Chapter 72 Sandstorm [VIP]

The visibility outside was still less than a few meters, so Tang Tian did not step on the accelerator to the bottom, but drove steadily.

The outdoor temperature is now stable at around 35 degrees, and the sandstorm has blocked most of the sunlight.

Occasionally she would see groups of people going out, some of them better equipped with goggles and medical masks, and some even wearing what looked like filters.

If conditions are not good, you can only use an ordinary mask or cover your mouth and nose with a towel.

The problem of resource shortage has not been solved. The reluctance to go to shelters or the saturation of shelters is one reason.

Or perhaps these people were sent from other shelters.

Of course, she also passed by a few off-road vehicles, and those people probably didn't even look at her.

After about half an hour, Tang Tian arrived at the area he had marked on the map.

After walking around, I found a commercial plaza.

Needless to say, most of the things in there must have been bought for free, so Tang Tian went to those boutiques specifically to search, and found some goods in the corners, and bought them all.

Driving further forward, Tang Tian discovered a large factory.

Judging from the name on the factory gate, this seems to be a meat processing factory.

But the supplies there had probably been cleared out long ago, and it was also possible that such a large-scale factory had been converted into a shelter.

Less trouble is worse than more. Tang Tian turned the handle and was about to leave when a loud shout suddenly came from the distance:

"Help! Help! Save me!——"

Tang Tian glanced sideways and found a man running towards her, but he didn't look aggressive, just someone running for his life.

And there were indeed a few people with weapons chasing after him - they were really running for their lives.

The man saw Tang Tian driving as if he was about to leave from a distance, and quickly added:

"Don't go! I'm from Area A! Save me!——"

Tang Tian paused.

Someone from Area A? Then why would they be in Area S? Could they have been sent from Area A?

Seeing that the man was not a bait like the mother and son he met last time, Tang Tian started his motorcycle and drove away.

When the man saw this, his face immediately became beaming with joy, and he even flew forward and threw himself onto the motorcycle. The panic on his face finally showed a bit of relief.

Tang Tian turned a small corner, causing a cloud of flying sand to rise from the parking space, and she left the group of people chasing her behind.

Arriving at a safe place in the distance, Tang Tian stopped the car in a corner and asked:

"Okay, explain it to me."

The man fell off the motorcycle with a bang, but there was dust under his butt, so it wasn't too hard.

Tan Tan glanced at him with disdain and moved to the side.

The man looked extremely miserable. His body, head, and even face were covered in dust. His eyes were red from the sand, and his lips were chapped, with a faint wound visible at the corner of his mouth.

He subconsciously tried to adjust his glasses on the bridge of his nose, but there was nothing there. He could only withdraw his hand awkwardly. After recovering from his shock, he said in a dry and hoarse voice:

"Recently, the authorities want to develop indoor hydroponics and underground planting. District S reported this to the higher-ups. I was sent by District A to help with the research."

"As soon as we arrived in Area S, we were ambushed. They originally wanted to rob us, but we didn't have much money. Then, after they learned our identities, they changed their minds and kidnapped us to that place, planning to wait for the sandstorm to stop before sending someone to contact the official shelter to demand a ransom!"

"I also had to wait for the sandstorm to end and managed to escape while they were busy. But we are a team, and I was the only one who escaped first. The others are still in that factory. Can you help me rescue them as well?"

…

Tang Tian folded his arms and asked:

"How can I know whether what you said is true or not? And if I go through all the trouble to save you, what good will it do me?"

The man thought Tang Tian was unwilling, and suddenly panicked again, saying anxiously:

"My ID and assignment notice are still there. I'll be able to prove what I said if I go back. As for the benefits...if you send us to the shelter, the shelter will definitely give you something in return!"

That's true. Although Tang Tian is not short of food, he can find various reasons to exchange for less supplies from the government.

If what this man said was true, she would definitely be able to get more out of him.

Thinking of this, she took out a bottle of water from her backpack and handed it over.

The man was stunned for a moment, then immediately took it, opened the lid and drank it in big gulps.

In that factory, they could only eat food that could sustain their lives, and there was very little water, which was simply hanging on to their lives.

He was not afraid that Tang Tian would harm him, otherwise she would have turned around and driven away, so why would she take him with her?

Seeing that the water was almost finished, Tang Tian reminded again:

"Okay, leave some water to wash your eyes and nose, then tell me in detail what you saw in the factory!"

The man was stunned.

But because of his identity, the pollution it brought, and the subsequent diseases that would result, he still had to obey and do as he was told.

After the two exchanged names, Lin Zhiqiu told Tang Tian everything he saw in the factory.

Because there are dormitory buildings in large factories, there are at least hundreds of survivors.

The dormitory was full, and their team was delayed.

It turned out that the car was seized and the useless driver was killed.

I also don’t know whether the seeds, fungi and plants that were brought and preserved in the car were thrown away.

To be honest, the conditions in Area S are not that good, and cannot be compared with the central Area A, otherwise there would be no request for support.

Tang Tian touched her chin. In the apocalypse, these researchers were truly precious resources, so she selfishly wanted to rescue the remaining team members. They must still be alive.

But facing a shelter with hundreds of people, killing them all would be really tiring and troublesome. Just because he had superpowers didn't mean he had the mental strength to fully support it.

If Tang Yi and Wei Mingxia were here, maybe we could give it a try...

Lin Zhiqiu observed everyone's expressions and felt extremely nervous.

He was afraid that Tang Tian would disagree, or simply leave him there if she was unhappy. People nowadays could do this.

At the same time, he also felt sorry for his colleagues and those precious seeds.

If I am the only one left in the end, the progress will be greatly slowed down. When will I be able to succeed in the research and let all the victims have food to eat?

Finally, he waited until Tang Tian spoke and got a compromise answer:

"How about this, I'll escort you to the S Area Shelter first. There are more people there who can provide rescue."

Lin Zhiqiu felt like he was going crazy. How could a young woman like Tang Tian go to the factory to rescue people? The best way was to call for help.

He felt relieved and thanked her profusely.

So Tang Tian also gave him a pair of goggles and a medical mask, and he squeezed onto the motorcycle with difficulty and drove towards the shelter.

…

"Deputy Captain, the researchers from Area A are already significantly late for their scheduled arrival. Could something have happened along the way?"

A cloud of dust also rose between Yang Gan's brows, deputy director of the S District Shelter.

Just as he was about to speak, another soldier came in after reporting outside the door:

"Deputy Chief Yang, the report from the checkpoint east of the shelter says that there are survivors bringing researchers from Area A here, and they were indeed attacked in Area S!"

Yang Gan was shocked and without caring whether it was true or not, he followed the others to the east checkpoint.

Anyway, this is the shelter's territory, so there is no need to worry about any fraud. If it is fake, we can just arrest them directly. The researchers in Area A are the most important.

When they arrived, they found a four-wheeled motorcycle parked not far from the sentry post.

As you get closer, you can see two people and a large, quiet dog.

More than half of the military and police dogs and other dog breeds have been killed, not to mention that ordinary people still keep large dogs.

When Lin Zhiqiu saw the people in the shelter, his eyes became hot and he hurried forward to report those things to Yang Gan.

"If it weren't for Miss Tang, I wouldn't even be able to tell her the news, and I might even die there!"

The more Lin Zhiqiu spoke, the more frightened he felt.

When the kidnappers start asking for a ransom, they will definitely ask for a large amount of supplies, but he doesn't think the shelter will really agree to it. What if the kidnappers become impatient and want to kill him during the negotiations?

Although there was no evidence of identity verification at the moment, Area A had sent information and photos of the researchers in advance, and Yang Gan recognized that the person in front of him was indeed him, but...

Miss Tang?

Yang Gan's eyes flickered, and he asked in the direction of Tang Tian:

"Miss Tang, is that you?"

"Deputy Captain Yang, it's me. I was out looking for supplies when I ran into Mr. Lin. It was quite a coincidence, wasn't it?"

Tang Tian answered first.

Yang Gan's face relaxed a lot, and he quickly asked people to go into the shelter first, after all, it was still dusty outside.

Tang Tian also saw what the shelter looked like at this time through the goggles.

A simple wall was built outside, and the sand and dust underfoot had been cleaned, leaving only a very thin layer.

There weren't many people walking around outside, and even if they did, they were fully equipped, with the sentries even wearing breathing filters.

What comes into view most often is the yellow earth color.

Yang Gan personally received them and brought Tang Tian and Lin Zhiqiu to his office.

Lin Zhiqiu then told the former the rest of the words.

Yang Ganmei was tense and looked stern. After a long while, he said sharply:

"I understand. Don't worry, Mr. Lin. You're here to help our S District. We can't just stand by and watch. I'll dispatch a team right away to rescue the remaining researchers!"

Lin Zhiqiu nodded vigorously, but he did not forget what he said to Tang Tian, ​​and added:

"Deputy Captain Yang, Miss Tang saved me, the messenger. It's a great achievement. Shouldn't she be rewarded?"

Tang Tian raised her eyebrows after hearing this.

It seems that Lin Zhiqiu is someone worth approaching.

Yang Gan smiled faintly:

"Of course, Mr. Lin might not know that Miss Tang has helped us a lot. Let alone rewarding her, even giving her an award would be fine."

"No need, Deputy Chief Yang, I really just did it this time."

Tang Tian modestly suggested:

"Why don't I also participate in this battle? That way I can feel more at ease when I receive the reward. What do you think?"

Yang Gan wanted to say something but hesitated. However, because there were strangers around, he didn't ask and just agreed to the plan.

After all, there are not many people in Area S who can really show off their talents, especially the elites.

There are even fewer people like Tang Tian who are energetic, confident, have some skills, have survived and have rich experience. It would be a waste to not use them.

But in reality, he still wanted to ask Tang Tian why she didn't choose to enter the shelter. With someone like her, she would definitely be promoted.

But considering that there are always some people in District S who are unwilling to stay in the shelter, and some of them have committed numerous crimes, this does not seem surprising.

I just hope that Tang Tian will not stand against the authorities in the end.

…

In the shelter, obeying orders is the basic principle. Military vehicles soon carried combat teams to the factory to rescue the researchers.

Tang Tian also got on a military vehicle, but unexpectedly met an acquaintance there.

"Tang Tian, ​​you're here too? Did you join in?"

Cheng Jing asked with a look of surprise.

Tang Tian casually explained a few words and asked:

"I also thought you wouldn't be in this team. After all, the last time I saw you outside, I thought you were a member of the resource team."

When mentioning the last time, Cheng Jing's face looked unhappy, but he quickly recovered and gave Tang Tian a brief introduction to the current organization in the shelter.

The previous distribution was only in the trial stage, but after the sandstorm swept through, the formal distribution was carried out in the shelter.

People like Cheng Jing who had special professions before the end of the world were naturally assigned to the armed team.

As for Qiao Shiyu and others who were previously led by the old staff, they have joined the resource team, and more people will follow and it will not be long for them to slowly get used to the adaptation.

Of course, those who join these teams will also be paid.

The armed forces' pay, in particular, can be said to be one of the highest. After all, the work they do could cost them their lives.

So people are afraid to complain, but they will still work hard for the reward.

As for Tang Tian... she was probably an external mobile member. When driving towards the factory, the other team members in the military vehicle were very curious about her.

Tang Tian was not an extremely indifferent person, and he was in a hurry and bored, so he quickly started talking and became friends with others.

Except for a man sitting in the corner, he was wearing a helmet that covered half of his face and was silent.

He was Yan Shuo, who went out with Cheng Jing last time.

In fact, just by hearing the name and being familiar with Cheng Jing, you can know that he is a relative of Yan Chunhua and a brother of Yan Huai.

It’s just that Yan Huai followed his aunt into the logistics department, and Yan Shuo joined the armed forces for someone’s sake.

But there is one thing that no one else knows. In fact, when he was still a newcomer and was taken out by team leader Cheng Jing, he liked Qiao Shiyu from the same team.

Although Qiao Shiyu didn't seem to pay much attention to him, he had been saying bad things about Tang Tian since he went back last time.

What's outrageous is that Yan Shuo blindly believed what Qiao Shiyu said, so he doesn't look at her in a good mood now.

Tang Tian didn't notice it, but even if she did, she wouldn't care.

…

The military vehicle arrived at the destination quickly. The combat teams took their weapons and got off the vehicle in order. Tang Tian was naturally the last one to get off.

The captain quietly made a few gestures, and several teams broke open the factory gate and entered in an orderly manner.

Because they were acquaintances, Tang Tian took out his weapon and decided to follow Cheng Jing.

As for Tan Tan, she let it stay in Yang Gan's office first, and the latter seemed to like it very much.

"Boss, you said that person has been rescued. Will you tip off the police?"

The factory had indeed been converted into a shelter, and the people inside mostly robbed passers-by.

Today I finally saw a convoy that looked like it could be used, but I didn't expect it to be official researchers. The things they brought were useless except for a few days' worth of drinking water.

But they quickly figured out a way. Since they were important people to the government, they could use them as a threat to demand supplies!

Unexpectedly, one of them took advantage of the opportunity to escape and was rescued by an outsider!

The so-called boss snorted coldly:

"That person seemed to have saved him, but I wonder if he'll send him to a shelter! These days, how many kindhearted people are there?"

"It's okay even if they go. We still have a few people here to hold them hostage. If all else fails, we can force them to surrender!"

Just as he was saying this, someone suddenly ran in in a panic and shouted:

"Oh no! There's a car outside, it must be the officials coming!——"

This was the first time that Tang Tian had fully seen how the official combat team operated.

Moreover, for a team that does not pose much threat, just throw in a few riot control bullets and then go in directly to eliminate the enemy and rescue the hostages. Even the real bullets can be used sparingly.

The whole operation was well organized, and Tang Tian followed Cheng Jing to rescue the hostages.

Fortunately, the hostages were placed in a corner of the vehicle by the enemy. The ropes on their hands and feet were cut, and they were wearing breathing filters. However, a researcher kept saying with a bitter face:

"Hurry! Go find the seeds we brought. They are more important than our lives!"

"Don't worry, we will interrogate them about where they put it!"

Cheng Jing comforted them and escorted them to a safe place first.

Tang Tian got out of the car and took a look. Teams of defeated enemies were already lined up and squatting on the ground with their hands on their heads. Those were the ones who surrendered voluntarily later.

Those who were stubborn or were at the front at that time either had red faces and were crying bitterly, or had fainted and were dragged out.

Tang Tian volunteered to go to the factory to look for seeds, and also take the opportunity to see if there was anywhere he could search for them.

After a quick tour of the dormitory building, she actually found several packages of valuables, which should have been brought by people who brought their family belongings to this factory shelter.

After putting it away, Tang Tian went to the office in another building.

In this issue, the combat team has dealt with all the enemies in the factory, only the boss is still arguing with the team members.

The boss didn't seem that stupid, and he didn't throw away the seeds casually, but he actually wanted to use that position to exchange for his life.

This attitude is too bad, so the authorities will naturally not agree to it.

Fortunately, Tang Tian only went to a room that looked like an office and found a package containing various paper bags with names written on them. They must be the seeds brought by the researchers.

When I brought the package to show to the researchers, they were all so excited as if they had saved their loved ones.

It all ended happily, as the captain sent a message to the shelter, asking them to bring in a few more vehicles to load up the enemy.

These people will be strictly investigated unless necessary. If the situation is serious, they will be sent to labor camps.

Cheng Jing received orders from the captain to send the researchers and Tang Tian back first.

…

Yang Gan was naturally happy to hear the good news.

After seeing Tang Tian, ​​Tan Tan also ran over and circled around her feet.

Yang Ganxian first sent the trapped researchers to the newly established medical station in the shelter.

Although it is not yet completed, simple injuries can be treated.

Seeing that he was the only one left in the room, he thought for a moment before asking:

"Ms. Tang, I really want to ask you why you didn't choose to join the shelter like everyone else? Nowadays, men and women have the same roles, and both can contribute to the shelter's construction and future survival. If you become my subordinate, with time, you will definitely achieve amazing results and have a better future!"

Tang Tian repeated what she had told Gu Bin.

In fact, she had also thought about the issue of shelter, but this place was still under construction and would become a base in the future. She decided to wait until the conditions were better before considering moving in.

After hearing this, Yang Gan's eyes flickered.

He is not a young man like Gu Bin, and he can also hear the hidden part in Tang Tian's words.

But since Tang Tian didn't want to say it, he wouldn't force her. He just felt sorry for her and then turned the topic to the former's favorite reward.

Tang Tian wanted a lot of rewards. She was particularly interested in the seeds and wondered what would happen if Wei Mingxia used her wood-attribute skills. However, Lin Zhiqiu and the others probably wouldn't agree.

She also wanted the combat team's riot control bombs, but Yang Gan probably wouldn't agree. She could only go back and see if there was any superpower that could produce the same effect.

So in the end, Tang Tian chose the most cost-effective material - fuel.

When she went out, she would pass by several gas stations, but when she went in to try to collect the fuel using the metal attribute, she found that the fuel inside had almost been drained out.

If it wasn't done by another team, then it must have been collected by the official shelters.

The shelters around here are collecting fuel, and gas stations in other areas might also be collecting it. If you go further away, you probably won’t find much.

Yang Gan agreed immediately, but the amount he gave was less than when it was extremely hot, only a few hundred liters. But this time, Tang Tian only had to spend more time asking, which was equivalent to getting it for free.

Yang Gan contacted the logistics department to load fuel, and then sent a car to go back with Tang Tiantantan.

During this time, Cheng Jing also took Tang Tian to visit the deep area of ​​the shelter.

Tang Tian had only seen the outer perimeter of the exchange center when she first went there, and the second was the deputy director's office.

After Cheng Jing changed his equipment, he just took her for a walk indoors.

The former then discovered that passages had been installed between the buildings, so that they could reach other places without having to go outside and be blown by dust.

So next, Cheng Jing took her to see the basically arranged indoor planting area.

They used hydroponics, soilless cultivation and other technologies there, and even hurriedly built a constant temperature room like the one Tang Tian had at the beginning, but it was many times larger.

We then went to the unfinished medical station in the shelter, which also looked like a hospital before the apocalypse, but it was still very empty.

There are not many medical staff, and some of them are not professionals, but the department is still filled with various medical devices that have been rescued and are intact.

Tang Tian even met Lin Zhiqiu and others here. In fact, as hostages, they did not suffer any serious injuries. At most, they suffered from malnutrition and dehydration like ordinary people. Only Lin Zhiqiu fell a few times when he ran out frantically.

Lin Zhiqiu and others thanked Tang Tian again and again, and the latter left the medical station with Cheng Jing.

In addition, there are water plants, factories, warehouses, energy facilities, and various works that are still being prepared.

There are also large residential areas, which are relatively complete places where survivors can live.

After viewing through the glass, Tang Tian wanted to go back.

For some reason, she always felt that Yang Gan had asked her to come and visit on purpose.

Cheng Jing suddenly said:

"Tang Tian, ​​I actually hope your family can come in. We already know each other, so we can look after each other. Besides, Deputy Chief Yang really admires you!"

Tang Tian was about to answer when a voice suddenly came from the distance, and it was Cheng Jing's name that was called.