Chapter 79 Sandstorm [VIP]
Shen Boyun and Cheng Jing hurriedly asked:
"Who is it?"
Tang Tian smiled and asked:
"You've been in the shelter for a long time. Have you seen Li Feiyang?"
The two looked at each other, and Cheng Jing thought for a while before answering:
"I remember he came in when the shelter opened last time. I saw him at the training camp, and he should be in a team now. Tang Tian, do you want him to join?"
Tang Tian nodded:
"He used to be our neighbor, so we're kind of acquaintances. He went out with us to look for supplies at the beginning. I think he can join us this time."
Cheng Jing agreed.
This type of organization usually depends entirely on the opinions of the team members, and as long as the people are still in the shelter, it is easy to find them.
"That makes five of us, almost enough to form a team. We've already registered at the mission center. Shall we agree on a time to set off?"
After discussing, they agreed to meet at the shelter entrance two days later in the morning.
These two days are also for making preparations in advance, and the journey is long this time, so I must explain it to the people around me.
Tang Tian and Tang Yi went back and told Wei Mingxia.
Because the former also wants to take Tantan with him this time, so the latter will be the only one at home.
Wei Mingxia smiled and instructed:
"I'm fine for now. Just go back quickly and bring everything you need... I'll go make you some food!"
Knowing that she was still worried, Tang Tian did not refuse, and she and Tang Yi hurried to prepare.
In addition to food and water, protective medical supplies and weapons are also essential.
Tang Tian used the furnace's ability to forge melee knives, refill bullets for guns, etc., and also made a batch of □□ and acid bottles.
The □□ still contained the fire element, and the acid explosion bottle naturally contained the citric acid bomb she had just learned.
Not only can she shape the acid bomb into a lemon, but she can also change it so that it can be smoothly introduced into the bottle.
In the ability column, there are half attack and half auxiliary abilities.
And until that morning, she planned to eat some more food that would strengthen her body. Her defense, speed, endurance, stamina, and so on all needed to be improved.
At nightfall the day before, Tang Tian and Tang Yi each took a comfortable bath, and took the opportunity to wash Tan Tan together before going to bed.
The next day, they woke up feeling refreshed. Wei Mingxia also got up early to prepare breakfast. After the two of them and their dog had eaten and drunk their fill, they left home, following Wei Mingxia's instructions.
This time they did not use any means of transportation, but fortunately the shelter was not far away.
Beyond the hazy dust, they could see a van parked outside the shelter's gate in the distance.
When they got a little closer, the people there seemed to notice them and waved at them.
Tang Tian and Tang Yi walked forward and took a look, and it was indeed Cheng Jing.
"Tang Tian and Tang Yi, you guys are here really early. Fortunately, we have to go earlier."
In front of acquaintances, Cheng Jing still has the habit of being friendly and exchanging a few words first.
"This trip is long, and if we set off so early, we might even have to spend the night on the way. Let's get in the car without further ado!"
Shen Boyun poked his head out from the driver's seat and said.
Before Tang Tian could answer, someone else popped their head out and waved excitedly as well:
"Sister Tian, long time no see!"
A familiar voice and a familiar address were heard. Tang Tian and Tang Yi put their backpacks into the trunk, then carried Tan Tan into the car and sat in the back seat.
And who else could the person in the back row be but Li Feiyang?
Li Feiyang looked darker and thinner, but he was still in good spirits, and his face was full of excitement.
After all, ever since he followed the main group to the shelter, he had been floating downstream with the authorities, barely getting enough food to eat every day. Later, he moved from training camp to various teams, all for survival.
After that, he planted cacti and caught gerbils, and his living conditions improved. Then he opened the task center.
I never expected that I would be found and joined this team of acquaintances before I had completed a few tasks.
It can be said that when Li Feiyang saw his former spiritual pillar, all the depression and frustration he had felt during this period of time was instantly swept away.
Originally, he kept quiet and focused on his work in the shelter, but now he has returned to his previous talkative nature.
Tang Tian didn't object to Li Feiyang speaking. Most people didn't have the energy to speak, or simply kept silent, so she felt that the chattering was quite lively.
In the last days, there is sometimes no shortage of food, but this is lacking.
…
Accompanied by the sound of conversation in the back seat, the vehicle slowly moved away from the shelter gate.
Shen Boyun saw a happy scene in the rearview mirror, and while controlling the steering wheel, he felt inexplicably uncomfortable in his heart.
It's like eating a whole lemon with nothing in your mouth. The first note is sour, but the latter part becomes astringent.
Obviously, he wasn't that cold when talking to someone, in fact, it was the same, but he just felt that something was a little off.
He was just daydreaming when he suddenly
"Let's take turns driving. Don't drive while tired. There are traps on the road. I've experienced this before."
Shen Boyun raised his eyebrows after hearing this, but he always knew that Tang Tian often went out, and this so-called trap was actually something that even the official team had fallen into, so the latter must have encountered it.
The temperature was low and the air conditioner in the car was on so it wasn't too hot.
But there was a hint of heat from the other side. When he glanced over, he found that Tang Tian had deliberately moved his body closer, which was equivalent to sticking his head out from the front row.
It was very close to my face.
Shen Boyun's heart was shaken, and he couldn't help but step on the accelerator to the bottom. He slowly let go after he came to his senses.
Cheng Jing replied with a smile:
"Okay, but don't drive too fast this time, otherwise we might get to the institute earlier."
Normally, it wouldn't take too long to drive from the shelter to the institute.
But now there is a sandstorm, and I don’t know how much it will increase in time. I have to pay attention to traps and enemy attacks along the way.
So after chatting for a while, the person who was not driving started to close his eyes and rest.
Until I woke up again, looked at the time and asked, it was Cheng Jing who continued driving.
Because of the end of the world, almost everyone has learned to not eat if possible, and if they do, they can't have three meals a day, and their schedules are completely disrupted.
It was already noon, but the vehicles were still driving steadily in the sandstorm and no one suggested taking a break.
Tan Tan's ears trembled, and his pair of bright black eyes stared at Tang Tian, and he rested his chin on her forearm.
The dog doesn't understand all that; it only knows it's hungry.
Tang Tian took out a few freeze-dried pieces from his pocket and fed them to the dog.
Shen Boyun looked back and saw it, and said:
"Why don't we just make up for it first? We'll probably be staying overnight tonight and then have a good meal in the evening."
Nowadays, people usually enjoy their best meal after dark before going to bed.
"Sister Tian, the free food we can get now is no longer the porridge and paste we used to have. The compressed biscuits produced by the compressed biscuit factory in the shelter have many different flavors!"
As Li Feiyang spoke, he took out a few packaged biscuits.
When I opened a piece, I was greeted by a strong, unnatural aroma of oil. There was even a hint of onion in the aroma, so this must be a scallion-flavored compressed biscuit.
Eating compressed biscuits for a long time makes life hopeless. Coupled with the characteristics of Chinese food, it would be a disservice to the people if we didn't develop a few more flavors.
Tang Tian nodded. Since they were eating in the car, she took out a few chocolate wafers and protein bars and made do with them.
In addition to food, water is also essential.
Tang Tian and Tang Yi brought their own water bottles, but they were opaque, so they were actually filled with iced drinks and juice.
After eating a large bowl of dog food, Tan Tan lay quietly and did not move. For him, as long as he could go out and stay with Tang Tian and Tang Yi, that was enough.
It was soon afternoon, and Tang Yi was driving again, and the light gradually dimmed.
Fortunately, they did not encounter any predators or groups of gerbils along the way.
I don’t know if it’s because there hasn’t been a famine recently, or if the gerbils are more eager to find other buildings to sharpen their teeth.
Speaking of teeth grinding, Tang Tian suddenly felt a little uneasy.
Every time a mutant creature appears, it is officially announced by the National Radio and Spring City Radio, indicating that the mutant creatures are appearing nationwide.
Moreover, this time the mutated gerbils like metal, and the research institute is a large building. Could they have been in trouble?
Feeling the silence in the carriage, where only the roar of the engine and the sound of the wind could be heard, Tang Tian chose not to ask any more questions for the time being.
…
For the last stretch of the journey, Tang Tian took the initiative to change and sat in the driver's seat.
Shen Boyun continued to stay in the passenger seat without any change. Even Cheng Jing found it a bit strange. He glanced at him and squeezed to sit in the back seat.
Because it was night, they had to turn on the front lights, but the visibility was worse than during the day and the speed was slower.
Shen Boyun took out the map and looked at it carefully, then tilted his head and said:
"The research institute is only about seven or eight kilometers away. Let's find a shelter and stay overnight. We'll reach our destination tomorrow morning."
It's not that they can't rush through in one go, but on a sandstorm night, the danger level is ten times higher than during the day, and there's no need for them to take risks just for a moment's pleasure.
Tang Tian agreed and looked for shelter everywhere.
Finally, the people in the car chose a large abandoned hotel building. Even the plaque on the door was left, leaving mottled marks.
The gate had been broken open, and Tang Tian drove the car straight in. Five people and a dog got out of the car.
After checking around, I found no hidden strangers and no signs of gerbils, so I felt relieved.
There was still a thin layer of dust on the floor, but at least it was dry and had no odor.
There wasn't a lot of garbage in the empty hall, so it looked quite clean.
Shen Boyun, Cheng Jing, and Li Feiyang went to look for some tall furniture that had survived the disaster, hoping to block the door to prevent a bigger dust storm from rising again later.
Tang Tian and Tang Yi took out a few tents from the trunk and set them up. The men and women each lived in one of them. After they were set up, it was time to make a fire.
However, they do not need to use such primitive methods as drilling wood to make fire. They have props such as fire sticks, tinder and flint.
Even the wood for making the bonfire was brought by them themselves, as the wild plants had been almost completely destroyed.
But the bonfire is secondary. For the anticipated dinner, you need better tools: such as the gas stove, gas tank, pots and utensils, etc.
Of course, even a good cook cannot cook without rice, and the most important thing is the ingredients.
Several men barely blocked the door, blocking out most of the wind noise outside.
Shen Boyun opened his backpack and took out noodles, potatoes, pickled mustard greens, canned meat and other ingredients.
It must be said that if you eat it all in one breath, it will definitely be a very rich meal in the apocalypse.
Besides, there are still a few bottles of water, which can be used to cook noodles.
Li Feiyang looked at the ingredients and saliva started to form automatically in his mouth.
After eating too much cactus and gerbil meat, these are simply delicacies!
But when he saw what Tang Tian and Tang Yi took out, he was so surprised that he swallowed his saliva.
Those were cans of processed products, and you could vaguely see the original prototypes.
Radishes, cucumbers, kohlrabi, eggplant, honey garlic, and a jar of some dark, sticky stuff that was hard to tell what it was.
"These are what I found earlier and saved to eat. There are still some left." Tang Tian explained first, picking up another can, "This is my homemade meat sauce."
No one asked where this meat paste came from. In the apocalypse, animal by-products should be processed early, and the best way is to make this kind of jerky or meat paste for long-term storage.
The sanctuary is still eating gerbils, and we will make more if we can’t finish them.
Tang Yi also smiled and said:
"This time we have the ingredients and the tools, why not make a dish and I can help."
Shen Boyun and the others were stunned after hearing this, and neither agreed nor refused.
They were just stunned, as if even the word "cooking" was something they had only heard a long time ago.
Tang Tian also provided the seasoning. Tang Yi took out a knife with swift hands, peeled and sliced the potatoes, fried them in hot oil, and then stir-fried the meat sauce, pouring almost the entire bottle in.
It's called meat sauce, but there are still small pieces of meat in it.
Chop a few dried radishes and add them, stir-fry with potatoes, add some seasonings and it's done.
The remaining potatoes are also diced. Shen Boyun's canned meat is luncheon meat, which is also diced. The two are stir-fried together and sprinkled with enough light soy sauce, five-spice powder, pepper salt powder, and cumin powder. It is another dish.
The rich aroma filled the lobby, making people's stomachs almost burst out of their throats.
The three of them were stunned watching from the side. When they came to their senses, they hurried to wash the pot and cook noodles.
Two full packets of noodles were cooked to ensure everyone had enough, including char char.
Even wheat noodles are not common nowadays, this is still the stock from the past.
Tang Tian immediately poured a few spoonfuls of potato and meat sauce onto the steaming white noodles in the bowl, then stirred it with chopsticks so that every noodle was covered with the meat sauce and mashed potatoes.
I waited patiently for it to cool down before taking a big mouthful of noodles, filling my mouth.
Just this bowl of noodles is enough to satisfy you, as it doesn’t require any extra food.
Not to mention a plate of salt and pepper luncheon meat and diced potatoes, as well as a variety of pickles to cleanse the palate.
For a moment, everyone buried their heads in eating, fearing that the food in their hands would suddenly disappear, or that this was just a dream.
Tantan still brought her own dog bowl, and Tang Yi also prepared a bowl of food for her, which was mainly noodles.
"Oh my god, I don't know how long it's been since I've eaten such delicious food, and I'm so full!"
Cheng Jing touched his bulging belly with a feeling of unsatisfied feeling and burped unconsciously. Even when he was in the official armed forces, he had never had such a delicious meal.
Li Feiyang was still savoring the delicious taste. After realizing what was happening, he quickly gave a thumbs-up and praised:
"You're truly worthy of being a big streamer in the food section. You're truly amazing at cooking. To be honest, I've watched your live stream before..."
Tang Tian wiped her mouth, smiled and agreed, then took out some water to wash the dishes.
Shen Boyun watched them chatting again and remained silent.
In the apocalypse, many people have become bland in taste due to less seasoning, and he is no exception. When he suddenly eats a meal that is similar to the one before the apocalypse, he actually feels that it is a bit salty.
I took a sip of the water I brought with me. Fresh water is precious nowadays, and the authorities are focusing their attention on the ocean, so all the water is processed by water plants. You can detect a strange smell after taking a closer sip.
And that strange feeling seemed to exist not only in the mouth.
He felt inexplicably irritated and didn't understand why.
Cheng Jing tilted his head to look at Shen Boyun's expression, which flickered in the firelight, and joined in the conversation:
"Then if you come to the shelter and then go on missions together, wouldn't we have a treat every time?"
"After all, being hungry is really uncomfortable. Look at Brother Yun, even his abdominal muscles are gone due to hunger!"
After he said the following earth-shattering words, the surroundings suddenly became quiet, and everyone looked over.
Shen Boyun slapped Cheng Jing in anger and said unhappily:
“…What are you talking about!?”
“Puff.”
Tang Tian couldn't help but smile secretly, and when she raised her eyes again, she happened to meet Shen Boyun's eyes.
The latter's face flushed red, like a fresh and juicy strawberry, and he stammered and couldn't speak.
"Okay, it's getting late, let's go to bed early."
Tang Yi held back her laughter and tried to smooth things over.
The sleeping bags have been placed in the tent, so you can just crawl in. It's neither too cold nor too hot on the dusty night, so there's no need to add anything else.
"This is for you."
Tang Tian came to the boys' tent and put a small disc in each person's hand.
Shen Boyun knew at a glance that it was a multivitamin effervescent tablet.
This thing is also very valuable. At least he has only seen it a few times since he entered the shelter, but the Tang family is willing to give it away.
And looking at the light pink color, it seems to be strawberry flavor?
After the commotion, the symptoms of accelerated heartbeat reappeared. He tightly grasped the effervescent tablet in his palm, feeling that that small area replaced his mouth and he could taste the sweetness.
…
No words were spoken that night.
After all, they were not out for an outing, so they only slept for a few hours and then woke up one after another.
After quickly packing up their luggage and making some simple arrangements, the five people and the dog got back into the car and left this temporary shelter, continuing their journey towards the research institute.
Fortunately, the distance itself was not far. Cheng Jing was driving in the driver's seat. Shen Boyun took out the map that Lin Zhiqiu gave them and unfolded it, pointing and saying:
"There are eight or nine different research institutes in the research center. Professor Lin said we only need to go to the breeding and cultivation, forestry and fruit tree, edible fungi, and animal husbandry and veterinary research institutes."
"The password and other information have been shared. If there's nothing useful inside, Teacher Lin won't force us. We can just return."
"There are four research institutes in total. Should we visit each one one by one, or...?"
"Let's go together. We are a team. Let's not act separately for official missions."
After quickly deciding on a general plan, the carriage fell silent again, and they all recalled the avalanche trip.
They accelerated on the last stretch of the journey and finally saw a large building complex covered in dust, which should be the research center.
The central gate has been destroyed and vehicles can drive directly in.
Logically speaking, this type of building complex is very suitable for use as a shelter, not to mention that there may be many precious supplies inside.
But if there were survivors inside, the door would definitely have signs of being repaired again, but they didn't find any.
Cheng Jing parked the car steadily in front of a research institute. Looking from the outside, the interior was dim.
Protect your head and body, and put on the backpack in the trunk.
Each of them still held their own weapons and flashlights in their hands, and they finally began their exploration.
The sign at the door clearly stated that this was the Forestry and Fruit Research Institute, which had three floors in total.
We went in and turned on the flashlight to illuminate the area. We saw that some areas were damaged, such as broken greenhouse glass, and there were signs that things had been stolen.
The huge research institute was also completely without power. Even if there was an independent backup power source, it would probably run out after such a long time.
"Look, these should be the sophisticated instruments and equipment that Teacher Lin mentioned. If you can take them, bring them back to the shelter."
Shen Boyun shone the light on those things.
Tang Tian looked carefully and found that the things in this research institute were very advanced: there were high-efficiency filter elements, small water purification devices, hydroponic supply equipment, low-power emergency lights, etc., and these were just the ones in this research institute.
Cheng Jing and Li Feiyang started moving the things on their own initiative. This time they also drove a large van specially.
And Shen Boyun took a detour to a corner.
Tang Tian followed. She knew that there must be a core laboratory and a safe in the institute, and everything Lin Zhiqiu wanted might be in there.
With two beeps, the door opened automatically, and a light cool breeze mixed with a faint smell of dust blew in.
"Look!"
Shen Boyun didn't know what he discovered at a glance, and his eyes were filled with joy.
Tang Tian looked in the direction of the light and discovered that there were indeed various items in the rows of shelves and cabinets.
There were just broken glass bottles on the ground, which were supposed to contain some chemicals, but now they have evaporated.
I picked up a glass jar at random, and it had a label on it with the name and date written on it.
Those are all tree species and seedlings, some of which are fast-growing varieties, others are for medicinal purposes, material production, and so on.
In addition, there are pesticides and fertilizers, as well as several hard drives, which must contain various historical data, scientific research materials and technical information!
Tang Tian and others immediately split up into several groups and carefully took out these precious items. Some were put into backpacks first, and some were safely placed in the car.
With experience, their speed also increased.
At the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Research Institute, they found well-preserved frozen embryos, feed additive formulas, veterinary vaccines, etc.
In the Edible Fungi Research Institute, they also found a strain library and took out as many strains as possible.
Of course, there are also data on hard drives of all sizes, whether damaged or not, all of them will be taken away.
In addition, there were some other supplies, such as farm tools, protective clothing, and spare parts, which were also accepted, filling the van.
This kept them busy for several hours, and when they came to their senses, it was already afternoon.
After having a simple meal in the lobby on the first floor, the group rushed to the last breeding and cultivation institute without stopping.
District S is currently applying for surplus native species from District A. If they can find a seed bank here and get the seeds from it, District S will probably be able to conduct its own research and become self-sufficient in the near future!
As soon as she entered the building, Tang Tian suddenly realized something was wrong.
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