Director Wang was taken to Zone One.
Zone One was completely different from the other zones. Everyone there had something wrong with them.
Take the guy in the bunk above his, for instance.
Snoring at night was bad enough, but he kept convulsing too.
His bed had creaked and rattled the entire night...
"Brother, did you sleep badly last night? You've got dark circles under your eyes."
Everyone had to assemble that morning, and as a newcomer, Director Wang was woken up too.
The person asking him was none other than his top-bunk roommate.
Looking at the man's innocent expression, Director Wang fell silent.
He didn't want to announce in front of everyone that the man had had an epileptic fit last night. That would embarrass him.
"I just got here. I'm not used to it!"
The man patted his shoulder sympathetically. "I get it. I was the same when I first arrived!"
Director Wang's mouth twitched. "Did you sleep last night?"
"Sure did! I slept like a baby. Had good dreams all night!"
Director Wang thought, Sure, you slept. Meanwhile, my bed shook all night long.
Director Wang followed his roommates to the Compound's exercise yard, asking about Zone One along the way.
They were all fellow sufferers, and they told the newcomer everything they knew.
"The other zones call Zone One the Beggars' Zone. Know why?"
His roommate told him to look at the people in the yard. "See? They're missing either arms or legs. Nobody would want them even if they were sold to another compound, so the overseers dump them in the city to beg. Whoever brings in the least has to dance for the vicious dogs. If they don't dance well, the overseers let the dogs bite them. That's how those people lost their arms