C16 Little Corner of Goods

The next morning at 9:00 AM, the sun had barely crested the horizon when Ye Liangren sprang to life. For the first time in three days, he hadn't succumbed to the temptation to oversleep. Today was a day of paramount importance. He was determined to inspect the condition of the sunspots and compete with officials for recruits.

Upon waking, Ye Liangren's first stop was the monitoring room, where he surveyed the external cameras. The outside world showed little change. The city remained desolate, barren, and devoid of life. But Ye Liangren's sharp eyes caught a subtle detail. Beyond the city limits, the sound of birds chirping had increased. Particularly in the forest, among the towering trees, squirrels could be frequently spotted scampering along the branches—a sight that would have been impossible just days prior.

"Exactly as I predicted, the impact of the sunspots has significantly diminished today," Ye Liangren thought, nodding to himself. The reason the city was still empty was simple: humans were far less attuned to changes in their environment than animals. They were too afraid to take risks.

"However, I'm sure someone will notice soon enough," Ye Liangren murmured to himself, glancing at his phone to check the J City forum. The forum was abuzz with activity.

"Has anyone else noticed? The temperature seems different today."

"Yeah, I noticed! I woke up because it was so cold this morning!"

"I've noticed too. The sun doesn't seem as harsh as before. Do you think it's safe for us during the day now?"

"It's hard to say... Who's willing to go out and test it?"

"Go out?! Who's brave enough to risk it? Even if it's cooler, what if the UV rays are still lethal?"

The forum went quiet for a moment, as no one dared to speak up. When it came to personal safety, caution reigned supreme.

Then, suddenly, a photo appeared on the forum. It was an image from the outside, featuring a tree laden with small red berries.

"It's safe outside! I've been foraging for wild berries! Today, I've had my fill like never before!"

"Brother, for real?!"

"Man, how could you risk going outside? Weren't you scared of getting scorched by the sun?"

"It's all thanks to my dog, Erhuang! A few days back, Erhuang was barely clinging to life, too scared to even twitch. But this morning, right after I woke up, he wouldn't stop barking."

"I figured he was hungry, but as soon as I unleashed him, he bolted outside!"

"I was terrified he'd succumb to the heat, so I threw on some extra layers and ran after him, only to find out it was actually safe outside!"

"Stunning! Absolutely stunning! Great job!"

Suddenly, a flurry of emoticons flooded the screen.

The forum buzzed with activity once again.

"Dude, in these end times, when we're struggling to feed ourselves, you're still keeping a dog?"

"When it comes to dogs, I miss my Blackie so much... I was so hungry yesterday, I had no choice but to cook him... Oh, my Blackie..."

"Too far, man upstairs. Is that really missing him, or are you just hungry? Are those tears of longing or drool?"

"Guys, aren't we missing the point here?"

"It's safe outside! Safe! Doesn't that mean we can go out and scavenge for supplies during the day now?"

"Fellas, let's do this! Time to gather supplies and pick some fruit!"

"Forget fruit picking. Now that we can finally venture out in daylight, I'm going hunting. I'm craving meat!"

The forum erupted with excitement.

Then, a new message suddenly quelled the fervor.

"Now that we can finally go out during the day, have none of you thought about heading to the official fallout shelter?"

With that, the forum went quiet again.

Everyone had considered this, but they were all intentionally avoiding the subject.

Before, daytime outings were impossible. Just surviving through the night was a challenge, let alone making it to the official shelter. And with the dangers that lurked after dark!

Plus, despite Duron's daytime analysis, which everyone critiqued, when it came down to making their own decision about whether to go, there was a palpable hesitation.

Now that they were safe during the day, the topic was consciously avoided. As long as they could survive without immediate danger or hunger, who would willingly seek refuge in an official shelter and depend on others?

Then, the news came through again.

"I'm preparing to collect some wild fruits and then head straight to the official fallout shelter!"

"Anyone else going that way?"

"I understand what you're thinking. Now that the days seem safe, you feel like you can carry on living."

"But has the apocalypse truly ended? Not at all! The news reported that the solar flares were just the first disaster. What's coming next is the fifth Ice Age!"

"What will you do once the food supply dwindles and the city's resources are exhausted? Isn't the official fallout shelter the most reliable option?"

"But by then, it'll be too late! To be frank, the shelter will be full! Even if by some luck it's not, you'll be among the last to enter, after all the food is gone."

"Do you think the people inside will welcome you? You've contributed no food and lived comfortably outside for so long. When you can't endure any longer, you decide to come in? What do you think an official fallout shelter is? A place you can just waltz into when you please? A free cafeteria just waiting to serve you? If there's someone tough enough, they might just quietly take you out the very night you arrive!"

"So, think it over carefully!"

"At ten o'clock, I'll be leaving from the south side of J City, right on time! If anyone wants to join, let's go together! There's strength in numbers, and if we have enough people, we can look out for each other. I'm sure the official fallout shelter won't dare to target us so easily!"

...

The forum quieted down after a sober analysis.

Ye Liangren read the analysis and couldn't help but nod in agreement.

It was undeniable; the analysis made a lot of sense!

Indeed, no matter the situation or the era, there's never a shortage of clever people.

Why did you lure everyone into the official fallout shelter?

I got up so early specifically to gauge everyone's reactions and to recruit some workers!

Your analysis has made it difficult for me to even recruit anyone!

Ye Liangren shook his head, placed his finger on his phone, and began typing immediately.

After typing a few words, Ye Liangren paused and shook his head again.

"Simply hiring isn't enticing enough!"

He promptly headed to the kitchen.

Ten minutes later, a steaming bowl of seafood noodles was ready.

Ye Liangren found the perfect angle for a photo.

He then composed a message:

"Time for breakfast!"

"Here's a tip for everyone. It's essential to eat breakfast after a night's rest. Most of your body's energy has already been used up. Without replenishing it, your body will start to burn fat for energy! In a post-apocalyptic world, fat is crucial. By reducing daily food intake, one can survive much longer!"

"Therefore, breakfast is a must. Plus, if possible, try seafood! It's packed with proteins and trace minerals, which can lower cholesterol, improve blood circulation, and provide calcium to strengthen your body, prevent osteoporosis, and boost your immune system!"

"However, since seafood is inherently cooling, it's best paired with high-calorie foods like meat porridge or milk!"

Message sent.

Ye Liangren filled a large cup with milk from the tap.

With a click, he snapped a photo and uploaded it to the forum.