CHAPTER 287: CHAPTER 287: RISING TEMPERATURE

Scorching heat spread across the country. The temperature of the country was surging. Just a few weeks before, the temperature fluctuated from 36 to 40 degrees Celsius, and now it was slowly rising to 42.

Though still bearable, many preferred to stay in their home and leave at night when the temperature drops to 40.

Recently, the military base was plagued by the discussion of water and food spoilage.

The rising heat was causing most of the food to get spoiled, giving the general of the military base a headache.

In the tense meeting room.

"What are the higher-ups’ orders now?" General Dante asked with a sigh; he couldn’t help his luck.

The zombie apocalypse was already giving them a headache; now with the addition of heat waves... life was becoming hell.

Due to the heat, many of the generals even removed their coats.

"They are going to make an announcement the next day." General Conard replied in a grim voice.

"What about the electricity generation? Has the military acquired any solar panels?" This time, the question was directed at General Matthew.

General Matthew was once in charge of the logistics division before the apocalypse. He leaned forward, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

"We managed to recover a few from the city outskirts, but most of them are either damaged or incompatible with our current power setup," he said, his tone filled with frustration.

"We’re rationing electricity for now; only critical facilities like the command center, communication units, and refrigeration for medical supplies are operational."

A heavy silence filled the room. The faint hum of the ceiling fan did little to ease the suffocating heat.

General Dante exhaled slowly, his expression grim. "And the civilians? How long before they start protesting again?"

General Conard frowned. "It’s already happening in some zones. Yesterday, the eastern shelter reported a riot over water distribution. Two soldiers were injured."

The room fell silent once again. Even in the apocalypse, humans found new ways to fight each other.

General Dante rubbed his temples. "We can’t afford internal conflict. If the civilians lose trust in the base, we’ll be done before the zombies even reach us."

"Then what do you suggest?" General Matthew asked, his eyes narrowing. "The water ability user deployed by our base is already at their limit. We can’t push them anymore."

General Frank glanced at General Dante, an evil smirk forming on his face, which was hidden because of the fingers interlaced between his hands. "There’s one more option," he said calmly, his voice almost too casual for the tension in the room.

Dante’s brows furrowed. "And what option would that be, Frank?"

Frank leaned back in his chair, his eyes glinting beneath the dim light. "We borrow food from someone who had hoarded before."

General Dante’s jaws tightened, and he remained silent. This jab was clearly aimed at the Blackthorn family!

General Conard’s eyes flickered with unease. "Frank, that’s crossing the line," he said cautiously. "In an apocalypse where even we don’t know where we will end up next second, borrowing now means begging for something with the intent of never giving it back!"

"Oh come on!" General Frank waved his hand. "I am speaking for the betterment of the citizens in the military base! And it’s not like we are running away. Dante, what do you think? Can your family lend us some food? Once the apocalypse is over, we will repay you!"

Didn’t Dante always claim to work for people? Let’s see, then, how long he could maintain his facade!

Dante’s face went stone still. The air in the room seemed thinner, as if the heat itself was holding its breath. For a long moment, he said nothing; only the tick of the wall clock.

"Dante, think about it. This is the best moment to let the world feel the kindness it desperately needs. You are a general, and if you donate or let us borrow, then... the military will remember your contribution. Not to mention, there is no such thing as private property when it comes to the military."

Talia, seeing her father’s hesitant expression, felt her heart skip a beat.

"That won’t do." She immediately interrupted, attracting everyone’s attention, "It was never mentioned that joining the military means handing out private property. We are sacrificing our sleep and deploying all our efforts; why should we sacrifice our food too?"

"Captain Talia, you shouldn’t interrupt when two generals are talking. You don’t have enough rank!" General Miller chided her.

"I don’t see the wrong in Captain Talia’s interruption. This is a discussion room, and everyone’s opinion matters, just like yours!" General Janet supported Talia, her grim expression showing her disapproval.

General Frank ignored General Janet’s words and turned his attention toward Dante.

His eyes gleamed like an eagle eyeing its prey. He desperately wished Dante would fall into the trap he had set.

He knew Dante had held his position mostly because of his clever son, Silas, who could turn a verdict around in a few sentences.

But now that Silas was away, Frank saw an opportunity to seize the food supplies in Dante’s hands. The more he thought about it, the more thrilled he became.

Masking his excitement with a look of desperate pleading, he stared at Dante.

Dante clenched his fist and remembered his son’s words before he had left. He met Frank’s eager expression and said, "I can’t lend the food."

General Frank was momentarily speechless.

He clenched his fist, and just as he was about to argue, Dante explained,

"Though the food is spoiling visibly, it can still last the entire base. We are already looking for alternative food sources. Until then, we can wait. Besides, the main problem is water. Even if I handed over all the drinks in my supplies, it wouldn’t meet the military’s needs."

General Frank immediately waved his hand. "At least try," he snapped.

Dante chuckled. "I’ll try once you donate every single one of your food items."

Frank fell silent. For some reason, he felt as if Silas had entered Dante’s body.

How could this seemingly honest and straightforward man suddenly sound so cunning and scheming?