Whose Bullets Are Faster  

As the words fell, a man pulled a gun from his pocket and aimed it at the base guards."Do you want to find out whose bullets are faster?"

Seeing this, everyone dropped the pretense, taking out their guns, and the two sides faced off.If they really started fighting, no one would gain an advantage.

The base leader was at a loss. "Everyone, calm down. The base belongs to all of us. Our top priority is to unite. We admit that the food management has been problematic, but everyone knows the situation from yesterday. The guards have been doing their best to protect the food."

"Do you believe this? I suspect you secretly hid the food and deliberately deceived us by saying it was eaten by mutant rats."

"We won't trust you. Unless you let us in to search."

"This matter isn't over today. We can always replace someone to manage the base. Whoever is capable can take over."

After these incidents, the credibility of the base was gone, making it impossible for people to trust them. Everyone could only speculate with the worst intentions.

The base leader, seeing that they were unwilling to compromise and insisted on causing trouble, turned serious.

Fighting was simply not realistic, and the end result would only be mutual destruction.

"Alright, search as you please. If we have hidden even a grain of rice, we'll hand over the base to you."

People immediately scattered, some rushing into the office building, others to the factory, and some to the supermarket and warehouses.

After a chaotic search, they were horrified to find that there was indeed no food.Continuing to pressure the base was futile. Panic spread among the crowd.

Seeing them finally quiet down, the base leader continued, "We've allowed you to search. Now, can we sit down and discuss what to do next?"As managers of the base, we are constantly thinking about how to develop the base, ensuring that everyone has enough to eat and wear. However, fate does not always comply with our wishes. We thought that with the climate-controlled greenhouse, we could grow crops, but little did we know that haze and mutated rats would come.

"We understand the importance of food, and we have put a lot of effort into it. We even installed an electric fence around the grain warehouse. However, last night, the mutated rats chewed through the wires connected to the generator, rendering the electric fence useless. Even with guards armed with guns, we couldn't do anything against them."

"I am not saying these things to absolve myself. The situation has already occurred, and time cannot be reversed. Besides moving forward, we have no other choice. I hope everyone can unite and get through this difficult time together."

The heartfelt words of the base leader silenced the people present. 

"What can we do if we protest? If the base cannot produce food, we cannot dismantle this last shelter."

"If it's unbearable here, go to another base," someone whispered.

"The vehicles have no fuel. Are we going to walk? That's not practical at all."

"The climate-controlled greenhouse in the base may have given you a false sense that the extreme cold has passed. Go outside the base and endure ten minutes; then we can talk."

"Other bases may not be as good as here. A few days ago, I talked to a newcomer who came from Base C. They don't have a climate-controlled greenhouse, and there's a shortage of food. Many people are suffering from hunger, and the situation there is chaotic."

"If we want to survive without leaving, we have to find a way to build the base; otherwise, we will all be finished together."

Silence followed these words, weighing down everyone's hearts. The base leader waited for them to quiet down before continuing.

"Don't be so pessimistic. If we run out of food, we can go out and search for supplies. Our first priority is to eliminate the mutated rats and find a way to mitigate the effects of the thick fog. The base has been researching in the field of agriculture, and we have never given up."

Nice words can be spoken by anyone, but many people lacked enthusiasm. Without food, the future was uncertain. The protesters lost their motivation, and those disheartened left.In such a situation, passersby wouldn't bother to lend a helping hand. They hurriedly ran home, fearing becoming targets of robbery. Initially, the base sent people to intervene, but later they chose to turn a blind eye and let the chaos unfold.

A vicious cycle began, with an increasing number of troublemakers engaging in looting and home invasions becoming commonplace. Apartment buildings became prime targets.

The entire building lived in fear, and to avoid becoming targets, many people moved away overnight. The Allen family, with their iron gate, faced taunts from those outside.

When Alice reached her breaking point, she walked out carrying a Gatling gun, silently staring at the troublemakers. Startled, they eventually ignored them, perhaps due to someone spreading the news.

Thinking everything was secure, Blanche was unexpectedly kidnapped. One night, taking advantage of the absence of troublemakers, Blanche went downstairs to throw away trash.

With the nearby circuits repaired, taking the elevator up and down wouldn't take much time. Alice sat in the living room, eating fruit. After waiting for five minutes without seeing Blanche return, she immediately got up and went downstairs.

Arriving downstairs, there was no sign of Blanche. Blanche hadn't made friends in the base and wouldn't linger in this dangerous situation.

The Allen family quickly arrived, and Atticus's heart tensed. "Where's your mom?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen her since I came down."

"Quick, let's split up and look for her," Arnold immediately ordered.

They ran in four different directions, thoroughly searching the entire base multiple times, yet Blanche was still nowhere to be found.

"It's very likely that Mom has been abducted," Alexander said with deep concern.Alice frowned; among their family, Blanche was the least skilled in self-defense. If she fell into the hands of ruthless individuals...Thinking of this, a hint of murderous intent flashed in her eyes. If anything happened to Blanche, she wouldn't spare those responsible.

"If the kidnappers are after supplies, they'll contact us. Right now, all we can do is wait for them to make a move," Arnold patted his father's shoulder. "Panicking won't help. Stay calm."

The base was full of people, and just in their building, who knew how many eyes were watching them in secret. Regardless of their analysis, they couldn't pinpoint who the kidnappers were.

Knock, knock, knock.Suddenly, there was a knocking at the door. The Allen family exchanged glances. Could it be the kidnappers?

Alice went out first to open the door. A handsome man, Hurley, stood outside. Seeing the urgency in the Allen family's demeanor, Hurley was momentarily taken aback. After realizing the situation, he quickly asked, "What happened?"

Judging by their expressions, they seemed to be waiting for someone rather than welcoming him specifically.Alice invited him inside and explained the situation about Blanche being kidnapped.

"We are waiting for the kidnappers to show up," Atticus said, concern for his beloved wife evident; he couldn't muster even a hint of a smile.

After a brief contemplation, Hurley spoke, "There have been several small gangs robbing things in the base recently. I've dealt with a few of them."

"Do you know where their hideout is? Take me there," Alice immediately said. They couldn't just wait for the kidnappers to come to them. Finding Blanche sooner meant less suffering for her.

The Allen family trio also stood up. Atticus forced a smile, "Young Hurley, we entrust this matter to you. Once you rescue her, we'll surely express our gratitude."

"Uncle, don't say that. Aunt has been so kind to me. I will do my best to bring her back," Hurley hastily replied.

Alice looked at Atticus, "Dad, Hurley and I will go. You guys stay at home. In case the kidnappers send a message, you can respond quickly."