Chapter 87

Chapter 87

Cheng Zhiyu truly overslept. He had been busy until midnight, and his family, knowing he must be exhausted, didn't wake him for breakfast.

When he groggily awoke, the outside was already bathed in bright daylight. He stirred slightly, realizing Cheng Mo was holding him tightly, like a giant plush toy.

Cheng Zhiyu: "..." No wonder his dream last night involved being wrapped by an octopus.

He nudged Cheng Mo, who mumbled, "Zhi Yu, go back to sleep."

Cheng Zhiyu replied, "I can't fall back asleep."

Cheng Mo grunted vaguely and continued to hold him.

Cheng Zhiyu: "..."

Fine, he'd sleep a little longer. It was too cold outside.

He closed his eyes and drifted off again. After an unknown amount of time, he reopened them to find Cheng Mo already awake, idly kneading his hand.

Seeing him open his eyes, Cheng Mo smiled, took Cheng Zhiyu's hand, and kissed it. "Zhi Yu's hand smells sweet too."

Cheng Zhiyu: "..."

He sniffed his own hand; there was no particular scent.

"I'm hungry," Cheng Zhiyu announced, getting out of bed. He went to the bathroom with his toothbrush cup, intending to scoop some water, only to find the water bucket frozen solid.

He had no choice but to go out and ask Cheng Mo for some water. Holding the cup, he brushed his teeth while gazing outside.

Everyone was industrious; the snow on the road appeared to have been shoveled. However, in some untouched areas, the snow looked incredibly deep, perhaps even knee-high.

The weather outside remained frigid, feeling much like the previous night.

Cheng Zhiyu frowned. This weather made everything so inconvenient.

Many in the base were also worried. They had hoped the daytime temperature would rise as it used to, but upon waking, they realized it was a pipe dream—it was still bitterly cold.

While they didn't have to fear freezing to death, they worried about relatives they hadn't heard from. They wondered how those outside were faring and if they could withstand such extreme cold.

The atmosphere was somewhat subdued.

Cheng Zhiyu and Cheng Mo went downstairs. Cheng Mo's mother offered to cook for them, but Cheng Zhiyu said, "No need, Cheng Mo and I can manage."

Cold weather called for something warm. Cheng Zhiyu was hungry and didn't want to fuss, so he simply made a hot porridge. He boiled some rice, added vegetables when it was almost done, and a few seasonings—easy to eat.

Though simple, it tasted good.

He also tossed a few sweet potatoes into the stove. After finishing their meal, he pulled out the sweet potatoes and squeezed them; they were perfectly roasted.

Peeling back the blackened skin, the inside was soft and honey-sweet. Cheng Zhiyu took a bite: "Mmm, this sweet potato variety is excellent. We should plant it again next year."

Cheng Mo ate quickly. After finishing one, he took some to share with others, as Cheng Zhiyu had instructed.

"It's so cold—thank goodness for the mutant cotton," Tian Qiao said, holding a warm sweet potato and taking a bite. "Otherwise, even Superhumans would struggle to survive."

Not to mention ordinary people.

Hearing this, Cheng Zhiyu thought of other places that likely lacked mutant cotton and sighed softly. All he could do was help his base navigate this difficult period. For anything beyond that, he would do what he could.

After eating, Cheng Zhiyu worried about the fawn outside. Although it was an enhanced beast, he wasn't sure if it could endure the weather, so he decided to go out with Cheng Mo to check on it.

They also planned to inspect the stream. Everyone relied on its water, and if it froze over, it would be problematic.

Others didn't join them. The weather was so cold that vehicles wouldn't start. Cheng Zhiyu had Cheng Mo, so he didn't have to walk, but others would, so it was best they stayed behind.

They reached the area outside the base, where no one had cleared the snow, making it exceptionally deep. Cheng Zhiyu rode on Big Black, and they soon arrived at the fawn's shelter.

Hearing the commotion, the fawn saw Cheng Zhiyu and excitedly called out, "Yo yo!" Then it noticed Big Black, initially wary, but soon seemed to recognize a familiar scent and relaxed.

The fawn ran up to Cheng Zhiyu and rubbed against him, then gazed wide-eyed at Big Black.

"*Yo yo～*" the fawn seemed to ask: Friend, how did you turn into a dog?

Unfortunately, neither of them understood what it was saying.

Cheng Mo saw the fawn constantly nuzzling Cheng Zhiyu and found it irritating. He used his paw, the size of a human hand, to gently push the fawn away.

Spun around like a top, the fawn: "?"

Cheng Zhiyu tweaked Big Black's ear. "Why are you so naughty?"

Big Black nuzzled Cheng Zhiyu playfully.

Who could resist such a large dog being affectionate? Cheng Zhiyu's heart instantly melted.

The fawn seemed to snap back to attention and hurried over.

Before Cheng Zhiyu could feel guilty, the fawn excitedly bleated at Big Black, "*Yo yo!*"

Although neither of them understood its language, they could tell from its actions and expression what it meant: Again!

Cheng Zhiyu: "..."

Well, the fawn thought Big Black was playing with it.

Big Black ignored the fawn, but it persisted, calling out, "*Yo yo!*"

Finally, Big Black grew impatient and pushed it away with his paw. The fawn spun around like a top again.

Then it ran back: "*Yo yo!*"

Again!

Big Black: "..."

He completely ignored the fawn after that.

Cheng Zhiyu chuckled and pulled out a raw sweet potato, asking if the fawn wanted to eat it.

The fawn sniffed it, took a bite, and happily bobbed its head, clearly enjoying the sweet potato.

Cheng Zhiyu fed it a little more.

Seeing that the fawn was in good spirits and seemingly unaffected, Cheng Zhiyu felt relieved.

He swept the snow off the roof of the shelter he had built for the fawn earlier to prevent it from collapsing under the weight.

As for the stream, perhaps due to groundwater feeding it and constant movement, it had barely frozen—only a thin layer on top, which didn't affect the base's water supply.

This put Cheng Zhiyu at ease.

Before they left, the fawn called out with its "*yōuyōu*" cries, seemingly asking them to stay.

Then, the fawn used its superpower to pull several plump fish from the water. It was unclear when these fish had appeared, as there had been none in the river before.

Perhaps it was because they had been cleaning the river frequently, improving the water quality.

Three large, fat fish landed on the shore and, within moments, were frozen solid due to the low temperatures.

The fawn pushed the fish toward them: "*Yoyo～* For you."

Cheng Zhiyu understood its meaning and accepted the fish: "Thank you, little fawn."

The fawn narrowed its eyes, rubbed against Cheng Zhiyu, and was then pushed into spinning a few times by Big Black.

The fawn: So much fun!

After bidding farewell to the fawn, Cheng Zhiyu sat on Big Black and complained, "Do you have to be so childish?"

Big Black snorted, "My beast form is a bit affected—I just feel childish."

Cheng Zhiyu: "..." You're quite unapologetic about it.

But he recalled what Cheng Mo had mentioned earlier: in their beastman star system, some beastmen would revert to their beast forms and go wild when drunk.

Alright, he was starting to believe Cheng Mo's claim that the beast form could affect intelligence.

Cheng Mo had put it politely, but that was essentially the idea.

Cheng Zhiyu buried his face in Big Black's fur, feeling warm, and muttered, "These fish will be perfect for making fish soup. The weather is so cold—it's just right for fish soup."

Back at the base, Cheng Zhiyu had Cheng Mo clean and prepare the fish, then got busy making fish soup.

First, he marinated the fish to remove any fishy smell, then pan-fried them in hot oil until both sides were golden brown. After that, he added hot water, a bit of salt, and let it simmer slowly.

The resulting soup was creamy white and exceptionally fresh-tasting.

It only needed to simmer for about ten minutes.

Cheng Zhiyu thought to himself, too bad there was no tofu—it would have been great to add some. But they had already planted soybeans, and once they matured, they could make tofu.

He just wasn't sure if the mutant crops could grow normally in this weather.

The fish soup was soon ready. Cheng Zhiyu used a strainer to filter out the fish bones. He had also added ginger, giving the soup a slightly spicy flavor that warmed them up quickly.

Cheng Mo loved it and drank a large bowl: "So delicious, and no bones!"

Well, of course, the bones had been filtered out. Big dog really doesn't like bones.

However, Cheng Zhiyu glanced at Cheng Mo's stomach: "After drinking so much soup, will you still be able to eat?"

Cheng Mo: "I can still eat a few bowls."

Cheng Zhiyu: "..."

——

After the apocalypse, once the major bases were established, they developed ways to communicate with each other.

Small River Base had acquired communicators to contact other bases a few months earlier. It was after they reached out to Chaoyang Base that Chaoyang informed them they could apply for such devices.

Otherwise, sending messengers back and forth would have been too troublesome.

This heavy snow made the communicators particularly useful.

Cheng Zhiyu learned that the situation in most major bases was not good. The snowfall had affected about half of the bases' locations.

With large populations and no access to resources like mutant cotton, which Small River Base had, many people froze to death after the snow.

As for the south where it didn't snow, things weren't much better. Possibly due to cold air from other areas, temperatures in the southern bases had dropped significantly. Though slightly better off than the northern bases, their situation was still far from ideal.

The current consensus among the major bases was to organize mutual rescue. Bases in better condition, with heating capabilities, were asked to consider taking in people from other bases.

The representative of Chaoyang Base said: "Several smaller bases were already short on resources, and this snowfall has made things worse for them. A few bases have already declared they're dissolving, leaving their former residents with nowhere to go. We need to see if anyone can take in some of these people."

Base A: "If it were possible, we would certainly be willing. But as you know, everyone's situation is dire. Our resources are already stretched thin just supporting our own people—we really can't take in more."

Base B: "It's not that we're unwilling. Everyone is struggling. It pains me to see so many people freezing to death every day. If we could help, we would."

Base C: "Sigh, our base is in an even worse state. Dozens of people are living together now, regardless of whether they know each other or their gender. At least huddling together provides some warmth."

Base D: "But I've heard that some of the smaller bases have quite capable Superhumans. Taking them in could actually benefit the development of our bases."

Base B: "We understand that, and if we could take people in, we would. We're just unable to do so right now."

Chaoyang Base: "Our base can currently take in up to 10,000 people. Any more than that, and we'd be overloaded."

Another base, which had a coal mine, added: "We can also take in 10,000 people, but it must be clear—while they won't freeze to death here, we can't guarantee food and drink."

An official said: "Thank you to both bases. In the current situation, being able to take in 10,000 people is already commendable."

Then, addressing several other major bases, the official added: "What about you all? This is a time of crisis. I know it's tough for everyone, but if you can take in even one person, that might save a life. In the apocalypse, every life saved brings more hope. You need to figure it out—this time, there are mandatory requirements. You must meet them, whether you want to or not!"

With things put so bluntly, the major bases could no longer make excuses. They had to comply with the official's demands.

Otherwise, it would be difficult to apply for resources in the future.

In the end, they had no choice but to commit, though most could only take in a few thousand people—at most five thousand, at least one or two thousand.

Listening in, Cheng Zhiyu had an idea. While other major bases didn't lack people, his base certainly did.

He tapped the table and said, "We can take in... 1,000 people."

One thousand was the smallest commitment, but it couldn't be helped. Small River Base was small, with just over 2,000 people currently.

The figure of 1,000 was the result of careful discussion between him and Lin Kang.

First, the number of people taken in must not exceed the base's original population. Second, the remaining houses within the walls built earlier for people from the mountain gully could accommodate at most 1,000 more.

Moreover, with their current food reserves, taking in 1,000 more people would be no problem—there would be no strain.

Any more than that, however, would be impossible.

The official was surprised: "Small River Base?"

If he remembered correctly, this was a very small-scale base. Some of the dissolved bases after the snowfall had more people than Small River Base.

Cheng Zhiyu heard someone mutter, "Brown-noser."

The authorities were indeed quite anxious about arranging for people, so in their view, for a small base like Small River Base to not only refrain from seeking help but also be willing to take people in, it was nothing but ass-kissing.

Cheng Zhiyu: "..."

Beside him, Cheng Mo narrowed his eyes, seemingly ready to assassinate the person remotely.

There weren't many large bases across the regions, but small bases like Small River Base were a dime a dozen. Some were even "mom-and-pop operations," meaning a family with some resources started a base, which was poorly managed and chaotic.

Small River Base blended in among them and didn't stand out. The authorities were just now looking in the corner for the data Small River Base had reported regarding this snow disaster.

The other party was stunned: "Small River Base had only one person injured during this snow disaster?"

Cheng Zhiyu: "Yeah, that person slipped and fell while walking and broke a bone."

The other party: "..."

The official scowled and said sternly, "At a time like this, it's essential to report the situation accurately without hiding anything."

They seemed to think Small River Base might be concealing the real data.

Cheng Zhiyu explained the situation with the mutant cotton.

Another base interjected: "You mean mutant cotton that produces heat?"

Base B: "If that's the case, it's indeed normal that no one froze to death."

Base C: "Do you sell the mutant cotton?"

"We don't sell the mutant cotton, but we do sell the seeds." Small River Base had harvested a lot of mutant cotton this time and kept many seeds. They certainly couldn't use them all themselves, so it was better to sell them.

"Great, great! I'll take ten thousand jin!" said Base A.

Base B: "The hell? You got no shame? Just your base wants them? I'll take ten thousand jin too!"

Base C: "You're both shameless. I've never even heard of Small River Base. How could they have so many seeds? I'll take five thousand jin."

Cheng Zhiyu scratched his head: "We only have five thousand jin in total."

He suddenly realized that while these seeds were a lot for Small River Base, they were way too few for these large bases. A single base could easily snap them all up.

Sure enough, the bases started griping, saying things like, "Only five thousand jin? That's so little," while also saying, "Give me two thousand jin" or "Give me three thousand jin."

Cheng Zhiyu seized the chance to promote: "...We also have other seeds."

"Other seeds?" Base A said, "I just want the mutant cotton..."

Cheng Zhiyu listed the seeds they had.

For wheat and sweet potatoes, since they were food, they could only spare some after keeping enough for the base's consumption. The rest could be used to exchange for resources that Small River Base lacked. They also had seeds for cabbage, lettuce, and alfalfa.

Base A changed tack: "Give me some wheat and sweet potatoes."

Base B: "You're so cunning! I want some too!"

The Chaoyang Base leader cut to the chase: "Mr. Cheng, may I ask what the price is for these seeds?"

But whether it was cotton, wheat, sweet potatoes, or even the vegetables, all were scarce resources now. No matter how expensive, they were in demand.

They just couldn't wrap their heads around how such a small base could have so many seeds of mutant plants.

The seeds cultivated by the wood-element Superhumans in their bases could only grow a small plot, not even enough for themselves to eat, let alone sell.

Moreover, the mutation directions were strange. Some people's rice had mutated to become rice without grains!

For fuck's sake, isn't it the grains that we eat in rice? No grains, what're we s'posed to eat? The fucking husks?

But they couldn't blame the other party, as wood-element Superhumans had no control over the direction of mutation. Not every plant's mutation direction was beneficial.

So, in such circumstances, seeds with good mutation directions were absolutely scarce.

No wonder everyone started competing without even asking the price.

Cheng Zhiyu had already thought about the price earlier: "What we lack now are crystal cores, medical supplies, and daily necessities."

Daily necessities were also needed. Earlier, Cheng Zhiyu saw someone with an extremely greasy head and dirty clothes—stains here and there.

When he told the person to pay attention to personal hygiene, the person helplessly said there was no laundry detergent or shampoo at home, so there was nothing they could do.

They also said there was no toothpaste and they hadn't brushed their teeth for months.

Cheng Zhiyu: "..."

Indeed, when there's no food or water, such things don't matter. But now that they had the means to trade with large bases, they might as well exchange for them.

From what he knew, many people in the base were in similar situations.

Regardless, personal hygiene still needed attention.

Crystal cores and daily necessities were simple. Large bases had no shortage of crystal cores, and they also had their own daily necessities processing plants, so they weren't lacking in those either.

On the other hand, medical supplies weren't exactly abundant for large bases either. If possible, they'd prefer to trade with crystal cores and daily necessities.

When Cheng Zhiyu heard this, he thought, how could that work? They were also short on medical supplies! So he said medical supplies must make up a certain proportion along with crystal cores and daily necessities.

Upon hearing this, Base B tried to pressure Cheng Zhiyu, thinking Small River Base was just a small base: "Little Cheng, no offense, but you know how scarce medical resources are now. Aren't you being difficult? What's the point of holding onto the seeds? Release them, and we can use them to save more people. Ah, young people should have a broader perspective."

Cheng Zhiyu smiled. This Base B had been the most reluctant to take people in earlier. Taking advantage of the communication device's lack of video capability, he rolled his eyes but kept his tone polite: "You're right. If it's too difficult for you..."

The head of Base B was an old hand. He thought Cheng Zhiyu was young and just a base leader, so he tried to pressure him. Hearing the other seem to give in, he smiled.

However, the other party didn't say, as he had expected, that it was okay without medical resources.

The other party said: "If you can't provide the quantity I need, then let's not trade."

The head of Base B's smile stiffened: "How's that work? Are you saying you won't trade the seeds?"

Cheng Zhiyu took the hot water Cheng Mo poured for him and took a sip: "No, whoever can meet my requirements will trade. After all, I don't have many seeds on hand. Don't worry, they won't sit around growing mildew."

Are you kidding me? The demand for these seeds far exceeded the supply. He had nothing to worry about.

Earlier, the other bases kept quiet and let Base B speak, also to see if Cheng Zhiyu, as the base leader, was a pushover. If he were willing to do without medical supplies, that would be best—they wouldn't have to give up their scarce medical supplies either.

Everyone present was sharp. Only the head of Base B might be an idiot, and they were all waiting for him to take the lead.

Now that Cheng Zhiyu had laid his cards on the table, the others immediately understood. Chaoyang Base jumped in: "Medical resources are not an issue. I want two thousand jin of cotton seeds, five hundred jin each of wheat and sweet potatoes, and one thousand jin of lettuce, cabbage, and alfalfa. How's that sound?"

Wheat and sweet potatoes were already scarce, since seed stock was food. They only had two thousand jin of each.

Lettuce, cabbage, and alfalfa were a bit more available, but still only three thousand jin altogether.

Cheng Zhiyu smiled and said, "Sounds good."

Since Chaoyang Base was the first to express their stance, they were definitely getting preferential treatment.

Then, the base with the coal mine said they also wanted a little bit of cotton seed—not just for heating issues, as cotton could also be used to make fabric. They also requested 500 catties each of wheat and sweet potatoes, as well as 500 catties of lettuce, cabbage, and alfalfa seeds.

Seeing that their demands were modest and restrained, Cheng Zhiyu replied, "That's fine."

Upon hearing this, the other bases grew anxious. Wheat and sweet potatoes were already half gone, and they feared the rest would be snatched up by others, leading to a scramble.

Only the leaders of Chaoyang Base and the coal mine base let out a sigh of relief, watching the others argue until they were red in the face.

Since the major bases needed to cooperate with each other, even if they were reluctant to give face to their counterparts, they ultimately had to grudgingly work it out, discussing how to divide the remaining seeds.

The leader of Base B also threw their hat in the ring, but Cheng Zhiyu turned a blind eye, not wanting to offend them outright.

These seeds had exchanged for a considerable amount of supplies—this deal was a good one! Cheng Zhiyu estimated that, in the short term, given their large populations, the major bases wouldn't achieve seed self-sufficiency, so he could still conduct business a few more times.

Thinking of this, Cheng Zhiyu smiled and said, "Pleasure doing business with you all."

The officials had remained silent throughout the discussion. They only intervened on major issues related to the bases and let other matters develop freely. Now, seeing that the negotiations were over, one of them said with a light laugh, "Small River Base is not bad. It seems they truly have the capacity to accommodate a thousand people."

After all, if they were able to sell staple crops like wheat and sweet potatoes, it indicated they likely had no shortage of food.

Cheng Zhiyu said a few modest, polite words before adding, "However, regarding these thousand people, I have some requirements."