235: Chapter 235 Thirty Thousand People Squeezed onto the Ship! Lu Chen Calculated the Area Difference.

Day 69, 4:03 PM.

Lin Xiao's communicator rang and hung up, hung up and rang; it hadn't stopped all afternoon. He stood in the center of the main corridor of the fourth-floor Residential Area of The City-State, facing two Building Managers and a leader from the Relocation Team.

"Residents from District 11 to District 20 will start moving forward this afternoon," Lin Xiao lowered his voice, tapping his finger on the area signage on the corridor wall. "Move into the empty rooms from District 1 to District 10."

The Building Manager on the left was a sturdy woman in her forties named Floor Manager Fang Xiulan. She was in charge of over three thousand people from Districts 15 to 20.

"City Lord Lin," Floor Manager Fang Xiulan frowned, "where are there so many empty rooms in Districts 1 to 10? The first ten districts are housing fourteen thousand people; they're packed like sardines."

"Squeeze," Lin Xiao replied with a single word.

"How do we squeeze? Six people in a room, and we shove two more in?"

"Yes. Eight people to a room."

Floor Manager Fang Xiulan opened her mouth, then closed it again.

"Why do we have to move?" asked the Building Manager on the right, surnamed Qian, who managed Districts 11 to 14.

"Maintenance requirements," Lin Xiao used the explanation he had prepared last night. "The pipes and load-bearing beams in the rear districts need a comprehensive inspection. No one can live there during the inspection."

"How long will the inspection take?"

"Five days."

"Five days?" Floor Manager Fang Xiulan's voice rose. "Three thousand people squeezing into the front for five days—how are we going to handle eating, drinking, and bathroom needs?"

"Food will be transported from Polaris as usual," Lin Xiao went over the logistics. "Drinking water will come from The City-State's own Water Purification System. As for the toilets, the public restrooms in the front districts were already shared; they can handle more people."

"That's not just a matter of adding a few people," Floor Manager Fang Xiulan grumbled. She glanced at Lin Xiao but didn't argue further.

"Relocation Team," Lin Xiao turned to the leader of the Relocation Team. "Starting this afternoon, move Districts 17 to 20 first. These four districts are at the very back; move the ones furthest from the cut first."

The leader of the Relocation Team was a young man in his early twenties surnamed Yang.

"Moving belongings or moving people?"

"People first," Lin Xiao set the tone. "Move the supplies after the people have left. Anything that can't be moved, leave it behind."

"Leave it behind?" Leader Yang was stunned for a moment.

"Just leave it there," Lin Xiao didn't explain.

After dismissing the three, he retreated to an empty dead end at the corner of the corridor and pressed his communicator.

"Lin Wan."

"Brother."

"The clearing of the rear section has begun. Districts 17 to 20 will move first this afternoon."

"Is there enough room in the front?"

"It's enough if we squeeze," Lin Xiao leaned against the wall, his voice heavy. "That woman Floor Manager Fang Xiulan asked why we're moving; I said pipe inspections. She only half-believed it."

"What about the other half?"

"She kept the other half to herself. News of the Iron Hoof Legion has been circulating in The City-State for two days; everyone has an idea of what's going on. Whether we can move is one thing, but why we're moving is another."

"Can you keep it under control?"

"I can control it for five days," Lin Xiao said plainly. "Beyond five days, it's hard to say."

"It won't exceed five days," Lin Wan reconfirmed the timeline. "On the night of Day 73, the engines will be exhausted and Degradation will begin. From now, it's exactly a little over four days."

"Four days," Lin Xiao rolled the number over his tongue.

"Brother."

"Yeah?"

"Have the two thousand Winter Coats been allocated?"

"They have. They're being moved from the Storage Area to the side hatch of The City-State this afternoon, and the Second Channel will open tomorrow morning."

"Good. Tomorrow's relocation volume needs to reach over three thousand people."

"I know," Lin Xiao took a breath. "Lin Wan, help me ask the City Lord something."

"What is it?"

"There are still twenty thousand people left in The City-State. Once all twenty thousand move to Polaris, can the ship hold them?"

Lin Wan was silent on the other end.

"You mean all thirty thousand people squeezing into Polaris?"

"Everyone has to leave The City-State before Degradation," Lin Xiao laid out the logic. "How many people can fit in Polaris's Storage Area and Residential Area? What about the corridors? And under the Dome Greenhouse?"

"I'll ask the City Lord."

The communication switched to Lu Chen's channel.

"City Lord."

"Speak."

"Lin Xiao is asking. Once all thirty thousand people move to Polaris, will the ship be able to fit them?"

Lu Chen was looking through data on the other end.

"Polaris has a total of forty-eight thousand square meters of usable area across three floors, plus the nine thousand six hundred square meters of the Livestock Farm," he recited the numbers. "At 1.6 square meters per person, it can fit thirty thousand people. But that would require counting every corridor and passage, with no redundant space at all."

"1.6 square meters per person," Lin Wan wrote in her notebook. "Standing or lying down?"

"1.6 is enough for standing. Lying down requires at least three square meters."

"It's impossible for thirty thousand people to lie down at the same time."

"They don't need to lie down at the same time," Lu Chen said. "Degradation takes three to four hours. No one will die from standing for three to four hours."

"Good. Then the answer is that it fits."

"It fits, but it'll be very crowded," Lu Chen added. "The space under the Greenhouse can't be used for standing; the Hydroponic Racks take up too much room. People can't enter the Livestock Farm on the first floor either, or the animals will get stressed. The actual usable space is the first and second floors plus the corridors, around thirty-five thousand square meters."

"Thirty thousand people in thirty-five thousand square meters. That's 1.17 per person."

"It's enough."

"Alright, I'll pass that on to Lin Xiao."

The communication ended.

Lin Wan switched back to Lin Xiao's channel.

"Brother, the City Lord says it fits. Thirty-five thousand square meters is enough for thirty thousand people. But it'll be very crowded, 1.17 square meters per person. Degradation takes three to four hours; they'll just have to endure it standing."

Lin Xiao let out a 'heh' on the other end.

"Endure it standing," he repeated. "Fine. Thirty thousand people standing for four hours is better than freezing to death outside."

"Hurry with the relocation. Three thousand people tomorrow is the baseline."

"Understood."

The communication ended.

Lin Wan tucked her communicator back into her waist and walked into the Greenhouse.

Song Ya was squatting next to the first set of Hydroponic Racks, pouring a prepared mixture of compost and nutrient solution into the Cultivation Tank.

"Miss Lin," Song Ya looked up. "The seeds for the fourth crop have sprouted."

Lin Wan bent down to glance at the Cultivation Tank.

In the brown nutrient solution, a row of tender green sprouts had emerged from their seed shells, only half a centimeter long. Fast-growing Wheat. In seven days, it would be seventeen or eighteen tons of grain.

"Good," Lin Wan straightened up. "Keep an eye on them."