Chapter 284 The Calm Before the Storm

After leaving City C, Lan Shiruo and his group headed towards Shicheng, heading north. They did not follow the original route and their first stop would be Luzhou City O.

O City is a major cotton and linen export city in the world. It has a flat terrain, sufficient sunlight, abundant water resources, and fertile land. It is also the largest silkworm breeding base in the country.

As the population increases, the various clothes and fabrics collected by Lan Shiruo from factories, shopping malls, waste recycling stations and other places can no longer meet the demand.

New clothing fabrics have been used directly, while worn-out and recycled clothing fabrics have all passed through Ao Chengyi's factory area, where they are washed, disinfected, pulped, synthesized into fabrics, and finally made into ready-made garments using a set of assembly line equipment. They have begun to be produced and used, and have all remained in the base. There is no more supply of clothing materials or goods in the space.

All the finished products are summer clothes. When the severe cold and hot summer are over, new clothes will be needed again. O City is a good place to look for them.

If they can't find ready-made clothing fabrics, it would be better if they could find some cotton, linen, and mulberry silkworm seeds and seedlings. Then they can be self-sufficient and don't have to worry about the next season after using up this one.

As they traveled, they encountered fewer and fewer mutant corpses and zombies. This did not please the group, as it suggested that the powerful mutants had gathered them together and formed a powerful force. They were unpredictable and would suddenly attack human territory at any time. When that happened, the outbreak would no longer be a minor conflict.

But most people don't seem to realize this. Instead, they rejoice over the reduction in mutants and travel happily. Now they don't have to go out in groups or worry. They fantasize that the end of the world is about to end and they will soon be able to return to the prosperity and freedom before the end of the world.

Little did they know that this was just the calm before the storm.

The earthquakes continued, but humans, accustomed to them, didn't take them seriously. They had grown accustomed to, even fond of, the shaking. No one paid any attention to the tall buildings that collapsed on the streets, leaving them in ruins. They didn't have the ability to rebuild, nor did they see any need to.

The large team, with Lan Shiruo's scientific education, understood that the crisis was growing and intensifying. Seeing how naive humans were, I suddenly felt that the world was a good thing. Although I don't know if I would have developed a sense of crisis without Lan Shiruo's advance warning, or whether I would have been as naive as them, these people really have forgotten the pain after the scar healed, and have no idea of being prepared for danger in times of peace. Only by giving them a lesson can they truly grow.

It can be considered as survival of the fittest. This world is cruel. If you want to survive, you have to try your best.

It took nearly ten days to get from City C to City O. Ordinary cars could no longer accommodate our large group, but cars that were too big felt awkward and wobbled like an old ox.

So the kids all sat on their contracted beasts, Lan Shiruo and Ao Chengyi on the back of the General, who had made himself about the same size as a Pegasus, easily enough for two. As for the other kids, they could only sit on the electric horses, two to a ride, whirring along beside them.

While walking in the open air, I discovered one of the advantages of the ice toad. The little thing is no longer a lazy little thing that only knows how to sleep in. It can also release cold air in a controlled range. When a large group walks in the sun, they don’t feel hot at all. It’s cool and very comfortable, better than air conditioning.

This scene seems a bit stupid in the eyes of others. Only a fool would not use the air conditioner and bask in the sun.

But the group's looks are particularly cool. Riding bicycles is not something that people envy. Nowadays, solar energy is abundant and it is easy to get a small electric horse that everyone can use. But riding a white horse, a black panther, and even a Tibetan mastiff is a treatment that not ordinary people can have.

Looking at the cute little white horse, the majestic black panther, and the mighty Tibetan Mastiff, it’s so amazing. What kind of magical combination is this group of people?

Of the four large land animals, except for the seemingly soft and cuddly little Feifei, the others were incredibly ferocious, and most people wouldn't dare approach. There was also a particularly ferocious eagle, nearly the size of a grown man, staring at you with a sharp gaze that sent a chill down your spine. Furthermore, the people in the group didn't look like they were formidable.

So, I received a lot of attention along the way, but no one dared to come forward and cause trouble.

It was noon when the large group arrived outside the gate of City O. The sun was very strong, the temperature was very high, and the earthquake was shaking violently, sometimes light and sometimes light, which was very uncomfortable.

The guards at the city gate were listless, so they closed the gate and left two people to watch it while the others slept. Those who wanted to enter or leave the city had to wait until two o'clock in the afternoon.

When you live under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Although everyone can't stand the bad weather outside, they don't dare to confront the guards head-on, so they just have to endure it.

Try to find a shaded area and sit in the shade to rest.

The large group didn't get any special treatment. Although their formation was impressive, they tried to keep a low profile. They set up a simple tent, a large one, large enough to accommodate everyone and their animals. With the ice toad around, they didn't need air conditioning. They thought it was just a hard shell for protection, but it also helped keep them cool. The group was delighted.

After blocking out the outside view, the big team happily sat in the tent, eating barbecue, drinking cold beer and enjoying themselves.

But people outside are ravenous. Two years after the apocalypse, simple vegetable farming has taken off worldwide, and meat is available even after hunting mutant beasts. As for fruit and seasonings, they're considered luxuries, relying on past production and unable to be reproduced, making them difficult for ordinary people to find. Alcoholic beverages are even more legendary, especially alcohol, which most people love. Before the apocalypse, every household had a few bottles stored. In the summer, beer was always brought home in boxes and crates. But now, two years after the apocalypse, you can occasionally smell the alcohol when passing by the tables of important people, but otherwise, it's just a dream.

Humans who have been inundated with gluttony for a long time are particularly sensitive to various smells and can tell what is there just by moving their noses slightly.

This is really killing me. I can still bear it if I don’t smell it, but once I smell it, I feel so uncomfortable that it makes my heart ache.

However, intimidated by the momentum of the large group, everyone could only sneak closer to the tent, sniff a few more times, and dared not take any other action.

The little friend ate very comfortably, his appetite not affected by the people outside, but he was still sighing, "How sad, as if we have returned to those days of war, natural disasters and man-made disasters, when production was low and everyone was hungry, and looked pale and thin." Ding Jiajia took a skewer of meat and chewed it, making a smacking sound in his mouth.

Miaomiao was extremely disgusted. "What a show-off! You talk as if you've experienced that era."

Ding Jiajia chuckled, "Even if you haven't eaten pork, have you never seen a pig run?"

Everyone rolled their eyes. Can this sentence be applied here?

Lu Chaoyang ate very politely. "Life is much harder now than before. At least before, there were no mutants hiding in the dark to attack us. We could grow things in the fields, drink water, and eat soil. Now, we can't even eat soil."

The friends shrugged their shoulders. It was true that it was indeed difficult, but they also said very unkindly that they did not feel it was that hard. After all, from the end of the world to now, they had always been able to eat and drink, and had no shortage of food, clothing, or water. They even lived a more carefree life than before the end of the world.

Although they may get beaten for saying this, it's their lucky life after all.

(End of this chapter)