Free Web NovelChapter 559: Chapter 199: Gathering Hearts, Planting the Roots of Civilization! (Part 2)
Leading thirty people carrying rows of buckets towards the riverbank, just as they reached the dike, they saw people from the Red Zone also drawing water.
Garcia held a rifle at the front, vigilantly scanning the water’s surface with sharp eyes.
Their gazes briefly met in the air before quickly shifting away, both restraining themselves from unnecessary communication, each managing their own team.
"Give me the buckets, you just follow behind."
Cheng Ye took a bucket tied with a thick hemp rope and signaled the residents behind him to retreat beyond the safety line. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
Had he chosen five hundred young men, he could have delegated these small tasks to the leaders among them to complete.
But after choosing families as the main force, even Garcia knew it was a responsibility the Inspector had to bear.
The two people who died during the day had already affected his Blue Zone, not to mention the morale in the Red Zone now.
If any more casualties occurred, it would be a devastating blow to the team’s morale.
Cheng Ye was well aware of how important such hands-on actions were to unite people’s hearts.
Sure enough, seeing him personally bend down to scoop water, the residents behind him suddenly showed more vitality in their eyes, and a few middle-aged people, so tired they could barely stand, even managed a slight smile, their physical fatigue dissipating to some extent.
People drawing water and patrolling on the Red Zone side couldn’t help but frequently glance over, obvious envy hidden in their eyes.
Bucket after bucket.
Cheng Ye grasped the hemp rope with both hands, slowly lowering the bucket into the water until it was filled, then suddenly lifted it up sharply, clear river water trickling down along the bucket’s edge.
He could carry four buckets at a time, quickly filling all twenty on a hemp rope.
Yet after continuously completing five sets of ropes, a hundred buckets in total, even with the physical enhancement from his physique, he felt his arms aching and swelling, sweat beading down his forehead and slipping down his cheeks, soaking the lining of his battle armor.
However, just as he was about to put down the hemp rope to catch his breath, there was suddenly a "splash" on the water’s surface, and a black shadow shot out from the water, lunging straight towards his face.
"Sir, watch out!" Behind him, Huang Liang’s face changed drastically, instinctively reaching for the gun at his waist.
But just as the gun was drawn, a cold gleam flashed before his eyes, the leaping water leech cut in half by the Red Blade before it could get close.
Extreme sharpness combined with weight beyond imagination.
Cheng Ye barely felt any resistance in his hands before seeing the water leech, cut into two, fall onto the dike’s muddy ground, its green bodily fluids splattering everywhere, still wriggling slightly.
"These damn things really know how to seize an opportunity."
Cheng Ye caught his breath, kicking away the leech’s remains at his feet with calm nerves.
After all, the physical gap was entirely different; when he first saw the terrifying appearance of the leech from a distance, inherent impressions from modern knowledge induced some instinctive hesitance and fear.
But when the attack did occur, his body reacted with combat instinct, faster than his mind.
And wearing battle armor, even if the leech landed on him, he wouldn’t be afraid.
If common mutated creatures could bite through it, the armor would be a burden instead.
"Sir, impressive!"
Huang Liang swallowed hard, while the residents behind him snapped out of their shock, just about to cheer when Cheng Ye raised a hand to gently stop them.
After resting for ten minutes, two hundred buckets of water were carried back to the open space in front of the supermarket with everyone’s joint effort. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
This river water couldn’t be consumed directly; it had to go through a filter pot and then be boiled to kill any possible infection sources.
The process was troublesome, yet perfectly suited for the logistics team in the group. The heavy work of repairing foundations and constructing living units wasn’t ideal for the women, but filtering and boiling water was just right.
Someone scavenged charred vines from nearby as fuel, setting up large iron pots over a fire.
Cheng Ye had people unfold the collapsible water tanks purchased in advance, each capable of holding 300 liters of water, amounting to 900 liters with three tanks combined.
Calculating at a rate of two liters of fresh water per person per day for five hundred people, this round of water collection would basically suffice for three days.
"Shen Yan, keep an eye on the boiling process. The water must be boiled for five minutes before it can be canned and stored in the tanks, remember to time it correctly!" Cheng Ye specifically walked to the boiling area, repeatedly instructing Shen Yan in charge of logistics.
In the Buffer Zone, water usage seemed careless only because Shelter City had a complete pre-filtering system, and the water flowing through the pipes was already treated.
The Inspector’s manual repeatedly emphasized the risks of using water in the wild, and this was the first practical application, with no room for negligence.
If anyone drank water carrying infection sources, a threat might suddenly erupt from within, with unthinkable consequences.
"Rest assured, sir. We understand these things!" Shen Yan hastily nodded.
After arranging the logistics core tasks, Cheng Ye looked up towards the horizon.
The sun had already sunk behind the distant ruins’ outline, the sky transitioning from orange-red to deep purple, night spreading like ink diffusing in water.
Fortunately, it was summer, and darkness fell late, around seven thirty when it would be fully dark, leaving about two and a half hours of light.
According to Sun Dazheng’s stated speed, constructing twenty living units per hour, they could just meet the target of over a hundred.
He found a clean pre-made board to sit and rest, waiting for the first batch of boiled water, filling two large enamel cups, gulping it down, suppressing his dry throat sensation before standing up and heading towards the living units.
