The team members, hearing Lin Yuan’s words, put away the prepared slips of paper.
They went in to ask questions in an orderly fashion.
However, Lin Yuan didn’t see Wang Zhihai, Mu Qingtian, and Zhao Mengnan, the three special police officers. By all accounts, their families were in Tianfu, and they should have come to inquire about news.
After searching around, he discovered the three of them were on guard duty, showing no signs of excitement. Lin Yuan quickly ran over and said, “Brother Wang, why are you standing guard here? Wu Tian and Ziqi are on patrol. Aren’t your families in Tianfu? Why aren’t you going to ask?”
Wang Zhihai and the others exchanged glances and shook their heads. “Captain, we all feel that news of no news is the best news. The team needs us right now. It wouldn’t be good if we became dispirited due to bad news.”
“Exactly, exactly,” Mu Qingtian chimed in. “We’re going to the Tianfu Safety Zone sooner or later anyway, so we’ll know everything then. It’s nice to have something to look forward to now.”
“Yes, yes, that’s what we all think. Hurry up and call Wu Tian and the others back, it’s time to eat.”
Lin Yuan knew further persuasion was useless, so he indulged them. “Alright then, let’s go back and eat. Tonight, we’re having bamboo tube sticky rice with seaweed and egg drop soup. My mom and the others specifically cut bamboo to make it, so it should be ready by now.”
When Lin Yuan returned, the team members had finished asking their questions. In reality, most of them didn’t have many questions. The most frequent inquiries were about when the rescue would arrive. Those with family in Tianfu asked an extra question about whether they were still alive.
Most of the answers received were “no news.”
They also inquired about the living conditions and public order in the safety zone.
The answers received were much better. Starting three days ago, mushrooms and rat meat could be supplied twice a day. However, the remaining meal was rice porridge or wild vegetable porridge. They were currently expanding the cultivation of crops and the breeding units for edible rats and mushrooms.
As the team members discussed, they even felt that the living conditions in their current location were much better than in the safety zone. They had not only meat and vegetables but also fruits like longan and lychee, and it was safe every day.
In comparison, the team members, for a moment, didn’t want to leave.
Was this a feeling of having no worries?
This was not a good sign. Lin Yuan quickly stood up and interrupted their discussion. “Everyone, listen to me for a moment.”
The scene quieted down, and everyone looked at Lin Yuan, spoons still in their mouths.
“I just heard you all saying that you think our place is very good. Do you think that because you have enough to eat and drink and your safety is guaranteed, you don’t want to go to the safety zone anymore?”
Although it was unpleasant to say, the team members were indeed becoming complacent. They didn’t see anything wrong with their current situation.
“Captain, that’s exactly what we think. It’s not bad here. We can raise chickens and ducks, cultivate land to grow vegetables, and even plant fruit trees. When we move to that mountain stronghold, we can live a peaceful farming life. We don’t need to rush to the safety zone. It won’t be as comfortable as it is now once we get there,” Zhu Mingjun said, standing up and scratching his head, stammering a little as he finished speaking.
Lin Yuan chuckled, not reprimanding Zhu Mingjun. Instead, he said slowly, “I know you all feel that life here seems pretty good. Although there aren’t many meat cans left, and the cured meat and sausages are almost gone. But we still have our chickens, ducks, pigs, and cattle. The cured meat and sausages from Yajian Village have also been collected. There are also so many fields, and the sweet potatoes in the ground haven’t been harvested yet. In about half a month, we can also plant potatoes. It seems like it’s even better than the safety zone.”
“But,” he paused here, changing tack, “how many of us are farmers by birth, and how many have worked in the fields? We’ve talked so much here, but our cultivation and breeding techniques are only learned from books, and we haven’t even had any practice. Comrades, as the great man said, practice is the sole criterion for testing truth. Cultivation and breeding are not simple matters. Our team has grown, but those who know these techniques are, in the end, only my uncle. My dad and mom can’t be said to be experts. So, let’s not jump to conclusions. Just with the skill of digging food from the ground, we still have a lot to learn. So don’t think that it’s easier here than in the safety zone. And most importantly, I haven’t even mentioned the main point yet. Has everyone considered what happens one day when the zombies start leaving their original wandering areas? They’re very hungry. They’ve eaten everything in the cities and have to go out to find food, starting to act in groups and carry out sweeps. Do you think this mountain stronghold of ours can withstand it? Even if we have all the advantages of geography, people, and timing, and we stop one wave, what about the next? What if there’s another Tier Four mutant, or even a higher-tier mutant? How will we stop it?”
In fact, Lin Yuan held back one hurtful sentence: the team now consists mostly of women and children, and the overall combat effectiveness has significantly decreased. If they encounter high-tier mutants, casualties will be severe.
Lin Yuan’s prediction was not without reason. With the evolution and mutation of the C-type mutant virus, the zombies’ behavior would only become more unpredictable, and such a situation was not impossible.
The team members, who were eating, stopped chewing as they listened and began to consider the possibility of such a situation occurring. In the end, they could not refute Lin Yuan’s words.
“Therefore, those outside the safety zone are always in danger. Perhaps the situation inside the safety zone will be more difficult and chaotic than the operator comrades said, but at least it is safe there. The zombies will be kept outside by our People’s Army! After a day of hard work, we will listen to the radio, stroll on the streets, and perhaps even have some late-night barbecue on the street, watching artists who also finished their work and came to the streets to perform sing or paint, slowly welcoming back our former lives. This is also why I asked you to study every day. The more abilities you have, the more options you’ll have for your future. At the very least, learning knowledge is also for us to build our small survivor camp well before the rescue. We must always maintain a mindset of being prepared for danger at all times, understanding?”
“Understood!!!” Zhu Mingjun was the loudest in his shout.
“Yes, now let’s not talk about which place is better than which. We are still in danger. We can only relax when we no longer need to stand sentry or patrol. I have no objection to relaxing. Everyone can go fishing, catch shrimp, move crabs, paint, play games, etc., when they have time. But after relaxing, we must regain our focus, and everything should prioritize survival and safety. Since I have fought for this early rescue opportunity for you, I will not allow anyone to give up the chance to be rescued. That’s all I have to say. Let’s eat.”
When they started using their spoons, the team members realized their bodies were drenched in cold sweat. It was true that since they arrived at this place, their mindset seemed to have started to change. The combat team members were relatively better, but the others had become too lighthearted and cheerful. Lin Yuan had given them a reminder this time, letting them know that the zombie crisis was not over, and they were still in a dangerous situation.