Chapter 676: This is about survival

Using the phrase "people are on edge" to describe the current state of the base couldn't be more accurate.

Frustration and scorching emotions filled every corner.

It felt like only a single spark would be needed to ignite the entire base.

As a result, conflicts had broken out in many places, with members of the Silent Council running back and forth through the streets.

Some people blamed the Silent Council for not revealing this matter sooner.

Others suspected this was all a trap set by the Silent Council themselves.

Of course, Chen Ye harbored the same suspicions, but he didn't voice them out loud.

Things had already reached this point, and any more suspicion would be useless.

What mattered most now was solving the problem, not creating new ones.

Many people were still on the fence, watching to see what everyone else would choose.

Whenever a convoy left the base, it caused a stir.

When the Skeleton Convoy departed, several nearby convoys considered following them out.

But when those people saw that the Fair Convoy, the Post-Apocalyptic Opera Troupe Convoy, and the Shepherd Convoy all remained motionless, they hesitated once again.

These convoys were among the strongest in the base, each one boasting a Sequence 4.

Therefore, the actions of these convoys were subtly regarded as the barometer for the entire base.

Getting these people to stay here and trust the Silent Council was no easy task.

In an apocalypse like this, Chen Ye wasn't the only one with a paranoid mind.

But having them make their own choices wasn't easy either.

This wasn't like shopping at the market, where if you bought rotten vegetables, you could just buy new ones next time.

This was a life-or-death decision.

One wrong choice, and death might be what awaited them.

Although the Skeleton Convoy was relatively weak, their quick decision-making was still something worth learning from.

At the very least, they saved a lot of time for their retreat.

"What do we do, Captain? Do we stay or leave?"

"Those punks from the Skeleton Convoy are gone, let's go too!"

"I used to underestimate those kids, but I didn't expect them to make a decision so fast!"

"But, but the Silent Council people advised us to stay!"

"Damn it, those bastard Silent Council members, this sea anomalies landing thing is definitely connected to them, staying here means death!"

"Then should we leave too?"

"Look at the Fair Convoy, they haven't moved. What are we panicking about?"

Similar noisy and panicked discussions echoed through every corner of the base.

On the Fair Convoy side, however, things were different.

After the Skeleton Convoy left, the Happy Family Convoy moved into their vacated spot.

The Happy Family Convoy and the Fair Convoy were old acquaintances.

Many survivors from the two convoys knew each other well.

With the two convoys meeting up, the atmosphere was relatively harmonious.

But this wasn't a good time for catching up.

Auntie Zhao's expression was extremely serious.

The Insect Breeder looked even more sinister than before, just standing there doing nothing, looking like a major villain.

Other survivors walking past him would take a wide detour, as if afraid to get anywhere near him.

Crow, that kid, still looked completely carefree, even making faces at Little Fish.

The only comforting presence was Lin Qingge.

The post-apocalyptic diva appeared calm and serene, and her aura influenced the surrounding survivors, easing the panic on their faces when they saw Lin Qingge's composure.

Lin Qingge and the Insect Breeder were like two extremes within the Happy Family Convoy.

As if sensing Chen Ye's gaze, Lin Qingge turned her head and gave Chen Ye a sweet smile, full of diva elegance.

Auntie Zhao walked over to Chu Che and slapped her thick, fleshy palm onto his back.

"Little Chu, you've got the most ideas. What do you think about this?"

"We'll all listen to you!"

It wasn't just Auntie Zhao who came over.

Even Zhao Hong, the captain of the Post-Apocalyptic Opera Troupe, walked over as well. She clearly had no ideas of her own and wanted to consult with the Fair Convoy people.

The hesitation on Captain Chu's face earlier had long since settled into calm after he made his decision with Chen Ye.

"What else can we do? Eat, of course?"

"Eat?"

"Little Chu, are you out of your damn mind? Eating at a time like this? Are you afraid you won't die fast enough?"

Auntie Zhao was about to slap Chu Che to knock some sense into him.

"That's right, Squad Leader Chu, there's not much time left. Isn't using it to eat a huge waste?"

Zhao Hong agreed with Auntie Zhao's sentiment. Indeed, two women with the same surname and nearly identical names shared the same opinion.

Chu Che spoke rapidly: "According to the Silent Council, this crisis might last for many days."

"During those days, everyone will need to sort out their own meals."

"Therefore, before we're cooped up for those days, having a hot meal is absolutely necessary."

"Besides, this food will be everyone's rations for the coming days!"

"When the sea anomalies actually come ashore, who among you would dare to light a fire?"

When Chu Che put it that way, Auntie Zhao and Zhao Hong exchanged glances, then turned to their respective convoy supervisors and ordered them to have their people start cooking.

Xue Nan also began rapidly assigning people to handle the task.

"And then?"

Zhao Hong asked impatiently, speaking very quickly.

Everyone was racing against the clock now, and the speed of speech could determine matters of life and death.

Chu Che thought for a moment, then turned to look at Chen Ye: "Yezi, what do you think?"

Chen Ye answered without hesitation: "Seal the windows?"

"Seal the windows?"

"Yes, we've encountered similar situations before..."

Chen Ye was referring to the Anomaly Tides in the Eternal Night Sea of Trees and the Sea of Chaotic Graves.

"According to the Silent Council."

"The sea anomalies will come ashore from the ocean floor very soon, and I expect the numbers won't be small."

"When that happens, the entire base will be surrounded by Anomalies!"

"For superhumans like us, even if there's some pressure, we can at least stay calm!"

"But for the survivors, there's no guarantee they can remain composed."

"Letting them see so many Anomalies right in front of them, some might crack under the mental strain. When that happens, there's no telling what they might do."

"Therefore, we need to block every possible way they could see the Anomalies."

"So sealing the windows is absolutely necessary..."

Chen Ye paused there and looked around at everyone's expressions.

Chu Che then continued: "We plan to move all the survivors into the vehicles..."

"All daily life for the next few days will be handled inside the vehicles."

"So we only need to seal the vehicle windows..."

Auntie Zhao thought it over briefly, then nodded slightly.

Chu Che continued, speaking quickly: "There are several reasons for doing this. First, gathering all survivors in the vehicles makes management easier."

"Second, the vehicles also serve as protective spaces, providing shelter for the survivors."

"Avoiding the possibility of survivors coming into direct contact with Anomalies."

"Third, if any uncontrollable danger occurs, the convoy can leave immediately."

Chu Che and Chen Ye didn't hide their plans.

The more people who survived, the more advantageous it was for them as well.

"Also, tell everyone that after applying the Concealment Talismans, they should move as little as possible and talk as little as possible..."

Zhao Hong added...

Auntie Zhao and Zhao Hong, these two women who shared the same surname and had names only one character apart, displayed remarkable decisiveness.

They immediately began giving orders to their respective convoy supervisors.

When the Fair Convoy started cooking, the other convoys didn't quite understand at first, but no one was stupid, and they quickly caught on.

Soon, the aroma of food began wafting through the entire camp.

This cooking session was meant to prepare everyone's rations for the coming days.

Some convoys' superhumans even felt that cooking was too slow, to the point of using their Supernatural Power.

As for whether the food tasted good, that was no longer a concern.

As long as no one starved to death in the coming days, and no one did anything outrageous because of an empty stomach, that was good enough.

When the Fair Convoy people started sealing their vehicle windows with discarded old clothes.

The other convoys began following suit.

Xue Nan, holding a loudspeaker, patrolled back and forth through the convoy, repeating the same message over and over.

"Everyone listen up! Once you've applied your Concealment Talismans, don't talk, don't move around, and absolutely don't make any dangerous movements!"

"If anyone disobeys... and attracts the attention of the Anomalies!"

"Don't worry, I'll throw you out of the vehicle before the Anomalies eat you!"

"Trust me, superhumans can easily accomplish that!"

"This time, it's about everyone's lives. Listen up, this is no joke, this is about survival!"