Chapter 42 Continues to Ferment

Hearing Guan Shao say he wasn't leaving, Jiang Rong couldn't help but smile. He had subtly inquired with Guan Shao beforehand, and learned that Guan Shao had no family before the major crisis. Now, he and his teammates were separated and had nowhere to go. If he didn't need to take Jiang Hao out for treatment, there was a high probability he would stay.

Having spent so much time with Jiang Rong, Guan Shao had come to know him quite well. Seeing Jiang Rong smile, he relaxed and said, "Don't worry, I don't want to go anywhere right now. Even if I have to leave temporarily, I'll ask for your opinion."

Jiang Rong felt that Guan Shao had seen through his little thoughts, but he still nodded generously and said, "Mm." It was so much easier to have Guan Shao by his side. Guan Shao could always understand his thoughts immediately. He and Chu Qiang had known each other since childhood but had never developed such a tacit understanding.

Guan Shao laughed and said, "Alright, don't worry about me and Xiao Hao anymore. Let's get down to business now."

When Chu Qiang and Pan Pan entered, Jiang Rong and Guan Shao were studying a map on the computer screen. A prominent red circle marked the map, encompassing several villages near Lingshan Reservoir.

Simply hovering the mouse over a village name will bring up a corresponding live video. These videos were recently filmed using drones, and the team has a clear understanding of how many people, roads, houses, and fields are in each village.

This will be the core area of ​​the base after its completion. The area around Lingshan Reservoir is surrounded by mountains and water, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Jiang Rong and his team have been searching for a suitable location these past few days. Once they've chosen a spot, they'll need to figure out how to build a warehouse.

As soon as he entered, Chu Qiang reported the situation: "Zhang Wenzhang from Fishery Village No. 2 has already spread the news. Xiao Jiang, what should we do next?"

Jiang Rong calmly said, "No rush, wait a moment."

Pan Pan looked puzzled: "Huh?" Weren't they going to set up a base? Now that the news has been released, shouldn't they be publicizing it extensively?

The radio often broadcasts recruitment announcements from other recruitment groups. These groups make a huge fuss, implying that anyone who doesn't join is doomed. Wouldn't it be much more effective for them to hire a few copywriters and advertise through the radio, just like those other groups?

While puzzled, Pan Pan also felt somewhat helpless: "I just heard several people cursing us, saying that we are greedy and want everything. I really feel wronged. We set up the base for their own good. Why do they say such things about us? People who don't know the situation would think we did something heinous."

As Pan Pan passed through the crowd, he heard a lot of negative comments. He was indignant: "They were saying such awful things." It's just that when Village Chief Zhang was speaking, they were installing solar panels on the roof, so they didn't know what he was saying.

Jiang Rong picked up a pear from the fruit plate and tossed it to Pan Pan: "Don't worry. In a few days, our publicity will catch up. But before that, we need to recruit a group of people who genuinely want to join us."

In her previous life at the Peace Base, Jiang Rong encountered all sorts of people and deeply understood the importance of unity and concerted efforts.

Not everyone can join his base; only those with clean backgrounds and diligent work are allowed. They must recognize the cruelty of the world and genuinely desire protection. This way, when they are needed in the future, they won't try to shirk their duties.

The news has been released; now we just need to wait and see how it develops.

Seeing that Pan Pan seemed to understand but not quite, Chu Qiang comforted him, "Don't worry, Pan Zi, your brother Jiang must have his reasons for doing things. You just have to wait and see."

*

Since solar panels were installed on their roof, Uncle Li and Aunt Li's lives have improved dramatically. Now their living room is filled with fruit trees brought back from the orchard, and with the help of air conditioning and electric fans, the aroma of the fruit, along with the coolness, permeates the entire living room.

Of course, Uncle Li and his family didn't just turn on the air conditioning for the fruit. From dawn until nightfall, people kept joining them in their living room. Most of them claimed to be exchanging fruit, but they were actually just using the air conditioning and fans for free.

Uncle Li and the others knew perfectly well what was going on, but they didn't drive these people away. On the contrary, he would serve them tea and water and chat with them happily.

The topics of conversation among the people gathered were varied, but the most frequent were the tragedies that had occurred around them. For example, at this moment, a woman from the next village, with red eyes, recounted how her neighbor had been killed by a mutated animal while foraging for food in the mountains. Although the bystanders hadn't witnessed the events firsthand, they all felt deeply saddened to learn of the tragic fate that had befallen someone they knew.

Aunt Li pulled a snow-white tissue from the table and wiped away her tears: "It's so pitiful. I watched that child grow up, and now he's gone..."

Uncle Li said gravely, "There aren't many people left in the fourth village, and that child's house is in the back, surrounded by woods... It's tragic..."

Someone in the crowd chimed in, "Yeah, Old Li and his friends are the best. They live in the same village as the superhumans, and they even have a mutant dog at home. If anything happens, they just have to call out."

Uncle Li waved his hand: "Don't say that. Let me tell you this. If it weren't for Xiao Jiang and the others, my wife, Hu Zi, and I would have died in the mouths of those mutated wolves long ago. Did you all see them when you were exchanging for wolf meat? Those wolves were so big, how could my Hu Zi be a match for them?"

Aunt Li sighed, "Yes, it's all thanks to them, otherwise my husband and I wouldn't have been able to hold on until now."

At that moment, someone in the crowd muttered, "Of course, you've all given away all your possessions, so of course they'll take good care of you."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Li's expression changed, and he suddenly stood up, raising his voice eight octaves: "Who said that?! Don't say such things again!"

Seeing Uncle Li's change of expression, the villagers in the living room quickly shut their mouths, but they were still wondering: Could it be that Village Chief Zhang was wrong? Wasn't it because Uncle Li and the others gave up all their possessions that they received the protection of the superpowered individuals?

Aunt Li's face was serious. She stood up and pointed in the direction of the gate, "Everyone is welcome to come to my house to play. But if we hear you say a bad word about people with superpowers again, don't come again."

Uncle Li's face flushed red, and after a long pause, he finally managed to utter a sentence: "We're old bones, it's fine if you say a few things to us, but don't ruin the reputation of people with superpowers."

At this moment, Uncle Chu walked in from the courtyard gate with an umbrella: "Old Li, are you free now? Let's go and pack some things."

Uncle Li and Aunt Li replied quickly, "Coming right away." Then they turned around and gestured for them to leave: "Sorry, we have to go help out. Everyone, please go back now and come again later."

The people in the living room wanted to use the air conditioning again, but they didn't want to offend Uncle Li and Aunt Li, so they all got up and left.

Stepping out of the air-conditioned room, a wave of heat hit them, and the drastic temperature difference caused them to exclaim, "It's so hot!" "Ah, air conditioning is so good..."

If they could, they'd love to stay indoors in air-conditioned rooms. How are they going to survive if the weather gets any hotter?

Some people in the crowd were already wavering, and a suppressed voice slowly rose: "I want to join the base... Isn't it just handing over my family's property and taking orders from the superhumans? Things are inanimate, but people are alive. If people can't even survive, what do I need those inanimate things for?"

Those who left the village before, didn't they also abandon their houses and fields to make a living in more distant bases? They wanted to leave before, but couldn't for various reasons. Now that the superhuman base is right next to them, even if they are forced to work by superhumans, at least they are operating on familiar land. Isn't that better than trekking through mountains and rivers and leaving their homes?

The speaker was a slightly plump woman named Yao Hong. Before the crisis, Yao Hong was a large woman weighing 180 pounds, but during this period, she lost a full 60 pounds. In the past, she could wake up laughing in her sleep, but now, as soon as she opened her eyes, tears would stream down her face uncontrollably.

Yao Hong was wearing oversized clothes, and her eyes were red as she sobbed, "My mother is seventy years old this year, and my daughter is only ten. I have elderly parents to support and a young child to raise. If the situation continues to worsen, how long can our family survive? Even before the major crisis, we still had to go to work to earn money. Now it's just a matter of changing jobs, isn't it?"

Besides, even before the major crisis, their houses and farmland didn't belong to them. Strictly speaking, the farmland belonged to the state. Now that the state is gone, what ability do they have to protect their own little plot of land?

After sniffling, Yao Hong made up her mind: "I want to join the base. Anyway, my family is already poor. What do material possessions matter as long as I can survive?!"

After saying this, Yao Hong quickly caught up with Uncle Chu: "Uncle Chu, Uncle Chu, please wait!"

Unexpectedly, someone was already willing to give up everything to join the base. People always pay more attention to the first person to take the plunge. Many stopped and followed Yao Hong's gaze, wanting to see how the superhumans and their loved ones would react after Yao Hong volunteered to join.

What kind of help will the superhumans offer Yao Hong? If they offer substantial benefits, they'll weigh the pros and cons after returning home. Just like Yao Hong said, work is work, and as long as one can survive, what does giving away a little money matter?

Hearing Yao Hong call out, Uncle Chu stopped in surprise. "What's wrong?"

With tears welling up in her eyes and a determined look in them, Yao Hong said, "Uncle Chu, I'm willing to give everything in my family to the superpowered team. I'll obey the superpowered people's orders from now on. I just ask that you install solar panels in my house!"

Yao Hong's voice was loud enough to show everyone her sincerity. However, Uncle Chu frowned, and displeasure appeared in his eyes: "Are you kidding me?"

Yao Hong was taken aback. What had she said wrong? Wasn't it Village Chief Zhang who said that as long as one gave up everything they had and behaved obediently, they could join the base? Were the conditions now even more stringent?

Uncle Chu's tone was filled with anger: "Do we not have a house or electricity? Do we need your little things? Let me tell you the truth, the things that ability users exchange are things they risked their lives to obtain. What? Your lives are lives, but the lives of ability users aren't? How much are your entire fortunes worth? Do you think you can make ability users risk their lives for you with these inanimate objects? You're dreaming!"

After speaking, Uncle Chu flicked his sleeves and turned to leave.

Not only was Yao Hong dumbfounded, but the villagers behind her who had been listening intently were also stunned.

This... is different from what Village Chief Zhang said. If everyone was still debating whether to join the base yesterday, now Uncle Chu has blocked the road to the base.

Seeing this, Uncle Li sighed in frustration: "I knew I shouldn't have been greedy for Old Zhang's half pack of cigarettes. It's my fault for being so talkative and saying the wrong thing."

Everyone: ? ? ?

What's going on?

*

The news of what happened outside the Li family's courtyard spread like wildfire to several nearby villagers. The villagers, who had been cheated out of their supplies by Village Chief Zhang yesterday, angrily went to the Second Village and found his house. As soon as they entered, they demanded an explanation from Village Chief Zhang.

After repeated questioning, everyone pieced together the truth.

It turned out that it wasn't the superhuman team that was forcibly taking things; rather, it was Li Guofu and his wife who brought all their possessions to the superhuman team. Only after their desperate pleas did the superhumans relent and install solar panels in their home.

As for the idea of ​​the superhumans building a base, it was just something Li Guofu casually mentioned; there was no truth to it at all.

The village chief made such a fuss about unfounded rumors and distorted facts sound so convincing, no wonder Li Guofu and his wife changed their attitude after hearing that someone said the superhuman team had taken their things. If this got back to the superhumans, they might very well take back the solar panels.

Just as Chu Qiang's father said, people with superpowers have everything they need; they can live quite comfortably. What use are their dilapidated houses and broken tiles? If their fields had crops, the people with superpowers might give them a few solar panels out of greed. But now the temperature is so high that crops can't survive. Even if the people with superpowers wanted the land, they wouldn't be able to cultivate it.

The villagers berated Zhang, the village chief, saying, "You, Zhang Wenzhang, not only did you distort the truth before, but now you dare to deceive us?"

Village Chief Zhang hurriedly covered his head with his hands: "Don't hit my face, don't hit my face. I'll return everything to you."

Looking at Village Chief Zhang's aged face, the people lowered their fists. Life was already hard enough; why make things difficult for each other? Someone sighed, "Now it's all over. Even if we offered them everything we owned, they wouldn't want it. We were trying to negotiate a better price, but now we don't need to think about it anymore."

Let's just keep enduring this weather.

*

A faint pink hue filled the sky. Jiang Rong stood outside the window and looked out. The courtyard was filled with wooden boxes containing solar panels, losing its usual openness.

Jiang Rong couldn't help but sigh. The atmosphere wasn't quite right yet; it wasn't the best time.

Guan Shao appeared behind Jiang Rong at some point. He handed her a plate with neatly cut square pieces of pear on it, each with two toothpicks stuck in it: "Eat pears."

Jiang Rong looked down and chuckled, "How did you do that?" He noticed that Guan Shao's cuts were incredibly precise, as if he'd undergone military training. Every single potato shred was the same length and thickness, and the peaches and pears were the same too. Considering that fruit is round, how difficult would it be to cut such squares?

Guan Shao said seriously, "Just cut it irregularly and eat it."

Jiang Rong blinked: "Then... what about the potatoes?"

Guan Shao: ...

The pears were sweet and crisp, with no fibrous residue, and the two of them stood by the window taking pictures. The moon was very round tonight, and its light pierced through the pink sky and fell into the courtyard. A layer of red, bloodthirsty vines was scattered on the wooden box, and under the moonlight, the red vines were so bright and clear that they could be seen at a glance.

The Bloodthirsty Vine seemed to love basking in the sun, spreading its tendrils and climbing everywhere, day or night. For the past few days, it had been staying in his yard guarding the wooden box. Jiang Rong had been worried it might rebel, but after spending time with it these past few days, he found it to be even more obedient than the Little Fairy.

The little fairy would occasionally bargain with him about the number of episodes in the cartoon, but the Bloodthirsty Vine never said much. It did whatever Jiang Rong asked it to do.

Because it was so well-behaved, Jiang Xiaoheng bestowed upon it the name "Little Darling".

The theme song of Team Meow Meow drifted from the courtyard. Looking in the direction of the sound, I saw Little Fairy leaning against the outer wall, watching cartoons. Little Darling was curled up on the wall, diligently holding up a tablet. Two plants swayed slightly to the cartoon's theme song, looking rather cute.

After eating a few pieces of pear, Jiang Rong sighed, "It's so quiet." He had been busy preparing for the base's establishment. Even after returning home, he had to divide his time and energy among Xiao Heng and Xiao Hao. Only after the two children fell asleep could he have a brief moment to himself.

Guan Shao chuckled and said, "Are you not used to it?"

Jiang Rong turned his head and his eyes met Guan Shao's. He saw a tiny version of himself reflected in Guan Shao's pupils. Guan Shao's eyes were beautiful; beneath his long eyelashes, the ratio of his pupils to the whites of his eyes was just right.

For most of the day, Guan Shao was calm and serious. Only when facing himself did his eyes reveal some indescribable emotions.

Jiang Rong didn't know how to accurately describe this emotion. He only knew that when he saw Guan Shao's eyes, he wanted to hide, but he couldn't help but want to look at them a few more times.

Since awakening his wood-type superpower, Jiang Rong's perception of the human body has become much stronger than before. He could feel his and Guan Shao's body temperatures slowly rising, and even their heartbeats quickening.

Guan Shao placed the plate on the windowsill and took a step towards Jiang Rong. He stretched out his hands, his Adam's apple bobbing twice: "Jiang Rong, I..."

A piercing crackling sound came from the direction of the dining table. The intercom on the table rang, and Chu Qiang's urgent voice came through: "Xiao Jiang, did you sleep with Guan Tou'er?"

Jiang Rong suddenly snapped out of her daze, took two steps back, and hurriedly ran towards the dining table: "Coming!"

Guan Shao lowered his head and sighed silently. He looked at his hands; he was so close to touching Jiang Rong.

After the walkie-talkie connection was established, Chu Qiang's voice came through: "The drone has detected mutated wild boars active near Jiangjiaqiao. It looks like they're about to enter the village. Should we go?"

Jiang Rong said alertly, "Go! Call everyone in the team." This is their team's first mission, and if they're lucky, they can get a lot of crystal cores. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; they can't miss it.

*

Jiangjiaqiao is a large village with two to three hundred households, located below Lingshan Reservoir. Nestled against the mountains and beside the water, it was a well-known tourist resort before the major crisis. The villagers were relatively wealthy; almost every household ran a guesthouse, and many owned their own generators.

For this reason, while many other villages were deserted, many villagers in Jiangjiaqiao stayed behind.

The weather is unbearably hot these days, so many villagers choose to stay indoors during the day and be out at night. Around midnight, villagers from Jiangjiaqiao, who should be asleep, emerged from their homes in twos and threes. Some were preparing for the exchange the next morning, while others took the opportunity to get some fresh air.

The air tonight is unusual; many people have noticed an unpleasant odor. Could it be that someone is suffering from the heat again because they can't bear to turn on the air conditioning?

With the high temperatures, a person who has died will start to emit an odor within hours, and the villagers have become accustomed to the occasional stench of decay emanating from the village. But the smell they were encountering now was different; it was a foul, fishy odor. Even though the villagers craned their necks, they couldn't find the source of the odor.

Tian Beibei and her boyfriend were a young couple who came to Jiangjiaqiao for a vacation during the financial crisis. The guesthouse they chose was located halfway up the mountain and had a balcony that extended along the mountainside and offered a beautiful view.

If it weren't for the sudden disaster, this would have been a happy trip. But a major crisis broke out, and they were trapped here.

Tian Beibei sat on a chair on the balcony, frowning and covering her mouth and nose. "Ugh~ What's that smell? It's awful!"

Her boyfriend, who was standing next to her, was drinking water from a mineral water bottle: "Maybe something else died again."

Tian Beibei said angrily, "I bet some scoundrel is peeing behind the wall again!" Although their guesthouse has a second floor, the second-floor windows overlook the hillside. Lately, people who go up the mountain to dig for wild vegetables have been frequently urinating and defecating outside the wall.

The boyfriend said numbly, "What can you do to them?" These days, nobody cares if you commit murder or arson, let alone urinating or defecating.

Seeing her boyfriend's spineless attitude, Tian Beibei's anger flared. Then, watching him gulp down more than half a bottle of mineral water, Tian Beibei could no longer contain her rage. Her voice sharpened, "Are you a pig? Didn't I tell you to eat less? If you keep eating like this, how long will our meager food last?"

As she spoke, she dodged the half-empty water bottle from her boyfriend's hand, shook the empty bottle, and said angrily, "I asked you to go out and find something to eat, but you absolutely refused. When it comes to eating, you never care about anyone else. I really don't know what I saw in you before!"

Her boyfriend hung his head expressionlessly. "Regret it? If you regret it, then break up with me." They were now in the same boat; they couldn't even walk out of Jiangjia Bridge, let alone break up.

Just as Tian Beibei was about to curse, she suddenly heard several heavy groans. Instantly, her hair stood on end: "You, did you hear anything?"

Her boyfriend sluggishly sat up: "It seems..."

The next moment, the wall behind them exploded with a loud bang, several large holes appearing in it. Flying stones scattered everywhere, and the energy-saving lights on the wall flickered twice and went out. In that brief instant, Tian Beibei witnessed the most terrifying scene of her life: she saw several ferocious-looking wild boars rushing over the wall towards her.

"ah--"

Screams echoed throughout Jiangjiaqiao, followed by the sound of houses collapsing. A herd of wild boars, their eyes bloodshot, charged down the mountainside, smashing and leveling all the buildings in their path.

The piercing sound of the gong startled everyone in Jiangjiaqiao: "Wild boars are coming! Get out of the way!"

Author's Note:

Survival is a biological instinct, but if it really happens in an apocalypse, the old cat probably wouldn't be able to give up its dignity to survive.

Old Cat is a coward; he'll find a quiet little corner to end his own life.

People who strive to survive under difficult conditions are truly admirable.