Chapter 48

Chapter 48

001.

The surroundings were too dark, and Feng Yimo was seated to his left, closer inside the carriage. Ji Yanqing couldn't clearly see the expression on Feng Yimo's face, but in that instant, he seemed to detect anger on it.

Realizing this, Ji Yanqing hooked the corner of his mouth into a faint smile.

All that had already passed.

Knowing no one would come to save him, he learned to pick up a weapon.

Even if no one would protect him, he could now protect himself.

Ji Yanqing glanced at the axe beside him, which he never let out of his reach. This apocalypse might be catastrophic for others, but for him, it wasn't just pain—it also represented rebirth.

Though the environment for this new life was excessively harsh.

Ji Yanqing fell silent. He pulled Ji Le into his arms and let him cry against his chest.

In this apocalypse, not everyone could hide in someone else's embrace and cry their heart out; it was already a luxury.

The pent-up emotions in Ji Le's heart erupted and were released. The exhaustion from his mind and body, coupled with the fact that it was past his usual bedtime, soon made him cry himself to sleep.

Once he was asleep, Ji Yanqing gently wiped away the tears on his little face and laid him down beside him.

Having done this, Ji Yanqing looked toward Ji'an.

Ji'an's eyes were red and watery, but as the older brother, he held back his tears.

Ji Yanqing extended his hand to him.

Ji'an, who had been about to lie down next to Ji Le to sleep, froze.

Ji Yanqing didn't explain anything. Instead, he leaned forward and lifted Ji'an into his arms.

Ji'an was very small. Standing, he only reached Ji Yanqing's thighs, and in his arms, he felt even smaller.

Feeling the negligible weight, Ji Yanqing whispered to him in a very soft voice, "If you're wronged, you can tell Dad. It's okay; I won't tell anyone."

Ji Yanqing stroked Ji'an's gradually fuller cheeks. "You're the older brother, but I'm your dad."

Ji'an, though the older brother, was only half a year older than Ji Le.

Ji'an nodded slightly under Ji Yanqing's palm. He had intended to say "okay," but before he could speak, he couldn't hold back his tears. "Wah..."

Even though he hadn't meant to, Ji Le blamed him and got angry. Ji Le had pushed him, and when he reached out, Ji Le ignored him.

Feeling wronged, Ji'an cried softly, like a kitten.

Ji Yanqing held him and gently stroked his back until Ji'an also fell asleep in his arms.

Placing Ji'an beside Ji Le, letting them huddle together for warmth, and tucking in the edges of their clothes, Ji Yanqing finally exhaled and turned to look down the mountain.

As soon as his attention refocused on the mountain below, his head began to ache, and he couldn't help but pinch the bridge of his nose.

The lights in the county town were still on, and Xia Shenshu and the others hadn't returned.

They seemed determined to empty the entire town.

His attention had been diverted by Ji'an and Ji Le for a while, but the others on the mountain, who had been nervously watching below, were all pale with tension, as if they were about to vomit.

Xia Shenshu and the others returned after dawn, around five o'clock, when the sky had been bright for nearly an hour.

Bathed in the misty morning light, they crossed the flat land between the town and the forest and entered the mountains, returning to the vehicle. On their faces were radiant smiles.

Xia Shenshu and the others returned laden with goods. Over a hundred and twenty people made more than three trips back and forth, not finishing until almost eight in the morning.

By then, the road behind the vehicle, a distance of ten or so meters, was packed with layers of boxes and bags of various kinds.

There were too many things for the vehicles on the mountain to hold.

They had to use every inch of space, stuffing the entire rear compartment full without a single gap.

The tops of the trucks were also utilized, with some lighter items packed into backpacks and tied down with ropes.

Even so, there was still a pile of leftovers on the ground.

Sitting on two stacked cardboard boxes, Ji Yanqing looked at the group bandaging Lu Qing's wounds on the left side of the road.

A dozen people had been injured during last night's operation.

Lan Zi noticed and explained with a smile, "At first, the rope was set too low. Two people pulling the rope were grabbed by zombies below the light and were almost pulled down, but fortunately, Mo Xian reacted quickly and cut the rope tied to their hands before the light could pull them down."

Ji Yanqing searched the crowd and soon spotted Mo Xian sitting alone in a corner.

As one of the disliked troublemakers in Xue Gang's team, he wasn't popular.

"When moving things in the supermarket, someone moved too fast and accidentally knocked over a top-heavy shelf. The others feared the noise would be too loud, so they all rushed to catch the shelf," Lan Zi said, still shaken by the memory.

Thankfully, they served as human cushions to prevent the shelf from crashing to the ground. Otherwise, chaos would have erupted in the city last night.

Ji Yanqing nodded.

Noticing Ji Yanqing's gaze, several people among those bandaging their wounds on the roadside raised their heads. Meeting Ji Yanqing's gaze, they smiled joyfully.

Last night, they had brought back a considerable amount of supplies, which greatly improved everyone's mood.

Ji Yanqing turned to look at the large bags beside him. He reached out and pressed on them; the contents were soft. He opened the bag and found it contained black coats.

Ji Yanqing raised his eyebrows before he could get the cargo list. Why did Xia Shenshu bring back so many clothes?

In the freezing cold, overcoats were essential supplies at night, but they always only wore one, and at most brought an extra set of light undergarments to change into. They wouldn't waste their energy carrying such things.

As Ji Yanqing was puzzled, Xia Shenshu suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Here." Xia Shenshu carried two cartoon backpacks that only kindergarteners would use and walked towards Ji'an and Ji Le beside Ji Yanqing.

Upon receiving the backpacks, both Ji'an and Ji Le's faces lit up with delighted smiles.

Everyone else had their own backpacks except for them. Ji Yanqing and the others' backpacks were too large, almost big enough to fit them inside, but these backpacks were different. These small backpacks were just the right size for them to carry.

With these backpacks, they could carry many things that belonged to them.

"Is your older brother good to you?" Xia Shenshu asked.

Ji Yanqing was helpless; Xia Shenshu was older than him. If Xia Shenshu was like an older brother to Ji'an and Ji Le, then wouldn't Xia Shenshu have to call him "Uncle"?

"Why did you bring all this stuff back?" Ji Yanqing asked.

He appreciated Xia Shenshu's kindness towards Ji'an and Ji Le, but he couldn't accept Xia Shenshu leading a group of people to risk their lives for these things. Everyone's life was precious.

After helping Ji'an and Ji Le put on their backpacks, Xia Shenshu stood up with a smile.

He glanced at the bags containing the overcoats under Ji Yanqing's control, looked around the crowd, found Black Dragon, and waved him over.

"You'll have to ask him about that," said Xia Shenshu.

Black Dragon, who had been chatting with a group of people, jogged over.

"Tell our Captain Ji about these clothes," Xia Shenshu said.

"These are specifically for the three squads, so they can be distinguished from the rest of the team," Black Dragon explained.

Images of Xue Gang's squad, filled with arrogant individuals, and the twenty shivering men in suits behind Black Dragon, immediately came to Ji Yanqing's mind. His face clearly expressed his refusal. "They don't need to be distinguished from the others."

There was no one above anyone else in his team.

Black Dragon was taken aback and looked at Ji Yanqing with a complex and surprised expression, as if he were looking at a monster. In this post-apocalyptic world, where the strong ruled, rules and regulations no longer applied.

After his surprise, he scratched his head. "This is also a way to showcase the strength of the Survival Team."

"Showcase strength?"

"The Survival Teams usually display those with guns separately to announce their strength to other teams. This is an unwritten rule among Survival Teams, a form of deterrence that brings many benefits, although it also comes with risks."

"Most Survival Teams will only choose to negotiate with teams of similar strength. By showcasing their strength, they're essentially extending a friendly hand to teams of comparable power. This way, if the other party is willing to negotiate, they will send a signal."

"If we encounter those with ill intentions, they'll have to weigh whether it's worth it before making a move."

Seeing that Ji Yanqing didn't know much about Survival Teams, Black Dragon added, "Generally, a Survival Team's strength is measured by the number of firearms they possess. Fifty is a threshold; there's a significant difference between having more or less than fifty."

"Forgetting those with fewer than fifty, if a team has over fifty guns, even if another team with a hundred guns targets them, in a real fight, the team with fewer guns can still kill dozens from the larger team."

"To lose dozens of elite members and consume hundreds of bullets for the sake of fifty guns and some supplies isn't worth it, even if they achieve a complete victory."

"As far as I know, while there are some scumbags who do this regardless of the cost, most people form Survival Teams to survive and won't act recklessly."

After hearing Black Dragon's explanation, Ji Yanqing was momentarily astonished.

These were things he had never considered before.

Black Dragon's words made sense.

If there was a way to instantly understand the general situation of the opposing team, it would only benefit them.

As for showcasing their strength, it would only do them good, directly deterring those with malicious intentions and saving them a lot of trouble.

Although to the larger teams that could easily overpower them, their actions might make them seem like a more tempting target, such teams should be rare in this post-apocalyptic world.

In his mind, Ji Yanqing recalled the scene of the group shivering behind Black Dragon. "The suits and sunglasses are also for display?"

Black Dragon choked, his expression turning quite interesting. "Ahem... Those are only worn during negotiations with other teams. Normally, we wear overcoats. I just thought the overcoats lacked character..."

Ji Yanqing felt a strange sensation, as if he were choking.

He had just started to think that Black Dragon wasn't entirely without redeeming qualities, but now he began to doubt himself.

Taking a deep breath, Ji Yanqing ignored Black Dragon and looked at Xia Shenshu.

"There aren't many clothes of the same style, and this time we only found about twenty pieces. We can start with one of the squads and gradually fill the gaps when we reach other places. If possible, we can differentiate based on the squads, making it easier to identify teammates during operations," Xia Shenshu said.

Ji Yanqing nodded.

"Then let's start with Li Pingsen's squad," Xia Shenshu said, looking at Li Pingsen and his group, who were busy tallying the goods.

The cargo had already been counted when loaded onto the vehicle, leaving only those still on the street to be accounted for.

Ji Yanqing had no objections.

"Oh, right." Xia Shenshu walked to the side and rummaged through a pile of goods. Soon, he found a somewhat deflated backpack.

He brought the backpack to Ji Yanqing and unzipped it.

The first thing that caught Ji Yanqing's eye were five guns: three pistols and two machine guns. Pistols weren't ideal for this post-apocalyptic world, as zombies usually attacked in large numbers when firearms were needed, but having them was better than nothing.

"Found these in the Public Security Bureau," Xia Shenshu said, handing the guns to Ji Yanqing.

Ji Yanqing took the guns and examined them, then looked around.

Many people nearby had long noticed the commotion over at their side. Seeing Ji Yanqing get his hands on a gun, several who wanted one had their faces flushed red with envy.

Ji Yanqing surveyed the area and gave four of the guns to two unarmed individuals in Xia Shenshu and Li Pingsen's teams.

The last remaining pistol, Ji Yanqing tossed to Mo Xian, who was squatting alone and resting far away.

Upon receiving the gun thrown by Ji Yanqing, Mo Xian wore an expression of surprise. His head instinctively turned around, as if checking whether Ji Yanqing had thrown it to the wrong person.

Confirming that there was no one else around him, he looked even more surprised at Ji Yanqing. He seemed never to have thought that he would have another chance to hold a gun.

Ji Yanqing offered no explanation.

Mo Xian had experience firing guns and good physical stamina, always making him a suitable candidate. If not for the incident with Xue Gang's team, he might have already gotten a gun during the previous distribution.

In the shrub-covered plains, Mo Xian had the courage to be the first to put down his gun. Now, Ji Yanqing was willing to give him another chance.

Without waiting for any words from Ji Yanqing, Mo Xian lowered his head to look at the heavy gun in his hand before glancing around at everyone else.

Many were staring at the last gun, hoping it would land in their hands. Now that it had found its owner, all wore expressions of uncontainable disappointment and envy.

Among the group, especially among the dozens who had previously been part of Xue Gang's team, there were complex expressions, but none were infuriated.

Realizing this, feeling the weight in his hand, Mo Xian's surprise gradually transformed into emotion.

His eyes welled up, and he lowered his head.

When Ji Yanqing glanced back, Mo Xian had buried his face in his arms, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably.

As Ji Yanqing retracted his gaze, he glanced at the other two sitting alone even further away. They were looking at Mo Xian's gun with jealousy and complexity.

They were quite furious and resentful about Mo Xian getting another gun.

Ji Yanqing was speechless, utterly helpless.

In this brief moment, Xia Shenshu had already explained the situation with the guns to the four recipients and taught them how to use them.

After the guns, Xia Shenshu pulled out several high-quality binoculars still in their packaging from his backpack.

"Got them from a toy store. The specs on these toys are pretty high; though they can't match military-grade ones, they're still decent," Xia Shenshu said.

After taking out the binoculars, Xia Shenshu continued pulling various items from his backpack: chalk, maps, and five walkie-talkies.

None of the walkie-talkies were new; three looked like they'd been scavenged from zombies, with some dried, unknown liquid still on their surfaces.

Looking at the walkie-talkies, Ji Yanqing's eyes lit up.

These must have come from the Public Security Bureau. They were handheld walkie-talkies.

In urban areas, their coverage ranged from one to three kilometers, and in open, unobstructed fields, they could reach three to five kilometers.

Before the virus outbreak, he wouldn't have given these a second glance, but now, especially with their three teams, these devices could significantly improve coordination between their groups.

At critical moments, they might even turn the tide.

Xia Shenshu hadn't had time to study these when he obtained them. Now, with some spare time, he spent a while examining them before finally putting them down.

"They all seem to be in working condition, but they're low on power," Feng Yimo said to Ji Yanqing.

Ji Yanqing took a deep breath. It seemed they needed to prioritize acquiring a generator.

As Xia Shenshu packed everything back up, Li Pingsen had finished tallying and listing all the supplies.

Seeing Ji Yanqing receive the inventory list, those busy or resting on the side all turned to look at him, their faces filled with excited smiles.

The vehicle was completely filled with food and drink, plus a pile of medicine and five guns. This time, their haul was quite rich.

Ji Yanqing briefly scanned the list. "Good work, you've done well."

Hearing Ji Yanqing's affirmation, everyone's smiles grew even brighter.

Ji Yanqing directly instructed someone to take out some of the food left outside and distribute it. After a busy night, Xia Shenshu and the others hadn't eaten breakfast yet.

Once the food was distributed, the group found places to eat. As they did so, Ji Yanqing spoke again. "After eating, rest for a bit. First, we need to get gasoline and a vehicle. We should leave here as soon as possible and then find a place to rest."

Their current location was too close to the county town. No one could guarantee that there weren't zombies in the surrounding mountains.

Even if they rested here, they wouldn't sleep soundly. It was better to move away from here and then fully relax.

The excited group had no desire to sleep. After eating and resting for half an hour, they spontaneously discussed going into the city to obtain gasoline.

Last night, they brought back many supplies, but gasoline wasn't among them.

Acquiring gasoline differed from other supplies; they could only search the county town for vehicles with remaining fuel, collecting it bit by bit. This required a significant amount of time.

After discussing, the group quickly crossed the forest and re-entered the county town.

This time, unlike before, they didn't spend much time in the town. After forty minutes, people started returning with buckets of gasoline.

An hour and a half later, just before ten o'clock, the hottest part of the day, everyone returned to the mountains.

Some carried enough gasoline up the mountain to fill their vehicles parked halfway up, while more remained at the base.

Li Pingsen's group directly changed into the similar-styled black coats they had found and moved the remaining supplies that couldn't fit on the mountain down below.

Leaving two people to drive and four to assist with watch duty, Ji Yanqing also descended the mountain, supported by Feng Yimo, along with Ji'an and Ji Le.

When Ji Yanqing reached the base of the mountain, Xia Shenshu had already led a group through the forest to the main road outside the county town.

This main road extended from the county town into the mountains, winding upward and over the entire mountain range before continuing to the other side.

Their vehicle was parked halfway up the mountain.

When the virus broke out and the townspeople tried to escape by car, traffic jams extended from the town all the way to the forest at the foot of the mountain. The congestion ended near the bottom where several vehicles had collided in a chain reaction.

The two large trucks they had their eyes on were located about a hundred meters into the forested area closer to the town. This spot was already quite far from the town, but the entire road was still crowded with people.

If they accidentally made any noise, it would spread like a snowball rolling downhill, potentially alerting the entire town to their presence, including the worst-case scenario of rousing every zombie in the city.

When Ji Yanqing reached the foot of the mountain, Lan Zi was leading a group carefully creating a small commotion by throwing stones at vehicles to clear the zombies between the foot of the mountain and their target vehicles. They needed to clear a distance of about a hundred meters.

There were only around ten ordinary zombies in that area, but there were also figures lurking further away on both sides, which caused beads of cold sweat to form on Lan Zi's forehead.

Fortunately, the operation went relatively smoothly. Although an additional three zombies were unexpectedly attracted during the last attempt, the situation was quickly brought under control due to the dense population in the woods.

After Lan Zi cleared the zombies between the vehicles and the forest, Xia Shenshu and Li Pingsen immediately led their respective teams along the line of vehicles towards the two large trucks.

Li Pingsen stopped in front of one truck, while Xia Shenshu and his team headed for the other, which was closer to the town.

Both teams moved swiftly. Some checked if the tires were intact, others took the opportunity to refuel the vehicles, and some cautiously opened the rear compartments to facilitate boarding later.

Everyone was extremely tense, and beads of cold sweat formed on their foreheads within mere seconds.

One person holding a can to help refuel was so nervous that his hand slipped, nearly causing the oil can to collide with the vehicle.

Many people witnessed this incident, and everyone's hearts skipped a beat as they tensed up.

*Thud.*

Just as everyone was starting to breathe a sigh of relief after catching the oil can, a dull sound echoed through the air.

Hearing that heavy yet muffled sound, the muscles on the faces of those busy on the road and those waiting in the forest twitched. Everyone's heart leaped into their throats.

Everyone turned to look at the sides of the road.

The zombies between the trucks and the foot of the mountain had been cleared, but there were still many more ahead on the road. A few of them had already turned towards Xia Shenshu and his team.

All eyes fell on the person who had slipped earlier.

Sweat pouring down his face, he shook his head vigorously; it wasn't him.

On the road, Xia Shenshu and Li Pingsen exchanged glances before checking their own teams.

As soon as they turned their heads, the same sound rang out again.

*Thud.*

Hearing the sound, the muscles on the faces of those hiding in the forest began to twitch from excessive tension. The zombies in front of the truck had started to slowly move towards Xia Shenshu and his team.

Facing this situation, the expressions of Xia Shenshu and his group on the road turned ghastly white. Many of them anxiously turned their heads.

They tried to pinpoint the source of the sound, but during the first occurrence, they were too shocked to pay attention. During the second occurrence, they were in a state of extreme tension, and the sound came too suddenly.

Xia Shenshu instinctively looked towards Ji Yanqing.

In the forest, Ji Yanqing gestured towards him, pointing to the left.

After a moment of confusion, Xia Shenshu immediately looked to his left. There was nothing there except for a vehicle.

He was puzzled, but then Ji Yanqing pointed downwards.

Xia Shenshu looked down and saw a sedan.

A car?

Almost instantly, Xia Shenshu realized the source of the disturbance: inside the car!

He immediately leaned down to look inside the vehicle, and sure enough, there was someone there.

The person was seated in the driver's seat. He had been bitten on the neck by a zombie that had broken through the window and entered the car. He had completely transformed into a zombie.

Before he was bitten, he hadn't had time to undo his seatbelt, so he was still sitting in the driver's seat.

Upon hearing the commotion and seeing Xia Shenshu and his team right next to the car, the zombie instinctively tried to stand up and lunge at them.

The sound just now was the result of his head hitting the roof of the car as he tried to rise.

He was about to stand up again.

Realizing what was happening, Xia Shenshu immediately used his gun to reach through the window on his side and press against the zombie's neck, preventing him from standing up.

*Gur...* The zombie let out a roar, but the sound was much quieter than if he had directly collided with the car.

Almost simultaneously, the zombies attracted from the line of vehicles ahead had noticed Xia Shenshu.

Xia Shenshu turned to look behind him.

Seeing the zombies about to pounce on him, several people suddenly lunged forward.

They used their coats to cover the zombies' heads and pin them to the ground, then brutally beat their heads with their guns.

Everything happened in an instant, but that moment felt unbearably long. When the zombies on the ground finally stilled, everyone's lungs ached from holding their breath.

The group on the road exchanged glances. Xia Shenshu continued to hold the zombie's neck down, preventing him from rising, while the others resumed their tasks.

After checking the tires and refueling, when someone opened the driver's side door, the person assigned to open the back door had already done so.

One of the trucks was empty, but when the door of the other truck was opened, everyone's brows furrowed. Inside were many crates.

The crates were not light, and some were even as tall as a person, making it impossible to simply throw them away.

Seeing the crates, everyone finally realized it was a freight company's transport truck, with the company's logo clearly marked on the truck's body.

Their focus had been entirely on the zombies before, leaving them no inclination to care about what the vehicle used to be.

The person opening the door saw this and immediately looked back at Ji Yanqing with unease. Two-thirds of the truck was already full, leaving little room for more people.

Ji Yanqing had already noticed the situation and made a swift decision. "It's fine. More people can go to the front car. We'll throw out those crates once we're out of here."

Those who were panicking saw Ji Yanqing's calm demeanor and immediate instructions, which reassured them, and they quickly steadied themselves.

In this brief moment, everything was ready.

Ji Yanqing looked back at the others hiding behind him. The group in the woods moved swiftly and silently towards the two vehicles.

The first to arrive were those carrying goods that hadn't fit in their previous vehicle. There wasn't much, and twenty or so people quickly finished moving them.

Next came several injured and unconscious individuals, who were also quickly loaded onto the trucks.

Following them, the main group quickly caught up.

The entire group numbered over a hundred people, yet the entire process took less than ten seconds. As everyone boarded the vehicles, the two drivers started the engines.

The vehicle closer to the mountain base started almost instantly, breaking the silence with the sound of its engine. Zombies at both ends of the road turned around simultaneously.

Xia Shenshu immediately pulled his body back to get into the car. As he moved, the zombie inside grabbed his gun. Due to his half-bent posture, he couldn't muster enough strength and was pulled into the car.

Looking at the face lunging towards him and the claw reaching his face, Xia Shenshu's facial muscles twitched violently.

As the zombie's nails were about to scratch his face, Xia Shenshu felt a force pulling him back.

Ji Yanqing's strength was immense, even freeing the zombie's grip on Xia Shenshu's gun.

"Get in the car!" Ji Yanqing said.

In this brief delay, the surrounding zombies were thoroughly alerted and rushed towards them.

Arriving at the back of the vehicle, Xia Shenshu quickly got in.

When he turned to help Ji Yanqing, Feng Yimo had already lifted him by the waist and helped him into the car.

After Ji Yanqing, Feng Yimo lifted Ji'an and Ji Le and placed them in the car.

After doing this, Feng Yimo got into the car.

Suddenly, Lan Zi growled, "Ji Yanqing!"

Lan Zi was staring at the driver's seat of the car behind them.

Ji Yanqing looked over. The person starting the car was panicking because their vehicle hadn't started yet.

The front car had been running for a while, but there was no sign of life from the rear car.

Since the rear car was empty, there were more people in it than in the front one.

Everyone had noticed this situation, and their faces turned grim. About two-thirds of the zombies on the road had been alerted, and the commotion was growing as more zombies ran towards them.

The noise was spreading into the county town.

Ji Yanqing grabbed an axe and was about to get out of the car when someone stopped him.

"Stay here." Feng Yimo jumped out of the car and drew his sword.

The person in the driver's seat of the rear car became increasingly flustered and hurriedly tried to start the car again.

The car remained motionless.

The person trying to start the car was close to tears and looked towards Ji Yanqing in the front car.

Facing this, many people looked at Ji Yanqing.

Should they run?

Ji Yanqing remained silent, watching the people in the rear car quietly.

Without receiving an order to flee, the person starting the car hesitated, then hurriedly tried again.

Despite another attempt, the car still didn't move.

The person looked up again, his eyes red and nearly collapsing.

His face had lost all color, and with his red eyes, he looked quite wretched.

Ji Yanqing waited quietly.

The person gritted his teeth and, in a panic, tried again.

The zombies at the back of the car had already reached their side, and several tried to climb onto the car. Feng Yimo was below the car, cutting off the heads of any approaching zombies.

With no hope left, the man tried to start the car again, but this time, the car beneath him began to rumble and vibrate.

The man's face flushed rapidly.

He hurriedly fumbled to control the situation.

"Go!" Ji Yanqing's low command spread.

Almost simultaneously, the car beneath him surged forward.

The car rammed into the car in front, then backed up and quickly turned left towards the nearby farmland, smashing through the fence and plunging into the field, which was only slightly lower than the road.

The vehicle behind them replicated the maneuver, rudely charging into the farmland before they raced towards the mountains ahead.

"Feng Yimo!" Ji Yanqing reached out to Feng Yimo below the vehicle.

Feng Yimo dispatched the zombie in front of him, ran two steps, grabbed Ji Yanqing's hand, and leaped onto the vehicle.

Xia Shenshu, beside Ji Yanqing, twitched at the corner of his mouth.

This wasn't the first time Feng Yimo had jumped onto the vehicle, but previously, Feng Yimo never needed anyone to pull him up. Each time, he would jump onto the vehicle by himself.

The commotion from both vehicles crashing through the barricade was no less than gunfire. It almost immediately alarmed all the zombies on the outskirts of the town facing their direction.

In an instant, countless figures surged towards them like a raging tide, as if they were about to engulf them instantly.

Seeing this from the rearview mirror, the drivers stepped hard on the gas pedals.

They almost brutally plowed through everything on the road, recklessly speeding along the edge of the road until the end of the traffic jam.

After pushing aside the last car blocking their way, the two vehicles returned to the road, one after the other.

The road was slightly higher than the adjacent flat ground. When the vehicles returned to the road at such high speed, the entire cabin flew off the ground, causing everyone's hearts to race from the tremendous noise.

As the vehicles returned to the road, their speed increased, shooting them forward a considerable distance almost instantly.

Facing this, everyone let out a sigh of relief while simultaneously becoming fully alert.

However, the situation was far from over.

As the commotion spread, more and more zombies began chasing after them.

Not only did the zombies from the town join the pursuit, but even zombies from the mountains on both sides of the road kept jumping out, landing on the vehicles with loud thuds.

Those zombies lacked reason and couldn't think. They didn't know fear. Many of the zombies that missed their grip fell down and were crushed by the wheels, yet they didn't stop coming.

Some zombies successfully climbed onto the roof or hung onto the sides of the vehicles. All of them moved towards the rear of the vehicles, attempting to get inside.

The people on either side of the doors hurriedly closed them.

Unable to enter, the zombies attacked the vehicle like mad, causing it to reverberate with continuous thuds.

The same thing happened in the vehicle behind them.

The vehicles soon reached halfway up the mountain, where the previous vehicle was nowhere to be seen. The people who stayed behind had already left when the commotion reached the base of the mountain.

After driving quickly for four to five minutes, they saw the vehicle ahead from a distance. The two vehicles they had found were faster than the one in front.

The three vehicles merged and sped down the road.

After exiting the mountain outside the town, they soon entered a flat area. Instead of heading back in the direction they came from, they turned right at the first intersection and continued to follow the river downstream.

The vehicles moved swiftly, constantly winding through the mountains. However, many zombies relied on sound to navigate, and some even crossed half a mountain to get ahead of them.

This situation persisted for a long time. It wasn't until nearly twenty minutes later that it became completely quiet outside the vehicles.

They opened the rear doors again, and seeing the unfamiliar surroundings without any zombies, everyone in the vehicles sighed in relief.

They didn't stop there, though. They continued driving for another full hour until they had completely left the surrounding mountain range and entered a relatively large basin.

Ji Yanqing had previously studied the map, and there were no villages in this area.

The vehicles stopped, and one by one, the group got out.

Meeting each other alive again, the group, who had been sweating nervously, couldn't help but bitterly smile. For a moment, they thought they were dead.

After a brief rest, the group gathered in front of the three vehicles.

They turned the vehicle carrying supplies around, facing away from the other two vehicles, and quickly redistributed the supplies among the vehicles.

The cargo from one of the vehicles was unloaded. After opening it, they found that most of the contents were useless items like furniture or glassware meant for delivery.

They didn't place all the supplies in one vehicle but divided them into two portions, loading each portion onto a different vehicle. This ensured maximum security for the supplies in case they lost a vehicle.

With so many people working together, the process took less than twenty minutes.

After redistributing the supplies, Ji Yanqing checked the time. The two hottest hours of the day had passed, and it was now one o'clock in the afternoon.

The prolonged lack of food and water had already taken a toll on everyone's physical condition. Combined with the intense mental strain from not sleeping all night, now that they were safe, everyone looked weary and exhausted.

Ji Yanqing instructed someone to distribute food and water. "Distribute twice the usual amount."

Hearing Ji Yanqing's words, the exhausted group, too tired to even speak, raised their heads.

"Consider it a celebration and a reward," said Ji Yanqing.

Given the preciousness of resources, occasional indulgence could heal hearts and boost morale.

Hearing Ji Yanqing's words, smiles finally appeared on everyone's faces.

"I remember we found some beer last night," Xia Shenshu said expectantly, looking at Ji Yanqing.

At the mention of beer, many eyes lit up.

While not everyone was necessarily a heavy drinker, in their current situation, a cup of beer would be quite enjoyable. It was now considered a luxury.

"No more than one cup per person."

"Yay!"

"Haha..."

The group changed from their previous state of weary silence and cheered up. Many got up and re-entered the vehicles to search through their supplies for beer. Beer couldn't replace water, but drinking a little was better than being parched. That's why they had stored it like water. Seeing everyone's enthusiasm, Ji Yanqing took a look at the map and spoke in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "We found a lot of supplies this time, enough for us to last twelve or thirteen days. Everyone has worked hard, so we won't be moving for the next two days. We'll rest here first and continue when we've recovered." Hearing that they could rest here, the already excited group became even more elated. Many faces turned bright red with excitement. In this post-apocalyptic world, having food and drink, not worrying about safety, and being able to rest without doing anything were akin to living a divine life. "I'll go check nearby," Lan Zi said. "We'll go too," several people volunteered. Ji Yanqing nodded. Lan Zi led a group and quickly dispersed to scout slightly farther away and ensure there were no zombies nearby. Only by confirming their safety could they truly relax and rest. Seeing Lan Zi's group patrol nearby, Ji Yanqing looked around and then had the vehicles driven under a large tree on the left front. They parked the two new vehicles side by side under the tree, leaving some distance between them, and set up tents in the gaps between the vehicles. A simple camp was thus established. When Lan Zi and the others returned, Xia Shenshu and the group in the camp had already divided the food and were carefully pouring beer by the headcount. The beer, warmed by the sun, was somewhat tepid, but the group still treated it with care, sipping it slowly and unwilling to finish it all at once. Drinking beer and eating twice the usual amount of food, the group sitting on the ground or in the vehicles wore expressions of comfort and enjoyment. Looking at the group in front of him, everyone's lips couldn't help but curl upwards. "Here's yours," Xia Shenshu said as he approached Ji Yanqing and Feng Yimo with two cups of beer. The cups were disposable paper cups. These were stackable and lightweight, making them very useful. Most of the time, they would carry some with them. After the team grew larger, these cups became an indispensable treasure. "Yours is this," Xia Shenshu said, pulling out a small bottle of cola from his pocket. Seeing the cola, the two children reached out eagerly. They had mostly lost their appetite for most foods, but they didn't dislike sweet drinks. "Call me big brother," Xia Shenshu said, raising his hand. The two children tiptoed and stretched their arms to reach for it. Xia Shenshu was mischievous, deliberately placing the cola just out of their reach. This frustrated the two children. Sitting on the ground, Ji Yanqing handed the beer in his hand to Feng Yimo beside him. "Do you want more?" Feng Yimo glanced at it and shook his head. Ji Yanqing was taken aback but then understood. Feng Yimo wasn't interested in this world, so of course, he wouldn't be interested in such things. Ji Yanqing held the paper cup and waited for a moment. After Ji'an and Ji Le grabbed the cola and ran off, he returned the cup to Xia Shenshu. "Not drinking?" Xia Shenshu was surprised. This was a good thing. "I'm taking watch later." After a full meal and drinks, Xia Shenshu and the others would definitely take a nap. Although this place seemed relatively safe, having someone keep watch would provide greater peace of mind. Besides, he had no fondness for alcohol. The person who should have been his father and taken care of him always went crazy after drinking. Feng Yimo also returned his beer. Xia Shenshu took it, pouted, and felt that Ji Yanqing and Feng Yimo didn't know how to enjoy themselves. Xia Shenshu carried the two cups of beer away. Soon after, Li Pingsen and the group began chasing him across the grassland, trying to snatch the beer meant for Ji Yanqing and Feng Yimo. The beer had already been poured, so it couldn't be returned. However, deciding who would drink it on behalf of Ji Yanqing and Feng Yimo was a problem. They were all willing to help. The group continued to play around for a long time until they finally found places to sleep over two hours later. After enough fun and games, a full meal, and exhaustion, the group soon fell into a deep sleep, leaving only faint breathing sounds across the grassland. Most of the time, they were on the run. They would only stop to rest if absolutely necessary. It was the first time in Ji Yanqing's memory that they had slept in broad daylight like this. After watching from a distance for a while, Ji Yanqing got up and walked around the camp. His leg still hurt, but walking a few steps was no longer a problem. Walking a short distance away from the camp into the open field, Ji Yanqing gazed at the surrounding mountains under the sunlight and felt the breeze blowing past. His whole heart relaxed. Ji Yanqing raised his hands above his head and stretched. If only they could live like this forever. The more comfortable their lives became, the more urgently he wanted a place where they could stop wandering and completely relax—a home, a fortress. Then they could grow edible vegetables like the previous bok choy. They could also send people regularly to gather supplies nearby, find generators, or other usable household appliances. Perhaps they could copy some music and movies from their phones and tablets and listen to music or watch movies in the future.

Life would definitely be much easier then.

Ji Yanqing looked back; he had originally wanted to see the sleeping faces of Lan Zi and the others who were fast asleep. But as soon as he turned around, he met a pair of dark eyes that were quietly watching him.

Ji Yanqing was slightly taken aback, and he waved at Feng Yimo.

Feng Yimo got up with his knife and approached, standing on Ji Yanqing's right side.

"I've been thinking about where we should establish our paradise. The north is probably too cold, while the south is too hot. The central basin might be nice, with the mountains serving as walls..."

Ji Yanqing spoke for a long time, going on for five or six minutes until his throat was parched.

He had never shared these thoughts with anyone else because he knew that even Xia Shenshu and Lan Zi probably never truly believed he could build a paradise.

This wasn't a lack of trust in him, but rather, it was just too difficult. He understood that.

But Feng Yimo was different. Feng Yimo didn't care whether Ji Yanqing could establish a paradise, so he wouldn't mind if Ji Yanqing was just daydreaming.

Feng Yimo wouldn't mock him.

"Thank you for listening to all this..." Ji Yanqing smiled at Feng Yimo after pouring out everything he wanted to say, then headed back to the camp.

Up close, almost every person in the camp who was sleeping peacefully had a look of fatigue and unease on their face. Many of them were even frowning.

Even if they could numb themselves with brief moments of happiness when awake, they would still show such expressions when they slept, for they all knew that there would never be an end to days like these.

Feng Yimo didn't follow Ji Yanqing back to the camp. He stood in the distance, unmoving, maintaining the posture of looking back at Ji Yanqing.

Ji Yanqing had spoken a lot, planning his paradise perfectly, but that perfection did not include zombies.

Zombies were not allowed in Ji Yanqing's paradise.

Everyone woke up late into the night.

After eating, they continued their previous training to improve their teamwork.

Ji Yanqing, with a cold and murderous expression on his face, refused the invitation to join and instead listened silently from the side.

Ji Yanqing didn't know if Xia Shenshu's method was effective in improving teamwork among his teammates, but it certainly entertained everyone. The group of over a hundred people hardly quieted down.

The next day, Xia Shenshu led a group of people through some practical combat drills on the grassland.

It wasn't long, as there was too much to cover, and they could only learn the basics of each skill.

On the third day, it suddenly rained, disrupting Xia Shenshu's training plan and surprising everyone.

Since the apocalypse, rain had become extremely rare. At least, Ji Yanqing and Xia Shenshu hadn't seen much rain along their journey.

The rain was acidic, very acidic, with a slight bitterness. Even Lu Qing couldn't determine if it was safe, and no one dared to drink it.

That rain made Ji Yanqing increasingly uneasy, as the weather was indeed getting colder as they traveled north.

On the fifth day, around seven or eight o'clock, when the snow on the road had mostly melted, the group set off again.

With two vehicles now, the team was divided into two parts, sitting in the front and rear cars respectively.

In the front car, Ji Yanqing placed both their old map and the new one inside. Xia Shenshu, Lan Zi, and Li Pingsen gathered around him.

Ji Yanqing took a pen and first recorded their route and general terrain over the past few days on the old map before turning to the new one.

Both maps focused on single cities, with the new map covering the city adjacent to the old one.

This city was much larger than the previous one, with many bustling urban areas visible on the map. There were several major cities ahead with populations definitely exceeding a million.

They should reach the nearest one in about two days' travel.

"Are we going straight to the city?" Lan Zi asked.

"There will definitely be awakened zombies in a city like this," Li Pingsen said with a grimace.

"Awoke zombies? In a city with millions of residents, forget about awakened zombies, there may not be just one zombie king," Xia Shenshu reminded them with a smile.

Hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Although they didn't want to admit it, Xia Shenshu was right.

"We don't need to rush to the city. We still have food and water. Next, let's try to get a generator and a water purifier," Ji Yanqing said.

Upon hearing about the generator, Lu Qing, who had been dozing in a seat further inside the car, immediately got up and eagerly sat next to Ji Yanqing.

Ji Yanqing glanced at him but ignored him.

"If possible, we should look for other survival teams and try to trade for some bullets," Ji Yanqing suggested.

The bullets they had, including those obtained from the Public Security Bureau by Xia Shenshu and the others, totaled only around three hundred rounds. While that seemed like a decent amount, on average, each gun could only fire seven or eight times.

If they encountered awakened zombies or a zombie king, they might not last ten minutes.

Black Dragon spoke up, "Bullets are expensive."

Ji Yanqing looked at him.

"The combined value of our water and food in these two cars isn't enough for a hundred rounds."

"That expensive?" Lan Zi frowned. The food and water in these two cars could sustain over a hundred people for nearly ten days.

"Food and water can be found somewhere, but bullets can't," Black Dragon shrugged.

Lan Zi was speechless.

"Can we exchange other things? For example, information about the Corpse King," Ji Yanqing asked.

"Yes, but most people are unwilling to trade information for bullets or supplies. Information is usually exchanged for more information."

"Why?" Li Pingsen was puzzled.

"Who knows if what you say is true or false? Everyone has limited knowledge of zombies. Anyone can make up information on the spot."

Li Pingsen fell silent.

"How can we get bullets then?" Ji Yanqing asked.

"Firearms, people, or information about mutated plants. Alternatively, something like a method to manufacture water purifiers." Lu Qing answered Ji Yanqing.

Everyone looked over.

"There's no need to explain firearms. People are quite cheap; even two hundred might not fetch fifty rounds of ammunition. Mutated plants mainly refer to edible crops. Some are safe to eat, some have no issues in small quantities, and others have special effects," Lu Qing explained.

As for the method to create water purifiers, Lu Qing didn't elaborate, but everyone in the vehicle understood its significance.

Once someone mastered this manufacturing method, they would essentially have an endless supply of water. This wasn't just valuable for trading bullets; there was probably nothing it couldn't be traded for.

However, possession could be a crime. The better the item, the more trouble it could bring. If a large Survival Team found out, they might directly attack to seize it.

Ji Yanqing took a deep breath. If Lu Qing wanted to leave, he wouldn't stop him, but he wouldn't hand Lu Qing over under those circumstances.

Lu Qing seemed oblivious to this. He had lost his usual elegance and sat on the ground like a child, swaying back and forth as he eagerly watched Ji Yanqing, waiting for him to obtain a generator.

Ji Yanqing rubbed his nose.

With these thoughts in mind, Ji Yanqing decided to find an opportunity to remind everyone not to mention Lu Qing's ability to manufacture water purifiers in front of outsiders.

"How much do you know about edible plants?" Ji Yanqing looked at Black Dragon.

Black Dragon almost immediately shook his head. "That requires people to test them. It could be deadly. Even eating two hundred different plants might not reveal a single safe one."

"And don't think you can fool people with random items. If used for trade, such items must be tested on the spot. Typically, a group of people from the team, including important members, will eat them in front of the other party."

As he spoke, Black Dragon glanced at Ji Yanqing.

Ji Yanqing wasn't surprised by this.

"Is there really no way then?" Lan Zi frowned.

They had previously obtained all their bullets from Xue Gang and Lu Qing's teams. With Xue Gang's team wiped out and Lu Qing joining them, such opportunities were rare.

"If we have to, we'll rob them," Xia Shenshu said with a chilling smile.

Ji Yanqing ignored him and furrowed his brow in thought.

Without bullets, their guns would be useless.

"When the time comes, you control their leader, and I'll lead others to control the armed members of their team. We'll finish and run," Xia Shenshu looked at Feng Yimo sitting nearby.

Feng Yimo's dark eyes met his. There was no trace of a smile on his face, as if he was taking this seriously.

"Don't corrupt him," Ji Yanqing quickly interjected.

Xia Shenshu remained silent, only winking exaggeratedly at Feng Yimo.

Feng Yimo closed his eyes, ignoring the sight.

Xia Shenshu's lips twitched.

"Even if we want to rob, we might not succeed. Those who have survived until now and become leaders of groups aren't simple," Black Dragon said.

As he spoke, he puffed out his chest slightly.

Ji Yanqing's group ignored his words. Wasn't he an exception?

Black Dragon seemed to realize that his statement lacked credibility. His face turned red. "There are indeed many capable fighters. I've encountered special forces soldiers. They're ruthless killers, and our team likely wouldn't stand a chance against them in a fight."

"I can win," Feng Yimo's cold voice sounded.

Everyone looked at him.

Feng Yimo looked at Ji Yanqing.

Meeting those deep black eyes, Ji Yanqing smiled. Feng Yimo was like a competitive little kid. Ji Yanqing's lips curved slightly, and he praised him, "Yes, you're the best."

Black Dragon was about to say something else but changed his words. "These are secondary concerns. If we continue in this direction, we might encounter the black beast Corpse King I mentioned earlier."

Black Dragon pointed to the city on the map where he had encountered the black beast Corpse King. That city bordered several cities ahead of them.

"When I encountered it, it had already attacked two city Corpse Kings. If it doesn't plan to stop, it will likely head to the cities in front of us next."

Hearing Black Dragon's words, the group in the vehicle couldn't help but frown.

"Achoo..." The massive black beast, covered in black fur, suddenly sneezed. A chill ran from the tip of its tail to the top of its head.

Its fur stood on end instantly.

It hid its newly grown tuft of hair on its tail between its legs and tensed, turning its head.

Not seeing the familiar figure around, it didn't relax. Instead, it had a growing sense of foreboding that Yimo might suddenly appear from behind a building nearby.