Chapter 117

Chapter 117

Jiang Nian chose Xihe City because he suddenly remembered Xia Weiwei bragging about S Base in his previous life:

S Base’s search-and-rescue team had obtained a lot of supplies in Xihe City. It happened after the extreme heat, so this time they’d get the jump on them.

The supposedly terrifying place actually wasn’t that dangerous—the earthquake had buried most zombies and survivors deep enough—and thoroughly.

Their goal this time was to search for supplies and, if possible, curry major favor with the base:

For example, if they confirmed Xihe City was stable and discovered large quantities of supplies, they could contact Zhou Li to dispatch personnel for a full-scale cleanup after taking what they needed.

The base would also compensate them with reward points.

These were all things Department Head Wang and Zhou Li had privately confided in Cheng Jing.

The more supplies collected before the extreme heat arrived, the less pressure the base would face in providing aid during extreme weather.

The team didn’t second-guess their leader’s decision, but since none of them were familiar with Xihe City, they worried about the long distance and the hassle.

Until Jiang Nian pulled out a bundle of hyper-detailed maps of Xihe City, plus a full *gonglue* (guidebook)—all their concerns vanished instantly:

The maps included district divisions, markings for every main road, street, and alley, landmarks, you name it.

There were even floor plans for many special or large buildings in the city.

During his covert supply runs, Jiang Nian had already decided to join Nancheng Base.

So, for the cities surrounding Nancheng Base, he had purchased the top-tier map bundles available.

Moreover, Xihe City was a lakefront tourist hotspot, famous for its man-made lake, so there were even more detailed guides available.

Despite the city’s ruins—ravaged by quakes and the apocalypse—with such maps and the team’s strength, exploration wouldn’t be a problem.

Jiang Nian didn’t elaborate on how he’d stockpiled the maps, and his teammates didn’t ask.

Some things, even if they seemed illogical or straight-up unreal, didn’t need to be voiced—Jiang Nian’s secrets were the team’s secrets.

With the maps proving useful, aside from Jiang Nian, Cheng Jing took the most credit—the exhaustion of schlepping those deliveries upstairs was now worth it.

Given their limited time, they picked three priority targets based on Jiang Nian’s suggestion:

The logistics park, the outer-belt business district, and the People’s Hospital branch.

All three locations were along the outer-ring main road, still far from the city center.

In his past life, the tentacled S Base had also focused on looting these three areas without venturing deeper into the urban districts.

But specifics would have to be decided upon arrival.

…

From first light to nightfall, they finally entered Xihe City via the outer-ring highway.

Like other cities, ruins were everywhere, but here, quake-split fissures were more numerous, worsening toward the center.

Eventually, due to a bridge too collapsed to clear in the inner city, they had to deviate from their original route.

After detouring through back routes, they finally stopped at Yangming Park Plaza in the outer-ring new district.

According to the travel guide, this place was also one of the outdoor traveler hubs, though less frequently used. But let's face it, the outskirts were no match for downtown.

According to the map, continuing along the avenue opposite the park square for about three kilometers would lead to the West River City General Hospital branch.

The original planned route was to first go to the logistics park, then the outer-ring commercial district, and finally the hospital.

As Jiang Nian had envisioned, the logistics park was the priority.

Hospitals were one of the hardest-hit areas during the apocalypse, and it'd definitely be more wrecked there than elsewhere.

Additionally, since medicine was a high-value supply, the authorities would do everything possible to control and collect it, leaving little behind.

As for the commercial district, it had always been crowded. Whether during the initial chaos or the later scramble for supplies, it was a prime target.

Compared to the two, the logistics park would be much better.

"..."

After parking the car, everyone got out to scout the area. After making sure the coast was clear, Cheng Jing gave the order:

"Alright, we'll rest here tonight. Tomorrow morning, we'll head straight to the hospital. The search plan is set for one day, but we'll play it by ear—just try not to delay too long."

A clear game plan saved time.

"Copy that."

"..."

Following the captain's orders, everyone got to work.

Though the place was trashed and chaotic, the upside was its wide-open space—few obstructions and good visibility. The cracks and potholes on the ground were not recent.

Lu Ningzhou then used his earth manipulation to test the stability of the area, confirming it was solid enough for a temporary campsite.

Meanwhile, Tang Yi operated a drone to scout for zombies in the vicinity, finding only a few stragglers way off their location.

This was a place off most survivors' radar, so they wouldn't draw attention for a while.

Nowadays, zombies had evolved. The cores juiced them up, teaching them to instinctively band together, even hiding in the shadows during the day.

Zombies as a whole were growing smarter. The slow, wandering ones were either evolutionary rejects without zombie cores or newly infected...

This was the hard lessons they had gathered along the way.

Before long, leaders like alpha zombies would emerge.

And once alpha zombies appeared, a full-on horde attack wouldn't be far behind.

The drone's whirring stopped as Tang Yi retrieved it, and everyone began setting up tents.

Lu Ningzhou used his earth manipulation to erect four cover walls, seamlessly blending with the surroundings and featuring a hidden door.

The top was left open, making it look like a basic dirt enclosure from a bird's-eye view.

Afterward, Cheng Jing placed wireless alarms at the four corners of the walls.

The infrared detection range was set to about a hundred meters outward—just right. A wider range would go off at every little thing.

After powering up and testing, the linked infrared coils formed a ring around their makeshift shelter.

That made for two layers of protection, so they could pitch tents and lay out sleeping bags without worrying as much.

The extra camouflage walls kept out most of the ashy, charred dust blowing around.

"..."

"Speaking of which, who knows what zombies will evolve into in the end? Could they really turn back into humans?"

Someone tossed out the question, and as everyone continued their tasks, they jumped in, talking over each other:

"I don’t think so. Doesn’t matter if they got infected before or after dying—once they’re zombies, they’re corpses."

"They’re rotting through and through. Unless they evolve to regrow flesh and a heart—but at that point, they’re not even zombies..."

"Look, no matter what, zombies are still gonna be zombies..."

"..."

The question of what zombies will ultimately evolve into has become a concern for many.

And among all the bizarre speculations, the idea of them turning human again comes up a lot.