Wasteland Survivalist: A Scientific Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Survival

Busy until dawn the next day, Gu Lang caught two more eels.

This isn't exactly a bountiful harvest, but in the apocalypse, it's a rare source of fresh protein.

He guessed that the thick clouds significantly reduced the sunlight reaching the sea.

The decrease in plankton in the ocean has led to a decrease in fish populations.

Feeling extremely hungry, Gu Lang used the sea bass he had caught the night before to cook a large pot of delicious fish soup.

After adding some noodles, I enjoyed a luxurious breakfast.

He then cleaned the two eels and cut them open from the belly into two connected pieces.

After lightly marinating in salt water, hang it in a well-ventilated place to dry.

After doing all this, a wave of fatigue washed over me.

After a quick wash, he returned to his comfortable bedroom on the lower deck and fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

He didn't know how much time had passed when a high-frequency, continuous vibration forcefully woke him from his sleep.

"Buzz... Boom boom boom..."

Gu Lang opened his eyes and realized that it was the roar of propeller blades cutting through the air.

He immediately got up, grabbed his binoculars, and took a few steps up the stairs leading to the top-floor skybridge.

The sound of propellers grew louder as he approached, and he looked towards the distant sea to the southwest.

Finally, near the hazy horizon, he spotted a fast-moving black dot.

He immediately adjusted the focus of the telescope and locked onto the target.

Gu Lang identified it as a Z-9 helicopter based on its distinctive ducted tail rotor and fuselage structure.

A strong wind was blowing outside, and the helicopter was flying at a very low altitude, its attitude in the air seemed somewhat unstable.

After observing for a while, Gu Lang finally realized that the other party was not coming for him after seeing them fly inland.

Just as I was about to put down the binoculars, I saw a point of light fly rapidly toward the helicopter.

Immediately afterwards, the helicopter released several bright "fireworks" into the surrounding area.

The light exploded near the "fireworks," but the entire helicopter suddenly lost control, and the fuselage began to spin violently in the air.

"Damn it, the shrapnel hit the tail rotor!" The thought flashed through his mind.

The tail rotor is crucial for maintaining the balance of a rotorcraft; if it fails, the aircraft will be completely out of control.

Sure enough, the helicopter, like a leaf torn off by a gale, traced an ominous arc and plummeted toward the western land.

Gu Lang stared intently at its descent, until his view was blocked by a low, flat sand ridge in the distance, and it crashed into the unseen horizon.

A plane crash was about to happen, leaving him in a dilemma.

With all supplies readily available and the location perfectly safe, pretending not to have seen anything is probably the safest option.

But the possibility that he might be able to get his hands on some active-duty military firearms if he went there now was constantly tempting him.

After thinking for a while, Gu Lang decided to launch the drone to conduct reconnaissance first.

Due to the limited range of the drone, the transmitted images only barely showed that the helicopter had not completely disintegrated or exploded.

Instead, it flipped to the right and made an emergency landing on a vast riverbank, specifically around the village he had visited before.

Seeing that the drone's battery was running low, Gu Lang put it away.

Then I turned on the radio to search, but found no valid signal.

"Military aircraft probably use aviation-encrypted frequencies, so it's normal that we can't receive them."

Gu Lang glanced at the time; it was 17:07 PM, and it was almost dark.

He zoomed in on the video recorded by the drone and, after careful observation, discovered something that excited him.

Judging from the paint scheme, the helicopter that just crashed was likely a naval shipborne Z-9.

However, its outer pylons were not carrying anti-submarine torpedoes, which indicates that the helicopter was on a transport mission.

More importantly, a cannon pod was suspected to be installed on the left pylon, and it remained intact after the crash.

If we could get this cannon down and install it on the yacht, we wouldn't be able to roam freely at sea, but at least we could safely find a suitable place to build a shelter.

Next, he needs to cross the densely packed ship-carrying Triangle region and must prepare in advance for possible attacks by rabids.

"The bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish." Gu Lang muttered to himself, trying to encourage himself.

Having made up his mind, he used the last moments of the evening to check all the equipment.

Under the cover of night, following the familiar route, we arrived at the landing point once again.

Just as I secured myself on the breakwater after securing the cable, the roar of rotors echoed through the air once more.

Another helicopter appeared in the distance, skimming the coastline and flying straight toward the location of the crashed Z-9 helicopter.

"It must be a plane coming to carry out a search and rescue mission," Gu Lang immediately concluded.

"Bang! Bang bang bang—!"

"boom!!"

From the distant village, the sounds of intense gunfire and explosions continued to echo.

"It seems the commotion from the helicopter crash earlier attracted all the berserkers in the area."

Gu Lang felt a chill run down his spine, realizing something was wrong.

I rode the old, dilapidated tricycle I used before and pedaled west for a few kilometers.

The gunfire around me grew more concentrated; it must be the survivors on the helicopter fighting the berserkers.

Interspersed throughout were countless sharp roars, which were enough to send chills down one's spine.

He immediately abandoned his original plan to go directly to the crash site, which was an absolute hotspot of combat.

Going there now would be suicide; even if you want to loot, you'll have to wait until someone lures the berserker away.

But he didn't intend to leave empty-handed. The phrase "since we've come all this way" embodies a strange kind of determination in the logic of the Chinese people.

"Fortune favors the bold. Since the two sides are locked in a fierce battle, we might as well sneak in and raid their base."

After thinking for a while, Gu Lang turned and headed towards the wholesale market for fishing supplies that he had only caught a fleeting glimpse of last time but dared not venture into.

As expected, they encountered no danger along the way and smoothly entered the heartland of Qionggang Town, where the berserkers had gathered.

The metal gate of the fish market had long since disappeared, and the inside was a mess, with various fishing gear, ropes, and floats scattered all over the ground.

He wasted no time and went straight to the area where the fishing nets were piled up, quickly searching for suitable targets among the mountains of nets.

In the corner, he found a brand new roll of nylon mainline fishing net.

According to the label, the mesh size is 5 cm and the length is 30 meters, which is basically suitable for the winch of a yacht.

The fishing net was tightly coiled into a cylindrical shape and sturdily wrapped in a waterproof oilcloth bag, making it extremely heavy.

Time was of the essence, and Gu Lang didn't have time to think much before he laid the heavy "net roll" down on the ground.

Using a circular cross-section, it is propelled forward, producing a dull "gurgling" sound in the lifeless market.

The fishing net was finally pushed out of the market, and just as it was about to reach the tricycle parked by the roadside, the situation changed again.

"Buzz—Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The rescue helicopter returned, and this time, it was so close that it flew right over his head.