MTLNOVEL Chapter 196: Kind-hearted People
Li Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Don't go out for now, deal with the people inside Weng City first. A desperate enemy shouldn't be pursued. Let's resolve the issue with the people inside Weng City first."
Second Uncle nodded his head.
Inside Weng City.
A dense crowd of people, at this moment in Weng City, like ants on a hot pot.
The noise was chaotic, mixed with various pleas for mercy.
...
The sounds were desolate, and everyone looked emaciated.
It was a sight that evoked sadness.
"Li Yu, how should we handle these people?" Uncle, seeing the people in Weng City, a trace of reluctance flickered in his eyes as he spoke.
So many people, what to do?
If it were said that they were still outside the base before, they posed a threat to Li Yu and the others.
But now, they are confined within Weng City, surrounded by thick walls on all sides, with only spears and long knives as weapons, without any long-range offensive capabilities.
They're like lambs waiting to be slaughtered.
Others in the base were also watching, their feelings towards those people were complex.
The hardships of this post-apocalyptic world were known to all, especially those who joined the base later, who only survived after countless instances of despair and pain.
Only after joining the base did they start living like real people.
What to do? Li Yu was also struggling.
On one hand, there were a lot of people; keeping them could help with later construction of the base and enhance the overall strength of the team.
On the other hand, he didn't trust these people. These people had attacked the base, and to forgive them, Li Yu thought it would be insane to make such a decision.
And this wasn't before the apocalypse, where one might spare those who could be spared. This was the post-apocalypse, where even surviving was a challenge, let alone expecting gratitude for showing mercy.
Moreover, before his rebirth, Li Yu rarely saw large bases during the apocalypse, primarily because of food issues.
There wasn't enough food to support so many people.
How could they feed more people under these circumstances?
In this post-apocalyptic world,
it's not only the threat of zombies, but also natural disasters like heavy rains and droughts that are challenging.
Recently, many low-lying areas were submerged, and with the ongoing drought, some areas are starting to resurface.
For Li Yu and his group, at this stage, being able to protect and provide for the few dozens in the base was already an achievement.
They could feed them!
The water in Mountain Pond was dwindling, needed also for irrigating the fields. If the drought continued, the rice planted in the base might not get replenished with water.
Priority must be given to ensuring there is enough drinking water.
In the warehouse, a lot of food was still stored, which could last about 7 years for the current 70 people.
So, Li Yu and their base couldn't support so many people.
Since the outbreak of the apocalypse, many resources had already been scavenged multiple times.
Especially food, the most critical resource, had been the first to be thoroughly looted.
Li Yu thought for a long time, and finally looking down at the people below Weng City, he said coldly, "We can't support them, letting them go will lead to greater troubles."
Mercy is not a trait of the commanding.
In this apocalypse, the first rule of survival is not to be kind to your enemies.
Being merciful to your enemies is being cruel to oneself.
Li Yu was cruel to himself, and even more ruthless towards his enemies.
Uncle, hearing Li Yu say this, sighed. He didn't speak because he knew Li Yu was right.
Beside them, other people from the base, holding submachine guns, awaited Li Yu's final decision.
After all, it was a difficult decision.
Although those who had made it this far had survived a long journey, where the old, weak, sick, and young were mostly no longer present.
"Alas, let's begin," Li Yu sighed, finally saying helplessly.
...
...
...…
After a while, the air was permeated with a desolate aura.
...…
...
In the apocalypse, humans are a valuable asset.
However, they are also one of the threats in this apocalypse.
In today's unpredictable extreme weather, to survive, one must be ruthless.
This is not something that can be overcome by simply uniting.
Even if Li Yu shelters and recovers these people,
there will still be other disasters later, not to mention the threat of zombies.
Managing over 800 people, unpredictable natural disasters to come, and then the crisis of zombies.
Li Yu did not have the confidence to bear it all.
The gunfire lasted for a long time.
Li Yu didn't talk to the people below.
There were too many people, let's talk later.
Even the sky lamented, but Li Yu had no choice but to do so.
Once the wait ended, the people on top of Weng City felt like it was all a distant dream.
Leaving behind a small group of people, they would have to be interrogated later.
A breeze began, carrying a strong scent in the air.
Drifting into the distance, floating up into the sky.
Following the direction of the wind, drifting farther away.
It seemed like someone in the distance was singing, listening, telling something.
In this world, there is no absolute right or wrong, only what you want to do.
Anything that doesn't weigh on your mind, everything else is just fleeting to you.
...
...
In a farther place,
various scenes were unfolding.
The cracked earth resembled the deeply etched, helpless, sad wrinkles on an old man's face.
In these hot days, some rivers and wells had dried up, leaving many people without water,
the vegetation had also dried up,
many forests caught fire because of the dry conditions;
many animals also died of thirst due to water shortages...
After famine occurred, humans, out of necessity, couldn't just wait to die at home; anyone who could still move had to go out in search of food.
In these times of severe resource scarcity, wild vegetables became a staple.
After wild vegetables were exhausted, people ate tree bark and roots, and when the bark was completely stripped, they began to "eat dirt."
Of course, this dirt wasn't ordinary dirt; this edible dirt was called "Guanyin soil," which had fine particles and strong cohesiveness,
it resembled flour and clay, and could be mixed with water to form mud cakes.
Guanyin soil tasted like steamed flour buns, soft and slightly less grainy.
In the famine-induced drought of the apocalypse, this taste was considered a delicacy.
When eating Guanyin soil, the poor usually used the steaming method, mixing Guanyin soil with wild vegetables into dumplings and steaming them, swallowing them like baos.
Guanyin soil was very satiating; it caused bloating and made it hard to defecate.
But, given the circumstances today, being able to survive was already something to be grateful for.
When the world collapses, often no one can escape, struggling to live.
It's still better than death.
With such thoughts, many people were supported and resiliently survived.