Chapter 123 Leaving the County
She paused for a moment, then chose a more acceptable angle: "This rain is too unusual. I've observed the clouds and air humidity; it doesn't seem like the kind of weather that will end soon. Being trapped here for a long time will not only deplete our supplies, but more importantly, the dampness and water accumulation may attract some moisture-loving mutated creatures, or cause unpredictable changes in the zombies in the nearby area. The buildings here are not sturdy, and if there is flooding or waterlogging and collapse, defense will become very difficult."
She paused, her gaze calm yet resolute as she looked at Qin Li: "Waiting might not be safer. If we can leave this low-lying area before the heavy rain causes more serious consequences, even if the journey is slower, at least we're moving towards the base. The risks of passively holding our ground may not be lower than the risks of actively moving. As for vehicles and road conditions..."
Ruan Ning looked out the window at the military vehicles parked there: "Your equipment is much better than mine. If you are willing to scout ahead and clear some obstacles, our vehicles can follow your tracks to reduce the possibility of getting stuck. I will also have people with special abilities assist us as much as possible."
Qin Li did not answer immediately. He looked back at the map, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table, clearly weighing his options quickly.
Ruan Ning's reasons were based on actual observations and risk assessments. Although they sounded a bit too hasty, they were not entirely unreasonable.
In the apocalypse, abnormal weather is the norm, and staying in a deteriorating environment for an extended period is certainly not a good idea. Moreover, his mission was to transport the equipment back as quickly as possible.
"How long do you need us to wait?" Ruan Ning asked again, her tone not urging, but simply stating, "If we decide to wait, our supplies here can only last for about ten more days at most, and that's under extremely frugal conditions. If the rain hasn't stopped by then, or if other unforeseen events occur, the situation will be even worse."
Qin Li finally raised his head, giving Ruan Ning a sharp look, as if trying to discern deeper intentions from her calm face. But in the end, he simply nodded.
“Give me two hours. My adjutant and I will reassess the route and risks, check the condition of all vehicles, and make a final decision,” he said. “If we decide to go, we’ll depart tomorrow morning. We need to develop detailed plans for alternating routes, reconnaissance, and contingency plans.”
“Okay.” Ruan Ning nodded and turned to leave.
As Ruan Ning stepped out of the factory, a light rain began to fall, but it did not wet her at all, as if an invisible umbrella was shielding her from the rain.
Ruan Ning knew that Qin Li would most likely agree. He was a pragmatic commander who could discern which option offered a greater chance of long-term survival.
Time is running out. We must reach the relatively safe Northwest base before the heavy rains cause more disasters and the zombies begin a new round of evolution.
Ruan Ning returned to the hotel and told Sun Hong that they might be leaving the next morning.
Although Sun Hong was surprised by the hasty decision, she did not question it at all. She immediately gathered everyone and conveyed the instructions: "Pack all the supplies that can be taken, make sure they are waterproof, check the vehicles, and prepare to leave first thing tomorrow morning!"
The women acted swiftly.
Over the past period, they braved the rain to scavenge in the county town and indeed accumulated quite a lot of things: boxes of compressed food, bottled water, medicine, tools, fuel canisters, tarpaulins, ropes, and even several small generators and a number of spare parts.
All the supplies were carefully wrapped and tied with multiple layers of waterproof tarpaulin and plastic film, and stuffed into five vehicles. Almost every inch of space was utilized, and even some lightweight items were tied to the roof of the vehicles.
Two hours later, a soldier arrived in the rain and officially announced: depart promptly at 8:00 AM tomorrow.
The rain continued the next morning, but it had changed from a continuous drizzle to an intermittent light rain. The sky was overcast, and the ground was muddy.
The army convoy had already started moving, with armored vehicles in front and five fully loaded military trucks behind, their engines emitting a deep roar. Nguyen Ninh's six vehicles followed closely behind, with the fire trucks running alongside the off-road vehicles.
At 8:00 a.m., the convoy slowly drove out of the abandoned county town and re-entered the desolate highway soaked by rain.
The road conditions were terrible. The rain had softened the roadbed, and the road surface was covered with puddles of varying depths and sticky mud.
The heavy tires of the military vehicles rolled over the ground, splashing mud and leaving deep ruts. The vehicles following behind had an even harder time, especially the dilapidated vans and pickup trucks, which kept slipping.
The speed was frustratingly slow. The convoy averaged less than 20 kilometers per hour and frequently had to stop so that the superhumans could quickly clear away the gravel and broken wood washed onto the road by the rain.
The only good news was that they didn't encounter any large hordes of zombies on the road, and the heavy rain seemed to have reduced the monsters' activity.
The occasional stray zombies that emerged from the roadside ruins or woodlands were usually eliminated by soldiers on the armored vehicles with their added weapons before they could even get close, or they were simply run over by the heavy wheels of the military trucks and rolled into the mud. Ruan Ning and her team basically didn't need to get out of the vehicle to fight.
But this doesn't mean things are easy; everyone is on edge.
The poor road conditions posed a huge challenge to the vehicle, with rain and mud constantly splashing onto the windows, blurring the view. The interior was hot and humid, filled with the smells of mud, fuel, and human flesh.
Qin Li's convoy was clearly experienced. The scouts on the armored vehicles constantly used binoculars and what might have been supernatural abilities to probe the road ahead, relaying the information to the vehicles behind via radio. When encountering suspicious flooded areas or bridges, they would stop first, sending a small team to investigate and confirm the load-bearing capacity and safety before proceeding.
The journey was slow and arduous.
On the first day, the convoy had only traveled less than sixty kilometers by the time it was completely dark. Unable to set up camp safely on such a muddy roadside, Qin Li chose a slightly elevated, damaged but structurally intact highway maintenance station compound as a temporary overnight stop.
The army quickly took control of the maintenance station, both inside and out, and cleared out the few remaining zombies.
Ruan Ning's convoy followed them into the courtyard. Everyone was exhausted and covered in mud when they got out of the vehicles. The soldiers disciplinedly assigned guard duties and arranged food and lodging. On Ruan Ning's side, Sun Hong also organized people to work with the soldiers to set up simple defenses and distribute food.
The rain was still falling, pattering against the rusty roof of the maintenance station. Several small bonfires were lit in the yard to heat the food and dispel some of the moisture. The soldiers and Sun Hong and the others gathered in their respective groups, silently eating their simple dinners.
No one spoke; there was only the sound of rain, chewing, and the crackling of flames.
Da Huo shook off the mud and water, lay down at Ruan Ning's feet, and warily watched the darkness outside the yard.
Ruan Ning leaned against the SUV, her gaze sweeping past the flickering flames and landing on Qin Li, who was talking quietly with his adjutant not far away.
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