Chapter 46 Starfire Base

At six o'clock the next morning, Jiang Rong's walkie-talkie rang. Chu Qiang's loud voice came through: "Xiao Jiang, are you and Guan Tou'er awake? A lot of people have come to my house, can you come over in a bit?"

Jiang Rong hadn't thought much of it when Chu Qiang mentioned their names repeatedly before. However, after overhearing Guan Shao's feelings in the bathroom yesterday, Jiang Rong felt something was off. Hearing Chu Qiang ask if they were asleep or awake made it seem like something had really happened between them.

It seems I'll have to talk to Chu Qiang about this later, so that at least next time I hear similar words, there will be a pause between their names.

Today's breakfast was made by Guan Shao again. Ever since Guan Shao woke up, he has been taking care of breakfast every day. There was plain porridge, pickles, and fried dough sticks on the table. Although there weren't many varieties, the portions were very generous.

Guan Shao's fried dough cakes were rustic in appearance, and after being deep-fried, each one had its own unique shape. The two children picked out the different shaped cakes, imagining what they looked like. Jiang Xiaoheng picked up a cake and placed it in Jiang Hao's bowl, "Big brother, look, doesn't this look like a little crab?"

Jiang Hao slowly put down his chopsticks, raised both hands, and held his index and middle fingers up next to his ears. He moved his fingers and swayed his head from side to side, "Ah~"

Jiang Xiaoheng said happily, "Right!"

Guan Shao looked at the two little ones with a puzzled expression. How were they communicating normally? However, it was precisely because of Jiang Xiaoheng's liveliness that Jiang Hao had made significant progress. He believed that Jiang Hao would become more and more lively under Jiang Xiaoheng's influence.

After putting down the walkie-talkie, Jiang Rong smiled and said, "Representatives from several nearby villages have gone to Chu Qiang's house. Let's go over there after we finish breakfast."

Guan Shao said softly, "That's fast. But it's a matter of life and death, so faster is better than slower."

When Jiang Rong and her group arrived at Chu Qiang's house, they found more than a dozen people gathered in the living room. These people were representatives elected by the nearby villagers. They had only one purpose in coming to Chu Qiang's house today: to persuade Jiang Rong and her group to set up a base.

Upon seeing Jiang Rong enter, everyone stood up in unison, their eyes filled with expectation, fearing that Jiang Rong would send them away. Jiang Rong glanced around and nodded slightly: "Please sit down."

After the room door closed, Chu Qiang stood in the doorway with his arms crossed. Ruan Hanyu asked, puzzled, "Brother Chu, why aren't you going in?"

Chu Qiang looked pained: "I'm the worst at dealing with situations like this..."

Ruan Hanyu was originally a socially awkward person, so she could completely understand Chu Qiang's pain. She sighed, "If it were me, I wouldn't go in either."

Chu Qiang relaxed and said, "Don't worry, with Xiao Jiang and Guan Tou'er here, we can definitely handle it. By the way, girl, do you have any special feelings?"

Yesterday, Jiang Rong distributed all the collected crystal cores, and that night, the other ability users in the team tried to absorb them. Chu Qiang remembered that after absorbing a crystal core for the first time, his strength was several times greater than usual. He wondered what changes the other ability users in the team experienced after absorbing crystal cores.

Upon hearing Chu Qiang's question, Ruan Hanyu gave a shy yet delighted smile. She stretched out her hand, and two foot-long icicles appeared on her palm with a "rustling" sound. "Brother Chu, look."

Previously, when Ruan Hanyu used her supernatural ability, she could only conjure one icicle at a time. She needed to first conjure water and then freeze it into ice, which took at least half a minute to condense one icicle. But now, in the blink of an eye, she conjured two icicles, which can be considered a very significant improvement.

Besides the increased speed, the quality of the icicles has also improved dramatically. Previously, the icicles had a bumpy exterior and contained many air bubbles inside. The two icicles in front of us now have a beautiful conical shape, and unless you look closely, you can hardly see the air bubbles inside.

The icicles emanated a chill, and Ruan Hanyu asked excitedly, "Brother Chu, do you think I've improved?"

Chu Qiang gave a thumbs up: "Beautiful!"

At this moment, Jiang Xiaoheng and Jiang Hao followed Leilei out of the room. When they saw the popsicles, the two little boys' eyes lit up: "Wow~ popsicles~"

Ruan Hanyu clapped her hands, and the icicles transformed into gleaming ice crystals. The next moment, two lifelike kittens appeared in her palm, which she handed to Xiao Hao and Xiao Heng: "These are for you."

Icicles are too dangerous for children; an accidental piercing could lead to a painful lesson. But the adorable, lifelike cats are different. These icy creations are so realistic that even the little boy couldn't resist touching them, exclaiming, "So cute!"

Ruan Hanyu then took out another picture of the same kitten and handed it to Leilei: "I'm glad you like it. At the moment, I'm the best at making kittens. After I get more familiar with it, I'll be able to make other small animals."

Ruan Hanyu has a background in painting, so making small animals is not difficult for her.

Besides Ruan Hanyu, Lei Lei also felt that her superpower had improved: "My space has become much larger." The wild boar she had collected yesterday was still lying in her space. After absorbing the crystal core, the space had expanded considerably, making the wild boars seem to have become fewer in number.

Chu Qiang gave a thumbs up: "Not bad!"

While the group was chatting, Wang Chunlan came over with a plate of sliced ​​fruit: "Where's the result being checked?"

Ruan Hanyu smiled and said, "Yes, Sister Chunlan, how are you feeling now?"

Wang Chunlan blinked and revealed a mysterious smile: "It's hard to say now. We'll know once we try it with Xiao Rong." Currently, Jiang Rong is the only one among the ability users who is injured. She doesn't want to waste her precious healing ability, so she'll wait for Jiang Rong to come out of the conference room to see the effect.

Chu Qiang absorbed all the crystal cores last night, and now it was his turn to demonstrate. He took out a one-meter-long piece of rebar and twisted it into a pretzel with a casual flick of his wrist.

Upon seeing this, those present exclaimed in amazement: "Wow—"

Chu Qiang casually tossed the rebar aside: "Everyone has seen the power of the crystal core. Our superpowers will only get stronger in the future."

Leilei looked expectantly outside the courtyard, "Why isn't Uncle Pan here yet? I wonder what changes have occurred in him." Yesterday, Pan Pan took away four earth-type crystal cores; the effect must have been very good.

As soon as they said Pan Pan was here, he appeared in the yard riding a pink electric scooter. As soon as he entered, he rushed towards everyone: "Hey everyone! I'm going to show you something amazing! Come on, come out with me!"

Chu Qiang and the others walked out of their house curiously: "What's going on?"

Pan Pan beamed: "Come with me and you'll see."

The group followed Pan Pan's footsteps to the back of Chu Qiang's house. Behind Chu Qiang's house was a small field leading to the hills behind it. In the middle of the field was a path leading to Jiang Rong's house.

Pan Pan made several cool hand seals in front of him, then with a "ha," he bent his right leg and stretched his left leg to the side, squatting down like a samurai in an anime and slapping his hands on the ground.

Everyone: ...

Jiang Xiaoheng muttered in a low voice, "Brother Pan Pan looks so silly..." Jiang Hao nodded in agreement.

That's really silly.

The ground began to shake the next moment, and the narrow ridge that could only support one person was rapidly "growing". The soil on both sides of the ridge began to move and converge towards the middle. In no time, a wide dirt road about two meters wide and about one hundred meters long appeared in front of everyone.

Chu Qiang's eyes widened: "My God..." Is this the power of an earth-type ability user? Pan Pan clapped his hands, which was equivalent to a construction team working for most of the day.

However, this was not the main point Pan Pan wanted to make. After the mud road was repaired, he looked intently at Chu Qiang and said, "Brother Qiang, try punching me."

Chu Qiang looked around, then finally focused on the dirt road: "Smash a punch? Smash the ground?"

Pan Pan nodded: "Yes! Compare it to a cement road surface?"

Chu Qiang nodded and walked onto the muddy road, then swung his fist and slammed it hard into the ground. A cloud of yellow dust rose where his fist landed, and a deep crater appeared in the mud.

Pan Pan asked excitedly, "How was it, Brother Qiang? Did you feel it?"

Chu Qiang raised his fist and looked at his reddened joints. He said quietly, "I think I need to get a pair of gloves." To be honest, the feeling of that punch was no different from hitting a concrete road; his joints ached terribly.

As someone capable of twisting steel bars into pretzels, Chu Qiang knew exactly how much effort he had put in. The dirt road Pan Pan had created was just as good as a cement road, meaning that in the future, when they went on missions, Pan Pan could protect more of his comrades.

Pan Pan's eyes shone with light: "I was inspired by everyone to think of this. Before, I always thought that the more soil I could control, the better. But later I realized that only by concentrating our abilities can we play a greater role."

If he only controls the soil, the walls and shields he creates will always be made of mud. But if he can turn the soil into concrete, the power will increase many times over.

Jiang Rong's voice came from behind the crowd: "Pan Pan is right."

Chu Qiang turned his head and looked: "Huh? The meeting's over already?" That was fast!

Jiang Rong nodded slightly: "It's over." Everyone here was working towards the same goal of building the base. Now that Jiang Rong's objective has been achieved, and everyone who came today came with utmost sincerity, he no longer needed to follow the ancient custom of making three requests and three refusals.

Of course, base construction is not something that can be done overnight. Although he nodded in agreement today, the work has only just begun. He needs to send the representatives from the surrounding area back first so he can discuss the next steps with his partners.

Upon seeing Jiang Rong appear, Wang Chunlan remembered something important: "Xiao Rong, let me take a look at your wound."

Before yesterday, Wang Chunlan was helpless against broken bones. After absorbing the crystal core, her supernatural power became much stronger than before. After casting her power twice, Jiang Rong's broken bones had healed considerably, and the swelling had subsided significantly.

I believe that after applying it a few more times, my arm will be fully recovered.

*

After absorbing the crystal core, everyone's abilities were significantly enhanced. Things became much easier. Jiang Rong didn't stand on ceremony; he turned on his computer and connected it to the projector. After a brief screen flash, a map of Lingshan Reservoir appeared before everyone.

This wasn't the first time they'd seen this map, but they'd never really understood it before. However, with Jiang Rong's explanation, they'd quickly grasped the whole map.

A red five-pointed star was marked in the very center of the map, and a virtual circle with a diameter of fifteen kilometers was drawn around the star. Jiang Rong stood up and pointed to the location of the five-pointed star: "This will be the core location of our base."

After saying this, Guan Shao controlled the computer to continuously zoom in on the area where the five-pointed star was located. The more they looked, the more familiar it seemed. Finally, Lei Lei exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't this our house?"

Jiang Rong nodded slightly: "Yes, our base will be centered on the Third Fishery Village and will radiate outwards to the surrounding areas."

Their base differs from others, which are based in large cities. However, their core base is located in the mountains, so the model used for other bases cannot be simply applied.

Other bases typically obtain supplies by searching, with superhumans leaving the base with equipment and ordinary people to search for supplies nearby.

To defend against attacks from mutated plants and animals, bases often expend significant manpower and resources to build high walls and underground fortifications. Ordinary people who enter the base become cheap labor, performing heavy manual labor.

Even if there is any output from the base, it is pitifully small. The vegetables, grains, and poultry that people grow are given priority to the superhumans in the base, leaving very little for ordinary people.

Jiang Rong chose to locate the core of the base in the mountains because he wanted to forge a different path.

The key villages on the map were clearly marked. Jiang Rong said slowly, "Lingshan Reservoir is a good place, with mountains, water, and land. Although mutated plants and animals are rampant now, as long as we have enough manpower, we can cultivate the land and grow food."

The supplies we find will eventually run out, and only a continuous output can ensure the steady development of the base.

Jiang Rong traced a circle in red: "Apart from Lingshan Reservoir, there are more than 63,000 hectares of land here. With so much land, the resources that can be produced will far exceed our expectations."

As he spoke, he gave Guan Shao a wink, and Guan Shao took out several sheets of paper from the computer and sent them out. Everyone took a look and saw that the papers recorded the famous local products in the area before the great crisis. Jiang Rong had even gone so far as to mark which village each product came from.

The dense text on the A4 paper was captivating; no one expected that the land beneath their feet was a blessed place. If they could make good use of it, their lives would certainly be good.

After the initial excitement, Chu Qiang hesitated: "Xiao Jiang, our idea is definitely good. It's just that the weather is so hot, everything we plant dies. Can we really restore our production capacity to what it was before the major crisis?"

Take a recent example: even with Jiang Rong's help, nearly half of the fruit trees in Uncle Li's orchard died. Can Xiao Jiang's idea really be realized?

Jiang Rong said firmly, "Yes! The weather will cool down sooner or later. The mutated plants and animals are indeed fierce, but as long as we can tame them, they can be used by us."

All species survive major crises by undergoing mutations, and as long as they can find suitable seeds, they can feed themselves.

While Jiang Rong was speaking, Ruan Hanyu kept staring at the map with a slight frown. After Jiang Rong finished speaking, she raised her hand, "Brother Jiang, I want to ask, is there something wrong with our map?"

The map clearly marks only the villages near the core area; the further out you go, the fewer villages are marked. Jiang Rong had previously said that their base initially covered more than 70,000 hectares, but the farthest village their special ability team is currently active in is Jiangjiaqiao, five kilometers away.

Jiang Rong smiled and said, "This is the focus of our next action. The villages marked in red on the map are the ones that will join us today. I plan to settle the people in these villages first, setting a good example for the surrounding villages."

The group exchanged bewildered glances, somewhat confused by Jiang Rong's meaning.

Jiang Rong smiled and said, "Next, everyone needs to get moving. We need to light up every village nearby."

After the major crisis, nine out of ten houses in the nearby villages were empty. Logically, it would be easier to manage people if they were gathered together, but Jiang Rong did not want to do so.

Firstly, if everyone leaves the village, it will quickly become an abandoned village, easily overrun by mutated plants and animals. Secondly, each village has different resources, and with locals present, these resources won't go to waste. If their base population grows in the future, they can be housed in the vacant houses within the villages. Under the guidance of the original inhabitants, the number of people participating in labor will increase.

Jiang Rong instructed, "Qiangzi and Pan Pan, your next task is to install solar panels and broadcasting systems in the villages that are going to join our base. We need to have electricity and broadcasting systems installed in all villages within a 15-mile radius by October."

Chu Qiang was shocked: "Every village?! Putting aside everything else, the fishing brigade alone has several hundred households. Are our solar panels enough?"

Jiang Rong smiled and waved her hand: "Have you forgotten? The prerequisite for joining our base is: voluntarily contributing all assets. That is to say, the houses in the village belong to the base. We don't need to install it in every household, just a few households in each village, so that the villagers can have daily electricity."

Chu Qiang suddenly realized, "Oh, I see." They found a lot of solar panels, but if distributed among villages within a 15-kilometer radius, each household wouldn't get many. It would be better to pool them together so everyone could have a cool place to cook.

With centralized electricity, the previously scattered villagers will be brought together, making it easier for Jiang Rong and her team to manage them. Now that there's electricity, broadcasting will also need to be arranged…

Thinking about it this way, the work ahead is quite busy.

Jiang Rong continued to assign tasks: "Han Yu, you are responsible for following them. Whenever they enter a new village, you should register the information of the people in the village."

Ruan Hanyu nodded: "Okay."

"Sister Chunlan, if possible, you should come along too. When we arrive at each new village, you should help check if there are any sick people in the village, and if possible, try your best to treat them."

Wang Chunlan nodded: "Okay, if we find any fellow rescuers, I can bring them along to help with the rescue."

Jiang Rong gave a thumbs up: "As expected of Sister Chunlan, that's exactly right. Hanyu, remember to keep an eye out for anyone with a special skill and mark them down."

Ruan Hanyu nodded repeatedly: "Yes! Okay."

"Leilei, your task is not easy either. You need to follow them and collect as many supplies as possible." When new recruits join the base in the future, what Leilei collects will be of great help.

Leilei replied crisply, "I understand, Uncle Jiang."

Jiang Rong looked around and then smiled, "Guan Shao and I will be responsible for eliminating any potential threats near the village." They will do everything in their power to remove any mutated plants or animals that could harm the villagers.

Chu Qiang clicked his tongue in amazement and said, "My God, how dangerous must your mission be?"

All those tasks were just assigned under the premise that there was no danger near the village. How many mutated plants and animals exist within a 15-kilometer radius? Can Jiang Rong and Guan Shao really handle it alone?

However, Jiang Rong smiled and pointed out the window, "It's okay, Little Darling is here." A dazzling red flashed outside the window. As an existence that makes many superhumans tremble with fear, there could not be any more terrifying mutated plants or animals in the place where the Bloodthirsty Vine has passed.

Jiang Rong abandoned the idea of ​​gathering the survivors together precisely because he possessed the Bloodthirsty Vine, a powerful weapon. He'd heard that a single Bloodthirsty Vine could destroy a city, so with one, he could defend a base.

After Jiang Rong assigned the tasks, everyone was eager to get started. At that moment, Pan Pan finally pulled a slip of paper from his pocket: "Brother Jiang, Brother Guan, I thought of a lot of names yesterday. Do you see any usable base names here?"

Jiang Rong unfolded the note and glanced at it, her face gradually contorting: "I can tolerate the non-human aspect, but what does 'Oli Gei' mean? And this, what's with 'Yi Giao Wo Le Giao Giao'?"

Pan Pan said seriously, "Don't you think these names are eye-catching?"

Jiang Rong's lips twitched: "Good idea. I think you should write and read the promotional materials for our base."

Pan Pan said modestly, "Brother Jiang, I might not be able to do this."

Chu Qiang chimed in, "Yeah, I think you're capable. If you can't find anyone, just hang Panzi up and beat him." After a pause, he added, "Of course, it'll be Little Darling who's in charge of whipping you. What do you think?"

After a burst of laughter, Leilei suggested, "Uncle Jiang, I've come up with a few names: Sailing, Setting Sail, New Chapter... What do you think?" The little girl then looked at Jiang Rong with bright, sparkling eyes.

Pan Pan muttered twice, "You're not even as good as the New Humans. Your names sound like the names of an insurance sales squad."

Leilei was displeased. She glared at Pan Pan and said, "Isn't your insurance-selling team much better than your superhuman team?"

Guan Shao rarely spoke up: "How about we call it Ark Base? Noah's Ark saved many people before the Great Flood, and our base can also help many people."

Ruan Hanyu pondered and said, "It feels so Western. How about calling it Taiyi Di? We have a deity called Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun, who is a deity in mythology who is dedicated to saving people."

Everyone chatted animatedly, creating a lively atmosphere. Jiang Rong scratched his head; he had heard of both the "New Human" base Pan Pan had mentioned and the "Ark" base Guan Shao had mentioned in his previous life.

In the previous life, the three bases, namely the "Ark" base in the north, the "New Human" base in the south, and the "Aotian" base in the northwest, stood out among many bases and became the three largest bases in the country.

After leaving the Peace Base, Jiang Rong originally wanted to take his son to the "Ark" base in the north to make a living, but when he saw the distance of thousands of kilometers on the map, he gave up.

Hearing the familiar name of the base out of the blue now, Jiang Rong felt rather complicated.

After a moment's thought, he suggested, "How about the name 'Spark'? A single spark can start a prairie fire. We'll use the three fishing villages as the core and expand outwards, from a point to a line to a surface, eventually forming our unique base. What do you all think?"

The crowd, who had been arguing heatedly, paused for a moment, then nodded in agreement: "This is a good name, let's call it Spark."

*

At 3:30 a.m. on August 15, more than two hundred villagers from Tangqiao Village, about ten miles away from Fishery Village 3, gathered at the village entrance. They looked towards the road every now and then, their eyes filled with eager anticipation.

At 3:50, the sound of a car engine came from the direction of the intersection, and the crowd erupted in cheers: "They're here!"

Three vehicles arrived in total, the first being a pickup truck, followed by a black sedan. The long-quiet Tangqiao Village came alive as people lit their treasured candles to guide the cars.

In the fields outside Tangqiao Village, Jiang Rong wiped the bloodstains from his cheeks. He stood on two mutated rats the size of dogs, and looking back, he saw hundreds of mutated rats of all sizes lying in the fields.

At that moment, a large water jug ​​appeared in front of him. Without even turning his head, he knew it was Guan Shao who had handed him the jug. Guan Shao said slowly, "Tangqiao Village is the largest village in the southeast. Once we take over this village, the entire southeast will be within the base's sphere of influence."

Jiang Rong took the water glass, took a couple of sips, and said with some worry, "Yes, it's just that we don't have enough manpower. If this continues, we might not be able to finish loading all the villages before October."

The superhuman team only has seven people, and even if they're working themselves to the bone, there's only so much they can do. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the weather will turn cooler in October. Once it cools down, the remaining people won't have the same urgent need for electricity, which could potentially affect the base's future development.

After a moment of silence, Guan Shao said, "Jiang Rong, I want to leave the base for a few days."

Author's Note:

Looking back at the title of the article, I think it should be changed to "Rebirth: I Build a Base in the Wasteland".

The kids are left at Chu Qiang's house to do their homework every day, while the protagonist is completely absorbed in building his career...

Where's the promised easy-going parenting story? [Facepalm emoji]