Chapter 226 - 110: Rainy Season, Sharp Drop in Temperature, Fiery Hearts!

"It’s fine, there are already Extraordinary individuals guarding the hydroelectric station, they’re veterans who left the checkpoint."

"Is it Reagan Karl?"

"You know him?" Luo Xiaoxue mused slightly, "Your Brother B called, but you probably didn’t get it. This time, the range affected by the Void Mist is huge, almost half of Stone Province is covered by it!"

"Half of Stone Province?"

Cheng Ye couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

The area of Stone Province isn’t defined by the old standards of Earth. The original inhabitants of Stone Province in the New Era annexed quite a bit of surrounding territory during their pioneering days, making the total area as large as 550,000 square kilometers.

Half of Stone Province means it’s almost the size of Guangxi Province?

"Yes, based on the reports from Sand Province, it’s pretty much confirmed that this is a special mobile Extraordinary Curse. The Super Shelter City over there has tried various measures to disperse the fog, but nothing worked. We’ll have to wait for the Void Mist to dissipate on its own. Your Brother B doesn’t know the specifics yet; the details should be sent down to you once it’s all sorted out."

Luo Xiaoxue spoke breathlessly, her tone growing heavy, "The suspected source at the hydroelectric station is still being hunted. Although it’s unlikely to leave the Industrial Zone, you must stay vigilant at the checkpoint. The frequency of Infected Bodies will surely spike in the coming days!"

"I know, Sister Luo, you be careful too. The Fog Caves appear randomly!"

"Sure, the higher-ups are considering setting up concentrated shelters in the Buffer Zone. If things get too bad, I’ll take Yiyi to hide in one of those shelters for a while."

"That’s good. Let me know your plans, and I’ll arrange some people to lend a hand."

After syncing the information, neither had the mind for small talk, the phone was filled only with their breathing, laden with an air of heavy concern.

"Let’s hang up, contact me immediately if anything comes up."

"Okay!"

The call ended.

Cheng Ye held the Defense Communication device, standing in place, his brow furrowed, his knuckles turning white.

Despite speaking in a low voice, Wang Kang, sitting behind the desk, caught snippets of the conversation, his face turning slightly pale.

"Brother Cheng, is there more..."

"Shh, there’s nothing like that. Just pretend you don’t know anything."

Cheng Ye turned around, shaking his head slightly, "Rather than worrying about anything sneaking out from the Industrial Zone, I fear more that a Fog Cave will open up right at the checkpoint, with something jumping out from within. With half of Stone Province covered, it’s all down to luck; there’s no escaping it no matter where you stay."

Even if they packed up and ran immediately, it would be impossible to escape this area by foot before the Void Mist clears.

The thought of leaving by vehicle was dismissed by Cheng Ye as soon as it arose.

The vehicles in Happiness City are battery-driven, at best having a range of a thousand kilometers, reliant on solar power for recharge to run across the Wasteland.

However, with the fog covering the area, the efficiency of solar panels is less than a tenth of the usual, and it would be difficult to recharge even two hundred kilometers a day in the wilderness. Encountering anything out there would pose great danger.

Wang Kang’s lips moved, but he couldn’t find the words.

He just stared at the heavy fog in the distance, murmuring, "Relying on luck..."

Once outside the Inner City, the harsh reality keeps breaking down their perceptions.

Thinking about it now, their safe survival up to this point has been little more than a gamble on luck.

But can human effort really not triumph over nature?

What if he and Cheng Ye encounter a source or an Extraordinary while on duty? What should they do?

Are they to just sit there, waiting for death amidst endless despair and fear?

Leaving Wang Kang at the desk, lost in thought, Cheng Ye dialed back to the checkpoint’s public account.

To his surprise, Lei Hu seemed to know he had bought salted fish from the caravan and was wondering if he had a place to store the cow he had acquired, offering to arrange for the checkpoint’s Big Golden Cup to deliver it back.

"I contacted a bus earlier, it’s from an acquaintance. Could you notify the Public Works Bureau? So he can conveniently come to pick up the stuff."

"No problem, Inspector Cheng, just give us the vehicle number, and we’ll contact the Public Works Bureau right away to coordinate."

Perfect.

Cheng Ye remembered Master Zhang’s vehicle number but didn’t know his full name or Defense Communication number, so the checkpoint’s coordination saved a lot of trouble.

The phone remained connected, and the operator on the other end arranged everything in less than half a minute.

"Given the special situation, we’ve already secured the usage rights of the bus for you for the next half month. If you don’t need it, it’ll continue to operate on its normal route. If you do need it, you can directly contact the driver, Zhang Yong, and Master Zhang will come over to assist you promptly."

"Zhang Yong?"

Cheng Ye whispered the name, committing it to memory, "Alright, thank you."

"You’re welcome,"

The operator’s voice was sincere, "During the Void Mist, our duty inspectors are fighting on the front lines for the good of Happiness City; if you have any needs, we’ll strive to meet them."

Cheng Ye hung up, somewhat surprised, but quickly understood the source of the privileges.

Much like the operator said, during the days the Buffer Zone is enveloped in the Void Mist, those stationed on the frontline are undoubtedly among the most endangered group in the coming half month.

A bit of privilege serves both as comfort and as necessary security.

"If only I could apply for a charging privilege, but unfortunately, there’s no way to justify wanting to charge..."

Cheng Ye looked up, the light blurred into the mist like a piece of soaked butter.

He moved his recliner closer to the light, then opened the Defense Communication device again, his fingers sliding over the screen.