Chapter 45: Courting Disaster, Collective Confusion

“Bro?”

Inside the quiet car, Gu Pei kept glancing at his older brother while driving, sensing that something was off in his expression. Finally, he couldn’t hold back and called out to him.

Gu Xu slowly withdrew his gaze from the rearview mirror, lowered his eyes in silence for a moment, then turned to ask, “What is it?”

I should be asking you that—why were you staring at Bian Changxi for so long? Gu Pei recalled the awkward and chilly atmosphere between the two of them when they got in the car, and couldn’t help but wonder what exactly had happened between them earlier.

He asked, “If nothing unexpected happens, we should reach the new development zone before dark. What then?”

Gu Xu’s expression grew serious. “First, we’ll find a safe place to settle down. I don’t know if there are any soldiers stationed there. We’ll have to assess the situation and decide what to do next.”

Lin Rongrong leaned over and asked, “Captain Gu, do you really think the army will come to get us? And when will they come?”

Gu Xu replied, “Right now, all communications nationwide are down. The information we have is from the national emergency broadcast channel.”

“Huh? Aren’t your earpiece watches really high-tech? You can’t contact your superiors?”

Gu Xu fell silent, staring at the road ahead.

Gu Pei chuckled and answered for him, “My brother and his team are directly under the Capital Military District. They only came here because of a special assignment, so they don’t have much to do with Jiangcheng or Sucheng.”

Lin Rongrong only half-understood, but didn’t ask further.

The highway conditions were far from ideal.

After just twenty minutes, they found many abandoned, crooked vehicles blocking the road. Sometimes there was just enough space to squeeze through, but more often, wrecks were piled up in collisions, forcing everyone to get out and clear the way one by one. It was clear how dangerous things had been when the apocalypse hit.

During this process, Gu Xu and his group switched to several good cars, managed to scavenge some gasoline and food, encountered quite a few other survivors on the road, and also had to fend off zombie attacks.

By 2 p.m., the convoy had only managed a little over ten kilometers. Gu Xu immediately decided to get off the highway and take the national road.

This old national road was in disrepair, the pavement cracked, and the roadside trees were sparse, dry, and almost leafless. With so many new highways built in recent years, few vehicles took this route anymore, so the road was actually in better shape. However, the surrounding fields, wilderness, and scattered homes meant more zombies lurking about, so Gu Xu had to organize everyone to defend themselves together.

Despite the dangers, they made it through safely. By the time the new development zone came into view in the distance, the sky was awash in sunset colors and birds were returning to their nests.

At the entrance bridge to the new zone, however, a roadblock had been set up. Two young men in work uniforms and hard hats sat under a sun umbrella. When they saw the convoy approaching, they quickly stood up to stop the cars.

“Stop, stop, pull over to the side,” called one, holding a stick. The other walked up to the window and knocked. “Could everyone in the car please roll down your windows so we can count heads? We need to keep a record.”

Gu Xu rolled down his window and looked at them, a bit surprised. “There’s someone managing the new zone already?”

It was a fair question. Just a few years ago, this area had been a small town crisscrossed with rivers and endless rice paddies. To boost the economy and integrate with Sucheng, the Jiangcheng government had designated this town and several other underdeveloped ones as a new development zone—filling in rivers, leveling land, building high-rises, and setting up economic, industrial, and tech pilot districts. Construction had only been underway for two years, so most infrastructure was still incomplete. The zone hadn’t officially opened, and only a handful of businesses and residents had moved in—less than ten thousand people in total.

But he quickly realized: while there weren’t many residents, there were plenty of construction workers. These two were probably from one of the work crews.

The worker outside noticed the convoy had seven vehicles and was already wondering if some big shots had arrived. Seeing Gu Xu—his tough, commanding presence and sharp, steady eyes—he immediately grew more respectful and answered with a wry smile, “When disaster struck, it was mostly us poor workers here. To avoid getting killed by those monsters, the boss gathered us together, and now we all follow the orders of Zhonghai Construction Company.”

“Zhonghai Construction Company?”

“Yeah, the one building the train station. They’re the biggest team here, with the most people.” He pointed to a white structure visible in the distance. “Boss Du from Zhonghai sent us to guard all the entrances, so we can keep track of people coming in and let you know the rules.”

Gu Xu raised an eyebrow. “So, does that mean all the zombies in the new zone have been cleared out?”

“Uh, not exactly.” The worker hesitated, then quickly explained, “The new zone is as big as a small county—it takes hours to drive all the way around. No way we could clear it all. But the zombies are all in Area B, separated from Area A by a river, so they can’t really get over here. This side is clean. We lost a lot of people and supplies to make that happen, so, um, everyone who comes in has to pay two bottles of water and a pound of food.”

He glanced nervously at Gu Xu, relieved to see he wasn’t angry, and continued, “Our main base is inside the train station—it’s the safest place. If you want to go in, you’ll have to pay extra supplies and undergo a health check and follow the rules. Otherwise, you can find your own place to stay—no one will bother you.”

Gu Xu nodded without comment and got out to talk to the others at the back of the convoy.

When the car stopped, Bian Changxi woke up. She opened her eyes under her baseball cap and saw the last rays of sunlight—such dazzling, breathtaking colors—filtered through the tinted glass, leaving only a dim glow. A gentle breeze drifted in through the half-open window, and the distant voices and car sounds seemed faint and fragmented, making the moment feel even more peaceful.

She sat up and ran a hand through her hair. Lin Rongrong said happily, “Changxi, you’re awake! Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah, much better.” The whole trip had been exhausting—constantly getting out to clear roadblocks, fighting off zombies together, and sometimes having to race away for their lives. Everyone was worn out.

She didn’t know about the others, but among Gu Xu’s group of eight, Bian Changxi’s physical strength was actually not as good as Lin Rongrong’s. She’d been injured the day before, fired a gun at noon, and worked even harder than Lin Rongrong that afternoon, so she was especially tired—her head hit the seat and she immediately dozed off.

Earlier, seeing they were close to the new zone and the roadside was clear and safe, she’d finally allowed herself to really sleep. Even now, her eyelids still felt heavy.

She got out to stretch her slightly weak limbs and saw Gu Xu talking to the others in the convoy, while the two workers collected the supplies—reluctantly handed over—into a woven bag, then happily loaded it into their little car. It was clear they were worried people wouldn’t cooperate.

Bian Changxi walked over. “Excuse me, could you tell me how the new zone is laid out? You mentioned Areas A and B—what’s the difference? Are there any other settlements nearby?”

It was a simple enough question, and the two workers eagerly explained. Just then, a convoy of military Humvees came down a side road. The two workers’ eyes lit up, and they quickly moved the roadblock aside, standing at attention and respectfully letting the vehicles through.

Bian Changxi glanced over. The vehicles were all jet black, spotless and unblemished, looking brand new. The tinted windows were completely opaque, reflecting the sunset in a cold, dazzling sheen—a display of power and mystery.

Once the vehicles had passed, she asked, “Who was that?”

Worker A replied with awe and envy, “That’s the son of Jiangcheng’s police chief. He’s been here three days already, with a bunch of armed police officers under him. Even Boss Du from Zhonghai has to consult with him.”

“Oh?” Bian Changxi watched the vehicles drive away. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she thought she sensed a trace of hostility from behind those darkened windows."