Chapter 256 Offering My Heart

March 4, 2029.

Lin Xi departed from the Iron Wolf Base.

Besides Lu Wei and Xiang Xin, Yang Yicheng also led an elite force with her.

Li Shuyi also accompanied them.

Although she was terrified of leaving the shelter, it was Lin Xi who had promised to exchange her life for hers, and Yang Yicheng who had changed his promise to protect her. After the two of them left, she gritted her teeth and set off with them, choosing to travel by land.

Instead of taking the public roads built before the apocalypse, they started from the side roads and passed through 22 cities, including several reliable supply points that Yang Yicheng and Lu Wei did not know about.

Iron Wolf Base also has aircraft, but in times of war, aircraft are very conspicuous targets. If the enemy hijacks or bombs them, there is no way to escape. Moreover, there are no familiar airports in the Northwest region, so trucks are still the preferred mode of transportation.

Lin Xi returned to his truck.

The car's appearance is no longer similar to what Lin Xi was familiar with. It has undergone several rounds of modifications, resulting in a more streamlined shape and a more robust protective layer.

However, it lacked the imposing presence of the specialized combat vehicles beside it, and following behind them looked more like a supply depot.

But the interior of the vehicle still looks familiar, even showing some signs of time—

The chair had some stubborn dirt, and the portrait sketches drawn by Xiang Xin had faded a bit.

The three of them sat down in seats with their own personalized profile pictures, and Xiang Xin turned on the new equipment provided by the Iron Wolf Base to coordinate with the vehicle in front to keep track of the surrounding situation.

Li Shuyi looked around at the trucks with curiosity: "They're quite relatable."

She had only ever ridden in Yang Yicheng's chariot, which was cold and filled with all sorts of equipment.

Aside from weapons and a few pieces of equipment, Lin Xi's car contained mostly everyday items, including a makeshift toilet, a narrow bed board, several sleeping bags, a first-aid kit, several boxes of supplies, a charging pad, and a water filter.

After several years of consumption, Lin Xi's original stockpiled supplies in the car consisted only of a few expired chocolates, which were sponsored by the Iron Wolf Base.

Li Shuyi had no skills; she couldn't drive, fight, or conduct reconnaissance. She really wanted to lie down on that bed, but felt it wasn't appropriate. She walked to the only empty seat in the front compartment and sat down. The seat cover had a cartoon character with blinking peach blossom eyes drawn on it.

"This is simply my dream car! I've always fantasized about having a post-apocalyptic RV so I could live and work on the go," Li Shuyi said, her eyes filled with longing.

Lin Xi and Xiang Xin didn't respond, but Lu Wei whispered, "It's hard to survive."

Li Shuyi: "Hmm?"

"Unless it is used as a military vehicle, such a 'motorhome' will definitely be targeted by others. In the post-apocalyptic world, there are no moral constraints, and everyone will scramble for it. If they can't get it, they will destroy it rather than let others live well."

Li Shuyi thought for a moment and nodded: "It sounds like you have experience?"

Lin Xi seemed to be thinking to herself, perhaps Lu Wei really had such an experience.

The convoy moved forward steadily.

In the years following the apocalypse, there were almost no living people on the ground except in war zones. What they had to be careful of was that the major bases would take action after discovering their presence. Fortunately, the technicians in Xiang Xin and Yang Yicheng's team had professional counter-surveillance skills, so they did not encounter any tracking or pursuit.

Wasteland cities are all pretty much the same. Che Neilu couldn't maintain a high level of focus, while Xiang Xin was mainly responsible for liaison and reconnaissance. Lin Xi and Li Shuyi had nothing to do for the time being.

Li Shuyi is sleeping.

Lin Xi was seated behind Lu Wei. She didn't want to look directly at the back of his head, so she leaned against the car window and silently pondered research-related matters. However, sleepiness is contagious, and Lin Xi gradually closed her eyes.

Half-asleep, she was woken up by Lu Wei patting her shoulder: "There's a checkpoint ahead, controlled by relevant departments. Be careful not to expose your identity..." He glanced at the refrigerated box.

Lin Xi understood.

Unbeknownst to them, the convoy entered the reconnaissance range of a large base. A hasty escape would only arouse suspicion, so the convoy entered openly and made contact with the other side. The other side agreed to let them pass through the checkpoint, but they needed to get out of the vehicles for inspection.

During this critical period, the relevant authorities' base is engaged in a fierce battle with the White Shield base, making it extremely easy for spies to infiltrate. Therefore, vehicles passing through the checkpoint need to be thoroughly inspected.

Lu didn't mention his identity, but didn't continue, indicating that the base might have a facial recognition system, which would expose Lin Xi's identity. Therefore, the only thing that could be hidden was the vaccine sample in the refrigerated box.

Lin Xi put on a mask and gloves, concealed the refrigerated box within the black water tank, and then took off her mask and got out of the car openly.

If there really is a facial recognition system here, wearing a mask will only draw more attention because it will eventually be detected.

Lin Xi had heard of this base before. It was a large base comparable in size to the White Shield Base. Due to special wartime needs, the base had a certain jurisdiction, and this checkpoint was built near the gas station.

The checkpoint personnel inspected each vehicle one by one. Although they had been informed in advance that the area was an armed force, the checkpoint did not want such a group to pass through during this special period.

When asked about the purpose of his trip, Yang Yicheng said directly that he was going to join the headquarters of the relevant department to participate in the battle.

The manager was skeptical: "If you want to join the relevant military units, you can just join our base."

A medical worker in a white coat approached with virus test strips: "Half of the people in your team are infected."

Half-infected individuals have now become a key target for investigation. Generally speaking, half-infected individuals mostly belong to the White Shield base or are teams controlled by bases with ulterior motives.

The manager asked, "How many?"

"Their entire team has been screened, and there is only one person who is partially infected."

Just as Yang Yicheng was about to argue with the manager, another staff member came over with a display screen to report information, but in a very low voice.

Yang Yicheng looked in the direction she came from and saw the surveillance camera pointed at Lin Xi.

Upon hearing the news of the new report, the manager looked at Lin Xi thoughtfully.

He said, "All the major bases are searching for a researcher named Lin Xi. She escaped from the Watchtower Base and disappeared without a trace. I didn't expect her to appear here."

Now that he had been identified, Yang Yicheng admitted, "That's right. We also have an important task: to escort this researcher to a base with a well-established laboratory."

As he spoke, his fingers were already subtly moving, ready to strike at any moment.

The manager, unaware of his unusual behavior, said earnestly, "I need to report this situation. Please wait a moment."

Although they didn't make eye contact, they all tacitly agreed to prepare to take action.

The base's attitude is unclear, and the longer they linger here, the more dangerous it becomes. It's best not to let that base know Lin Xi's whereabouts.

They were about to forcibly seize the manager's equipment when suddenly a red alarm light appeared on it.

The guards at the checkpoint suddenly said, "A large number of zombies are heading towards us."

Someone chimed in, "They're moving in the same direction, and their numbers are considerable. They've clearly been drawn here by sonar. The patrol ahead can't stop them. Captain, we..."

The manager glanced at the red dot on the screen and said sternly, "Retreat first. Captain Yang, it's dangerous ahead. You should all come back to base with us for safety first."

Yang Yicheng turned around and gave his detective a look, and the detective nodded to confirm that their information was correct.

Lin Xi and Yang Yicheng exchanged a glance, then turned their faces toward their own cars.

She had already escaped from both White Shield Base and Watchtower Base with difficulty, and she really didn't want to enter another unfamiliar base whose background she didn't know.

Yang Yicheng thought the same thing.

However, the next moment Xiang Xin said, "Oh no, the road behind us has also been cut off. This checkpoint is about to be surrounded."

The checkpoint manager received the same message. He frowned, but the situation didn't give him more time to think. He suddenly ordered, "Open the basement and release those assassins to provide cover."

As soon as the basement gate opened, a group of uncoordinated, crooked people poured out. Lin Xi could tell at a glance that they were early to mid-stage mutated semi-infected individuals.

Their behavior is somewhat out of control, but they still retain their sense of self and can barely control their bodies.

The leader looked at the manager, and then, with a tacit understanding, cleared a path to cover their retreat.

Lin Xi immediately understood that these people were soldiers who had to become half-infected under special circumstances. However, as time went by and mutations gradually appeared, they knew that their ultimate fate was to become zombies. So they willingly came to the wilderness to cover their teammates and do their last bit of strength.

In the chaos, the base's administrators even tried to take Lin Xi away, but they had anticipated this and avoided it.

Take advantage of the chaos and leave quickly.

Their vehicles can withstand attacks from hardened zombies, but if they encounter a zombie horde, while the vehicles won't be destroyed, they could still be flipped over and rolled over.

Zombies had already appeared in sight, and the released semi-infected individuals rushed in an organized manner toward the perimeter of the gas station in an attempt to provide cover.

Half-infected individuals are also prey in the eyes of zombies, but they are not as attractive as living people with pure blood and energy, so zombies rush towards the group of living people first.

Everyone is keeping a certain distance from the vehicles and is currently being diverted to evacuate from the checkpoint.

Li Shuyi frantically cried for help in the crowd, amidst gunshots and sounds of fighting.

Lin Xi had no problem protecting herself, but the problem was that the garrison at the base, in trying to protect her, actually hindered her escape to her truck.

She couldn't just go directly with the managers to their base.

The guards sent to the perimeter of the base were no ordinary men; they were good marksmen, but even when they fired shots at the zombies' eyes, the zombies did not fall.

Lin Xi's pupils shrank sharply: The zombie whose weakness, even its eyes, had been evolved away has finally appeared!

Lin Xi's group was so large that too many people flocked to protect her, which is why she attracted the most zombies.

With so many zombies that they couldn't be driven away, and them rushing towards him, it was almost a death sentence!

She saw Lu Wei running towards her from outside the zombies, and he even shouted Lin Xi's name to try to attract the zombies' attention.

But he was a half-infected person, and in the eyes of the zombies, Lin Xi, a living person, was more attractive.

Lin Xi watched as the horde of zombies rushed towards her.

This scene was all too familiar. Back then, she gave up on suicide and went home to seek refuge, where she waited for the support department that Lu Wei hadn't participated in to distribute supplies. She had also encountered a similar zombie horde at that time.

There was no way to avoid the horde of zombies; these were hardened zombies with no weaknesses, and even the best marksmanship and skills were futile.

Amidst a group of ferocious faces and waving claws, Lin Xi and Lu Wei locked eyes. They had cultivated a great deal of tacit understanding in this life, but at this moment, they still seemed unable to comprehend the emotions in each other's eyes.

I'm going to die.

Are you going to die?

She took out the miniature gun, intending to raise it to her temple, but felt as if her hand weighed a ton.

Life is precious, and she had long been afraid of death.

They fear the death of others, and they also fear their own death.

What about Xiang Xin and Li Shuyi?

How much effort would it take to catch up with the current progress if we started over with the unfinished vaccine research?

Do not... do not go into the good night.

Lin Xi instinctively raised her leg to kick away the hand that was coming towards her. Once a person retaliates, their body's subconscious instincts begin to drive them to fight back—

No one can save you; you must save yourself.

But all the living people around her were attacked and infected with the virus, leaving her as the only clear target.

"Hey!! Over here!!" A woman's voice screamed loudly. Xiang Xin appeared in sight, shouting and jumping, trying to attract the zombie's attention.

Like Lin Xi, she was a living person with pure blood and energy, and her lively and loud voice made her an even fresher prey than Lin Xi.

"No!" Lin Xi instinctively wanted to shout, but in that instant, Lu Wei had already knocked down the zombie that pounced on her, and she maintained her fighting spirit so that the zombie wouldn't hurt her.

Xiang Xin saw that they had broken through the encirclement, but there was still a difficult journey to their car.

Yang Yicheng, who was fighting in the distance, Li Shuyi, who was running away in a panic, and Lu Wei, who was half-infected, did not clear a path for Lin Xi under these perfect zombies.

The decision was made hastily, without even time to think it through. Xiang Xin had already started shouting and walked in the opposite direction.

She was fleeing towards the checkpoint where the guards and staff who hadn't had time to evacuate were still. Seeing the unkillable zombies coming towards her, she realized that people scream and roar in the face of death, which only attracted more zombies.

Lin Xi reached out to the horde of zombies that were leaving him, but he couldn't see Xiang Xin anywhere.

"Don't get distracted, let's go." Lu Wei snapped at her to stop.

Xiang Xin's panting voice came through the earpiece: "San San, hurry up!!"

"Come back soon," Lin Xi said in vain as Lu Wei pulled her away.

Xiang Xin had already disappeared, and all they had gained was a moment of peace, while the remaining zombies continued to pounce on them.

Lin Xi's legs seemed to move on their own, and tears streamed down her face as she ran.

Xiang Xin's voice suddenly became excited through the earpiece: "Exciting! So exciting!"

When she's terrified, she gets extremely agitated, and the things she says become particularly childish and immature.

"..."

"I really can't think of a more suitable way to describe my current state!"

"I have finally—offered my heart to humanity!!"

Lin Xi burst into tears.

Did the girl who once said, "I'll give my heart to Zhang San," ever imagine that this day would come?

Lin Xi's legs buckled and she stopped, not daring to look back.

The next second, intermittent sobbing came through the earpiece: "Waaah, San San, thank you Lu-ge for bringing me here to save the world... but... but I'm still so scared... please stop biting me!!!"

Lin Xi covered her ears; the screams made her head buzz.

She couldn't even hear herself saying anything; she looked at the pale Lu Wei:

"Lu Wei, I'm leaving. Let's go back."