MM Racing Chapter 77 Radio Station
Chapter 77 Radio Station
The bloodstains on the water's surface gradually faded, as if the brutal hunt that had unfolded right before his eyes was merely a fleeting illusion. But Xu Mo knew it wasn't an illusion. The ghastly white jaws that burst from the water in an instant, the teeth-grinding sound of bones shattering, and the gruesome sight of the red carp being torn apart in an instant—all were vividly imprinted in his mind.
Xu Mo quickly analyzed and guessed the owner of that terrifying giant kiss in his mind.
"Judging from the shape and size of that mouth, as well as the ferocity and power it unleashes when hunting, it seems to be a product of a mutation in a reptile like a crocodile," Xu Mo thought to himself.
Crocodiles already possess powerful bites and ambush hunting instincts. If they are further strengthened by the erosion of dark energy, they could become even larger, have sharper teeth, and be even more ferocious. It is entirely possible that they could create a scene like the one just now where they could kill someone with a single blow.
Of course, this is just speculation. Beneath these waters, there may also lurk other large fish that originally lived here, or monsters that were washed in from elsewhere by the flood and mutated, or even some kind of mutated being that he could not even imagine, a combination of multiple characteristics.
In a post-apocalyptic world, any basic biological knowledge could be overturned.
"What exactly it is is no longer important." Xu Mo quickly gathered his thoughts. What mattered was confirming one fact: a large aquatic mutant was lurking in this flooded area.
This realization completely changed Xu Mo's subsequent course of action.
Originally, Xu Mo had been thinking that if the water level continued to rise to an unbearable level, he would risk evacuating in a speedboat. But now, this option has been relegated to the lowest priority.
In the murky floodwaters where the situation is unclear, driving a small speedboat is tantamount to turning oneself into a conspicuous moving target, willingly offering oneself up as a meal for those underwater hunters.
"Holding out and waiting for the situation to change is the safest strategy at present," Xu Mo decided.
Although the bottom two floors of the three-story building he was in were flooded, the main structure appeared to be relatively stable, providing a solid platform above the water. As long as the building didn't collapse and no enormous water monster appeared that could directly threaten the third floor or even the roof, this was his safe zone.
Xu Mo carefully inspected the entire building's structure again, focusing on the stability of the load-bearing walls, floor slabs, and foundation.
At the same time, Xu Mo placed even greater emphasis on protecting the assault boat. This boat was his last resort, and he absolutely could not afford to lose it.
Xu Mo wasn't worried about food and drinking water. Most of the supplies were in his private space and could be accessed at any time. The emergency backpack he left outside also contained enough to last for several days. At this point, Xu Mo was no longer in a state where he needed to scavenge for supplies every time the 48-hour countdown ended.
Xu Mo focused all his activities on the third floor and the rooftop. The third-floor corridor was his living area and main guard post, while the rooftop was used for cultivation, observation, and "qi gathering." He tried to minimize unnecessary noise to avoid attracting the attention of any underwater creatures that might be sensitive to sound or vibration.
The days passed with the patter of rain and the slow, steady rise of the water level. Xu Mo became unusually silent, spending most of his time practicing the Thirteen Bodyguards external martial arts or quietly observing the treacherous waters outside the window. He saw more signs of churning water, sometimes small fish leaping out of the water in panic, sometimes blurry black shadows darting quickly underwater, but he never again witnessed the shocking scenes of hunting as before.
On the radio, the broadcasts from Jiangcheng continued. In addition to weather and disaster warnings, they also began to broadcast some slightly comforting news, such as the floodwaters in a certain area beginning to recede slowly, and words of encouragement to survivors to maintain their faith.
Xu Mo occasionally overheard faint distress signals or communications from other survivors, many of whom mentioned being attacked by the "water monster," confirming that Xu Mo's observations were not isolated incidents. The threat of aquatic mutants was spreading across this flood-ravaged land.
"So many survivor outposts have preserved radio equipment," Xu Mo remarked thoughtfully.
This discovery was not unexpected; radio is a relatively reliable and important long-distance communication tool in the apocalypse. But what Xu Mo pondered was that during the relatively "stable" periods before, whether in the eternal night or the early stages of the flood, these radios mostly remained silent, as if they didn't exist. Only when disaster truly befell them and they were in dire straits were these radios activated, becoming "lifeline hotlines" for calling out to the outside world.
This actually illustrates a common "risk aversion" and "resource protection" mentality among ordinary survivors in a post-apocalyptic environment.
For most independent or semi-independent survivor outposts, revealing their existence inherently carries risk. It could attract the covetous eyes of those with ill intentions, lead to forced infiltration or requisition of resources by more powerful forces, or simply be a matter of avoiding additional external responsibilities or requests for assistance.
Therefore, when their own circumstances are still manageable, everyone chooses to "hide themselves" and passively receive external information, which is the strategy that best serves the interests of their group.
Moreover, radio power is a precious resource and should not be used lightly unless absolutely necessary.
Secondly, this also highlights the exacerbation of the lack of trust and the dilemma of collective action in post-apocalyptic social structures. The old, widespread system of social trust has long since collapsed. There is a lack of effective communication channels and mutual trust between various survivor strongholds. Without a commonly recognized authority to coordinate and enforce compliance, proactively initiating contact may go unanswered and could even expose weaknesses. Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, everyone tends to "mind their own business," forming isolated information silos.
On a deeper level, this reflects the complex aspects of human nature in the face of disaster—a contradictory combination of "passive dependence" and "seeking help at the bottom line."
Many outposts, while avoiding risks and remaining hidden in normal times, may still subconsciously harbor a reliance on "external rescue." They may have listened carefully to Jiangcheng's warnings, but they did not truly translate them into decisive self-rescue actions, just like Luoxing Valley before.
When disaster strikes and they are unable to overcome the difficulties on their own, these survivors finally break their silence and send out distress signals. This is both an instinct born of despair and an implicit hope that those with the ability should not stand idly by and watch others die.
This behavioral pattern bears a striking resemblance to certain social phenomena of the old era: people are indifferent to public affairs in ordinary times, turn a deaf ear to warning signals, and pursue the maximization of their own interests or the convenience of "free-riding"; once their own interests are harmed or they fall into difficulties, they immediately demand the intervention and assistance of public forces and may blame external forces for the situation.
"Ultimately, it's a lack of foresight and an inability to make truly rational, sometimes even painful, priorities when faced with an uncertain future," Xu Mo sighed inwardly.
Holding fast to strongholds may seem like preserving existing resources, but it could mean missing the best window of opportunity to avoid greater risks; hiding oneself may seem safe, but it also cuts off the possibility of establishing connections and exchanging resources during peacetime, thereby enhancing the overall ability to withstand risks.
Of course, Xu Mo could understand the difficulties faced by these survivor strongholds. In an environment of scarce resources and constant danger, every decision was a matter of survival, and caution, even conservatism, was often the first choice for most people.
If I didn't have some kind of cheat code, I'd probably make the same choices as these survivors.
These calls, which suddenly appeared on the radio and quickly faded away, were like fleeting moments, reflecting microcosms of society struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. Their existence and behavioral logic gave Xu Mo a more three-dimensional and complex understanding of the human condition in this world.