Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 256 A Kind Reminder

The locations are planned by the base and have fixed power outlets and simple sewage discharge facilities. They also need to comply with the corresponding location management regulations.

You must be clear about this before you actually start operating. You cannot cross the line, otherwise the punishment will be severe if you are caught during an inspection.

Xu Xiaoyan quickly moved closer and took a closer look at the approval slip.

Sure enough, following "Agreed to issue" was a note in slightly smaller but very clear font, which clearly defined the location range.

She was so focused on the tense approval process that she was thrilled to see the "approved" sign and the big red stamp.

Then, distracted by the hidden door and safety warnings, I completely missed this crucial detail!

Operating from a fixed location... This means that her activity range and customer base are limited, greatly reducing her flexibility.

Where exactly are points 3, 7, and 11?

How is the foot traffic?

What is the competitive situation like?

She knew nothing about it.

The blueprint that had been vaguely sketched in my mind—driving a small car nimbly through the streets and alleys of District C—was instantly framed into three fixed boxes.

A hint of disappointment quietly crept in, but she quickly suppressed it. After all, this was the best result she could achieve.

If it's a fixed location, at least there's a place to start, and she has to seize this opportunity.

"I see, big sister, it's a designated business, I understand." Xu Xiaoyan quickly adjusted her expression, nodded seriously, and carefully put the approval slip away again.

"So... what should I do next?" She looked at the female clerk with a questioning gaze and a focused anticipation of the next instructions.

"If you want to apply for 'access to the entire C area' permission, you need to 'upgrade' it," the female clerk explained.

"Moreover, it doesn't fall under the scope of our basic issuance process; it belongs to the upgraded management of vehicle permissions, which... is not something that I, as a regular window, can handle directly."

My window is only responsible for verifying the approval slips, registering information, and initiating the subsequent physical distribution based on the 'initial permissions' on the approval document, which is your current fixed-point permissions.

Upon hearing this, Xu Xiaoyan's heart jumped again. She subconsciously pressed for an answer, her voice filled with urgency:

"So...do we have to go back to the approval office and reapply? Go through the whole process again?"

The female clerk shook her head, a complex expression on her face.

His expression contained an urgent understanding of Xu Xiaoyan, a certain understanding of how the system worked, and perhaps even a little bit of... sympathy?

"No need for that. The approval authority for 'upgrading' to full access in Zone C is theoretically still within the business chain of our management office."

This is considered as additional permission management based on operational performance or individual applications after the vehicles have been issued.

The approval office only cares about "whether you are eligible to obtain a vehicle" and "where you can initially use it".

As for whether the scope of use can be expanded, the authority to make such subsequent adjustments rests with our management office.

She paused here, her gaze no longer fixed on Xu Xiaoyan's face, but quickly scanning her surroundings left and right.

The lobby remained empty and quiet, with the nearest window several meters away.

But she still subconsciously leaned her body forward slightly and lowered her voice even further, to the point that it was almost a whisper.

He made sure that only Xu Xiaoyan, who was very close, could hear him clearly, and he added an ambiguous hint that implied "you know what I mean" or "there's something fishy going on here."

"But," she emphasized the transitional word, "whether it can actually be done, and who has the final say... that's another matter entirely. The person currently in charge of this, well..."

She carefully considered her words, seemingly searching for a precise yet trouble-free way of saying it: "It's that 'unspeakable young master'."

"Oh? Young Master of a certain family?" Xu Xiaoyan repeated the title with a smile.

The female clerk nodded slightly and continued in a whisper, "If he nods, it can be done in the system. We'll add a global access code for you."

If he shakes his head, then there's no chance. Your car will be locked into the few points on the permit, and whether it passes or not depends entirely on his 'expression'.

Xu Xiaoyan understood immediately.

Isn't this just another form of "key person," more covert and more personalized?

The person in the approval department at least has a clearly defined position and process, but this "young master" is a shadowy arbiter who operates entirely outside the overt rules.

His identity may be more special, his background more powerful, and his style of doing things may be more... capricious and unrestrained by conventional rules.

His single thought determined whether someone like her could gain more space to live.

Xu Xiaoyan nodded, a knowing look on her face.

"Or you have a really strong acquaintance who can introduce you, and the relationship goes straight to the top."

"Otherwise, I'll have to use a 'generous gift' to break into his life, cater to his interests, and see what he's been interested in lately. I know what I mean," she said with a smile.

The female clerk was taken aback by her words.

He then covered his mouth, his shoulders shrugged slightly, and he chuckled softly and subdued, a laugh that carried a sense of "you really know what you're doing."

But she quickly realized the occasion was inappropriate, so she quickly suppressed her smile and straightened her face again, though the agreement and the "we understand each other" look in her eyes could not be hidden.

She nodded slightly, which was taken as acknowledgment of Xu Xiaoyan's judgment.

Having been in this system for a long time, some things don't need to be said. A glance or a cryptic word is enough. That's all she can say.

Just then, a thought flashed through Xu Xiaoyan's mind. She remembered that Li Xiaoli had vaguely mentioned it when she revealed information about the approval department.

The best food trucks seem to have a wider operating range...

If the goal is to pave the way with gifts, setting the bar too low might result in the gifts being wasted.

If your goal is too high and you may not be able to achieve it, why not try setting your goal at the "best possible outcome"?

Wouldn't it be easier to do it all in one step?

To avoid having to ask for favors again later.

She immediately spoke tentatively, her eyes burning with desire, "By the way, big sister, I also heard... that there seems to be a higher level of permit for mobile food trucks like ours."

Is it possible to "freely circulate between Zone B and Zone C"? Wouldn't that kind of permission be even more powerful?

Is this type of permission... something that this... 'young master' can grant?

She carefully avoided addressing her directly, using "this one" instead, and kept her eyes fixed on the female clerk, observing her reaction.

To her surprise, the middle-aged clerk shook his head decisively this time, denying it very clearly: "No, he doesn't have that much authority."

"The cross-regional permit for the BC area involves coordination between the two regional management committees. There are special linkage agreements and approval processes, which are at a higher level and are subject to stricter control."

That's no longer something that a single management office can decide; it requires joint review by the corresponding management departments of the two districts.

She paused for a moment, then said, "If you need to apply for that kind of cross-regional permit, you have to contact our leader in charge of overall management—Director Chen."

Only after he signs and approves can we officially begin the process of submitting a joint application to the management of Area B.

Director Chen is the key, but he is only the key to start the process. Whether it will be successful in the end depends on the opinion of Area B.

She deliberately emphasized the "joint application" and the "process," implying that the complexity and uncertainty involved were far more complex than simply getting a "young master" to nod in approval.

Director Chen!

Xu Xiaoyan's eyes lit up immediately, compared to that mysterious, unpredictable, and only existing in the "unspeakable" background of "a certain young master".

A "Director Chen" with a clearly defined position, a specific office, and responsibility for "overall management" sounds more... feasible?

It's more like someone you can "communicate" with using common sense.

Even if this communication also requires a considerable amount of material resources to pave the way, at least the goal is clear and the path seems more "formal".

Director, there should be some rules, or at least a relatively fixed "price," right?

She immediately seized the opportunity, leaning forward slightly to show great interest and focus, and lowered her voice to be more earnest:

"Director Chen? What kind of person is he? Is he easy to talk to? What are his preferences?"

This question is crucial, as it directly determines what strategy she should adopt next: should she barge into the office and present her "gift," or should she take a more roundabout approach to introduce herself?

Should we send practical supplies, or more scarce luxury items?

She stared intently into the female clerk's eyes.

They tried to capture a true portrait of "Director Chen" from the subtle changes in the other party's expression, the movement of his eyes, the twitch of his mouth, and the emphasis and urgency of his words.

Is it being incorruptible and unyielding?

Is it being worldly-wise and greedy for money?

Are they looking for affordable supplies?

Or should we focus on procedures and rules, and do the superficial work first?

Different profiles mean completely different strategies, and may even mean whether it's worth trying.

However, before the light in Xu Xiaoyan's eyes could fully bloom, it was abruptly suppressed by the female clerk's reflexive reaction.

The woman, who had always been kind and gentle, and who had even just been exchanging "under-the-table rules" with her, was now the one she was talking to.

Upon hearing her inquire about Director Chen's character, he neither revealed anything nor offered an ambiguous smile.

Instead, he immediately shook his head, a small but resolute gesture.

The last trace of a smile on her face vanished completely, replaced by an almost serious, even somewhat urgent, admonishing expression.

His gaze instantly sharpened and became wary, no longer looking at a "sensible person who gets things done," but at an ignorant person about to step into dangerous territory.

She looked at Xu Xiaoyan, her brows slightly furrowed, her voice low but carrying an undeniable, resolute tone of dissuasion: "I don't recommend you go see him!"

The firmness of his tone left Xu Xiaoyan speechless, unable to finish any of the follow-up questions she had prepared.