railing.

She listened to the quiet conversations around her.

"This bus from Boss Hart is really something else, huh? It doesn’t even have a driver. It’s self-driving."

"You’re right, and it’s not slow either."

"Look, look! There’s an old person up ahead! It’s not going to hit them, is it?"

"Whoa, whoa, it actually stopped! Does it know to respect its elders?"

"What ’respect its elders’? It detected a pedestrian ahead and automatically yielded. You don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Oh, I guess you’re the expert then. Ms. Know-it-all."

Although there was some light bickering, it sounded quite harmonious. It wasn’t a serious argument; everyone was just laughing and joking around.

’See? As long as life gets better, everyone’s stress will lessen, and they’ll naturally feel more at ease.’

Soon, the bus stopped at the main entrance of the residential area.

After it came to a complete stop, the back door opened, and Lily Hart shouted, "Remember to beep your Light Brains again on your way out!"

Most people did as they were told, but there’s always a small group that likes to play tricks and try to be clever, attempting to get off without tapping their Light Brains.

And the result? They couldn’t get off for the life of them, blocked by an invisible barrier inside the bus.

The person behind him didn’t understand what was happening and gave him a push, grumbling, "Why aren’t you moving? What are you blocking the way for? Come on, hurry up and get off, I’m in a rush!"

The man in front gave a wry smile. He hadn’t expected to get caught red-handed trying to dodge the fare.

He had no choice but to pretend nothing was wrong and squeeze back, hoping to tap his Light Brain in the confusion, but he was completely blocked by the people behind him who were trying to get off.

He couldn’t even get his hand through.

Someone shouted, "Hey! Are you getting off or not? If not, then don’t just stand there!"

His eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "I-I’m not at my stop yet! I made a mistake, my mistake! Let me back in, let me back in."

As he repeated this, those who heard him understood and made a little space for him.

The survivors who needed to get off did so obediently, while those who weren’t at their stop remained on the bus.

However, a new crowd of people surged on at this stop, filling the bus once again with a noisy, chattering din.

Lily Hart was getting a headache. She sent a message to Elder Shaw, saying she wanted to get off at the next stop. He quickly replied with a "received," probably wanting to get off as well.

The next stop was the core district, which mostly contained the residences of high-level personnel and the locations of various departments.

Lily Hart’s group of six squeezed their way off the bus with some difficulty.

As soon as they were off, Elder Shaw and the others began to take deep breaths. The air outside was much fresher; it had been too stuffy with so many people inside.

Elder Shaw took a few deep breaths and said, "We’ll need another fifty of these. Packing people in like sardines isn’t a long-term solution."

"By the way, I remember you mentioned shared electric scooters and shared bicycles. How do those work?" Logan Holland asked.

Lily was puzzled. ’Ah, has it been too long and they’ve forgotten? Or did this world not have these things before?’

Whatever the reason, Lily Hart gave a simple explanation.

For example, if a batch of shared electric scooters were placed at the entrance of the planting zone, they could be ridden anywhere within Central Command, with no distance limits.

These shared electric scooters would be charged based on the distance traveled, and as long as one wasn’t in use, anyone could ride it.