The food crisis worsened, and finally, riots broke out again. People protested against the government's refusal to provide food, calling it a disregard for human life. However, the government publicly stated that it was doing this based on the principle of sustainable supply, since various crops could not be grown in the high temperatures. After all, high temperatures were only one factor; the main problem was water shortage and drought.
Although a torrential rain a few months ago brought everyone a windfall, it also depleted most of the taxes owed.
Riots have broken out again across the country, with people storming police, government, and food institutions, but all have been met with serious warnings, and some have even resulted in fatalities.
That day, Xiao Shan frantically called Lu Yuan and said, "Lu Yuan, don't come to my house to deliver food today. It's very chaotic outside right now, there are acts of vandalism and looting everywhere!"
Lu Yuan immediately became anxious upon hearing this: "What? Another riot has started? Didn't several people already die yesterday? Haven't these people learned their lesson?"
"Oh! Don't even mention it. There are people starving to death everywhere on the streets now. Some people finally couldn't hold back anymore and rushed into the streets to loot and vandalize! Even the police can't stop them!"
"How are you? Don't tell me you're still at work!" Lu Yuan asked with some concern.
"No, the company asked us not to go to work for the next few days to ensure the safety of our staff, and to wait until things calm down a bit before returning!"
"Okay, do you have enough food at home? If not, I'll bring you some!"
"Don't come! It's too dangerous, especially since you're driving. You'll definitely become their target! There's plenty of food at home, so don't worry!"
"Okay, please be careful. Tell your uncle not to go to work and to stay home too! It wouldn't be good if he ran into bad people!"
"Yes, I'll tell my dad!"
Lu Yuan chatted with Xiao Shan for a while longer before hanging up the phone, but he had a feeling that something was about to happen.
During dinner, Lu Yuan's constant absent-mindedness caught his mother's attention.
"Xiao Yuan, eat your food! What are you thinking about?"
"Sigh! There's another riot in the city, looting everywhere, and the police are having a hard time controlling it! I'm worried that Xiaoshan's house will be attacked by robbers!"
Lu Yuan felt there was no need to hide this from his parents, since such news was everywhere these days. Fortunately, things were relatively good in their District 3, where such incidents hadn't occurred. This was mainly because the population wasn't very dense, and everyone knew each other quite well. If he made a move and was recognized, he would definitely be attacked by the crowd.
But the city is different. It's a big place with a diverse population, and people from all walks of life live there. Communication between people isn't as convenient as in District 3, and there's a lack of trust between people, which is why this situation has occurred.
Another issue is that the food supply in the city is not very smooth. Firstly, there are too many people. After all, some communities have tens of thousands of people, and the food brought by a few trucks is simply not enough. In addition, the distribution of food by rank takes a lot of time, and some people may not be able to get food even after queuing for a whole day.
This caused the chaos in the city. Lu Yuan wanted to bring Xiao Shan's family back, but it was unrealistic for them to move their entire home back now. Just transporting their belongings by car would be a huge hassle, not to mention the several large freezers.
Lu Yuan's new house doesn't have such a large freezer. After all, it's a high-end villa, and no one would put such a large freezer in their home.
"Then hurry up and bring them back! Otherwise, it would be too dangerous if they were attacked by thugs!"
"Yes, Xiao Yuan, we should quickly get them to come here to take refuge! Otherwise, it'll be troublesome if they get robbed! Losing some stuff is acceptable, but if someone gets hurt, that would be a real problem!"
The whole family agreed that Lu Yuan should bring everyone back, so Lu Yuan put down his chopsticks and prepared to drive.
At this moment, Lu's father handed a crossbow to Lu Yuan.
"Son, be careful when you're out and about. We don't cause trouble, but we're not afraid of trouble either. If anyone dares to lay a hand on you, or on Xiaoshan and her parents, use this! Protect yourself!"
Lu Yuan took the crossbow and nodded.
The car quickly drove to a park a few kilometers from the city center.
In the past, many people used to stroll around here every day, but since the apocalypse, there hasn't been a single person to be seen here. Instead, it has been turned into a public toilet. The park gate has been demolished, and there is feces everywhere, with a stench that can be smelled from afar.
After that, no one came here anymore, so Lu Yuan parked his car here to prevent anyone from smashing it. That would be a real problem, since he relied on this car to get around in the hot weather, and he would be heartbroken if it got damaged.
The crossbow was small, and Lu Yuan easily tucked it into his sun-protective clothing. Wearing a hat, Lu Yuan started walking towards Xiao Shan's house.
The once bustling streets were now desolate, with all the shops on both sides of the road closed. Occasionally, one could see that the windows of a few shops had been smashed, and the interiors showed signs of being ransacked.
All the cars on both sides of the road were smashed, and the rioters used red spray paint to write all kinds of slogans on the walls, which was shocking and unbearable to look at.
The pedestrians walked very fast, and everyone kept their heads down, afraid to look up, for fear of being attacked by thugs.
Lu Yuan was on tenterhooks the whole way, afraid that some thugs would rush up and attack him. Although he wasn't particularly afraid, he was worried that he might overdo it and kill the attacker.
Lu Yuan tightened his sleeves and walked around a corner. He saw a police car parked on the side of the road. Several police officers were registering the damage to a shop. The shop owner, his head covered in blood, tearfully accused the thugs of their actions.
Seeing this scene, Lu Yuan felt that the extent of the riots in the city far exceeded his expectations. He originally thought that those rioters were just people with guns and food, who only needed to get some water and such.
But as he walked along, seeing the dilapidated streets and the glass walls of the shops smashed everywhere, and the shop owner who was bleeding from the head and crying incessantly, Lu Yuan felt that this matter had exceeded his expectations.
As he walked and looked around, a gunshot suddenly rang out behind him.
Then Lu Yuan saw a thug holding a half-meter-long machete, shot in the chest, and fall straight to the ground. The police officer who had just given the shop owner the title was panting heavily, his hands trembling as he pointed his gun at the fallen thug.
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