Jiang Ning quietly tried it before, but she couldn’t retrieve the gas tank. As for now… There was no problem collecting items in the bucket. 

Whether or not things could be collected underwater should be related to water depth, pressure, and mental strength. 

So, it’s really hard to say. 

“The major earthquake caused severe damage and turned the city into ruins. The base will also be affected. Rebuilding or developing technology requires a large amount of building materials and metals. We need to prepare in advance.” 

Many factories were submerged in floods. With the continued extreme heat, they would gradually resurface. 

They needed to collect this in advance, especially the special metal materials. Later, they could be used when entering the military base. This will not only avoid competing for resources with other survivors but also allow Jiang Ning and Doudou to live a good life. 

“I’m not sure if I can collect, but I can try.” 

Being ahead of others is not wrong. Jiang Ning wanted to donate materials to the city government so that she could obtain a quota for purchasing houses in the new urban area after the earthquake and rebuild, ensuring a secure life. 

Don’t think about building houses and living alone in the suburbs or deep mountains. That would only lead to a quicker death. 

With the sudden decrease in population due to the earthquake, the living environment became even harsher, and the safety patrol range that the city government could cover became narrower and narrower. 

Those places that are not covered by the patrol range would become a paradise for demons. 

With mutual goals in mind, the two smiled at each other knowingly. 

They rarely have a moment alone. Huo Yishen gently embraced Jiang Ning and was about to kiss her when the walkie-talkie suddenly rang. 

Jiang Ning suppressed her laugh and pushed him away. 

Lu Yu sounded excited on the other end. “Brother Shen, the government has announced the location of the base. When are we going?” 

Knowing that Lu Yu and the others planned to go to the base, Huo Yishen glanced at Jiang Ning and, seeing that she wasn’t particularly surprised, said, “Sorry, Anning and I don’t plan to enter the base.” 

There was silence on the other end, and no one spoke for a while. 

Then there was a knock on the door. 

All members of 1803 gathered. They didn’t understand why Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen didn’t want to enter the base. They were afraid they would miss out on a spot if they went late. 

After all, even though the 18th floor was strong, it wasn’t impregnable. If a large area outside died one day, it would be strange if they didn’t turn into demons and charge the 18th floor. 

Even if the base wasn’t as good as imagined, it was still much better than outside. At least they wouldn’t have to live in fear every day. 

“Brother Shen, why not?” 

They couldn’t understand why the two of them didn’t want to choose the base. 

This matter couldn’t be explained in just a sentence or two. Huo Yishen let 1803 in, and he and Jiang Ning sat together. With a serious expression, he said, “Before I retired, I was a special police officer. I am more familiar with the military and police system than you guys.” 

He explained the difference between military bases and official bases to the three of them in detail. “Natural disasters come suddenly, and the base is still under construction. There’s no shortage of work to do when entering at this time, but they are also short of survival supplies. It would be quite difficult to eat enough. Physical labor should get you about sixty to seventy percent full. 

Anning is taking care of Coke, while I’m taking care of Doudou. Especially since Doudou is still growing. It’s not realistic for two people to support four mouths with physical labor alone. 

Staying in the city is a bit dangerous, but the city’s industrial infrastructure is complete, and it’s easier to gather talents from all walks of life. The recovery and reconstruction would also be faster, so Anning and I plan to stay.” 

After listening to Huo Yishen’s analysis, Zhang Chao and Lu Yu’s eyes lit up, but then they seemed to think of something and couldn’t help but feel a little disheartened. 

Jiang Ning suddenly realized that it was no wonder these two people had been depressed these past few days. It turned out that they were planning to leave. 

If she remembered correctly, Zheng Weili’s hometown was Huicheng. Despite her naturally optimistic nature, she wasn’t one to mince words. 

It had been over a year since the natural disaster, and she had never mentioned missing home or anything like that, but who wouldn’t miss home if they had one? 

As the water level gradually decreased, she should have made plans to go home, and she had told Lu Yu about it. 

Lu Yu was an orphan, without a family or attachments, so he would definitely choose to go with Zheng Weili. 

As for Zhang Chao, to be realistic, if he were to do it alone, it would be questionable how far he could get. 

So, he had to make a choice. 

But no matter if he stayed or left, he seemed to be the odd one out. 

Jiang Ning actually hoped he would stay, but being an orphan made him more sensitive, and coupled with her relatively cold personality compared to Huo Yishen’s, he would probably get along better with Lu Yu and Zheng Weili. 

But having grown up in Fengcheng, going to another city before the disaster was no big deal, but now it meant unknown risks and uncertainties about the future. 

Moreover, he was going in a way that felt like a third wheel. 

So, among the three of them, he was the most conflicted. 

Actually, it wasn’t just him; Lu Yu was also unwilling to leave if given the choice, so the two of them particularly hoped to continue to form a team and enter the base. 

Zheng Weili also hoped the two of them would move forward together or stay behind together. After all, she was very satisfied with the current situation. When she went back to Huicheng to find her family, she would also try to find a way into the base. 

But she also understood that Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen had more options. 

So, in the end, there had to be a vote. 

The answer remained unchanged: 1803 chose the base, while Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen stayed behind. 

When the water disappeared, it would be the day of separation for the 18th floor. 

However, Lu Yu still had uncertainties about the future. “Brother Shen, do you think it’s better to enter the official base or the military base?” 

It’s true that they have food, but it’s not much. One person needs 50 kilograms of food to enter the base. It was like cutting off his own flesh. 

“It depends on your choice. The official base is a bit freer, while the military base is safer, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.” 

Huo Yishen couldn’t give advice, but as a friend, he reminded them, “When the water recedes, it’s best for you to find a car before leaving. Walking to the base is not practical.” 

As soon as the news came out, many survivors with resources would take all their belongings and head to the base. 

If they didn’t go out, no one knew who had resources. Robbing someone on the road wouldn’t yield much, but it’s different if you catch someone moving away. 

Survivors were fast, but there were more robbers. They would set up traps on the way to the base and wait to harvest the survivors’ resources. 

Even Zheng Weili had forgotten about this. 

Reminded by Huo Yishen, the three of them immediately looked serious. 

Zhang Chao worried, “After being soaked in water and frozen for a year, can there still be good cars?” 

Huo Yishen couldn’t guarantee, but he reminded them as much as possible out of consideration for Jiang Ning, although he couldn’t interfere with their decision. 

“Take it one step at a time,” Jiang Ning said. “It is even more unrealistic to row a rubber boat to the base now. There is garbage and corpses everywhere, and it is easy to be infected with diseases. If you encounter robbers, they’ll shoot holes in your rubber boat, and then there will be no way to escape.” 

In her previous life, she had encountered people who fled with their belongings and returned in a sorry state. 

They were robbed as soon as they left Fengcheng, and that was when they encountered robbers with a conscience who only wanted goods, not lives. 

If they encountered ruthless ones, they wouldn’t even have a chance to survive. 

Feeling heavy-hearted, 1803 got up and left… 

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