RIACMET chapter 117

 

Jiang Nian chose Xihe City because he suddenly remembered something that Xia Weiwei had boasted about regarding S Base in his previous life.

The rescue and exploration team from S Base had secured a large amount of supplies in Xihe City. Since it was past the extreme heat season, they had taken the initiative early.

Places that sounded terrifying in rumors were not actually that dangerous. Earthquakes buried most of the zombies and humans deep underground quite cleanly.

Their goal this time was to search for supplies, and, if possible, to bring value to the base.

For example, if they confirmed that Xihe City was stable and found a significant stockpile, they could contact Zhou Li to send personnel to sweep the area once they had secured the supplies.

The base would also award them points for their efforts.

Minister Wang and Zhou Li had personally explained this to Cheng Jing.

The more supplies they secured before the next wave of extreme weather, the less pressure the base would face in providing emergency aid.

None of the teammates said much about their eldest brother’s decision, but they were worried it might be too far away since they weren’t familiar with Xihe City.

Those concerns disappeared the moment Jiang Nian pulled out a stack of extremely detailed maps and guidebooks for Xihe City.

District layouts, road markers, major highways and side streets, important landmarks—you name it, it was there.

There were even floor plans for many large or special buildings in the city.

While Jiang Nian was quietly stockpiling supplies, he had already decided to join Nancheng Base.

He had bought the most expensive and detailed map bundle centered around the cities near Nancheng Base.

Besides, Xihe City was a nationwide tourist destination known for its man-made lake, so more detailed guides were always necessary.

Even though the once-prosperous city had changed completely due to the earthquake and post-apocalyptic pollution, exploring it wouldn’t be a problem with maps like that and the strength of their team.

Jiang Nian didn’t explain much about the map hoarding, and none of the teammates asked.

Some things, even if they sounded a little far-fetched or unbelievable, didn’t need to be spelled out. Jiang Nian’s secrets were the whole team’s secrets.

The maps came in handy. Other than Jiang Nian, Cheng Jing believed that he had contributed the most. He was exhausted when he went downstairs to get the delivery, but now he was thrilled.

Due to time constraints, they set three specific targets based on Jiang Nian’s suggestion:

The logistics park, the outer ring commercial zone, and a branch of the People’s Hospital.

All three places were along the outer ring road and far from the city center.

In his previous life, S Base had focused its scavenging efforts on those same three spots and had never ventured deep into the downtown area.

Still, the final plans would be adjusted based on what they encountered on site.

From before sunrise to late at night, they drove into Xihe City and took the Outer Ring Road directly.

Like other cities, ruins were everywhere. However, cracks caused by the earthquake were more frequent here, and the deeper they went, the worse the damage became.

Eventually, they had to detour from the planned route because a collapsed bridge inside the city completely blocked the way.

After navigating a few unfamiliar roads, they finally stopped at Yangming Park Square in the Outer Ring New District.

They knew from the tourist guide map that this was once a popular gathering place for outdoor tourists, though not heavily used. After all, the Outer Ring couldn’t compare to the city center.

According to the map, they would reach the Xihe branch of the People’s Hospital if they followed the road across from the square for about three kilometers.

The original plan was to first visit the logistics park, then the outer ring commercial district, and finally the hospital.

However, according to Jiang Nian, the logistics park was the main objective.

Hospitals were among the hardest-hit areas in the apocalypse. The damage there would likely be worse than elsewhere.

Also, since medicine was a critical supply, the authorities would have tried to secure and collect all of it early on, meaning there likely wouldn’t be much left behind.

As for the commercial area, it had always been crowded. Whether because of initial chaos or fights over supplies, it had become a “public enemy” zone.

Compared to those areas, the logistics park had better potential.

After the car stopped, everyone got out to check the surroundings. Once they confirmed that nothing was unusual, Cheng Jing waved his hand and gave the order:

“All right, we’ll camp here for the night. We’ll head straight to the hospital tomorrow morning. The search should take a day, but let’s stay flexible and avoid delays if possible.”

Having a clear objective could save a lot of time.

“Okay.”

Once the captain spoke, everyone followed his lead.

Though the place was battered and chaotic, it was open and relatively free of obstructions, so visibility was good. There were cracks and potholes of various sizes in the ground, but none looked fresh.

Lu Ningzhou then used his earth-based superpower to scan the area and confirm that the ground was stable and suitable for a temporary camp.

Tang Yi launched a drone to scout for nearby zombies but only found a few scattered traces far away.

This wasn’t a place that people came to often, so they wouldn’t attract much attention.

Zombies had evolved. The energy from crystal cores had given them an instinct to group together and hide in the shadows during the day.

Overall, the zombies were becoming smarter. The slow, wandering ones were low-tier and lacked a core, or had recently been infected.

This was the grim reality they had experienced firsthand.

It wouldn’t be long before leadership-tier zombies, such as Zombie Kings, started to appear.

Once a Zombie King emerged, a massive zombie horde attack would follow.

“Bzzz, bzzz, bzzz—”

Tang Yi recalled the drone, and everyone began setting up tents.

Lu Ningzhou used his earth superpower to construct four hidden walls. The walls blended perfectly with the surroundings and had a concealed entrance.

There was no roof; from above, it just looked like a square enclosure of dirt walls.

After that, Cheng Jing took out several wireless alarms and placed them at the four corners.

The infrared detection range was about 100 meters—just right. Any wider, and they would trigger too often from minor disturbances.

Once powered and tested, the sensors formed a perimeter around their temporary shelter.

With that setup, they had two layers of defense. They could sleep better inside their tents and sleeping bags.

The extra earthen walls would also help block out flying ash and scorched dust.

“By the way,” someone said, “I’ve always wondered what zombies will end up looking like. Can they really turn back into humans?”

Everyone started chatting while continuing to work.

“I don’t think so. Whether they got infected before or after dying, once they’re zombies, they’re already dead.”

“They’re rotten inside and out. Unless they can regrow flesh, blood, and organs as they evolve, they’re not really people anymore.”

“Even if they evolve, they’re still zombies…”

“… ”

What evolved zombies might eventually become has long been a topic of uneasy speculation.

Among all the wild theories, one of the most persistent was the idea that they might one day become human again.