Wasteland Border Inspector-Chapter 376 - 149: Exaggerated Fish Stock, Restoring the Hydropower Station! (With Images)
Apart from the ferocious black-striped fish, there are also smaller, silver-white arrow-like white-striped fish, and water ribbon fish that look like sleek wooden sticks, with the longest reaching up to two meters, gliding along the riverbed and easily mistaken for drifting wood if not observed closely.
These three are modern-day mutations, completely new.
There are also the familiar four major freshwater fish: black carp, grass carp, silver carp, and bighead carp.
In terms of size, they are at least twice as large as modern ones, each one fat and sturdy, clearly having had plenty to eat in this water.
As for shrimp, there are the common marsh shrimp, and a unique Wasteland species known as red shrimp, glowing bright red all over, resembling moving red rubies when swimming in the water, distinctly eye-catching.
"Has... no one ever fished here?"
Cheng Ye watched for a while, slightly dazed.
He had never seen such an exaggerated fish stock, the underwater almost in a "fish squeezing fish" state, with even shallow areas of this tributary forming schools, unimaginable what the sight of the main White Water River would be.
Here, even the unluckiest angler could easily catch fish.
"In the early days of the New Era, this was a hotspot." Jiang Chuan crouched, stirring the waterside pebbles with a twig, "Because Stone Province couldn’t farm, people would come here daily to catch fish in those days. But the more they fished, the more the yield naturally plummeted. Conflicts erupted often over fishing spots and areas, with dozens killed each time not uncommon."
"Later on, as our Happiness City developed and conducted several massive fishing operations, the fish stocks declined even further, unable to meet the needs of surrounding settlements. Some who didn’t want to join Happiness City migrated to provinces where farming was possible. Meanwhile, Happiness City established a stable food supply, no longer relying on fish for sustenance."
"After the scavengers who relied on this river left, the fish stocks slowly began to recover over the years. Happiness City no longer conducts large-scale fishing, and as for outsiders... now with so many Super Shelter Cities and Large Shelter Cities developed, no one would come near Happiness City to rely on this meager water produce for a living."
"Moreover, Happiness City does not accept stray submissions of fish catches, so even if occasionally someone comes to catch a few, it’s just to satisfy a craving, with the risk of endangering their life..."
Actually, Jiang Chuan was only half-aware of these matters last night, not nearly as clearly as he was now.
But following Ding Yishan’s instructions, after applying to the Blood Dragon Corps to review materials, he finally got a rough understanding of the fish resources of White Water River.
"Additionally, Happiness City’s reluctance to organize fishing has deeper considerations."
Jiang Chuan’s voice deepened, becoming more serious, "Nowadays, the food supply in Shelter City is stable, even if these fish are caught, they would at most diversify the residents’ dining tables, barely impacting the existing supply system. Since that’s the case, there’s really no need to repeat past mistakes for some culinary craving."
"In case of unforeseen situations, like Chief Cheng building Dapo Town, these ready fish stocks can help get through the most crucial initial phase."
One must admit, the leadership of Happiness City has great foresight.
After Jiang Chuan’s explanation, Cheng Ye suddenly realized that these fish stocks did indeed serve as a backup resource for Happiness City.
In peaceful times, the fish stocks are preserved as ’reserve grain,’ not to be easily tapped; come a crisis, they become lifesaving strategies.
Furthermore, fishing entails significant risks, with some infection sources possibly attaching to fish or lurking underwater, capable of striking unsuspectingly.
Careful discrimination is required to ensure safety.
"Let’s go, and check out the hydroelectric station!" 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
Cheng Ye intended to catch a couple of fish to examine their quality, but after glancing at the dim sky, decided to prioritize more important tasks first.
After getting back into the car and continuing downstream along the river, traces of human maintenance were evident along the way, suggesting Happiness City had managed these critical areas, like periodically spraying herbicide.
Though the vegetation on both sides of the river grew lush, a dirt track was consistently left open for passage. Mud was inevitable, but due to rare traffic, it hadn’t turned into a sludgy mire.
As the vehicle progressed, the riverbanks slowly widened, from the initial two meters, to three, then four, with the water current slowing down and the ripples on the surface smoothing out.
Finally, the abandoned small hydroelectric station appeared at the edge of view.
It was indeed a typical barrage hydroelectric station.
A low dam was built across the river, creating a small reservoir to raise the water level. A turbine was installed directly behind the dam, utilizing the drop to generate electricity, its structure simple yet effective.
Jiang Chuan parked the car near the edge of the hydroelectric station, and the two of them didn’t immediately get out.
He honked the horn, and the sharp sound echoed in the empty river valley, soon swallowed by the mist.
After several minutes, there was no audible response save for the sound of flowing water; only then did they open the car door.
The house above the dam was tilting, exuding an aura of age and decay, yet the overall framework remained intact, better than the ruins of buildings in Dapo Town by considerable margins.
"Happiness City performs basic maintenance on such facilities, and scavengers wouldn’t damage this place."
"After all, everyone knows its value may resurface unexpectedly one day."
Jiang Chuan opened his mouth, continuing to introduce.
Nevertheless, regardless of what he said.
As Cheng Ye stepped out of the car, his gaze was immediately caught by the glaring crack on the dam.
