Humans Shrunk 100 Times

Chapter 137: As Solid as Gold

"It's not easy to make a solar water heater."

"If we are talking about a genuine solar water heater, of course, it's impossible. Whether it's glass vacuum tubes, metal collectors, or ceramic heat-absorbing coatings, we can't produce them, not to mention the need for circulation pumps and a series of temperature sensors and control devices. But right now, we don't need something that complex."

"Is it because of the small amount of water?" Chen Mu tried to ask.

"Yes, even if we just wrap water in iron plates and place it under the sun, it's sufficient for our use."

Tang Jing sighed, "So, heating is not the difficult part; our biggest problem is insulation."

"Is it feasible to create something like a thermos?"

"As you all know, the critical part of a thermos is the vacuum insulation layer in the middle, which is impossible for us to make at the moment."

"But if we can't insulate, then heating won't be very effective either."

"Can we use existing solar devices?"

"In theory, yes, but it seems like there are none in the school, and even if there were, we'd hardly know how to operate them."

"So, after all this discussion, it's still like talking in circles."

"Of course not," Tang Jing smiled and said, "The reason I brought up this issue was actually to discuss something else."

"What is it?"

"Solar energy installations take up a lot of space, and if we install such a big thing outdoors, it will probably attract unwanted attention in no time. So..."

"You're thinking..." Chen Mu already had a vague understanding and instinctively looked up.

"Yes, solar energy should be installed on the roofs of buildings," Tang Jing said and pointed her finger upward.

"Huh?" Wei Dalei raised his head in confusion.

The storage room had a height of 2.8 meters, which was like a skyscraper to them. They could only see a ceiling, and the details were indistinct.

But now they were talking about installing a solar energy system on the roof?

"That sounds a bit exaggerated," Dong Junwei couldn't help muttering.

"Of course, it's not feasible now, but it won't be too far off," Tang Jing said with a smile.

Many times, Chen Mu envied not just Tang Jing's knowledge and intelligence, but also her self-assured attitude towards being able to control the future.

Tang Jing continued, "But what I want to say is that we need to consider utilizing the vertical space of the entire room as our next step."

"Isn't it too early?" Dong Junwei frowned.

"It's not too early. We can start by utilizing the wall structure."

"The walls?"

"Yes, just like the observation platform on the door, except that the walls are thicker, making it a bit more challenging."

Chen Mu nodded in agreement, "I tried once, and the white plaster on the walls was loose, constantly crumbling and falling off. It's impossible to renovate. By the way, this house wasn't built long ago, how come the quality is so poor?"

Tang Jing smiled and said, "Strictly speaking, these small houses are all unauthorized constructions, temporary ones. It's just because they are on the school grounds, no one bothers to regulate them. So, during construction, they certainly didn't pay much attention to quality and used relatively inferior materials."

"They won't collapse, right?" He Ying worried.

"It's unlikely. It's difficult to make these small houses collapse. However, for things like wall coatings, they probably used cheap whitewash instead of good latex paint. It seems they only applied two layers of whitewash, and the proportion of lime water was not well-adjusted."

"You need to add alum and table salt too," Chen Mu nodded.

"You used to do wall painting?" Tang Jing asked with a smile, tilting her head.

"I helped someone before."

"In the past, some people even added rice soup to the mix, but your method is outdated. Besides, properly processed slaked lime can be directly used as a coating without the need to add salt. But nowadays, people either use latex paint or take shortcuts by adding glue directly to the white plaster. This house seems to be the latter case, but it's clear that they didn't do it properly, which is why the plaster starts falling off so soon."

"Is there any way to solve it?"

"None." Tang Jing shrugged, "The only option is to scrape off the surface layer of the wall."

"That's a lot of work."

"Also, we don't need to completely scrape off the entire wall. Just clear out the areas we need to use."

"Alright," Chen Mu nodded. "But what exactly do we need to do?"

"On one hand, we should build an observation platform on the remaining three walls to prevent others from sneaking up on us from behind unnoticed. On the other hand, I think we still need to create some defensive measures."

"Such as?"

"For instance, throwing bombs down from the observation platform."

"Is that necessary?"

"Considering the strength of Yizhong and Qingbei, as you've seen, even if we can't directly confront them, we should at least have some means of self-defense. Although we haven't been exposed yet, over time, it's hard to guarantee that we won't be discovered."

"Alright," Chen Mu agreed. "Last time, we injured so many of them and took Gu Yinglong from them. Yizhong is definitely looking for us."

"My idea is to fortify this place like a stronghold that can be both defended and attacked, and stockpile enough food for at least a year."

"A year?"

"With the amount of rice we have now, it should last for about a year. Of course, we'll still need to go out periodically to find other supplies, but having these 12 boxes of rice will give us a sense of security. Besides, as long as we store the potatoes properly, they can last one or two months as well."

"When there's food in hand, there's no need to panic."

"That's the idea," Tang Jing smiled. "With a year's time, even if we don't gain new members, I believe everyone's abilities will reach a new level. By then, we can accomplish more and won't have to fear others too much."

"But," Chen Mu furrowed his brows, "the abilities of the anomalies from Qingbei and Yizhong will also continue to grow. With combat as their training, perhaps they will progress faster than us."

"Indeed, fighting can be a means of training, but it unavoidably leads to casualties. Although they have more people, around two hundred or so, how much loss can they sustain?"

"To be honest, I've always felt that Qingbei has a deeper understanding of anomalies than us. They have more people and more reference points. For instance, back on the road, Song Yu inexplicably killed some small insects, and we still can't figure out why."

Overall, Chen Mu was a proactive and enterprising person, but perhaps due to his experiences, he tended to habitually think of things in the worst-case scenario.

Tang Jing said, "From what we've seen so far, the diversity and complexity of anomalies far exceed our imagination. I don't think there's a huge difference between their two hundred people and our twenty-something people."

"Moreover, both Qingbei and Yizhong have a massive disadvantage."

"What is it?" Chen Mu asked curiously.

"They don't have me," Tang Jing revealed a mysterious smile.

Unlock exclusive early access to 100s of chapters before anyone else by becoming a valued member of my Patreon community.

As a cherished member of our Patreon community, here is what you'll get:

For just $5, you'll receive:

• Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public. (check all the novels I'm translating from HERE, all the novels have 100s of exclusive early access chapters and some are complete.)
• Your name prominently featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
• The power to vote on which novel I should translate next.

If you decide to pledge $10, you'll get all the perks from the $5 tier, plus:

• You get to suggest a Novel (Chinese or Korean) for me to translate, It may take some time for me to do it but it will be done as soon as possible.
• Your name prominently featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).

And if you're feeling generous with a $20 pledge, you'll unlock all the perks from the $5 tier and $10 tier, plus:

• You get to recommend a Novel (Chinese or Korean) and I will immediately start translating it.
• You get to recommend an abandoned Novel (Chinese or Korean) and I will immediately start translating it.
• Your name featured at the top of the "Wall of Gratitude".

Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!