Chapter 533: Warmth in the Frost: Tales of Hope and Hard Work

After everyone finished their heated discussion, they shrugged off their heavy cold weather jackets and got to work. It was over twenty below zero outside, but inside the cave, the temperature climbed close to twenty degrees. The difference was almost laughable.

Yue Haiying, Yuan Yan, Zhao Ze and Kuang Qingwei took on the task of clearing the stone hut that had collapsed after the fire, leveling it to the ground. They hauled the stones to the rocky patch on the east side of the valley, spreading them out as evenly as possible.

Shi Du, armed with a sprayer, went around the valley spraying disinfectant and pesticide, while also clearing out weeds. It was risky work, so only those with all their limbs intact and plenty of experience from missions in the Evolved Forest could do it.

With their wealth of building experience, Xia Qing and Qi Fu began installing the insect netting along the mountain fissure, making sure small animals couldn’t slip through into the valley.

Unlike the high-density polyethylene nets used inside the Territory—which rodents and evolved insects could chew or claw through all too easily—this netting was made from tightly woven iron wire, much tougher and far more effective.

This iron wire mesh was actually military-grade material, sourced by Yue Haiying.

Xia Qing and Qi Fu had all the right tools and climbing ropes. In less than half a day, they finished setting up the insect net.

Once the net was up, everyone squeezed into the special tent pitched by the hot spring at the edge of the Evolved Forest. They took off their protective masks and gloves and finally sat down for lunch, drinking filtered hot spring water.

Today, when they set out, Qi Fu had brought along a mid-grade filter cartridge and a water bucket for filtering. In half a day’s time, they’d already turned out three buckets of water.

Sure enough, just as everyone had guessed, using the mid-grade filter could lower the Devastation Element content in the hot spring from 17‰ down to 4‰.

Water with 4‰ Devastation Element content, free of radioactivity and other toxins, was top-tier even among Green Lantern water!

“If we use a high-grade filter, this spring’s water would beat even mineralized distilled water, only lacking a bit of Evolution Element compared to pure spring water. If word of this gets out, every force in Hui Three will claw and fight for it.” Yue Haiying’s eyes turned red; his gaze grew even more determined.

Not revealing this valley and its hot spring to Tan Junjie had been the right call. Out of sheer duty, if he knew, Tan Junjie would have to report it to the Territory Management Department. Even if Zhang San was a powerhouse, he couldn’t stand alone against the entire Base. If the Lords’ Alliance got a share of the spring, they’d be lucky to get even 1%.

The Base already has two sources of pure spring water—missing this spring just means switching to mineralized distilled water. But in Territory Fifteen, thirty-two brothers who suffered injuries and illnesses defending the Base and protecting civilians need this spring water to heal. The Lords’ Alliance also needs this hot spring and cave to grow stronger.

Yue Haiying tipped his head back, downing every last drop of spring water from his cup.

Zhao Ze sipped his water and tears welled up again. “I swear, this tastes even better than the bottled mountain water from before the disaster. Today just feels like a dream… If only I were a few years younger.”

Kuang Qingwei chimed in with a sigh. “I may be forty-four, but my wife’s still young. If we drink this water and eat more Green Lantern, she might just become an Evolutionary.”

Zhao Ze, still crying, stared in shock while everyone else burst out laughing.

Shi Du encouraged the two ordinary guys in their group. “Don’t lose hope, Qing, Zhao. My mom’s forty-six. After eating the python meat Sister Qing gave her, her strength evolution is already at two and a half stages. There’s always a chance for you both.”

Zhao Ze perked up immediately, and Kuang Qingwei’s eyes gleamed. Even if he said he had no shot, who living on this harsh planet didn’t wish to become an Evolutionary—stronger, healthier, and longer lived?

As long as there’s even a sliver of hope, you give it everything you’ve got.

But Xia Qing—who’d been devouring knowledge day and night—wasn’t as optimistic as Shi Du. After tons of research, scientists had come up with a result that dashed the hopes of most ordinary people:

For normal people over thirty-five, the odds of becoming an Evolutionary with multiple enhanced abilities are less than one in a hundred thousand.

The reason so many older Evolutionaries have suddenly been discovered in recent years is that these people were Evolutionaries all along—they were just too undernourished from harsh living conditions, so their powers never surfaced or were detected.

Take Shi Du’s mom for example: even before eating premium python meat, she was stronger than an average person, but Safe Zone’s testing division couldn’t label her as an Evolutionary since she hadn’t hit Stage Two. Yuan Yan, before she came to the Territory, fit that description too.

So for Zhao Ze and Kuang Qingwei—both over thirty-five—unless they were secretly undetected Evolutionaries all along, the odds of evolving, no matter how well they eat or drink, hover at one in a hundred thousand; basically zero.

The government kept this fact under wraps because they didn’t want to crush the hope of the majority—those over thirty-five. People are struggling enough as it is, and if everyone lost hope, more would snap, causing chaos and fighting over resources.

Xia Qing couldn’t tell if Zhao Ze and Kuang Qingwei might be hidden Evolutionaries, and she didn’t want to lay out the harsh truth. Instead, she lifted the mood a different way:

“Even if you can’t unlock your Evolution abilities, drinking water this pure still boosts your immunity and makes your body stronger. Shi Du, your dad’s condition will definitely improve.”

“Once we grow premium rice seedlings here, by next June we’ll be harvesting hundreds, even thousands of kilos of top-quality rice. With Credits in hand, Aunt Zhao and Brother Yue can get fitted with bionic prosthetics—life and farming will be a lot easier.”

Yue Haiying smiled at Xia Qing’s words. Zhao Ze’s eyes sparkled too. “You’re right! I’m going to get my mom bionic prosthetics so she can move her fingers again!”

Shi Du threw the last bite of jerky into his mouth. “Let’s keep at it! Qing, how are we splitting up the work this afternoon?”

Xia Qing turned to Qi Fu. “Qi, what do you think?”

Qi Fu suggested, “We’ve pretty much sorted out the east side’s stones. This afternoon, let’s split into three groups: one hauls soil in from outside, one stays to clear the west side, and since we’ve got over a month before we plant rice seedlings, it’d be a shame to waste that acre of land on the west side. Let’s clear and water it today, fertilize and plant rapeseed in the next day or two. Even if we don’t sell it, we can eat it ourselves or send some veggies to Section Seven for Third Brother—what do you say?”

Everyone agreed and split into two groups for work that afternoon.

Xia Qing, Shi Du, Qi Fu and Yuan Yan—three of them strong as oxen—headed out to find good soil to haul back into the valley, while the rest stayed behind to clear the farmland on the west side.