Chapter 212 Wartime Regulations!
Chapter 212 Wartime Regulations!
On the streets of Boulder City, the tightly closed doors and windows were rattling in the wind.
No pedestrians were seen on the streets, only a line of ragged poor people in the middle of the road, pushing carts of snow to dump outside the city.
In the slums at the edge of the outer wall, there were collapsed shacks everywhere. People with dishevelled hair and dirty faces braved the howling wind and snow, searching for missing relatives and friends in the snow. Some people stood numbly beside the collapsed shacks, or knelt on the ground to pray.
The wooden poles that were blown crooked by the wind were placed across the door of the slums and no one cared. Two loudspeakers were tied to them with wires, and they intermittently emitted the annoying glib words.
”…Hello, dear listeners and friends, this is the Voice of Boulder City, I am your dearest host Mr. House.”
”Just ten minutes ago, a sudden snowstorm swept across the southern part of the Valley Province. This blizzard is expected to last for two hours, but please don’t worry, in front of the towering giant wall, neither the surging ‘waves’ nor the howling cold wind can hurt us! Under the leadership of the great city lord, we are invincible!”
”However, our neighbors are not so lucky.”
”Although our observation station cannot see the situation in our neighbors’ homes due to the heavy snow blocking our vision, I can imagine what a miserable scene it is.”
”If your house collapses, please don’t be sad, the Far Wind Hotel will always welcome you!”
”This will be your second home!”
…
The sudden snowstorm made the entire northern suburbs of Qingquan City a mess.
Especially for the little players hunting in the Elm District, fortunately VM comes with a map and compass function, otherwise they almost didn’t walk out of the forest.
There were trenches and foxholes left by the legion everywhere. If you didn’t make a sound, you would step into the ditch. Occasionally, you could touch the dead bodies that had not been eaten by jackals, hyenas, and rats…
In general, the players were not affected too much by the blizzard.
Even if someone occasionally encountered trouble, they could send a distress signal through the map. When nearby players saw it, most of them would rush over to help enthusiastically.
However, compared with the optimism of the players, the situation of the NPCs was not so optimistic.
Two of the tribesmen’s wooden houses collapsed, and a cowshed collapsed.
Chu Guang issued a task and asked Teng Teng, who often dealt with the tribesmen, to send them two boxes of bandages, and asked players with experience in rescue and veterinary medicine to help rescue the wounded and livestock.
As for the brick factory and industrial area by the river, the situation was relatively good.
Since they were all brick houses, they were not greatly affected by the blizzard. The workers stayed in the factory, and the temperature inside was much higher than outside, so the problem of keeping warm would not be too big.
However, the situation at Changjiu Farm was a bit tragic.
Although the “foam houses” built by the Pioneer were fine, and some brick houses built later were also good, the refugee camp at the east gate was in a mess. The
nomads’ houses were at least made of wood,
and most of them were quite resistant to blizzards. The shacks where these refugees lived were mostly made of garbage such as aluminum alloy plates and steel bars picked up from the wasteland. Not to mention withstanding the blizzard, they would be blown everywhere if the wind was a little stronger.
Facing this sudden blizzard, the shacks in the entire refugee camp can only be described as “completely destroyed”.
The entire camp seemed to be razed to the ground!
”Is this our new home?” Looking at the messy camp in front of him, the man standing at the entrance of the camp had a look of confusion on his frozen face.
The remains of the shack.
The garbage buried in the snow.
And the wounded lying on the stretcher…
Standing behind the man was a group of villagers carrying large and small bags. They came from the Dongliu camp. Many of them had just escaped death from the butcher’s knife of the plunderers. They were still wounded and had only been bandaged briefly.
After a night of rest at the New Union Gas Station, they were arranged in the first group to go to Changjiu Farm.
However…
when they came here with a vision of a new life and braved the sudden snowstorm, they saw such a picture.
The vision of a new life was also shrouded in a haze.
”So where is the camp?”
”Maybe there was no camp at the beginning…”
”I’m starting to miss my cabin. I just made a fireplace for it… Damn it.”
”Don’t think about it. There’s no way back there.”
Just as the villagers from the Dongliu camp were silently looking at everything in front of them, at a loss, the refugees standing in the messy camp were also looking at them.
Most of those eyes were suspicious and vigilant.
Although there were new people joining them occasionally in the past, there had never been so many people like today, more than a hundred people came at once.
”Is the disaster so serious?”
”Chew bones… the chaos is spreading.”
”Bighorn deer come again, please bless us with peace…”
Jiuxun, who led his tribe to search and rescue his compatriots, frowned at the new refugees, turned around and returned to the camp to find his brother.
In the crowd.
Ma Shan, who was shivering from the cold, opened and closed his lips with trembling, and his eyes were desperate.
”I said it a long time ago… we should have fled to the south a long time ago. Now it’s good, hell is everywhere, and we have no way to go.”
The soldier wearing an exoskeleton said that he would take him to see the administrator, but so far, except for the guards who came to ask him a few questions, this matter seemed to have no follow-up.
Maybe the administrator didn’t want to see him.
There was no hope of entering the shelter, and there was only despair in his heart.
The cold north wind cut his face like a knife, and feeling the pairs of eyes behind him, Ma Li’s Adam’s apple moved, and it felt like his neck was frozen.
”…Or, I’ll go find the administrator.”
After all, he represented the Dongliu Camp and agreed to the shelter’s transfer plan.
Hearing his son’s words, Ma Zhanqiu slowly shook his head.
”When everyone is in trouble, it’s useless to ask anyone for help.”
No one is obligated to save them.
Only themselves can save them.
After a moment of silence, he looked back at the villagers and shouted in a hoarse but still loud voice.
”It seems that the warm quilt and hot soup will have to wait for a while.”
”The wounded, the elderly and children, look after the luggage, and the rest of you follow me.”
”Our saviors are in trouble, we have to help them!”
The survivors of the Dongliu camp joined the search and rescue work.
Thanks to their participation, more people buried under the snow were soon carried out.
Many people only had weak breaths left, but they were still alive, just frozen.
They were carried to the temporary trenches dug, where they could avoid some of the wind and snow.
The guards set up a temporary rescue station in the trenches, gathered the wounded for rescue, and helped the wounded with fractures to fix their limbs.
Because the truck broke down on the road, Chu Guang was delayed for a while, and the second half was to walk to Changjiu Farm.
After arriving at the farm, he quickly found Luca who was directing the search and rescue work at the east gate.
It happened that the guard captain Wrench and Jiuli, the person in charge of the refugee camp, were also here.
Without greetings and courtesy, Chu Guang got straight to the point.
”What’s the situation?”
Luca said with a solemn expression and a heavy tone.
”Sir, the disaster situation in the refugee camp is very serious. Almost all the shacks have been destroyed. I have arranged for the workers of Changjiu Farm to put down their work and go to support the search and rescue work. It has been confirmed that 7 people have died, 21 have been injured, and two people have not been found… It is likely that they are in danger.”
Chu Guang’s mood sank slightly.
Jiuli, who was standing aside, followed up.
”Sir, the original camp is no longer habitable. We beg you to allow us to enter the farm. We can assure you that we will not cause you any trouble.”
Before Chu Guang spoke, Wrench looked at Jiuli and spoke for him.
”Even if you enter the farm, there are not enough rooms for you to live in. The new apartment is still under construction. Even if you come in, you can only sleep on the ground, which will not solve any problems.”
Jiuli said anxiously.
”At least the wall can block some of the wind…”
”How is that possible?” Wrench shook his head and said, “The roof of our guardhouse was blown away. I just had someone pick it up.”
Jiuli was speechless for a moment and wanted to say something. Seeing this, Old Luca also persuaded him.
”Wrench is telling the truth. Even if we allow all of you to come in, it won’t make the situation better.”
Wrench was telling the truth. Changjiu Farm simply couldn’t accommodate so many people.
The size of the refugee camp has grown from the initial 187 people to nearly 300 people now. Add to that the more than 100 households of villagers in Dongliu Camp, and the population may exceed 500. The
dormitories left for them by the crew of the Pioneer before only had a total of 200 single rooms, and more than half of them have been rented by players active in Changjiu Farm and Elm District as places to log off. The other half is used to provide for those who have found jobs in Changjiu Farm.
The two “homes for refugees” apartments currently under construction have a total of more than 400 rooms. Even if the third one is started now, it will not be put into use until the beginning of next spring.
Putting people in is a temporary solution, not a fundamental solution. It cannot solve any problems. At most, it can give them some psychological comfort.
Chu Guang thought for a moment and looked at Wrench.
”Do you have a map of the northern suburbs of Qingquan City? I mean a paper map.”
”I have it, sir.”
Wrench immediately took out a map from his arms and handed it to Chu Guang with both hands.
Chu Guang unfolded the map, stared at it for a while, and finally locked on the abandoned department store not far from the new industrial zone.
His cattle and horses team had found a personal shelter there before, and Boss Xia’s workbench was found there.
Chu Guang still remembered clearly that there were two underground garages there, with a very large space, and the radioactive materials and slime mold aliens inside had been cleared before.
Although a small number of alien species may have spread there during this period, the number should not be large, and it is not difficult to clean them up.
The most important thing is that the location of this department store is not too far from here, only about five kilometers, and it is close to the new industrial zone, so some of the people may find some work.
The only flaws may be ventilation and sanitation problems, but these problems are minor problems in the face of severe blizzards. Before
the beginning of next spring, Chu Guang plans to temporarily settle the refugees here. The conditions here are not very good, but it is better than leaving them to fend for themselves in the wilderness.
Drawing a circle on the map with a pen, Chu Guang handed it to Jiuli standing beside him and said.
”The area around Changjiu Farm is all wasteland. Apart from withered trees and shrubs, there are only undulating muddy ground. There is no place to shelter from the wind and rain, and there are not enough materials for you to rebuild the camp in a short time.”
”I don’t know when this blizzard will come again. It is not a wise choice to rebuild a camp. Before the end of winter, we must use the ruins left over from the pre-war society to build a temporary shelter. I know it is not easy. There are many problems such as alien species and diseases that need to be overcome, but this is the only option that can keep more people alive.”
”I need you to organize people to bring the refugees to the resettlement area on the map. I will arrange for the guards to help you build a temporary shelter there.”
”A batch of wood will be delivered to you later. I will arrange people to help you make fuel. I will try my best to find a way to solve the problem of food. The ration standard will be the same as when you are here. I can’t guarantee how good it is, but I can guarantee that no one will die of hunger and cold.”
Although he was in a heavy mood, Jiuli knew in his heart that this was the most realistic choice.
He nodded slightly and said respectfully.
”Thank you for your generosity, sir.”
Whether it was to appease the emotions of the refugees or to arrange the transfer work, Jiuli did not delay here, and soon turned around and left with the map and the manager’s promise. After asking
Luca to assist him, Chu Guang was not idle after explaining the work. He then used the administrator’s authority to publish a task with no threshold restrictions in the task channel.
The task will also be posted at the door of the warehouse for newbies who have not yet obtained VM.
[Task: Changjiu Farm needs wood! ]
[Published to: All players]
…
Outpost.
A group of newbies gathered in front of the task notice board at the door of the warehouse, staring at the line of words on the list, and their eyes almost popped out.
[Task: Changjiu Farm needs wood! ]
[Requirements: Cut down the marked trees in the selected area, and drag the cut trees to the designated location for loading]
[Reward: 2 silver coins per tree, 5 contribution points, 10 regional reputation points (Changjiu Farm)]
There was a lot of discussion around, and the voices were all filled with surprise and astonishment. It was
even unbelievable!
”What the hell? 2 silver coins for a tree?!”
”5 contribution points and 10 reputation points!”
”Oh my god, is this a limited-time event? Why are the rewards so high!”
As we all know, a LV0 player can only earn 10 silver coins a day.
After LV3, the daily income will gradually increase to 15~20 silver.
The reason for this is that the game mechanism determines that the role of contribution points in the early stage will be greater than that of silver coins. After reaching the citizen level, the monetary income will increase with the tide.
The operator explained that only those who have made enough contributions to the shelter are worthy of enjoying the fruits of the efforts of their predecessors and occupying more “social resources”.
For ordinary daily tasks, the reward for chopping down a tree is only 5 copper coins, and a smaller one may be 2 copper coins.
But now, it has quadrupled!
And there is no upper limit on the income!
Not only new players, but even many old players above LV6 are tempted by such inflated rewards.
Canyon Fleeing Mole: “Could it be that the AI made a mistake when issuing tasks? This income is too unreasonable. Strength-related players must be able to earn money quickly! We strongly request the planner to add tasks that can also earn money quickly for Agility-related players!”
Fountain Commander: “+1, Intelligence-related players are going to cry.”
Midnight Killing Chicken: “The logging convoy is leaving. Is there anyone following the car? Speed privately.”
Kakarot: “Brother Killing Chicken, please lead me! Hahaha, I’m a Strength-related player!”
Elf King Fugui: “Brothers, let’s go! While the dog planner hasn’t discovered this bug yet, let’s quickly earn silver coins!”
Spare someone from the knife: “I’m so liver-burning!”
Quit smoking: “Oli Ge!”
A group of players rushed to the Elm District.
Especially the Strength-related players, each of them was as excited as a 200-jin child. The logging axes in the warehouse were all sold out, and they vowed to cut out a piece of sky.
Unlike previous logging tasks, this time the felling area was specified, and NPCs marked the trees. Only by felling the marked trees could rewards be obtained.
The total area of the development area is about 10 mu, which is a rectangular area on the map. All pine and cypress trees with a diameter of more than 30 cm and a height of more than 10 meters are marked.
Three guards and eight NPC laborers set up a temporary camp next to the felling area, using simple cutting equipment such as saw blades to process the wood, and then load it into trucks in sections and drag it to Changjiu Farm and the abandoned department store where refugees are temporarily accommodated.
Some children will definitely ask, what if I mark it myself and cut a slightly thinner tree?
Of course it’s bad.
That’s really bad.
As long as the NPC is blind enough, it will definitely not be found…
Within the range of 10 mu, the NPC sent by Chu Guang to mark the wood placed a full 6,000 marks.
The duration of the entire task is preset to be one week.
However, what Chu Guang did not expect was that in just three days, without modern logging tools such as electric saws, his little players relied on an axe to clear all these more than 6,000 marks!
According to the price of 2 silver coins per tree, Chu Guang issued 12,000 silver coins for these woods in just three days!
A total of 170 players participated in this mission, with an average income of 70.5 silver coins!
The best midnight chicken killer, he broke two axes alone, contributed 120 trees, earned 240 silver coins in three days, and raised his logging level from 5 to 6. Chu Guang couldn’t help but want to give him the achievement of forest destroyer.
If this trend continues, the chicken killer may become the second awakening in the shelter.
The strongest version of the power system is confirmed!
…
Changjiu Farm.
Temporary office.
Looking at Chu Guang sitting behind the wooden table, Luca reminded him carefully.
”Sir, we have enough wood now, and the fuel reserves have returned to the reserve line you set, but food is still a big problem.”
”The weather is getting colder, and there are fewer and fewer prey to hunt. We now have nearly two thousand mouths to feed. At the current rate of consumption, I am afraid our food will only be enough to last until the end of this month…”
After listening to Luca’s report, Chu Guang fell into deep thought, tapping his index finger on the table.
The first batch of corn will mature in the greenhouse ruins in two months.
The actual planting area is about 40 mu, and the estimated yield is 700~800 kilograms per mu, which can be calculated to be about 30,000 kilograms.
The yield of the seeds sold by the Pioneer is still guaranteed.
When the breeding of the planting area on the B3 floor of the shelter is completed and the entire greenhouse ruins are completed, a new batch of seeds can be planted soon.
However, distant water cannot quench immediate thirst.
He can print money at will, but after all, he can’t exchange the printed money for food.
After a moment of silence, Chu Guang said.
”We still need to hold on for another two months.”
”As long as we can hold on until the end of January next year, victory will belong to us!”
There is no more food to be looted around. Chu Guang even sent people to Brown Farm to check. There is indeed not much left in the granary there. The farmer did not hide the truth from him.
It is already difficult to find prey in the forest farm in Elm District. As for the city…even the mice are almost killed. After
all, those slime mold aliens cannot be eaten. Even if they are made into active substances, those paste-like liquids cannot be absorbed by the digestive system at all.
If you don’t intend to break the moral bottom line.
Then there is only one way left…
Chu Guang, who was sitting at the desk, pondered for a long time and finally made a decision. He opened the drawer and found a piece of paper. He picked up a pen and wrote six words on it – ”
Wartime Management Regulations”
”Put some food varieties under control, restrict purchases, unify rations, and centralize supplies.”
This should be enough to last until two months.
Perhaps, he should have done this a long time ago.
(End of this chapter)
