HBWnovel Chapter 69 Building an Early Warning System
Chapter 69 Building an Early Warning System
Storage facilities and accommodation arrangements are the two most important topics tonight.
After finalizing both matters, Gao Yuan wrote down two titles in his notebook: "2 warehouses" and "Housing resources allocated according to contribution points." He then briefly noted down a few key points for execution under each title.
The next topics were relatively easier.
Gao Yuan added some more information this afternoon regarding the water and electricity issues that had been considered before.
Regarding electricity, a diesel generator will be airdropped to the rooftop before 9 a.m. tomorrow. With a power output of 15 kilowatts, there will be no problem with the public lighting in Building 3, the rice cookers and induction cookers in the kitchens, and the charging of communication equipment.
As for water, Lu Chen had previously proposed diverting water from the lake in People's Park. Although this was a large project, it wasn't an urgent matter.
The only real shortage at the outpost right now is drinking water. Water is scarce in places that require a lot of water, such as flushing toilets, washing clothes, and cleaning.
But there is absolutely no shortage of drinking water... The bottled and barrelled water collected from each floor is enough to feed 130 people for at least half a month.
In Lu Chen's plan, the water diversion project should be completed within a week.
After discussing these matters, the conversation turned to the last and most serious topic of the evening: the security of the base.
"Everyone, please feel free to speak your mind," Lu Chen began, leaning back on the sofa and adopting a posture of attentive listening.
"I think we should take the initiative to eliminate the zombies in the surrounding area as soon as possible to ensure the security of our stronghold. This should be more effective than passive defense." Ning Tieshan was the first to speak this time.
Before, when he sat in this room, he always felt like he was just listening in, but when it came to safety issues... a field he had personally experienced, he unusually took the initiative to speak.
Lu Chen agreed with this point, "Yes! When we go to rescue several nearby residential areas tomorrow, we'll also sweep the surrounding streets."
"The group of zombies attracted by the thick smoke this afternoon is only a small part of the surrounding streets. There are definitely many more further out. Let's clear out the blocks around the neighborhood first, and then gradually expand outwards."
At this moment, Shen Qingci also spoke up, "Early warning is also very important. I think someone should be stationed on the rooftop for a long time to facilitate observation of the surrounding movements."
"And those three drones you bought can also take off at regular intervals every day to conduct high-altitude reconnaissance, film the zombie density of the surrounding main roads, and then determine which direction to clear first based on the video."
Because of her special abilities, she focuses more on reconnaissance.
"That's a great idea!" Lu Chen nodded, adding on Shen Qingci's suggestion, "Not only that, the 20 cameras that Colonel Zhang Zhenhua donated can also be used."
"We'll set up a few high points around the perimeter of the residential area, pointing them at the main roads outside, to monitor the zombies' movements in real time. Combined with the three drones, we can build a simple monitoring room on the rooftop, compile all the footage onto a single screen, and have people take turns watching it."
"In this way, with drones patrolling in the sky, ground cameras monitoring in real time, and Qingci's special ability to sense individual targets infiltrating the community, the three lines of defense complement each other, leaving virtually no blind spots."
Upon hearing Lu Chen's addition, everyone nodded in agreement, as they all understood the importance of early warning.
Last night, they were able to defeat the elite zombies largely because Shen Qingci sensed their approach in advance, giving Lu Chen time to gather the zombie horde, set up a defensive line, and confine the battle to the fire escape staircase.
If the elite zombie had silently crept into the 5th-floor corridor and then been discovered, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Gao Yuan thought for a moment and added, "I also have a suggestion. I think we can install barriers or other obstructions on the surrounding walls. The purpose is not to stop the zombies, but to block their line of sight."
He stood up, walked to the window of apartment 501, pulled back a corner of the curtain, and pointed to the iron fence surrounding the edge of the residential area below.
"Our current perimeter is entirely made of iron bars, and people can see directly into the community from the street outside. When we survivors want to walk from Building 3 to Building 2 to get something, if there are any zombies wandering on the street outside, we can spot them immediately when we pass through the open space between the buildings."
"But as long as we add a layer of cover on the inside of the wall, at least during the day when people are moving around inside the community, they won't have to worry about being targeted by zombies outside every step of the way."
Everyone nodded in agreement, feeling that the idea was both practical and easy to implement.
Ning Tieshan and Zhao Yongqiang, in particular, felt this most deeply... They were field staff and ordinary people, so they could best understand this feeling.
"Okay, let's put this on the agenda and get it done as soon as possible." Lu Chen made the decision on the spot. "It's a bit difficult to find a proper barrier right now. In the early stages, we can use other things to temporarily block it, like cloth or something similar."
"Hmm." Gao Yuan had already reopened his notebook and written a few lines on it.
"I'll arrange for people to remove all the extra curtains from each building tomorrow. Those thick blackout curtains, just one layer hanging on the fence, can completely block the view from outside. Let's solve the problem of having them first, and then we can gradually replace them with sturdier ones later."
The security discussions have reached a fairly good stage. There are designated personnel responsible for each of the three areas: proactive clearing operations, an early warning system, and perimeter fencing.
Lu Chen looked around at the people in the room. "Does anyone have anything else to add?"
Upon hearing Lu Chen's question, the others shook their heads.
All the topics that needed to be discussed have been covered, from material warehouses to accommodation allocation, from water and electricity projects to security and defense; the general direction for each item has been finalized.
Just as Lu Chen was about to announce the end of the meeting, Sun Xiulan, who had been sitting in the corner and hadn't said much, weakly raised her hand.
"I have another question about meat." Her voice wasn't loud, but as soon as she spoke, everyone in the room turned to look at her.
Sun Xiulan sat up straighter in the folding chair, unconsciously rubbing the corners of her apron with her hands on her knees. "Tonight's dinner has used up all the fresh meat. After that, it'll either be cured meat or canned meat."
She paused for a moment, gathered her thoughts, and continued, "Didn't you say you were going to collect supplies from the other buildings in the complex tomorrow? I think we should prioritize bringing back the meat."
"We'll have electricity as soon as the generator arrives tomorrow. Let's put this meat in the freezer first, so we can eat fresh meat for a few more days."
"As for what happens after that, I'm afraid there really won't be any way."