dognovel Chapter 1218
Chapter 1218
Several people, carrying testing equipment and repair tools, hurried towards the seaside.
The road surface was still wet, with water pooling in the potholes and steam rising from it.
Fortunately, everyone's shoes were specially made and could withstand such high temperatures.
The ground and rocks we encountered along the way all showed signs of erosion from the hot, torrential rain.
The closer to the sea, the stronger the salty and fishy smell.
Lin Wei's heart was in her throat. She had prepared for the worst: the breeding pond might be washed away, or the fish fry might be swept into the sea.
But when the breeding base came into view, she stopped abruptly, her eyes filled with unbelievable surprise.
The culture tank was intact.
The heavy alloy fence was firmly anchored in the ground, blocking the impact of the waves.
The pool was calm, and countless huge sealed boxes floated inside. Inside the boxes were heating plates and generators, which could keep the water temperature at over 300 degrees Celsius.
Furthermore, there are small holes around the box, which makes it easy to change the water and allow the hydrothermal fish to breathe normally.
The temperature monitor on the tank was still working normally, and the screen showed that the water temperature was stable at around 300°C, which is the ideal temperature for hot spring fish to live in.
"Great! It's not broken!" a young researcher couldn't help but shout.
The others breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.
Everyone split up to do their jobs: some checked the sturdiness of the fence, some tested the water quality parameters, and some changed the water in the tank.
Lin Wei squatted by the pool, watching the fish swimming happily in the box, and her tense shoulders finally relaxed.
"The water quality is fine, and the fish fry survival rate is 90%," the team member in charge of testing reported.
Lin Wei only heard about Du Kuning's matter after the researchers returned.
Most people were surprised and eager to see what would happen.
However, a small number of people, such as Lin Wei, felt a heavy weight in their hearts after hearing this.
She didn't necessarily want to take the blame upon herself.
It is precisely because the hot spring fish production is low that the base cannot distribute them according to the population, which leads to this situation.
Others are still discussing this.
"Later he even tried to frame our patrol team, saying that the patrol team hadn't fulfilled its duties and was trying to cheat the base out of compensation money," another team member added. "Fortunately, the investigation was thorough, otherwise the patrol team would have been in real trouble."
"This person is far too greedy," a female researcher said indignantly. "The base has already done its best to ensure everyone's basic needs are met, how can someone be so selfish?"
"That's it! It's too much!"
Lin Wei did not respond.
She was considering how to overcome the technological bottlenecks and increase the production of hot spring fish several times over, so that it could be supplied to every survivor.
This is their responsibility as researchers!
But in reality, it's not that they didn't try.
Hot spring fish have extremely high environmental requirements; water temperature, water quality, and feed must all be precisely controlled.
In the post-apocalyptic world, resources are scarce and equipment is rudimentary. Maintaining existing production is already difficult enough; significantly increasing it is virtually impossible.
"Let's focus on what's in front of us first," she said solemnly. "We need to take good care of them and make sure every batch of fry grows up successfully. As for the yield, we'll figure that out later; we'll find a way."
"Yes!"
At the same time, Zhong Tiyun was sitting on a small stool at home, sighing and complaining.
She had just returned from school and still carried a faint mushroom scent.
The excitement I felt when I took office a few days ago has vanished without a trace, replaced by a heavy sense of responsibility.
Zhou Shuwan brought over a bowl of honey water and placed it in front of her: "Mom, what's wrong? Didn't class go well?"
Zhong Tiyun shook her head, took the water glass and took a sip. The warm water slid down her throat, but it did not dispel the suffocation in her heart.
"It's not that they're hard to teach, it's just that those children... are so pitiful."
"Most of them were orphans who grew up in orphanages. They were all thin and small, with little light in their eyes. They were quiet in class, neither noisy nor talkative."
She mostly teaches children who are ten years old or older.
He could actually be called a teenager.
The boys sat at simple alloy tables and chairs, their clothes faded from washing, some with torn cuffs.
Their eyes were deep and serious, unlike the liveliness that children their age should have. Instead, they exuded a maturity and restraint that was inconsistent with their age.
The base provides them with three meals a day, so they won't go hungry.
The food selection is too limited. Every day it's just smoked fish and meat with seaweed soup. How can we get enough nutrition?
So these teenagers were all pale and thin. We didn't notice it until we had a few interactions with them. Now that I'm a teacher and see them every day, it breaks my heart to see them like this.
Zhou Shuwan was silent.
She knew that what Zhong Tiyun said was true.
The base was already short of supplies; it was difficult enough to ensure that everyone would not go hungry, let alone achieve a balanced diet.
Their family is considered well-off; thanks to the space they have, they can basically eat and drink freely, but they dare not waste a single thing.
“We have donated food and clothing to the orphanage before,” Zhou Shuwan said softly, “but the base as a whole is short of supplies, and this is all we can do.”
This is true; their family was among the group that lived quite well in the base.
They still have a lot of supplies stored in the base's inventory.
Therefore, donating a little bit of supplies occasionally is within my capacity.
Zhong Tiyun nodded; of course she understood this principle.
In the apocalypse, just being alive is a blessing; no one has the extra capacity to worry about anything else.
She sighed.
Zhou Shuwan pondered for a while, then her eyes suddenly lit up.
“Mom, I have an idea,” she said, looking at Zhong Tiyun. “You could set up some awards for the children.”
“An award?” Zhong Tiyun was taken aback.
“Yes,” Zhou Shuwan said with a smile. “For example, you can give a small reward to whoever pays attention in class, whoever can accurately describe the key points of mushroom growth, or whoever’s mushroom bags grow well.”
"It doesn't have to be expensive. A smoked fish, a piece of fried fish, or a small handful of flour, or a steamed bun will do. These are things that we can usually save up at home. They can both encourage the children to go to school and help them get some nutrition."
Zhong Tiyun's eyes lit up instantly.
She clapped her hands, and the worry on her face vanished.
"That's right! How come I didn't think of that!"
These supplies are really nothing to their family.
But for those children, it was a rare treat.
Why not let the children learn mushroom cultivation techniques more seriously and also eat better food?
“That’s what we’ll do!” Zhong Tiyun immediately perked up. “I’ll bring the rewards tomorrow and give them a good incentive.”
Seeing her regain her interest, Zhou Jianghai smiled and said, "Wanwan is still the quickest-witted one. You've become so soft-hearted since becoming a teacher."
Zhong Tiyun rolled her eyes at him: "After becoming a teacher, my perspective on these children is completely different from before. These children have suffered enough; I'll help them however little I can."
Zhou Jianghai nodded as well.