Wang Zhi ate this meal very uneasily. It wasn't because Su Muying and Jie Xi were sitting together, but because the rain outside was getting heavier and heavier.
Listening to the sound of the rain outside, he felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. No matter how 'rich' the dishes were, he had no appetite to enjoy them.
If this were an ordinary rain, even if it flooded the entire Dawn city and forced him to swim in the water, he wouldn't worry at all.
The crucial point was that this was a corrosive rain. Human skin could not be soaked in it for long. Once the rainwater rose above the threshold and seeped into the room, it would mean the survivors could not go out and would have to wait in high places for the rain to stop or lessen.
The Guards on the first floor were moving more sandbags toward the entrance, and the survivors who had taken refuge also stepped forward, pressing down on the bags with both hands to hold them steady.
No one could outrun this kind of natural disaster; working together to resist was the only way forward.
Wang Zhi quickly finished a few bites, then went down to the first floor to join them.
The downpour continued steadily into the night. The dozens of survivors on the first floor hadn't eaten all day, and both their spirits and physical strength had noticeably waned.
The rainwater had already surged from a height of ten centimeters to forty-five centimeters!
The water level, approaching half a meter, had saturated two layers of sandbags blocking the doorway, and was now beginning to seep into the structure.
Wang Zhi saw despair in their eyes. Some were already eyeing the staircase, planning to bolt to the second floor the instant the first-floor defenses broke. Yet, they also feared the firearms held by the Guards; getting shot now would almost certainly leave one crippled.
"Gentlemen, can we purchase some food? We have Survival Points!"
At that moment, a man held up his Magnetic Card and addressed the Guards.
The Guard who was asked turned toward his Captain seeking instructions. After hearing the query, the Captain went to find Wei Changzheng to relay the question about whether survivors were permitted to buy food.
Upon hearing this question, Wei Changzheng was clearly prepared. He came to the hall and shouted at the survivors, "One catty of cooked rice is 100 Survival Points. Those who need it, follow me."
Hearing that one catty of cooked rice was 100 Survival Points, the survivors immediately erupted in curses. They knew that a kilogram of edible supplies they brought back from scavenging only earned them 10 Survival Points! Now, one catty of cooked rice was being sold to them for twenty times that amount!
"You guys are being too predatory?! We risk our lives for you every day, only to be exploited like this in the end?"
"Exactly! If we had known, we wouldn't have handed over the supplies we scavenged; we should have kept them for ourselves!"
Wei changzheng looked at the few troublemakers and sneered, "Hmph, at a time like this, it's a blessing we can offer anything for sale. And you still complain about the price? But naturally, some people don't mind the price. Those who want to buy, follow me."
After speaking, wei Changzheng turned and left.
The moment Wei Changzheng turned, three Captains followed him.
Although it was only rice, one catty was enough to fill one person. For a typical five-person team, spending 500 Survival Points a day to sustain themselves wasn't considered expensive.
However, for Wang Zhi's team, one meal would cost them 1000 Survival Points.
In truth, they had no choice but to hand over the edible supplies they scavenged to Dawn City. In this hot weather, they couldn't store the food themselves; they could only turn it over to Dawn City to be placed in cold storage before it spoiled.
Finally, two Captains hesitated for a moment where they stood before following along.
At a time like this, what could possibly be more important than food?
After a while, each of these Captains held a wooden tray laden with rice, and they retreated to a corner to eat with their team members.
"What should we do now?" You Luo asked, looking outside where it had already grown dark.
"Let's rest for a bit. I hope the rain stops tonight," Wang Zhi said, leaning against a pillar.
By now, a thin layer of accumulated water was seeping onto the floor of the City Lord's Palace, preventing any of them from sitting on the ground.
Wang Zhi stood by the doorway until past midnight, only then faintly hearing that the sound of the rain had lessened considerably.
He went to the window; clearly, the rain outside was no longer as torrential as it had been during the day, reverting to how it was on the first day.
"Hoo~" Wang Zhi let out a breath; things were finally looking up.
No one in Dawn City slept that entire night. They constantly monitored the rainfall outside, their strained nerves leaving them completely sleepless.
At three in the morning, the rain stopped! Moonlight gradually reflected on the standing water.
"Look! The dark clouds have dispersed!" someone shouted excitedly, pointing at the moonlight.
Some people embraced each other, weeping with joy; others collapsed weakly against the wall, as if awakening from a long dream.
"That was a close call," Wang Zhi muttered to himself, observing that there were still thirty centimeters of standing water outside that hadn't receded.
This disaster served as a stark warning to everyone; it was certain that in the future, people would stockpile grain in their residences.
But it seemed too late. Jie Xi had warned that this rain would severely impact the ecosystem, drastically reducing agricultural output in Dawn City. Repairing this soil would require significant time and resources, such as applying organic fertilizer and vast amounts of clean water.
In short, this wave of disaster had severely weakened Dawn City, making the survival environment for the survivors even harsher.
Wang Zhi had even planned that the first thing they would do once the rainwater fully receded was to raid residential buildings or supermarkets for large quantities of food with a shelf life of one year or more.
Not to mention whether food prices would rise, the food supplies nearby were diminishing with every meal consumed. Waiting for the soil to recover and crops to be grown would starve several batches of people to death.
"Hello? Can you hear me?"
At this moment, Duan Qingtian's voice came through Wang Zhi's radio.
"Loud and clear!"
Wang Zhi was overjoyed when the communication equipment reactivated. This proved the interference was gone! the disaster was completely over!
"That's great, Captain Wang! We can finally go home!" Fatty exclaimed happily.
"Don't celebrate too soon. The rainwater hasn't fully receded yet, has it? Besides, the residences have been soaked by this water and need disinfection, otherwise, there will be further trouble," Wang Zhi replied.
"Disinfection? Where are we going to get disinfectant?" Fatty asked.
"We won't have to get it. The people of Dawn City will handle that for us; they certainly don't want to see infectious diseases spreading," Old He interjected, speaking first.
"I wonder what state our residence is in now, sigh," Fatty worried.
"The houses are the least of our worries. If this rain stops, it will be a great stroke of luck for us humans," Duan Qingtian consoled him.
"Yeah, if it keeps going like it did during the day, I estimate in two more days we'll be able to swim around here, haha," Gray Wolf laughed.
Once the communication equipment returned to normal, Dawn City resumed its operations. Searchlights around the city illuminated the entirety of Dawn City. Some people stood on the city walls, others on the rooftops, silently gazing at the illuminated City Lord's Palace in the center. They knew they had fortunately survived once again.
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