#198 - Chapter 198 Don’t Go Out
Mentang Town.
Today, the temperature dropped to -20 degrees Celsius.
I don't know if there have been such low temperatures in history, but at least not in modern times.
The survivors are a little used to it. Even cannibalistic zombies have appeared, followed by various disasters. Now, this cold weather is relatively "gentle".
In residential area No. 1 near the base.
Li Shenglin's team had just packed their clothes and equipment and were preparing to drive out in a vehicle with snow chains to look for supplies.
"This damn weather is getting colder again!"
Brother Liang sat in the driver's seat, wearing thick clothes, but still couldn't help shrinking his neck and complaining.
Today, they are going out with one car and three people.
See if they can find some small items that can be exchanged for food with the Green Source Base.
Electronic products, precision components, precision and rare small equipment, etc. are all their goals.
It would be even better if they could occasionally find some scattered food and medicine, which they would take for themselves.
In terms of fuel, they can occasionally extract it from some abandoned vehicles on the road. The Green Source team's previous fuel collection targets were basically gas stations and large vehicles. They would only extract fuel from small cars that caught their eye.
So, some cars can still be found near Mentang Town to extract fuel.
Recently, Li Shenglin and the others also found a lot of combustible firewood and other things, and lit a bonfire in residential area No. 1 to keep warm.
They plan to exchange as much food as possible before the weather becomes completely impossible to go out, so as to survive the long winter ahead.
"Let's go early and come back early! Although it's cold outside, the zombies are also frozen and move slowly. Let's take the opportunity to find more supplies to exchange for food."
Li Shenglin said optimistically in the passenger seat.
Indeed, when the temperature drops to a certain level, even zombies without blood flow begin to not be able to move.
At minus ten degrees, they can still move slowly like dancing a mechanical dance, but now at minus twenty degrees, they have completely lost their ability to move.
This gives survivors who dare to brave the cold to find things more opportunities.
"Let's go to the commercial street in the next town. There are still a lot of goods left there. We didn't finish searching yesterday."
Brother Liang also nodded and said.
They are quite satisfied with their recent life.
Although they still have to take certain risks to go out and find things, having a stable way to obtain food is very good for them.
At least they can drink hot white porridge every meal these days.
Yesterday, they were lucky enough to find three packs of pickled mustard tuber from an abandoned house outside. Last night, a group of them couldn't help but extravagantly opened a pack to eat with the porridge.
That taste.
Unforgettable.
Li Shenglin, Lao Liang, and another person, Xiao Cong, embarked on the road to find things.
Other companions in the residential area are also looking for firewood and other heating materials around.
Everyone cooperates and works together, and they live a good life.
In the residential area, there are quite a few teams like them.
Pure loners find it extremely difficult to survive in the apocalypse, and basically find companions to stick together.
The survivors outside not only have to go out to find supplies during the day, but also have to guard against harassment from zombies and other survivors at night.
In the apocalyptic night, humans are often more terrifying than zombies.
*****
Today, the base held a simple funeral for two sacrificed team members.
Their corpses were incomplete, but they were pieced together as much as possible and placed in specially made iron coffins in the base.
Two simple graves were dug outside the base with excavators for burial.
Of course, some measures were taken to prevent zombie harassment.
Compared to the vast majority of people in the apocalypse who can only be exposed to the wilderness after death, or have their flesh eaten and bones gnawed by zombies, being able to be buried in the ground like this can be considered another kind of grand and decent burial as Qin Jin said.
As for Chen Gang and Wang Wei, the two people involved, they were not executed last night. The leader gave them a chance to see how they perform in the next six months.
They were not allowed to live in the base, but were arranged in a monitored room in residential area No. 1 today.
They can work with GPS during the day and have to return to the room at night. They are not given free food, but they can earn it by completing some labor tasks for the base, just like other survivors.
It can be regarded as settling down in Mentang Town in another way.
The two also accepted this arrangement.
At least they are still alive, right?
"Old Chen, what kind of method do you think we should use to earn points and exchange for food?"
In the room in the residential area, Wang Wei said to Chen Gang next to him.
Chen Gang was lying on a wooden plank bed without a mattress in the room, squinting his eyes and pretending to be asleep. Although he said he wouldn't be killed last night, he still didn't sleep all night, and now he only felt extremely sleepy.
Faced with his companion's words, he raised his eyelids and thought with his sluggish head before saying:
"We still have a little bit of food that can last for a day or two. Let's rest for a while and then sort out this residence and learn about this place. It's too cold now, and we won't be able to survive the night without heating items."
"Then I plan to work for the base's maintenance team. I heard that they have a place dedicated to modifying and repairing vehicles for outside survivors. I've been repairing cars for half my life, so it's not bad to go back to my old job!"
Wang Wei sat on another wooden plank bed and nodded slightly when he heard his companion's words.
The current residence is indeed too simple, without even a quilt.
"In that case, let's move the things from the car over later. They left us the car. I plan to go out and find supplies to exchange for food after the car is modified."
"My comrades said they would look for me later, so let's see then."
This was Wang Wei's plan. Last night, facing his former young comrades, he returned the heavy truck to them, which can be regarded as another kind of care.
"Alas, although the final result is the same, there are more constraints and time limits. Our luck is really... alas."
Speaking of this, both of them couldn't help but sigh.
If the result cannot be changed now, then accept it.
*****
Today, the temperature in the south dropped below -20 degrees Celsius.
And the north is even more terrifying, with many places already dropping below -40 degrees Celsius!
At this temperature, zombies are almost frozen into ice cubes, and naturally cannot move as ice sculptures.
But at this temperature, humans cannot move around normally either.
Because the roads are all covered with heavy snow.
The thinnest place has half a meter of snow.
Even if you wear more clothes, there is a risk of hypothermia if you are exposed outside for more than ten minutes.
Once there is a problem outdoors, it's basically over.
Countless survivors who ventured out and returned are facing amputation due to frostbitten hands and feet.
At this time, the terror of the cold has overcome hunger!
All the survivors who understand are either huddled in their residences or frantically looking for anything that can be used to make a fire and keep warm!
For a time, previously unwanted combustibles became hot commodities.
In this kind of weather, human instinct tells everyone.
It's cold.
Go out less.
(End of chapter)
