The convoy kept heading south.
The closer they got to the south, the more villages there were, and the towns grew increasingly bustling.
Therefore, finding a suitable target to strike was undoubtedly a very difficult task.
However, Squad Leader Chu eventually managed to find a relatively appropriate town.
Just like Xinghua Town back then.
This town didn't look very big either. There was a large gate tower at the entrance, and on top of it, there was a faint signboard.
But the red lettering on the sign had long since peeled off. Through the blank spaces left by the fallen characters, you could barely make out three words on that sign: "Hongqiao Town."
Standing at the town's entrance, all you could see was darkness and gloom inside. If you tried to look deeper.
You'd find you couldn't see anything at all.
It was as if the town was blocked by a layer of black mosaic.
Standing at the entrance, you could feel a palpitation rising from the bottom of your heart.
Even for a superhuman like Chen Ye, seeing a town like this.
Made him instinctively raise his guard to the maximum.
It seemed that as the apocalypse deepened, these places where humans once lived were gradually losing all traces of humanity.
As if this town had been a no-man's-land from the day it was built.
This feeling wasn't unique to Chen Ye.
Xu Lina, Sun Xixi, and Iron Lion all felt it too...
The traces of humanity were disappearing.
The presence of anomalies was slowly becoming more pronounced.
Before entering the town, Chu Che had made quite thorough plans for this supply run.
Except for Chu Che, all the other superhumans would participate in this operation.
Even Gong Yong was holding a chainsaw, with a resolute look on his face.
He had already clearly understood the Fair Convoy's rules: whatever supplies a superhuman collected belonged to that superhuman.
He really liked this rule, and this time, he planned to make a big score.
According to Chu Che's plan, this time, besides the two migration vehicles and his own modified off-road vehicle, none of those would enter the town.
All the other vehicles would go in.
The migration vehicles were too large; if something unexpected happened, they wouldn't be easy to escape in time.
This time, they would scavenge as much as they could.
There was also another task.
Chen Ye and the others were also responsible for finding a vehicle, preferably a bus or a coach.
To convert into a mobile sheep pen for migration.
But over the days of migration, the original twenty-odd sheep had already lost four or five.
The remaining dozen or so sheep looked listless, probably not long for this world.
Although Chen Ye felt it would be better to just slaughter all the sheep and preserve the meat.
Quite a few people opposed it.
So, Chen Ye simply dropped the idea.
It was a small matter, not worth arguing about.
Finding a vehicle was fine.
Anyway, it wasn't a difficult task for superhumans.
Xu Lina had also changed into lightweight clothes and shoes, with a large travel backpack on her back.
This woman was also planning to make a serious move this time.
Even if she couldn't get food, finding other usable items would be perfectly fine.
It was the apocalypse, after all; the convoy was short of everything.
Even if they weren't short, surplus items could be traded for other things when they reached Xi City.
According to Squad Leader Chu's estimate, many people would probably go there.
By then, there would surely be all sorts of strange and wonderful things to trade.
Behind Xu Lina stood her cousin, Lai Baiwei.
"Cousin..."
Lai Baiwei was a bit nervous.
Although she was scared, she also planned to go in and try her luck this time.
Xu Lina said in a low voice, "Just follow me. If you run into trouble I can't handle, run toward Mr. Chen!"
"Oh..."
Lai Baiwei nodded softly.
After a few seconds, as if unsettled, Lai Baiwei asked again, "Cousin, would Mr. Chen save me?"
Over the past few days, Lai Baiwei had gained a clear understanding of the entire convoy.
It seemed that her cousin had some ambiguous connection with Mr. Chen.
But in reality, the relationship between the two was even purer than the one between her and Mr. Chen.
Without that connection, Lai Baiwei felt Chen Ye wasn't all that reliable.
Xu Lina thought for a moment, then the corner of her mouth curled up slightly. "I don't know. If Mr. Chen can't be counted on, there's still Mr. Wu. He should be reliable."
"Mr. Wu is..."
"Wu Haifeng, that big guy Iron Lion. He's a good person."
"..."
It wasn't just Lai Baiwei who planned to try her luck.
Other ordinary members of the convoy were also eager to give it a shot.
Many held knives or clubs in their hands.
Their eyes were both terrified and excited.
Some who didn't plan to go also got out of the vehicles, helping to prepare for those who were going.
"Remember, you only have three hours. After three hours, we're leaving this place."
"If anyone isn't out by then, I won't wait for you!"
"At that point, whether you live or die, only heaven knows!"
"We won't wait for you..."
Xue Nan used a loudspeaker to brief the survivors planning to go in.
Although similar topics had been repeated over and over, there were always those who didn't take it seriously.
Just like when you're the class monitor and you remind everyone a thousand times the night before to meet at the school gate at 8:30 a.m. sharp and not to be late.
Someone would still forget the time and show up late, making everyone wait for just that one person.
A flying sword shot out from the town.
On the sword was Sun Xixi.
"There are two grain and oil shops in town. One is on the second street to the east, and another on the third street to the west!..."
"And there are two supermarkets..."
The pink-haired girl grabbed paper and pen and began to sketch a simple map of the entire town.
With a map, even the simplest one, it could save everyone a lot of time during the supply collection process.
Having reached Sequence 4, the pink-haired girl's flying sword was very fast.
This kind of work was the most convenient for her.
"Yezi, you head east. That grain and oil shop is yours. Gather as many supplies as possible. I'll give you an hour..."
"Iron Lion, you head west. I'll assign a few more people to you..."
Chu Che began arranging the plan.
"Alright, let's move!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the engines of several vehicles roared as they charged into the town.
Chen Ye's truck carried Xu Lina and Lai Baiwei, with two male survivors sitting in the back.
Xu Lina was too weak to act alone.
Lai Baiwei, being Xu Lina's cousin, was definitely sticking with her.
The two male survivors were the laborers for this operation.
Of course, Chen Ye had instructed Little Monster beforehand, allowing the others to board.
Otherwise, without Chen Ye's consent, anyone approaching the Monster Pickup Truck would likely become fuel for Little Monster.
The engines of the vehicles roared, crashing through the town's thick fog and charging straight in.
The moment they entered the town, Chen Ye felt a wave of palpitations surge from his heart.
The hairs on the back of his hand stood on end.
This town had anomalies!
And quite a few!
Xu Lina held the simple map and directed Chen Ye.
The entire town presented a scene of apocalyptic decay.
The roads in the streets were cracked and broken, with weeds growing in many places.
But for the Monster Pickup Truck now, after surviving the Sea of Chaotic Graves, this kind of terrain was a minor issue.
He floored the gas pedal.
Chen Ye stopped directly in front of a grain and oil shop.
There was a dilapidated billboard above the shop's door, with the words "Laotu Grain and Oil Shop" written on it.
Clearly, the horizontal stroke on the character "Tu" had already fallen off.
"Move fast!"
Chen Ye opened the door, moved quickly to the shop's entrance, and kicked down the rolling shutter door with one blow.
He exhaled a puff of smoke, and several simulated humanoids formed rapidly, charging inside.
Xu Lina held up a "Kerosene Lamp."
This lamp was the same one that had done its duty in the Sea of Chaotic Graves.
Although this kerosene lamp counted as a Wonder, it had no special abilities.
It only served a purpose in places like the Eternal Night's Sea of Chaotic Graves.
Outside Eternal Night, in the outside world, many anomalies were no longer so afraid of daylight.
So, this lamp's biggest function now was just illumination.
This grain and oil shop wasn't large, just a storefront of about fifty square meters.
Lai Baiwei stuck close to her cousin, and seeing the piles of rice and flour inside the store, a flash of surprise crossed her face.
"Cousin..."
Xu Lina snapped coldly, "Shut up and work!"
Lai Baiwei quickly closed her mouth, grabbed a bag of flour that gave off a strange smell, and rushed outside.
At this moment, no one cared whether Lai Baiwei was a great beauty.
Or whether this kind of heavy physical work was suitable for her.
This was the apocalypse.
Women were used like men, and men were used like beasts of burden.
That was basic respect for the apocalypse.
Two simulated smoke figures also grabbed two large bags of flour and rushed outside.
Just as they reached the door, a tentacle reached over.
Lai Baiwei was a bit startled, but thankfully, Chen Ye had warned her beforehand.
Lai Baiwei tossed the flour forward.
The tentacle directly wrapped around the bag of flour and retracted.
The other simulated smoke figures did the same.
They threw things outside, and countless tentacles naturally caught the supplies and stuffed them into the Monster Pickup Truck's bed.
"Mr. Chen... here... there's so much here..."
A man's voice came through.
Chen Ye's figure flickered, and he appeared right beside the man.
The man was standing next to a door, his eyes full of excitement.
Chen Ye looked into the dark doorway.
Inside was a warehouse.
This grain and oil shop had the storefront in front, with not much rice, flour, or oil there, but the real treasure was hidden in the back.
A flash of surprise crossed Chen Ye's face, and he snapped his fingers.
The man and the newly condensed smoke figures began rushing inside.
Soon, the man came out with a bag of rice slung over his shoulder, his face full of joy.
Although this bag of rice had certainly gone bad.
The smell of stale, expired rice filled his nostrils.
But the man didn't mind at all.
This kind of packaged rice had an outer layer of woven plastic bag printed with company brand information and text.
Inside was a vacuum-sealed transparent bag.
Of course, some of the vacuum-sealed bags had already leaked.
If you were lucky, you could find ones that hadn't leaked.
Finding those was like hitting the jackpot.
Obviously, in this room, there were bound to be plenty that hadn't leaked.
Just then, the other male survivor had clearly discovered this treasure trove too.
He came rushing over with a wild shout, helping out.
This guy was carrying one bag on each shoulder, staggering on his feet.
But the excited look on his face was impossible to hide.
Just then, Chen Ye's brows furrowed slightly.
Earlier, the men he had brought in were two.
But now, he could clearly see three men working.
Comments