The volunteers' accommodations were in the Transition Zone, the inner half of Guangnan City. They had been converted from student dormitories at a local Vocational Technical College. The original four-person rooms had been remodeled into single rooms with private bathrooms, and all appliances and furniture had been purchased uniformly. A faint smell of latex paint lingered in the corridors.
Ling Feiran received a room key, an ID badge, a volunteer handbook, and two short-sleeved T-shirts printed with slogans supporting the Quarantine Zone.
After putting away her luggage and resting briefly, she heard a jumble of footsteps in the hallway, followed by Wang Xunmei's voice from next door. "Pengpeng! Time to eat! The cafeteria starts serving at five!"
A few seconds later, Wang Xunmei came to her door as well, knocked, and called out, "Feifei! Come eat at the cafeteria with us! Food's ready!"
Ling Feiran had been fed far too many local specialties on the ride over and was not hungry yet, but it would be good to familiarize herself with the cafeteria.
She tidied herself up simply, then went to the cafeteria with the others.
On the way, Wang Xunmei held the volunteer handbook and read aloud as she walked. "The cafeteria serves meals from five to seven in the afternoon. At seven-thirty, we'll attend the Mobilization Assembly in the Auditorium. Then at nine tonight, we'll receive tomorrow's work assignments on our phones... The first week is an internship period, and posts can't be changed. Starting from the second week, we'll officially begin work and can apply for a Transfer Post. We even get monthly stipends—wow! We get stipends!"
Wang Xunmei was pleasantly surprised. She had not expected any reward when she chose to support the Quarantine Zone, so getting paid was an unexpected bonus.
Lin Pengpeng was in