Chapter 187 Brightly Lighted
In the distance, a brightly lit area stood out in stark contrast to the surrounding deathly darkness.
He Zhuo: "This is the first time in the past few months that I've seen such an arrogant light."
"It should be the survivor base in Suzhou," Gu Qi said, adjusting the focus of his binoculars. "It looks quite large."
Chi Yanzhou: "Should we bypass the city and rest near the exit before continuing our journey?"
Lu Nange pointed to the sign outside the RV: "All roads out of the city pass through that area; it seems we can't avoid it!"
Chi Yanzhou: "Then we'll play it by ear."
He Zhuo: "Another day of dealing with things as they come. I just hope life will be kind to this twenty-something!"
As the distance closed, Lu Nange withdrew her mental energy: "The front has been sealed off! There are three layers, and there are armed patrols on each layer."
Chi Yanzhou: "I'm not sure about the situation. A modified RV is too conspicuous, and it's inconvenient to move around in crowded places. Shall we just get out and walk over?"
Lu Nange said to Lu Xici, who was in the driver's seat, "Brother, turn left and go all the way to the end, then stop the car."
Lu Xici turned the steering wheel, and the RV silently glided into the alleyway.
After coming to a stop in the dead end, everyone got out of the car.
With a light tap of her fingertip, Lu Nange stored the RV away.
Since the introduction of temperature-controlled clothing, everyone has changed into black clothes, black pants, and black boots. Now, the group is also wearing black baseball caps, and unless you are looking closely, they almost blend into the night.
"Equipment." Lu Nange took out a silenced pistol and a backpack containing a few supplies, and handed them to everyone.
The group took the pistols, tucked them behind their waists, and adjusted the shoulder straps of their backpacks.
Wen Qing was also carrying a Tang sword in his hand.
To avoid trouble, the girls wore masks and even pulled their baseball caps very low.
Gangzi shrunk to the size of an ordinary parrot and landed on Lu Nange's left shoulder.
A small, wavy-haired vine peeked out from Lu Beiye's crossbody bag, its tendrils shifting position with a rustling sound inside—it looked like a delicate anime figurine at first glance.
The group followed Lu Nange toward the source of the light.
Behind the first barbed wire fence, a row of armed guards stood ready as if facing a formidable enemy.
A flash of light from the binoculars, and the sentry shouted, "Captain! Survivors are approaching!"
The guards in gray uniforms stood up in unison.
The captain, standing at the head of the group, sized them up through the barbed wire fence and called out, "Where are you from?"
"Mirage." Chi Yanzhou replied in a deep voice.
"Ten Level 1 Crystal Cores per person entering our base, or you can use them as a trade-off with supplies." The guard captain tapped on the barbed wire.
Lu Xici: "We'll pay the crystal cores!"
Guard captain: "Come and register!"
Lu Nange's fingers subtly pulled open Lu Xici's and Chi Yanzhou's backpacks.
The two men's shoulders slumped, and they understood each other perfectly.
As they approached the main gate, a guard pushed a basket out of the observation post.
Chi Yanzhou and his companion counted out 110 first-level crystal cores and put them inside.
"The quantity is correct," the guard who was counting reported.
Captain of guard: "Open the door and let them in."
The moment the barbed wire gate slowly opened, more than a dozen guns were simultaneously pointed at the crowd.
Lu Beiye and Luo Xingyou simultaneously flipped their palms over...
The captain explained, "Routine check. We'll stay in the quarantine area tonight; if there are no mutations tomorrow night, we can enter the inner city."
Chi Yanzhou nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping warily over his surroundings.
An unintentional movement—the girls were protected in the center, with Chi Yanzhou leading the way, Lu Xici bringing up the rear, and the rest spreading out on both sides, moving along the iron net towards the second iron net.
The guard captain shouted into the barbed wire fence, "Sister Hua, someone's coming!"
"Coming!" A middle-aged woman in a faded red uniform stepped forward in response.
"Sister Hua, we're leaving the people in your care. The people who went out to find supplies will probably be coming back soon, so we'll be going now." The guard captain then led his team back to their posts.
"Don't worry, Captain Feng!" Sister Hua's round face wore a shrewd smile as she deftly opened the iron gate: "Come with me."
Passing through the narrow passage next to the barbed wire fence, Sister Hua stopped in front of a row of faded low buildings.
Scattered in the open space in front of the building were many tents, and a group of emaciated survivors were cooking over a fire.
Upon seeing Lu Nange and her group, they all cast inquiring glances their way.
Sister Hua pointed to the low building in front of her: "The rules are simple—one level-one crystal core for a tent, three level-one cores for a shared dormitory in the low building. As for the high temperatures during the day, figure it out yourself. Five crystal cores for one bed, with fans and ice..."
Lu Nange understood, and deliberately pressed down a little more when placing the two level-one crystal cores into her palm: "Thank you for leading the way, sister. There are many of us, so if you'd like to stay together..."
Sister Hua weighed the crystal core in her hand, her smile widening. She took a bunch of keys from her waist: "Just call me Sister Hua!"
She lowered her voice: "The building on the left is empty today. Here are thirty crystal cores for you, plus two buckets of ice. You'll have to figure out the rest yourselves..."
Lu Nange handed over thirty crystal cores: "Thank you for your kindness, Sister Hua."
After counting the crystal cores and handing over the keys, Sister Hua suddenly lost her smile: "Remember—don't wander off! Someone will take you into the base tomorrow afternoon. Someone will bring you ice in a little while."
Lu Nange: "Thank you, Sister Hua!"
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