Chapter 98 Insect Plague [VIP]
Suddenly, there was a device that really caught Tang Tian's interest, called the [Essential Oil Distiller].
Wait...is this considered gourmet food?
Moreover, this equipment is not cheap, and it is estimated that it cannot be purchased in large quantities, let alone making money.
But seeing that the number on the gold coin column was just enough, Tang Tian still bought it out of curiosity.
After the system explained, once the essential oils are made, they can be sold directly at a gourmet food store. The system will automatically sort them, making it hassle-free. They're also not cheap, making them a great way to earn gold coins.
The formula of the essential oil is still described in an abstract way, allowing the host to find the materials themselves. There are many ingredients used for each item, and Tang Tian plans to study it when she has time.
After closing the interface, she used the candy machine, yogurt pots and coffee machine to make delicious food. Many of these can restore mental strength, and the soda produced every day has been accumulated in batches.
There are also delicacies that can increase the upper limit of mental power, many of which can be used for breakfast. It just so happens that Tang Tian can go to work after eating in the morning, and the duration varies from half a day to a day.
It means that tomorrow, the two bases of Changping and Chang'an have formed a long-term cooperation, and a group of earth-type ability people will be sent to work.
"Tiantian, Xiaoyi, I made some food for you in a stew pot. How about you take it with you tomorrow?"
Wei Mingxia said, "One of the benefits of having more food at the base is that they can bring more food without arousing suspicion."
After all, in the eyes of ordinary people, the armed forces, logistics department and medical department are all well-paid jobs, so it is not surprising that they can afford those ingredients.
The stew pot is naturally filled with meat. Tang Yi usually brings a lunch box, while Tang Tian is more casual. She just puts everything in a big pancake and starts eating.
However, speaking of braised food, she couldn't help but think of the braised food she and Tang Yi found for free when they went out a few times in the early days of extreme cold. She didn't know when she would be able to eat it outside again.
Moreover, braised food is most suitable for midnight snacks. Tang Tian felt hungry and took out a few cans of beer from the warehouse.
Unfortunately, Wei Mingxia had to go to bed early and get up early, and Tang Yi was not interested today, so she had to enjoy it alone after listening to their instructions.
Nothing has happened recently, and Tang Tian even opened the balcony window.
Against the backdrop of night, the lights in the base were brighter than usual, and faint voices of people could be heard from afar, making the atmosphere more lively.
The clear weather during the day continued into the night, and Tang Tian could even smell the faint, fresh scent of earth drifting outside.
The research institute had long studied the soil produced by earth-type mutants. It was a completely new type of soil, and it also brought a new atmosphere to the base.
Wei Mingxia's pot of stew contained both meat and vegetables. Tang Tian decided to eat only the vegetarian stew this time and leave the meat for tomorrow.
Potatoes, shiitake mushrooms, dried tofu, bean curd sheets, black fungus... these are all ingredients that had been stored in the warehouse for a long time, especially the kelp harvested from the [ocean], which was made into kelp knots and braised together, and all of them were dyed with a rich red sauce color.
Vegetarian ingredients are refreshing by nature, but when they are braised together with meat, the marinade is mixed with the freshness and fragrance of the meat, making it taste like meat, delicious and juicy.
Tang Tian opened a can of beer and found a movie on the projector. She didn't turn up the volume, perhaps she was just taking a break.
Halfway through drinking, the intercom seemed to vibrate.
Tang Tian felt as if the breeze from the balcony had blown down on her, and she felt the coolness on her face. She picked up the phone and answered.
It turned out to be news from Shen Boyun.
"...Sorry, did I turn up the volume too loud?" Tang Tian asked.
"No, it's just that I saw your window was still lit..."
Shen Boyun had just finished his night shift today. When he looked up, he saw that it was dark next to him, but his neighbor's window was still bright, which was rare.
But he was not just making small talk. If Tang Tian was not asleep, he did have some latest news to tell her.
It turned out that after the progress in agriculture, handicrafts and commerce, the authorities did not forget to revitalize modern technology. The first thing was to repair the signal station.
After all, not everyone has wireless communication devices nowadays. If you still have your old mobile phone, you may be able to achieve instant communication.
But after rounds of natural disasters, not many people should still have their mobile phones, but Shen Boyun subconsciously felt that the Tang family must have one, so he told her the news first.
If all goes well, the next thing to be restored will be the internet. Currently, only a portion of the official intranet is operational, so we'll have to wait and see when full network coverage is achieved.
After hearing the news, Tang Tian sobered up from the drunkenness.
Unfortunately, all of their phones were stored in the warehouse. Time was still frozen in the warehouse, so if they took them out now, they would definitely be able to use them!
She smiled and replied:
"Great, do you still have your cell phone? We can exchange contact information."
Shen Boyun was stunned. It seemed that this was the first time he heard Tang Tian's cheerful voice.
He saw that the door of the next room was closed, but he still did not raise his hand and just returned to his home.
"Then I have to look for it... It will be announced, but there should be some other regulations to make the call.
The walkie-talkie was not very convenient, so the two of them said a few words and then hung up.
The next morning,
She was so excited. Unlike her previous food-broadcasting days, she almost overslept accidentally.
Today she still has the task of picking up and dropping off people with special abilities!
Tang Tian quickly washed up, had breakfast and went out. She needed to report to the armed team first and then take a bus.
But she didn't expect to meet Song Wenqun at the entrance of the community.
Tang Tian never told the team her address, and she didn't write her house number when registering her information. We can only say that maybe the latter also lives in Community No. 6.
Song Wenqun immediately said good morning, with a hint of shyness between his brows, but Tang Tian yawned twice because he had drunk alcohol last night and didn't notice at all.
They left here and rushed to the armed forces, and the next second two sneaky figures appeared at the gate.
Chen Yaoyue squinted her eyes at the figure that quickly disappeared on the street and asked:
"Cheng Jing, have you seen this boy?"
Cheng Jing scratched the back of his head and replied:
"I've seen him before. He must be from the armed forces, and he just joined. What's wrong?"
Chen Yaoyue didn't say anything, but just sighed secretly, and silently comforted Chen Boyun in her heart.
"Forget it, I have to go to the medical station first. There are a lot of patients lately."
Cheng Jing frowned and asked:
"Did something happen again?"
After the incident with the poisonous fog and the human experiment conducted by the director of the medical station, I get a little nervous whenever it’s mentioned.
Chen Yaoyue shook her head:
"No, it's surgery. Okay, see you tonight."
Life in the base has been peaceful recently. Once the problem of food and clothing is solved, humans can't help but start paying attention to other things.
So this month, although the medical station is still crowded, the number of patients making appointments for surgery - and abortions - has suddenly increased.
I have received a few in the past, but most of them were women from the red-light district, unlike now when many are from other residential areas.
But this was different from those traumatic illnesses; it was a serious surgery. Unfortunately, there were very few serious doctors, and many were transferred to the medical station mid-career or did odd jobs there. It was because Chen Yaoyue seized this opportunity in time that she was able to continue working until now.
As for children's burping masks... forget it. The price is even much more expensive than food, and people are simply reluctant to buy them.
All in all, the medical station will probably be busy again in the future.
In fact, there are still many children under the age of eleven in the base. Some have lost their parents, and some have simply been abandoned. The authorities cannot just watch such young lives disappear, so they still set up a welfare home to provide them with food.
But they can't just eat and drink for free. There will be people who will teach them all the knowledge needed in the apocalypse. They have to start learning how to survive at a young age, and this must continue into the future.
…
As Chen Yaoyue walked, she couldn't help but raise her hand and look.
After the poisonous fog, some of the original colleagues in the medical station also gained special powers and have jumped ship, which has led to an even greater shortage of staff there.
Chen Yaoyue was forced to inhale poisonous fog last time. Although she luckily awakened her special abilities, she still doesn't understand what her special abilities are.
Shaking her head, she decided to finish today's work first.
But when she entered the medical station, she was surprised.
At this time, the room was already crowded with patients. All of them looked haggard and red-faced. Some were so skinny that they were supported by their companions.
Judging from the appearance, there are residents from both the core area and the civilian area.
But it doesn't look like they're here for surgery. Instead, it looks more like a scene from a large-scale epidemic before the end of the world...
"Oh, you're finally here! The medical station is suddenly overcrowded, and all the patients seem to be suffering from the same symptoms!"
The colleagues who were already so busy that they were about to fly almost pushed Shen Yaoyue to get involved because they were really too busy.
Chen Yaoyue pursed her lips and quickly joined in.
Tang Tian gradually regained his spirits, and together with Song Wenqun and other team members, he brought back the earth-type mutant.
The man who liked to show off from last time was not here. I heard that after being supervised by the devilish Tang Tian, he developed a high fever as soon as he returned. He also specifically instructed other people with special abilities not to underestimate her.
So this time, all the people with special abilities lowered their status and sat as quiet as chicks in the car, silently wondering when they would reach their destination.
When the armed team learned about this, they said nothing, but had already handed over the task to Tang Tian and Song Wenqun. Apparently, they privately thought they had done a good job.
Tang Tian smiled:
"It's okay, just relax, I'm easy to talk to."
The Psychic: ...I don't believe you!
Song Wenqun looked at Tang Tian with even more admiration in his eyes.
This time the main task is to open up paddy fields, but the most important thing is the high-quality soil produced by earth-type mutants.
The work went smoothly. Tang Tian did not bring soybean paste this time, but a jar of sesame peanut sauce.
Spread a layer of it all over the pancake, then put the braised eggs and chicken thighs on it. The aroma is even stronger than before, gradually drifting to other places, making you drool.
Song Wenqun still paid for the meal, and Tang Tian accepted the points coupon without hesitation. After all, what she said might be even better than what was in the community cafeteria.
“Ahhhh!!——”
Everyone was resting when suddenly a scream broke out from a distance, making everyone look in the direction of the sound.
"what happens?"
"Oh my god, that's disgusting...bugs suddenly came out of someone's mouth!"
"What?! How could this happen??"
When Tang Tian heard the key words, her brows furrowed. She temporarily handed the task over to Song Wenqun, and then rushed in that direction. During this time, several armed team members came from other places with guns.
When they came forward to take a look, everyone was shocked, including Tang Tian.
There was a man lying on the ground in the field with his arms and legs spread out. His abdomen was protruding and streams of red and white, even wriggling things kept pouring out of his mouth.
Even the nostrils, ears and eyes were not spared, and in an instant the entire body was covered, and some of them even burrowed into the soil below.
There were also a few compressed biscuits dropped next to it, which should be the man's food for the day.
However, while they were eating, a strange incident occurred and the compressed biscuits were also covered by the creatures that had been moved down.
These things... are bugs? And they're swarming like noodles. Could they be parasites?!
Someone nearby looked at it for a few more seconds and couldn't help feeling nauseous and vomiting. Even the faces of the armed team members seemed a little unbearable.
Before they could take action, rounds of alarms came from the direction of the base's living area, gradually spreading across this vast land.
One team member's face twisted slightly, and he said anxiously:
"This is the first level alarm of the base. Something must have happened!"
Tang Tian immediately shouted:
"Are there any fire-type psychics present?"
She shouted several times, but people just rushed away and looked at each other in confusion, and no one answered her.
But this is normal. The most common people on land are earth-type and water-type ability users. I heard that there are also awakened fire-type abilities, but because of their attack power, they have been sent on missions long ago and are not here.
Fortunately, a member of the armed team who heard the news rushed over and raised his hand and said:
"What is wrong with me?"
Tang Tian nodded:
"Please burn it to prevent these bugs from spreading further!"
"What?!"
Everyone was shocked. A man who looked like he had come with the man who had been eaten alive by the parasites glared at him with bloodshot eyes and roared in dissatisfaction:
"Just burn it? This is also a life!"
"With so many parasites gnawing at his body, do you think he'd still be alive?"
Tang Tian said coldly:
"And if we don't burn it, what if the parasites spread somewhere else? Can you take responsibility? Besides, the dead are taken to the crematorium anyway. This is just an early cremation!"
Everyone immediately changed their tune and unanimously agreed to cremate the body, fearing that it would be infected with parasites.
The armed team members also thought it made sense, so they raised their hands to form a fireball, and threw it at the man with a bang.
The flameball does not require ignition to start burning, and the temperature can reach a higher temperature, comparable to an incinerator, and it will not burn other places. It is controlled by the psychic.
Therefore, apart from attacking, fire-type mutants are also very good fuel, at least there is no need to worry about making fire.
In the burning flames, the man's body, along with the parasites, was charred, then turned black, and a pungent smell filled the air.
Afterwards, the team members retracted the flames. The corpses had turned into charcoal, and the motionless parasites were turned into ashes by the wind. It seemed that the flames were effective.
…
At this moment, many members of the armed team received contact and the officials began to issue orders.
The work on the ground was suspended, everyone went to their accommodation, and food was distributed.
The armed team obeyed the order and sent back those who were working in the fields.
But the people with special abilities in the Chang'an base were not happy and asked to go back.
Tang Tian glanced at them:
"Don't you think there won't be any of this at the Chang'an base?"
"That's not certain." One of the psychics muttered, "To be honest, our base is much better than yours, and we might even have fewer patients. If we get a bug disease here, wouldn't that be a loss?"
At that moment, Tang Tian really wanted to throw a fireball over there - tired, just destroy it.
At this time, Song Wenqun stood up and shouted sternly in a serious tone.
After all, he is a member of the armed team. He cannot always rely on Tang Tian. He must grow up on his own and speed up.
Tang Tian was naturally pleased to see that he was able to take charge of things on his own so quickly, and they worked together to resettle all those people with special abilities.
Just as she finished this task, she received another message from her intercom. But this time, it was not an official order.
"Don't eat or drink any food or water for the time being!"
Shen Boyun was concise and to the point, saying the most important sentence first before beginning to explain:
"I heard from A-Yao that the medical center received many patients with the same symptoms today. Fatigue, fever, headache, abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea... During the examination, one patient even had worms crawling out of his body, and a stool examination revealed worm eggs!"
"The medical station immediately reported this to the authorities. This kind of parasite is likely contracted through the mouth, so for now, please do not eat or drink. Wait for further instructions!"
"I see. Are you guys okay too?" Tang Tian asked back after understanding the situation.
"Well, fortunately, Cheng Jing, my mother and I have all been checked, and everything is fine for now." Shen Boyun replied, but his tone was still anxious, "You should also tell Aunt Tang Yiwei."
Both sides hung up the call. Song Wenqun also heard the news and his face showed a little fear.
"This...I have to tell my parents too!"
Not to mention him, all the current armed team members are contacting their families as long as they have the conditions.
They may be the breadwinners of a family, or their children. Faced with such a large-scale spread of the disease, they must be notified.
Tang Tian also found a way to tell Wei Mingxia and Tang Yi the news.
Today Wei Mingxia brought a batch of supplies to exchange for commercial bills, and Tang Yi continued to work in the logistics department. However, they usually only eat food in the system, so there shouldn't be any big problems.
But what they didn't expect was that they knew about this before Tang Tian - because there were also patients suffering from the insect disease outbreak there at the same time.
After this, all the survivors temporarily returned to their own places of residence, waiting for official on-site testing and distribution of supplies. Except for a group of armed teams who had to stay behind to maintain order, everyone else could go back.
Tang Tian and Song Wenqun were able to go home first. On the way, she saw Shen Boyun and Cheng Jing who came over instead.
Shen Boyun glanced at the two of them and said directly to the former:
"Let's go home together."
Cheng Jing glanced at it. Hiss. Why did he feel like Brother Yun was deliberately emphasizing certain notes?
Tang Tian didn't think too much about it, just thought it was a side trip. She kept thinking about those densely packed rice-like things she had seen before. Could they be insect eggs?
But perhaps it was because of my own report, or because other people with concern had also reported it, so the official response was very fast.
Not only was a notice issued asking everyone in the base to go to a nearby medical station for a check-up, but insecticides were also taken out of the medicine warehouse.
However, the amount of insecticides is not large, but fortunately, during the period of recuperation, drug research and pharmaceutical companies have also started, and now we are racing against the disease.
The eggs and the hatched parasites were also sent to the research institute as research subjects.
But not everyone in the base is willing to follow orders.
Some people really cannot afford to see a doctor, while some people think they don’t have the disease if they haven’t gotten sick, and they don’t believe it can be so serious, so they don’t go for a check-up and continue to eat the food on hand.
As a result, after just a few days, they also developed symptoms of abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Before I had time to go to the medical station to ask for insecticide, the bugs in my body scrambled out of various holes - perhaps the food inside my body was no longer enough for them.
This must be a new type of parasite. Although the parasites before the apocalypse also gnawed at the human body, they were not as fast.
The corpses eaten by parasites can only be taken directly to the crematorium for cremation.
There isn't enough space in the incinerator, so people with fire abilities are asked to fill it up. It sounds pretty hellish, but all the corpses with parasites must be dealt with.
Tang Tian, Tang Yi and Wei Mingxia stayed at home, and their diet and system could support them, but Tang Tian was not worried about the parasites.
She was deeply afraid that in addition to parasites, other types of insects would appear in the future, so whenever she had free time these days, her family would make more insect repellent balls as a precaution.
Tang Tian's newly purchased essential oil distiller also came in handy: she tried her best to find materials to make insect repellent, mosquito repellent, bite repair, and to repel moths, ants and cockroaches.
Essential oils need to be diluted with water before use. One bottle can be used many times. If you don’t have the necessary materials, you don’t need to do too much in the early stages.
The authorities also understand this, so while pharmaceutical companies are producing internal insecticides, they are also producing pesticides in the factories.
Anyone who goes to the medical station can get a free insecticide.
However, if you want to buy it again later, you have to spend money and pay for commercial bills to prevent someone from deliberately hoarding the goods for private transactions, which will prevent those in need from getting them.
The Tang family all received insecticide, but none of them had insect eggs in their bodies, so they stored it for the time being.
The Shen family members went for a check-up and were found to have no parasites in their bodies.
However, in order to prevent the presence of worm eggs in the body that have not been detected or have fallen due to time lag, I still took drugs to prevent worms.
When they heard that it was free and had witnessed the tragic deaths of people whose stomachs had been ruptured by parasites, the remaining people finally became afraid and came to the medical station to get the medicine.
There were also people holding points coupons and commercial bills, clamoring to buy more medicine, and the insecticides at the Changping base eventually became in short supply.
So the Chuncheng base had to work together to help each other, and the Changping base decided to purchase a batch of production materials, and this task was handed over to the armed team again.
However, another member of the armed team was infected with worm disease, so this time it was Tang Tian's turn.
Tang Tian didn't mind. It was a good opportunity for her to go out and see if there were any other dangers, and report it to the authorities in time to make early preparations.
Moreover, after the psychics in the Chang'an base responded countless times, they also boarded the return vehicle and were able to pick up their own psychics at the same time.
Tang Tian got into the car with the package on her back and took a quick look around. There were familiar faces and team members she had met several times before in the administrative district.
For example...Shen Boyun and Song Wenqun who were sitting on the side.
"Sister Tang, you're here?"
Song Wenqun was the first to greet:
"Come on, the vehicle is about to start!"
Tang Tian nodded, but she didn’t think much about it and sat down next to Shen Boyun.
Shen Boyun had a sullen face at first, although he was always like this in the past. But as soon as Tang Tian sat down, his eyebrows and eyes immediately softened and he smiled faintly.
He had to admit that he felt inexplicably happy.
Chang'an Base Psychic: Hmm? Looks like there's a melon?
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