The scorching sun sears the heart.
In recent days, the temperature has been rising at a precipitous rate.
At noon.
The outdoor ground temperature has already reached 50 degrees!
Under this kind of temperature, it feels as though the organs inside one’s body are being boiled in hot water, because the organs are failing.
If you were to crack an egg on a large outdoor rock, it would quickly cook.
Big Camphor Tree Base.
The past couple of days.
Nearly all the large trucks from the base, along with the heavy lorries, were dispatched in three trips to transport the coal from the steel mill, as well as the remaining steel and iron ore.
These steel and coal were scattered and stored both inside and outside the walls of the base, with steel deliberately placed in an area untouched by wind and rain.
As for the coal, it was simply covered with a layer of plastic film for protection.
Coal is not easily affected.
The construction within the caves is also unfolding vigorously, ever since Xiao Jun and Old Lü returned from the steel mill, Li Yu allowed them to rest for a day or two.
Because everyone in the base was so busy, Xiao Jun and Old Lü couldn’t sit still and spent their days searching for materials needed for the base’s construction.
The relentless sun has evaporated nearly a quarter of the water from Mountain Pond.
And this was with black balls floating on the surface, significantly reducing the rate of evaporation.
Ever since the last torrential rain, there has been no rain for over half a month.
The blazing sun scorches the earth.
If it weren’t for the water replenished from Mountain Pond, the crops in the base would have withered long ago.
The crops at hand have reached maturation, and they will be ready for harvest in a week or so.
Seeing the golden-yellow ears of rice, everyone in the base is filled with the joy of harvest.
It is a season of harvesting.
Including the Inner and Outer City, as well as the underground planting base, there’s a total of 80 acres of crops needing to be harvested.
In the Second Outer City, the Residential Buildings have also been completed, and now the progress of the interior work is rapidly advancing. Since there’s no need for a fine finish, just cent walls, the work goes quickly.
In the caves, nearly 3 acres of space has also been opened up.
Whenever Li Yu enters the caves, he feels a full sense of accomplishnt. These are the areas they have slowly carved out over the past two weeks.
As ti passes, everyone has beco more familiar with Xiao Jun and his companions.
The number of Cooperative Personnel outside the base has also increased.
Among over a hundred Extra Staff, Xiao Hu’s groups one and two, including Zuo Ruxue and others, have nearly reached the required points to enter the city after accumulating for more than half a year.
However, Li Yu still did not let his guard down.
He knows that at Juzi Island, there remains a threat, like a ticking ti bomb that has yet to explode.
The other shoe has not dropped.
In this busy season, everyone is pushing forward with all their might.
......
Juzi Island.
It’s been three days since the incident where Gan Shang and his people exchanged food for manpower.
These three days have seen unfolding tragedies of humanity at the South District refugee camp.
Bodies strewn everywhere.
Tian Rui and his people couldn’t stand it any longer. They divided their ager food reserves in half to cook in several enormous iron pots at the South District refugee camp.
The aroma of food perated the air.
Tian Rui, along with the remaining seventy-odd people, all ca to the South District refugee camp.
On this day.
The sun was still searing, mirroring the turmoil inside Tian Rui’s heart.
He knew how to preserve strength, he knew that clashing with Gan Shang was irrational.
He also knew that in these end tis, no one expected him to do these things.
He knew that sharing this scarce food with the refugees wouldn’t sustain them for long.
He knew all this.
Yet, there was a fire in his chest.
Burning so fiercely that he couldn’t sleep at night, burning so that he was restless.
He is a soldier, even amid the apocalypse.
That remains unchanged.
If he couldn’t protect his people, what purpose did his existence serve?
Even though these very people had once defad him, even if they would never thank him.
Still, he had to do this.
All he sought was a clear conscience.
Gan Shang, hearing the commotion from Tian Rui and his n, rushed over with everyone.
He watched coldly from the sidelines.
His goal had been achieved; he wanted to see how Tian Rui would save these people temporarily and what he would do later.
When they ran out of food, they would ultimately co to him for aid.
By then, he would have Tian Rui do whatever he wanted.
However, at the sa ti, he also instructed Hai Chao and others to strengthen their defenses, to prevent a desperate backlash.
It was possible that if Tian Rui and his n were pushed to the brink, they might attempt a do-or-die struggle, which would be costly for his side.
But, it probably wouldn’t co to that, as there were no benefits for them.
At the South District refugee camp, many people stood.
Groups of refugees eyed the food in the pots with eager anticipation.
Tian Rui, looking at the haggard faces of the refugees, felt a blockage in his heart that made it hard for him to breathe.
The first pot of food was ready. It wasn’t just rice; there were various mixed foods cooked into a mushy consistency.
At first glance, it didn’t look particularly appetizing.
But even this unappealing mush left those refugees drooling.
As long as there was sothing to eat, they wanted it.
To survive is a basic human instinct.
"Everyone will get so, no cutting in line, no second servings. Queue up," soone shouted to the refugees beside the pots.
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