Chapter 99
As soon as Jiang Zhi finished speaking, everyone was stunned.
Huang Xianming was the first to realize, "You want another piece of land?"
Jiang Zhi: "If it's inconvenient..."
She didn't finish her sentence.
Even though it's inconvenient, she still wants it.
Huang Xianming pondered for a moment, "It's not impossible, how big do you want?"
Jiang Zhi recalled the round seed in her dream and said, "I don't need one, about 50 square meters is fine."
Huang Xianming's lips twitched. 50 square meters is not a big deal. Many families in this self-built housing area have 50 square meters.
However, this is not a big deal. Huang Xianming said, "No problem. Do you have a plan in mind? Where do you intend to allocate this land?"
Jiang Zhi pointed to the plot of land next to her house, near the district wall, and asked, "Is this place okay?"
Their home is located on the border between a self-built housing area and a low-rent housing area. There aren't many people living here, and even if they had an extra 50 square meters of land, it wouldn't encroach on their neighbors' land.
Huang Xianming took a look and smiled, "No problem. I'll talk to the people at the land management office later, and then you can send someone to the consular hall to register and finalize this matter."
Huang Xianming assumed she simply wanted to expand her territory and didn't think much of it. "This piece of land is suitable for you. It's an extra fifty square meters. Whether you're storing things or building a shed, it will make your home much more spacious."
To everyone's surprise, Jiang Zhi said, "Colonel Huang, may I plant something on it?"
Huang Xianming was taken aback by the question.
"You want to use it to grow something? What do you want to grow?"
Jiang Zhi knew that the base had explicit regulations that cultivation was not allowed outside designated areas.
Firstly, there's the fear that unauthorized planting might attract pests, and the fear that haphazardly erected trellises might disrupt the area's planning. Secondly, there's the fear that the resulting mutated plants might have uncontrollable consequences for the local population.
Currently, there are no approved private planting sites at the base.
Although she knew it would be difficult, Jiang Zhi couldn't help but want to do it when she thought of the round seed in her dream.
She herself couldn't explain why she wanted a piece of land for a seed that appeared in her dream; she only had a vague thought in her mind—
She has to give it a try.
The thought came to her strangely, and Jiang Zhi didn't know how to answer it, so she could only vaguely change the subject: "I got some seeds outside before..."
Huang Xianming was now somewhat embarrassed. He had originally said that he could make the decision, but what this girl wanted to do was quite extraordinary. He could only say, "I can't make the decision on this matter. I have to report to my superiors first."
Jiang Zhi knew that this matter required an exception from the base and was no small matter, so she didn't make things difficult for him.
He simply smiled and said, "Then we'll wait for Colonel Huang's good news."
Huang Xianming: "Don't worry, I will report it as soon as possible."
"There's one more thing. Tonight, the base will hold an announcement ceremony for the teleportation device in the main square. Several professors have called you all to attend. Someone will come to pick you up then, so remember to dress appropriately."
Announcing ceremony?
Jiang Zhi was confused. "What is this?"
Huang Xianming smiled mysteriously, "You'll find out when the time comes." After gesturing for the soldiers to return to the vehicle, he saluted the brother and sister, "Then I'll head back first."
"We might need to ask Comrade Jiang Shu for help again in a couple of days."
Jiang Shu pointed to his nose, "Me?"
Huang Xianming smiled, returned to the passenger seat, and waved to the two men, "That's all for today. As for what Comrade Xiao Jiang mentioned, I'll have someone notify you when there's news."
Once Huang Xianming's vehicle had driven away, Ah Song and his men rushed over as if a brake had been released, their eyes fixed on the wooden sign above the door.
"My God! Security Honorary Advisor! This must be the first such prestigious title awarded to a cheater outside of Area B, right?"
Grandma Jiang and the others, unfamiliar with such matters, immediately asked upon hearing this, "What? Is this brand really that powerful?"
Ah Song exaggeratedly said, "Grandma Jiang, let me put it this way, this sign is just like getting into Tsinghua or Peking University, it's something that brings honor to your family! Everyone who passes by will know that your family has produced a big shot!"
Grandma Jiang's eyes widened: "Really... really that amazing?"
Ye Qingyun was grinning from ear to ear, but he still had a stubborn edge, "All I got was a reputation, no real benefits, how can I be so great?"
Han Lei laughed and said, "Auntie, there are many benefits to this. With this badge, you can get tax exemption. And when you go to public places like the government office or research institute, as long as you mention A-Zhi Da-Shu's name, you can get priority. If the base store sells good stuff, you can ask them to reserve it for you first."
Yuan Ying exclaimed in surprise, "You mean our family will have special privileges from now on?"
At this point, she realized her words were somewhat ambiguous, and quickly added, "Of course, I don't mean the kind of privilege that comes with breaking the rules. I mean... the respect that the base gives you!"
Wu Xiu couldn't hide her smile as she whispered to Jiang Si and Jiang Sui, "See? Your aunt and uncle are very capable. You should learn from them in the future, understand?"
The two little ones were sparkling, their eyes full of admiration.
Jiang Zhi never expected that such a brand would have so many hidden benefits.
Thinking about it this way, that feeling of social death becomes insignificant.
Jiang Shu wasn't particularly interested in those unseen and intangible benefits at the moment, and urged, "Azhi! Stop dawdling, quickly see what good stuff is inside that space device?"
Upon hearing the words "space device," Ah Song and the others exchanged knowing glances.
Han Lei said, "Auntie, Big Tree, we'll head back now. We still have some things to take care of at home."
Without waiting for Jiang Shu and the others to reply, he waved to Jiang Zhi and her brother and then led the group away with light steps.
Throughout the entire ordeal, they didn't ask a single question about the spacecraft.
Grandma Jiang nodded with a smile, "Ah Lei is getting more and more sensible as he grows up."
Once everyone returned to the hall, they couldn't wait to look at the spatial artifact in Jiang Zhi's hand.
Jiang Zhi gently pressed the button on the spacecraft.
There was a buzzing sound.
The next second, a bunch of objects appeared out of thin air.
Two new cotton quilts, folded neatly and clearly very thick.
Next to it were five bags of mutated rice, each weighing ten kilograms, labeled with the base's logo.
At the very bottom was a whole black pig, estimated to weigh seven or eight hundred pounds.
"This is too generous!" Wu Xiu laughed, her eyes full of joy. "This pork and rice should be enough for our family to eat for two or three months!"
Next to the pig's head are two special items packed in boxes.
Jiang Zhi looked at it.
"Beep—Golden item found: Mutant domestic cat's claws. Can be used to penetrate 10 centimeters of armor."
"Beep—Golden item detected: the nictitating membrane (third eyelid) of a mutated eagle. Wearing it can block airflow during high-speed flight."
Jiang Zhi was overjoyed. "Brother, come quick, there's something good!"
These two items were clearly made specifically for the siblings.
The mutated tabby cat's claws were a perfect match for her brother's innate ability of 100% accuracy, and the 10-centimeter armor penetration buff was very useful even on a level 6 mutated beast.
The claws have been modified with a handle; after hitting a target, gripping the handle allows you to pull them back.
The mutated eagle's nictitating membrane was made into the shape of a pair of glasses, which was perfect for Jiang Zhi's eyes, which would hurt whenever she flew too fast. This would make things much easier for her.
Jiang Shu was delighted with the cat's paw and laughed heartily, "I finally have a handy weapon!"
The two studied the items for a while before turning their attention back to the remaining items.
Besides the two golden items, what really catches the eye are the two newly developed heating devices from the base.
It's a simple device, just like a refrigerator.
Jiang Zhi stepped forward and pressed the button on the side. The device immediately emitted a slight hum, and its surface gradually warmed up.
Subsequently, the warmth spread to the surrounding area.
She opened the small compartment on the side of the device and saw two fire-type ores, each the size of a pigeon egg, lying inside. They were completely red, as if wrapped in tiny flames, and even the air seemed to be warmed up a bit.
Grandma Jiang looked at it with great curiosity. "This thing looks a lot like a refrigerator! Oh my, with this, we won't have to go out to find firewood anymore!"
Jiang He immediately noticed the difference and laughed, "Mom, this is different. The refrigerator only needs one ice-type ore to last a long time, but this heater needs two, and it probably won't last us a month."
Upon hearing this, everyone felt as if they had been doused with a bucket of cold water. "What happened?"
Jiang He said, "The mineral in the refrigerator works internally, only needing to maintain the temperature of the entire refrigerator. But this heater is different; it works externally, consuming the mineral's energy according to the size of the room and the outside temperature."
After Jiang He said that, everyone understood.
In other words, even if they have a heater, they can't use it for long without fire-type ore to sustain it.
In the end, nothing can solve everything once and for all, which explains why Huang Xianming was worried about the base's energy problem earlier.
Given the base's current situation, giving them these few fire-type ores is already quite generous.
Jiang Zhi suddenly remembered Qiu Qiu's eggshell, "That's right, we can put this fire-type ore inside the eggshell and let it make a few more, so they can last longer."
Grandma Jiang also remembered this: "It is possible, but it will probably take several months to make one."
Jiang Zhi quickly asked what happened.
Grandma Jiang said helplessly, "It's probably because we've been using it too much, and the coating process is taking longer and longer."
We agreed beforehand that we would make a maximum of three copies per day.
To avoid waste, Grandma Jiang puts in some meat and other household necessities every day.
Let alone three different dishes a day, later on, it was already good to have one dish a day or two a day.
The more you use it, the slower the efficiency becomes.
Jiang Zhi immediately knew that the eggshell's energy was running out, and she guessed it was also related to the energy stone being coated, as it had consumed too much energy.
Indeed, nothing in this world is inexhaustible.
Jiang Zhi was somewhat disappointed.
Seeing this, Wu Xiu smiled and said, "This is not bad. Otherwise, I would really be worried about what we would do if the firewood ran out one day. We can be comfortable for a few more months now, all thanks to Da Shu and A Zhi."
Yuan Ying: "That's right."
Jiang Zhi was immediately comforted and said with a smile, "Then let's install one in Grandpa's room, and keep the other one for when Second Sister-in-law gives birth. She can't be cold during her postpartum period."
Upon hearing this, Xu Na was so moved that she didn't know what to say.
"Thank you, Azhi."
Jiang Zhi smiled and said, "Second sister-in-law, just focus on your pregnancy and leave everything else to us."
With two heaters, the pressure of burning firewood at home was greatly reduced, and everyone felt much more at ease.
After everyone had packed up their things, Jiang Shu approached Jiang Zhi and asked, "Zhi, what do you want to plant on that piece of land you asked for? Also, when did you get the seeds? I didn't know."
Most of the Jiang family members used to be farmers, and they all have a lot to say about farming.
Grandma Jiang: "Azhi, nothing can grow in winter, and the land these days is exposed to high levels of radiation, so it's very difficult for things to grow. Are you really going to use that land for farming?"
Jiang He suddenly spoke up, "We can find some moderately toxic soil and bring it back to pile up."
Fifty square meters is enough to grow some scallions and garlic, which would be good enough.
Yuan Ying: "Hey, Mom, you don't understand, do you? If it doesn't grow now, we can plant it again in two summers. Anyway, while we can still make demands, we should ask for as many good things as possible."
Yuan Ying's words made everyone burst into laughter.
Regardless of the circumstances, if the base approves their farming, it will be fantastic news, no matter whether what they grow survives.
The land is something ingrained in the bones of farmers; only by being able to farm can they have more hope for the future.
Grandma Jiang laughed too, "Alright, Azhi, just ask for it. If it's really approved, we'll help you make the effort. I don't believe that we, who have farmed the land for most of our lives, can't grow something."
Grandma Jiang felt that although these people were not experts or professors, they might be able to come up with something by experimenting with their past experiences.
Seeing her family's unanimous support, Jiang Zhi couldn't help but smile, "Alright, let's wait together for approval from above!"
After a brief discussion, Jiang He took Jiang Wen to install a heater for Grandpa Jiang.
The women also need to start preparing lunchboxes and water for the brother and sister's departure tomorrow.
Because of the cold weather, everyone agreed to eat only two meals a day and cook only once a day, so as to save firewood.
After the heater was installed, Grandpa Jiang's room gradually warmed up.
Jiang Si clapped her hands with joy: "That's great! Now Great-Grandpa can get out of bed too!"
Grandpa Jiang still had some lingering health problems. In this kind of weather, he would feel cold as soon as he got off the kang (a heated brick bed), and his cough would worsen. So these people could only stay on the kang and couldn't go anywhere.
Grandpa Jiang's brows relaxed, but he was still somewhat saddened. "My body is practically useless now."
Seeing the old man's dejected state, Jiang Zhi decided to go to Dean Diao to inquire about the situation and see if there was any good way to solve the old man's problem.
Having made up her mind, she glanced at the elders in the hall who were busy preparing dry food for them, grabbed a thick cotton-padded coat and put it on before heading out.
As soon as they stepped out the gate, they saw Liu Xu leading Niu Xiaolu back from the direction of the base store.
"A-Zhi!" Liu Xu greeted, and upon seeing the words on the wooden plaque at the Jiang family's gate, she immediately smiled and said, "It really is you!"
Jiang Zhi was confused: "What? It really was us?"
Liu Xu said with a smile, "It seems you don't know yet, but there are big posters on the bulletin board praising your contributions to the base!"
Jiang Shu overheard everything in the courtyard and quickly came out to ask, "Sister Liu Xu, what are you talking about?"
Liu Xu then recounted everything she had seen outside.
It turns out that the base has already announced the purpose of the trip to Hunan Province and the matter of the spatial teleportation device.
Upon hearing this, the brother and sister quickly exchanged a glance—
Isn't this the thing Huang Xianming was talking about just now?
The fact that the base dared to openly announce the space teleportation device itself proves one thing: the teleportation has been successful!
Jiang Zhi was excited.
If that's the case, the two bases exchanging supplies would at least give the local people a way to make a living!
Even if the temperature drops further in the southern base, it will still be better than here. We can alleviate some of our immediate needs through the exchange of supplies!
Sure enough, Liu Xu continued, "The announcement said that the research results will be displayed in the center of the main square at 5 pm today. Everyone is welcome to come and take a look!"
Jiang Zhi said, "Let's go take a look at the bulletin board."
"Auntie, Auntie! I want to go too!!" Jiang Sui immediately jumped up, her little face red from the cold, her eyes full of excitement.
Jiang Si also shouted, "Me too! Me too!"
The two children, now wearing the best winter shoes given to them by their elders, were not afraid of the cold at all. As soon as they heard that they were going out, one tugged at Jiangzhi's clothes and the other clung to Jiangshu's arm, insisting on going with them no matter what.
Jiang Shu laughed heartily, picked up Jiang Si, and said, "Let's go! Let's go together!"
Upon hearing this, Niu Xiaolu immediately said to Liu Xu, "Mom, I want to go too!"
Liu Xu had no choice but to agree.
The temperature dropped today, and far fewer people went out.
Those who came out were all bundled up tightly, with their cotton-padded coats pulled up to the top, their necks hunched, and their hands tucked into their sleeves. They walked hurriedly, no one wanting to linger outside any longer.
The brother and sister, along with Liu Xu and several children, arrived at the nearest bulletin board.
There were quite a few people still standing there.
Surrounded by layers upon layers of people, countless eyes scrutinized the words on the paper.
Jiang Shuren was tall and strong, and he was dressed in a robust manner. He simply carried Jiang Si and squeezed in.
The document, in black characters on a white background, briefly stated the true purpose of the trip to Hunan Province, the device capable of remotely transmitting items, and the details of the journey.
Each and every one of these incidents was like a thunderclap, causing chaos and upheaval in the crowd.
With excitement in their eyes, one person couldn't help but exclaim, "I never imagined that the senior experts at the research institute were so capable, actually creating something so amazing!"
Some, though timid, were filled with admiration: "The base actually sent people to Hunan Province? That's so far away. I heard the mutated plants there have become sentient. This trip won't be easy. Those mutated warriors are too powerful..."
Suddenly, someone mentioned the brother and sister's names.
"Who are these ginger branches and ginger trees? They're so powerful! They were praised by the base after just one trip. Are they about to become rich?"
The person next to him scoffed, with the certainty of someone who'd been there before: "What do you know? They're really capable! Look what the higher-ups said! The base said the mission was completed with their strong assistance. How much weight does that carry? They must have made a great contribution, otherwise why would the base praise them so openly?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than someone else chimed in, "That sounds unfamiliar. Which district are you from? We'll have to keep an eye out for you later..."
The enthusiastic, curious exclamations spread out in ripples like pebbles thrown into ice.
Hearing everyone talking about their family, Jiang Sui immediately straightened up.
The people they're talking about are his uncle and aunt!
Jiang Shu stood to the side, his ears burning from the whispers. He pretended not to care, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upwards.
Jiang Zhi saw this and gently patted Jiang Sui's head, then gestured to Jiang Shu with her eyes to tone it down.
She was more interested in the base's demonstration of the spatial item transporter to the public.
This is no small matter.
Since the cataclysm, humanity has struggled to survive in this world dominated by mutated creatures, and technological development has almost come to a standstill.
This teleporter was clearly the first ray of light to break the deadlock, proof that human technology had taken a crucial step forward!
Just thinking about how this thing could teleport supplies across distances and enable convenient cross-regional communication for humans stirred a ripple in Jiang Zhi's heart.
Just then, someone suddenly said, "Jiangzhi and Jiangshu? These two names sound so familiar. Aren't they from those Jiang family members in our area?"
"Yes, yes, I remember the Jiang family did produce two mutants, right?"
"I know that. I have a relative who works at the medical station. I heard that all the soldiers who were injured on a mission before were saved by a little girl named Jiang Zhi. I didn't believe it at the time, but I didn't expect it to be true!!"
Upon hearing this, the crowd instantly stirred. Someone pushed through the crowd, shouting at the top of their lungs, "All of them!? How many people is that? Last time we raided that giant taro in the west of the city, the seriously wounded alone filled three medical vehicles. I heard they were all hanging on to their deaths in the clinic. She saved them all?"
"That's right!" the insider said as if he had seen it with his own eyes. "I heard that it didn't take long to save all those soldiers!! Some of them were almost dead, but she just touched them and they came back to life."
"My God..." someone gasped, "This ability is probably even more effective than the special care device that costs tens of thousands of points a day, right?"
"Of course!"
"I heard that with her around, the casualty rate of soldiers fighting mutated beasts will decrease by 30%."
Jiang Zhi: ...That's how rumors are born...
Putting everything else aside, she really wanted to know how that 30% was calculated.
Jiang Si, following closely behind Jiang Zhi, had sparkling eyes and was eager to chime in: "What you guys were saying—"
Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Zhi covered her mouth and said to Liu Xu, "You've finished reading the announcement, let's go."
She then glared at her brother, signaling him to hurry up and leave.
Liu Xu covered her mouth and chuckled behind her back.
After this incident, Jiang Zhi temporarily gave up on going to see Dean Diao and planned to do it again in a couple of days.
Once they were away from the crowd, Jiang Sui couldn't help but ask with admiration, "Auntie, Uncle, is what they said true?"
Jiangzhi: "What, is it true or not?"
"It's something that can bring the dead back to life just by touching it..."
Jiang Zhi:......
Jiang Shu burst into laughter, "Azhi, you're doomed! From now on, you'll have to wear a veil when you go out—otherwise, someone might mistake you for a living Buddha and let you touch you! Come on, let me touch you too."
"Jiang Dashu!" Jiang Zhi kicked him in the shin. "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll tell Mom you bullied me! Then she'll make you wash the dishes for a month!"
The children, confused, asked Liu Xu, "Aunt Liu, everyone knows about Aunt Azhi now, isn't she happy?"
Liu Xu smiled and said, "She's probably happy, but also a little embarrassed."
The group joked and played around all the way home.
When Jiang Shu told his family that the base would be showcasing its research results that evening, everyone expressed their desire to go and join in the fun.
When the afternoon came, the research institute indeed sent someone to invite the brother and sister to come over early, in a small car.
Jiang Shu made a direct request: he wanted them to reserve a front-row seat for his family member.
It wasn't a big deal, and the research institute staff readily agreed.
As the car drove into the large square, the brother and sister discovered that the display stand had already been set up.
As soon as they got out of the car, they were led to the VIP area.
From a distance, you could see Professor Yang and Professor Ning, wrapped in military overcoats, talking quietly with several staff members in research institute uniforms, their fingers occasionally pointing at the equipment on the stage, clearly making final confirmations.
Jiang Zhi glanced up at the sky. The snow had stopped, and a little sunshine was showing, but it wasn't very warm. Instead, the lively scene in the square seemed to have a shivering feel to it.
The wind was a bit strong, making the edges of the curtain rustle. Patrolmen in green military overcoats, carrying guns, stood guard in front of the grain sacks. They would glance into the crowd from time to time, and if they saw someone pushing too close, they would raise their hands to signal "step back."
Compared to the massive crowds at the night market video exhibition a few months ago, the square is now sparsely populated, less than a tenth of the size it was then.
Too.
In this kind of weather, most people don't have enough warm clothing. Compared to something that has little to do with their own interests, keeping warm and making themselves comfortable is of course more important.
Backstage area of the display stand.
At this moment, Professor Yang was directing two students to add a cloth around the space teleporter while occasionally raising his hand to wipe his glasses, which were fogged up by the white breath from his mouth.
In front of the display stand, there were several rows of wooden chairs that had been temporarily moved in, showing that the base attached great importance to today's exhibition and had sent many important figures to attend.
It was clear that Professor Ning was impatient with dealing with these leaders. After finishing his business, he went straight to Jiang Zhi and her brother.
"How about it? Not bad today, right?"
The old man was somewhat smug at this moment.
Jiang Shu gave him a thumbs up as a gesture of respect, saying, "After today's presentation, you'll be people who will go down in history!"
Professor Ning beamed, his wrinkles smoothing out, but he still waved his hand and said, "Being remembered in history is secondary; that's not what I'm after. As long as we can breathe a little longer and keep the flame of humanity burning, I'll be happy."
These words made Jiang Zhi look at the old man with new respect.
I never expected that Professor Ning, who usually seems to have a bad temper, would have such a big wish in his heart.
As the time on the announcement drew closer, more and more people headed to the main square.
Jiang Zhi also saw that her family members had been arranged to sit in the front row, and she was now excitedly waiting to watch.
Rain and snow began to fall lightly from the sky.
That chill was even more biting.
Professor Yang and several assistants stood on the exhibition stand, ready to begin their demonstration.
Professor Yang cleared his throat: "Dear fellow villagers, thank you all for coming on such a cold day..."
The opening remarks were very down-to-earth. Before long, the area under the display stand gradually filled with people.
Professor Yang gave a detailed explanation of the spacecraft's function.
He pointed to the exhibition diagram above: "The spacecraft allows us to communicate with the southern base in real time. They have a rich variety of small mutated beasts and a lot of fur processing. The temperature there is still 30 degrees Celsius, so we can use the time difference to exchange some cold-weather gear. Our special mineral utilization technology and planting experiment data can be transmitted in both directions within half an hour..."
Jiang Zhi's eyebrows twitched.
Half an hour...
It's taking a while, and I don't know if the people below can wait...
Jiang Zhi noticed that some people in front of the booth were dressed in thin clothes and had stiff faces. It was hard to tell whether they were frozen or numb from the weariness of a hopeless life.
Only its eyes slowly followed the people on the display stand, revealing a few traces of sluggish vitality.
A few murmurs occasionally broke out from the crowd, which were scattered by the wind, but every word was jarring.
"Why hasn't it started yet? It's freezing!"
"The announcement says that anyone who comes will receive half a jin of highland barley. Does that really mean anything?"
"People are starving and freezing to death, and these researchers are wasting their time on useless things." The old woman with a headscarf spat on the ground. "They're wasting our hard-earned money on this nonsense. They might as well steam a few more pots of barley and give them to us!"
"You say it's a great thing? I don't think it's our turn to enjoy this blessing, even if it is."
These words carried a chilling resentment.
The red cloth behind the booth swayed in the wind, but no one looked at the equipment on the stage; instead, quite a few eyes were glued to the burlap sack.
Upon hearing these words, Professor Yang's initial excitement about developing new equipment that would benefit the base was immediately dampened.
He stood on the makeshift exhibition stand, his previously straight back gradually bending slightly under the influence of the complaints and spitting sounds below.
The excitement I felt when I successfully debugged it in the lab—the feeling of "finally being able to do something big for the base"—vanished instantly.
He couldn't help but look again at the teleporter covered by the red cloth.
Then his eyes swept over the faces below the stage—starving, frozen, exhausted and lifeless, each one listless, only brightening when they saw the pile of sacks over there.
The words he had prepared beforehand—how difficult it was to compress the space stone, the cooperation between the northern and southern bases, how wonderful the future would be…
Right now, it's all stuck in my throat, and it sounds weak and even a little silly.
Professor Yang had never realized so clearly before that what these ordinary people wanted was not the future, but the present, something tangible that could fill their mouths and warm their stomachs.
Just then, someone shouted from below, "Hey! Old man! Are you still handing out the barley? It's freezing cold, I can't afford to wait any longer!"
These words were like a spark, instantly igniting even more suppressed anxiety. The crowd began to stir restlessly, and the whispers turned into clear questions:
"Yes, where's the barley?"
"Stop with all that nonsense, let's give them the food first!"
"It's freezing!"
Professor Yang was disheartened.
His carefully planned exhibition, intended to give everyone something to look forward to, was about to be ruined by these people's desire for food, and could easily turn into a chaotic scene of people scrambling for relief grain.
Jiang Zhi frowned and realized it was the same group of people again.
These people seem to be doing it on purpose.
At that moment, one of the leaders sitting in front gave a wink to the patrol team members.
The patrol captain was about to step forward to maintain order.
Unexpectedly, Professor Ning, who was standing next to Jiang Zhi, suddenly jumped up and pointed at the troublemakers, yelling, "All you people know is how to eat! Do you know that this instrument is related to the future of humanity? Do you know how important this thing is to the base?!"
As soon as Professor Ning finished speaking, Jiang Zhi knew things were going to go wrong.
What's the difference between the old man's words and dropping a match into a powder keg?
Sure enough, the shout of "All you ever do is eat!" caused an uproar among the crowd!
People who were originally just numb, complaining and hopeless about the future suddenly had an outlet for their long-suppressed despair and pain!
"Who are you calling a glutton?!" The old woman with her head wrapped up was the first to jump up. "We're starving! We're freezing! What do you well-fed, warmly dressed people know?!"
"Exactly! It's easy for you to talk when you're not the one suffering!"
"What bullshit future! We need the present! We need food! We need to survive!"
"Beat him! Smash that piece of junk! You were able to develop this thing only because you took our taxes! What right do you have to criticize us now?!"
The roar of the crowd was like a volcanic eruption, instantly drowning out everything Professor Ning was about to say.
The numbness I had felt earlier was shattered in an instant, and all the pent-up despair turned into a surge of anger!
The men in the front row had red eyes and charged forward with shouts, as if they wanted to pounce on the platform!
The crowd behind them had no idea what was happening in front of them; they just followed the people in front and pushed forward.
"Are they starting to hand out food yet?"
"A fight is about to break out up ahead! They said they won't give us any food!"
"How can that be?! What will we do without food?!"
The crowd surged forward in a chaotic rush.
The makeshift, dilapidated railings for the VIP seating area creaked twice, unable to withstand the force, and collapsed with a crash. Even the patrol team members were swept back two steps.
If the patrol team were to confront these tens of thousands of civilians head-on at this point, the situation would definitely spiral out of control.
Everyone knew that no matter how good the guns were in the patrol team's hands, they couldn't withstand the overwhelming numbers.
If a fight really breaks out, even just one shot, the fire will definitely get out of control.
At that point, let alone protecting the equipment and leaders, it's questionable whether we can even protect ourselves.
Although the patrol captain in charge of security today is a mutant, his special ability is of little use at the moment.
Despite the freezing weather, the situation before him forced him to break out in a thin layer of sweat.
Knowing that the situation required suppression, he quickly sent someone to find the army: "Go, get the army here right away!"
The situation was about to spiral out of control.
At the critical moment, Jiang Zhi had a flash of inspiration.
She quickly grabbed her brother's arm: "Brother, come quick, come with me!"
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