Chapter 97 Insect Plague [VIP]

After the medical station underwent a comprehensive overhaul, the authorities conducted background checks and selected a new station director, and the missing persons case was finally resolved.

The poisonous fog lasted for several months, but when it reached a height of six stories, it stopped rising, as if it had reached a peak.

After that, the altitude began to slowly decrease, but it would still take some time for the fog to completely dissipate.

But in people's eyes, this was a good sign that the poisonous fog was about to dissipate, and their fearful mood that had been trembling all day long could finally be temporarily relieved.

After the four bases reported to the central base at the same time, they also exchanged their information.

This poisonous fog indeed added many people with special abilities, and most of them were survivors of the poisonous fog.

Some of these superpowers can even be used directly for post-disaster repair work and base construction, which may greatly change the subsequent direction of the officials and the survivors.

What cannot be ignored is that this poisonous fog also caused a large number of human deaths, and buildings and facilities were more or less corroded by the poisonous fog.

Especially in those planting areas developed in the suburbs, the land that was formed with great difficulty was also polluted by the toxic fog.

Fortunately, the underground planting and animal husbandry areas are still operating smoothly, and a batch of previously researched vegetable varieties have been grown.

As for the livestock area, the base decided to first raise chickens, rabbits, and edible insects.

We had originally transferred some cubs from other bases to raise, and they were about to give birth, but we were unexpectedly interrupted by the poisonous fog. Fortunately, we have recovered.

But it goes without saying that the price of meat when it was first put on the market was definitely not affordable for everyone.

Edible insects have a high cost-effectiveness ratio, but not everyone is willing to swallow them. They must be processed further before they can enter the market.

It can only be said that this poisonous fog has both advantages and disadvantages. It remains to be seen when the base will finally become the final survival home for mankind.

On the day when the official announcement was made that the poisonous fog had completely dissipated, Tang Tian counted the days and realized that three years had passed.

It doesn't feel long when conditions are good, but looking back it still feels exhausting, not to mention the other survivors.

Besides, they don’t know what natural disaster will come next after the poisonous fog passes.

People took off their protective suits and gas masks one by one, but there was still a slight smell in the air and the sky was still gray.

Regardless, repair work on the base began.

Some facilities need to be repaired, and the most important ones are the planting areas on the ground.

If you want to feed the survivors of the entire base, the underground area alone is not enough. It would be better to renovate the ground area and reuse it.

The soil contaminated by the poisonous fog can no longer be used. The people in the base took out their equipment and decided to clear all the contaminated soil first.

The soil produced by earth-type mutants is more suitable for planting than the soil before the apocalypse, so the base has also begun to recruit these mutants to contribute to planting.

Of course, water-based mutants are also popular candidates. Their remuneration is determined by their daily workload, and the base is bustling with activity.

…

But later it was discovered that there were very few earth-type mutants in the Changping base, so after Yang Gan contacted other bases, he prepared to make a deal with the Chang'an base in the west.

The Chang'an base, on the other hand, lacks water-type ability users, but has many earth-type ability users, and the two sides can complement each other.

So Tang Tian’s mission this time was to go to the Chang’an base and send these psychics to the base safely.

There was no poisonous fog and the journey was very smooth.

But after picking up those men and women with special abilities and getting them into the car and sitting down, Tang Tian more or less felt a hint of dissatisfaction and disdain in their eyes, but that was not her illusion.

"This car is a bit too old..."

The escort team members on the car were wearing helmets, but they all frowned slightly.

"Hey, you."

Tang Tian was the only female member of the team on the bus. A man raised his chin and crossed his arms and asked:

"Is there no water or food in this car? We were treated very well when we went to other places, but only at your Changping base is this the condition?"

Others also echoed it, as if they were extremely disgusted.

Tang Tian glanced sideways and said calmly:

"You're hired by the base to do the work, and you're paid only after you've finished the work. Isn't that how it is now? Stop complaining, it's not like we don't have earth-type psychics!"

"you!……"

The man pretended to get angry, but was stopped by the other team members, who even pointed the gun in their hands directly at them.

What Tang Tian said was exactly what they wanted to say. Although it was impolite, it also made them feel a lot more comfortable.

Moreover, the armed team is still mostly composed of men, and the few rare female team members are basically nowhere to be found, but they know how powerful Tang Tian is.

In addition, Tang Tian herself is not bad looking. Before they got to know her, they thought she was aloof, but after getting to know her, they felt they could get along well with her. It is said that some of them had their own ideas, but they did not dare to step forward after being instigated by others.

Therefore, if people from other bases dare to make trouble, the team members will be the first to disagree.

Many of today's psychics are able to produce resources but are rarely able to use them for attacks, such as guns and weapons.

Several psychics shut up instantly, and the man also curled his lips.

With that breath, he half-hid one of his hands and quietly formed a piece of soil in his palm.

The people around saw this and sneered unconsciously.

This man can be said to be one of the best earth-type mutants in the Chang'an base. The earth he produces is equivalent to that of two or three people.

The most important thing is that he can also use his earth attribute to attack and defense. There is almost no psychic more powerful than him!

For this reason, there are other bases that want to invite this man to help with production. After all, agriculture is the most important thing at the moment.

After all, he has been to various places in Chuncheng and has been praised. Now he meets Tang Tian, ​​a tough guy, so of course he is unhappy.

The dirt in his palm gradually turned into sharp arrows as long as fingers. He was sure that the armed team would not dare to actually shoot, they were just trying to scare people.

"Whoosh whoosh!"

“Bang!”

Tang Tian raised his arm, which was equipped with an arm shield, and blocked all the small earth arrows.

The earth arrow fell to the ground and quickly crumbled into soft soil.

The man's eyes widened in shock.

He had experimented many times, and found that weapons formed from supernatural soil could not be defended against by ordinary defenses, so how could this ordinary arm shield be able to defend against it?

Most importantly, how did this woman discover that she was using superpowers?

Before he could finish being surprised, he suddenly felt a dull pain in his abdomen, which made his face change immediately and he lay down in the car and cried out in pain.

Several people with special abilities were also stunned with fear.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the faces of the other armed team members were as hot as if they had been slapped in the face. They raised their guns again and said in an unhappy tone:

"Please stop your behavior that crosses the line, otherwise we will report it. There are also surveillance cameras in the car!"

Several psychics then helped the man up and reluctantly calmed down, waiting to go to the base.

…

Tang Tian glanced around and sneered in his heart.

It wasn't that she saw the man's sneaky movements, but as a veteran psychic, she could now sense the fluctuations of superpowers and knew without looking that he was going to release his superpowers to attack her.

Although it looks like an arm shield, she has added a layer of protective shield.

After defending herself, she immediately used her telekinesis to teach the complacent man a lesson.

We can't hurt him, after all, he still has to work!

The journey seemed smoother at this point, but after entering the Changping base, the car did not go to the living area, but went directly to the planting area in the suburbs.

The planting area has been divided into large plots of land using equipment. From a distance, you can see tractors and other machines operating, and people shoveling the soil. The atmosphere is quite lively.

The remaining task of the armed team is to watch these psychics start producing soil.

However, not all team members needed to participate. In the end, only Tang Tian and another team member were left, and the others left first to do other tasks.

This task may seem monotonous, but you will be rewarded as long as you watch from the side. It is quite convenient. Many people want to do it but cannot.

Arriving at the designated area, there were many containers placed there, and several local earth-type esper were already producing soil. I didn't know how long they had been working on it, but some were still wiping sweat from their foreheads.

The man from the Chang'an base looked around, perhaps realizing they were too weak, but also wanting to show off, he waved his hand and said:

"You guys can't do it, watch me!"

After he finished speaking, he took a deep breath and spread out his hands. Immediately, a soil ball formed in the middle and gradually grew larger.

Until it grew bigger and bigger, and was as big as two fitness balls, it was slammed into the container. With a bang, the container was almost half filled.

As expected, one person could defeat two or three people. According to Tang Tian, ​​this earth-type ability was at least level 4.

However, whether this output can be maintained in the future remains a question.

After people with special abilities appeared one after another in the base, Tang Tian discovered that everyone's starting point was different.

Some people can only produce a handful of water, but some people, like this man, can produce so much soil from the beginning.

Perhaps it is necessary to see the physical and mental condition before the superpowers can be seen?

However, the man's action still attracted envious and jealous looks, and he enjoyed it very much.

But as Tang Tian thought, the man was obviously good-looking but useless. After producing the soil ball, he started to slack off. The soil was all sparse and it was obvious that he had no mental strength left.

Tang Tian glanced at him and reminded him with a smile:

"You were so impressive just now, why don't you continue? If you don't produce the required amount within the specified time, according to the rules of the Changping Base, you won't get any food or compensation!"

The man's face turned redder and redder. He rolled up his sleeves rudely and spoke carelessly:

"I know, I know. You don't need to tell me! Watch me!"

The man held his breath and continued to produce soil balls until his neck turned purple. After the production, he gasped for air like a fish short of oxygen, and like everyone else, he kept wiping the sweat from his forehead.

So Tang Tian gave the order to rest. It was okay to make a fuss, but she must not really die. She knew the feeling of mental exhaustion.

…

The Changping base invited earth-type mutants, but on the contrary, it also sent water-type mutants that the Chang'an base lacked, which seemed like it was going out on a business trip.

Therefore, these people with special abilities will have to stay in the base for a few days, complete their work and then go back, while Tang Tian will naturally continue to guard the mission.

The man who was secretly taught a lesson finally half-convinced and worked steadily. Seeing that the former was convinced, the others had no choice but to go and work as well.

The soil produced by these psychics will soon replace the land contaminated by the toxic fog and completely renovate the planting area.

The contaminated soil will be disposed of quickly and transported out in baskets. Tang Tian would occasionally take a look at it, but found that something would come out from it from time to time and move slightly.

Is that... an earthworm?

Will earthworms continue to survive in polluted soil?

Tang Tian frowned, feeling a little heavy in her heart.

Moreover, in some earth pits that were dug and ready to be filled, she used her clairvoyance to see densely packed small, light-colored objects, like sesame seeds.

Tang Tian finally chose to report the situations she witnessed. She is now an official staff member. Even if she does not value the points coupons, she still has to be responsible for her work.

Of course, whether the authorities believe what I say and are willing to investigate further is another matter. After all, the authorities still have to deal with a lot of trivial matters right now.

And then, those psychics from the Chang'an base, perhaps because they saw Tang Tian's special status, came to curry favor with her, and the man actually remained silent and didn't say much.

But Tang Tian's attitude remained calm. She worked when she needed to work and rested when she needed to rest.

People working in the planting area usually bring their own rations, and she is no exception. The people with special abilities in the Chang'an base can get some food, but it is just ordinary compressed biscuits and other foods, so they don't complain about it.

Tang Tian was eating homemade steamed buns and pancakes. In order not to attract attention, they were made with mixed grains, which gave them a unique taste.

Spread a layer of homemade soybean paste inside, then add dried vegetables and dried meat, and a Chinese hamburger that is more suitable for Chinese babies is ready.

Every time Tang Tian took a big bite and chewed it, those who were watching from a distance would swallow their saliva.

This looks so delicious, the compressed biscuits in my hand really feel like chewing wax!

Moreover, they could see that Tang Tian was impartial and didn't want to bother with anyone else. The strange self-esteem of the psychics also began to not allow them to put their efforts into getting rejected.

Tang Tian ate half of it and took out the water bottle to drink. When she looked over, she found that the team member who was guarding with her was also greedy.

This team member is actually a newcomer who has just arrived. I heard that before the end of the world, he was a high school student who wanted to apply to a sports university. At that time, he was already a second-level athlete.

After these few years, I am now old enough to be a man, but I don’t know why I joined the armed forces. But it’s not too late, as this is the time when we need manpower.

If she remembered correctly, he actually had a slightly more refined name - Song Wenqun.

Tang Tian felt that this was a bit like the old leading the new, but this was normal no matter where you were, not to mention that she was also a senior.

So she thought for a moment, put the jar of soybean paste over and said:

"Try it too, it's quite tasty."

Song Wenqun's face flushed slightly beneath his helmet, and he stammered, "

"No, no need, Sister Tang."

"It's okay, I have more after I finish eating, but if you miss this time, there will be no more next time."

Tang Tian told the truth that she was not planning to bring soybean paste tomorrow.

Song Wenqun's face turned even redder, but he still made a compromise suggestion:

"How about this, I'll buy some, Sister Tang, you name a price!"

Tang Tian was speechless. It was obvious that this guy was a very stubborn person. Why would he be so fussy about just a few mouthfuls of sauce?

She could only ask for a few points coupons as a token of her appreciation. After Song Wen accepted them, he dipped the compressed biscuits in soybean paste and ate them one by one without saying a word, looking very satisfied.

…

Three days later, this group of earth-type mutants were about to leave.

Under Tang Tian's supervision, none of them dared to slack off. They even worked harder than in other bases, and their faces were pale.

The armed team sent them back and also brought back their own group of water-based mutants, but this was far from enough for the production of the entire base.

Fortunately, no visible natural disasters occurred in the following months.

Even the temperature is stable at around 25 degrees, the sun is shining brightly, and it doesn't rain. The weather is even better than before the end of the world.

But the better the weather, the more uneasy Tang Tian felt.

Although she didn't know what would happen next, she didn't think the natural disaster would end there.

Maybe some people think so too, so they work diligently every day to speed up the progress.

The renovated land began to be cultivated. In addition to fast-growing varieties of grains and vegetables, officials also began to plant some crops that could produce by-products.

For example, oil extraction and sugar production, artificially cultivated edible fungi, and even fruits and traditional Chinese medicine are part of the plan.

The livestock in the animal husbandry area are also growing well at this stage. A batch of laying hens have begun laying eggs, and broiler chickens and rabbits are gradually entering the market. In addition, the base has also collected a batch of quail to continue raising.

However, the initial prices are bound to be high, so the base still attaches importance to the insect breeding project in the livestock area.

Some insects contain more protein than animals and are easier to farm.

Tang Tian knew that in addition to earthworms, there were also crickets, green beans, mealworms, etc., but some of them were also used as feed.

However, these insects cannot be sold directly. The base factory processes them into nutritional blocks, which are much cheaper than meat. So even if people can guess what they are made of, there are still people who buy them.

After the planting area was reborn, the Chuncheng base decided to reclaim paddy fields and mainly grow rice. It could also plant some root crops and even achieve symbiosis with freshwater organisms.

As for this paddy field, it is natural that the joint help of earth-type and water-type ability users is required.

Therefore, there are more varieties of food in community canteens and convenience stores, which drives more and more people to consume there.

Wei Mingxia had been there before, and the cacti were still available, at about the same price as usual. Also, the prices of previously expensive grains and vegetables had been reduced by a few points, leaving only the newly grown crops, which were falling like rain, at prices that weren't exactly cheap.

A pound of chicken requires 40 points, a pound of rabbit meat requires 30 points, and eggs are more expensive than chicken, requiring 8 points each.

However, the so-called nutritional blocks made from insects only cost 8 points per pound, which is really cheap.

Furthermore, if the base is given some time, the price will likely continue to drop. Therefore, unless one is already well-off, no one will buy a lot of them for the time being.

Counting the days, the country's grain reserves have been delivered. But what sounds like hell is that because the apocalypse continues to harvest lives, a strange balance has been reached. At least so far, the grain reserves have not been used up.

It’s just that China has always liked to store grain. Without reserves, it would feel uncertain, so being as self-sufficient as possible is the most important thing.

…

People are gradually setting up stalls in the reopened trading markets.

Wei Mingxia also went there to shop, and sure enough, there were a lot more things on sale than last time, and the prices were also rising.

But they are basically still crops, and there are no private breeders yet.

However, as the base gradually changes, there are fewer and fewer stalls where you can exchange valuables. Most people are accustomed to using point coupons, and the circulation of point coupons has also greatly expanded.

Maybe people were lost, or maybe the Changping base was gone, so the Tang family could only continue to cook and sell it in food stores to earn gold coins.

The coupon system hadn't ended, but there were still plenty of grain crops, and therefore more coupons. Only for things like meat, seasonings, other by-products, and special supplies did the number of coupons per person become strictly limited.

Wei Mingxia specially found two notebooks from the warehouse and made food coupon books for Tang Yi and Tang Tian.

Hmm, how come this isn't considered a contemporary beginner's account?

"Do you think I should find a job? It seems like jobs nowadays all start paying invoices, but the quantity varies."

As Wei Mingxia spoke, she looked into the distance, wondering if she was thinking of certain moments in the past.

"My family is not short of food now, and it seems that opening a shop or stall gives me more freedom, and I can also get food coupons."

Tang Yi works in the logistics department with Yan Chunhua and has a better understanding of current policies.

If you are an individual business operator or farmer, you can go to the corresponding location to collect it at regular intervals and in fixed quantities, or directly exchange it with the crops you grow.

For Wei Mingxia, this might be even simpler.

Although the seeds that Tang Tian had stockpiled were almost planted, there were still ingredients to be harvested everywhere. She only had to take out a batch every once in a while and then exchange them for commercial bills.

Speaking of the place to get the ingredients, Tang Tian drank a glass of ice-cold jasmine milk tea, opened the system, and spent gold on the valuable items accumulated in the warehouse.

After checking the gold coin column again, she immediately purchased the last place to obtain ingredients - [Ocean].

The price of the ocean is extremely high, requiring nearly 10 million gold coins, but after the Tang family continued to sell expensive UR-level ingredients, plus krypton gold, they finally raised enough money and had some left over.

This ocean can not only harvest seafood, but most importantly, they can use the system to make salt!

The prices of salt and sugar are still the highest in the base, and the importance of these things goes without saying.

So Tang Tian also used the remaining gold coins to buy salt-making equipment. As long as he added seawater into it, he could start making salt and harvest it at the right time.

Tang Tian used the rest of the money to open a special ability column, increasing her own number to 20, and Tang Yi and Wei Mingxia also increased it to 18.

With 20 superpowers in total, if they are all useful in the scene, she would be invincible, right?

Thinking about it this way, she has already completed at least 70/80 percent of the entire gourmet food system!

All that’s left is to unlock new dishes, learn new abilities, and various upgrades, right?

Tang Tian thought happily and went to make another batch of dishes, especially UR-level dishes to sell.

The scene changed and she turned her attention to the commercial street. She wanted to see if there were any newer equipment.