Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

When we reached the entrance, tall platforms made from steel scaffolding were behind the huge gate. Guards armed with M16s were watching from above and piling bodies from below. On the opposite side of the road, varying vehicles were parked outside, seemingly waiting for something and the familiar face I saw was the driver of another 8-wheeler with a broken windshield.

The guy was named Jimmy.

He was good friends with Unc Zardon and it didn't take long for him to peek his head out after honking his horn a few times. Jimmy also owned a shop but it was in a different location, deeper in the Bulacan Area. We used to deliver to his place before but he soon saved up and got a truck of his own.

"HEY~ ZARDS!!! YOU GUYS ARE FUCKING ALIVE HOLY SHIT!!!" Jimmy waved his hat around and my uncle did as well.

We drove closer a bit closer and the other vehicles started running their horns. Our aim was to only talk to the guy but the others thought we were going to cut in the line.

"HEY!!! WE CAME HERE FIRST!!! THE LINE STARTS AT THE BACK!!!"

"OI!!! BACK THERE YOU DUMBFUCKS!!!"

"MOTHERFUCKERS!!!"

"DUMBFUCKS GO TO THE BACK!!!"

"TO THE BACK!"

"OI!!!"

"GO TO THE BACK OR I'LL FUCK YOU UP!!!"

Curses rained towards us but Oscar stepped out of the vehicle and puffed a huge cloud of smoke from his cigar. Everyone was confused as to what he was about to do but he suddenly drowned out the curses raining towards us.

"YOU DUMB MOTHERFUCKING DEAD BEAT SMELLY-ASS BITCH FUCK FUCKTARDS DOESN'T KNOW A FUCKING FUCK WHAT A FUCKING FIFTY CAL THAT COULD FUCKING BLOW A FUCKING BIG-ASS FUCKING HOLE IN YOUR UGLY MUG'S FACES ARE IN FRONT OF YOU EH?! ONE MORE FUCKING WORD FROM SHIT SMELLING FUCK MOUTHS LIKE Y'ALL, I'LL LET MY FUCKING GUNS DO THE MOTHERFUCKING TALKING, DID YOU FUCKING HEAR ME?!" Oscar bellowed as the veins on his neck and forehead were visible.

The people shouting at us slowly realized the .50 cal machine guns mounted on top of the military jeeps. The road became quiet as fuck as they just realized they barked on the wrong fucking tree. I could almost hear them gulp as Oscar was simply standing in front of them while his 870 was rested on his shoulder.

"That's fucking better." Oscar spat on the ground as he walked towards the gate.

Unc Zardon and Jimmy talked in the background while Oscar started shouting at the guards on the top of the platforms.

"HEY! WE'RE HERE, LET US IN! THAT GUY IN THE HAT'S WITH US TOO!" Oscar strode around like he owned the place.

The three behind me were shocked by what Oscar did but I was behind the wheel dying from laughter.

"He knows how to make an entrance alright." I laughed as I honked at Oscar to get inside.

The gates were getting opened and Oscar took his time to get inside his SUV. We started to drive inside the Intercity then Oscar started laughing maniacally when he closed the door.

"HAHAHAHAHA!!! YOU SEE THAT FUCKING SHIT, KID?!" Oscar backslapped my arm.

"Yeah, yeah. We know you're fucking loud. Just bring a megaphone next time." I tried to tick him off.

*Oscar_Unintelligible_Murica_Screams.mp4*

My right ear was ringing when he stopped but I was already scanning my eyes around to see for myself as to what was the current situation of this place. We started to drive the SUV and the 8-wheeler around randomly but I asked my team to stay put near the entrance and guard the cargo truck with the military jeeps. It was because the cargo truck was too bulky to drive around corners and so that our soldiers could converse with their comrades in arms.

Well, it didn't take long for me to get a general impression of this place.

The laborers inside were in front of their employer's store, waving at us to park in front. There were already a lot of vehicles inside and one thing didn't change even if the world had gone to shit.

This was still a place to conduct business.

Each store here was unlike the public markets that were only a few feet wide. Inside their stores were huge industrial mills and other equipment that used to run nonstop and more than a thousand sacks of rice could be seen inside even now. The stacks were separated into blocks where they could easily differentiate everything.

However, not only rice could be seen inside each store. There was now a variety where they could sell different kinds of services or items that came from the traders that came for the rice they were selling. Each place was not the same and we could only know what they were selling if we come to the store and check for ourselves.

"Old man, where are we even supposed to go? No one's guiding us, I could go straight to the shops I used to go to first if you want?" I suggested.

"Well, I did tell them we were coming. Let's take a look at what the other shops are offering aside from rice so we could also get a feel for how business works here. They just gave us the rice yesterday so I don't have any idea how they price their stuff here." Oscar replied.

I turned to the right but I heard a honk from Jimmy's truck, telling us that he would go the other way. I saw Unc Zardon waving at him before Jimmy turned to the left and we stopped by Jomarro's Millers first. It only had one customer though a couple of soldiers were inside and in the entrance guarding it.

It was a medium-sized establishment and the laborer's eyes lit up when they saw me and my truck driving inside their parking area.

"Oi! Boss Ishiyama! Long time no see!" A jacked-up laborer named Mike helped us park.

"Yeah, I was surprised to know that this place is alive and kicking. Where's Jomarro?" I gave Mike a strong handshake.

"Ah, I think he's having lunch but you could take a look around?" Mike was rubbing his hands together.

"Still going for a tip, eh?" Unc Zardon walked next to us and gave Mike a hard slap on the back.

"Ah! Fucking motherfu- of course, I am! Well, I don't take cash now, heh." Mike was scanning around my team and I introduced him. He was all smiles like he usually was and he simply made a bow before he guided me inside.

"Kid, my allergies are acting up, I'll stay here and talk with the soldiers to get some info." Oscar waved me off.

"Allergies my ass." I thought to myself.

Unc Zardon was right next to Mike while Kaley, Tatiana, and Mikhail were curiously following behind me. A few laborers that I know who were carrying 50-kilogram sacks over their heads saw me. They gave me an upwards nod but their eyes slowly shifted to Kaley and Tatiana. Their brisk walking slowed for a bit but they hurried up when Mike started shouting at them.

"HURRY UP! AFTER THAT BOSS ISHIYAMA IS NEXT!" Mike exclaimed.

"Is it like this even from before?" Kaley asked.

"Yep." I chuckled.

"Their job is simply to carry those sacks over to your truck, correct?" Tatiana mentioned.

"Well, you need to carefully stack them too. If you pile them randomly, you would be going home with less than intended, safer too after tying them together. Mike and the rest here do a good job and they could fit 390 50-kilogram sacks in that 8-wheeler." I replied.

"395 if no one's riding shotgun." Mike chimed as he turned around.

"That many?" Mikhail was surprised and Mike give a faint smile.

"Anyway, Mike, what are the varieties available here? I could see you still have imported long grains and a few stacks of brown rice here, anything special?" I asked him.

"Specials? Hmm, what do you mean by special?" Mike was confused.

"Well, a quarter of your store here has a few things different from the usual. Any goods other than rice you guys have that could catch my eye?" I replied.

"Ah! I'm sorry we just deal with rice here. The other shops do but Sir Jomarro doesn't want to trade for the other stuff." Mike apologetically said, scratching his head.

"That's fine, no worries. How many of those imported ones could you let go?" I said.

"The imported ones? Which kind? We still have a lot from Japan, a few from Thailand, and a little more from Vietnam still available." Mike pointed to a few stacks in the corner.

"A few from Thailand? Why? That's like 400 in that stack over there, right?!" I was confused.

"Yeah… Sir Jomarro doesn't want to sell a lot of those because they expire longer. He wants us to push out the ones from Japan and Vietnam first." Mike replied.

"Are they darkening already?" I asked.

"Not really, it's… you know what's it's like, right? Softer rice tends to expire more easily." Mike put up his hands helplessly.

"I see, I'll take all of the ones you could let go. About 300?" I said nonchalantly.

"Hah! Here you go again, joking like- well, I'm not falling for that anymore. If you have the right items Sir Jomarro wanted, he could let go of~ let's say~ 30 sacks." Mike said.

"Oh come on! That little?! Mike, tell me, who hooked you up with Elaine, huh? Huh?! Give me 100 at least! Why the fuck is Jomarro taking so long? JOMARRO!" I was shocked by his offer.