Blackstone Code

"The end of an era"

There are not many newspapers still being published in the federation, because there is a long winter every year, which adds great risks to the work of newspaper delivery workers.

Walking on thick ice to deliver newspapers outdoors at temperatures of 30 to 40 degrees below zero is actually no different from seeking death.

At first, some newspaper delivery workers were willing to keep working under the temptation of high wages, but soon after some newspaper delivery workers died of hypothermia, almost all newspaper delivery workers stopped working.

If there is no one to deliver newspapers, and the newspapers cannot be delivered, there will be no users to continue to subscribe, and more and more newspapers are beginning to close down.

However, there are rumors that they will consider starting work again after entering the shelter.

After all, there is no such harsh environment in the shelter.

But the "Federal Daily" is still working. The editor-in-chief and president of the newspaper said that they will definitely persist longer than Congress and become the last people to enter the shelter!

This time, the front page of the Federal Daily only had this headline, no other words, not even pictures.

People know exactly what they want to express, even if nothing else is said!

The withdrawal of Congress and political groups from Bupain means that at least the federation has surrendered to nature!

The first time they got the newspaper, many people fell silent after seeing the headline on the front page. Human society has actually accepted the fact that shelters will become the last refuge of mankind.

But as the day got closer and closer, the uneasiness in my heart began to spread uncontrollably.

This time, Congress set its sights on the southernmost cities, where they would establish a temporary federal government and hold on to it until the end.

Lynch also went there, but only with himself and a few things, while most of the other things were transported by air to the shelter on the equator line in Nagaril.

Including various materials in research institutions. In fact, people have not fully realized at this time that an era of shortage of materials is coming!

In the warm room, the gentlemen were talking about what would happen next. The deputy director said that the ground would become unsuitable for human survival in up to four years.

But in fact, almost all people will have to enter shelters in three years. This refers to the federal mainland.

There can be a delay of two years at the equator.

"Many people are still confused at this moment, especially those who are not familiar with the north. They always think that before the glacial climate showed its power, people in the north could survive in a climate of minus 20 or 30 degrees Celsius. Good life."

"Why can't they accept it if it continues to drop by 20 to 30 degrees?"

"This kind of understanding is very shallow and very sad, because these people have not yet realized how serious the bad situation we are facing!"

In addition to the gentlemen, there are also some scientists in this room, mainly scientists responsible for administrative work.

They have sufficient and professional scientific knowledge, and they also have good skills in dealing with old men, so the atmosphere has always been good.

The scientist who spoke was the assistant to the deputy director of the meteorological observatory. In addition to being responsible for meteorological research, he was also responsible for administrative work.

The deputy director has more important work, so he is here to attend such a meeting today.

Maybe party is more appropriate.

Many people are listening to what he says, and part of what he says will be spread through various channels.

"There are ways we can survive in extremely cold temperatures, but the question we face is not whether we can tolerate low temperatures."

"It's about the shortage of food, the shortage of resources, and the changes in the physical properties of some machines and equipment at low temperatures!"

"This involves almost all aspects of big issues, not just the issue of whether you can move around in the outside world!"

His words triggered the recognition of many people, which is why the shelter was built, it does not just provide a place for human activities.

It also provides various materials needed for human survival.

At this time, someone continued, "The central region is now completely covered by cold weather, and we have begun to face shortages of supplies and commodities."

"You may not be able to see anything in the short term, but by next year at the latest, there will definitely be shortages of various supplies and commodities in society."

This is indeed a problem. A large number of factories are in the north, and the industrial construction in the south is actually not that developed.

Moreover, the federation's main mineral resources are imported from the north-central region and Marillo, and now all these mines have stopped.

Even if the South still retains part of its industrial base, it is still difficult for them to produce some goods in the absence of raw materials.

"How about bringing some supplies from Nagaril?"

Some suggestions have been made.

But it was quickly refuted, "The resources in Nagaril are divided up by various shelters. If we transport supplies from there to the country, the cost is too high."

"Actually, I am more inclined to the idea of ​​'pioneering' that Ms. Catherine mentioned."

"Almost all shelters are built on active volcanoes, which remain active for many years, and some of them have had several major eruptions."

"I have consulted relevant experts. Mineral resources near volcanoes are relatively rich, and there are many types of mineral resources that can be extracted."

"And some shelters are not that far away from the main nearby mining areas. We can completely ask people to open a passage underground to reach the mining areas."

"In this way, we can solve the problem of resource shortage, and secondly, we can also provide a direction for major shelters to try and solve the employment problem."

"I even think we can create a railway system underground that connects all shelters. This would be more convenient and safer."

Immediately afterwards, relevant geological experts raised objections. “It is very difficult to dig tunnels deep underground and the construction period is very long. Just exploring the geological conditions may take many years.”

"Not to mention that we currently lack suitable excavation machines, how to transport the excavated soil and gravel, and many other emergencies that we may encounter."

"I think it is possible to open a short-distance tunnel, but long-distance tunnels are simply impossible with our current technology and capabilities."

The gentleman who seemed slightly excited about this idea suddenly became a little disappointed. He actually thought this was a good idea.

However, his proposal is not completely without value, at least in terms of continuing to work, it still has some value.

Moreover, each shelter must eventually solve part of its production problems internally. The equipment and parts in the shelter will always age and get damaged.

Therefore, every shelter, or at least a certain group of shelters, must have a shelter with heavy industrial production capabilities.

Only in this way can we provide a longer-term sustainable development route.

Everyone discussed a lot of things, with no obvious theme, just like a casual conversation.

Lynch was sitting in the corner chatting with Senator Langdon. Senator Langdon also asked a question that people had just discussed.

"The problem of lack of supplies must be solved as soon as possible, otherwise people will become panicked. If something goes wrong, it will definitely be a disaster!"

"In the closed environment of the shelter, big things can easily happen!"

Lynch was smoking. In fact, he already had some ideas in his mind, but they still needed to be tested in practice.

He thought for a while and then said softly, "Two aspects, one is to solve the production of raw materials as soon as possible and let companies start building factories in major shelters. Build the factories first, and we will talk about other things later. .”

"Secondly, we need to start from the end and control the flow of materials to society."

Senator Langdon nodded after listening, "I understand what you said in the first part, but what should we do in the second part?"

"Direct limited time sale?"

"Or limited edition?"

"I'm afraid this will arouse a lot of opinions and public opinion. People will think this method is very unfair, and it may also cause some disadvantages, such as someone using their power to withhold supplies."

This kind of consideration is normal. When there is a shortage of supplies, whoever has the power to distribute supplies is likely to be corrupted.

It cannot be said that these people are not ideologically aware enough, it can only be said that the temptation to fill their stomachs is too great!

Lynch shook his head slightly, "Your current thinking is still at the level of federal government officials thinking about countermeasures. From a capitalist's perspective, it is actually not too difficult to solve these problems."

"We still use bills to sell limited urgently needed supplies to the public. Some of them are sold in stores, and some companies distribute them to outstanding corporate employees by issuing exchange coupons or purchase rights."

"As for supplies that are not urgently needed, except for determining the basic quantity needed by each person, this part of the supply policy maintains parity."

"As for those materials beyond the basic quantity, they need to be obtained at a step-by-step price increase, such as food."

"The way to control the size of the market cannot always be to properly solve it through policies. Sometimes it is simpler and more practical to make it unaffordable for them."

Senator Langdon thought about it for a long time before he figured out some flavors. It wasn't that they didn't exist, but he couldn't afford them.

Then people's anxiety about material shortages will be transferred to negative emotions about not making enough, so companies can use such negative emotions to make the exploited work harder.

Only in this way can these people make more money and meet their needs for material life.

Senator Langdon could only express his admiration. Even though he was almost twenty years older than Lynch, he was still considered a capable member of Congress.

But in terms of people’s hearts, it’s still far behind!