Pollution Index
The day of stockpiling passed quickly.
The next morning, the rain stopped and the sky cleared up.
For some unknown reason, the city gate was opened early, and the residents spontaneously walked towards the city gate one after another like the Calabash Brothers.
They finally understood why this round of disaster was called "Sea without Light".
An ocean formed outside the territory, surrounding Hung Hung Hung, creating an isolated island. Terrifyingly, the surrounding ocean water resembled yesterday's rain, with a hard, metallic texture and a strong, pungent odor.
No sunlight could penetrate such thick water, and the sea surface reflected dizzying colors, so that the faces of the people in front of the sea were colorful.
Ye Miaomiao: I feel like I’m being contaminated as soon as I see it.
"Ahhh!" A scream suddenly came from the other side.
The crowd frantically dispersed, revealing a fat worm wriggling towards land. Its body, soaked in seawater, was as thick as a wrist. Its thin skin shone the same color as the ocean, and the vibrant colors of its movements were enough to inspire even the most insignificant artist.
The 1.8-meter-tall strong man in front of it was scared like a little girl, jumping high in fear, afraid of touching it.
[System reminder: Congratulations on discovering the special hazard of this round of disaster - pollution!
You have unlocked the feature: Pollution Index. Aim the screen at an object to view its pollution index.]
"Did you see it?" someone asked.
"Look... I see."
Someone has already checked the pollution index of the fat worm, and it's a staggering 89%! The entire ocean is 97%, and the land near the ocean is a staggering 36%. Upon closer inspection, the land does indeed have a metallic hue.
Ye Miaomiao frowned, the situation was more serious than she had imagined.
"Everyone, go back. Don't touch the sea water," Ye Miaomiao said, then instructed the team, "Kill any marine life that emerges immediately. Don't let them get close to our territory."
The frightened crowd dispersed, and Ye Miaomiao also hurried to the research institute.
Investigating the pollution was a must, but she had a strange feeling that such a thick body of water seemed to indicate that completely eradicating the pollution would not be easy.
Then there is only one other solution - creating water.
Ye Miaomiao planned to tackle both issues simultaneously. Fortunately, water production wasn't a particularly advanced technology, having existed before the apocalypse, so it should be quickly developed...
The three tracts of land used for farming were completely useless.
Yesterday, Ye Miaomiao placed three hydroponic base blueprints, but didn't build them because she was worried that they would be damaged by the rain. Today, she just needed to replenish the resources and they could be used.
Unlike previous hydroponic farms, where tillers and seed drills could easily plant hundreds of acres of land, hydroponic technology is more sophisticated and requires more manual labor.
Fortunately, the Hungry Technical College had trained many farmers, and Ye Miaomiao sent job offers to all of them, regardless of whether they had graduated or not. Word spread that the farming profession was short of people, and soon the agronomy classes were packed.
The three hydroponic bases are connected together and are very spacious and majestic. Ordinary people would probably be overwhelmed if they got such a large base, but as an old farmer, Ye Miaomiao already had a perfect plan.
She divided the base into six greenhouses.
A greenhouse is used to grow rice and wheat. Hydroponics allows for vertical cultivation, yielding several times the yield of ground-grown crops. This greenhouse is enough to ensure a full meal.
The second greenhouse is used to grow coarse grains. Growing as many types as possible can increase the diversity of the diet. Corn, potatoes, soybeans, etc. can also fill the gap left by the first greenhouse.
The third greenhouse is dedicated to fruit trees. Trees take up a lot of space, so to conserve that area, Ye Miaomiao plans to plant low-growing grapes and strawberries between the apple, peach, and chestnut trees.
The fourth greenhouse grows cash crops. The daily operating costs of lighting and moisturizing a hydroponic base are high, so it's essential to grow crops that can be processed and sold. These include fiber crops like cotton, oilseed crops like peanuts and rapeseed, sugar crops like sugarcane, as well as medicinal herbs, spices, dyes, and beverages like coffee.
The fifth greenhouse grows grass and feed. Grass farming improves meat quality, and after large-scale grass cultivation, Ye Miaomiao plans to expand her farming operations, ensuring she never has to worry about her meat.
The sixth greenhouse is a hydroponic symbiotic plant. Combining vegetable farming with aquaculture creates an artificial natural circulation system, allowing vegetables and fish to absorb more natural nutrients.
In order to facilitate travel between the six greenhouses, Ye Miaomiao placed buses between the greenhouses.
Looking at the gradually completed greenhouse, Ye Miaomiao nodded with satisfaction. The next step was for the employees to take up their posts and the hydroponic base to officially operate.
Meanwhile, Sunset Beach.
Grandpa Sun squatted on a raised rock, looking at the ocean which was not so polluted - at least compared with the lightless sea outside the territory, the Sunset Sea could still look a bit clear - this was all thanks to the greenery that covered the territory from head to toe. Grandpa Sun thought, maybe there were things that were not polluted?
He wasn't short of money; it was just that, as a coastal dweller, he was unwilling to give up. Growing up, he'd relied on the sea for his livelihood, and he felt more deeply than anyone else that the sea embraces all rivers. His heart, like a child's, always believed that the ocean, like a forgiving and strong mother, wouldn't be easily defeated by pollution.
Besides, without seafood, his mouth always felt bland.
Climbing down the rocks, Grandpa Sun carefully walked around some objects of unknown color and carefully searched for any fish that had escaped along the coastline.
After a long time, Grandpa Sun paused.
Here are a group of clams with normal colors! Half of their bodies are buried in the sand, and the other half is exposed outside the sand, as if they are quietly enjoying the gentle sea breeze.
Got it!
Grandpa Sun happily took out the bucket and rake, thinking that the clams he had dug in the past had all burrowed into the sand, leaving only a hole, and he was afraid that they would be discovered.
How can these clams be so stupid, basking in the sun!
However, the old man remembered his grandson's repeated warnings about the pollution index, and the territory had also specifically informed him about it. After a moment's hesitation, he opened the [Pollution Index] interface.
As the light screen was aimed at the clams, the rake went down.
"Okay, okay..." Grandpa Sun squinted his eyes and flipped the clams over, wondering whether to cook them into rich, milky clam pasta, stir-fry them, or pair them with a steamed egg, or just eat them plain. Anyway, they'd all be delicious...
As he carelessly picked it up, the old man suddenly shuddered, his heartbeat suddenly accelerated, his whole body went limp, and he almost fell down on the beach.
The clam also fell to the ground, and I saw a hollow fish eye on the shell!
The shell with eyes instantly penetrated into Grandpa Sun's food fantasy and eroded his limited rationality.
As if sensing the light, the clam shell opened slightly, and with the force, it turned over, burying the fish eye back under the sand.
Grandpa Sun's breathing suddenly stopped. He looked at the clams on the beach at his feet and suddenly realized something. His already beating heart began to ache violently. Grandpa Sun felt his blood pressure rise uncontrollably to the top of his head. His mind went blank and his vision began to black out.
"Hospital, call the hospital!" At the critical moment, he only had time to use his last bit of strength to send a message for help before he fell beside the innocent-looking clam.
The image of a clam was reflected on the screen, with the words "Pollution Index: 62%" clearly written on it.
Fortunately, his grandson was a member of the Hungry Hungry Team. After receiving the information, he reported it immediately, located Grandpa Sun directly, and drove him to the hospital.
At least he was fine and just needed to stay in the hospital for a few days. But the psychological shock he suffered was extraordinary, and he told everyone he met that he had never seen anything so horrible.
Although there are no photos, his description really gives me goosebumps.
Pollution can cause organisms to mutate. For a time, everyone was in danger and had to check the pollution index before eating anything, for fear that they would develop three pairs of arms and eight eyes.
The Night Watch Center has issued a special notice: [Please carefully check the food you eat. It is strictly forbidden to eat contaminated food!]
Hongxia Restaurant, dinner time.
This restaurant is cheap and affordable, and the food is delicious. It is often crowded and full when you go there, and today is no exception.
A plate of stir-fried pork with chili peppers was served on the table. Ren Hongxia wiped her hands and went to the kitchen.
The guest behind me suddenly exclaimed: "Pollution index 1%!"
The exclamation startled the guests nearby. Regardless of whether they had checked or not, they all quickly turned on the screen to check. Fortunately, everyone else's food was fine.
"Boss, what's wrong with you?" The customer stood up angrily, still frightened. "How can you not check the food you put in! If someone eats it, who will be held responsible?"
Ren Hongxia wiped her hands, feeling aggrieved: "I...I've checked everything."
The other guests didn't even finish their half-eaten meals. They put down their chopsticks as if they had escaped a disaster, quickly paid and left, whispering to each other that they would never come again. This made Ren Hongxia even more annoyed.
In order to prove her innocence, Ren Hongxia took the guest to the kitchen and scanned the ingredients just used: "Look, there is no contamination."
It shows that there is indeed no.
The customer was somewhat helpless: "But that plate of fried pork with chili peppers is indeed contaminated. Stop pulling at my clothes, can I leave now?"
"No!" Ren Hongxia shouted.
She felt so wronged! Looking at the empty restaurant, she felt like the sky was falling.
She had invested all her wealth in this restaurant, working from dawn to dusk every day, yet still making very little. Now, due to some inexplicable problem, she had lost all her customers, and the reputation she had worked so hard to build was probably ruined too!
"There is definitely no pollution." It doesn't make sense that the materials are fine but the finished product has problems for no apparent reason.
Eager to prove herself, Ren Hongxia picked up the chopsticks, walked quickly to the table, picked up a piece of food with chopsticks, and was about to put it into her mouth.
"Hey hey hey!" The customer was startled and hurried forward to stop it.
Unfortunately, he was a step too slow, and the meat and chili dish had already entered Ren Hongxia's mouth, and then she swallowed it and it went into her stomach.
"Are you crazy?" The guest was in disbelief and opened his mouth but couldn't say a word.
"It's definitely okay," Ren Hongxia assured him, "Look at me, there's nothing wrong with me..."
The guest stared at her blankly until her brows suddenly furrowed, and she clutched her stomach, crouching on the ground in unbearable pain. Her once healthy, rosy complexion suddenly turned pale.
"Is there anyone here? Is there anyone here?" The customer was so frightened that his voice trembled. He stumbled out of the restaurant, "Help! Someone come quickly!"
In just one day, residents were admitted to the hospital one after another.
Water pollution is simply impossible to prevent. Some people may accidentally ingest it or get infected by contact with wounds. Of course, Ren Hongxia is the only brave warrior who would go to the tiger mountain even though he knew there was a tiger there.
Even the knowledgeable staff from the research institute who came to collect evidence and investigate were shocked by her feat.
"I...I won't die, will I?" Ren Hongxia was extremely regretful now. Thinking about what happened before, she felt like there was a ping-pong ball in her head and she wanted to slap herself.
"She won't die," Sister Jin said as she changed her dressing in a bad mood. "At most, she'll mutate."
Ren Hongxia shuddered all over.
"It's okay. No one has shown any mutations yet. Considering the pollution level, the probability of organisms mutating below 30% is very high," the researcher reassured her. "The effects of pollution entering the human body are very beneficial to our research. You are excellent specimens. Trust our research institute."
After that, he said embarrassedly, "Can I draw another tube of your blood? Your pollution is currently the highest in the territory..."
Ren Hongxia, who was about to be comforted, said: "..." This means she must be the first one to mutate.
She might as well slap herself.
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