Chapter 70 Northland Plateau
The boy walking in front had grown a lot taller, and his voice was changing as he shouted at the top of his lungs, asking Xu Jiechu to release the cat quickly, while he kept turning back and shouting "Brother, hurry up."
The handsome young man following behind responded and quickened his pace again. However, when he passed Shu Fu, he glanced at her inadvertently and his expression froze instantly. The next second, he suddenly changed direction and walked towards Shu Fu.
Shu Fu and her group had just come out of the trading station. She only pulled up her rain hat and had no time to put on a mask. Her face, which was a little pale from the rain, was clearly visible to the people who came.
Lu Zheng looked a little dazed, until he got closer to the other person, he was sure that he was not seeing things, it was really her!
"Shu Fu?" The young man's voice trembled slightly, and a look of surprise and joy appeared in his usually clear and calm eyes.
On the other side, Lu Ce, who had already rushed in front of Xu Jiechu, also looked back in surprise. He didn't understand why his brother suddenly called Shu Fu's name, but he soon saw the person in front of Lu Zheng clearly, and suddenly his whole body twisted like a twist and ran towards Shu Fu.
He was not as reserved as his brother. He rushed over and hugged her: "Sister Fu Fu! It's really you! You're not dead! I thought my brother was dreaming in broad daylight!"
"Well, not dead..." The reunion came unexpectedly. She felt the vibration on her wrist, patted Lu Ce's head gently, and smiled at Lu Zheng, "I hope you are well, Lu Zheng."
The reunion here made the three people who came to seek revenge stand out as particularly awkward, especially Xu Jiechu, who still had scratches from the tabby cat on his face, making him look even more embarrassed.
He picked up the tabby cat and shook it up and down: "Hehe! It seems that your master doesn't want you anymore! Otherwise, come back with me, become the wife of my 'Zhaocai', and give it a litter of kittens, how about that?"
His answer was "Dancing Cat Fist".
Xu Jiechu was caught again by accident, and he let go because of the pain.
The tabby cat landed on the ground and immediately ran towards Lu Ce, grabbing his trouser leg and meowing.
Lu Ce bent down and picked it up, stuffing the wet kitten into the waterproof backpack in front of him. He turned around and looked at Xu Jiechu as if he was an idiot: "It's been so long, and you still can't figure it out? My Lanlan is a male cat!"
Xu Jiechu: …
**
There is nothing good to chat about near the museum. It’s not like before when we could meet again in the city and sit in a cafe.
Now, the best I can do is find a place to stand where I won’t get wet in the rain.
In addition to Lu Zheng and Lu Ce, there were other companions on Lu Zheng's side. They had something to discuss with the people from Trading Station No. 3 today. When they saw that Lu Zheng met an old friend and wanted to chat, they didn't force him. They greeted him and went to the trading station first.
The two people who had followed Xu Jiechu before also went together. He did not go in with his eldest brother. He stood not far from Lu Zheng and the others, still looking at them with an unhappy look on his face.
An hour ago, Shu Fu was still a little worried because she couldn't contact Lu Zheng, wondering if he had also lost contact? But more than an hour later, the other person appeared in front of her.
She always felt that everything was under the control of the "mission".
"My cell phone broke a long time ago, when we were fleeing about a month and a half ago... Pincheng was even more chaotic than Lucheng. There was a prison on the outskirts of the city, and somehow all the prisoners escaped not long after the tsunami. They formed a team, and then their power grew stronger and stronger. While many members of Pincheng's team went to the disaster area for rescue, they caused all kinds of trouble in the city, robbing, setting fire... and killing people. In the end, they occupied the city hall, and then robbed granaries everywhere..." Lu Ce was still the same chatterbox as before, and he would talk nonstop when he was happy.
Pincheng originally had a small population, and the urban area was half the size of Lucheng. He and Lu Zheng's family lived in a suburban town, so they avoided the city when it was at its most chaotic. Yao Ruoyun's family left before the tsunami, and they applied for a small town on the Fengshang Plateau, which was quickly approved.
She really wanted Lu Zheng and his brother to go with her, but Pincheng was their home, the climate in the northern plateau was not that bad, and there were no huge waves, so they did not leave.
But they didn't expect that although they escaped the natural disaster, they couldn't escape the man-made disaster.
Afterwards, those people began to spread out and raid, and soon reached the eastern suburbs where they were. The town had internet at that time, and everyone had always known the situation outside. They knew that Pincheng was in complete chaos, so they had already organized a team to patrol and guard.
Later, before the gang of thugs came to sweep over, the team started to move with their families. Many families in the town had cars and fuel, so they managed to bring everyone with them.
They didn't dare take the main road for fear of running into the people from the prison, so they took the mountain road to the east.
In this kind of weather, walking on wild mountain roads would encounter various dangers such as mudslides, landslides, and lightning strikes. It was undoubtedly an adventure, but they had no choice at the time. Compared with these disasters, many of them were more afraid of the prisoners and villains. After all, falling into their hands might be more terrible than death.
It took them three days, three cars were destroyed, and five or six people died before they moved from the mountainous area in the eastern suburbs of Pincheng to the southern suburbs. After leaving Pincheng, they continued to walk west for more than a hundred kilometers.
There is a small salt lake there, also in the mountains, which belongs to an unknown scenic spot. Because the salt lake is not very beautiful, transportation is inconvenient and it has not been developed, there were not many tourists before.
But for those who were seeking refuge, it was just right.
There is a salt factory and accommodation near the scenic area. They use salt ponds to generate electricity, and there is underground water, so there is both water and electricity. They are safe for the time being - except for food and the internet.
The network was not completely unavailable, but it was unavailable nine and a half days out of ten, and was extremely stuck the remaining half day.
They had no way of knowing the situation outside in real time, and when their food was about to run out for the first time, they had to take action. They reorganized their team, drove two cars, and went out to try their luck.
After the car drove onto the provincial road, they found that after this migration, they were actually closer to Lucheng, which was just to their southeast. As everyone knew, Lucheng had been listed as a relocation city before and there were more supplies in the city, so they entered the city with the idea of giving it a try.
Lu Ce did not go that time, and all the experiences of the group were told later by Lu Zheng and Xu Jiechu's eldest brother, Xu Tingfeng. The journey was full of difficulties and dangers, and some people were injured, but fortunately no one died, and in the end they even brought back life-saving food.
At this point, Lu Ce lowered his voice, looked around, and then continued to say to Shu Fu: "We don't have much else there, but a lot of salt. There is a salt factory there, and there are many capable people in our town. After everyone got together to study, they quickly figured out how to make salt.
We also have groundwater, which is much cleaner than rainwater. Even without using water purification tablets, we can drink it after boiling it. So later, when my brother and that guy's brother came to Lucheng, they would bring these two things, trade here, and bring food back. But this trip was a bit troublesome. We encountered a landslide on the way and blocked a section of the mountain road. We took a detour and used up all the fuel for the return trip..."
In order to save fuel every time they go out, they only drive two vans with the largest capacity. These vans have been modified and equipped with iron fences to prevent hail and strong winds. The engines have also been reconfigured and the tires have been replaced, so driving on mountain roads in extreme weather is no problem.
In addition to passengers, you need to bring as much clean water and salt as possible when you go out, and as much food and other daily necessities as possible when you go back, so there is not much space left, and you can only carry enough fuel for the car to go back and forth.
The team went out and returned safely on the previous two times. Lu Ce was really bored staying in the salt lake, so he came out with them this time.
The situation was similar for Xu Jiechu. With his older brother's protection, he actually never suffered any hardship.
That day was the second day in Lucheng. He had visited another trading station before and thought he had some ability. That day he said he would go shopping on his own. But somehow he went outside and was tricked. All his things were robbed and his clothes were stripped off. When he limped back to the trading station and found his eldest brother, he was in such a mess...
"The reason why we haven't left today is to get fuel for the trip back home, but fuel is the most expensive thing here. The supplies we brought were exchanged for food, and there is no way to exchange for fuel. The other party took a fancy to our car and offered to exchange it for fuel, but we only have two cars. After exchanging for fuel, the remaining car is not enough to carry all the people and supplies. We originally thought of bringing less supplies back this time and exchanging the parts that can't be loaded for fuel, but..."
At this point, Lu Ce, who was holding the tabby cat, looked at Lu Zheng. The rest that he didn't say were the not-so-good parts, which were also the reasons why they were stranded here and couldn't leave.
Lu Zheng sighed, smiled bitterly and continued Lu Ce’s words: “…We were careless and didn’t understand the rules here. At first, we didn’t agree to exchange cars for fuel with the people from Trading Station No. 1. Because Trading Station No. 3 gave us 10L more fuel, we agreed. As a result, the night before yesterday, both cars were smashed…”
After hearing this, Shu Fu could of course understand that 10L of fuel can allow an ordinary car to run more than 100 kilometers. If she were in his shoes, she would also trade with the latter. She is not stupid.
"It must have been done by the people behind Trading Station No. 1..." Lu Ce muttered.
So, their problem now is that both vehicles are gone, and the fuel is gone. The clean water and salt they brought have been exchanged for supplies, but they are temporarily stored here at Trading Station No. 3. They originally planned to exchange the fuel and then drive over to load the supplies and leave.
But in the current situation, let alone food and supplies, they themselves don’t know how to get back.
Trading Station No. 3 was not open yesterday, so they thought of coming here again today to discuss it with someone. It would be best if they could find someone who could make the decision and lend them a car and fuel so that they could go back with all the people and supplies.
"It's a bit difficult." Chen Fa, who had listened to the whole thing silently, shook his head.
"Who is this?" Lu Zheng turned around and nodded politely to the other party.
"My friend, Chen Fa, and her grandmother. This is also my friend, Lu Zheng, and his brother Lu Ce." Shu Fu only gave a brief introduction and talked about their future plans, but did not mention the past. After all, some of her experiences were inconsistent with the other party's statements, and the more she said, the more mistakes she would make.
After both sides greeted each other, Lu Ce was very happy and asked Shu Fu and the other two to go with them.
It would be good to travel together. She originally wanted to go to Pincheng because Lu Zheng and his team were there. Shu Fu asked about the two cars of Lu Zheng and his team. It sounded like they were well modified. There were also car parts for sale in the trading station. If they could be repaired, she would find a way to "reasonably" get some fuel, and then they could go together.
"It can't be repaired. The other party is quite ruthless..." When Lu Zheng said this, one of the people who had gone to the trading station earlier came running over and said that Brother Xu asked them to go over and take the food and supplies they had purchased first.
"Not lending the car anymore?" Lu Zheng was surprised.
"The other party provided another solution. Let's go get the supplies together first. We need more people, otherwise we won't be able to get them."
Not only was it impossible to get it, it was also very dangerous. This time, except for Lu Ce who stayed with Shu Fu, Lu Zheng and Xu Jiechu went together. The two of them, plus the other five people, made a total of seven people. In the end, they carried out five waterproof travel bags and eight large snakeskin bags.
Each bag was heavy and bulging.
In addition, there was an electric tricycle with a dump truck. One of them sat on the tricycle, and the others put their belongings on the dump truck. When the seven of them came over, their expressions were somewhat embarrassing.
"Brother, this is the car you borrowed?" Lu Ce's expression was also hard to describe, "This car can't even be driven out of Lucheng, right?"
"What do you know, little brat? They lent this to us for ferrying. They said there's a bus station a few blocks south, which has now been turned into a parking lot. They told us to try our luck and maybe we can find a ride going the same direction. Maybe if we give them some more supplies, they'll be willing to take us back..." Xu Jiechu's expression was a little depressed at this moment, and he had no motivation at all.
"Shu Fu, we don't have a car now. Are you...are you still willing to come with us?" Lu Zheng asked.
Shu Fu smiled and said, "Let's go over and take a look first. Lucheng is so big, we can always find a way." As she spoke, she put on her rain hat, picked up her travel bag, and walked into the rain first with Chen Fa and Chen Yuezhen.
**
The group left the vicinity of the museum and followed Xu Tingfeng's instructions. They quickly turned the corner and headed towards another street.
A truckload of supplies is naturally eye-catching, but in addition to a teenager sitting on the tricycle and driving slowly, there are seven other strong men scattered around the truck. They all have unfriendly faces and seem to be in a very bad mood. They also hold weapons such as iron rods, baseball bats, and kitchen knives in their hands.
So even though there are many covetous eyes, no one dares to take the opportunity to rob.
After walking for ten minutes and turning a corner, Shu Fu found that the surrounding roads looked familiar. It turned out that he was near the city bus station that he had passed that day.
She looked at Lu Zheng in surprise: "Is it here?"
"It's not this station. You have to continue walking south for four blocks." Xu Tingfeng, who had been silent all the time, replied.
Shu Fu nodded and continued walking south.
The others came from the south, but they didn't take the same street.
The group walked for another ten minutes or so, and Lu Ce, who was driving the electric bike, suddenly braked and stopped.
"What's wrong?" All the men became alert instantly.
Lu Ce pushed the tabby cat that was sticking out of his backpack downstairs, then pointed to the sewer opening on the side of the street in front of him. "What is that?" He got off the electric bike and walked a few steps towards it. "Is that... a fish? How come a fish appeared on the street?"
When they heard the word "fish", Shu Fu and the other two had a PTSD attack. They tensed up and looked in the direction of Lu Ce.
"Wow, it's really a fish! It looks so ugly, wait - it's still alive, my god! Why is it jumping up!?" Amid Lu Ce's squeaking, the fish that had been lying there motionless suddenly bounced up, and its wide-open mouth instantly flew towards his face.
The men were too far away and couldn't see clearly what jumped up. By the time they reacted, it was too late.
However, the fish that was "resurrecting from the dead" was slapped away by someone with a shovel when it was halfway through its jump.
With a snap, the fish was slapped against the wall nearby. Before it landed on the ground, several nails were shot out, two of which pierced its abdomen fiercely. But it was still alive. It bounced again and tried to get up, but was nailed to the ground by the falling tip of the fire axe.
After nailing the strange fish, Chen Yuezhen did not dare to let his guard down. He turned the axe around and used the other end to chop the fish in half, killing it completely. Only then did he put away the fire axe.
On the side, the stunned Lu Ce was clapping with his mouth open like a seal: "Wow, Sister Fufu is so amazing! Sister Fafa is so amazing! Sister Fafa's grandmother is also amazing!"
Shu Fu: ...
Chen Fa: ...
Chen Yuezhen: …
The cat's head popped out from the backpack in front of him again and meowed twice at the dead fish.
"You can't eat this. It's grown into such a weird shape, it's really scary..." Lu Ce said as he stuffed the tabby cat in again.
At this moment, several other people also gathered around and looked at the strange fish that was cut into two parts on the ground. When they saw the sharp teeth in the fish's mouth and the "legs" between the head and abdomen, they suddenly widened their eyes in shock.
"Isn't there this kind of fish in your lake?" Chen Fa washed the multi-functional shovel with rain water and put it back on the backpack.
"The lake where we are is a salt lake." Xu Tingfeng looked back at her.
Chen Fa nodded without commenting.
However, Chen Yuezhen frowned and said, "There are fish in some salt water lakes, but it is not absolute. Moreover, if it rains every day, the salt lake may turn back into a freshwater lake." What he meant was that now that aquatic organisms have mutated, there is no water area or lake that is absolutely safe.
Shu Fu frowned and looked at the fish on the ground. The fish didn't look very big, so it was definitely not a female fish, but it wasn't as big as a male fish either. "Why did this strange fish appear here?"
After all, this is the center of Lucheng City, and those little weird fish can't go into the water.
etc!
She was surprised by her own thoughts. Five days ago, the little monster fish couldn't go into the water, but what if they could go into the water now?
But it grew so big in just five days. This growth rate is too fast!
The nearest land to Hexi Town is Lucheng. In addition, the bridge on the tributary of Qinghe River collapsed the day before yesterday, and the flood has surging, breaking through the coastline. The area south of Lucheng has been submerged in water. If those little strange fish can go into the water, they will follow the current and arrive here first and fastest!
Shu Fu turned around to look at Chen Fa, but Chen Fa was looking sideways at the street intersection in front of him, where there were two sewer openings, water was gushing out.
This flood caused the entire Lucheng sewer system to overflow!
In the slanting rain, Shu Fu heard that familiar voice again.
Snap——
Snap——
Snap, snap, snap…
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