743 The Mole Agency

Unfortunately, on the 25th, there was a storm in Taipei.

Heavy rain made sand and soil into mud, and several construction robots stalled as the rain poured into the unfilled foundation. Because the construction conditions were too crude, the project didn't progress and it even got to the point where it had to be stopped...

"If this rain continues, we have to fight with the Mud Crabs on the beach." Standing on the lookout tower of the expeditionary fortress, looking at the construction site on Desperate Beach, Li Wang furrowed his eyebrows…

No one expected a downpour.

At the time of the Water Plant in Hongcheng, Jiang Chen recalled some memories about the troublesome Mud Crabs. Their shells were impenetrable by bullets, but pliers could crush steel and get to that delicious crab roe...

However, listening to what Chen Guangning said, Mud Crabs were also divided into river crabs and sea crabs. Crabs that lived in the marine environment has a deeper shell color, larger body size, and more aggressive habits. Any creature smaller than its size would become its prey.

Without the protection of the wall, it would be unrealistic to fight these monsters out in the open.

Heavy rain slowed down the progress of the project and Jiang Chen had no better solutions. If there were no chances at winning, he would have to order the withdrawal and wait until the summer solstice to transport the space elevator. Jiang Chen couldn't let his soldiers die while trying to accomplish an impossible task.

After taking a deep breath, Jiang Chen said:

"If 80% of the project isn't completed by the first of March, then we will withdraw our people from the front lines, retreat to the fortress, and withdraw in batches."

"What about those survivors?" asked Li Wang.

"You don't need to ask about them."

Jiang Chen looked at him and left the tower.

If the expeditionary forces evacuated, the fate of these survivors would be obvious.

However, even if the survivors had no time to hide and would suffer tragic deaths, he would still make this choice.

After all, over the lives of these strangers, he was responsible for the lives of his own people.

...

The rain smashed onto the concrete pavement, and Taipei's sky was shrouded in a dense haze. The fear brought about by the Month of Disaster lingered in the hearts of every survivor in Yizhou like a ghost.

Entering the city along the north, through two streets and a station, there was a survival camp that looked almost like a ghetto. The town had no name and was named as town 79 because of the fallout shelter. People used bricks and billboards to build houses and crowded together to try to extract meager warmth from the apocalypse.

However, this warmth was so thin at the onset of danger.

The people who had enough crystals were already hiding inside the fallout shelter and those who did not could only watch the numb guards with pleading gazes. Some people would survive while others would only survive on luck. Even the island that stood independent of the world wouldn't escape this principle that was universal in the apocalypse.

The guards at the entrance leaned against the shelter with their dirty assault rifles beside them. Their eyes shifted in slight annoyance.

For the pedestrians, they just glanced at them in a hurry and were too lazy to ask in detail. The lack of resources on the island and the closed economy meant there were almost no visible raiders in Yizhou, but some survivors were occasionally part-time bandits.

As they inherited the arsenal of Fallout Shelter No. 79, the township of 79 had 500 fully armed soldiers. They could be regarded as the largest survivor force in Taipei; no bandits would dare to cause trouble in this area.

In heavy rain, a group of people dressed in raincoats headed to the town. Their raincoat hoods concealed the three men's faces and they looked suspicious. However, the guards glanced at the trio and looked away.

After they passed through the town's gate smoothly, Lin Lin shrunk her arms into the raincoat a bit more and murmured:

"Can't these dirty guys clean up their own house?"

"There's no use in making it look nice. When the Month of Disaster is over, the only thing left in perfect condition will be the Mud Crab eggs." Chen Guangning fully immersed himself in his role as a guide as he explained to Lin Lin and Jiang Chen.

The scavengers were very sensitive to the smell of humans. When the Month of Disaster arrive, the Mud Crabs would spontaneously move closer to human settlements.

Jiang Chen examined the buildings around him and didn't comment too much on the living conditions of the survivors. Judging by the size, the town should be able to accommodate five or six thousand people. At the moment, however, there were no people to be seen on the crooked streets. As Chen Guangning said, most people had already fled to the fallout shelter or left town by this time.

Jiang Chen came to Town No. 79 this time to investigate the whereabouts of the nuclear power plant and to examine the appearance of this town on the island. Li Wang opposed Jiang Chen acting alone at first, but Jiang Chen insisted on doing so.

With too many people next to him, it wouldn't be convenient for him to move nuclear devices to the modern world.

As for whether Chen Guangning was reliable, that was an unnecessary concern.

Whether people had intentions of lying or not, the slavery chip would not lie.

The three of them turned into two alleys and arrived at the door of a bar. Chen Guangning walked to a door covered in moss, reached out and gently knocked three times. It didn't take long before the door opened.

Under the shadows, a blank expression appeared behind the door. It was a common face that couldn't be distinguished in a crowd. What was on this face left a deep impression; it was probably his sharp eyes.

When he saw Chen Guangning, he was obviously surprised.

"Old Chen?" His eyes lingered on Chen Guangning for a moment then he looked at the two people behind him. The man grinned and smiled. "You brought guests over?"

Feeling uncomfortable by the gaze, Lin Lin moved closer to Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen gently squeezed her hand and motioned her not to be nervous.

"Yes, I brought business for you, five days before the Month of Disaster. Do you think you can give me a discount price?" Chen Guangning asked.

"You know, I always have a set price." Then, the man turned and walked into the dark house. "Welcome to my office. If the price is right, there's nothing on the island I can't do. I guarantee with my credibility."

Looking inside, Jiang Chen examined the layout of the house. His initial impression was that it was dark and damp. His second thought was: Could this place really be used for human habitation?

"Feel free to sit anywhere. I don't provide tea here." The man grinned and looked straight at Jiang Chen.

His instincts told him he was the hirer.

Without taking off his raincoat, Jiang Chen sat on an old couch casually and asked:

"How should I address you?"

"You can call me Mole," Mole said with a smile.

From his expression, he didn't seem to care that Jiang Chen made his sofa wet.

"I need you to help me find a place. Can you do it?"

"That's easy, as long as you can afford it."

[Afford it?]

Jiang Chen laughed. No one had asked him such a funny question in a long time.

Without asking for a specific price, he paused and said:

"Clearwater Nuclear Power Plant - I want you to help me find the specific location for it, and the password to get admin control. Can you do it?"