Chapter 161 Midnight Diner
The congee quickly restored her blood sugar, which made Lin Xi unusually excited when she escaped.
Perhaps it was because I had been feeling so repressed during my time at the research institute that leaving that temporary refuge gave me a false sense of freedom.
The building exploded and caught fire, becoming a prominent landmark in the darkness, drawing all the surrounding zombies towards the raging flames.
The zombies saw the truck illuminated by the firelight and, drawn by the moving object, followed it.
Then it was created, crushed, and created again.
The modified trucks drove fearlessly on the road.
The cab was now a mess due to the intense driving just now.
Lin Xi controlled her mind and didn't look at the mess—it was all snacks and candies that had fallen out from every nook and cranny.
"I've told you everything..."
He was interrupted halfway through his sentence by Xiang Xin with a grin: "The back of the truck is full of useful supplies. When I drove the truck here, there was no one in the driver's seat, so I secretly stuffed some in."
The food in the carriage mainly consisted of practical supplies, with compressed biscuits and various nutritional supplements making up the majority. Even instant noodles seemed a bit bulky to Lin Xi, so snacks were out of the question.
But Xiang Xin still tried her best to put snacks in every spare space in the driver's cab that wasn't being used at the moment.
She unwrapped a lollipop and held it to Lin Xi's lips.
The sweet aroma filled her nostrils, and Lin Xi, unable to resist, was won over.
Xiang Xin turned on some music. Unlike the energetic anime songs she usually liked, heavy metal music was playing in the well-insulated truck bed, which was especially exciting with the scene of corpses flying around in front of her.
After playing the music for a while, once the truck had left the zombie territory, Xiang Xin turned it off and commented, "Your driving skills are still the best."
When Xiang Xin drove his truck to seek refuge with Lin Xi, he encountered many zombies along the way, but it wasn't as exciting as what happened just now. The firelight and music added an unseen sense of glory, making it very exciting.
Lin Xi, however, gripped the steering wheel firmly and dared not relax.
Driving a truck like this is something from a past life; it's been about nine years since I last drove one, and I've gotten rusty.
When we left the zombie horde, we were still 20 kilometers away from the rendezvous point. It would take at least half an hour to drive there without lights and in poor road conditions.
After the initial excitement wore off, Xiang Xin picked up her night-vision binoculars to check the road conditions. She casually bumped into any zombies she encountered, and simply let those she couldn't hit go by. After all, firing guns at night would be too noisy, and they weren't there to carry out a zombie-clearing mission.
The two walked together for a while.
About 20 minutes later, there were almost no zombies left to see along the way, and the road surface began to become cleaner. Lin Xi knew that they were getting closer and closer to the rendezvous point.
Xiang Xin also put away the binoculars, took out her phone and saw: "Brother Lu and Xiong Er asked us in the group chat where we are."
It seems they came to check on the situation after seeing that research institutes and refugees were arriving one after another.
Lin Xi glanced at the navigation: "About 5 minutes."
In 5 minutes, there will be a temporary safe point, and someone will be there to meet us.
The assembly point was a temporary shelter, the center of which was converted from a prison. There was also a large stadium two kilometers away from the prison, making it relatively easy to form a short-range defensive line, while the large stadium could accommodate many refugees.
According to Lu Wei, two groups of refugees were already on their way to migrate before space was made available to accommodate the refugees from the research institute.
Xiang Xin spotted a guard using night vision goggles to check the situation through his night vision binoculars. The guard had been informed of the situation beforehand and allowed the vehicle to pass after confirming the license plate.
However, after being allowed to enter the first checkpoint, you must stop for security checks, both for the vehicle and for the person.
To put it simply, a vehicle inspection is like a car wash. Lin Xi's truck had ravaged so many zombies along the way that its surface was covered in rotten flesh and limbs carrying the virus, and there would be people specifically cleaning those up.
There were no large scanners inside, and knowing they came from a research institute, no one would go in specifically to check their privacy, so the vehicle inspection was passed very simply.
Liang Hui, whom we haven't seen in a long time, has lost some weight, but he looks less like the carefree and irresponsible Xiong Er of the past, and appears more energetic.
He had been with Lu Wei the whole time, doing nothing but assisting the military, and had been influenced by him as well.
After helping them out of the car, Liang Hui led the way while whispering, "Brother Lu sent me to pick you up."
Xiang Xin: "Your temporary shelter is quite good; the coordination is excellent."
It refers to the people cleaning up the truck.
Liang Hui: "This is one of the jobs at the shelter. Refugees can obtain some supplies through this kind of labor."
Lin Xi and Xiang Xin nodded, noting that it was largely the same as the base's operating model.
Lin Xi used the same method at the temporary shelter in the research institute, except there were more supplies there and the refugees received more rewards for their labor.
Liang Hui coughed lightly: "You'll need to undergo a physical examination. There will be a female examiner. I'll wait for you outside."
He glanced at Lin Xi and made a gun gesture.
Lin Xi has a gun. While there's a possibility that guns dropped on the battlefield might be picked up, those are combat guns. This pocket gun in Lin Xi's hand is different; during security checks, he's very likely to be questioned about its origin.
Since the relevant departments have not yet started recruiting soldiers from the public, it is always difficult to clarify whether someone is privately possessing firearms.
Lin Xi quietly handed the gun over when no one was looking.
There are two procedures in the security checkpoint, which Lin Xi is very familiar with, as she also works in this field at the research institute.
The first step is to measure body temperature.
The second step is to undress completely and examine the wound.
If there are any problems with these two steps, you will be questioned and then taken to an isolation room for a blood test.
The virus test strip is a small achievement that Song Heng and his team developed some time ago. It has been shared with various places to find materials to make more, so as to facilitate security checks at bases and shelters in the future.
Lin Xi and Xiang Xin both had no problems and were quickly allowed to pass.
Lin Xi asked, "Have all the people from the research institute been settled?"
Liang Hui nodded: "They're still settling in. Brother Lu is still on night patrol. If you're tired, go to sleep first. See you tomorrow."
Lin Xi: "Are we still living with the research institute?"
Liang Hui: "There are quite a lot of people coming from your side. There will definitely be a place to stay, but I guess you'll have to squeeze into the lobby with them."
Lin Xi: "Then we'll just live in the truck."
Xiang Xin also agreed.
There was already a simple bed and sleeping bags on the truck, but now that the supplies are half empty, not to mention two people, even four people like in my previous life could spread out and live in the truck bed.
The important thing is having your own little space, which gives you more freedom.
Lin Xi and Xiang Xin exchanged another glance, then whispered to Liang Hui, "You and Brother Lu come find us later."
Half an hour later.
When Lu Wei and Liang Hui arrived at this carriage, a fragrant aroma filled the air as soon as they opened the door.
The flavors are all created by piling on artificial flavorings, directly and simply stimulating the taste buds that are the blade of hunger.
Four large food bags were already on a makeshift camping table, along with a self-heating hot pot that was smoking. Several cans of luncheon meat and several bags of dried meat were scattered on the table.
"Hiss—" Liang Hui quickly closed the car door tightly.
The last time the four of them met in a closed space was on May 18th at that murder mystery game studio. I never expected that it would be three months before we could reunite.
After nearly three months of being battered by the apocalypse, everyone looked somewhat haggard.
Lu Wei, whom I hadn't seen for three months, had also lost weight. Everyone was going through thick and thin with the refugees. Even though Lu Wei and Lin Xi had prepared supplies in advance, they hadn't taken them out to enjoy privately. During this time, they were just as hungry as everyone else, surviving on a few bites of compressed biscuits.
The few buckets of instant noodles and snacks in the carriage could be considered a luxurious feast in the apocalypse.
There were only two folding chairs in the car, so Lin Xi casually grabbed two bags to use as cushions and invited them to sit down.
She boldly invited everyone: "Long time no see! I'll treat you all to meat!"
Lu Wei: "..."
Liang Hui: "..."
Xiang Xin: "...You are the most..."
Lin Xi waved her hand: "Alright, alright, that's not important. The important thing is that I haven't eaten my fill in a long time. Come on over."
Xiang Xin: "What I meant to say was that the meat was actually on my behalf."
Liang Hui inhaled deeply the aroma, then gestured to stop: "None of that matters. What matters is thanking you both for treating us."
-
Late at night, four people were eating alone in a closed truck.
Lin Xi's conscience is clear. These things originally belonged to her. She had already sponsored a lot of compressed biscuits for everyone, and she ate and lived with everyone during the most difficult days. Now that the crisis has been temporarily resolved, she no longer needs to sponsor everyone with her supplies.
Previously, Lin Xi subsidized the research institute with simple and filling supplies like compressed biscuits. Now, there are only three boxes of compressed biscuits left in the car. The rest are mostly instant noodles, self-heating rice, and canned food, which are of better quality but not as practical as compressed biscuits.
Instant noodles and self-heating rice are both high in oil and sugar. Normally, eating them might give people the impression that they are "junk food with no nutrition and high calories," but now they are perfect for quickly replenishing energy and satisfying the taste buds.
After months of hunger and a loss of taste, no one cared about appearances, and everyone ate a whole bucket of instant noodles.
The self-heating hot pot placed in the center of the table looked a bit lonely. Liang Hui carefully ate the meat, saying, "I didn't expect you to have even this. It's too extravagant."
Lin Xi didn't say anything.
Xiang Xin has a lot to say: "This is the only case; there won't be any more!"
Lin Xi: "Not really, my family actually has a lot of supplies."
Xiang Xin: "I said I wanted to pack more mini hot pots, but you said they took up too much space, so you moved them back and filled them all with compressed biscuits."
Lin Xi shrugged: "That's true. Luckily, we packed a lot of compressed biscuits, otherwise we might not have made it through this time."
Having tasted meat, Xiang Xin finally got to eat meat, but she still felt a little regretful. However, she also understood: "That's true. One self-heating hot pot can hold ten packs of compressed biscuits. If everyone eats a bite a day, it can feed several more people."
She didn't forget to give credit to Lin Xila, and asked Lu Wei, "San San has privately sponsored a lot of supplies and helped those refugees get out of trouble. Will the relevant departments give her any reward later?"
Lin Xi quickly waved her hand: "We're here to save the world, not for this nonsense."
Lu Wei was a little embarrassed by the question: "Um... this doesn't belong to me for now..."
Lin Xi: "Really not?"
Liang Hui: "Hahahaha!"
Lin Xi: "Okay..."
After a night of binge eating, all four of them were too lazy to move.
The temporary shelter had entered rest period at this time. Lu Wei and Liang Hui had finished their mission for the day, and Lin Xi and Xiang Xin had just escaped from the research institute and were just about to breathe a sigh of relief.
No one was sleepy, but everyone lazily found a place to lean back and rest, chatting casually.
Lin Xi remembered the hot pot that Xiang Xin had been thinking about: "It's not far from D District. If we have the chance... we can go back and move some more supplies. They're just sitting at home going to waste anyway."
If it wasn't broken into and taken away.
In this life, Lin Xi rented half of her home to Xiang Xin. Although the interior was modified when the two lived together, the overall appearance remained unchanged.
It hasn't undergone any safety renovations, nor has the door been replaced; it still looks like an old, dilapidated place.
Since no one has lived there since the zombie outbreak, no one should have noticed.
Her house used to be coveted, with people frequently coming to demand things or even robbing her because they knew she had supplies. Now that the old house has been empty for a few days, it might still be intact inside.
Lin Xi always liked to make multiple backup plans. She had supplies in her truck and at home, just in case she needed to replenish them in a nearby place someday.
Lu Wei listened to their conversation: "To ensure safety, not everyone will set off at the same time. We will arrange for a group of people to evacuate each day, giving you time to collect supplies. However, apart from Liang Hui, I may not be able to provide you with any more assistance."
Xiang Xin lay sprawled on her sleeping bag, too lazy to get up, but that didn't stop her from waving excitedly: "That's great! And my ita bag too, I definitely have to take it with me."
After rambling on about various things, Lin Xi got back to the main point: "What kind of place is the 'Dawn Base' we're going to? Are you familiar with it?"
This question was directed at Lu Wei.
Lu Wei: "I have briefly stayed in two lifetimes, and I haven't found any problems yet."
Dawn Base is the base closest to Nanhua. In the previous life, Lin Xilu and the other three had caused trouble in Nanhua and offended Yue Mingyuan, so they deliberately avoided Nanhua and went to the "Dawn Base" near Xinchuan for refuge.
In this life, there is no need to seek far.
Thinking of this, Lin Xi asked again, "Yue Mingyuan..."
Lu Wei: "The timeline has changed; he didn't appear in Nanhua."
Although the reborn possess an informational advantage, once the initial events change, subsequent information becomes uncertain.
As if knowing what Lin Xi was worried about, Lu Weiding said, "We're not going to the Dawn Base just to take refuge; we're seizing the opportunity to change things."
Lu Wei already held a high position, and given his outstanding performance since the apocalypse, he is very likely to rise to the upper echelons after going to the Dawn Base.
Although the research institute where Lin Xi works does not participate in politics, it holds a certain degree of influence in the pharmaceutical industry and also has a voice in the field.
Song Heng holds a high social position and would likely be a leader in the research group at the base. Given his personality and attitude towards Lin Xi, he would probably delegate many tasks to her.
In short, they have a higher starting point at the base than before, and they also have more capabilities to do things.
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