Read Novel Full Chapter 226: Collection
Chapter 226: Collection
After dinner, they closed all the windows and the three people and a dog sat harmoniously on the sofa. They’re quietly watching an offline movie.
The walkie-talkie suddenly crackled.
Huo Yishen turned off the movie and gestured for the two to be quiet.
He Tianming came to find them, “Comrade Huo, are you and Jiang Ning available now?”
“Yeah, what’s up?” Huo Yishen replied.
“I have a bit of a situation. If it’s convenient for you, could you come down for a bit?”
From his tone, he sounded hesitant and confused.
He Tianming was always decisive; he wouldn’t bother them with things he could handle himself. It seemed this time he truly encountered a difficult situation and had no choice but to seek help.
Huo Yishen looked at Jiang Ning, and after a silent exchange of glances, they replied, “Sure.”
After changing clothes, the two went downstairs.
Passing through numerous checkpoints, He Tianming was already waiting not far away, looking serious.
Jiang Ning asked, “Captain He, what’s the matter?”
He Tianming hesitated, “This afternoon, people from the municipal government came. They want us to vacate several buildings to accommodate homeless refugees.”
On the way back from the earthquake, when they saw the devastated Fengcheng and the countless homeless refugees, Jiang Ning had a bad feeling in her heart.
Thanks to timely warnings, countless survivors had lived.
This was undoubtedly a good thing, but new problems arose: how to provide for their basic needs?
These were matters the authorities had to figure out.
The post disaster reconstruction had not yet begun; they couldn’t just let these people wander outside, which would be even more dangerous.
Aoyuan stood strong in the earthquake, with few residents. It naturally attracted the attention of the authorities.
Jiang Ning frowned, “Did Captain He agree?”
Rescue efforts were one thing, and He Tianming sympathized with the refugees, but he was also rational.
If they let them in, would the Aoyuan residents have to share their resources while the refugees watched?
Life in Aoyuan was already difficult, with barely enough food and scarce water.
Unequal distribution was a problem; they had harvested sweet potatoes recently, with each person getting a bit of water per day, while the refugees had nothing.
It’s easy to invite the gods, but hard to send them away. Once they came in, how could they possibly leave?
As a psychologist, He Tianming couldn’t ignore the terrifying aspects of human nature. When the masses of refugees came in, who would be the hosts and who the guests?
Forget about peaceful coexistence; even safety couldn’t be guaranteed.
“I dare not agree, but this is a special period. Even if I don’t agree, the authorities will forcibly requisition the houses and arrange for them to move in.”
Though not explicitly stated, He Tianming understood that if he refused, they would initiate a compulsory process. He had to stall by saying he needed to gather the members to discuss and delay as much as possible.
But the members were all ordinary people; even He Tianming couldn’t come up with a solution, let alone them.
So, he wanted to hear the opinions of Huo Yishen and Jiang Ning. With his over twenty years of experience, he knew these two had some background.
Perhaps, they could find a solution?
It turned out he overestimated the two.
Neither Huo Yishen nor Jiang Ning had the ability to confront the authorities.
With different positions, if they were in the shoes of the official enforcement department, they might also choose the same.
When the arm can’t twist the thigh, trying to go against it would only lead to a bad outcome. Since the authorities had come knocking, there was no room for maneuver.
Now, the only thing they could do was to figure out how to deal with them, ensure the safety of Aoyuan residents, and cooperate under these circumstances.
Here, there’s room for maneuver.
The two exchanged glances, and Huo Yishen cleared his throat, “Captain He, refusal won’t work.”
He Tianming chuckled bitterly, knowing this well.
“We can only cooperate actively and strive for their understanding and cooperation.”
As an experienced person, Huo Yishen offered some advice, “In our community, there are 8 buildings… Buildings 1-3 are renovated, 4-5 are undergoing exterior renovations, and 6-8 are newly completed but unfinished.”
Since they only need a place to stay, buildings 6-8 could be given to the refugees. They could build a wall in the middle as a safety buffer zone. If they go crazy from hunger or thirst and try to rush over, Aoyuan would have time to react defensively.
When negotiating with the authorities, they should expect to accommodate many refugees. Food, drink, and sanitation are all issues. They should request the authorities to send management personnel and, to avoid chaos, it would be best to have military presence.
If the refugees cause trouble, they could intervene, but it depends on how He Tianming negotiates with the authorities.
Furthermore, Huo Yishen reminded, “The entire city has collapsed, and they’ll definitely choose another safe place for reconstruction. Once the new city area is completed, Aoyuan will become an isolated city, which could be even more dangerous.”
Considering the sacrifices made by Aoyuan residents, He Tianming could use this as leverage to negotiate with the authorities, securing more benefits for the residents and finding a way for them to settle in the new city area.
He Tianming rubbed his temples, “Even if we build a wall, it’s too risky for you to live in Building 5. If the wall is breached, you’ll be the first victims. How about moving to my building?”
Jiang Ning replied calmly, “If the wall is breached, there’s only a difference of one or two hundred meters between Building 5 and Building 1. What’s the difference?”
He Tianming pondered; indeed, if the refugees moved in, patrolling and guarding would become major issues.
But in times of natural disasters and apocalypse, people didn’t have a choice.
He Tianming thanked them and sighed deeply, “I will go back and think about it carefully, and I’ll try to negotiate for a good result.”
The two returned upstairs with a solemn look.
They thought Aoyuan would be a Garden of Eden, but it turned out to be facing the same crisis.
Jiang Ning sighed softly, “Is there anywhere safe outside?”
Huo Yishen didn’t want to dwell on the excessively dark aspects, but he believed she had also experienced them, “The further away from the city area, the more dangerous.”
In places untouched by official influence, not only were there criminal elements, but also many people turned into monsters by the apocalypse.
Murder could happen at any time, with nowhere to hide.
Thinking of the days spent hiding like rats in her past life, even with this second chance, Jiang Ning still shuddered with fear.
Huo Yishen held her cold hand, “Let’s reinforce the house and take it step by step.”
There were many people in Aoyuan, and with unity, they could find a way.
When the nest is overturned, there are no unbroken eggs. Even if they wanted to stay away from disaster, they would always find a way to reach you. They could repel one or two waves, but what about a continuous stream of a hundred waves?
Machines get tired, let alone people.
From the current situation, the people of Aoyuan were relatively united and reliable. Rather than leaving now to face the outside world alone, it was better to advance and retreat together.
Having witnessed the extreme depravity of human nature, Jiang Ning had a premonition that even if He Tianming negotiated with the authorities with the best cards, this conflict would eventually become inevitable.
The next morning, Huo Yishen reinforced the doors and windows, while Jiang Ning went out to deliver the filtered fresh water.
They arranged to meet in the abandoned industrial area. Jiang Ning rode her bicycle there. She encountered debris and severe road damage everywhere.
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