Chapter 120: Shocking News—Is It Gu Xu?

Since the tunnel already had its own occupants, after some discussion, everyone decided not to spend the night on the bridge. They took a brief rest and then followed Jiang, the leader, and his group of six toward the Jiandai Tunnel.

Clad in raincoats and helmets, they walked along the elevated highway. At the point closest to the tunnel, the bridge curved downward and merged into the expressway, where two large tunnel mouths loomed ahead. The words “Jiandai Tunnel” above were almost completely swallowed by overgrown plants.

Bian Changxi frowned as she looked up at the lush, green bamboo covering the mountainside. The greenery was so dense, it felt unnatural—something about it made her uneasy.

Chen Guanqing whispered to the group, “Look, the terrain here isn’t high, but the rainwater doesn’t pool up at all—the ground is clean and dry. Isn’t that odd?”

There were people standing guard at the tunnel entrance. When they saw newcomers, one of them strode over and called out loudly, “Welcome, friends from afar, to Jiandai Tunnel! You must be wondering why there’s no water accumulation here, right? Well, this place has excellent geography and feng shui. Not only does the wind and rain not touch us, but even mutant beasts and those weird plants don’t dare come near. You’re absolutely safe here… Hey, isn’t this Boss Jiang? Did you manage to get the medicine on your trip out?”

Boss Jiang—whose real name was Jiang Chunlin, though he’d been going by Chu Hao—felt much more confident now that he was back at his own base. He puffed out his chest, put on a stern face, and nodded reservedly. Pointing at the five people behind him, he said, “These five are useless! A little rain and they’re running around like headless chickens. Look, now we’ve even lost the car, and the medicine we got is all gone. How am I supposed to face all the brothers waiting for treatment? Tsk tsk, not a single capable one among them!”

After venting his anger at the five, who dared not protest, he turned back and said, “These are our guests. Xiao Liu, take good care of them. I’m going to find Big Brother.” He nodded at Bian Changxi and the others, then hurried into the tunnel.

Inside, people lined both sides—some sitting directly on the ground, others with makeshift mats or wooden boards. The luckier ones had a couple of blankets, or had pushed together tables and cabinets to sit or lie on. The crowd stretched from the entrance all the way inside, a sea of heads, with even some vehicles squeezed in. Only a narrow passageway, barely one or two meters wide, remained in the center. Although there was no standing water, the ground was muddy. The front was kept relatively tidy for appearances, but further in, trash was everywhere—even human waste could be seen. The air was thick with a strange odor.

In the past, Jiang Chunlin would have complained every time he walked through here, but now he acted as if he didn’t notice, striding briskly in his wet clothes. Finally, he reached a side safety passage in the tunnel, guarded by someone at the door. He could barely wait for an announcement before barging in.

Originally just an access corridor left over from construction, the space had been expanded and divided into several rooms. Now, several people sat in the outer office area, chatting and laughing amid clouds of smoke. The lively scene was abruptly interrupted. The burly middle-aged man sitting in the center of the sofa looked up in annoyance. Jiang Chunlin quickly said, “Big Brother, I found her—I found Bian Chang—”

The “Big Brother” cut him off with a frown, “Where are your manners? Don’t you see Brother Leopard is here? Aren’t you going to greet him first?”

On the other sofa sat three people. The man in the middle, about thirty-five, wore a leather jacket that couldn’t hide his powerful build. His gaze was cold and sharp. Jiang Chunlin quickly bowed and greeted, “Hello, Brother Leopard!”

He then turned to the young man on Leopard’s left and the beautiful woman on his right, “Hello, Mr. Yang. Miss Yang, it’s been a while.”

The two stood up to return the greeting. After a few polite words, Brother Leopard flicked his cigar and said, “Old Qian, you’re a busy man, so I won’t keep you. I’ll be heading out.”

“You’re leaving already? Well, you’re busy too. So, about entering the base…”

“Just pick a day and come. After all that trouble caused by Gu Xu, the base isn’t as strict about entry now. I’ll pull some strings for you—once you arrive, you’ll get in. Of course, whether you can secure a good spot inside depends on your own abilities.”

Brother Leopard tapped Old Qian’s chest with the back of his hand, a gesture full of unspoken meaning. Old Qian replied, “I understand, I understand. I’ve saved up supplies and crystal cores, but I’m not sure if it’s enough.”

“It’s best to prepare more, and about those who are sick…” Brother Leopard lowered his voice, “The base doesn’t say it outright, but they’re not keen on letting them in. And don’t bring too much junk—just bring what’s valuable. Once you’re inside, you can buy whatever you need. Keeping up appearances is more important than anything. The military is recruiting on a large scale lately, you know…”

Old Qian nodded repeatedly, “I get it, I get it!”

Just as they were about to part, the beautiful woman suddenly asked, “Earlier, you said you found Bian Chang—are you talking about Bian Changxi?”

Brother Leopard frowned, “Xiaowen, that’s a bit rude, isn’t it?”

The woman was Yang Xiaowen, and this Brother Leopard was indeed the one Bian Changxi knew of. Yang Xiaowen pouted, “I’m just curious. Everyone says Bian Changxi is dead, but judging by that person’s actions recently, who doesn’t have doubts? Since I overheard, I thought I’d ask.”

Old Qian quickly asked, “That person? Who are you talking about? Is this Bian-someone important?”

Brother Leopard replied, “Who? Surname Gu, given name Xu. You’ve heard of him, right?”

Old Qian’s eyes widened in realization, then he frowned, “You mean that shady character who came out of nowhere, ousted Commander Qu from Jiangcheng, and took over himself?”

Yang Zong, sitting next to Yang Xiaowen, laughed, “He didn’t just oust Qu Shangjin. Even Hu Aiquan fell for his tricks recently. Now, with over 400,000 survivors in Jiangcheng, he’s not quite a dictator, but it’s close. Once he brings the 100,000-strong army under control, he’ll be a true regional warlord. People like us will have to make a living under him.”

He grew serious, “But Brother Qian, once you’re in the base, don’t call him ‘shady’ or ‘wild card’ anymore. He’s a direct descendant of a top military family from the capital, with a legitimate background. He’s already a major general at a young age, on equal footing with Qu Shangjin, maybe even higher. Frankly, if he wanted to take over the Jiangcheng military district before the apocalypse, it would’ve just taken a single document—Qu Shangjin wouldn’t have been able to do a thing. I’ve heard that several bigshots from Sucheng had dealings with him before the apocalypse, and even Commander Wei would show him respect. If he weren’t busy managing Jiangcheng, there’d be plenty of top positions waiting for him in the base.”

This was a bit exaggerated, but aside from the hidden scandals, it was true on the surface. In these times, when military and political power were everything, Gu Xu’s background and abilities meant his future was limitless. Building a good relationship with him was crucial.

Old Qian was really lucky.

Yang Zong exchanged a glance with Brother Leopard, who nodded slightly. Yang Xiaowen caught on and affectionately took Old Qian’s arm, “Brother Qian, that’s not fair. Brother Leopard has been running himself ragged to get you into the base, but you kept such a big connection hidden. Were you afraid we’d take a share of your good fortune?”

Old Qian snapped out of his shock and, seeing Brother Leopard’s displeased look, hurriedly explained, “I really didn’t know! Not long ago, someone gave me a photocopy of a small ID photo and asked me to find someone. They didn’t say who they were, or even who I was supposed to look for. I only just realized today, from your conversation, that this Bian-someone is connected to Gu Xu.”

“Oh, so mysterious?”

After a few more words, Brother Leopard said his goodbyes. Old Qian personally saw them out, then returned to the sofa, tapping his cigarette thoughtfully. Suddenly, he asked, “Are you sure it’s that Bian…what?”

“Bian Changxi. Her name is Bian Changxi,” Jiang Chunlin, who’d been blending into the background, quickly replied. “If you don’t believe me, ask Zhou De.”

He called out, and the short, thin Zhou De came in—no longer looking like a zombie. His eyes darted slyly as he hunched over obsequiously, “Brother Qian, there’s no mistake. Bian Changxi came from the same university district as us. After the apocalypse, we even saved her life. She looks a bit different from the photo now, but I’m sure it’s her.”

He’d only seen the photocopy by chance. If he hadn’t recognized Bian Changxi and made a scene claiming he knew her and could help find her, he’d either be dead by now or living a fate worse than death like Cheng Haijun’s gang.

Thinking back, Zhou De shuddered with lingering fear and resented Bian Changxi even more. If not for her, he wouldn’t have to hide here, suffering indignities. When he recognized her on the bridge earlier, he almost shouted out, but luckily managed to turn his shock into a blank expression—thank goodness he wasn’t found out.

Old Qian dismissed Zhou De, took a drag on his cigarette, and frowned, “It doesn’t make sense. Gu Xu looking for someone isn’t a secret. If he really wanted Bian Changxi, why all the secrecy?”

Moreover, the instructions weren’t to bring her back safely or treat her well, but simply to keep her under watch and report in.

But if Gu Xu was also looking for her, didn’t that make things even more interesting? The other party had promised a lot of supplies and even entry procedures for the base, but what if Gu Xu could offer more?

Or maybe, he could just hand her over to Gu Xu as a favor? If Gu Xu was as powerful as Yang Zong said, this could be a huge opportunity.

The more Old Qian thought about it, the more excited he became. He stubbed out his cigarette and rubbed his hands together, “Send word immediately—no, wait, Leopard already knows about this. They’ll definitely inform Gu Xu. Right, I should go directly to Gu Xu! …No, that won’t work. Leopard has a pass and uses the military-controlled roads—we couldn’t catch up even if we tried.” He scratched his head in frustration, muttered to himself for a while, then finally sighed, “Forget it, better just contact the original informant. Doesn’t matter if they’re with Gu Xu or not—the benefits won’t escape me.”

Jiang Chunlin quickly pulled out a communicator. This brick-like device, reminiscent of an old-school cell phone, was a real treasure. With all other communication devices out of commission, only this one still worked. They’d secretly taken it apart before—its inner workings were bizarre, and the power source seemed to be a white crystal core. Unbelievable. Just for inventing this thing, they dared not offend the owner.

Thanks to “Crying While Missing You” for a pink ticket!

Thanks to Xiang Han for two pink tickets!

Thanks to zjj213 for a pink ticket!

Thanks to aquazl for two pink tickets!

Thanks to 941 Desserts for a pink ticket!

Thanks to Homebody Girl for a pink ticket!

Thanks to “Water Glass Says” for a PK ticket!

You guys are so enthusiastic—I’m worried I might miss someone, so let me say: my gratitude is endless!

Looks like this is the first time someone’s given me a PK ticket. Well, this book has given me so many firsts. But honestly, PK tickets don’t really help me much ⊙﹏⊙b, I can’t even get on the rankings, and after a few days there’s not even a trace left on the page… Still, I’m really happy (big hug to “Water Glass Says”), but please don’t waste your money here—it makes me feel bad.

PS: I’ve been writing this chapter since last night, revising it again and again. I promised to add more plot—hope this counts ⊙﹏⊙b

Next chapter, or at the latest the one after, those who need to meet will finally meet~\/~