Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

The broadcast was like a ray of light, piercing through the heavy gloom that shrouded everyone's hearts.

They all looked up and around at the same time, and finally saw several figures wearing heavy military green coats in different directions on the hillside.

They trudged through the mud, their steps steady, each holding a large megaphone, along the intricate mountain paths.

The message, a matter of life and death, was repeated over and over again. At this moment, the military green color symbolized order and hope.

"We're saved! The army hasn't given up on us! They really have a plan!" The bespectacled man's voice trembled with excitement, and his eyes instantly reddened.

He instinctively grabbed Chen Yong's arm, as if to confirm this wasn't a hallucination. "We don't need to risk going up the mountain to dig a tunnel anymore! They're here!"

Chen Yong frowned slightly and said in a low voice:

"Did you hear that? Make the injured take all their belongings... This trip there probably won't be a simple bandage and they won't be able to come back. They'll most likely be forcibly quarantined. They won't be allowed to come back until their injuries are healed or the plague is under control."

Just then, Wang Qingshan, who was in the cave next door, came out after hearing the noise. He looked to be in good condition and was even carrying a string of rat carcasses tied with straw rope.

There were about seven or eight of them, all quite large, with their tails drooping, some still dripping dark red blood. "Brother Qingshan, what happened to you...?"

Looking at his unexpected "gain," Chen Yong couldn't help but ask.

Wang Qingshan's expression remained unchanged, even displaying a pragmatic attitude as he waved the spoils of war in his hand.

"They were killed by hitting them with a few thick wooden planks. I took a close look, and the color of their fur and their claws suggest they're field mice. Theoretically, these things should be edible; when they're extremely hungry, they could be a treat. You guys... want to give them a try?"

Upon hearing this, the group of people who had been excited about the arrival of the military all turned their attention to the string of rat carcasses, their faces immediately showing a mixture of disgust and resistance.

The bespectacled guy instinctively took a half step back, waving his hands repeatedly, "No, no, Brother Qingshan, you keep it for yourself!"

"No thanks, I'm not hungry right now," everyone shook their heads, indicating their inability to accept.

Seeing this, Wang Qingshan didn't press the matter. He simply shrugged indifferently and threw the rat carcass back near the hole.

As if it were just a string of ordinary prey, this little incident somewhat dampened the excitement of receiving news of the rescue.

Xu Xiaoyan watched the receding figures in military overcoats and felt a little relieved.

But my gaze involuntarily fell upon the injured people who were struggling to pack their bags and prepare to go to the quarantine point.

She glanced at it and saw that they accounted for about one-third of the total number of burrowing creatures in their area. The casualties caused by this rat infestation were devastating.

Xu Xiaoyan remembered the words "disinfection in the afternoon" and "try not to wander around" on the radio. Without hesitation, she pushed the broken door open completely, letting in the cold but fresh air.

At the same time, the situation inside the cave is roughly exposed. This is done for two reasons: first, to show cooperation and facilitate subsequent disinfection; second, ventilation can also dispel the residual smoke and blood smell inside the cave.

At this moment, the simple tent she had been carrying played an unexpected role. The small space supported by thick canvas and a frame became an excellent "sleight of hand".

If Chen Yong and the others ask about Chestnut's whereabouts, she can naturally point to the tent.

They said that in order to prevent rats from getting their hands dirty and to avoid the smell during the subsequent pest control, they had hidden all the important food in the tent beforehand. The privacy of the tent also prevented others from peeping further.

Then, her gaze fell on the open space by the door, where she had previously burned firewood and created thick smoke.

Not only were there black burn marks on the ground, but more importantly, it was clear that rats must have crawled in through the hole in the door when the rats were at their most rampant.

She even thought that it might have crawled in that area, and considering the possibility of the plague, she felt that simply cleaning was far from enough.

Xu Xiaoyan picked up the folding entrenching tool and walked to the area without hesitation.

Using the sharp edge of an entrenching tool, she began to scrape the ground forcefully, trying to completely remove the surface soil that might have been contaminated by rat claws and teeth.

"Crack... Crack..." The entrenching tool made a dull sound as it scraped against the ground. She carefully scooped up the soil that was covered with black ash and suspicious stains.

Then, carrying it with a shovel, he walked outside the cave and forcefully threw it down the slope, far from the cave.

Although this left a shallow pit on the ground at the entrance, which looked rather unsightly.

But Xu Xiaoyan felt much more at ease. In her opinion, hygiene and safety were far more important than aesthetics.

After doing all that, she stood at the entrance of the cave, watching the injured carrying their bags to the quarantine point, and let out a soft sigh of relief.

In the afternoon, seven or eight soldiers dressed in full white protective suits, goggles, and masks arrived at the assembly area.

They moved swiftly, working in pairs, one carrying a heavy spray tank on their back and the other holding a long sprayer, like a well-trained professional epidemic prevention team.

The group began to carefully spray the sides of the dirt road and the inside of the cave with its doors wide open, especially the corners, crevices, and areas with remaining bloodstains and filth.

The medicine had an extremely strong, pungent odor, and even from a distance, Xu Xiaoyan couldn't help but cover her mouth and nose.

It smelled like a mixture of high-concentration disinfectant and some kind of insecticide; it was pungent and even a bit irritating to the throat.

When a soldier walked in her direction, she took a few steps back to indicate that the tunnel entrance was open and that it would be convenient for work.

The soldier didn't say much, just nodded slightly to her, then raised the sprayer and carefully sprayed the outside of her hole, the inside and outside of the door, and the area where she had just dug the shallow pit.

The pungent smell of medicine instantly filled the area near the cave entrance, and white mist particles landed on the scorched ground and the teeth marks on the door panel.

Xu Xiaoyan watched as the medicine covered every inch of potentially contaminated area, and her worries about the plague finally subsided.

The entire process lasted about half an hour. After confirming that nothing was missed, the disinfection team finished their work and left for the next area. The air was still filled with the pungent smell of disinfectant.

Xu Xiaoyan dared not delay for a moment; the door panel at the entrance of the cave had to be repaired as soon as possible.

She turned back into the cave, took out the remaining half bag of cement from her spatial storage, picked up two empty plastic buckets, and jogged towards the nearby Qingshui Reservoir.

The reservoir's surface appeared unusually still under the grayish-white light. The rat infestation had just passed, and heaven knows if there were any drowned rats or contaminants carrying germs inside.

She absolutely dared not drink it, but it should be fine for mixing cement, an external building material. She quickly filled two buckets with clean water and returned to the cave entrance.