Chapter 126: Reclamation and Dispatch

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The situation in An City was truly beyond what the current Xie Han could intervene in. With his body battered and covered tightly in plaster and gauze, he found it difficult even to move, struggling to catch his breath. Taking advantage of this injury, Xie Han chose not to concern himself with anything else. After moving back to his residence, he spent his days confined to his room, allowing himself to relax completely. There was no hope of returning to the modern world now; with his current condition, what use would that be? Simply lying in a bed in a modern apartment—how was that different from his present predicament? So, decisively, Xie Han adopted the role of a privileged young master, with everything taken care of by others.

Though his body was idle, Xie Han was far from free from responsibilities. Qi Feiwu’s daily routine, beyond managing the affairs of the civilian base, always included a visit to Xie Han before resting at night to discuss the day’s progress. If Xie Han had ideas, she would present them at the next day’s meetings.

By the fourth day after waking, Xie Han was barely able to get out of bed, steadying himself against the wall to walk a little. He was astonished by his recovery—Zhou Ruomeng’s words were true. Such self-healing ability was terrifying if applied to a human. These injuries were fractures and breaks, not mere cuts—entirely different in nature.

During these four days, Xie Han learned more about the small convoy he’d saved. The woman who left the deepest impression was named An Xiaowei. Viewed from the left, her face was strikingly beautiful, but her right side was marred by scars from severe burns. The bearded man who had sacrificed himself was her brother.

An City’s condition was as dire as Chen Liugo had described. If it weren’t so, the siblings wouldn’t have led their team through such great peril to escape An City and seek refuge in Wangtian City. Over a year ago, they had learned of a massive base there, home to over a hundred thousand survivors.

They were fortunate to encounter only small groups of zombies along the way, easily breaking through. Traveling the highway littered with abandoned vehicles, the convoy moved slowly, repeatedly clearing obstacles and fending off approaching zombies. During one stretch where the highway passed entirely over a town, their pursuers—the hunters—appeared, thrusting them into a desperate flight lasting over four hours. What followed was what Xie Han and his group witnessed.

Despite Xie Han’s help, the convoy of seventy or eighty lost a dozen or so members to the zombies. During his recovery, Xie Han did not see An Xiaowei, as not everyone arriving at the base was permitted access to the restricted experimental zone. New arrivals were first assigned to the civilian base, and only those passing evaluations and proving capable could be promoted into the military zone of the new city.

On the eighth day, Xie Han was finally able to leave his room and move freely within the military base. At the same time, the protective moat surrounding the experimental base was completed, along with the high walls of the civilian base. From the experimental base, the walls embraced the civilian zone, safeguarding everything within.

“The completion of the defensive walls marks a further improvement in the entire new city’s defense system, freeing up much labor. Next, we must begin reclaiming farmland. August is already halfway gone; I hope it won’t be too late!” Standing atop a watchtower at the experimental base, Xie Han gazed over the vast, barren wilderness with deep emotion.

As he foresaw, a vigorous campaign to reclaim farmland began in the new city. The primary labor came from the recently acquired farming machines from rural areas—various sizes of cultivators and harvesters, many of which Amu had managed to retrieve. Nearly a month of efforts brought back over forty such agricultural machines.

If the completion of the moat and walls had brought peace of mind, then the ongoing reclamation was a beacon of hope. Apart from the few dozen people An Xiaowei brought, the new city was mostly manned by personnel from the Wangtian base, who had suffered from food shortages for years. They understood well the significance of this breakthrough.

While post-apocalyptic agricultural technology was advanced, that was only when working with already cultivated land. Here, the fields were overgrown with wild grass and utterly undeveloped. Everything had to start from scratch. Advanced was not the word; in fact, fewer than ten people truly understood agricultural techniques in the new city.

Xie Han estimated that the standard post-apocalyptic yield was about 1.5 tons per mu (a Chinese unit of area). He did not need that much—half a ton per mu would suffice. This was not a low bar; in 2009, rural fields produced between 500 and 1,200 jin (Chinese units of weight) per mu. Under the harsh conditions of the apocalypse, without fertilizers or skilled technicians, achieving 1,000 jin would satisfy him.

When selecting seeds, Xie Han pondered long and hard. He finally chose those from the Golden Core Company—not because they were superior but because a provincial agency of that company was conveniently near his apartment. To save time, he opted for their seeds, as the quality and yield were not significantly different from other companies.

His farming plan was not limited to a single crop. Wheat, corn, and potatoes were also on the agenda. The reclaimed fields would be divided accordingly for planting.

Vegetable cultivation was also being expanded. After building greenhouses, Xie Han welcomed any vegetables that could grow in this post-apocalyptic world.

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Reclaiming all the land surrounding the two bases was no short-term task. Xie Han ordered that the land near the lake be prioritized for reclamation. The proximity to water would allow quick formation of paddy fields and rapid cultivation of rice seedlings. The season was nearing the end of the rice planting period, so he could only hope everything was done in time.

Drier areas would be planted with wheat, corn, and potatoes, beginning after the rice fields were completed.

By the time Xie Han was nearly fully recovered, a vast area by the lake had been transformed into over a thousand mu of irrigated paddies. Having experienced farming work at his grandmother’s house in the modern era, Xie Han brought Chen Liu and others to witness the seemingly endless rice fields on the day the seedlings were ready.

Modern machinery had long automated rice transplanting. Simply placing the seedling trays onto the transplanter allowed mechanical wheels to plant the seedlings into flooded fields. The post-apocalyptic machines were even more advanced, combining many steps into one. Learning to operate the transplanter was enough.

Watching tray after tray being loaded onto machines, the roar of engines filled the air as the transplanters slowly started. Gears spun furiously, pulling rice seedlings from trays and deftly planting them into the water below.

Rows of delicate seedlings were set in neat lines. Though fragile, Xie Han foresaw they would soon grow into a lush green sea. By winter, golden fields heavy with grain would stretch endlessly. The vision he had shared with Chen Liu and Xu Qiang was becoming reality.

“If we had enough fish fry, we could raise fish in the rice paddies. Their waste would boost rice yields. Such a pity…” Xie Han lamented—not for the fish, but for the lost opportunity to increase production.

Chen Liu and Qi Feiwu, excited by their new achievements, frolicked joyfully along the field ridges like children, oblivious to their managerial roles. To them, nothing was happier than reclaiming land and planting seedlings.

The rampant XR virus had decimated countless insect species. Xie Han did not know how many had survived; he rarely saw any. Perhaps they were extinct, hidden, or simply unnoticed. In any case, pest infestations were no concern in these rice fields.

Though not worried, Xie Han still ordered the virus research center to prepare some pesticide sprays. For the researchers, this was trivial, but supplies were scarce, leaving a sense of helplessness.

By the time rice transplanting finished, September was near. Next would come planting wheat, corn, and other crops. Having grown up in the south, Xie Han lacked expertise on these and entrusted experienced personnel to oversee them.

By September, the agricultural work reached a milestone. Aside from essential maintenance staff, large numbers of freed laborers returned to brick kiln operations as the civilian base’s construction surged forward. Living in tents was no long-term solution; with the rainy season months away, preparations were crucial to avoid chaos.

The people of the new city were undoubtedly fortunate. Everyone had work. Though hard, more effort meant more reward. Daily earned work points sufficed for two or three days’ food. Watching crops sprout and leaves unfurl brought a sense of security and hope.

This happiness infused the city’s people with inexhaustible energy. They held deep respect for the new city’s management, a stark contrast to the officials in Wangtian base. A manager like Qi Feiwu, who often visited the front lines, was unthinkable there.

This striking contrast fostered a strong sense of belonging. No matter past cruelty, under these conditions, everyone worked diligently to earn points. Such a life was hard-won; no one wished to destroy it or dared to try. Anyone who did would be torn apart by angry people long before management soldiers intervened.

The thriving new city filled Xie Han and his team with pride. With hope and purpose came immense confidence. The people had found a spiritual anchor.

Amid this, Xie Han finally found time to meet with An Xiaowei, who had been at the base nearly a month. He chose the highest watchtower atop the civilian base’s walls for their meeting, where they could overlook the entire base and vast, endless fields.

“Do you feel the atmosphere here? Flourishing, self-reliant, confident. All of this you can find here,” Xie Han said, hands behind his back, commanding as if surveying a kingdom. Unfortunately, An Xiaowei stood behind him, her face cold, showing no trace of the spirit he evoked.

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“Why didn’t you go to save people?” After a long pause, An Xiaowei asked icily.

Xie Han had anticipated this question. Calmly leaning against the watchtower railing, he sneered, “Why should I save them?”

An Xiaowei was stunned but quickly regained composure in his retort. “Yeah, why would you? Maybe you couldn’t save anyone and would risk your own life. Who would do such a foolish thing? There are no saints left in this world. Even if there were, no one would do something so stupid.” Her words seemed to comfort herself as much as to excuse Xie Han.

“To save you, I nearly lost my life. Do you think I could possibly save others while severely injured? Besides, you know An City’s situation better than I do. With my current ability, breaking through zombie hordes and rescuing many is impossible.” Xie Han looked deeply at her half-angelic face, pitying its scars.

“Thank you…” An Xiaowei’s tone was cold and distant, even as she expressed gratitude. She knew of his injuries and had tried several times to visit but was refused, feeling some guilt.

Xie Han smiled. “I didn’t save you for thanks. In this world, ‘thank you’ is worthless. I suppose you haven’t decided whether to stay or leave after nearly a month here?”

An Xiaowei shook her head. “Like you said, this place is flourishing, full of self-reliance and confidence. Why wouldn’t we stay? It’s hard to find such a fair, hopeful gathering place elsewhere.” Her expression darkened as she glanced at her perfect left cheek. “You can’t imagine the horrors in other bases. Compared to here, they’re hell.”

“Do you know why I invited you?” Xie Han gazed toward the civilian base’s first market under construction. The streets were empty with few passersby, only the occasional patrol injecting some life.

An Xiaowei nodded, “Yes, I know.”

Xie Han said, “Smart. You figured it out. Since you want to save An City’s people, I’ll agree—but you must go yourself. I can only provide you with two hundred personnel and as many trucks as you need. Remember, I want population growth, and you want to rescue your kin and friends. Our goals align. To integrate into this new base, you must be willing to contribute.”

An Xiaowei, recalling the GGT biological agent Xie Han used, said, “I need a certain amount of blue medicine and more heavy weapons—at least five modified heavy trucks.”

Xie Han chuckled. “I can give you five GGT bio-weapons but not the modified heavy trucks. Instead, you’ll have five armored vehicles.” Standing, he began descending the watchtower. “Remember, my soldiers only accompany you to An City. You’re the guide, not the commander. Don’t try to take command, or you’ll die horribly.”

An Xiaowei was stunned. From afar, Xie Han’s voice called again, “Prepare yourself. The convoy leaves early tomorrow.”

Population was always needed in the new city. Despite a month-long zombie siege, many survivors likely remained in An City’s surrounding settlements. Like a timely gift, Xie Han believed those trapped in hellish conditions would follow the convoy back to the new city without hesitation.

Moreover, the greatest lure was food. They could not refuse it. As for potential traitors, considering the numerous intelligent beam towers and manned machine-gun turrets around the military base, Xie Han doubted the fragmented groups in An City could break through such heavy defenses.

Sometimes, to gain great rewards, one must take equally great risks.