Chapter 201 - 126: Wheat Field

Chapter 201: Chapter 126: Wheat Field

Leaving the breakfast stall, Xu Mo was completely preoccupied with how he would solve the threat from the Red Star Industrial Zone. The thought of just nuking the place kept circling in his mind.

After a moment’s thought, Xu Mo suddenly smacked himself on the head. ’Damn it, Jiang City’s leadership is full of smart people who can brainstorm a solution. What am I stressing about this for?’

Shaking the thought from his head, Xu Mo began to wander around.

Freed from the burden of contemplating future threats, Xu Mo felt considerably more at peace.

With a massive sum of fifteen thousand Contribution Points in hand, Xu Mo decided not to take on any missions from the Hunter’s Guild for extra income, at least not until his balance dropped below a certain comfort threshold.

Having just broken through to the Iron Bone Realm, Xu Mo felt he needed time to solidify his cultivation and further explore the potential of this brand-new stage.

Of course, Xu Mo didn’t forget to check his status either. He had gone from a perimeter cleanup mission to serving as an Observer stationed at a fortress for an extended period. His survivor level should have increased significantly.

A quick check on his personal terminal confirmed it: his rank had risen from E to D.

According to the Hunter’s Guild’s rules, a D-rank survivor was theoretically qualified to accept missions up to C-rank.

C-rank missions often involved exploring more central areas, culling stronger zombies, or acquiring more critical supplies. The rewards and risks, naturally, scaled up accordingly.

However, since he wasn’t short on funds or in any rush to seek out adventure, Xu Mo simply filed this information away as a future option.

For the next few days, Xu Mo settled into a disciplined routine, almost like that of a recluse.

In the early mornings, he would practice his Posture Stance and Qi Collection in his small courtyard. His late mornings were for studying various books and maintaining his weapons and equipment. In the afternoons, if the weather was clear, he would occasionally head out for a stroll.

Xu Mo’s reasons for going out were simple. First, he would visit a few well-regarded restaurants in the Inner City for a change of pace. Second, he’d browse the open-air market in the outer city, a sprawling, spontaneous bazaar formed by Scavengers and independent merchant caravans. It was a chaotic hodgepodge, filled with all sorts of "treasures" of dubious authenticity salvaged from the ruins—everything from rusty tools, broken electronic components, and yellowed books to bizarre specimens, jewelry, and even trinkets touted as "antiques."

Xu Mo had little interest in bargain-hunting himself, but he enjoyed observing the diverse cast of characters there. He liked listening to them haggle, boast about their adventures, or spread the latest gossip. It helped him keep his finger on the pulse of Jiang City and track the direction of its rumors in a more grounded way.

As for the skies above Jiang City, the unsettling avian shadows seemed to have temporarily retracted their talons.

While there were still sporadic intrusions by mutant birds into the city limits, causing minor disturbances and attacks, they were all small in scale. They were usually dealt with swiftly by patrolling security teams or by anti-air squads who rushed to the scene armed with crossbows and shotguns.

Perhaps because these minor incidents continued for some time without escalating, or perhaps because Jiang City’s ever-improving air defense network gave people confidence, the residents’ fear of the sky began to fade. Pedestrians on the street no longer flinched and jerked their heads upward at the slightest sound, like birds startled by a bowstring.

A more significant change was the return of a sound that had been absent for some time: the roar of aircraft engines, once again regularly streaking across the skies of Jiang City.

First came the reconnaissance helicopters, then transport planes. Occasionally, one could even spot formations of fighter jets or gunships conducting patrol exercises.

Seeing aircraft soaring through the sky again brought Xu Mo a measure of relief. He knew that with Jiang City’s aerial forces resuming patrols, their primary mission was undoubtedly to keep a close watch on the movements of the mutant bird flock near the Red Star Industrial Zone.

The fact that Jiang City dared to send its precious aircraft back into the sky and maintain regular patrols meant one thing: the monitored flock had not yet shown any signs of launching an assault on the city.

The black crown over the Red Star Industrial Zone might still be expanding, but for the time being, it was at least contained within a certain area and threat level.

The days passed one by one in a rhythm of superficial calm that belied a hidden anxiety. The trees along the streets sprouted more fresh green, and pedestrians’ clothing gradually shifted from heavy layers to lighter fabrics. The air began to fill with the warm, humid scent unique to early summer—a mixture of new growth and city dust.

Summer was coming.

As the seasons changed, the tone of Jiang City’s radio broadcasts grew increasingly positive and uplifting. Besides the usual safety reminders and policy announcements, a significant portion of airtime was now dedicated to publicizing the upcoming summer grain harvest.

"Under the wise leadership of the Administrative Committee, and through the diligent efforts of our agricultural workers and the public, the winter wheat in the three major cultivation zones outside our Jiang City Shelter is showing excellent growth! It has now fully entered the crucial grain-filling stage. In approximately one month, we expect to welcome a historic bumper crop! This marks a solid step forward on the path to food self-sufficiency, further solidifying the foundation of Jiang City...!"

The broadcast was filled with an impassioned tone and a bright outlook. For a massive shelter with a million mouths to feed, a successful, large-scale grain harvest was no less significant than winning a critical defensive war.

It meant less reliance on the outside world, more stable morale among the populace, and a stronger capacity for long-term survival.

Besides the good news about the harvest, Xu Mo heard another announcement on the radio that caught him slightly by surprise: "A delegation of senior administrators from the Rock Shelter will be visiting the Jiang City headquarters in the near future for several days of friendly exchange and professional consultation."