Chapter 208
With his shoulder pressed against the heat-resistant alloy pipe, Chen Yang, along with two soldiers from the official base, inserted the pipe into the ground. The moment the pipe made contact with the ground, it produced a dull thud and kicked up a fine dust.
The core area of the cooling station is beginning to take shape. Double-layered heat-resistant canvas is stretched and covered on the alloy frame. The canvas surface reflects a silvery-gray sheen and can block most of the direct sunlight. The temperature under the shed is nearly 20°C lower than outside, and a faint mist of ice permeates the air, which is the coolness coming from the ice storage pool in the corner.
"Tighten it a bit more! The edges of the canvas must be secured tightly, otherwise it'll be a waste of effort if the heat blows it up!"
The engineering team leader at the official base shouted loudly, holding a specially made buckle in his hand, firmly fixing the edges of the canvas to the alloy frame.
Not far away, the people at the western outpost were busy building a defensive fence, using thick metal poles and high-density wire mesh to create a protective barrier. Sharp metal spikes were inserted through the mesh, reflecting a dazzling light when the sunlight shone on it, enough to deter any uninvited guests who tried to break in.
This is the first cooling point jointly built by the official base of the South City, Chen Yang's stronghold, the West City stronghold, and the Northern Smallholder Alliance. It is located in an open area on the edge of the abandoned city, which can not only serve the surrounding refugees, but also facilitate the observation of the movements of monsters in the distance.
As per the previous agreement, the official base would provide superhumans, heavy defensive equipment, and some heat-resistant supplies, while each outpost would contribute manpower, transportation vehicles, and basic building materials. All investments would be converted into demon cores, which could then be exchanged for Crimson Sun Pills and refrigeration equipment parts through the system shop with "I am the God of Wealth."
Strictly adhering to the principle of equivalent exchange, no one dares to ask for anything for free—retail investors who previously attempted to morally blackmail others have already been blacklisted by the system and are not even eligible to exchange.
"The shift schedule is out!" Wang Peng posted a handwritten schedule on the notice board at the cooling station, and several station managers immediately gathered around.
The shift schedule is divided into 6-hour shifts, with no rest throughout the day (no day or night during the polar day). Each shift consists of 3 ability users from the official base and 5 able-bodied young men from various outposts, with clearly defined responsibilities:
- Patrol team (2 people): Patrol within 100 meters outside the fence to check for traces of monsters and suspicious persons;
- Defense team (3 people): Guard the entrance to the cooling point, check the exchange records of people entering, and stop snatching and cutting in line;
- Equipment team (3 people): Check the operation of refrigeration equipment and the status of ice storage tanks, and replenish ice and Chiyangdan inventory in a timely manner.
"The lightning and ice-type ability users at the official base are mainly responsible for defending against beasts, while the brothers at the outposts are familiar with the surrounding terrain and focus on keeping an eye on stray soldiers who are trying to steal supplies."
Wang Peng pointed to the notice board and said in a serious tone, "The resources at the cooling point were exchanged by everyone using demon cores. No one is allowed to make exceptions. Anyone who dares to steal or destroy them will be dealt with according to the previously agreed rules—expelled from the cooling point and permanently disqualified from exchanging them. In serious cases, they will be handed over to the official base for disposal!"
Chen Yang nodded in agreement: "Our base has been arranged. Each shift will send two veterans who have experienced the Flamewing Beast attack. They know how to deal with monsters and can also recognize those scum who are used to looting supplies."
The head of the western outpost added, "We brought enough ropes and restraint equipment. They won't hurt anyone, but they can definitely subdue the troublemakers."
The cooling station encountered trouble on its very first day of operation. Three burly, shirtless men attempted to force their way in. The bald man in the lead, holding a broken steel pipe, shouted at the security team at the entrance, "Why can't we come in? The cooling station was built by the government; it should be free for us to use!"
The two men behind him joined in the commotion, reaching out to push the soldiers in the defense team, trying to rush into the shed to grab the ice.
"Halt!" An official soldier from the defense team raised his hand to stop them, his laser gun pointed at the ground. "If you want to enter the storage point, you either need to exchange demon cores for a spot or join the rotation guard to exchange for qualifications. Forcibly entering is a violation!"
The bald man sneered and slammed the steel pipe down on the soldier's shoulder: "Enough nonsense! I don't have any demon cores, but I'm taking this ice today!"
Just then, a veteran from Chen Yang's stronghold suddenly made a move. The rope in his hand wrapped around the bald man's wrist like a snake, and with a strong pull, the bald man lost his balance and fell to the ground, the steel pipe clattering to the ground.
Another burly man tried to help, but his ankle was frozen by an ice-type ability user from the official base, causing him to howl in pain.
"Follow the rules: either exchange it, or get out!"
The veteran said coldly, signaling his men to tie up the three men and drag them to the guard area outside the cooling station. "After the next shift ends, we'll send them away and let them know that the rules here cannot be broken."
After dealing with the farce of looting supplies, order was restored at the cooling point. The refugees lined up, clutching demon cores or exchange vouchers, and entered the shed in an orderly fashion.
Some sat next to the cooling equipment, feeling the cool airflow; others exchanged for Chiyang Pills, took them on the spot, and the flush on their faces quickly faded.
Some people brought their children and carefully scooped up a little bit of crushed ice to feed their children. The children's satisfied eyes softened the atmosphere around them.
Every half hour, the soldiers in charge of the equipment team would check the ice storage pool. The ice blocks in the pool were piled up like small mountains. They were obtained by the official base from "I am the God of Wealth" by exchanging a large number of demon cores. The pool was covered with a thick insulating cloth.
Even so, the ice was still melting at a visible rate. The melted ice water flowed through pipes into the recycling pool and was then refrozen by the refrigeration equipment, but the efficiency was far from keeping up with the melting speed.
"Captain, the ice is being consumed much faster than expected. At this rate, the inventory won't last five days," the soldier reported into the communicator, his voice filled with worry.
Wang Peng was inspecting the shed when he heard this and frowned: "I know. I have already submitted an additional order to 'I am the God of Wealth' to exchange for ice. I exchanged 5 Tier 3 demon cores for 10 tons of ice, which should be delivered tomorrow."
Additionally, have water-elemental users condense more water to replenish the recycling pool and minimize waste.
He looked up at the blinding sunlight outside the shed. The polar day had lasted for more than ten days, and the high temperature showed no signs of abating. No one knew how long this would continue.
As dusk fell (during the polar day, there is no darkness, only slightly dim light), the patrol team suddenly sent an urgent communication: "Three thermophilic lizards have been spotted in the northwest direction and are moving towards the cooling point! They are about half a meter in size, with dark red skin, and can spray hot venom!"
Wang Peng immediately ordered: "Defense team, get ready! Ice-type ability users, assemble at the entrance! Lightning-type ability users, come with me to intercept them! Equipment team, maintain order inside the shed, don't let the refugees panic!"
The High-Temperature Lizard is a new type of monster that appeared during the later stages of the polar day. It has adapted to the high-temperature environment, and its skin can withstand ordinary attacks. Its venom can cause burns when it lands on the skin, making it more difficult to defend against than the flames of the Flamewing Beast.
When Wang Peng arrived in the northwest with two lightning-type ability users, the lizards had already approached the enclosure of the cooling point. One of them was spraying venom at the metal mesh. The venom landed on the mesh, making a "sizzling" sound, and the metal mesh was instantly corroded with several small holes.
"Attack!" Wang Peng gave the order, and the two lightning-type ability users simultaneously activated their abilities, sending two thick bolts of lightning towards the lizard's head—its weak point.
The lizard let out a sharp hiss and collapsed, its body convulsing, but the other two became even more ferocious, lunging at the superhuman and spitting out venom from their mouths.
At the critical moment, two ice-type ability users from the cooling point arrived in time. Several ice walls were erected instantly, blocking the venom, while ice blades rained down on the lizard's abdomen like arrows.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Wang Peng circled around behind the lizard, aimed his laser gun at its head, and pulled the trigger. The red beam pierced through its skin, and the lizard fell to the ground.
After a ten-minute battle, all three hot-temperature lizards were dealt with, but the fence had been corroded and had several gaps, requiring repair as soon as possible.
"The equipment team should send someone over to repair the fence and use the spare heat-resistant alloy plate to block the gap!" Wang Peng ordered into the communicator, while also instructing the patrol team to expand their patrol area. "Send two more people to check the surrounding area to see if there are any other lizards. In the polar day environment, they are likely to live in groups."
This monster attack made the personnel on duty at the cooling point even more vigilant. In the following shifts, the patrol teams discovered several more sporadic hot-temperature lizards, all of which were promptly intercepted and dealt with.
Two incidents of looting supplies also occurred, involving desperate stragglers who were subdued and driven away by the guards in accordance with regulations, preventing further chaos.
The order at the cooling point gradually stabilized, and more and more refugees arrived, most of them carrying demon cores or willing to join the rotation guard in exchange for qualifications.
The cooling equipment inside the shed continued to operate, and the exchange rate of Chiyang Pills remained high. Every day, the official base would use the collected demon cores to exchange for new pills and ice from "I am the God of Wealth" to maintain the operation of the cooling point.
Su Jing's system store backend receives batch orders from the cooling storage points every day. She always ships according to the rules, neither giving extra nor delaying, providing limited support for the official joint construction plan.
The soldiers in charge of the equipment team record the amount of ice consumed every day, and the data is getting higher and higher each day.
"Captain, we consumed 3 tons of ice today, 500 kilograms more than yesterday, but only 1.5 tons were recovered from the frozen ice. The shortage is getting bigger and bigger."
The soldier reported with a whiteboard, "The refrigeration equipment is already running at maximum power, but it still can't keep up with the melting speed, and the heat dissipation of the equipment is getting worse and worse. It seems that the ambient temperature is higher than before."
Wang Peng took the recorder, his brows furrowing even more. He could feel that even during periods of slightly lower light, the heat in the air was more scorching than before, and the temperature inside the cooling shed had risen from 28°C to 32°C.
He took out his communicator and sent a private message to "I am the God of Wealth": "The ice storage at the cooling point is being depleted too quickly, and the ambient temperature continues to rise. Is there any way to improve the efficiency of the refrigeration equipment, or to exchange for more ice?"
Soon, Su Jing's reply came, still concise: [The refrigeration equipment has reached its maximum efficiency. Additional ice blocks must be exchanged at the original ratio (1 Tier 3 Demon Core = 2 tons of ice). Inventory is limited, with a maximum of 15 tons available per day.]
It is recommended to reduce unnecessary consumption and prioritize the needs of the elderly and children.
Looking at the reply, Wang Peng knew that this was the maximum support "I am the God of Wealth" could provide.
He turned to look at the ice storage pool. The amount of ice in the pool was half that of the morning, and the melted ice water was filling the recycling pool. However, the sound of the refrigeration equipment running was becoming increasingly muffled.
He knew that the extreme heat of the polar day seemed to be escalating, and the ice reserves at the cooling stations were about to face a severe test. This was just the beginning; even more difficult days were yet to come.
Outside the shelter, patrol soldiers were still patrolling under the scorching sun, while the defense team remained at the entrance. The refugees lined up, their eyes filled with longing for coolness.
The rotation system for guarding the cooling stations is still being implemented in an orderly manner, and the defenses against animals and robbery have not been relaxed. However, everyone can feel that the temperature in the air is quietly rising, and the ice in the pool is rapidly decreasing.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com