Wasteland Survivalist: A Scientific Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Survival

Gu Lang controlled the drone to descend to a lower altitude and conduct close-in reconnaissance towards the inland area.

The images that were transmitted back made his heart sink; the once bustling "golden waterway" had now become a deadly trap.

In the footage, the decks of several key cross-river bridges are broken and twisted, with huge concrete blocks and twisted steel cables falling into the river.

Numerous capsized vessels, from large ocean-going ships to inland barges, densely blocked the once wide river, forming a desolate steel graveyard.

Let alone his yacht, even a small sampan would have difficulty passing safely.

After retrieving the drone, he picked up the Geiger counter and went up to the deck to test the radiation dose in the water.

The values ​​on the instrument screen began to fluctuate, followed by a "beep...beep...beep beep" alarm that gradually increased in speed.

The readings eventually stabilized at an alarming level, with radiation dose rates in the surrounding water exceeding 30 microsieverts per hour.

Nearly three months have passed, but the radioactive contamination from upstream remains significant.

This may be the result of radioactive dust from an inland nuclear explosion flowing into rivers with rainfall and eventually accumulating near the estuary.

This means that the "Changjiang Route" is no longer feasible, as it is difficult to obtain clean fresh water along the way.

Drinking or using these contaminated water sources is tantamount to slow suicide.

Even using distillation, it is impossible to completely remove radioactive nuclides.

The compounds of iodine-131 are volatile and can be carried away by water vapor during distillation, making them impossible to remove completely.

Nuclear explosions produce large amounts of tritium. Tritium water has almost identical physicochemical properties to ordinary water, making it extremely difficult to separate.

Radioactive aerosols are also formed during the boiling process. Inhaling these highly radioactive gases will lead to severe internal radiation exposure.

"As expected, all Plan A's are just there to highlight Plan B."

Gu Lang returned to the cockpit and pushed the throttle lever to continue south.

The typhoon has just passed, but the winds over the sea are still very strong.

To be on the safe side, he had no choice but to sail along the coastline.

As time went by, the skeleton of a giant dragon gradually emerged on the distant sea.

That is the continuous Donghai Bridge, like a gray ribbon, connecting the distant Xiaoyangshan Deep-Water Port.

The nautical chart shows that the cross-sea bridge is over 30 kilometers long and is magnificent.

Even more striking are the numerous offshore wind turbines standing in the sea on both sides of the bridge.

The huge blades spun incessantly, resembling white windmills against the gloomy sky.

"In a place like this..." Gu Lang's vigilance instantly rose to its highest level.

Without a shred of wishful thinking, he immediately reduced the yacht's power to a minimum, bringing the vessel almost to a standstill on the sea several kilometers away from the bridge.

At this distance, one can observe relatively safely while leaving room for emergency maneuver.

He immediately replaced the drone's battery and launched it again, aiming directly at the Donghai Bridge.

The drone's camera silently glided across the bridge, the scene confirming his ominous premonition.

The wide bridge, with its six lanes in both directions, was densely packed with all kinds of vehicles.

Cars, trucks, buses, and even some military and engineering vehicles can be seen.

The vehicles looked chaotic, with many having collided and crushed together, windows broken, and doors wide open.

In the relatively open emergency parking lane in the center, you can see makeshift shelters built with tarpaulins, tent fabric, and even vehicle wreckage.

Gu Lang could imagine that after the outbreak of nuclear war, a large number of refugees tried to use this cross-sea passage to reach the islands on the other side for refuge.

They eventually lingered there, forming a large temporary refuge camp, until the end came.

He turned on the radio and tried to listen to the surrounding radio signals.

However, all I heard in the headphones was blank noise.

Either the survivors here have already evacuated or perished, or there is a conscious radio silence to avoid attracting danger.

Gu Lang quickly put on his bulletproof vest and climbed onto the yacht's flybridge, fully armed.

The 12.7mm heavy machine gun body, tripod, machine gun shield, and ammunition box were taken out from the storage cabinet inside the cabin, assembled into a complete unit, and fixed to the handrail support in the center of the front of the flying bridge.

There was also an open-air cockpit in this location. He pulled down the control station switch, locked the indoor cockpit, and switched control to the air bridge.

The two control stations are complementary, and one can be selected depending on the usage scenario.

If the indoor control console malfunctions, the flybridge control console can also be used as an emergency backup.

The flybridge is located on the top deck of the yacht, at the highest point, offering an extremely wide view with virtually no blind spots.

This is especially beneficial in narrow waterways, densely anchored areas, or when berthing or leaving the dock, allowing for a clearer view of the surrounding environment, obstacles, and other vessels, thereby greatly improving navigation safety and maneuverability.

In addition, the flybridge deck is designed as a multi-functional area primarily for leisure and entertainment, equipped with facilities such as sun loungers, dining areas, and bars.

The captain can navigate the ship while interacting with guests who are relaxing and partying on the flybridge deck, no longer isolated in the indoor cockpit on the lower deck, making the sailing experience more open and enjoyable.

When the weather is fine and the sea is calm, you can steer the ship from the open-air flybridge and directly feel the sea breeze, sunshine and vast sea view, turning the driving itself into an enjoyment.

For Gulang, this leisure deck is also a perfect battle deck.

By setting up a heavy machine gun in this position, a large area of ​​the surrounding sea can be blocked, allowing the yacht to be used as a gunboat.

The yacht slowly approached one of the bridge arches, the massive piers casting large shadows on the sea.

Gu Lang gently stroked the cold grip of the heavy machine gun with his fingers, calming his tense breathing.

He was ready for battle and prepared to meet any attack coming from the direction of the bridge.

The journey was unusually calm, with no signs of life, only the monotonous sound of waves crashing against the bridge piers.

This calm is more unsettling than a direct threat.

Soon, the giant port with the world's largest container throughput came into view.

However, the expected mountain of containers and forest of cranes did not appear.

All that could be seen was a huge, broken puddle; everything around it had been leveled.

The remaining containers were torn apart and scattered by the shockwave, lying on the mudflats like building blocks thrown by a child.

Gu Lang's heart sank. The port had suffered a nuclear attack, and the hope of preserving supplies was extremely slim.

He decisively abandoned his search plan and changed course, moving away from this desolate ruin with high radiation risk.

Our next destination is Yushan Island in Daishan County, which is one of the largest petrochemical industrial bases in China.

If it wasn't destroyed by a nuclear bomb, there would be a possibility of obtaining diesel fuel.