NOVPUBChapter 98: Chapter 98: Seeking a Way Out
Chapter 98 -98: Seeking a Way Out
At this time, Lin Mengmeng was assisting Old Master Lin from the back door to Yuan Jiang’s residence, allowing the elder to sleep in the bedroom.
Lin Mengmeng then shared her thoughts with Yuan Jiang.
After listening, Yuan Jiang nodded and said, “I had also thought about joining them before, but they wouldn’t accept me either. However, they’re right, we can form our own team.”
“Brother Yuan Jiang, can I move in with you? Don’t get me wrong, we’re just forming an alliance. It’s the apocalypse, and I’m not harboring any other thoughts. You also know Lin Feifei’s personality. Living with them is too exhausting. If I occupy a building by myself, I’d feel somewhat afraid, especially as a female. If we form an alliance, we can look out for each other in case anything happens,” Lin Mengmeng sincerely told Yuan Jiang.
Yuan Jiang wasn’t opposed to the idea because living alone sometimes meant restless nights, where any little noise could wake him. If there were two of them, indeed they could look out for each other. After all, it’s the apocalypse now, and at this time, the only concern was surviving.
He said, “Okay, when Grandpa Lin wakes up, we’ll discuss it with him.”
Yuan Jiang and Lin Mengmeng also talked about the events of the day. There were over thirty people occupying the Inner Circle, all armed, but since they hadn’t killed anyone, they could choose to stay here for the time being, as the area was familiar.
The two of them were different from Lin Feifei, as both had no parents or close relatives by their side, so they had to rely on themselves.
After dark, Gu Pan’s group left half their number behind while Gu Pan, Lu Ruisheng, Chen Shaonan, and Duan Shumei went out. Since Cheng Yang and Chen Lang had less decision-making power on major issues, and Feng Zhekai and his spouse were not as strong or adaptable in combat as the duo of Chen Shaonan, the four of them ventured out today. The task of guarding their base was regular, so the few who stayed behind were enough.
Gu Pan’s group brought some supplies to leave outside, but upon exiting, they found the people occupying the Inner Circle with guns at the entrance, stopping and inspecting anyone attempting to take things out.
Lu Ruisheng whispered to them, “Let’s go back first.”
They returned with the items and reported the situation over the walkie-talkie.
At present, since the items couldn’t be taken out, they had to hide them at home for the time being. Fortunately, it wasn’t much. They had always maintained enough food on them for five to seven days to avoid running out unexpectedly.
After putting the items away, Gu Pan’s group set out again.
Since they had no items this time, the guards at the gate didn’t say much and let them pass.
Outside, they went to a small factory twenty minutes away by car, based on their memory. The place was still deserted, with a gate, tall walls, and barbed wire, so they deemed it potentially suitable.
The environment inside was basic, with only a two-story row of dormitories suitable for residents. Staircases were on the outside, accessible from both sides, with ten rooms on each floor.
There was a factory building in front and a canteen next to the dormitory. Despite the environment, everything else was relatively acceptable.
Since they had already discussed it before, they came here with this target in mind, not rashly searching around. After inspecting the site and finding it met their needs, they settled on it.
They made some simple arrangements and added their own locks to the doors. They could tell if it was safe next time based on whether the locks had been tampered with.
After returning, they visited the place where they hid their food supplies once more. Only after ensuring there were no issues did they head back home.
There were still people guarding the entrance to their community, but they didn’t search those carrying items inside. Of course, Gu Pan’s group came back empty-handed.
Once at home, everyone had a meeting over the walkie-talkies. The current plan was to observe the situation. If it became untenable, they would evacuate. If they only had to pay some protection money, they could stay, considering the place had a water source and a basement, which was particularly suitable for human survival during extreme heat.
After the meeting, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng sneaked out once more. They drove to a neighboring city where, before the apocalypse, there had been a large military base. They wanted to see if any large weapons had been left behind, unclaimed.
After they arrived, they could confirm that many people had already been to this place, but it didn’t affect them much, since they weren’t after ordinary weapons.
Driving around in the military area, they searched because Lu Ruisheng was familiar with the army, so he also knew where to find what they needed.
In front of a large warehouse, Lu Ruisheng stopped the car, and the two of them got out and directly stored the vehicle they drove in the Space – this had become a habit.
Once inside, Gu Pan was stunned, “Is there really an airplane?” Although it was a small helicopter, it was already a great find. Knowing that if they encountered any large rivers, they could simply fly over them with the helicopter, and if any disaster happened on the ground, being able to take off was definitely the best option. Before, they had a hot air balloon, but compared to this, it was nothing.
Lu Ruisheng was also quite excited, “They must have had designated planes for evacuation that couldn’t be taken with them.”
Without another word, Gu Pan stored it in the Space.
The two of them moved to another warehouse and found another surprise – a tank. Such a vehicle has great resistance to gunfire; if they had to evacuate, they could drive it without fear of bullets penetrating it – definitely a good find, so they continued to store it in the Space.
Then they added a military truck and an off-road vehicle to their collection. 𝑛𝘰𝑣𝑝𝑢𝑏.𝘤𝑜𝘮
The Space, which had seemed so expansive, now felt rather crowded.
But as they continued their search, they didn’t find much else. The place had been scavenged many times by many people, and since the military had taken most of the weapons and ammunition with them when they evacuated, it was normal to find not much left.
Noticing it was getting late, they hurriedly drove back.
When they entered the residential area, dawn was just breaking.
The guards at the gate watched them leave and return empty-handed twice, giving them an unfriendly look.
But Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng had no time to deal with them. It was actually a good thing to have these people guarding the gates. If they paid a protection fee, someone would guard the gate, which could let everyone sleep soundly.
However, not long after they got home and before they had lain down to sleep, noise erupted outside.
The loudspeaker once again blared, “Starting today, we’ll be collecting protection fees. Each household must pay one kilogram of grain or equivalent materials per month. Those who can’t pay will face corresponding punishments.”
As the announcement was made, gunshots served as a warning.
Gu Pan looked at her husband, “These people are really greedy, a kilogram of grain is enough for a family to eat for several days nowadays. A kilogram of good rice could even be exchanged for one kilogram of gold.”
Nowadays, most people were making porridge with added tree roots and bark. For an average family, one kilogram of grain was really a lot.
Lu Ruisheng also frowned, “Indeed, but most of those people probably don’t have the courage to run away. They fear being caught and having a fate worse than death, and they fear that surviving outside will be even harder. After all, this place is filled with familiar people and environments, and outside everything is unknown.”
Gu Pan suggested, “Some could still make it out, like Squad Leader Fang, Yuan Jiang, or Lin Mengmeng.”
Lu Ruisheng nodded, “Perhaps they could.”
“I think we should move out in the next couple of days. These people seem dangerous.”
“Yes, let’s discuss with everyone tonight and move out tomorrow afternoon.”
As they were discussing, someone knocked on the door, “Open up, we’re here to register resident information.”
