Chapter 76 Sandstorm [VIP]
After a while, with the official radio station constantly counting the number of gerbils being hunted, the Tang family also caught hundreds of gerbils.
These gerbils are bled and then dried in a dryer, so they can be compressed and stored in batches to save space.
But judging from the situation, the gerbils would probably be killed sooner or later, so Tang Tian decided that it was time to go out and take a look.
This time, Tang Yi was going with Tang Tian, so Wei Mingxia took Tan Tan to send the processed gerbils to the shelter in exchange for supplies.
After making the plan, the mother and her two daughters prepared themselves and set off at a time during the day when the wind and sand were relatively small.
Tang Tian and Tang Yi first sent Wei Mingxia and Tan Tan away, and then thought about cleaning the yard again.
But this time, when she used her sand-attribute ability, she unexpectedly discovered that there were some gray-white crystals in the original sand.
This unprecedented situation made Tang Tian pay attention. She used her special powers to remove the sand and dust and separate the crystals.
"System, what is this?"
"Host, after scanning, this is salt crystal."
The system answered quickly.
Salt? How can there be salt in the dust?
Tang Yi thought about it and suddenly said:
"Tiantian, I read in a book before that there's a type of dust storm called a salt storm. It forms when strong winds blow up salt-laden dust. But these usually only appear in remote areas. I didn't expect it to blow all the way to Spring City!"
"This type of salt storm will cause soil salinization and corrode metals, and the damage is just as severe as a sandstorm!"
The more Tang Yi spoke, the more worried she became with frowning eyebrows.
Perhaps the previous extreme heat caused large areas of lakes to dry up and become exposed, and the bottom has always been severely salinized, and then blown by strong winds, naturally it was blown everywhere.
Tang Tian also sighed.
The cultivated land in the shelter must have suffered, but fortunately, most of the planting in the shelter is now indoors, so as long as the buildings are protected, it can continue.
But I don’t know what the exposed land outside will become in the future. Fortunately, I also have earth-attributed abilities.
After learning that this was a more serious natural disaster, Tang Tian and Tang Yi got on a four-wheeled motorcycle and drove in another direction.
This time, Tang Tian was more careful. Not only did he drive very slowly, he also paid special attention to his feet to avoid encountering traps set by external forces.
Just looking ahead, the scene made the two of them stunned.
Outside the misty dust, they vaguely saw a dark object about ten meters in size.
But that was not a tall building in the distance, but a tall sand dune standing there!
In fact, they had seen sand dunes of various sizes on the road, but the sandstorm lasted for several months, so they didn't expect that there would be such huge sand dunes?
And then they saw with their own eyes that the sand dune moved slowly until it reached a residential area.
It was probably an old residential area, with quiet, dilapidated public housing only five or six stories high.
After the sand dunes passed by, they completely swallowed up those buildings...
These sands are just like alive!
Tang Tian and Tang Yi watched and for some reason thought of the snow disaster during the blizzard.
If they didn't have superpowers, they would have been buried alive long ago, and now even their bodies would probably have completely disappeared.
The two of them couldn't help but feel a thin layer of cold sweat on their backs.
Although they also have top-level sand-attribute abilities, it is still better to avoid these strange giant sand dunes!
…
After driving for about ten minutes, Tang Yi pointed forward and the two found an extended tunnel.
When it is extremely hot, this tunnel is similar to an air-raid shelter and can be used as a shelter to escape the heat.
And after the extreme heat passes, those who have taken refuge here may stay.
Tang Tian didn't want to see strangers, so he drove away from the tunnel entrance and headed in another direction.
However, she didn't expect that she would soon find a group of people walking in front of her. They were all wearing protective clothing and filters, and their bodies were slightly leaning forward to resist the wind and sand. At this time, those who had such equipment were most likely official personnel.
But right in front of them there happened to be a sand dune about two people high. Not only was it not blown away by the strong wind, but it moved forward as a whole and was about to swallow up the team.
Even if they turned back and ran away at this moment, it would probably be too late!
Tang Tian's brows furrowed slightly. If that person was an official, she could help and gain some favor at the same time.
Thinking of this, she clenched her hands and rushed forward, then raised her hands to release her supernatural power. Tang Yi followed suit, and the power of two people was greater than that of one.
The sand dune seemed to be pushed by two invisible hands, tilting several degrees and passing by the group of people. However, the strong wind from outside still caused the group to fall to the sand.
Tang Tian drove forward, looked at them from a distance, and asked loudly:
"Are you all right?"
The staggering people slowly stood up, but this suddenly made Tang Tian realize something was wrong.
For example, even if you were an ordinary person before, you would have to go to a training camp for a while and get affirmation before you can go out. It is impossible for you to be like this.
Tang Tian quickly started the motorcycle and was about to leave. The person who stood up first seemed to have noticed it and quickly spoke to stop him:
"Wait! Wait!—"
"The open market over there in the tunnel, you?"
Tang Tian and Tang Yi:?
Tang Tian let go of the handle and asked:
“……?”
Several people stood up again, covered in dust, nodded vigorously, pointed in the direction of the tunnel entrance, and handed them a crumpled piece of paper.
Without saying much, he continued to walk away.
Tang Tian felt strange.
These people look like zombies, as if they were born just to advertise for the so-called market and have no goals of their own.
Looking down again, I saw that the crumpled paper was really something like a flyer, something I hadn't seen in a long time.
But now, as long as you don't get entangled, you can be considered a good person.
Moreover, Tang Tian had rarely seen any markets open since the dust storm hit, so she couldn't help but become interested in it, but she was also a little worried that it was a trap.
After Tang Yi discovered this, she said:
"Let's go and take a look. If the worst comes to the worst, we can just fight our way out!"
This sentence was like a reassurance. Tang Tian nodded and drove towards the tunnel entrance with Tang Yi.
The tunnel is originally a barrier, and an additional entrance was built at the entrance of the tunnel to enclose the original entrance and protect it from wind and sand.
“Bang, bang, bang!”
Tang Tian got out of the car and had to knock on the door hard to let the sound in.
Fortunately, someone came to open the door quickly, and the protective measures for going out were very complete. It seemed like an organization with no shortage of supplies.
The visitor did not speak, but simply stretched out his hand as if asking for something.
Tang Tian thought about it and handed over the flyer. Unexpectedly, it was exactly what she wanted. It was probably an admission ticket.
…
Tang Tian and Tang Yi entered this entrance, and the roof above their heads was also sealed, isolating them from the whistling wind and sand outside.
The entrance to the tunnel was open, and you could vaguely see a few shops on both sides.
But with the dust storm raging outside, would anyone really come here specifically to buy and sell?
"These are the shops on the periphery. There are also central shops inside. You can ask, but please don't touch anything."
The person who greeted them as they entered reminded them, but continued to remain silent.
This made Tang Tian feel that this place did not seem like the trading market where Zhang Huaiping and Liang Xiaoliang were.
Tang Yi pulled her sleeve, and the two sisters moved silently deeper into the tunnel.
The shops on both sides were not so attentive to customers, as if they assumed that customers would come to them on their own initiative.
After shopping, Tang Tian was indeed shocked.
Fuel, equipment parts, blueprints, rare materials, precision instruments... everything is available now, and the level is much higher.
These are only the things sold in the peripheral shops. Could it be that the things sold in the central shops are better than these?
This inventory is probably better than the shelter!
"Where did you get this? How much fuel do you have? What can you buy it with?"
Tang Tian quickly threw down two questions, and the other party answered directly:
"We collected these from other places, not just S District. We're only staying here for a while, so we'll go somewhere else."
"We've collected quite a bit of fuel. If you want to buy it, or trade it for something else, we can also do food, water, or medicine."
From the sound of it, it seems that they not only have a lot of stuff, but also an unimaginable amount.
Tang Tian and Tang Yi exchanged a glance. Amidst their excitement, they suddenly thought of a term that had vanished decades ago:
Trader!
These middlemen travel around various areas, buying and selling, buying and selling, buying and selling again, making a profit by buying low and selling high.
However, we are still in the stage of bartering, and the cost-effectiveness is not as high as imagined.
But just looking at the precious materials they have on hand, I'm afraid there are plenty of people willing to buy them.
Tang Tian didn't ask why they didn't trade with the shelter, but pretended to be hesitant and said:
"I have plenty of food and water here, but I don't know what good stuff you have. How do I get to the central store?"
The other party looked at the two of them seriously, but without too much contempt, he just raised his hand and pointed deeper:
"Walk inside. The shops in the center are all set up, unlike ours, so they are easy to spot."
Tang Tian agreed and continued walking with Tang Yi.
After walking about a few dozen meters and passing a few stalls, they saw the shop that was different at first glance.
When she went to take a look, Tang Tian was delighted.
The goods in this central shop are indeed better: there are hot weapons, armor, special equipment, antibiotics, chronic disease medicines, surgical instruments, anesthetics, and even native crop seeds!
These goods are all covered with glass, and the stall owner is also well-equipped, so he should be well-armed, so he is not afraid of being robbed.
However, the prices of these goods are also extremely expensive, ranging from dozens to hundreds of kilograms of food and water.
If these supplies are saved, they can support a shelter. It is impossible for ordinary people to have such a large amount of supplies.
But Tang Tian had already taken a fancy to many supplies and asked quickly:
"I want to buy a lot of things. Who should I talk to?"
…
It seemed that she was not the first person to ask this question, and soon someone led them deeper.
Somehow, the tunnel had electricity and light bulbs were on, but the light wasn't very bright, barely enough to see each other's faces.
"This is our second-in-command, Miss Tang. If you have any questions, just talk to her."
Tang Tian and Tang Yi couldn't help but be stunned.
Following the direction of their gaze, they saw a familiar yet unfamiliar face in the slightly dim light.
“…It’s you?”
After seeing clearly, the so-called Miss Tang remained silent for a while, then let the outsiders leave and received the guests herself.
The complicated emotions passed by, and she slowly said as before:
"Tang Tian, Tang Yi, I didn't expect it to be you. You're still alive."
It turned out that this person was their half-sister Tang Nan!
That snowstorm seemed like a long time ago. Perhaps after Tang Nan received his reward, he left Hexinyuan and lived a miserable life somewhere else.
And she seems to be living a good life, even becoming the so-called second-in-command?
Tang Tian just responded and went straight to the point.
They were originally two families, but they had only met a few times before the end of the world. They were like complete strangers and there was no need to exchange pleasantries.
"I've gotten a few batches of supplies over this long time, but I've never encountered anything as good as yours. How should we exchange them?"
Tang Nan was not surprised by this. When she was at He Xinyuan, she seemed to have no shortage of supplies.
But when Tang Tian reported the supplies he wanted, he hesitated for a moment before saying:
"What you want are the most expensive things here. How about this, I'll take you to see our leader."
Tang Tian knew that this place was not on the same level as those trading markets, so he naturally wanted to meet the leader, so he continued to walk around with Tang Nan.
Along the way, Tang Nan did not talk about what had happened to her before, and focused on explaining the things in the black market. It seemed that she was living well here.
It turns out that this organization was formed as early as the extreme cold. However, at first, they had no intention of doing business and existed only as a shelter team.
Later, the organization gradually developed. During the flood, Tang Nan lived in a high-rise building, which happened to be the organization's base, so he simply joined.
Originally they were just seeking shelter, but after figuring out how to survive, the organization started to engage in reselling. After the plague, they even traveled to various places.
When the extreme heat ended and a sandstorm started, the organization found this long tunnel and set up camp, preparing to leave when the sandstorm ended.
However, this organization is not limited to setting up stalls. It also has patrol teams, armed teams, etc. like the shelter.
And since the official confirmed that gerbils are edible, the organization has quickly formed a hunting team to catch gerbils to use as food.
From Tang Nan, Tang Tian and Tang Yi also learned that in addition to material supplies, there are also intelligence dealers who sell first-hand information. The most important information is now in Area A.
There were even people selling slaves, and they passed by several large iron cages filled with adult men and women.
Even though they had seen imprisoned women in the basement of Wu Ye Central Villa, the sight of them being locked up like animals still shocked them.
Tang Tian also thought of those people who had distributed advertising flyers before.
Aren't they also slaves?
…
"Brother Long, big business is coming."
Tang Nan shouted into the depths.
A person slowly walked out of the shadows.
He was a man in his twenties, and as the leader of such an organization, he looked in good spirits.
His body has not shrunk, and the tattoo on his left arm has not been deformed. He looks mature and steady, but also serious.
When he saw Tang Nan, he smiled faintly and asked:
"What big business?"
Seeing this, Tang Yi narrowed her eyes slightly.
"They want to buy it, they are..."
Tang Nan was speechless for a moment. She suddenly didn't know how to introduce Tang Tian and Tang Yi. After all, she had never told the organization anything about her life experience.
And in the end times, there are so many wanderers who have lost their wives and children and have lost their families, so they will not ask any detailed questions.
And it is obvious that if Tang Haifeng, Lai Meiyan and Tang Zirui had not died, her life would definitely not be as good as it is now.
"People who once lived in a residential complex."
Tang Tian interrupted first.
This was true. Tang Nan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
She had never expected to meet Tang Tian and others again. Now it seems that the latter don't want to bother her any more. They just want to be businessmen.
When Long Qing heard what Tang Tian wanted to buy, he was silent for a moment and said something similar to Tang Nan:
"We are short of food, water and medicine now. As long as there is enough, you can take whatever you want."
Although gerbils can be eaten, they are all lean meat. They can be eaten for a period of time, but cannot be used to sustain life all the time. Long Qing still hopes to exchange them for food and plenty of water.
After all, managing an organization is not an easy task, at least not when it comes to food and drink.
"I have food, but it's mostly preserved and dried goods. As for medicine, would Chinese medicine be okay? As for water... I found a batch of this stuff L when I was out looking for supplies. I wonder if it could be used as a substitute?"
Tang Tian thought about it quickly, and finally took out a bottle from the backpack behind her.
Long Qing and Tang Nan looked over and found that it was a bottle similar to a glass wine bottle, filled with a light-colored unknown liquid.
"What's this?"
"This is birch sap. It can be drunk, used as a sterilizer, brewed into wine, and even used in medicine. In a sandstorm, it's better than the purified water from the waterworks, right?"
Long Qing took it and tasted a bottle cap, then paused before asking:
"How many of these are there?"
After hearing this, Tang Tian knew that the deal was secure.
And this birch sap was obtained from the sap extractor in the system.
As soon as the sap was obtained, Tang Tian immediately packed it with a packaging machine and put it into inventory.
After all, there is no shortage of water at home, and I can't find a recipe to make dishes with birch sap for the time being, so I just keep saving more and more. It is enough for this business and to clear the inventory.
In addition, Tang Tian is not short of pickled foods and dried goods.
Most of the Chinese medicines are obtained from the medicinal fields and are stored in batches in the warehouse. They do not often make medicinal food.
Although it cannot directly solve the pain like Western medicine, it can also relieve skin allergy infections, dryness and peeling, tracheal and lung diseases and other symptoms caused by sandstorms. It is better to have it than nothing.
So the two parties finally agreed that they would prepare the goods two days later and then come to the tunnel to trade, and everyone present agreed.
…
Tang Tian returned home in a happy mood, and Wei Mingxia and Tan Tan had also returned long ago.
Although it was Wei Mingxia's first time to go to the shelter, she drove there on purpose. The guard remembered her license plate number and let her pass after registering it as usual.
The exchange center has also reopened, but it is even quieter than the last time when the strange bird appeared.
After all, ordinary people may not be able to catch many gerbils. Even if they can catch some, they will keep them for themselves and rarely give them away for exchange.
Besides, there are now unofficial shelters of all sizes everywhere. If you catch gerbils, you will eat them yourself and are unlikely to go to the official ones.
All the original official shelters have long been merged into one, which is the current one.
So even though the authorities released such conditions, in the end only a few people came to the exchange center to exchange supplies.
Wei Mingxia came with hundreds of processed gerbils, and they seemed to have expected it, and successfully exchanged them for fuel, medicine, daily necessities and other supplies.
After exchanging the supplies, Wei Mingxia did not stay any longer and drove directly back to Jiangnan Liyuan. She then packed up the car and supplies and waited for the two sisters to come back.
When she heard that they had secured another big deal, she helped out with various processed products. After two days of work, she finally met the required quantity.
Tang Tian opened the warehouse again, and there were two vans parked inside.
These were the things she had gotten from renting a car before the end of the world. Each of the two people in her family rented one, and they came in two sizes: large, medium, and small.
The amount of cargo this time can be loaded into a medium-sized van.
However, considering that there might be tripwires installed by external forces on the road, they could only open the car windows and pay attention while heading to the tunnel black market.
Finally they arrived at the tunnel. Someone was already outside the door to greet the two important customers, and the van drove in smoothly.
Tang Tian doesn't need equipment, blueprints, or even weapons, but she wants fuel, antibiotics, anesthetics, protective clothing, gas masks, and other supplies that were unavailable before the end of the world, as well as drones, etc.
I also brought various pickles, dried meat, dried fruit, dried goods, Chinese medicine and boxes of packaged birch sap.
After confirming each item one by one, Long Qing looked straight at Tang Tian and Tang Yi, and a sense of respect arose in his heart.
With these supplies, the two of them are equivalent to a shelter!
"Are you still here after this?" Tang Tian suddenly asked.
Tang Nan helped carry the supplies and replied:
"Actually, we were originally in another area, and we only came here to camp after the last sandstorm stopped. We originally thought that there would be a break soon, so we could go to a place with more people, but we didn't expect this sandstorm to never stop again."
"With so many people and goods, we can't take any risks, so we decided to stay here first and see if there's a chance to go somewhere else later."
Tang Tian remained silent after hearing this. If Tang Nan and the others left, who knows when they would be able to find a place like this where high-end goods could be bought and sold!
"By the way, do you have any valuables here? For example, gold, jade, jadeite, jewelry, etc."
Tang Nan asked in confusion:
"What do you want those for? They can't be eaten or drunk, and they're completely worthless. If they were rare metals and chemical raw materials, they might have some value..."
"Aren't we already building a base? One day, order will be restored inside the base before it is restored outside, and the monetary system will certainly be restored as well. Gold is a stable currency, whether before or after the apocalypse. I'm thinking of stockpiling some for now."
Tang Tian found an excuse and without waiting for Tang Nan to answer, she spoke first:
"How about this, can you help me collect it when you have time? I'll still trade these supplies with you."
Tang Nan turned his eyes. With their organization's capabilities, it wouldn't be difficult to plunder some.
And if you use those to exchange for real food and water, you will make a profit no matter how you look at it.
Besides, Tang Tian was not short of supplies. Before the end of the world, she was a rich person who could not be thought of with ordinary thinking, so he agreed to her request.
After the agreement was reached, Tang Tian and Tang Yi returned with a truck full of goods.
However, they didn't drive far before turning around to put all the supplies in the car into the system warehouse, and then slowly returned home.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
