Chapter 249: Chapter 249: To the Main Base
Because Gu Pan and the others were about to embark on a long journey, they ultimately decided to send the quails to the farm at the base for breeding. They planned on adopting them back from the farm when Gu Pan returned.
After the arrangent was made, Lu Jianguo directly contacted an expert from the farm who ca to their house to collect the small quails.
Gu Pan felt that at this mont, these quails were more precious than herself. The experts, seeing the eight quails, asked Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng many questions. They had prepared their answers well in advance, so responding was not a problem.
After Lu Jianguo and the people from the farm left, Lu Jianshe looked at Gu Pan admiringly and said, “Second Uncle underestimated you before.”
Gu Pan smiled and replied, “Many of my skills are learned from Ruisheng—he knows even more.”
Lu Ruisheng quickly waved his hands and said, “Second Uncle, Panpan is being too modest. She is naturally talented and learns everything quickly.”
Lu Jianshe nodded in agreent, “That’s true indeed. So people are just smarter than average.”
Gu Pan, complinted by the two, knew in her heart that she wasn’t really that smart; it was more because she had the support of “Space.”
Soon, the day of departure arrived. In the morning, Cheng Yang and Fang Lanlan brought them a pack of pancakes, and Feng Zhekai and Lu Xuerong brought them a basin of fried atballs and fried dough twists—foods that could be preserved for several days.
Then Feng Zhekai gave them a box of ergency pills. They all knew first aid, so there wasn’t much need for detailed instructions.
Gu Pan thanked them and assured them, then bid them farewell. She handed Cheng Yang a key, told him where the car keys were, and asked Squad Leader Fang to take care of the ho garden. The usable vegetables were to be consud, and any extras were to be dried, not left to spoil and waste.
After all the arrangents were made, they set off with their items. They had many things with them, including two backpacks and a cart filled with boxes—not only for their use during their ti away but also for Second Aunt.
They also had to pick up Lu Ruiming.
Lu Jianguo saw them off. The military transport to the main base consisted of six vehicles—two SUVs and four trucks—all marked with the base emblem. With that emblem, no one dared to interfere, as challenging it would an openly declaring enmity with the base, a sure path to death.
Additionally, the people of Huaxia Country trusted the Huaxia military and governnt. Despite the dire circumstances, most survivors pinned their hopes on their country and its military. They were aware that the state was developing high-tech pills and expanding the bases. Although they might not be able to move into these bases yet, these developnts represented hope for them.
So they didn’t want to shatter their own hopes and expectations.
Once outside the base, as Gu Pan observed the environnt, she didn’t feel as light-hearted. She knew about the polar days followed by polar nights, but the disasters that ca after the polar nights were unknown to her. It’s the unknown fears that are the most frightening.
This was also why they wanted to reach the main base earlier—so they could return sooner and hopefully, by the ti the polar nights arrived, they could await the impending disasters at No.7 Base and make their plans.
They had their teammates here. If sothing were to happen, facing it together would be easier. Their most fervent hope now was for Chen Shaonan and others to arrive because with a physics and chemistry teacher, their team would be more stable. They also dearly missed the days when their original team was together.
Lu Ruisheng watched his wife as she daydread, then held her hand in his without saying a word, simply giving her strength.
Lu Jianshe and Lu Ruiming rode in the sa vehicle, not saying much. Lu Ruiming was continuously excited, while Lu Jianshe pretended to sleep.
Since they were traveling in a military vehicle, robbers and others of the sort tended to hide.
As they passed the area where Wang Youcai lived, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng looked around more keenly, curious about the Taoist, but they didn’t see him, which was expected since robbers typically avoided being seen.
Now that it was the apocalypse, robbery had beco a common mode of survival. In peaceti, robbery was a cri, but in the apocalypse, it was simply a ans of staying alive in a world devoid of order.
Because they traveled during the day, they moved swiftly, alternating drivers and only stopping to make camp and sleep for eight hours each day. They rested briefly a few tis in between, just long enough to get out of the vehicle, stretch, and relieve themselves.
There were no cities near the base, but farther away, the darker aspects of city life began to reveal themselves.
As Gu Pan looked out the car window at the emaciated figures on the roadside, she noticed the absence of the slightest glimr in their eyes, all filled with lifelessness, as if they were rely waiting for death.
This wasn’t surprising anymore.
Many elderly didn’t die of diseases; so chose to take their own lives to leave more resources for the young. In the apocalypse, both the ugliness and the selflessness of human nature were more pronounced.
…
Gu Pan looked out the window at the people who had fallen. Perhaps death was a form of relief, sparing them from the hardships of living.
She wondered how her friends, scattered in various places, were faring.
Gu Pan also reminisced about the people from the city she used to live in—Shi Liang, Old Master Lin, and even Fu Chenyuan, who had taken over the villa district known as Jade.
It was hard to know how many of them were still alive. Living in the apocalypse was extrely difficult.
At night, they stayed in a deserted agritainnt farmhouse. The natural stoves were unusable, so they temporarily built a stove and began cooking dinner.
For the sake of cleanliness and using reliable water, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng took on the task of cooking during the journey—it was just dinner at night since lunch was usually compressed biscuits.
They had brought many items with them, unknown to others, of course, and not to be questioned.
But after this first dinner, everyone had a better impression of Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng, as the al was plentiful with dried and salted ats and vegetables.
Apart from the leaders, the rest of the personnel traveling between bases were young soldiers responsible for transporting materials and classified docunts—each base’s latest research achievents needed to be shared.
These young soldiers were at an age where they could eat plenty, and although their rations included a fixed amount of at, it was limited and barely enough to stave off hunger rather than satisfy any cravings.
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