Last time on Apocalypse Lord: As the food shortage becomes more acute Yun Ling manages her warehouse and sends more supplies to the restaurant.

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Chapter 73 – Hoarding 3

In the meeting room, one member reported in a deep voice.

“Boss, right now, there are 242 pieces of equipment in the warehouse. Of them, 63 are white, 141 are blue, and 38 are purple. There are also xxx portions of flour, xxx portions of rice, xx pieces of linen cloth, xx bandages……”

Tian Zhe Han had a grave expression.

After the report, the member sat down.

The second person stood up, “In the fishpond, there are 311 common carp, 242 silver carp, 167 grass carp, and 82 herring.”

It was the third person’s turn. She said, “Right now, the team has two main sources of income. The first is to go dig in the mines, the second is to go catch fish on the water.”

“We will sell the ore we dig the same night, and buy food through different channels. Other than eating the sea fish we catch, we can also sell them.”

“According to the team leader, we will not accept copper coins in transactions, just bartering. In these days, we managed to get a lot of equipment and cards. Even if the woodworking workshop and the blacksmith shop stop selling because of a lack of materials, the team can last for a while.”

“We had planned to sell the fish in the fish ponds, but recently, the territory is greatly lacking in food. Based on the leader’s orders, we did not sell even one, and have kept them in the pond. But as a result, we need to put in a lot of feed each day, there is an extra expense, and we will quickly use up the materials we have saved.”

When the words came out, the members frowned and had conflicted expressions.

Recently, there was a nervous air in Rising Cloud City. Many people did not know what had happened, but they all felt a sense of urgency.

Driven by pressure, the residents all hoarded food without any urging. It seemed that only this could relieve their anxiousness.

The spring was so hard now. What would happen in the summer, autumn, and winter?

Hoard hoard hoard, how much did they have to horde before they felt it was enough and they could stop?

No one had an answer.

The hoarding had become instinct.

Other people thought simply. Hoard more, a bit more, the more the better.

……in other words, they were endless, and never satisfied.

The meeting room was terrifyingly silent.

The deputy coughed softly. “There are too many fish in the fishpond, and it is not very profitable to keep them. Either we trade them for rice and flour, or we kill and preserve them. Right now, there are not many players on the market willing to trade with rice and flour. I myself think it is better to kill and make salted fish.”

Tian Zhe Han was silent. After a long time, he said, “Okay, do as he says.”

The taste of the salted fish was much worse, but at least, the shelf life was long. Right now, the situation was not clear, and they had to plan for the worst.

**

“Quick! Gather attacks, and take them in one wave!”

The shout sounded, and countless attacks hit the boss. It swayed and powerlessly fell down, the drop items appearing.

“Leader, how to split the spoils?” The members looked at the items on the ground and were very eager.

In the past, equipment and skill cards were always the most welcome. But now, game materials, especially game materials for cooking, were the best.

Some experts even said they could join a team, but they had to be the first to pick game materials during the split.

What could other people do? Of course, agree.

The drop items scattered over the ground. The leader had joy in his eyes. “Based on the agreement, Yuan Mao picks First.”

The other people had admiring expressions, but no discontent. They clearly recognized Yuan Mao’s contribution, and were willing to follow the leader.

Yuan Mao was not polite at all, and walked among the drop items, picking and choosing. In the end, he took two pieces of pork belly three fingers wide and one finger long.

The leader had an expression of pain and said, “Do you even know how to cook? It is useless to pick the pork belly?”

Yuan Mao was righteous. “I can cut it up and put it in the pot, making porridge.”

The leader, “……”

When wild vegetables were picked, they could be chopped up and used in porridge.

Meat pieces could be the same.

Now, it seemed that porridge was a good thing, suited for people living alone who were not skilled at cooking.

After Yuan Mao picked them up, he put them into his storage backpack.

Seeing the other determined to pick the pork belly, and would not change his mind, the leader said helplessly, “Next, Guo Qing.”

Guo Qing had a target a long time ago. Hearing the leader calling his name, he went up without a word and picked three pieces of tenderloin the size of a fist.

What was the use in the food items from the drops? It was not their turn to pick at all!

The other members of the team were envious, and drooled uncontrollably.

“Third, Shi Yan Yan,” the leader announced.

Shi Yan Yan looked between Yuan Mao and Guo Qing, and did not want to go pick.

“Hurry up and split the drops.” The leader looked up at the sky and urged, “If we are lucky, we will encounter edible plants on our hunts and we can forage.”

“I said long ago that the drop items will be divided based on contributions. The players with the most have the right to pick first. The resources depend on you, who picks will get them.”

“If someone is discontent, then try to get stronger, and get the right to pick first.”

……those two people had the best equipment and super strong skills. How could she catch up?

Shi Yan Yan sighed and went forward.

Near dusk, the people were crowded by the sea.

The waves slammed on the beach, and some small fish and shellfish were washed ashore. Several players saw the same target, and scrambled to get it.

“I got it!” one person shouted in excitement.

The other people felt sorry, but were not discouraged. They became alert, and waited for the next chance.

Others took harpoons and went to the shallow waters to hunt fish.

They would hold their breath and carefully search for the tracks of the sea fish. When they saw their target, the harpoon would fall down. When they pulled the harpoon back up, there would be a live fish at the end of the harpoon.

Others kept on missing even after a dozen attempts. They were very angry. “Is something wrong with this harpoon? Is it bad quality?”

One person took a wood bucket and pushed with their hand, filling the bucket with fish and water.

Others gently cast a fishing net. When they pulled the net back up, there was fish, shrimp, and also seaweed.

The player who had bought a harpoon was very irritated. So many ways of catching fish, why did he pick the hardest? Now, he had bought the equipment, but did not catch the fish. He stood there like a wooden post, and looked very stupid…..

The sky grew dark.

The players on the shore were unwilling to leave.

At this time, their thoughts were astoundingly similar — a bit more food, a bit more feeling of safety. If it was not night, they would not return to the city. The poorer families depended on the side job to help support the family. You had to be diligent in order to have something to eat!

**

After getting familiar with the spring season, the residents found that while the days were hard, they could grit their teeth and manage.

They managed day by day like this. When it was Day 270, the players had eyes full of tears, thinking that they would see the light of hope. But on Day 271, the top right corner showed, “Spring, calamity day.”

“Isn’t spring supposed to be 30 days, 20 of calamity, and 10 of peace?” One player was full of grief.

“Is there a bug with the system? It is already 21 days, why is it still a calamity day!”

“No way? Not even giving the chance to breathe?”

“Maybe they will make it epically hard in the third year, and all the days will be calamity days?”

Hearing the last guess, the player’s sight blacked out and he cried. “Trash game! You are not willing to rest until you kill us!!”

No matter how they cursed, the system did not react at all.

But day 272, calamity day.

Day 273, calamity day.

Day 274, calamity day.

True oppression was to make people walk towards death in a heavy and silent environment.

The pressure of life was so great many players could not breathe. Usually, they could only relax when they were cursing the game.

But even so, the population of Rising Cloud City was still decreasing.

Day 280.

[The Woodworking Workshop is upgraded to level 3.]

[The area taken up is expanded, the workshop is enlarged. You can employ 10 workers at maximum.]

Yun Ling looked at the territory window.

[Population Capacity: 30000]

[Existing Residents: 6215 (Temporary Residents 497)]

[Unlockable Buildings: 13]

[Existing Buildings: 12]

[Existing building detail:

Warehouse (level 3): Omitted.

Mission Hall (level 3): Omitted.

Woodworking Workshop (level 3): Omitted.

Tailor Shop (level 3): Omitted.

Residence (level 3): Omitted.

Defensive Shield (level 3): Omitted.

Restaurant (level 3): Omitted.

Ice House (level 3): Omitted.

Farmland (level 3): Omitted.

Blacksmith Shop (level 3): Omitted.

Market (level 3): Omitted.

Wharf (level 3): Omitted.]

All of them level 3, neatly arranged. This greatly pleased Yun Ling.

She flipped back to look at the window, and felt unspeakably content.

“There are still three more seasons until the game finishes. In total, 90 days.” Yun Ling had a determined gaze, and planned to bravely face the challenge.

Day 281.

Waking up in the morning, still confused, a system notification came into sight.

[Congratulations, Player, for successfully passing the third spring.]

[You have received a hint to passing.]

[The third year is calamity, all days are calamity days.]

Seeing the characters, and understanding the meaning they represented, Yun Ling was awake.

“Bad feelings would always come true……” She had a helpless expression.

The first day of the summer, the temperature was clearly rising, so hot that people were sweating all over, uncomfortable.

In the morning, Yun Ling made herself a bowl of mung bean soup to relieve the heat.

“The temperature cannot keep on rising.” She murmured as she ate, “Last year, it was enough, if it gets higher, how will we live?”

As she spoke, she thought of Lu Chuan, You Qing Wen, and planned to send an NPC later with iced drinks and ice cubes.

At exactly 8, the exploration team left the territory.

The life skills players were all busy, carrying water, weaving bamboo hats, and catching fish.

Some were responsible for cooking, and under the protection of their teammates, they went with wood buckets to the stream to get water.

When a woman came to the stream, she stilled, and then asked doubtfully, “Has the stream narrowed? It looks to me like something is not right?”

“Isn’t it still the same stream? How can it be different?” The teammate looked around warily, expression nervous, and could not help but urge, “I cannot protect you on my own. Do not tarry, be quick.”

The woman thought that it was just a delusion, and did not think about it, getting a full bucket of water and heading back to the city.

At the same time, Yun Ling glanced at a place from the corner of her eye. She could not help but stop in her footsteps. “How come the mountain streams here are gone?”

She clearly remembered, since the start of the game, there had been a stream flowing here. How come, suddenly, it was gone?!

Thinking that the third year was a calamity year, she had a bad feeling.

“Maybe it is a coincidence?” Pang Yu guessed.

Yun Ling said, “The first day of summer? A coincidence?”

Pang Yu could not even convince himself and so did not say a thing.

“If I unfortunately guess right, and the third year’s summer is a drought……” Yun Ling was in a heavy mood. “Then it is troublesome.”