Tang Li had originally planned to wait until societal order began to collapse before seeking out the Peng family father and daughter to learn martial arts.
However, since Tang Guo had already approached Peng Yixuan about learning martial arts, Tang Li took the opportunity to voice her own intentions.
Peng Yixuan agreed.
Of course, she also admitted that she could only teach basic techniques.
If Tang Li and Tang Guo wanted to learn more profound martial arts, they would need to seek instruction from her father.
But even the most basic techniques were better than the instinctive, unorganized moves Tang Li had figured out on her own in her previous life.
For the next period, Tang Li commuted between the black market and home.
Every morning, she would replicate electrical appliances in Tang Guo's car. After Tang Guo left, she too would depart in a small truck, carrying a load of appliances to the black market. She would arrange for staff from the appliance store to come down and pick them up, while also settling the proceeds from the previous day's sales.
Upon returning, she and Tang Guo would practice martial arts stances with Peng Yixuan.
Peng Yixuan was initially unaware of Tang Li's strength and only realized it after a spar.
Knowing Tang Li was strong, there was no need to build a foundation; she began teaching Tang Li basic stances directly.
Although Tang Guo's physical condition was not ideal, she wore a mechanical exoskeleton and practiced martial arts alongside Tang Li.
At first, Tang Guo was reluctant to use the mechanical exoskeleton because it consumed energy, which had to be purchased with points.
However, she was also aware of the harshness of the apocalypse. After Tang Li persuaded her, she put on the mechanical exoskeleton and practiced with Tang Li.
She insisted on paying for the energy herself.
Tang Li found herself unable to dissuade her.
In reality, the energy gained from the discarded appliances Tang Guo collected daily and returned to her space far exceeded the energy Tang Li consumed when replicating appliances for her. As for the points earned, Tang Guo insisted on taking a maximum of 15 points as a daily wage.
Therefore, Tang Guo's daily excursions created value for Tang Li.
Moreover, the energy for the mechanical exoskeleton was all replicated by Tang Li from her space, requiring no points for purchase.
However, Tang Li could not reveal these matters to Tang Guo openly at the moment.
Since the onset of the extreme heat season, the afternoons had become extremely hot.
During this time, most people chose not to go out. Even factories avoided this peak heat, shifting their operations to nighttime.
Consequently, Tang Guo now only went out in the mornings and evenings to collect discarded appliances.
She would return home at noon and in the afternoon. After eating, she would put on her mechanical exoskeleton and, with Tang Li, practice martial arts stances under Peng Yixuan.
In addition to martial arts stances, Tang Guo also diligently practiced shooting every day.
Tang Li, on the other hand, practiced with the various cold weapons she had brought back.
During this period, Tang Li also visited a martial arts dojo in disguise. However, she found that the instruction there was similar to Peng Yixuan's, so she stopped going.
She directly sought instruction from Peng Yixuan for all martial arts and weapon techniques.
Peng Yixuan possessed considerable talent for martial arts and was proficient in various weapons, though not a master.
However, she was capable of teaching Tang Li the basics.
If there were techniques she herself did not know, she could always ask Peng Yue at home for guidance.
Thus, the days passed.
In the blink of an eye, a month had gone by.
Throughout this month, the drought had not eased at all; on the contrary, it had intensified. Many rivers had dried up, and groundwater levels were rapidly declining.
In areas where rivers had ceased to flow, the lack of water forced people to abandon their homes and seek out places with water sources, especially in areas where order had collapsed.
Even in areas where water was officially distributed, conflicts were constant.
Refugees, people displaced by disaster and wandering without sustenance.
In modern society, they had practically disappeared.
However, after the catastrophe, refugees reappeared.
In her previous life, Tang Li was one of these refugees after the great tsunami.
These refugees, enduring the scorching sun of the extreme heat season, had to keep moving.
Only by finding water sources could they survive.
Many, overcome by the high temperatures, collapsed and died on their journey to find water, never to rise again.
If they were fortunate and no one was nearby, the sun's rays would rapidly dehydrate their bodies, turning them into mummified corpses.
If they were unlucky, they might not be dead immediately after collapsing, merely unconscious, only to have their veins cut open by others desperate for a sip of water.
The refugees flocked towards places with water.
And in places with water, the existing water was scarce. Local residents themselves did not have enough to drink, naturally unwilling to share with these outsiders.
If the authorities distributed water to these refugees, the locals would object, attack the refugees, or even storm official buildings.
If the authorities did not provide water, these refugees, unable to survive, would naturally fight desperately.
Jiang City, due to its proximity to the great river, had sufficient water resources.
However, over the past month, there had been more than ten incidents of attacks on curfew enforcement personnel in the vicinity of Jiang City, with increasing frequency.
Concurrently, the number of refugees gathering around Jiang City was also growing...