Chapter 115: For the Sake of Those We Love

"Each person is allotted one quota, which allows one family member to move into the safest zone currently available. They will enjoy a standard of living above the average, with three meals a day featuring three dishes and a soup, daily access to washing facilities, and protection from the elements. After the phase mission concludes, there will be an evaluation; those with high ratings may be eligible for early retirement or the option to choose a permanent residence in any safe zone."

After understanding the details, Jiang Huan relayed them to those who wanted to sign up.

As soon as she mentioned the medical examination, two people withdrew uncomfortably. They had been in sub-optimal health before the apocalypse and were currently part of the group of the elderly, weak, and disabled living in the pit, so they decided not to join in the fray.

Jiang Huan intended to go. She wanted to understand the situation outside and had no desire to be an old hermit in the mountains. Furthermore, she wanted her younger brother to live in a better environment. She went to find him, discussed the matter, and explained that she was going to participate in a selection process. It was essentially like finding a job; just as before, she might have to ask others to look after Jiang Xi.

Jiang Xi remained silent for a moment, then took out his gold reserves and his prized tools, handing them all to his sister: "Sister, go. Don't worry about the hardship."

A lump formed in Jiang Huan’s throat. Her brother was so pure and kind, always relying on her, loving her, and helping her. For his sake, she had to take action.

There was one thing she hadn't told anyone else. When she had approached Bai Weishuang to ask questions, Bai had provided a piece of information: the situation with the sea beasts outside was not optimistic. The first batch of recruits would receive the best treatment; subsequent ones might face mandatory conscription, where the treatment would not be as favorable. Without a superior or a backer, unless Jiang Huan’s firepower could withstand the attacks of all the official teams, how long could that air-raid shelter really be occupied?

In other words, it didn't matter if you had renovated the shelter; it wasn't your private property. Even if you didn't touch it, nobody else would move in, but once you did, the ownership wasn't yours, and you were left in a vulnerable position. As for the losses regarding the houses she had bought or rented, who would bother calculating such trifles?

Therefore, not just for her brother, but for herself, for the team they had built together, and to stay informed about the situation on the front lines so as not to be a sitting duck later, she was determined to go.

Jiang Xi wasn't very happy, so Jiang Huan simply brought out two large chests and said, "Sister won't encounter any danger. People without such powerful treasures can go, and if I do face danger, I'll use these tools to ensure I stay perfectly safe. Come, let's open one each—for our victory and for our safety!"

Jiang Xi, whose mind couldn't quite keep up with his former-streamer sister, was easily distracted and began opening the large chest with her.

Jiang Huan opened hers to find a remote-controlled helicopter with a two-person capacity.
*Jiang Huan:* ...If she actually made it into this sea-beast-hunting team, would she have to find a way to learn how to fly a plane?

Jiang Xi opened his to find a slingshot. Jiang Huan was incredulous. A large chest! A chest worth ten thousand points, and it produced a slingshot? Was this a joke?

However, the description read: [Guaranteed hit within four hundred meters, connected to the wielder's conscious mind, equipped with one hundred steel balls. Other metals of similar size may also be used.] The damage, while slightly less than the original ammunition, was still enough to punch a hole in any target.

Jiang Huan thought to herself, "Alright, you can always trust the high-quality items from the large chests." Within four hundred meters, with a single thought and a flick of the wrist, it was a guaranteed hit—more effective than any gun.

The slingshot went to Jiang Xi, and Jiang Huan had him practice one hundred times a day using steel ball bearings he had crafted. Jiang Xi complied; whenever his hands grew sore, he would come home to apply medicinal plasters and get a massage, never once complaining of the pain. Looking at her brother’s determined profile, Jiang Huan felt a sense of unfamiliarity, yet it was a face she knew so well.

Jiang Huan did not neglect her own training, either. She learned how to use the electromagnetic gun and occasionally entered the tank to practice operating the cannon.

With a few days left before the selection, Jiang Huan led everyone in a last-minute push. They used scraps of new material to make hats and umbrellas, and except for the hottest time from noon to 2:30 PM, they went out in batches to scavenge for supplies. Even bringing back a few bricks or tiles counted as training.

The scorching sun hung high in the sky. The blistering heatwaves lashed out at everyone repeatedly, challenging the limits of their skin and health. It felt as if a flamethrower were constantly roasting everyone's heads and backs. Exposed skin would visibly redden after just a dozen seconds. Every breath felt like juggling fireballs.

Jiang Huan and her group walked the streets, drenched in sweat. Some even found themselves missing the extreme cold; if they had the choice, some would truly rather return to the freezing temperatures. After all, when it was cold, you could use fuel and clothing to warm up, but when it was this hot in summer, even if you abandoned all shame and stripped naked, you would still be burning with a maddening, itchy heat. After all, one can add layers of clothing, but one cannot shed their own skin.

Yet, as the training progressed, the degree of "skin shedding" was very mild. Jiang Huan wasn't surprised. Even when she wasn't wearing her temperature-regulating suit, she felt her tolerance for the current extreme weather had increased significantly. Perhaps this change had begun much earlier. Otherwise, how could she and her brother have adapted so well, having rarely stayed in freezing conditions, then suddenly experiencing indoor temperatures of negative dozens of degrees, and later, when the temperature stabilized at negative forty or fifty degrees, frequently heading out to scavenge or chop wood?

Perhaps others hadn't noticed yet, or perhaps some had realized it during quiet, introspective moments but chose not to speak of it. That was why she dared to bring those who appeared the fittest out, gradually transitioning from the dead of night to the evening, early morning, mid-morning, and mid-afternoon.

Today, when they went out, the sun was still arrogant at 4:00 PM, and Jiang Huan didn't dare to rashly take everyone out to be baked. This anomaly continued until about 6:40 PM before the temperatures finally began to retreat. It was hard to imagine that even past 7:00 PM, the outside temperature was still hovering around forty degrees Celsius.

They say the most comfortable temperature is around twenty degrees, but right now, if a place were only thirty degrees, it would be hailed as a summer sanctuary. And that was only the temperature inside the air-raid shelter, which was shielded by the new materials; if one stepped outside, that luxury vanished.

When the group returned to the mountain at 7:00 PM, some collapsed on the ground, complaining that they couldn't take it anymore. Leading the team, Jiang Huan screened out a few more unsuitable candidates. Those who persisted were Uncle Kui, Xie Congzhou, herself, and Wang Ping.

Wang Ping had actually been in sub-optimal health before the apocalypse and had even seemed less assertive than his wife, yet he had unexpectedly lasted this long. The man who had previously sworn to provide a bright future and a safe home for his wife and son began complaining of illness the very first day they returned. Although it was indeed a mild case of heatstroke, two days later, he no longer spoke of risking his life for his wife and child.