Chapter 1147 - 1135: Analysis (Part 1)

Chapter 1147: Chapter 1135: Analysis (Part 1)

"Knock, knock, knock!" came the sound of knocking on the door.

"Who’s there?" Hu Xiaodong turned around, paused his sweeping hand, and asked.

"It’s me, Tang Xiaoquan!"

"Ah! It’s you, Quan! Hang on a sec, I’ll let you in!"

Taking a few steps to the door, Hu Xiaodong removed the latch and unlocked it.

Some readers wonder, why bother with so many locks in the village?

No choice. It’s called being prepared for the unexpected. Although things seem calm now, before the walls are completed, anything could happen.

So to ensure the safety of the settlement, Old Xu gave clear instructions on security measures when we moved in.

Apart from ensuring 24-hour patrols and surveillance, each household was asked to lock doors and windows, especially when resting.

Though these wooden doors might not offer much protection during a fight, they at least serve as a barrier. Even if it just alerts the team inside, that’s something.

"Xiaotang, why are you here? Something up?"

"Yeah, a little. Are you guys resting?"

"Nope, just killing time by cleaning the room." Raising the broom in his hand, Hu Xiaodong smiled and said, "Alright, don’t just stand outside, come in if there’s something to discuss."

He stepped aside, signaling Tang Xiaoquan to come in.

Once inside, Tang Xiaoquan glanced around, then asked, "Are Xiao Li and the others not here?"

Pausing for a moment, Hu Xiaodong assumed Tang Xiaoquan came to see him, then pointed back: "Oh, you mean Xiao Li and the others; they’re inside. The two brothers have been exhausted lately. I heard from Old Zhao that they’ve been sleepless for nights maintaining the settlement equipment. Need something from them?"

"Yeah, I wanted to ask them something. Since they’re resting, I’ll come back another day."

As he spoke, Tang Xiaoquan prepared to leave.

Seeing this, Hu Xiaodong grabbed the young man’s arm: "Hey, don’t worry, they just went in and haven’t slept yet. Go ahead if it’s something urgent."

"Forget it, it’s not urgent. I’d rather not bother them since they’ve been working so hard."

"It’s fine, Old Zhao told the Xiao Li brothers to rest. We’re not having them do any work at the construction site this afternoon." Hu Xiaodong then lowered his voice and chuckled, "They’re high-tech professionals; their jobs are different from us."

Knowing Hu Xiaodong was teasing, Tang Xiaoquan laughed along, paused for a few seconds, and finally nodded, "Alright then, I’ll go find them."

"Need me to come with you?" Hu Xiaodong asked politely since he didn’t know why Tang Xiaoquan wanted to talk to the Li brothers and couldn’t just follow along.

"No need, Brother Hu. It’s not a big deal. You keep busy."

"Alright, if you need anything, just holler!"

With that, they parted ways, Hu Xiaodong continuing his role as homemaker.

As for Tang Xiaoquan, he headed straight to the bedroom.

Upon reaching the door, he heard Wei Dazhuang’s loud snoring. Wow, he hadn’t noticed it outside, but in here it felt like a small earthquake, shaking everything to its core.

"Knock, knock, knock!" He knocked on the door of the small adjacent room to Wei Dazhuang’s.

Soon, there was the sound of slippers shuffling on the floor, and then the door was cracked open, revealing Li Zhong’s slightly tired face.

"It’s you, Quan!" he said, as the door swung open further and Li Zhong stood up straight, "Anything up?"

"Quan is here?" Li Zhong hadn’t finished speaking before his brother Li Guo joined them at the door.

Looking at the Li brothers, with their dark circles, Tang Xiaoquan nodded, "I have some questions to ask you two."

"Hey, what are you talking about? Don’t say you have questions! Quan, you’re putting us brothers on a pedestal with those words. Come in, come in. Xiao Guo, get Quan some water."

"Hey, no need, Xiao Guo. I had a drink before coming."

"Why the formality? We’re all like family." After spending some time together, Li Zhong and Li Guo were no longer as distant as when they first arrived and spoke more naturally with those at the settlement now.

"That’s why I’m saying no—it’s because we’re brothers. I’m really not thirsty, don’t bother."

"Alright, have a seat then!" Li Guo gestured to the bed.

Then he pulled over a chair for himself and sat down.

"So you said you have something to ask, what is it?" The Li brothers were somewhat familiar with Tang Xiaoquan. Though the latter wasn’t as strong in cultural knowledge as they were, when it came to strategizing and assessing situations, he was several notches above them.

Tang Xiaoquan coming to their room suddenly must mean there was something significant to discuss, so the Li brothers unwittingly straightened up.

"It’s like this: I’m wondering how likely it is to communicate with phones under the current circumstances."

"Well..." They exchanged looks, surprised by Tang Xiaoquan’s question, and instinctively asked back, "Quan, what made you suddenly want to ask this?"

"Uh... haha, I need to confirm a few things."

"I see... well, no matter what communication method you use, a base station is necessary. So theoretically, as long as the base station is working, phones can communicate. But as you know, the cities are crawling with zombies now, so ground base stations likely aren’t operational. If we’re talking reliability, maritime satellite phones would be it." Li Guo responded straightforwardly, without any unnecessary details.

"Maritime satellite phone!?" Tang Xiaoquan was no stranger to this term, as it seems like a staple tool every protagonist uses in disaster movies.

"Yes, that’s what you can use."

"It doesn’t need a base station?"

"It does. I said, all communication needs a base station."

"Then... but you said earlier... if ground base stations aren’t working, how is it still possible...?" Lacking technical knowledge, Tang Xiaoquan found himself confused and grasping at straws.

Li Guo didn’t show any ridicule; he always took science seriously: "You’re right, most ground base stations have lost functionality. But don’t forget, we have satellites above us. Those things are high and far; they are highly intelligent and can operate autonomously without human control, according to their programmed orbit. And they work as base stations, nearly free of interference, with strong signal penetration. What? You’re not thinking about getting your hands on one of those, are you?"

To be honest, Tang Xiaoquan hadn’t thought about it initially, but hearing Li Guo’s explanation made him naturally interested: "Is it hard to get?"

"Uh, it’s not that difficult. Most major marine communication equipment stores would have them."

"We can check next time we go out."

"It’s useless! They, like cell phones, require a card to operate. The costs are high, and now that related departments are gone, there’s no way to access the system. Even if you get one, you won’t be able to use it."