Chapter 45: The New District, an Unfriendly Air

“Bro?”

Inside the quiet car, Gu Pei kept glancing at his brother while driving, sensing that something was off in his brother’s expression. He finally 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, Gu Pei thought. You stared at Bian Changxi for ages just now. He recalled the awkward, chilly atmosphere between the two when they got in the car, and couldn’t help but wonder what had happened between them earlier.

He asked, “If all goes well, we should reach the new development zone before dark. What then?”

Gu Xu’s expression turned 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 evacuate us? And when will they come?”

Gu Xu replied, “Right now, all communications nationwide are down. The only information we’ve gotten is from the national emergency broadcast.”

“Huh? But aren’t your earpieces and smartwatches pretty advanced? Can’t you contact your superiors?”

Gu Xu stared at the road ahead and fell silent.

Gu Pei chuckled and answered for him, “My brother’s unit is directly under the Capital Military District. They were sent here for a specific mission, so they don’t have much to do with Jiangcheng or Sucheng.”

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

The highway conditions weren’t great.

After about twenty minutes, they found the road littered with abandoned vehicles, some blocking the way entirely. Sometimes there was just enough space to squeeze through, but more often, they had to get out and move the wrecks one by one. It was clear just how chaotic and dangerous things had been when the apocalypse hit.

During this process, Gu Xu’s group switched to several decent cars, managed to scrounge up 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 decided to get off the highway and take the national road instead.

This old road hadn’t been maintained in years—cracked pavement, scraggly, leafless trees lining the way. With new highways built in recent years, few cars took this route anymore, so ironically, the road was in better shape. But the fields and scattered houses on either side brought waves of zombies, forcing Gu Xu to organize everyone to fight them off together.

Despite the dangers, they made it through without incident. By the time they caught sight of the new development zone in the distance, the sky was awash with sunset colors and birds were returning to their nests.

At the entrance bridge to the new district, 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 approach, they quickly stood up to stop the cars.

“Stop! Pull over to the side!” one shouted, waving a stick. The other walked up to the window and knocked. “Please roll down your windows so we can count the number of people. We need to keep records.”

Gu Xu rolled down his window and looked at them, a bit surprised. “There’s someone in charge here now?”

It was a fair question. Just a few years ago, this area had been a small town crisscrossed with waterways and rice paddies. To boost the economy and connect with Sucheng, the Jiangcheng government had merged this town with several other underdeveloped ones, filled in rivers, leveled land, built high-rises, and established several economic, industrial, and tech pilot zones—the so-called “new development zone.” Construction had only been underway for two years, and most infrastructure was still incomplete. The area wasn’t officially open yet, with only a handful of businesses and residents—fewer than ten thousand people.

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

The worker outside, seeing there were seven vehicles in the convoy, started to worry they might be some big shots. When he saw Gu Xu—who looked tough, sharp-eyed, and calm, clearly someone formidable—he didn’t dare act disrespectful and answered with a wry smile, “After the disaster hit, it was mostly us poor laborers left here. To avoid being picked off by those monsters, our boss gathered us together, and now we all follow the Zhonghai Construction Company’s orders.”

“Zhonghai Construction Company?”

“Yeah, the company that’s building the train station. They’re the biggest crew here, with the most people.” He pointed to a white building visible in the distance. “Boss Du from Zhonghai sent us to guard the entrances, keep track of newcomers, and let you know the rules.”

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

“Uh, not exactly.” The worker hesitated, then quickly explained, “The new district is as big as a small county—it takes hours to drive around it. There’s no way to clear out all the zombies. But most of them are in Zone B, separated from Zone A by a river, so they can’t really get over here. This area is clean now, but it cost us a lot in manpower and supplies. So, um, everyone entering has to pay two bottles of water and a jin of food per person.”

He glanced nervously at Gu Xu, relieved to see he wasn’t angry, and continued, “Our base is inside the train station—it’s the safest place. If you want to go in, you’ll have to pay extra supplies, 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, got out, and went to talk to the others in the convoy.

When the car stopped, Bian Changxi woke up. She opened her eyes under her baseball cap and saw the dazzling, breathtaking glow of the sunset through the tinted glass, now dimmed. A soft breeze drifted in through the half-open window, and the distant sounds of conversation and cars made the quiet here feel even more serene.

She sat up and ruffled her hair. Lin Rongrong said happily, “Changxi, you’re awake! Are you okay?”

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

She didn’t know about the others, but among the eight people with Gu Xu, Bian Changxi was in worse shape than even Lin Rongrong. She’d been injured the day before, fired a gun at noon, and worked harder than anyone else that afternoon, so she was utterly spent—she’d fallen asleep the moment her head hit the seat.

She’d only let herself doze off because they were close to the new district and the roadside was clear of danger, but even now, her eyelids felt heavy.

She got out to stretch her aching limbs and saw Gu Xu talking to the group, while the two workers collected the reluctantly handed-over supplies in woven bags, happily loading them into their little car. It was clear they were worried people might not cooperate.

Bian Changxi walked over. “Excuse me, could you tell me about the layout of the new district? How are Zones A and B divided? Are there any other settlements nearby?”

It was a simple enough question, and the two workers answered enthusiastically. Just then, a convoy of military Humvees came down a side road. The workers’ eyes lit up—they quickly moved the barricade aside and stood at attention, respectfully inviting the vehicles in.

Bian Changxi glanced over. The vehicles were pitch black, spotless, and looked brand new. The tinted windows reflected the sunset in a dazzling sheen, exuding an air of power and mystery.

After the convoy passed, she asked, “Who’s in those cars?”

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

“Oh?” Bian Changxi’s gaze followed the convoy. She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but she sensed a distinctly unfriendly aura from behind those windows.

Mobile readers, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading."