Chapter 156 The Hidden Crisis at the Research Institute
Some of the garrison troops and Xiang Xin led a group to search for supplies for the first time and brought back quite a few things. Although the major supermarkets had been looted several times and the most practical food and instant food had been basically taken, they could still find other food items even though the best supplies were gone, and they also brought back some daily necessities.
It's summer now, and with a guaranteed supply of food and water, there's not much need for extra daily necessities. After all, even if the safe water supply is distributed among everyone, it's not enough for everyone to take frequent showers and do laundry.
After several such operations, the research institute's supply problem was temporarily alleviated.
Although Xiang Xin always returned safely, other members of her team never did. Poor skills or bad luck could lead to their deaths along the way.
Some, carrying wounds and clinging to a sliver of hope, returned with the convoy, only to be detained at the checkpoints Lin Xi had set up in advance.
Instead of being thrown out directly, they were brought into a laboratory as research subjects. Although they couldn't escape the fate of becoming infected and turning into zombies, the results of various drug experiments on the infection process could provide data for scientific research.
The zombies that occasionally wander near the research institute are fine as long as no one is out there attracting their attention. The garrison will try to eliminate these wandering zombies in other ways while conserving ammunition.
Intelligent zombies capable of autonomously bypassing firewalls have yet to appear.
Although some people were killed while searching for supplies, more and more brave individuals ventured to the research institute seeking refuge.
It is said that there are almost no living people left in the city's residential areas. Even those who hide at home and happen to have supplies are gradually becoming infected and turning into zombies because they drink natural water without a water source.
Only a minority of people have generators and water filters at home; the living try to find temporary shelters on their own.
Gradually, the income from searching for supplies dwindled, and it seemed the refugees would go hungry again.
In addition to participating in scientific research, Lin Xi was also "entrusted with important responsibilities" by Song Heng in handling these administrative affairs.
She took stock of the existing supplies. The research institute had received a batch of supplies at once, and now, counting the quantity, they could last until the end of August.
However, the supplies possessed by those outside the laboratory and the garrison, along with the output from the green belt, would hardly last until the end of August due to the large population.
According to Lu Wei's intelligence and Lin Xi's experience, some large shelters will open at the end of August, which are the predecessors of the underground base.
The underground city base is too large to be completed in one go. The refugees who are taken in will be allocated supplies and accommodations while also participating in the construction of the base.
At that time, the large number of refugees here will have a new place to go.
However, in order to prevent riots, the relevant departments have not yet released this information. The refugees who remain in various places can only stay in shelters in a state of panic, without any hope, and just live one day at a time in a daze.
Lin Xi hadn't known about the research institute in his previous lives, but he figured these key projects would be moved to the underground city base, where the materials needed for the research would be continuously supplied.
The laboratory's water and electricity supply is currently adequate, but some materials are gradually running out.
After a near-futile search for supplies, Lin Xi called Xiang Xin back for a private talk.
"Don't go looking for supplies anymore."
Xiang Xin: "What about those people outside? I heard they're barely making ends meet these days."
Lin Xi: "That's precisely why we need to take precautions in advance."
Xiang Xin: "What are you on guard against?"
Lin Xi: "We need to gather the people who have influence over there to discuss entering emergency management mode, with each person eating once every three to five days, and preserving food."
Thanks to Lin Xi's advance preparations, Xiang Xin had hardly ever gone hungry. When she first heard about this plan, she was somewhat surprised: "Eating only one meal every five days, it's hard to control, isn't it?"
Lin Xi: "Only in this way can they barely hold on until the end of August."
Xiang Xin also saw Lu Weifa's message in the group. Although she knew the reason for doing so, she couldn't help but worry: "With more than 400 people eating only one meal a day for five days, it's unlikely that the food will last until the end of August. We haven't found any supplies recently, and some people have already taken precautions and secretly hoarded the supplies they found outside for their own use."
They went out to find supplies in groups, and only by driving together and looking out for each other could they ensure a certain level of safety. Therefore, the supplies were usually collected and distributed.
Now that things are scarce, people inevitably become selfish.
Lin Xi: "So they are very likely to have a conflict over food. I have discussed it with Captain Qian. From now on, all the troops will be guarded only in the experimental building. You should not deal with them. Scout the experimental building and report to Captain Qian or me if there is any situation."
When people take refuge in the same place and the zombies no longer pose a threat, they will fight each other for the few resources they have.
The current situation at the research institute is strikingly similar to the unit doors Lin Xi installed in the urban village housing in District D: zombies can't get in from the outside, but inside they kill and eat people for survival resources.
Unable to find supplies outside, Lin Xi couldn't care less about the lives of hundreds of people; all she could do was try her best to ensure the laboratory operated normally.
If a conflict breaks out outside over the scramble for supplies, Lin Xi has never been good at handling such matters, and the garrison might intervene.
But fighting for food is a matter of life and death, and people may not pay attention to the guards in order to survive, unless the guards open fire to deter them, but that is unlikely, as the guards' duty is to defend the laboratory against outside zombies.
When the fighting breaks out, it's inevitable that the experimental building will be affected, especially since they know there are supplies there.
The truckload of supplies that Lin Xi brought still had a lot left, except for some that Xiang Xin had used recently. These were her private supplies that she had prepared in advance, which could be used to keep the laboratory running if necessary, but they certainly couldn't cover the food for several hundred people right now.
She wanted to save the world, but saving the world with this truckload of stuff wouldn't be enough to save everyone, and it might even cause more trouble.
Xiang Xin excels at reconnaissance and overall planning, making her the most suitable person to observe the situation and coordinate with the defending troops.
Having received her new assignment, Xiang Xin finally felt a sense of purpose again. Holding the electronic screen that displayed surveillance footage of key entrances and exits of the research institute, she saluted with unwavering determination: "Mission accomplished!"
Just like how she provided Lin Xi with intelligence on many occasions in her previous life.
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As Lin Xi had predicted, over the next week, those outside the lab gradually stopped receiving food, except for clean water.
The total amount of food in the collective accounts, including the output from the green belt, was not much.
Lin Xi had instructed Xiang Xin to secretly suggest to the leaders there that the food be centrally managed and distributed every five days to ensure that everyone could last for a while.
However, when the problem arose, someone suggested dividing it equally among the people, with everyone keeping it themselves and saving every penny.
When the total amount of food is limited, everyone agrees that it's best to keep the portion to yourself, since who knows if the person managing the food might secretly pocket some.
The consequence of this was that most people anticipated the food shortage and began to steal, rob, and even fight in advance. However, there were some moral constraints in the large crowd, and no one dared to kill or rob in public.
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