CHAPTER 297: CHAPTER 295: TRANSFORMATION PLAN

"Are you still able to contact other places now?" Hearing the researchers mention the need to report issues about the isotope generators and isotope thermoelectric battery production lines to the special task group, Chen Xin couldn’t help but wonder how exactly they were planning to establish contact.

The researchers provided a detailed answer to Chen Xin’s question: "Currently, our main means of communicating with the outside world is still reliant on telephone lines and defense cables. These are parts of the national communication network that existed before the disaster, intended to cater to communication needs following satellite failures.

As for the communication base stations we intended to set up, the projects to build communication networks between cities have been delayed due to the snowstorm. The work can only continue once the storm subsides."

Chen Xin nodded in understanding and asked another question: "What about radio communication?"

"Radio communication is practically useless. The interference from the snowstorm is too severe; even if a connection is made, the signal is intermittent and cannot facilitate effective communication." The researchers also felt helpless about this. Now that satellite communication is unavailable, besides wired telephones and defense cables, radio is still a comparatively good means of communication.

However, none of these communication methods can be used freely. Defense cables are part of national defense and military infrastructure and aren’t normally available for civilian use. Wired telephones can be used by the public, but the bandwidth is limited, and the ability to communicate is confined to places where telephone lines are installed.

Radio communication is a fairly decent method, but in today’s stormy weather, it’s still challenging to contact others.

This is why the research department and the state previously attempted to establish a communication network. Although this network still uses wireless communication, the signal between base stations could remain stable, allowing the construction of an effective and stable communication network.

However, with the entire Flame Country shrouded by the snowstorm, it’s impossible to continue construction, and the communication base stations that started building have had to halt temporarily.

This research institution is connected by telephone lines and defense cables due to its involvement in significant national research projects. In necessary situations, they can directly reach higher departments or even higher authorities, and they can also mobilize the military.

In the present situation, this research institution can be said to be the most powerful department in the whole city.

After understanding the situation, Chen Xin said nothing more and, after discussing with Qin Lan, decided to temporarily stay at this research institution.

As for accommodation conditions, this research institution is quite decent. Originally, the Polytechnic College was the only prestigious university in the city, and its conditions were already good.

After it was converted into a shelter to provide logistical support for researchers and accommodate the needs of the research institution’s secrecy, the Polytechnic College, despite being one of several mid-sized shelters in the city, actually has a relatively small population. This results in it having some of the best living conditions among the many shelters in the urban area.

Nevertheless, it’s still cold here, unlike the police station shelter, which, thanks to Chen Xin’s modifications, has temperatures reaching above freezing levels for comfort.

Fortunately, for Chen Xin, this is not a big issue. Putting on the power armor can keep him from feeling cold, and the Polytechnic College itself has a boiler, which is better than those in other shelters. If needed, Chen Xin can completely remodel the boiler here.

In fact, after learning that Chen Xin had modified the police station shelter’s boiler and came to the Polytechnic College, the leaders of the College have been looking forward to him upgrading their boiler as well.

Indeed, these college leaders have come to request Chen Xin’s help in modifying the boiler.

Chen Xin did not refuse this request, but the materials required for the modification need time to gather, so he didn’t handle it immediately.

However, besides the Polytechnic College, other shelters also need boiler modifications, and after receiving a report from the city police station, the city government attaches great importance to this matter as well.

Moreover, the city government’s idea is a bit different. Besides wanting to modify the heating boilers in each shelter, they hope Chen Xin can help upgrade the power generator boilers at the power plant too.

In the city’s view, once the heating boilers at each shelter are modified, their heating capabilities will improve. Although this will consume more coal, it will reduce the consumption of electric heating, thus conserving coal. Calculating both ways, the total coal consumption might not increase significantly.

And modifying the power plant’s boilers can further enhance combustion efficiency and heat effect, allowing the coal’s contained thermal energy to be utilized better while conserving coal consumption.

Thus, the city government specially dispatched an official to meet Chen Xin, outlining the city government’s thoughts in detail and hoping he could come up with a feasible renovation plan to help complete the conversions of the heating boilers and the power plant’s generator boilers.

The city government’s requests were exactly what Chen Xin was planning to do. Since both parties had the same ideas, the matter was quickly agreed upon. As for how to modify and implement, it required careful discussion and consultation.

Chen Xin didn’t have anything else to attend to at the moment, and the city government was keen on this matter, allowing him enough time and resources to discuss and plan it.

Following detailed discussions, the entire renovation plan was finalized, and according to calculations, if Chen Xin can complete modifications on all the large and medium-sized shelters’ heating boilers and the power plant’s generator boilers, it can reduce the city’s total coal consumption by 10%.

This is already a very satisfactory result, as in saving coal, it also solves the heating problems in various shelters. Although the external temperature remains extremely low due to the relentless snowstorm, the internal temperatures in shelters can surpass freezing, preventing many survivors from suffering from frostbite or hypothermia.

And such modifications also offer significant advantages to Chen Xin. Although he might expend a batch of survival points, the subsequent daily survival point increase would be a continuous income, which is worthwhile for him.

So, after formulating the plan, Chen Xin agreed to the city government’s requests, and they immediately started actively coordinating the materials needed for Chen Xin’s boiler upgrades.

Once the city government official who came to discuss the renovation plan had left, Chen Xin turned to Qin Lan and smiled: "The problems in the urban area can be resolved now, and people in other shelters will fare much better too!"