Chapter 99 The Departure Plan

By this time, Ruan Ning and his group had already returned to the apartment.

A small cloth bag lay open on the table, containing the crystal cores that had just been counted. Most of them came from ordinary zombies, while a few of them, each a different color, belonged to mutants and exhibited obvious energy fluctuations.

As agreed beforehand and based on the amount of effort contributed, the mixture was quickly divided into three parts. Big Fire also received a small piece of pure, attribute-free crystal core as a snack; it lay on the ground, fiddling with it with its paws, thoroughly enjoying itself.

After a quick wash, Ruan Ning cooked in the kitchen. She cooked rice and made two dishes, all inconspicuous items that wouldn't arouse suspicion. After the meal, there was even a small jar of pre-apocalyptic fruit as dessert.

The three people and the dog ate in silence, replenishing their physical and mental energy. The heat of the food temporarily dispelled some of their fatigue, but the things weighing on their minds became clearer.

Zhou Min shoveled rice into her mouth, finally unable to hold back any longer. She looked up at Ruan Ning, her voice filled with worry: "Ruan Ning, Li Wei and the others are dead, and Shen Yao has gone mad. The Shen family... definitely won't let this go. This time it was Li Wei, next time it might be Shen Zhuo personally bringing even more powerful people. We're in the open, they're in the shadows, it's impossible to guard against them."

She paused, then lowered her voice: "How about... we leave Dawn Base? The world is so big, it's not like this is the only base we can stay in."

Lin Yan put down her chopsticks and nodded seriously: "Zhou Min is right. The capital base is the Shen family's stronghold, so we can't go there. But there are four other major official bases across the country: 'East China Sea Fortress' in the east, 'Southern Frontier New City' in the south, 'Highland Outpost' in the west, and 'Icefield Fortress' in the north, all of which are far away. There are also some medium-sized bases built by military regions, or settlements set up by civilians themselves. Although the population is much smaller than before the apocalypse, the hundreds of millions of survivors scattered around actually have quite a few options."

She looked at Ruan Ning and said, “I heard that in the Northwest, the ‘Plateau Outpost’ and some outposts further west are located in high-altitude, arid areas with relatively few mutated plants, and are sparsely populated with low zombie density. Although resources may be scarce, the living environment may be simpler.”

Ruan Ning chewed her food slowly, listening to their conversation, but didn't answer immediately. She had certainly considered leaving. The Shen family was like a sword hanging over her head, and she didn't know when it would fall.

Dawn Base is located in the central region, a place of constant warfare. It has decent resources, but also many potential threats.

More importantly, some of the climate changes in her memory became clearer.

The post-apocalyptic climate is extreme and chaotic, with the so-called "summer" being unusually hot, followed by a long, almost continuous rainy season. As I recall, not long afterward, many areas in the central and southern regions will be engulfed in terrifying rainfall lasting for over a month, triggering massive floods and mudslides.

Rain nourishes all things, including those wildly mutated plants.

The Dawn Base is surrounded by mountains and dense forests. Once the rainy season arrives, the threat of mutated plants will increase exponentially. They will expand their territory wildly, become extremely aggressive, and can even move and release poisonous fog or spores, making them even more difficult to deal with than zombies.

The base's walls can keep out zombies, but they may not be able to stop the rampaging, ubiquitous plants.

In coastal areas, sea levels have reportedly risen due to crustal movement and glacial melting, putting immense pressure on coastal bases such as the East China Sea Fortress. They not only face threats from land but also need to be wary of unknown mutated creatures from the ocean.

In contrast, the Northwest Plateau, with its high altitude and relatively dry climate, receives less rainfall even during the rainy season compared to the central and southern regions. Its sparse vegetation means that the threat from mutant plants is indeed much smaller.

The vast, sparsely populated area also means that the battles between zombie hordes and human forces may be less intense. The disadvantages are also obvious: resources are scarcer, the environment is harsher, and being far from the remnants of major civilizations may make obtaining information and high-level resources difficult.

“Leaving isn’t impossible,” Ruan Ning finally spoke, her voice calm, “but we need to prepare. We don’t know much about the Northwest Base; we need more precise information, such as its exact location, entry requirements, internal forces, and resource acquisition methods. Rushing there blindly might just lead to our demise.”

She looked at the two of them: "The Shen family just lost people at the Dawn Base, and they will definitely strengthen surveillance and retaliation in the near future. Our sudden disappearance will only confirm our guilty conscience and may attract an even more frantic pursuit. Moreover, if we are to leave, we cannot let the Shen family get away with it."

Zhou Min's eyes lit up: "You mean?"

“We need a reasonable reason to ‘leave,’ preferably one that causes them some trouble and delays their investigation.” Ruan Ning’s eyes turned slightly cold. “In addition, before leaving, we should stockpile as many supplies as possible, especially water, food that can be stored for a long time, medicine, fuel, and equipment suitable for the cold and dry environment in the Northwest, which may be scarce.”

She paused, then added, "The rainy season is coming soon, and things will be tough in the central region. That could also be a public reason for us to leave—to go out and find a safer settlement, or to carry out a long-term, remote reconnaissance mission."

Lin Yan pondered: "Gathering intelligence on the Northwest Base requires contacting traveling caravans or information brokers. Stockpiling supplies requires a lot of points and time. Creating trouble... I have to be careful, I can't let it backfire."

“Let’s take it one step at a time.” Ruan Ning put down her bowl. “Over the next few days, Zhou Min, use your senses and social skills to go to the markets and taverns and keep an eye out for news about the Northwest or other remote bases, especially caravans coming from there. Lin Yan, you’re in charge of organizing our existing equipment and making a list of urgently needed supplies, especially cold-weather gear, sand protection, high-energy food, and water treatment equipment. I’ll go to the mission hall and see if there are any suitable missions that are far from the base or have good rewards, so we can earn points to exchange for supplies and also pave the way for our future ‘departure’.”

She looked at the two of them, her tone firm: "If the Shen family wants revenge, they won't dare to make a big fuss inside the base. We have time to prepare. If the Northwest is indeed feasible, we'll leave before the rainy season. But if the situation changes, or we find a better place, we'll adjust our plans. In short, we can't just sit here and wait to die."

Zhou Min and Lin Yan nodded emphatically, their eyes filled with clear goals and fighting spirit.

The fire seemed to sense the change in atmosphere, raised its head, and let out a low growl, as if to say, "I'm ready too."

Survival in the apocalypse is a process of constant migration and searching for safer fortresses. Dawn Base was once a shelter, but now it may soon become the eye of the storm.

Leaving requires courage, but even more so, it requires meticulous planning and strong execution.