CH 31

Aren’t you going to do something about this?!” The crowd questioned Yi Gao

Yi Gao shrugged, “She hasn’t done anything yet. I don’t have the right to control what she says.”

He looked like he was going to wait for Hao Jian to kill someone before doing something. If it were still the era before the virus outbreak, he would surely be beaten to death, but the surrounding guards were happy. They were angry at the people and if they didn’t vent out, they would really be suffocated.

At this time, a few people in the crowd finally squeezed out and said something, “Everyone be quiet. Chief Yi and his men also have their difficulties. Those who don’t want to join, don’t sign up. Go back obediently and eat and die. No one will force you, isn’t that right?”

Their words resonated with some people. Those who took the lead in inciting emotions just now shrank while those who spouted provocative words were also overwhelmed. Although these people with conscience were slow to come out, it also gave Yi Gao a reason to support them.

“The people who will volunteer for the search and rescue work will be provided with three meals a day. The serving size remains the same while those who will perform well can enjoy preferential treatment.” Yi Gao announced.

“What kind of preferential treatment?” Someone asked.

“They will be prioritized when using the resources, from electricity, water, and other good resources.”

The rewards that seemed useless in the past became extremely tempting this time. They knew that the public facilities of in refuge centers are limited. In order to save space, the toilets they use are manually flushed while the wastes needs to be drained in the ditch.

There are only about twenty shower rooms. For refuge centers with tens of thousands of people, even if they fall in line, 24 hours won’t be enough.

And although there is river water all around, they’re afraid that the zombie virus will be carried through the water so didn’t carelessly use it. Their water resources became extremely limited because of this. Basically, a person can only take a bath every three days and there is only one bucket of water per bath.

As for electricity, it is basically a public priority especially for night lighting. For ordinary people, even if they wait in line for three days, the amount of power they get can only charge 50% for their mobile phones.

Although some people feel uncomfortable with such a harsh living environment, they can’t leave because they have food and are safe from the zombies.

Compared to staying at their homes with the risk of starvation or being killed by zombies when they come knocking on their doorstep, their current environment is nothing unbearable for the sake of their survival.

But after they came here, they saw that everyone was the same and their hearts were naturally balanced. No one was above anyone. If someone can enjoy preferential treatment, how can they let this opportunity slip by?

So in just one afternoon, hundreds of people signed up. The only problem was, Yi Gao only needed 21 people, and these 21 people will be divided into three groups to go out with them to clean up the zombies. Since returning from the outside requires 48 hours of observation, only one group will go out everyday while the remaining two groups are responsible for the safety and order of the camp.

These 21 people must be physically fit and willing to give their life. Because of this risk, there were a lot of people who were discouraged and eventually only those who were willing to sacrifice their life remained.

Seeing that the matter was resolved, An Minghui couldn’t help but ask Hao Jian, “You are so bold. Don’t you worry that those people will hate you?”

“Do you think that zombies can be wiped out within a year?” Hao Jian suddenly asked a question that the bull’s head is not right.

An Minghui said, “It depends on when the antiviral antidote will be developed. Why do you suddenly ask this?”

“Because I think that no matter whether an antidote can be developed within a year, the order will not be restored within five years after the zombie apocalypse.”

An Minghui pondered, “Zombie apocalypse. It’s quite an appropriate way to describe it.”

Hao Jian wouldn’t describe this era like that if the situation improves, but because of the emergence of the system that made the situation even more severe than they thought.

“So we need to use desperate means during desperate times. With your usual set of rules, you can maintain order for a period of time, but it will eventually become ineffective.”

An Minghui smiled, “No one knows about the future. When the day comes, the situation will change and so will the rules.”

An Minghui had his men arrange a tent for Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning to arrange a tent for them to rest so that they would have energy and strength tomorrow. Everyone also prepared a basin of water, “It’s especially prepared for you for the sake of your courage. Although a basin of water may seem useless, you can use it to wipe your body.”

Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning had already deliberately ignored the hygiene situation, but since the other side thought of them in this way, they didn’t need to be hypocritical.

After wiping her body, Hao Jian went to visit Xin Ting.

Xin Ting’s situation was actually similar to theirs, but after her arm was checked and confirmed that it didn’t have any wounds, they gave her some medicated oil to rub.

However, Xin Ting has been using the medicine for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis given to her by Hao Jian which may be the cause of the good impression. She felt that the effect of this medicine seemed to be very good. Her injuries reduced a lot.

“They didn’t embarrass you, did they?” Hao Jian asked her.

“No, how did you come out?” Xin Ting craned her neck, “Where’s Peng Mao and Ru Ning?”

“They’re resting. I came here to tell you something.”

Xin Ting was a little nervous and her sixth sense told her that it’s always bad news when people say such things. But this is Hao Jian, maybe it would be good news?

“Tomorrow, I have to go out with Lian Ru Ning, and your arms are not good yes, so please stay here with Peng Mao!”

Xin Ting breathed a sigh of relief, “Where are you going?”

“I can’t say that. If we come back alive, we will still leave again while you and Peng Mao will stay here. After all, it’s safer here.”

Xin Ting was very sure that the meaning of ‘stay here’ in Hao Jian’s sentence was different from what she meant in her earlier sentence. She subconsciously opposed, “Are you going to leave me?”

After she finished speaking, she also felt that what she said was a bit wrong, so Xin Ting explained, “I mean, you’re planning to go to Southern City with only you and Ru Ning?”

“Aren’t you afraid of dying and facing zombies? Here, there are more than 10,000 people with you and there are guards to protect you. It’s far safer to stay here than to follow us.”

Xin Ting opened her mouth, trying to say something but nothing came out.

Upon seeing this, Hao Jian left.

If she had been alone in the past, she would not have gone out of her way to explain to other people. In every decision she had to make, the right to choose was in her hands. However, in the past few days, she also regarded Xin Ting as a companion, so she felt the responsibility to inform her.

Back at the tent, Lian Ru Ning was sitting on the lawn while looking up at the night sky.

This Jiangxin Island was originally a place for sightseeing. The lawn was naturally indispensable. Although it’s almost withered by being trampled on before, the drizzle that happened a few days ago made the grass grow tenaciously.

Hao Jian said, “Are you feeding the mosquitoes outside?”

Lian Ru Ning smiled and said, “I’m wearing long sleeves. Hey, sit down and watch the stars with me!”

Hao Jian sat down beside her but remembered a question. She then asked the system in her mind, “Can mosquitoes spread viruses?”

“The host’s question is exactly what existing experts are studying now. According to preliminary studies, animals in the arthropod phylum are very sensitive to Q viruses and once the virus have infected their bodies, they will die. So they don’t have the ability to carry the Q virus and infect humans.”

Hao Jian asked once again, “Does that meant that humans can use the sensitivity of arthropods to Q virus to develop relevant drugs or materials to detect people who are infected with the virus?”

“Correct”

It’s a pity that Hao Jian didn’t study this area, otherwise she would join the research after discovering an appropriate research direction.

While talking to the system, Hao Jian also listened to Lian Ru Ning and talked about the differences in the night sky everywhere. Her multitasking skills have reached the point of perfection that even Lian Ru Ning didn’t notice anything amiss.

“it’s rare to see so many stars. Although it’s less than what I saw when I participated in the summer camp, the night sky here in the city hasn’t been so bright for a long time!”

Hao Jian replied, “Perhaps, after the disaster, no one ‘s been driving, the factories stopped working, and the biggest source of pollution became zombies. So the world naturally recovered and took back the scenery that was once hidden by humans!”

“When I was young, my parents said that people become stars once they die. Now, they make a little sense. There are tens of millions of people who die every day these days, and now there are more stars in the sky. . . What our ancestors say may not be nonsense.”

Hao Jian didn’t feel so sentimental about Lian Ru Ning’s statement. She got up and headed to the tent, “I’m a little sleepy, don’t you want to rest?”

“. . .” Lian Ru Ning felt that Hao Jian was pretty dense sometimes, but considering that Hao Jian doesn’t always have enough time to sleep, it’s rare for her to be able to sleep this long so she didn’t say anything.

The tent was so small that it barely allowed two people to sleep. It was cramped and suffocating, not to mention that the both of them felt very bored.

Lian Ru Ning wanted to change to short sleeves altogether, but she was a little embarrassed to see Hao Jian, so she turned her head and asked Hao Jian, “I want to change to short sleeves, can you. . .”

Hao Jian closed her eyes, “I won’t look at it. There is no light in the tent so I can’t see anything properly. Besides, you’ve already seen my body completely, don’t you think it’s only fair if I see yours too?”

Lian Ru Ning’s face flushed and she stared at Hao Jian, only to find that Hao Jian talked about her and had turned towards her to confront her.

She immediately changed her clothes and laid down while facing Hao Jian. She then remembered that she was supposed to be mad at Hao Jian so she turned her back towards Hao Jian.

It happened that Hao Jian also turned around when she felt some movement. Her hand the accidentally rested on Lian Ru Ning’s hand. The latter only felt that the back of her hand was covered with a cool palm, as if something had spread from her hand all the way to her heart.

Hao Jian was about to move her hand away, but Lian Ru Ning held on, a little embarrassed, “Your hands are cold and comfortable.”

‘Comfortable? Then you should hold it longer!’ Hao Jian thought.

Lian Ru Ning didn’t know what she was thinking just now. She actually said something like this to Hao Jian, but in this hot weather, there were no fans and air conditioners. Hao Jian’s hands her the coolest objects she could touch.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Hao Jian opened her eyes and looked at Lian Ru Ning with a faint smile, “Do you like listening? Or do you like me teasing you?”

“No!” Lian Ru Ning immediately argues, “I just think that you’re usually energetic!”

She’s known Hao Jian for only a short time, but those few days allowed her to know Hao Jian better.

Before, Hao Jian gave her the impression of smart, blunt, calm, and independent. She also seemed more mature than her actual age and sometimes too perfect for a person.

But it is because she can laugh, tell cold jokes or swear words that Lian Ru Ning could see Hao Jian more real, and she feels that Hao Jian is actually just an ordinary person.

Hao Jian simply chuckled quietly.