Chapter 242 Is this really a survivor base?

Darren drove toward Fiercehunter Base with Ivy by his side. Soon, they arrived and picked up the twenty survivors before beginning their journey toward Hope Base Villa, where the other survivors were waiting.

"We almost thought you weren’t coming for us," Mr. Thomas said from the back of the truck. "Since you said you were going to come back in the evening, we waited for you all through the evening, but you didn’t come. We almost thought you had changed your mind about recruiting us. We’re so glad when we saw the truck. Thank you so much, Captain Ivy."

Darren couldn’t help but let out a light chuckle.

"Once Captain Ivy says she’ll do something, she always makes sure she does it. There’s absolutely no reason for you to think that she would go back on her word," Darren assured them, his tone serious. "Anyway, everyone, welcome to Hope Villa."

His words prompted Mr. Thomas and the others to turn their gazes toward the magnificent villa standing ahead of them.

Professor Thomas and his group fell completely silent the moment they entered Hope Base.

None of them had expected this.

Yes, they had heard stories about the base before coming here. They had been told that Hope Base was different from the other survivor settlements, that its residents lived better than most people in the post-apocalyptic world. However, hearing about it and seeing it with their own eyes were two completely different things.

Without wasting much time, Ivy and Darren got off the truck, followed by Professor Thomas and his team.

Professor Thomas stood beside the truck, staring ahead in disbelief.

"Is... this really a survivor base?" he asked, his voice filled with astonishment.

No one answered him immediately because the scene before them was simply too shocking. Even Ivy and Darren, who were supposed to give him a response, remained silent for a moment.

Instead of the barren land Professor Thomas and his team had grown accustomed to seeing, neat rows of terraced farmland stretched across the base, with every section of land carefully planned and organized.

Vegetables grew in orderly rows, their leaves healthy and vibrant. There were fields of grain, beans, potatoes, and several other crops that Professor Thomas couldn’t immediately identify.

Some crops were already mature and ready for harvest, while others were still growing. Unlike the scattered patches of farmland they had seen in other survivor settlements, these fields were enormous.

"This is impossible," one of the researchers whispered, unable to hide his disbelief.

Professor Thomas adjusted his glasses, trying to determine whether he was hallucinating. But he wasn’t. No matter how many times he adjusted his glasses, the scene in front of him remained exactly the same.

"It shouldn’t be impossible," he said quietly, his eyes remaining fixed on the farmland. "Someone here has managed to restore large-scale agricultural production." He added as he turned his gaze towards Ivy.

No one except her can achieve such a thing. She’s the founder of Hope base too afterall.

The other survivors couldn’t help but to turn their gaze toward Ivy too and the realization shocked everyone even more.

After the apocalypse, farming had become extremely difficult. Lack of seeds, poor soil, contaminated water, unstable weather, mutated creatures, and shortages of manpower had caused countless agricultural projects to fail. Yet Hope Base had somehow overcome all of those problems.

Meanwhile, the other survivors who had caught sight of Ivy and Darren quickly rushed over to greet their captain.

"Greetings, Captain Ivy and Captain Darren!" they chorused in unison, wide smiles spreading across their faces.

"How are you all doing?" Ivy asked with a smile. She then raised an eyebrow, curiosity flashing in her eyes. "Where are Mr. and Mrs. Smith? What about my children?"

"Oh, yeah. The children are being taught their daily lessons," one of the survivors explained immediately. "Mr. Smith is teaching all the children in Hope Villa. He’s making sure they’re getting their education while Mrs. Smith is busy in the back kitchen with the other women."

Ivy nodded her head in response, a satisfied expression appearing on her face.

"Thank you. You can all leave then," Ivy said, her voice carrying a hint of authority.

The survivors nodded in response before leaving, even though they still wanted to ask Ivy several questions. They had no choice but to return to work since Ivy had given them permission to leave.

Meanwhile, Professor Thomas walked closer to the fields. He crouched down and carefully examined the soil, picking up a small amount between his fingers.

Healthy! That was the first word that came to his mind.

The soil looked healthy, just like the plants growing from it. Even the irrigation channels had been carefully constructed, allowing water to flow smoothly throughout the farmland.

"Look over there!" one of the researchers suddenly exclaimed, pointing toward another section of the base.

Professor Thomas immediately turned his head in the direction the researcher was pointing.

Beyond the vegetable fields was an enormous area dedicated to animal farming.

Pigs moved around inside clean enclosures while workers carried sacks of vegetables and grain toward them.

"Are those... pigs?" another researcher asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

"Yes," someone answered.

"They’re actually raising pigs?" the researcher asked again, as though he still couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

The researchers exchanged stunned glances.