Chapter 248 — Nip It in the Bud
When those two familiar, massive silhouettes squeezed back inside, wagging their tails with absolute, fawning sycophancy, everyone, including Luo Xun, felt a profound realization strike them—from this moment on, they were thoroughly stuck with two oversized pieces of dog-skin plaster… Honestly, these two frauds probably really were dogs.
Ever since discovering the regional specialties in those ponds, the variety of food on Luo Xun’s dinner table had expanded dramatically. On the first day they had Sichuan boiled fish, the next day they whipped up a massive platter of sweet and sour fish fillets, and on the third day, they cleared out a whole mountain of boiled shrimp. It was profoundly fortunate that their home was so close to the marshes; reluctant to harvest from their own strictly maintained crops, they exploited their breaks after finishing their daily chores to regularly venture out for a field excursion, handily relaxing their minds while catching some seafood to give their tastebuds a treat.
The little river inside the greenhouse had long been fully engineered. After releasing the fish into the stream to roam free, Luo Xun and the team explicitly utilized some trimmings from their vegetables and wild grass leaves to craft fish feed, regularly scattering it into the water daily to simply let the population slowly multiply and grow.
Over these three days, the crew had taken turns thoroughly air-drying the newly excavated sand and dirt, carting it back down to the third subterranean tier to pack the newly structured basement floor. The ventilation and lighting fixtures across this level were already fully installed. After mixing the soil with high-grade fertilizer, spreading it evenly, and giving the floor a thorough watering, they finally planted the pasture grass strains they had salvaged previously. They rounded it out by sowing a few varieties of vegetables that the rabbits and quails loved to consume, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
For the time being, the rabbits and quails didn’t require relocating downstairs. After all, the current rabbit population was minimal, so keeping them inside the greenhouse cages posed zero immediate issues. The quails could similarly remain in their original classroom setup for now.
As for the injured young goats and tiny deer they had carted back from their last run… Luo Xun and the team expressed their collective sentiment—they truly shouldn’t bring back mutated animals that hadn’t fully matured and possessed such a slow reproductive cycle! Those five tiny animals had seamlessly transformed into little Xinran’s personal pets. Ever since they brought them back and completed basic medical treatment, she would take the puppy—who was equally ecstatic—to run wildly through the greenhouse every single day, spending all her time playing with those five calves and the two eaglets. Once these creatures grew to full size down the line, who on earth would have the heart to slaughter them? Little Xinran would be the very first to unleash a teary-eyed look to short-circuit everyone’s resolve. What left everyone even more stupefied was that after the little girl rustled them around like this, those two half-feathered eaglets hadn’t even learned how to fly yet—instead, they had remarkably learned how to sprint across flat ground first!!
Fortunately, the three young goats were domestic sheep mutations. Even if they couldn’t be slaughtered for meat upon reaching adulthood, they could still systematically harvest wool from them, otherwise it would truly be structurally equivalent to maintaining a pack of purely decorative pets.
Once Luo Xun and the team finished excavating a loop of river channels across the third subterranean level—preparing to divide the fish and shrimp population inside the above-ground greenhouse in half to relocate them downstairs down the line—the timeline finally aligned for them to prepare to venture outside once more to harvest scrap metal and replenish their household reserves.
Compiling the satellite imagery and internal base communications intercepted over this duration, Li Tie and the guys systematically organized the data and uploaded the files onto the central server. The group subsequently sat back around the massive dining table in the canteen—to hold a strategic briefing.
Although the crew preferred to huddle in the second-floor playroom during their leisure hours, honestly, if they gathered in that space, who on earth would retain the mental focus to debate critical logistics? Their eyes would intermittently drift toward those gaming consoles and play structures, making it completely impossible to settle their minds.
“Ahem, that massive wave of zombies originating from those southern nations is currently locked onto this exact coordinate…” Li Tie verified the data points before pointing a finger at a massive domestic map spread across the table—an asset they had casually pocketed from god knows where during a previous run. “Judging by the satellite photos, they have been besieging this specific coordinate for four full days. This layout appears to map onto a massive independent base operating in the south.”
The group had already caught wind of this development three days prior, so hearing the update now didn’t strike them as shocking. They merely hadn’t anticipated that the duration of this zombie siege would prove quite so prolonged.
“Currently, we lack data regarding how long it will take for this zombie tide to execute a tactical retreat, nor can we verify whether that southern base possesses the capacity to hold out…” Luo Xun frowned as he scrolled through the satellite images on his tablet terminal. “Analyzing the dynamics, we must finalize our defensive blueprints well in advance. Although our luck was excellent last time, with the zombie columns purely passing through without launching an assault against our coordinates, our base must possess an absolute mountain of metal reserves to reinforce our defensive framework.” Saying this, he raised his eyes to look at Yan Fei.
Yan Fei gave him a firm nod: “I suggest we harvest a vastly more substantial volume of scrap metal on this run, allowing us to implement defensive measures well before the zombie tide even draws near.”
“How exactly do we implement them?” Yan Fei and Luo Xun had already huddled to brainstorm the strategy inside their bedroom last night, so the speaker asking for clarification was Han Li, who remained in the dark regarding the specific mechanics.
“Traps,” Yan Fei stated, slanting a glance toward Luo Xun. “Luo Xun and I huddled to evaluate the parameters. Although the rampant mutated plants flanking our perimeter can assist in anchoring our defense lines, the absolute volume of this incoming zombie tide is far too monumental. If they violently surge forward in a unified wave, there is a high probability they can ply raw numbers to execute a ‘human wave’ strategy, completely burying the mutated thickets through sheer attrition. Under those dynamics, they would inevitably breach our core complex. Therefore, we plot to systematically deploy a massive perimeter of hidden pitfalls several days before the horde draws near, filling the cavities with mushroom juice to handily grind down their numbers through constant attrition.”
Luo Xun stepped up to supplement the explanation: “If we execute the trap deployment far too early, any independent survivor column passing through the area might spot the modifications, and the density of mutated wildlife circulating in our perimeter is substantial, meaning we risk inflicting accidental casualties.” Saying this, he panned his gaze out the window frame. “Prior to the arrival of the last zombie tide, I don’t know if those animals possessed an inherent sensory trait that allowed them to perceive the threat in advance, but virtually zero mutated wildlife remained active near our coordinates back then. The moment those predators execute a collective retreat, we will simply exploit that precise window to finalize the traps.”
Hearing the strategy, the eyes of the young men flashed with vibrant excitement. After all, when crystals plummeted deep into the thickets of mutated plants, prying them out was an intensely grueling chore, wasn’t it? If they pre-deployed defensive pitfalls, they could handily harvest a vastly superior hoard of crystals!
Wu Xin suddenly threw out a tactical suggestion: “Brother Luo, we can completely excavate all the pitfalls ten days or a full half-month in advance! As long as we anchor structural lids over the cavities to keep them sealed, refrain from pouring the mushroom juice inside early, and simply wait until the mutated wildlife flees the perimeter before unsealing them and pouring the liquid in, wouldn’t that work perfectly?”
“That is an excellent strategy!” Luo Xun burst into a smile, and as the team mutually supplemented the safety parameters and structural details required to manage the layout, they seamlessly locked down the exact operational range and coordinates for the pitfall network. Following that, they transitioned to debating the logistics for the metal-harvesting run scheduled for a couple of days later.
On this specific run, the team’s objective when venturing past the gates was remarkably singular—harvesting scrap metal.
By this point, that massive trade fair jointly organized by the network of major bases had long since drawn to a complete close, and the various commercial caravans had systematically retreated back to their respective home territories. This was especially true since every single major base had intercepted satellite data confirming that a colossal wave of foreign zombies was crossing the border, its destructive parameters aggressively eclipsing the absolute maximum count of the largest domestic tide encountered in the past. Naturally, every faction had to brainstorm strategies to aggressively reinforce their own structural defenses. Consequently, back when Luo Xun and his team were busy driving their vehicles to weave erratically to shake their tails, the trade marketplace had already systematically disbanded.
Currently, based on the encrypted administrative data Luo Xun and the team intercepted from the inter-base communications network, even the merchants from this specific southern base—the one currently absorbing a relentless zombie siege—who had traveled north to conduct trade had long since executed a total evacuation to race back to their home walls before the horde completely locked down their coordinates.
Presently, the geographic clearance separating the various bases was far too immense, the manufacturing yield of firearms and ammunition remained strictly finite, and the oncoming zombie tide was aggressively ferocious. Consequently, even if a besieged base hit a critical bottleneck and broadcasted a desperate distress signal to the exterior world, alternative bases simply lacked the capacity to deploy columns to reinforce them, leaving every faction to stubbornly hold out on their own. Thus, catching confirmation via inter-base communications that this specific batch of zombies was exceptionally brutal, the major bases cast aside alternative miscellaneous political squabbles, pouring their absolute resources into accelerating the construction of their home fortifications, hoping to survive this upcoming round of attrition.
Under these dynamics, Luo Xun’s team was bound to experience a remarkably peaceful journey when venturing out to harvest scrap metal—the high-ranking officials of the local base had already extracted all the structural steel they required from the core mining sectors, meaning they no longer required letting their metal-type superpower users waste physical effort to scour the urban core ruins for scrap. Furthermore, the accessible resources remaining within the city proper were strictly finite, and a great number of assets had thoroughly degraded past redemption after sitting exposed for so long, causing fewer and fewer expeditions to harbor a desire to venture into the relatively detached city fringes to scavenge for supplies.
Consequently, operating strictly along the outer edges of the urban ruins, although Luo Xun and his team systematically harvested scrap metal along the rail tracks and elevated highway frameworks for several days in a row, they failed to cross paths with a single human soul.
Transporting the harvested metal back to their base in successive loads, they packed the material straight into the rooms dedicated to storing reserve scrap. They subsequently extended their field runs for an additional few days, continuing the harvest until the timeline seamlessly rolled into September, before finally declaring with absolute satisfaction—their stockpiles were perfectly sufficient.
Right at this juncture, a highly delightful shift manifested across the complex—the fruit trees they had meticulously transplanted back home during the spring had finally begun to bear fruit.
“Talk about an uphill battle… we finally have fresh fruit to eat.” Gazing at a highly compact, semi-ripe miniature apple hanging from the branches of an apple tree, Wang Duo’s smile almost cracked his face wide open straight to his ears.
“That specific branch requires sitting for another fair stretch. All of you get over here and assist me in harvesting apricots,” Luo Xun called out, checking the young men who were completely huddled in a tight circle to gawk at the apple, pear, and orange trees, throwing out his directives with an exasperated tone.
“The apricots are ready to eat? Aren’t they still completely green?” The group crowded over in utter astonishment, staring at the compact, green apricots with deep confusion.
“Who told you green apricots can’t be eaten? Take a bite and see for yourself, right?” Luo Xun noted, reaching out to directly pluck a specimen to sink his teeth inside—it was delightfully tart, yet backed by a crisp sweetness.
“It’s remarkably sweet already!”
“How is it that the tartness isn’t overwhelming?”
“The texture is phenomenal; I’ve honestly never eaten a fresh apricot before in my life.”
Luo Xun shot this uncultivated pack of young men an exasperated glance: “If we hold off for another stretch, the apricots are bound to turn red, but the texture will soften substantially. Personally, I love eating them while they’re green—nice and crisp.” Saying this, he handily dispatched another specimen. Logically speaking, these apricots should have been ready for harvest long ago, but because the physical transplantation process midway had completely disrupted their internal biological clocks, they had lingered until this exact moment to finalize their yield.
“Can this crop be processed into dried apricot leather?” He Qiankun asked while munching.
“Certainly, but our current harvest volume is far too sparse. Let’s wait until next year’s crop.” And wasn’t it sparse? They had systematically transplanted barely a handful of apricot trees back home, and the disruption during that initial year had heavily compromised their flowering rate, leaving them with an exceptionally minor yield for this round. Furthermore, if they desired to achieve a truly monumental harvest from these fruit trees down the line, they would require conducting a proper round of manual pollination. Thinking about the sheer volume of meticulous labor the crew would have to tackle when the flowering season arrived next spring… Looking at this pack of young men who were currently gorging on the fruit with absolute joy while blissfully fantasizing about a monstrous harvest next year, Luo Xun let out a highly wicked, silent chuckle inside his chest. He resolved to hold off until the flower buds systematically clustered across the branches next spring before delivering the reminder.
One had to realize that the subterranean planting levels already housed a great number of crops that explicitly demanded manual pollination. Although that chore appeared remarkably unassuming on the surface, every single time the flowering cycle hit, the jumbled, endless tasks were perfectly sufficient to run a survivor ragged. Once he informed them that the above-ground fruit trees required identical processing… he could easily guess exactly how completely wild this pack of geeks would run.
Author’s Note: Regarding the so-called “Golden Bear”, it’s a specific strain belonging to the hamster family (a Syrian hamster). The original pair my household maintained back then boasted white underbellies, topped with yellow and brown patches across their heads, looking a bit like the coat pattern of a calico cat…
They felt exceptionally plump and round when held in the palm of my hand, and my absolute favorite pastime was letting them lie flat in my palm with their four tiny paws pointing straight up toward the ceiling. However, after this tiny pair successfully gave birth to a whole litter of pups and my mother caught that they had chewed through their cage framework, she unceremoniously gave them away behind my back ?_?. Being an exceptionally submissive and soft kid back then, I could only cry and cry and cry. Consequently… after I grew up, I underwent a total mutation OTZ.
Thank you for reading 🙂 I hope you all liked my translations. If you enjoyed my work, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi 😉
