Chapter 451: Chapter 447: Winter Plan (Part 1)

“Everyone, don’t be anxious, let me finish speaking.” Tang Xiaoquan discreetly exchanged glances with Hu Xiaodong, Old Zhao, and Lin Junfu across the room. After calming the three of them, Tang Xiaoquan continued, “Here’s what I think: we definitely have to rescue them. But before we do, let’s analyze the pros and cons.”

At this point, Tang Xiaoquan shifted his gaze back to Xu Renjie, “Captain Xu, Li Xiaoxin just mentioned that after you entered the stadium, you’ve been trying to call out to Luo Yi and the others. Although my time with Luo Yi was brief, I believe they’re absolutely not the sort who fear death. So, upon hearing your calls, if they were in the stadium, they would definitely try to connect with you, but the fact is…”

Shrugging his shoulders, Tang Xiaoquan felt there was no need to say more:

“I’ve been keeping an eye on the time from when we received the report of you entering the stadium to when we met again after you left. Half an hour passed in between, which means that your attempts to contact in the stadium lasted quite a while. Captain Xu, you’re a military officer, you must have a better sense of time than I do. How likely do you think it is that Luo Yi and the others are still there after half an hour of unsuccessful calls?”

“Moreover, the best rescue time for a disaster is 72 hours or 3 days. Beyond this time, survivors face varying degrees of physiological exhaustion due to lack of water and food. It’s been 72 hours since the incident occurred, which means even if Luo Yi and the others are in the stadium, it’s likely…”

“Of course, that’s just my assumption, but while preparing for the worst, we should also do some necessary things.”

“My idea is this: there’s no need to go to the stadium. Even if Luo Yi and the others survived, they definitely wouldn’t be indoors. So, starting tomorrow, we’ll drive around, with the stadium as the center, patrolling a 5-kilometer radius on the streets, three shifts a day. I believe if Luo Yi and the others escaped the base alive, using this method, we’d surely encounter them on the streets.”

Finishing his statement, Tang Xiaoquan let out a sigh, then seriously asked the silently brooding Xu Renjie, “Captain Xu! How does my proposal sound? Can you accept it?”

The living room fell silent once again, everyone quietly awaited Xu Renjie’s response.

Finally, after 3 minutes of deep thought, Xu Renjie raised his head, “Alright! Let’s do as you suggested!”

“Good! Let’s start arranging the shifts for the patrol personnel now, and have it begin this afternoon.”

Afterward, things became much easier. The Survivors organized into three teams based on their situation and drafted the action plan and patrol routes following the principle of “morning, midday, and night” shifts.

As time ticked by, after lunch, Xu Renjie led a group of soldiers to start the search and rescue operation.

The remaining people lingered idly at the base, aimlessly chatting about various matters.

Old Lin stood alone, lighting a cigarette, taking drag after drag as he stood on the balcony.

The lone wolf’s silhouette seemed both lonely and despondent, entirely lacking the vigor he once had.

According to Zhang Zhicai and Wei Yang, He Jing was mostly devastated by her husband’s death, unable to mentally cope, resulting in a nervous breakdown.

Such incidents were not unfamiliar to Lin Junfu, a traffic officer, as he personally dealt with several major traffic accidents, wherein the family members couldn’t bear the fact of their relatives’ deaths, ultimately turning psychotic.

Undoubtedly, such tragedies not only cause immense damage to the victims themselves but also inadvertently impact those around them.

In recent days, Lin Junfu’s sleep deteriorated even more, and even when he managed to doze off briefly around dawn, he would often wake up startled by the horrific scene of Yan Hua and Guo Xiaohua’s deaths.

One cigarette after another burned, seemingly the only way to stabilize his self-reproaching, helpless heart.

The late autumn’s chilly wind grew increasingly biting, striking Old Lin’s body, unconsciously amplifying his already bleak sentiment.

Tang Xiaoquan noticed Lin Junfu on the balcony. He gently set down his teacup and then strolled over.

Opening the screen door, he pretended to take a deep breath and then praised in a rather enchanted tone, “Wow! This autumn wind is indeed refreshing! Huh? Old Lin, what are you doing here alone?”

Feigning ignorance, Tang Xiaoquan casually steered the topic to Lin Junfu.

However, the latter seemed not to hear him; Old Lin continued to smoke the cigarette with an absorbed focus.

Only after finishing the cigarette did he slowly raise his arm, flicked his fingers, and immediately, the cigarette butt traced a brief yet vivid red streak in the silent air before disappearing.

“Yes, the autumn wind is refreshing, but unfortunately, winter is coming!”

Sighing heavily, Old Lin’s words were profoundly weighted, summarizing his current bleak state in just a few words.

The statement also caused Tang Xiaoquan to inexplicably feel a chill but soon he recovered.

Just as expected, Old Lin was still stuck in the shadow of Yan Hua’s death.

Tang Xiaoquan didn’t know how to console him, understanding that such matters could only be self-resolved by the person involved.

However, compared to Lin Junfu’s lament, his earlier words served to remind Tang Xiaoquan of something quite crucial, namely, “Since autumn has arrived, can winter be far behind?”

Without a doubt, winter is different from the other three seasons. No matter how spring, summer, and fall change, you can always endure them.

But winter is different; without necessary preparation, the piercing cold wind alone can claim your life, let alone anything else.

Moreover, no one knows what shape the winter will take in the post-apocalyptic world, especially if this harsh environment will lead to the emergence of new mutant species. All such uncertainties are great unknowns to the Survivors.

However, one thing is certain: the cold winter will inevitably bring formidable obstacles to outdoor activities, especially during snowstorm weather, and many potential dangers will accompany it.

So, to avoid these risks, Tang Xiaoquan felt it necessary to organize some material preparations beforehand, not just food and medicine but also blankets and clothes.

In any case, it’s better to prepare now than to face the storm and snow unprepared.

With this thought, Tang Xiaoquan glanced sideways at the vacant Lin Junfu and couldn’t help but sigh.

Then, he gently patted Lin Junfu’s shoulder, went back inside, and summoned the remaining companions together. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep