Zhang Feng saw that this place was no longer the vibrant lakeside scenery, but rather a vast expanse of dried land, with cracks appearing everywhere.
And in the distance, there was a huge pit.
The deepest part was about ten ters deep by estimation.
There were many holes there, which should be the waterholes the bearded man ntioned.
"Let’s go down and take a look."
Zhang Feng, holding two bottles of water and three pounds of at, went down the dirt slope beside him, like sliding down a shallow slide.
"I..." The bearded man didn’t really want to go, afraid soone might drive away with the car.
But seeing Zhang Feng already heading down, if he stayed here and ran into a group of people, that wouldn’t end well either.
So, he simply dismantled the sunshade and stuffed it into the car, locked it, and also carried so food and water, slowly making his way down the slope.
When they reached the dried lakebed, Zhang Feng had already walked to a waterhole.
At the sa ti.
Zhang Feng looked down into the hole, which was sloped, extending to the right.
There were also marks of fras on the tunnel above.
But the fras had been removed, and if they went in recklessly, it could collapse, and that would be the end.
"How is it?" The bearded man ca later, not only checking this hole but also looking at the others nearby.
After looking, he shook his head and pointed to the remaining holes ahead, "The fras should have been removed."
"Hmm." Zhang Feng mainly wanted to find people, not water, "If they’re gone, they’re gone."
With that, Zhang Feng continued to walk forward, still wanting to see with his own eyes, just in case the fra wasn’t removed, finding so water would be a bonus.
"Do you also think removing them was right?" The bearded man, hearing Zhang Feng seed to agree with him, laughed, "Indeed, why should we dig it and others benefit?"
"I didn’t say it was right." Zhang Feng had a different idea, "If it were , I wouldn’t have removed it.
Or else the next ti we’re here to dig, it’s another massive excavation project.
Although it doesn’t help others, it also harms us, there’s no need for that.
So I think, if the other party is really a base, they definitely wouldn’t remove them.
The holes removed are likely those without water inside, and due to a shortage of stabilizing materials, they were taken off."
"That’s right."
This sentence was not answered by the bearded man.
Instead, a voice ca from a waterhole ahead, and a middle-aged man covered in dust erged from the hole.
Silence—
Upon seeing a stranger appear, the bearded man imdiately halted his steps.
Zhang Feng saw that the man showed no sign of aggression, so with a limp, he continued towards him, "We just ca to get so water. If it’s convenient, we can trade so at and borrow your waterhole."
Clattering...
As Zhang Feng continued towards him.
A few more people erged from the two waterholes ahead.
They watched Zhang Feng warily, holding shovels and steel fra parts in their hands.
Even though Zhang Feng was visibly limping, they remained tense.
The middle-aged man slightly raised his hand, signaling them to relax, "Many unnecessary conflicts arise from our instinctive defense, causing misunderstandings."
Though speaking of misunderstandings and defenses, the middle-aged man did not ask them to put away their shovels.
The necessary vigilance was still maintained.
Zhang Feng didn’t continue forward but instead tossed the at over,
"at."
Zhang Feng, seeing they were a group and well-organized, thought they might be comrades from a base.
So he still wanted to make so connections.
Thud—
In the night, the at was thrown four ters away, landing in front of the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man nudged it with a steel pipe, then looked over towards Zhang Feng, now knowing there were only two of them, he smiled and stepped out of the waterhole,
"There’s water in my waterhole; after you and your friend drink your fill, you can take thirty bottles with you."
He pointed at Zhang Feng’s plastic bottle,
"If your bottles aren’t enough, we can give you so of ours."
With that, he had a few people go out of the lake to get bottles, actually to check if Zhang Feng and his companion had any reinforcents.
In such a world, being cautious isn’t wrong.
"Co on over." Zhang Feng didn’t say much else, just called to the bearded man and headed towards the waterhole.
At the edge of the hole, Zhang Feng first pointed to the water bottle tied to his waist, speaking to the middle-aged man beside him, "I already have two bottles of water."
"I have two bottles as well." The bearded man also opened another pouch on his waist, showing the water inside.
"Got it." The middle-aged man acted as if he was doing business, signaling Zhang Feng and his companion to get their supplies,
"Quickly fetch the water, buddy. Once you’re done, it’s our turn to fetch water."
"Alright." Zhang Feng nodded, looking at the bearded man, "You go; I’ll wait here for you."
"Alright." The bearded man, straightforward in matters of business, without further words, went straight to the hole’s edge.
A small ladder hung here, and inside there were also the fras of a sturdily built passage.
"Flashlight." The middle-aged man took out a small flashlight from his pocket, "After about thirty ters downhill, go slower because there’s seepage, and it’s quite muddy.
We’ve just finished digging this waterhole, haven’t paved it yet."
"Thanks." The bearded man took the flashlight, then looked again at this middle-aged man, feeling like this person seed pretty decent?
That was truly strange, yet not so strange.
There are still good people in the world, and after all, it’s a fair trade.
If they really fought, it seed it wouldn’t have to be life or death.
After the bearded man went down.
Zhang Feng looked at the middle-aged man anew, "Can I ask for so information?"
"Why not?" The middle-aged man laughed, "What do you want to know?"
"Do you know the Hope Subway Station?" Zhang Feng asked directly.
"Hope Subway Station?" The middle-aged man was puzzled and looked towards a few fellows erging from the cave, "Do you know it?"
"Never heard of it."
"Nope..."
They all shook their heads, curiously eyeing Zhang Feng.
Zhang Feng with his limping leg and train conductor’s cap looked particularly odd.
"Then do you know how to make batteries?" Zhang Feng spoke directly, "If soone can make them, can I learn from them? Or buy a blueprint.
As for the price, just na it."
"Batteries?" The middle-aged man, upon hearing this, looked at Zhang Feng in surprise, "You want to learn this? Are you sure? We really have a materials master who has always been looking for an apprentice.
But this thing is too difficult to learn, and our education level isn’t high."
"I definitely want to learn." Zhang Feng, hearing they seed to imply sothing, also pointed below, "The friend who ca with graduated from high school, a high achiever, who has so insights on invention matters."
"Really? Then are you interested in joining our small station?" The middle-aged man invited eagerly, his smile growing more pronounced, genuinely wanting to absorb the two into their circle.
Because at their small station of thirty-sothing people, as long as Zhang Feng and his companion ca in, there was no fear of them having any malicious plots.
On the contrary, right now ’having two high achievers’ would be very useful for their small station’s developnt.
This is also why Zhang Feng ntioned the bearded man as a high achiever, so the middle-aged man assud Zhang Feng was one too.
Furthermore, this middle-aged man had led a team of three five years ago and now led over thirty people.
It was through continuous inviting, testing within the team, communicating until integration and expansion, and finally turning the initial team of three into a station of over thirty.
Of course, they were quite lucky not to encounter such team cancers that do no benefit anyone.
When Zhang Feng directly heard the invitation, he didn’t think much more.
"Okay."
Zhang Feng agreed and decided to start stabilizing, learning, and practicing from today.
First train for a couple of years.
When his skills improved, everything would be easier to handle.
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