189: locust plague

“Large swarms of locusts are about to reach the Safety Shelter! All residents, please take protective measures!”

The alarm and the official broadcast intertwined, making people panic.

Jiang Fei quickly ran downstairs, got into her pickup truck, and drove towards Dongyang District.

The sky was visibly darkening.

The street was already in chaos.

Some people frantically pounded on tightly closed shop doors, while others ran around like headless chickens.

“Boss! I’m too far from home! Open the door and let me in to hide for a bit! I can buy things from your store!”

“Ah! Who bumped into me?!”

“Quickly open the door! I don’t want to be surrounded by locusts!”

“No, it’s just one locust. Those things don’t bite people or eat human flesh. I can swat one to death with a single slap. What are you all so afraid of?”

“Why don’t you look behind you…”

The person who had been nonchalant a moment ago turned around and his face went pale.

Locusts swept in, covering the sky and earth.

Each locust was larger than an adult’s palm.

A dense gray mass blocked the originally bright sunlight, like dark clouds gathering on a stormy day, now descending.

The rustling sound of the locust swarm’s wings was hair-raising.

“Run!!!”

After experiencing various extreme weather conditions, the Safety Shelter had very few plants. The locust swarm, unable to find food, began to frantically attack humans.

“Ah, my face! Who said locusts don’t bite?!”

“Get away! Stay away from me!”

“I feel something biting my leg! Help!!!”

The locust swarm not only surrounded humans but also Jiang Fei’s pickup truck.

The locusts completely covered the car’s windshield, clearly showing their spiky legs and moving mouthparts.

Their sheer number gave Jiang Fei goosebumps, and she immediately used the windshield wipers to drive them away.

Occasionally, she would hear the crackling sound of locusts being knocked off or hitting the car.

After a difficult drive back to 0-02 in Dongyang District, the outside of the car was completely covered in locusts, making it impossible to get out.

Jiang Fei climbed into the spacious back seat, took a motorcycle helmet, a bite-proof and puncture-resistant diving suit, a pair of gloves, and a flamethrower from the Supermarket warehouse.

Fully dressed, ensuring no skin was exposed, Jiang Fei opened the car door and got out, simultaneously pressing the flamethrower with her other hand, and ran towards the gate.

Locusts feared fire and instantly moved far away from Jiang Fei, but a few stragglers still followed her into the yard.

Jiang Fei directly used the flamethrower to burn them to death.

A faint burnt aroma filled the air.

The chicks and geese in the cage were excited, clucking and honking incessantly.

Locusts are a delicious delicacy for poultry like chickens, ducks, and geese.

Picking up 6 roasted locusts from the ground, Jiang Fei fed them to the Boss and its companions, then took off her helmet and went inside to check on Big Yellow.

She had a habit of closing windows when she went out, and the air conditioner’s outdoor unit and all pipes were protected, so locusts couldn’t get in.

It was Big Yellow, who was timid, and she worried he might be stressed by the locusts.

Jiang Fei found Big Yellow, whose fur was standing on end, under the covers in the master bedroom on the second floor.

Minutes earlier, Big Yellow was lying on the cat room’s windowsill, sunbathing, when suddenly a large swarm of ugly and terrifying insects appeared.

Big Yellow was so scared that he scrambled and rolled into the covers.

He needed the scent of a two-legged beast!

“Don’t be scared, I’m back,” Jiang Fei said, hugging and coaxing Big Yellow. She also took out a small bag of catnip and poured it on the ground to help him relax.

After comforting Big Yellow, Jiang Fei took out her walkie-talkie to contact her teammates.

Lu Yu, Xiao Chuxia, and Su Liuyuan were all fine, and their homes had their doors and windows closed.

Ling Zhaorui was at the Planting Base, too far to contact.

He was working in a greenhouse, so he should be fine.

But the crops at the Planting Base were another matter.

Wherever locusts went, not a blade of grass remained. They would eat all food, including crops.

They wouldn’t even spare withered branches and leaves.

If the number of this locust swarm exceeded hundreds of millions, they could devour the food supply for hundreds of thousands of people in a single day.

Even more terrifying, locusts have a short lifespan but strong reproductive capabilities.

It only takes about a month for an egg to hatch and become capable of reproduction.

And a mature female locust can lay an average of 50 to 100 or more eggs.

Once the locust population rapidly increases in a short period, the consequences would be unimaginable.

In her previous life, there was no locust plague.

Was it because humans survived the virus that the world brought down a new natural disaster?

Jiang Fei felt an unprecedented sense of panic.

Not knowing what natural disaster would occur meant she couldn’t prepare in advance.

But thinking of the Gold Swallowing Supermarket, Jiang Fei felt at ease again.

Food was not a concern; the urgent task was to quickly upgrade the Supermarket and get more member cards.

In case of uncontrollable events, she could still bring her teammates and Big Yellow into the Supermarket.

She would have to go to the warehouse on West Street to collect a batch when she had time.

She couldn't go out today, so Jiang Fei put her helmet back on, found two net bags, and walked into the yard.

She opened the door just a crack to catch the locusts.

Although locusts were terrifying, they were edible.

These things were high in protein, low in fat, rich in various vitamins and minerals, and could supplement nutrition.

It was estimated that the Safety Shelter would soon announce news about eating locusts.

If they couldn’t get rid of the locusts, they would eat them all!

In a short while, both net bags were full.

Jiang Fei closed the gate, used the flamethrower to burn the remaining locusts in the yard to death, and added them to the Boss and its companions’ meal.

One bag was placed in the corner of the yard, and the other was taken into the kitchen to be killed.

She removed the wings and heads of each locust, cleaned out their internal organs, soaked them in a high-concentration saltwater solution for a while, then took them out and rinsed them repeatedly with clean water.

After draining the water, half of the locusts were coated in a batter made of flour and eggs and deep-fried in a pan.

The other half were stir-fried with hotpot base, chili, potato strips, celery, and onions.

By the time Jiang Fei finished, it was time for her teammates to get off work.

Jiang Fei used her walkie-talkie to tell the three to come to 02 to try new dishes, then took the flamethrower to the yard to meet them.

Su Liuyuan and Xiao Chuxia came together.

One was wrapped from head to toe in plastic sheeting, hopping around like a zombie.

The other was wearing protective gear used during the pandemic, completely covered.

Lu Yu was the last to arrive, also using protective gear against the locusts.

This made Su Liuyuan’s plastic sheet outfit look a bit silly.

After clearing out the locusts that had run into the yard, Su Liuyuan took off the plastic sheet and stomped on a locust’s corpse in frustration.

There were a few small red bumps on his right cheek, which had already been disinfected.

“These damn bugs, of all places to bite, they had to bite my face!”

Xiao Chuxia comforted Su Liuyuan: “At least they don’t eat human flesh, otherwise your face would be full of pits and craters.”

“Miss, why do you have a bag of live locusts in your yard?”

Jiang Fei: “The chicks and geese can eat locusts, so I caught them to feed them.”

Lu Yu remembered Jiang Fei’s reason for calling them over, and his expression was subtle.

He had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, after entering the house, they saw a plate of golden fried food and a plate of recognizable spicy stir-fried locusts on the table.

Jiang Fei handed out chopsticks to the three.

“Try it, our new food.”

The three: “…”