Yu Hong led Wei Shanshan to the post office.
Though it was just a ten-minute walk, the girl was soon panting and her face turned red, needing to bend over and rest frequently.
After dawdling for half an hour, they finally arrived at the stone building of the post office.
Old Li was outside, conversing with two tall young men.
Upon seeing Yu Hong approach, he waved his hand enthusiastically.
"Xiao Yu, why do you have time to come here at this hour?"
Yu Hong glanced at the two men, noticing they frowned when they saw Wei Shanshan, as if they recognized her.
He understood the situation quickly.
He pulled Old Li aside and whispered about their circumstances.
"This little matter is right up my alley. I have to report on the supply team's situation anyway; this incident has stirred quite the trouble. The higher-ups have promised to send new people over to assist, but it will take a few days for them to arrive," Li Runshan replied in a lowered voice.
He glanced at Wei Shanshan and the two men.
"Most of these folks are either rich or important. If something goes wrong, the impact will be significant. So I have to help out. If you have extra talismans on hand, sell them some. Don't worry about the price, they've got money."
"Alright," Yu Hong replied with a smile, but then his expression turned serious.
"Can you handle those flying bugs, the gnawers?"
"It's manageable; they usually stay underground," Li Runshan nodded.
"But I've received news that the black disaster is worsening quickly. The outside world is becoming more dangerous, especially in the wild. In the future, the only way for cities to connect might be through armed supply teams with high combat capabilities. This could become quite troublesome. Places like ours might stop receiving supplies due to shortened routes."
"What are the higher-ups' countermeasures?" Yu Hong's heart sank with concern.
If the supply team couldn't come or their arrival time was extended, both he and Old Li could face serious problems.
"No countermeasures. The black disaster has steadily intensified since its emergence, and now the rate is accelerating. Otherwise, you think I would take the risk of gathering people? It's all for future preparation," Li Runshan explained with a wry smile.
"I can't manage everything alone—expanding the lizard population, digging humus, maintaining the houses, and taking care of Nana; all these chores fall on me."
"You seem so carefree," Yu Hong scoffed, finding his reasoning rather hollow.
"But you also need to gather people quickly. I'm giving you a set of breeding boxes for free; start mushroom cultivation yourself. If communication becomes a problem, that would really be bad," Li Runshan said, no longer joking, his expression serious.
Suddenly, he slapped his forehead as if struck by a thought.
"Wait a moment."
He turned and dashed toward the stone building, quickly reappearing with a set of dark boxes.
He shoved one into Yu Hong's arms and whispered, "This is a communication device. It's a local area network, with a range of one kilometer. We can use it to talk to each other."
Yu Hong held the box, shaking it lightly, and heard the soft clattering of various items inside.
"This is a good item! And we both have solar chargers."
"Yes, additionally, I checked the previous list you sent me and confirmed Wei Shanshan's name is on it. Her father is Wei Hongye, a big shot in nuclear energy research," Li Runshan continued, changing the subject.
"What do you plan to gain from her? But keep in mind, she is part of their professional support team; she has probably promised help to more than one person along the way. Be cautious."
"It doesn’t matter as long as it's valuable. It all depends on whether her father is willing," Yu Hong replied casually.
"Can you get in touch with him?"
"I'll give it a try," Li Runshan nodded.
He went to brief the other three and entered the stone building, leaving Yu Hong and the others outside to wait quietly.
About ten minutes later, Old Li emerged again and waved to Yu Hong.
His heart quickened, and he stepped inside the stone building.
Soon after, Wei Shanshan was also called in behind him.
They sat down at the wooden table in the living room of the stone house, facing a peculiar silver instrument that resembled a sound system.
"I am Wei Hongye. Is Shanshan there?" A worried and slightly high-pitched voice came from the device.
"Dad! I'm here! I'm right by the side!!" Upon hearing her father's voice, Wei Shanshan's eyes turned red, and tears streamed down her face.
"Mom... Mom is not doing well! We have no medicine left! I'm scared of the antibiotics. Monsters are everywhere outside! We just stopped, and in a few days, we've already lost several people!" she cried, throwing herself against the instrument.
Her voice was choked, recounting their dire situation after arriving.
Yu Hong listened quietly.
After the supply team encountered trouble, this group quickly fled with some supplies to escape the chase.
Along the journey, many had fallen to the shadowy creatures, but most managed to adapt gradually.
Yet, just as they adapted to the shadows, the gnawers came during the night, and several more people disappeared.
Now, the teachers and skilled protectors in their group began to crack under pressure, prioritizing their own safety and ignoring the others, leaving them to fend for themselves.
"The group has split into three categories: the children of military high command, children of local officials, and us, the relatives of researchers. We are the ones with the least protection! The food and medicines we managed to find were mostly taken by them; we only got our share later. Just in the first night at our new location, two people already disappeared."
Wei Shanshan explained through her sobs.
"What about Yan Xudong? Didn't he promise to protect you?" Wei Hongye inquired angrily from the other end of the communication, his heart aching.
"Brother Dong... he went out the second day to fetch water... and never came back."
Wei Shanshan cried.
There was a brief silence from the other end before a long sigh escaped.
"May I ask who the courier contacting me now is..."
"I’m Li Runshan; you’re too polite, just call me Old Li."
Li Runshan hurriedly replied.
"I suppose my daughter's situation has reached you, Brother Li. Is there anything that can be done?" Wei Hongye pleaded.
"Actually, there’s no issue for her to stay here, but Wei Shanshan is short on antibiotics. I've run out of those, but another resident nearby, Mr. Yu Hong, has some. Hence, the key now is to arrange for a trade with Mr. Yu," Li Runshan quickly explained.
"Is Mr. Yu nearby?"
"He’s right here."
"Good. May I ask Mr. Yu to assist my daughter and my wife? What do you need in return? I assure you I can arrange whatever you require," Wei Hongye spoke sincerely.
Yu Hong had been waiting for this moment.
"That’s possible. I need a mini nuclear battery—can you get me one?"
"Nuclear batteries... We're still a long way from that level of technology," Wei Hongye said, sounding a bit exasperated.
His tone indicated he wasn't familiar with cutting-edge nuclear research.
"I need a stable indoor energy source for a long time. I'm not familiar with these things. How about this: if you can help me solve this problem, I will protect your daughter and wife," Yu Hong quickly stated.
Given his current situation, protecting two individuals shouldn’t be too difficult, as long as there weren’t any exaggeratedly dangerous shadow creatures within a short time.
There was some contemplation from the communication end.
"I understand your request now. Unfortunately, the radioactive materials are very scarce and tightly guarded. I can't access these resources personally, but..."
"But what?" Yu Hong furrowed his brow.
"But there's an abandoned town nearby where you can find what you need. I can give you the exact location," Wei Hongye implied without saying it outright.
As a high-level figure in a nuclear research institute, he couldn’t openly misuse public resources during a postal communication, but by giving crucial intelligence for Yu Hong to fetch, he completely circumvented that issue, though one couldn't know how many people he had sold this information to.
"It sounds good!" Yu Hong caught on to the implication.
Even though there was a risk of being tricked, he had no other choices under these circumstances.
If he could obtain a nuclear energy system, he wouldn’t have to worry about energy issues for decades.
A small reactor could last for thirty years or even sixty for a larger one.
This would completely resolve one of his most significant headaches.
With energy secured, the water supply system could also operate, ensuring a steady flow of water.
"My next condition is for you and Mr. Li to protect Shanshan and her mother until the new supply team arrives. And your needs will be delivered along with them, understood?" Wei Hongye stated solemnly.
"Deal!" Yu Hong quickly responded.
This was essentially a gamble; if it succeeded, the benefits would be substantial.
If it didn’t, he would have wasted a few days, which wasn’t a big deal.
"But how can you guarantee that the information you provided is genuine?" Yu Hong asked again.
"I can’t guarantee that," Wei Hongye paused before answering, "but I can share another important piece of information."
"Go ahead," Yu Hong urged.
"The Aurora City and Silver Tower are on the brink of collapse. The frontlines have suffered staggering casualties; no one can withstand this nightmare-level black disaster. Most of our weapons are ineffective against them; only sunlight materials can evade and resist them, but their production is exceedingly low. Since the last elite unit disappeared last month, the situation has spiraled out of control," Wei Hongye sighed deeply.
"Out of control? What does that mean?" Yu Hong felt a chill run down his spine while Li Runshan's expression turned grave, clearly unaware of this news either.
"It means literally out of control; the front can’t hold. True danger is imminent; the shadow creatures are just minor nuisances—this will escalate to war-level, nightmare-level disasters, and the newly emerged Gates of Despair..."
Wei Hongye's words sent shivers down their spines.
"If the front really collapses, endless shadow creatures will flood into the inner regions. At that time, the wilds won’t be safe any longer. Their density and frequency will increase significantly, and the real dangers will come rushing in, without any barriers."
He continued.
"The Allied Army?" Li Runshan began to inquire.
"Let me share a fact with you," Wei Hongye explained, "The weaponry of the Allied Army is ineffective against many of these shadow disasters. They can't kill them. Even if we disperse shadow creatures with gem weapons, they will revive shortly after. Therefore, once the defense line breaks, these rapidly recovering monsters will pour in."
"What about nuclear bombs? Why not use them?" Li Runshan interjected, unable to hold back.
"How do you know they won't be useful?" Wei Hongye countered.
(End of chapter)