◎Happy 143rd Day: The Aesthetics of the Underworld◎
After Jiang Muyun and his team discovered that the area ahead might be the hardest hit by the earthquake, they decisively chose a place with relatively flat sand to prepare to dock first.
If calculated according to administrative divisions, the place where they landed also belongs to Gyeonggi City, but it is far away from the prosperous main urban area and resort area of Gyeonggi City. It was a famous "ghost town" before the end of the world.
Judging from the city planning map and the information that several people had heard about this place before the end of the world, this place was originally a coastal village with inconvenient transportation. It was only incorporated into Gyeonggi City a few years ago, and was intended to take advantage of the popularity of Gyeonggi City and be transformed into a second Gyeonggi City coastal resort.
The idea is good, and the sea view rooms in the resort hotel have been built, but the transportation has not kept up.
There is not even a national highway to take from the capital, and public transportation is only a green train followed by a minibus. The convenience is not as good as that of Gyeonggi City.
Now that the capital has been built, we can’t just leave it empty, right?
So Gyeonggi City spent another sum of money to build a road directly through the Gyeonggi City area. Unfortunately, the apocalypse arrived before the road was completed.
If we ignore the road conditions, they may have to walk nearly 200 kilometers to reach the capital city from here.
If they drove further north along the coastline for a while, they could go ashore at the Gyeonggi City Coastal Resort and take the expressway from the capital to the resort that was opened before the end of the world. It would only take about 130 to 140 kilometers to reach the second ring road of the capital.
There is a huge difference between the two.
But in this situation, they have no choice.
At least there are still some buildings that can be seen in their original appearance.
If they go ashore here, they can still find a normal piece of sand. If they go ashore a few kilometers further, they will have to play a real-life version of the hellish minesweeper game on the spot, where if they make a mistake, they will be logged out of Blue Star Online and have to start over.
And think about it from another perspective. Anyway, maybe everyone has been razed to the ground now. The sky is high and the sea is vast, and there are roads everywhere. They may not have to walk those 200 kilometers honestly, right?
Jiang Muyun put away the map with a heartache and comforted himself skillfully.
Life is always full of ups and downs, but as long as you are still alive, everything will be fine.
The thick and moist sand layer has accumulated into a long black isolation belt, separating the dim desert and the turbid sea water.
Jiang Muyun stretched out his leg and stepped on it from the boat, confirming that the black barrier was made of wet quicksand. If a kayak were to pass through it at human speed, they would definitely be buried in it.
There was no other choice but to let Xiao Lan pull the boat and run wildly again.
Now that the temperature is getting lower, it's really hard for Xiaolan, a heat-loving golden python, to keep up the spirit. It's already very encouraging that he can hold on and not go into hibernation.
After completing the task, the lazy cat struggled to fight against its body's instincts and collapsed on the sand, looking like it was ready to be trampled upon and didn't want to get up.
"Wrench." Jiang Muyun sat on the sand, took out a wrench from the tool box and handed it to Chu Buwen.
Chu Buwen was dismantling the outboard motors from several rafts, while Tang An and Captain Yu were nailing wooden boards.
Gao Liang and Zhou Fei took Dabai, Xiaobai and the other four, as well as the pink-feathered parrot, to look for fuel in the building next door that had not yet collapsed.
They were about to take a land route, and the water they had stored was almost gone, so they had to prepare some more fresh water and cook all the mushrooms.
They have two growing mushroom bags in their hands, and they weigh about twenty pounds if they are just picked off.
At current temperatures, cooked mushrooms should last for three days without spoiling.
There were still sixteen packs of compressed dry food left from Zhou Fei's alma mater, and the other people also had some emergency snacks left.
Jiang Muyun and Chu Buwen still had a few pounds of dried meat left that they had brought with them, plus some candies that Jiang Muyun always managed to take out of his bag. They wouldn't be enough to fill them up, but they were good for replenishing energy.
If these stored grains are combined with oyster mushrooms, eight people can easily have enough food to eat for three more days if they are frugal.
Their existing food reserves are enough to keep them alive and reach the capital.
It's only 200 kilometers. Even if you walk, it should take three or four days to get there, not to mention that there are Xiaobai and other strong laborers here.
If they can't arrive in three or four days, then they probably stepped on the wrong grid on the way, or were just unlucky enough to encounter a cold wave, and will have to start over and wait for the next life.
After Chu Buwen dismantled the outboard motor, he and Jiang Muyun lay on the edge of the boat and used it as a desk, with various maps and travel books spread out on the ground.
While comparing and outlining several alternative routes, the two listened to Chen Cheng and Professor Chen counting their existing supplies.
There is enough food, water can be prepared soon, daily necessities can be used, and there are even about 20 to 30 liters of oil left.
"So you're right. Our most critical problem now is how to get through this ruin." Captain Yu pushed a large nailed wooden board under a raft and tied it firmly to the raft with a parachute rope.
Taking the issue of transportation capacity into consideration, they did not prepare too many wooden boards at the beginning. It was impossible to make a large wooden platform like before, so they could only nail a few small wooden boards and place them separately under the raft.
Gao Liang and Zhou Fei returned with three laborers carrying a pile of dirty, broken wood. Hearing this, they replied, "I know how to do this. I suggest walking to an area without buildings. This will reduce the chance of stepping on the ruins of a tall building."
Captain Yu threw a handful of sand at him. "Nonsense. I even said it would be best to take the entire water route. That way, the chances of falling into the ruins of a tall building are lower."
Gao Liang dodged quickly and was not affected at all. However, Xiaoguai behind him suffered, as sand was inexplicably thrown in his face.
Jiang Muyun can be said to have some experience in breaking through the blockade area of post-earthquake ruins.
After all, her spiritual food in her previous life, that outrageous book of one hundred and eight treasures in one birth, was something she found in the ruins after the earthquake.
Although she encountered the earthquake-stricken area relatively early and the local desertification situation was not as serious as it is now in Gyeonggi City, there are always certain similarities between the two that can be used as reference.
For example, regardless of whether it is completely covered by yellow sand or not, normal humans should not walk on the ruins of a collapsed high-rise building.
If you can go around in an open area, try to do so. If you really can't go around or can't find an open area, be as cautious as when climbing a snowy mountain in winter and pass by relatively intact buildings.
"Note: This rule only applies to earthquake ruins in the desert. It's better to choose the lesser of two evils." Jiang Muyun handed the city plan map to Chu Buwen and said to everyone, "It's generally not recommended to walk near half-collapsed buildings after an earthquake."
After tying up one plank, Captain Yu began to knock down the next. In between his busy schedule, he asked Jiang Muyun, "Tell me, is it possible for your little white dogs to distinguish which places are safe to walk on and which are not?"
Jiang Muyun patted the lazy boy's bald head. "Of course they can. Putting aside the metaphysical elements of sensing danger, mutant animals have five senses that are countless times more acute than humans. They definitely have an advantage in distinguishing temperature, humidity, and the hardness of sand."
"But no matter how great the advantage is, it's impossible to predict the future and know from a distance whether the road ahead is passable." Zhou Fei added: "Just now when we were looking for fuel, the bald guys were just trying to find their way along the way."
"I think so," Jiang Muyun said. "For example, humans might not realize they've stepped into quicksand until they find themselves sinking uncontrollably. But animals are more perceptive in this regard. As soon as they step on the edge of the quicksand, they notice the texture is wrong and pull their feet back in time to escape."
The prerequisite is that you can detect it in advance when you encounter something wrong.
Instead of counting with my fingers when everything is normal from two miles away, I will know that in three minutes my forehead will turn black and there will be a bloody disaster, so I have to take a detour.
So here comes the question.
Is the "advance amount" given by Xiaobai and the others enough for them to escape from the danger zone in time when they find something wrong?
Hard to say.
This situation is just like climbing a snowy mountain after a heavy snowfall. Many things are interconnected.
No one knows if a loud word will trigger an avalanche of hundreds of millions of cubic meters. No one knows if a single step will cause the entire ten-mile radius of yellow sand to sink.
Therefore, it is safest to walk in the area where the buildings have not collapsed, as there is no place for you to sink.
If the building collapsed, they still had a chance of survival, but if they were trapped in the ten-mile quicksand, they would have no choice but to beat the wooden fish on the spot to pray for their salvation in advance.
Jiang Muyun didn't want to knock the wooden fish yet. She knocked on the wooden board that Captain Yu was nailing. "Of course, if our kids are fast enough, with our force surface, we might be able to act like a flying swallow on the sand and rely on our speed to rush through the quicksand when the area is not large enough - so we are not completely without room for error. Cheer up, isn't this kind of knife-edge disco temperament quite handsome?"
Gao Liang and Zhou Fei lit seven or eight fires in one go and were using a crude seawater distillation device to obtain fresh water.
Gao Liang stretched out his hand to warm himself by the fire, watching the water droplets condense. After hearing Jiang Muyun's words, he suddenly felt a surge of ambition in his heart: "We've walked from summer to winter, across half of China. What's impossible? I believe in my little darling. When he runs, he runs like crazy. Even eight horses can't stop him. He will definitely get us out!"
Xiaoguai, like a madman, tilted his head and kicked his hind legs, blowing the belated handful of sand back onto Gaoliang's face.
"Get out! If you want to run, then run. We will definitely have a smooth journey and take the flat road." Zhou Fei added another handful of sand coldly and ruthlessly.
With the dream of walking on a flat road in their hearts, several people fell asleep on the sand with moisture-proof mats.
Some people, who appear to be bright and glamorous and shout loudly that they want to dance on the edge of a knife, have actually not had a full night's sleep for several days.
Finally, everyone had finished their tasks and were waiting to get fresh water so they couldn't set off immediately. A group of them fell asleep on the ground. Only two people were left in a group to take turns on guard and watch over their small desalination workshop.
By the time the fresh water had almost gathered, it was completely dark.
Jiang Muyun and Chu Buwen, who were in charge of the last shift, woke everyone up one by one, packed up and prepared to set off. Chu Buwen did not forget to pick up the two mutant fish that had passed away in a less peaceful manner.
It was too late today, and Jiang Muyun was afraid that Xiaobai and the others would run blindly and not be able to see the road clearly, so they didn't have a dog sled to ride. They could only let Xiaobai and the others tow the kayak, and then the humans held flashlights and cooperated with Dabai to explore the way, and they set off on foot.
"Strictly speaking, walking at night with a flashlight in this kind of city ruins filled with yellow sand really has a kind of underworld beauty that doesn't care about one's own life or death." Jiang Muyun stopped at the intersection, scanned the surrounding buildings with a flashlight, and said while looking down at the map.
If it weren't for the winter cold wave chasing them with a knife in hand, they wouldn't have to do this kind of thing where every step is like walking on the edge of the road to hell.
She and Chu Buwen both had a small light on their chests, so that they could see the city planning maps and topographic maps in their hands by just lowering their heads.
The two men were holding flashlights, one to check the condition of the buildings in the distance, and the other to illuminate the ground and the road conditions nearby.
Out of consideration for saving resources, the other people did not turn on the lights. They just tied ropes around their waists to connect each other to prevent them from getting lost. This also prevented someone from suddenly falling into something so that others could rescue them. Even Xiaobai and the others were not left behind.
A group of people walked carefully between the buildings. The cracks on the outer walls of the buildings were hideous and grotesque, and the dark windows seemed bottomless. After looking at them for a long time, there was always an illusion that they were pressing down on the humans in front of them.
The sea breeze made a long whimpering sound as it passed through the scattered ruins of the city. Jiang Muyun was holding a flashlight to confirm the location of the villa area when he heard a muffled sound coming from the distance.
"There are buildings that have collapsed."
Chu Buwen raised the flashlight and shone it in the direction of the sound, then said with certainty.
In fact, he couldn't see anything.
There was only a thick smoke screen, and the dust tens of meters high completely blocked everything that happened there.
But that's enough.
Jiang Muyun glanced at it and then looked away: "If we speed up a little, we can get out of the city in about two kilometers."
"The coastal avenue is ahead, and there is a villa area after crossing this road." Jiang Muyun said and pointed with her finger, and Dabai jumped out lightly in the direction she pointed to explore the way.
Dabai is light and agile, and can jump out in time even if he steps on quicksand.
Moreover, Big White's five senses are quite sharp. He can immediately detect many subtle changes that big guys like Little White cannot feel.
Combined with Dabai's night vision ability, it is most reassuring to let Dabai do the path-finding work at this time.
More than ten minutes later, a pair of green eyes returned silently.
"Let's go."
Seeing that Dabai didn't have any abnormal reaction, Jiang Muyun skillfully buckled the leash back to Dabai's waist and led the team to follow the direction of the rope.
Dabai, which almost blended into the night, walked gracefully on the yellow sand, turning back from time to time and meowing softly to remind Jiang Muyun that it was about to turn.
Professor Chen was not on the boat at this time, but was walking with them.
She said that if she got used to huddling on the boat wrapped in a blanket now, she might not be able to bear it if the temperature continued to drop.
"Keep warm in spring and keep cool in autumn." Professor Chen put his hands into his sleeves and walked no slower than them.
The group walked quietly in the darkness, occasionally talking to each other, but they all lowered their voices unconsciously, for fear of waking up the sleeping buildings around them and asking them to give these distant visitors a big hug.
Fortunately, this place has not been fully developed yet.
From here to Gyeonggi City, except for the relatively dense buildings in the seaside area, the road is basically full of villages and towns.
There are many flat lands and few houses, which is a good Feng Shui location in the end times.
There are no high-rise buildings around the villa area, so Dabai took them around the outside of the community.
This empty environment made Jiang Muyun a little bolder. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found the road ahead was flat. "It seems I've made it out."
As another guide, Chu Buwen's tense nerves relaxed a little.
Zhou Fei wiped the cold sweat from his forehead silently, and the ambition he had before setting off was almost gone.
Tang An recovered from his cautious breathing and took a few breaths before saying, "Do we have to pass by the buildings later? Or should we go around and avoid entering the city?"
Jiang Muyun comforted her: "Don't be nervous, it won't happen."
Gao Liang's hope was rekindled after hearing this, and his eyes sparkled in the darkness.
Jiang Muyun continued, "The idea of going through the uncollapsed building area will be completely ineffective later on."
Tang An had a bad feeling in his heart.
Jiang Muyun said softly, "For example, a few hours later, if we arrive at a city that we can't avoid, and find that the road ahead is flat and there are no standing buildings, we won't have to pass by the buildings that haven't collapsed."
Captain Yu couldn't stand it any longer: "I swear, under normal circumstances I appreciate your underworld aesthetics. But let's not tell horror stories now!"
Jiang Muyun said innocently: "What story? I am telling the truth."
Tang An calmly rubbed the newly grown stubble on his bald head twice and said, "That's even more terrifying."
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