Chapter 292 - 282: Children Are the Nation’s Hope

"Why do you think the base issued an order like this?" Kai York asked, confused.

"Have you forgotten about the planet auction a while back?" Hugh Finch said.

At his words, Kai York’s eyes widened. "Are you saying the higher-ups want to send these kids to another planet?"

"Given Caelus’s current situation, sending them to another planet might actually be better than keeping them here," Shane Rhodes said.

Moira Lynch, who was standing to the side, nodded.

Veridian Prime’s environment was indeed better than Caelus’s.

Even before the apocalypse, the environment on Veridian Prime was better than on Caelus.

"But didn’t the other countries say before that the environments on those planets were extremely harsh and completely unsuitable for human habitation?" Kai York said.

"You’re not entirely right. It wasn’t all of them," Hugh Finch reminded him. "There’s still Mochina."

"Of course, I know that, but doesn’t SoySauceDrunkard refuse to let anyone onto Mochina?"

"Just because others can’t get in doesn’t mean Cathaya can’t."

After all, since the beginning of the apocalypse, SoySauceDrunkard’s favoritism toward Cathaya has been plain for all to see.

"Besides, don’t forget Hugh’s prediction that the next cataclysm will most likely be extreme cold. Judging by what happened during the extreme heat, even adults might not be able to withstand it, let alone children."

"When that time comes, they’ll probably be the first to be abandoned."

Some people will do anything to survive.

"If that’s the case, wouldn’t the elderly also be in grave danger?" Kai York asked.

Beside him, Hugh Finch said slowly, "Children are a nation’s hope."

The statement was a bit cruel, but it was the truth.

Kai York’s expression shifted to one of sudden understanding. He then stood up. "If that’s the case, I need to go home."

Shane Rhodes and Hugh Finch also decided to head home, leaving Moira Lynch by herself.

Moira Lynch observed the situation on Veridian Prime through the Golden Celestial Eye she had left there.

On Veridian Prime, tens of thousands of excavators had suddenly appeared and were all working simultaneously. The scene was beyond shocking.

Many facilities had already been completed.

Moira Lynch even spotted traces of the Flower Sprites among them.

Looking at the buildings, the completed ones included dormitories, schools, libraries, hospitals...

’It seems the country has been planning this for a long time.’

When she saw the school, Moira Lynch couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

The children should be able to resume their classes not long after arriving on Veridian Prime.

She could see figures of teachers inside the school, and textbooks were being printed in a rush.

Desks and chairs were also ready. Aside from the classrooms being a bit crowded, there were no other issues.

...

After the two cataclysms of extreme heat and the insect plague, the two groups with the highest death tolls were the elderly and children.

Children under three, in particular, simply couldn’t survive in the extreme heat.

The government must have realized this, which is why it issued this order.

Looking at the base’s announcement again, there was a special note at the bottom: pregnant women could also be cared for by the base. Additionally, if a child was under three years old, one guardian was allowed to accompany them.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t just that there were few children on Caelus now; pregnant women were also almost nonexistent.

After all, in such an extreme environment, both pregnant women and children were considered burdens.

It was said that in other countries, food shortages had already led to cases of cannibalism.

In comparison, Cathaya’s situation was immeasurably better than those countries.

They could even still access the internet.

When this news broke, some were skeptical and some were confused, demanding the government provide a reason for its actions.

Why were their children being gathered under unified management? Where were they being taken?

But the base remained tight-lipped about the matter. Veridian Prime was currently a top national secret and could not be revealed under any circumstances.

Some people took advantage of the situation to stir up trouble.

However, these people had ultimately underestimated the unity of the Cathayan people and their trust in their country.

Although the base remained silent on their questions, many people still chose to send their children away.

The reason was simple: the children would only suffer more if they stayed with their parents. At the base, they might at least get a full meal.

At the same time, without their children, their own lives would also become much easier.

Some even wanted to send their elderly family members as well, but they were all refused.

For a time, the entire base became bustling. Many people brought their children to the base’s administrative hall, and a long line quickly formed.

Of course, not everyone was willing to part with their children.

Some wealthy or powerful people were still waiting to see what would happen.

They felt they didn’t lack food or drink and had the ability to take good care of their children, so they were unwilling to endure the pain of separation.

The base did not force these people.

If those people could truly manage it, the base was more than happy to let them.

After all, taking in so many children at once put them under immense pressure.

With the combined efforts of Exoskeleton Mechas, Combat Mechas, and countless Talent Awakened, even going at full throttle, they could only build one structure every three days while ensuring quality.

Such a speed was unimaginable before, but it still wasn’t enough.

Truckload after truckload of children were sent away, heading toward a bright future.

Seeing this, Moira Lynch took the opportunity to send the Candies from her space to Veridian Prime as well, warning them not to reveal their identities.

She also gave them a mission: to coax the children.

Among the children being sent away, the majority were young.

After all, young children couldn’t do much and were only a burden if they stayed. But teenagers, especially the older boys, were already considered semi-laborers and could help lighten the family’s load if they stayed behind.

These young children would surely have trouble adapting to a brand-new environment so suddenly.

Even if the military arranged for professionals to care for them, it would be impossible to be perfectly attentive to every single one, not with so many children.

Besides the Candies, Moira Lynch also sent over the Calming Bell.

After doing all this, Moira Lynch sighed. ’This is all I can do.’

On another front, Moira Lynch handed this month’s supply of Land Recovery Liquid to the robots on Cloudsea Planet, making them responsible for using it to restore the land and pouring it into the ocean.

She observed the situation on Cloudsea Planet through her Golden Celestial Eye.

Cloudsea Planet had changed a great deal, yet it also seemed like nothing had changed. This was referring to the seawater.

"Patience, has Cloudsea Planet changed?"

[According to our analysis, over eighty percent of the land mass above water on Cloudsea Planet has transformed from barren soil into fertile soil suitable for plant growth. The nutrient content in the seawater has also risen from zero to its current level of 0.1%.]