The pace of this group was much slower than that of the main convoy, but fortunately, they still had transportation and were relatively well-off. Following this second wave were all the family mbers of the Food Departnt, who were proceeding on foot. Of course, according to standard community procedure, this was how they were expected to continue. However, in the Food Departnt, the benefits were quite good, with vehicles like the Hulk available for rotation.
They were able to rest for about half a day every few days.
"Team 1 convoy has passed through 8 tunnels. All clear ahead. Over."
"Team 1 second wave personnel have passed through 2 tunnels, 2 kiloters from departure. Over."
"Pedestrian personnel have begun entering the tunnel. All smooth so far. Over."
Once the convoy had passed through several tunnels, the pedestrian migrants, forming a long, snaking queue, slowly entered the tunnel, beginning their long march.
"Attention everyone, today’s destination is Star Service Station, 25 kiloters away. Pedestrians should rest for 15 minutes every two hours and resupply upon reaching the service station. Other waves of personnel, please arrange your own schedules."
The walkie-talkie continuously relayed the latest news.
Jing Shu drove at a turtle’s pace of 15 kiloters per hour, kicking up a cloud of dust. This was because the tunnel floor wasn’t smooth, unimpeded concrete but rather a passage haphazardly dug by insects. It was already remarkable that Jiang Jiang could navigate a two-story RV through it, especially with the intermittent descents and ascents that made driving quite difficult.
This was especially true when exiting the tunnel. Although snowplows had helped clear the heavy snowfall, the relentless flurries quickly blanketed the road again. Exhaust fus lted the snow, which then rapidly refroze into ice. Even the German MAN, with its high clearance and anti-slip features, skidded with a SCREECHING sound.
Jing Shu felt a rocking sensation, as if she were driving a tractor; this definitely wasn’t the thrilling apocalyptic experience of freely crushing obstacles on the road that she had imagined. The dust swirling in the tunnel, the occasional falling chunks of earth, and the snow-covered, icy roads outside—among other issues—only served to fray Jing Shu’s temper further.
Grandma Jing sifted dried chilies in a winnowing basket with her rough hands, saying, "I wonder how your parents are doing right now, if everything is going smoothly for them."
"Hey, Grandma, Dad left with the main contingent from the breeding farm after lunch. He’s escorting the livestock in a special vehicle, so it won’t be too tiring for him. Mom went ahead with Mr. Niu; they’re waiting for us at the next service area. We’ll rest and regroup there today."
"Regroup?"
"Yes, we’ll stay at the service area."
"But we’ve only covered 20 kiloters."
"Grandma, you forgot about the migrating group behind us. They can’t walk that fast."
"Those poor souls... I wonder if they can even make it, such a long way..."
"They’ll be fine."
The RV jostled forward, towing another smaller RV, followed by dozens of Hulks. In the gloomy world of the apocalypse, countless rotten rmaids lurked in the darkness, securely guarding the RV at their center. Should danger arise, they would be the first to rush to the front lines.
Two hours later, the convoy safely arrived at Star Service Station. The walkie-talkies no longer picked up the voices of personnel from other waves. The pedestrian migrants had only walked 6 kiloters; they still needed to reach the service area to complete their task for the day.
Only 21 kiloters were covered on the first day, which was quite slow. This was rely to allow the migrants to gradually acclimatize. Given that the road conditions were relatively manageable, Jing Shu, in her previous life, could cover up to 40 kiloters in a day, and that was truly the limit. Those who fell behind faced only death, either from freezing or exhaustion.
However, roads were sotis blocked or closed. In such situations, they couldn’t travel far, and there were even tis they were trapped for several days.
The refurbished service area served as a transit point, its primary purpose being resupply. It held food and other materials under strict guard, so no unauthorized vehicles or personnel were allowed entry. Of course, the temporary livestock base and mobile vegetable greenhouses were located inside.
"All vehicles, take shelter and regroup in this tunnel."
The number 1 modified police car blocked the tunnel entrance, while Jingshu’s large RV blocked the exit, essentially shielding the interior from all wind and snow. Although the tunnel was darker, at least the temperature was no longer so cold.
Jingshu’s RV wasn’t as fragile as other private cars; it had a dual heating system. And with light coming from the entrance, the family preferred this spot—it wasn’t as oppressive.
The one-kiloter-long tunnel housed 14 private cars and 5 carpool-group buses, yet it still felt quite spacious.
No sooner had the vehicles parked and everyone caught their breath than Sanliang gathered people.
"Now, I’ll assign the upcoming tasks," he announced. "Each family needs to provide one laborer. We need to dig four latrines. The pits must be deep so that those who co after us can also use them. There will be people specifically assigned to collect the waste. Old rules apply: using a latrine earns 0.2 Virtual Coins. We’ll also collect waste from RV holding tanks; one bucket for 1 Virtual Coin."
Many people whispered among themselves, "We’re already migrating, and they still won’t even let our shit go to waste. This is too much."
"Well, are you going to use it or not?"
"Taking a dump earns 0.2 Virtual Coins? Only a fool wouldn’t."
Sanliang waved his hand and continued, "Of course, we also need to collect snow from outside, boil it, and distribute it for everyone’s use today. Additionally, we need to clear the surrounding snow and handle many other preparatory tasks."
"Everyone in the carpool groups will rotate duties every five days."
"Those who don’t contribute labor can pay 10 Virtual Coins to directly hire soone from a carpool group. Oh, right, let clarify: Family 4 does not need to contribute labor or money."
"Family 4? The one with the double-decker RV blocking the wind? That’s completely unfair!"
"If it’s about blocking wind, our car could do it too!"
"Oh, give it a rest. Your little clunker? You’d be lucky if it doesn’t get blown away."
Sanliang stated sternly, "Based on the fact that Family 4 participated in constructing this tunnel and has made significant contributions during this migration, the Food Departnt, as a token of gratitude, will grant their family preferential treatnt throughout the journey."
"So, any further objections?"
"If not, then get to work."
At that mont, most people looked at Family 4 differently, with a mixture of admiration and amazent.
Many had, in fact, been curious about this tunnel that had appeared so suddenly, almost as if specifically prepared for the migration. Yet, the tunnel snaked for an unknown number of kiloters, making it unlikely to have been built recently.
Only those with good sources knew so of the inside story, which only deepened their reverence for Family 4.
Family 4... what exactly did they do? So far, only a little girl and the old man who had just acted as their representative had been seen.
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