Three days later, the base's vehicles arrived as scheduled in the morning. Leading the way was a military off-road vehicle, followed by more than a dozen buses. People were already waiting by the roadside.
The car stopped, and more than a dozen people got out, led by the same Captain Wang from before.
As soon as the doors opened, people rushed to board, afraid of being left behind. If too many people boarded, the order would become chaotic. Although Captain Wang had only brought a dozen or so men, they were all well-trained and equipped with guns. Anyone who caused trouble would be subdued by Captain Wang, and those who caused trouble would no longer be allowed to board and would have to go on their own. With the guns in place, no one dared to cause trouble after that, and the order became much better.
After the bus was full, it was already afternoon. Those who had their own cars packed up their things and prepared to follow behind, while those who hadn't gotten a seat started to make a fuss.
"Captain Wang, look, what are we going to do without a car? Our car is broken down and can't be driven."
"Yes, Captain Wang, I have a child, and the child can't travel that far."
...
The people behind were all talking at once.
"Quiet down, everyone, listen to me," Captain Wang said, picking up a megaphone. "Everyone, we'll be coming again later. The exact time hasn't been set yet, but it should be within a week. If you can't wait, you can find your own way to the base, or you can wait for the next batch of vehicles. But I suggest you try to find your own way."
The people in the square were still asking questions, but no matter how much they asked, Captain Wang only said the same few words and didn't say anything more. He got into the car and started heading back to the base.
The convoy started heading towards the base, led by the same SUV, followed by buses, and then private cars. The long convoy was quite a sight on the road. By the time the convoy had completely disappeared, it was already evening, and it was almost dark.
There were hardly any people left in the square. Some hadn't joined the main group and had gone to other bases to find family or friends.
Some who didn't get on the bus are trying to find a way to get to the base, and some are even planning to hike there. Others feel that the base is too restrictive and prefer their current freedom, so they don't plan to go to the base.
Jiang Li and Gu Jin ignored all of that and simply cooked some noodles. The seasoning was leftover from eating instant noodles before. Jiang Li also put a sausage in the noodles and cut it into pieces with a knife.
After finishing their noodles, it was still early, so the two sat in front of the tent and chatted.
I'm planning to leave tomorrow to go somewhere else. What about you?
"I'm going to look for people in other places tomorrow too."
During this time, Gu Jin had been alone, hadn't gone to see anyone, and hadn't mentioned his family or friends. Jiang Li had always assumed that he was like her, and although she didn't understand why he hadn't gone to see anyone before, she didn't ask any further questions.
Gu Jin seemed to know what Jiang Li was thinking, so she spoke to Jiang Li.
“They were abroad for some business before, and their internet connection was down before they returned to China, so we haven’t been able to contact them. But we had arranged a meeting place, so if they’ve returned to China, they should be arriving by now.”
So that's how it is. No wonder I hadn't seen him go out to look for people before. Jiang Li expressed his understanding. The two chatted briefly for a few more minutes before returning to their respective tents to sleep.
Gu Jin wanted to chat a little longer, but seeing that Jiang Li seemed sleepy, she didn't say anything more. Knowing that she would be going to the base later and they would run into each other there, she felt relieved.
Jiang Li was indeed sleepy when he returned to the tent, but he still picked the fruit trees and vegetables that had grown in his space, collected the eggs and duck eggs, fed the animals, and planted some new seeds before finally going to sleep.
The next morning, the two packed their things, chatted briefly, and then went their separate ways. Gu Jin left first, and Jiang Li left later.
Jiang Li walked to a secluded corner, put everything into his spatial storage, carried a backpack containing only some food, took out the little donkey he had collected earlier, and set off on his way.
Collapsed buildings and cars blocked the road, making the donkey more convenient than the car. If the donkey couldn't pass, Jiang Li would get off, put the items into his spatial storage, and then take them out from the side. This was another advantage of his spatial storage.
There are still aftershocks from time to time, and the time interval between aftershocks is getting longer and longer, about once a day. The earthquakes are also shorter and the amplitude of the tremors is getting smaller.
Jiang Li wandered through the city, occasionally finding useful items to put into his spatial storage. After all, the items in his space were too new, and taking them out would attract too much attention. Later, when he entered the base to exchange for points, he needed to find some things that seemed more normal now.
Jiang Li also went to several gas stations, but most of them were out of gas. It was probably because the vehicles that had gone to the base earlier had filled up with all the gas, and Jiang Li had taken the rest.
Jiang Li also took out his tools and emptied the fuel tanks of the cars parked on both sides of the road. Some of the fuel tanks were empty, probably because someone had emptied them. After several days, he had collected a considerable amount of gasoline.
That day, Jiang Li was collecting supplies as usual when he heard voices not far away.
Jiang Li wasn't one to join in the fun, but one of the voices sounded familiar, so he went closer to take a look.
Jiang Li stood by the wall and looked out. From this position, Jiang Li could see them, but they could not see Jiang Li.
On the street, several people carrying knives surrounded a man who was over 1.8 meters tall, with silver-white hair and features that suggested he was of mixed race. People in China don't usually look like this, and he stood out in the group.
Jiang Li recognized the greasy-looking man leading the group. His name was Chen Dashun, and in his previous life, he had been involved in human trafficking and even cannibalism.
People frequently disappear from the base, and everyone assumes they've encountered danger while venturing outside. But in reality, it's Chen Dashun and his gang who are behind it all.
Where there are people, there is darkness. They specifically capture women and children to sell to others for amusement or even for food.
Chen Dashun's discovery was purely accidental. He had offended someone once, and a few days later that person brought people to his house to seek revenge. They happened to discover the crime scene at his house, which is how he became known.
It seems that the person who discovered it later vomited whenever he saw meat, had nightmares every day, and then ate biscuits or bread to fill his stomach.
Jiang Li's familiarity with Chen Dashun wasn't solely due to this incident; it stemmed from several encounters she had with him, during which he would scrutinize her from head to toe with ill intent.
Jiang Li felt annoyed every time she saw him. She thought that Chen Dashun's gaze at her back then was probably that of someone appraising goods, but he was discovered before he could even make a move.
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