Chapter 26 – Paywall Entry, Triple-Length
“Since it’s full metal, I’m worried the finished piece will be too heavy to use comfortably. Should we try making it thinner?” Yan Fei’s eyes swept up and down the iron plate.
Luo Xun had never made a fully metal version either, so he had no idea what the final weight would be. But just judging by this single piece in his hand… “Thin it down by a third? Any thinner and it might not hold.”
“Mm.” Taking the metal back, Yan Fei’s other hand seemed to peel away a layer. Just like that, a third of the material vanished!
The sight was so incredible that Luo Xun’s eyes once again shone with excitement. He weighed the piece in his hand. “This should work.” Then he looked up and noticed the faint weariness in Yan Fei’s expression. Hastily, he put the component away. “That’s enough for today. Wait until you’ve got your strength back tomorrow to make more.”
He didn’t know how much Yan Fei’s injury affected his power, but either way it wasn’t worth exhausting him. Better to take it slow and steady.
Yan Fei didn’t argue, just smiled and handed over the other strip of metal he had “peeled” off.
After a long day of labor and then cooking half the night, Luo Xun fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.
In the darkness, Yan Fei turned his head toward the wall. The room was well-sealed, pitch-black, but the sound of breathing from the left side was clear—heavier and deeper than in previous days. He was obviously worn out.
Yan Fei blinked, hiding the flicker of shadow in his eyes. Closing them, he quietly listened to that steady breath beside him until he, too, drifted into sleep.
The work assignment on the first day, unless there were special circumstances, was meant to continue afterward. The army had stressed this again and again that first morning. So, the next day, at the community gates, everyone climbed back onto truck number eleven, the same one from yesterday, bracing against the cold wind as it rumbled back toward the construction site.
They found the same stretch of wall as the day before and got to work again. For a job that required no skill, once people got used to it, efficiency improved quickly.
Aside from occasionally buying a hot soup to fend off the cold, Luo Xun prepared all his own meals. His food was balanced, clean, and far better than the communal cauldron meals. And since he always made something in advance for Yan Fei, he naturally cooked his own at the same time.
After four hard days, the section of wall originally assigned to him had already reached the required height. Once it passed inspection by the engineers, he was reassigned to another spot.
Meanwhile, the community had seen an influx of newcomers. But it was said that Hongjing Community and the two small high-rise clusters to the west still had fewer residents than the older northern communities. The north had been more densely populated, so their losses had been heavier.
The worst off was the eastern shantytown. Most of those who had come to City A as migrant workers lived there: street vendors, wholesale sellers, day laborers.
The windows and doors in the shanties were flimsy, the people were packed close together, the alleys between courtyards were too narrow, and junk was piled everywhere. When disaster struck, there was nowhere to hide. Most of those living there weren’t wealthy to begin with—often several crammed into one tiny room of just a few square meters.
According to information pried out by Wang Duo—that outwardly righteous but inwardly sleazy gossip—the residents of the bungalow district were basically wiped out, with fewer than ten people rescued. The houses there had already been dangerous old structures, and although the area had been designated as part of the safe zone, the military had decided to demolish and rebuild it.
Luo Xun remembered this matter. In his previous life, that place had indeed been redeveloped into a residential neighborhood: seven-story apartment buildings with floors packed close together. But until now, he hadn’t realized those had been built after the disaster.
That evening, Luo Xun came home after work under the cover of night, and on the second floor Yan Fei gave him a huge surprise—
“You finished it?!”
Taking the somewhat heavy crossbow in hand, Luo Xun couldn’t stop grinning. After producing all the parts, Yan Fei had casually tried assembling them. It turned out Luo Xun’s blueprints were extremely precise, with all proportions accurate, and he had even included clear notes on the assembly sequence and potential issues at each stage. Following the instructions step by step, there was no way to go wrong.
Loading a “bolt,” Luo Xun aimed at the reinforced practice target he usually used. With a thunk, the powerful bolt embedded itself dead center in the bull’s-eye!
“Good thing I didn’t aim off.” Otherwise, the wall would have a brand-new hole in it!
Yan Fei smiled, picking up the blueprint. “I still think this crossbow is a bit bulky. Should I make a smaller version? It wouldn’t hold as many bolts, and its range and power would be lower, but it would be lighter and easier to carry.”
“If you have the time.” Luo Xun naturally had no objection. He lovingly stroked the finely crafted metal crossbow, utterly delighted. “But don’t rush… Besides, if you make a small one, you can carry it with you for self-defense. What if your powers run dry?”
It seemed that using abilities was tied to mental energy, and overuse could lead to burnout.
Yan Fei raised a brow—so he knew about that? Had ability users outside been talking about it?
He didn’t press further. “I can work on the bolts slowly. By the way, I tried moving around today. I can walk a little.”
“Hey! A bone injury takes a hundred days to heal. What’s the rush?” Luo Xun’s eyes widened. This man had the appearance of a delicate, refined beauty, yet he was actually impatient?
“…Bathroom.” During the day, when Luo Xun wasn’t home, Yan Fei hated using the chamber pot. Especially for anything… bigger—he had to wait until Luo Xun returned to use the actual toilet. As for adult diapers? What a joke! He wasn’t unconscious anymore, and once had been more than enough when he’d been comatose. “And my injury is in my chest, not my legs!”
“It’s still a fracture! You have to be careful. What if it turns into a chronic issue?” Luo Xun glared at him. What kind of uncooperative patient was this? If his leg had been broken, would he have hopped all the way to the bathroom on one foot?
Luo Xun dropped the argument, packed away the crossbow, and supported Yan Fei to the bathroom. Back in the room, he suddenly remembered the photos he’d secretly taken with his phone earlier. “Oh right, look—are these the people who attacked you before?”
The photos showed men and women, taken when Luo Xun had ridden the truck on the first day.
Yan Fei sneered. “Yeah, that’s them. How’ve they been these past few days? They haven’t bothered you, have they?”
“They’ve caused some trouble, but only for loners. Most of the workforce at the construction site is military personnel, so those people don’t dare make a big scene. I usually stick with Li Tie and Han Li, so with our numbers they wouldn’t try anything. Everyone knows bullies pick the easiest targets.”
That man Xu Bin looked exactly like some thug, complete with a tattoo on his hand. People like him were masters at going whichever way the wind blew—saying whatever was convenient in front of whoever was listening. Most of the victims they targeted for stealing points or rations were timid types who wouldn’t even squeak if pricked with a needle.
Although Luo Xun and his friends looked like university students who hadn’t yet graduated, that age group was usually hot-blooded. If provoked, they might lash out, and if soldiers got involved, things would escalate.
“Good.” Yan Fei lowered his eyes, lost in thought.
—
Some things take a long time to make the first time, but by the second or third attempt, the speed increases greatly.
It had taken Yan Fei four whole days to craft the first crossbow. But just two days later, when Luo Xun came home, he was shocked to find that not only had Yan Fei produced a pile of spare bolts, he had even built a hand crossbow barely one-third the size of the original!
“So small?!” It was compact and delicate, fitting neatly in his palm. Luo Xun quickly tested it, and while its range and power didn’t match the large one, it was more than enough for self-defense.
Yan Fei’s lips curved in a satisfied smile, a trace of pride in his expression. “Carry this one with you. I don’t know how well it’ll work on zombies, but against people… it’s more than enough.”
More than enough indeed! At close range, this crossbow could definitely pierce human flesh. Other than not using gunpowder and having shorter range, it was basically no different from a handgun.
For low-level zombies or ordinary humans, it was more than sufficient.
“What do you think of using bullet-shaped projectiles? That should increase the lethality.” With no other outlet for his energy these days, Yan Fei had focused entirely on refining these weapons, ready to unleash his creativity.
Luo Xun stared at him speechlessly. If he really managed to make bullet-shaped bolts, then even he—a normal person—might be able to take down a level one or two zombie, provided he caught it off guard. “I’ll… look into it. See if I can draft some blueprints.”
Luo Xun felt like he had truly struck gold! Cooking every day? Who cared! Helping him to the bathroom? Who cared! Sharing half his bed? Who cared! Look at this crossbow! Look at this firepower!! This was a massive win, wasn’t it?!!
*
Construction began on December 7 and was completed on December 29.
The perimeter wall was actually finished within a month—before the New Year on the solar calendar!
A deep trench had been dug outside the wall, and once the wall was built, it still needed reinforcement and thickening. By this time, the population inside the safe zone had reached nearly thirty thousand! With more people came more labor. Combined with the soldiers already stationed there, although the safe zone was not yet at full capacity, there were already enough hands for defensive construction.
Once the population reached a certain level, the military stopped allocating housing. Several functional buildings were cleared out, and all the newcomers were herded into those vast, empty halls. In the southwestern district, about thirty percent of the rooms were still vacant. These houses were put up for rent—payable in points or food.
As for people like Han Li and the others who had been rescued earlier, it was said that after the New Year they too would have to pay points to continue living in their current residences. If they wanted to move? Then, just like the newcomers, they would need to rent with points, food, or labor.
With the wall complete, the flattened bungalow district now needed to be rebuilt. Tasks like going out to gather supplies and rescue survivors were also pressing. The military had a good number of people for search and rescue, but compared to the devastation across the city, it was still far from enough—not to mention the construction projects still required inside the safe zone. The situation remained tense.
Still, most people decided to take a few days off and give themselves a short holiday—for New Year’s was just around the corner.
*
A City, Northern Base.
“What is that thing?”
Several people gathered around a strangely shaped corpse. It was vaguely humanoid, but its original form was now barely recognizable.
“This is the… monster that nearly wiped out an entire squad this time.”
“Just that one?!” A single creature, nearly annihilating a team of almost ten?
“Yes. It happened suddenly, and this zombie was mixed in with a group of regular ones, so…”
“…Was it really just the one? Or were there others as well?”
“Actually, it only happened because the soldiers weren’t paying attention. This kind of zombie, for now, is just stronger than normal and faster…”
“For now… only for now…”
The room fell silent. No one spoke for a long while.
“All right. Have them take it away for examination. Find out what caused the secondary mutation. Hopefully this was an isolated case, and not… evolution.”
*
Luo Xun hummed a tune as he busied himself in the kitchen. Yan Fei lounged on the sofa in the living room, tugging at one end of a rope while the little one clutched the other end, playing tug-of-war.
Although a fracture sounded serious, it didn’t actually hinder him much—because the injury was on his chest, not in a place that affected movement. For everyday activity, it was rarely stressed. Yan Fei was young, recovered quickly, and his ability also seemed to have improved his physical condition. By a week earlier, he had already been able to get out of bed and walk around the house.
At first, he only wandered the second floor, and never went out onto the balcony with its closed door. So when he finally came down to the living room for the first time, he was stunned—boxes and crates were stacked nearly to the ceiling, with only narrow passages left open around the sofa and walkways.
Even the balcony, with its curtains pulled aside, was filled with plants. Yan Fei only recognized a few ornamental flowers, but after spotting things like garlic shoots and chives, he naturally understood where the fresh vegetables on their table had been coming from.
What on earth was Luo Xun’s background? Where had he gotten all this stuff—the stored supplies, the water, the balcony garden?
Though curious, Yan Fei was sensible enough not to ask. The atmosphere between them had been good lately, and there was no need to stir up conflict.
Besides, even if he asked, Luo Xun might not answer truthfully. Better to wait until the man was willing to explain on his own. From the day they first met, seeing Luo Xun so well-equipped, Yan Fei had guessed he was one of those who reacted fastest when the apocalypse began—collecting a lot of supplies while the streets were still relatively clear of zombies.
Now, Luo Xun was in the kitchen making dumplings. It was New Year’s Day. The safe zone looked little different from usual, but the cheer on everyone’s faces eased the atmosphere considerably.
Even Luo Xun felt it. He had been busy with defense works before, but now that the city wall was finished, he finally had the time to make a more elaborate meal.
He had prepared two types of dumpling filling: pork with scallion and shrimp, and a vegetarian mix based on mung bean sprouts. The shrimp and scallions had been frozen long ago, but for New Year’s, he was willing to be extravagant.
From the kitchen came a cheerful tune, the sound of someone cooking in high spirits. Yan Fei looked toward the doorway—and in that moment of distraction, the rope slipped from his hand. The little one tumbled twice on the floor, bumped his tiny backside against the sofa, and sat there pitifully, still gripping the rope in his mouth as he gazed at Yan Fei with pleading eyes.
After thinking for a bit, Yan Fei stopped playing tug-of-war with the little one wagging its tail at him with the rope in its mouth, and instead got up and walked toward the kitchen door.
Luo Xun was wearing an apron. On the counter in front of him, two big bowls of mixed fillings sat on the left, while on the right was the board. A sieve was placed between the fillings and the board. He picked up a rolled dumpling wrapper, stuffed it full with filling, then folded and pinched it with both hands—a dumpling took shape in an instant.
He had learned how to make dumplings back in his previous life at the base. At that time, he had taken on all sorts of odd jobs to survive, even working in the kitchen, and naturally picked up quite a few cooking methods over time. But the flour back then wasn’t the fine white flour they were eating now—it was a mutated variety, with a dry texture and a strange taste.
At the base, dumplings were only made during New Year’s, not at any other time. Normally, the most common food was all kinds of dry flatbreads or coarse-grain cakes.
The way he cooked looked so lighthearted, the corners of his mouth slightly lifted, forming a gentle curve that somehow gave a person a sense of peace. It felt like home—a sense of home he himself had never really known.
“Hahaha…” The little one, having waited in vain for Yan Fei to play with it, dropped the rope and ran to the kitchen door, tongue lolling as it wagged its tail at the two of them. Hearing the sound, Luo Xun casually glanced toward the doorway. Seeing one tall figure leaning against the doorframe and one little one wagging its tail at him, he was startled. “Why are you both here?”
“Just wanted to see if you needed a hand.”
“Help?” Luo Xun gave him a doubtful look. “Can you make dumplings?”
“Uh… a little.” Though he couldn’t guarantee they wouldn’t fall apart when boiled.
“…Can you roll the wrappers?”
“…A bit slowly.” At Luo Xun’s speed of wrapping, by the time he rolled one, Luo would probably have finished seven or eight.
“You’d better wait on the sofa, young master~.” Luo Xun shot him a helpless glance.
With a young master’s face, young master’s hands, and now even a young master’s injury, Luo Xun didn’t dare use him.
“…I can try, really.” Yan Fei felt his dignity being looked down upon and needed to prove himself.
“Just focus on recovering. I’ll teach you during Lunar New Year.” Luo Xun wanted to use up all the dough and filling quickly—dumplings could be frozen, so even if he had no time to cook later, they’d have ready-made food at home.
“Lunar New Year?” The ends of Yan Fei’s brows lifted, and the corners of his mouth curved up before he even realized it. Lunar New Year? Celebrating it together? That thought was… something that stirred real anticipation.
“Mm.” Luo Xun replied without thinking. After all, there was no space for him to stand in the kitchen right now—his presence would just get in the way.
“Oh right, who came looking for you just now?”
“Oh, those college students, and an officer named Ding—the short one who came to register households that day.” Since they hadn’t come inside and seemed to have gone straight to 1601 across the hall, Yan Fei didn’t know what exactly it was about.
“They said after New Year’s they’ll head out of the safe zone to collect supplies.” That’s why Luo Xun decided to make more dumplings today.
“Out of the safe zone?!” Yan Fei’s face tightened. “What kind of supplies?”
“A lot. The safe zone’s supplies are far too few—we’re short on almost everything. The military doesn’t have that many people. Besides organizing construction, they also have to clear zombies nearby, so manpower is stretched thin. After New Year’s, they’ll apparently start charging rent by headcount, paid with points. Since there’s a lack of goods inside, residents can exchange collected supplies for points.”
Luo Xun explained casually. The point-exchange system in the base was still just a prototype, but it would likely remain the core system for a long time—until the base could become self-sufficient… or rather, until there was nothing left outside to collect.
The kitchen suddenly grew quiet. After a long while, Yan Fei suddenly spoke: “I’ll go with you.”
“No need.” Luo Xun didn’t look up, so he missed Yan Fei’s suddenly dark expression, his eyes flashing with hostility. “We’re heading out on the fourth. Your injury isn’t healed yet. Didn’t the doctor in the community say so last time? You’re recovering fast, but it’s best you rest for another month or so… You—what’s wrong?”
Luo Xun finally looked up midway through his words, and what he saw was that stunningly handsome face—dark with anger, eyes flashing dangerously.
“I’m not a woman.” So he didn’t need to be treated like he’d shatter if left alone at home!
“…I… of course I didn’t mean that.” Realizing he had just hurt the man’s pride, Luo Xun reflected for about three seconds, then hurried to explain. “You’ve only just healed up—it’s not worth risking it now and undoing all that progress. The place we’re going this time I know well. It’s a construction supply city in the north. I went there on the very first day of the apocalypse and didn’t see many zombies. Lieutenant Ding said the area’s already mostly cleared by the military. There’s no real danger. We just need to bring back some materials…”
“What materials? And why do they need you to go?” Yan Fei immediately caught the part Luo Xun hadn’t explained clearly.
Luo Xun paused in his dumpling-making, then smiled. “Because I know how to use solar equipment—that’s why they asked me.”
“Hmm?”
“Those panels outside the balcony window? I installed those myself. They absorb solar energy and store it as electricity. Someone in the army knew about the equipment but not the specifics, so they came to ask me about it.”
Luo Xun hadn’t expected they’d find him because of that. Luckily, he already had an excuse prepared—before the apocalypse, he had bought a set of equipment for a friend in the countryside, intending to drive it over before New Year’s. But then the apocalypse hit. When the power went out in the neighborhood, he tried installing it on his own balcony.
Otherwise, it really would have been hard to explain why someone living in the middle of the city would go and install such things at home.
Even luckier was the fact that he hadn’t smugly filled every available spot outside his windows with solar panels—otherwise, how would he have explained to his “friend” needing that many panels?
Yan Fei’s brows shot up high. Solar panels? The piles of supplies stored in the house? The big water tanks full of water… and that distillation unit sitting beside the kitchen counter?
Could it be… did he also have an ability? A power to foresee the future? Was that why he had prepared all this in advance?
His imagination went spiraling into wild directions before his reason forcefully dragged it back. Yan Fei quickly pointed out the real key issue: “Solar power… Wait—has the neighborhood already lost electricity?!”
“Yeah, been out for over a month.” Luo Xun nodded, and since the rolled wrappers had run out, he picked up the rolling pin again.
That was…
“Let’s just enjoy the holiday for now. We’ll talk about the rest after the New Year.” Yan Fei simply couldn’t bear the thought of watching Luo Xun head out while he stayed at home like some delicate woman. Being cared for in small ways was nice, but actually being treated like fragile porcelain he couldn’t stand. Not to mention—his own powers gave him far greater safety outside than Luo Xun.
Luo Xun glanced doubtfully toward the door, but Yan Fei’s figure was already gone.
The dumplings came steaming hot, thin-skinned and generously stuffed.
Neither Yan Fei nor Luo Xun had eaten freshly hand-made dumplings in a very, very long time. Now the two grown men ate with their heads down, chopsticks moving so fast they were a blur.
On the little one’s plate were two dumplings cut open—both pork-filled and cooled off. It seemed curious about human food, but didn’t like it much. It picked and licked at them now and then, treating it half as food and half as a toy.
In one go, the two men finished four plates—two vegetarian, two meat. They were so stuffed they slumped back on the sofa, unable to straighten their backs.
On the radio, the news was broadcasting updates on reconstruction at the various bases. From the sound of it, most bases were already established, everything was thriving, and humanity’s bright future was just around the corner. It claimed it wouldn’t be long before they retook the cities and restored civilization’s former glory.
Luo Xun could only sneer inwardly.
The news never mentioned how many people had died, how many had turned into zombies, or how many survivors were actually left.
How big was City A? How many people had lived there? And yet only five temporary bases had been set up—north, east, west, southwest, and northeast. Judging by the southwest base where Luo Xun was, even if the others were about the same size, the five combined wouldn’t hold more than 150,000 people.
Even adding in the military—say 100,000 soldiers in total—City A would still only have about 250,000 survivors. But the city’s permanent population? At least twenty million!
He let out a long sigh… that even smelled faintly of dumplings.
“What is it?” Yan Fei was stuffed too. Eating this much in one sitting was never his habit. To ease the bloated feeling, he decided to chat while digesting.
“Nothing… just listening to this radio all sweetness and light, it’s a bit…” News at this stage of the apocalypse still wasn’t realistic. They preferred to paint over everything instead of reporting anything truly meaningful.
“Of course it is. Otherwise, if people panic and lose hope, who knows what could happen?” Yan Fei glanced toward the balcony. He had no idea what exactly Luo Xun had planted there, but the little trees and plants were all lush and green, nothing like the middle of winter.
The room was warm. Even compared to before the apocalypse, back when the heating was still running, it wasn’t easy to have this kind of warmth at home in this weather.
“I know, it’s just…” Luo Xun shrugged. “I heard there’ll be a rescue team too. On the third, they’re going out with the search squads, mainly for saving people. Our cars will follow behind the military vehicles, going with two army trucks. While we’re at it, I’ll try to bring back some steel and metal. I’ve already made all the weapons possible with what we have at home, so I need to restock.”
Originally, Luo Xun had collected quite a bit of metal, but he hadn’t expected to meet Yan Fei, so he had only prepared enough for himself. His plan had been to live quietly in the base and avoid going out as much as possible.
But now, with Yan Fei around—if Yan Fei was willing to cooperate and supply weapons—then he, too, had the ability to go out, explore, and scavenge.
Farming at home was safe, yes. But he knew very well: if the day came when he had to fight, or if the safe base stopped being safe, then which version of himself had the better chance of surviving? The one who never fought, only hid at home growing food—or the one who went out to fight often and farmed only to supplement his diet?
The answer was obvious.
He looked up at Luo Xun, who seemed faintly expectant, and after thinking a moment, Yan Fei said, “I’ll make some more ammunition over the next couple of days. You figure out which weapons work best for you to use this time. I’ll prep extra.”
“The ammo we have should be enough already. I’ll double-check tomorrow… Oh, right—what do you want to eat these next few days? I’ll make some extra. If you get hungry later, you can just heat it up at home…”
“So you’ve already decided to go out yourself and leave me here?”
Luo Xun choked. Why did he suddenly sound like some abandoned, resentful wife? Helpless, he could only try to soothe this stubborn patient: “It’s not that—I wouldn’t be at ease leaving the little one here alone either, right? With all the stuff in the house, and the base’s system still not fully settled… Honestly, if it weren’t for you, I’d be scared even staying home alone. Always worried someone might break in and rob me…”
That wasn’t even a lie. No matter how well-prepared he was, if an ability user found out his home was like a hamster’s hoard, came barging in, he might not be able to defend it. That was one of the main reasons he’d wanted Yan Fei to stay with him, sharing his bed and his space.
Speaking, Luo Xun quickly patched things up:
“Look, I’ve got quite a lot of stuff at home, right? I hauled it all back at the very start of the apocalypse. Back then, I saw zombies and got scared… I usually just stay home and play games, so I knew exactly what zombies were. When I saw them, I realized it must mean the apocalypse was here. So I ran to the nearby supermarkets and such, grabbed as much as I could, and brought it all home. Now I’ve got a lot of supplies, but I’m afraid I can’t guard it all alone. With you watching the house, it’s safer than if I did it by myself…”
Wait a second… What if, while he was gone, the guy emptied his whole house?!
Luo Xun suddenly realized he’d completely forgotten to consider that possibility!!
“Hmph.” Yan Fei snorted coldly. Although the answer still annoyed him, it was better than being treated like some woman locked away at home, “Well then, you’d better be careful. Don’t come back only to find out I’ve moved everything out.”
“… Heh heh.” That was exactly what he’d been thinking just now.
Usually, the people who say such things don’t actually do them. It’s the ones who act all, ‘Go on, leave it to me, I’ll guard your house, don’t worry~’ who stab you in the back.
*
The vehicle slowly rolled out of the safe zone’s gates, and Luo Xun lifted his binoculars toward the newly constructed walls.
A group of soldiers were hauling metal parts and large steel plates to the wall. One soldier pressed a hand against the pile, and the steel began to twist, separating from the plates and gathering in his palm. Then he pressed his hand against the wall, and the metal fused seamlessly into the partially built barrier.
So that’s how it was. The army really did have metal-type ability users… but judging from the look of it, his ability wasn’t as strong as Yan Fei’s. Yan Fei could manipulate metal without touching it. If he were building walls, the speed would be much faster than that soldier’s.
Shifting the binoculars, Luo Xun spotted another soldier with metal powers among the workers. His ability was similar to the first one—he also had to touch the metal directly to shape it. Who knew how many metal users the army had in total?
“Those are the newcomers? Why are they all living in tents outside the walls? Isn’t there still empty space inside the city?” He Qiankun whispered to the others.
“You don’t know? A few days ago, one of the rescued people turned into a zombie inside! Bit several people too! Happened right in the bank on the west side of our district.” Wu Xin looked at the fat man, baffled. They all lived together every day—how could he not know about something like that?
“I know that, but what’s that got to do with this?” He Qiankun was confused.
“It’s a huge deal! Now, anyone rescued or returning from a mission has to stay in the tent area outside the city for at least half a day. If they’ve got wounds, they’re monitored for 24 hours. It’s to make sure no one carries the virus.” Li Tie rapped him on the head, hating iron for not becoming steel.
“Oh, oh, oh! You should’ve said that earlier, then I would’ve known sooner.”
Luo Xun’s group sat in a small military truck—they hadn’t brought his own car.
Sure, he had a car, but it was way too flimsy. Inside the safe zone it was fine for hauling goods, but for expeditions outside? Forget it.
So this time he arranged with Lieutenant Ding to borrow a military truck and head to the construction materials market together.
The driver was Wang Duo—he knew how to handle big trucks. Han Li sat in the passenger seat, while the others rode in back. Another truck full of soldiers accompanied them.
Since Li Tie and the others were computer science students with some technical skills, the military had struck a deal with them: in exchange for helping build the base’s network infrastructure and restoring communications, they’d get army support. Most of the army’s technical staff had died in the mass mutations, so they needed outside help.
This trip, the two trucks’ targets were solar panels and network-related materials. Luckily, that construction materials market was the largest nearby and had everything they needed. Maybe they could even find supplies to build Yan Fei a room.
For this mission, vehicle rental fees were waived, and half of whatever they hauled back belonged to them.
Besides servers and network equipment, Li Tie especially needed solar charging gear and PVC pipes—he was a diehard fan of ‘Otaku Teaches You How to Survive the Apocalypse’ and insisted on growing vegetables at home too!
Luo Xun’s personal goals were a few backup batteries and, most importantly, large amounts of steel. With a metal user at home, steel was indispensable.
The road north was smooth, hardly a zombie in sight. Soon, they reached the market’s gates.
Darkened bloodstains and the rotting corpses of dogs littered the ground. Luo Xun sighed inwardly. Looked like no one had been here in the entire month since he last came.
No surprise. The army mainly entered the city to rescue important figures or trapped civilians. Survivors in the safe zone were all assigned to wall construction. And when people ventured out for supplies, their first targets were supermarkets—not a construction market with no food.
Luo Xun led the truck straight to the solar equipment store.
Hearing noises in the aisles, some soldiers went to investigate. Soon, gunshots rang out.
Thank you for reading 🙂 I hope you all liked my translations. If you enjoyed my work, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi 😉
