Chapter 78: Good News, Nuclear Exchange Platform (First Update)

Because of this delay, Bian Changxi fell behind her original group, but it didn’t matter. She still blended into the crowd, walked two more streets, and under the guidance of soldiers, arrived at a vast open area outside the new district—once rice paddies, now just earthen slopes. A long convoy had been waiting there for a while.

The line of vehicles stretched as far as the eye could see, row after row, their headlights glowing in the darkness. Every so often, a few soldiers would hold up camping lanterns, illuminating clusters of people. At a glance, it was a sea of heads, with shouts, roll calls, and orders echoing back and forth—a midnight spectacle, almost like a grand feast.

Everyone, including the military, was divided into six convoys, each with nearly a hundred thousand people, and further subdivided within. Every convoy had a medical team, though most had been assigned to the fifth convoy. Similarly, the third convoy was loaded with daily necessities and served as the granary, while the fourth carried more weapons and military supplies, acting as the armory. There was some overlap in supplies between the two, so even if something went wrong with one convoy, no single type of supply would be completely cut off.

The first convoy, taking the lead, was the vanguard. The military took up over 25,000 spots, and government security forces nearly 5,000. The second convoy gathered most of the warrior squads and the strongest fighters. The sixth convoy brought up the rear, also heavily armed.

That was the general arrangement, so at a glance, the fifth convoy seemed the weakest and least valued…

People were led around for quite some time before being brought into the convoy, surrounded on all sides by vehicles. Everyone was lugging bedding and dragging luggage, bending over under the weight, squinting in the headlights to find their assigned license plates.

Bian Changxi was assigned to vehicle 5-0523, which was easy to find thanks to the orderly numbering. It was a military truck, but not one converted into a medical bay—just a regular truck. Up front, there was only the driver and her; in the back, ten to fifteen people would be arranged, give or take. These were all ordinary survivors—a balanced mix of men, women, young, old, strong, and weak. Sometimes, depending on the situation, an ability user would be added. On the road, these people would form a small community of their own.

Bian Changxi thought to herself that whoever organized this had really thought things through. But she also remembered that at first, Yue Fushan had promised her only a single seat. She’d expected to be crammed in all the way to Sucheng, eating, sleeping, and moving with a bunch of strangers. Now, having her own seat—right in the front, no less—was a definite upgrade. Must be the military’s way of keeping people happy.

She fixed her gaze on the painted license plate, ready to find the driver and confirm her identity. The driver would be with the vehicle the whole way, and knowing both the vehicle and its driver was important. The driver would also have a passenger list, to check for stowaways or missing people at any time.

But before she could even get to the driver’s side, someone suddenly jumped out beside the truck. “You—you’re Miss Bian Changxi, right?”

Bian Changxi was startled. The man had been squatting in a dark spot, and with his dark clothes and the noisy surroundings, she hadn’t noticed him at all.

“Yes, I am.”

“Hehehe…” The man grinned, flashing white teeth, rubbing his hands on his camouflage uniform before sticking one out. “I’m the driver for 5-0523. My name’s Zhang Bubai. If you need anything, just ask me. I can do anything, and if I can’t, just tell me and I’ll learn it as fast as I can.”

So enthusiastic? Bian Changxi eyed him warily.

Zhang Bubai’s smile froze. “You don’t remember me? I’m the one you saved—the one who got stabbed.” He gestured as he spoke.

Bian Changxi suddenly realized, “Oh, it’s you! You’re all better now?”

Zhang Bubai rubbed his buzz-cut head and grinned sheepishly. “All better! I was fine yesterday—can run, jump, drive. I thought I was a goner, but Miss Bian, you’re amazing!”

She looked at him. Back then, he’d been covered in blood, with much longer hair—not the close-cropped look he had now. If he hadn’t said anything, she wouldn’t have recognized him.

He said, “The blood was impossible to wash out, so I shaved it off. Easier to clean up from now on. Miss Bian, let me help with your luggage.”

The constant “Miss” this and “Miss” that made Bian Changxi a bit uncomfortable. “Don’t call me ‘Miss’—just use my name. By the way, are you in the military?”

Zhang Bubai paused. “Well, I just enlisted. I haven’t even finished my three months of basic training. I was supposed to get my private’s rank last week, but, well, that’s not happening now. I’m not really a soldier yet.”

Thinking about it made Zhang Bubai feel a bit down.

Bian Changxi didn’t press further.

Zhang Bubai put her luggage in the space in front of the passenger seat—there was plenty of room, and she could still stretch her legs. He tried to help her with her bag, but Bian Changxi shook her head. “I’ll get in myself.”

There were people everywhere outside, and she was blocking the way just standing there.

She tried the seat—it was pretty comfortable, and the backrest could recline a bit.

“Miss Bian, you should rest for a while. Not everyone’s here yet, and we can’t move until the vehicles in front start. We’ll be here at least until dawn.”

“Aren’t you going to sleep?” Bian Changxi asked. “You’ll be driving all day tomorrow. Get some sleep now—I’ll wake you when people arrive.”

Zhang Bubai quickly shook his head.

Bian Changxi didn’t bother with him. She put her backpack at her feet, reclined the seat, took off her jacket, pulled a blanket from her suitcase, and covered herself. She was someone who valued rest and knew how to conserve her energy.

Zhang Bubai watched her fall asleep, quietly closed the car door, and squatted by the truck to wait for the others. He felt a weight lift off his shoulders—being able to look after his savior made him feel much more at ease. He silently resolved to thank the person who’d given him this opportunity.

When Bian Changxi woke again, a thunderous boom sounded in her ears, followed by a long, drawn-out horn. She opened her eyes to see the sky just beginning to lighten. Zhang Bubai was sitting in the cab, but the truck still hadn’t moved.

“Miss Bian, you sure can sleep,” Zhang Bubai said with a smile, both envious and curious. The truck had started and stopped several times, but she hadn’t been disturbed at all. That kind of composure was rare.

“Mmm…” Bian Changxi sat up and looked out the window. She couldn’t see much—the glass was frosted over, with tiny beads of condensation inside. She rolled the window down a little, and cold wind rushed in. Outside, trucks and cars rumbled, voices and loudspeakers blaring like ten marketplaces squeezed together. She was a bit confused—where were they? She checked her watch: not even five o’clock.

Then she remembered what Zhang Bubai had said and smiled. “Sleeping is easy—you just have to practice.” In her previous life, she’d suffered for years, staying up day and night to guard against zombies and mutant beasts. Her schedule was a mess, and often she could only snatch a few minutes to nap while eating or using the bathroom. Of course she’d learned to sleep efficiently. Now, as long as she set her mind to it, she could sleep or wake at will, like a clockwork assassin in a martial arts movie.

She asked, “Where are we?”

Zhang Bubai pulled a face. “We haven’t left yet. But the first convoy is about to go—listen to that horn.”

Oh? Bian Changxi craned her neck to look. Sure enough, they were still at the edge of the new district, just a bit closer to the highway than before. The first and second convoys were already lined up on the road, forming a long, unbroken line.

Just then, the vehicles ahead started moving. Zhang Bubai quickly drove forward to fill the gap, and as they advanced, the view opened up. Bian Changxi could finally see the head of the first convoy.

Under the pale, bluish-black sky, distant mountains and nearby trees were just silhouettes. As the horn sounded, the first convoy—led by armored vehicles—set off into the distance. Helicopters and fighter jets circled overhead, tanks guarded the flanks, and patrol cars moved up and down the line, everything running smoothly and in order.

Someone in the rear started cheering, and soon the whole convoy erupted in excitement. The second convoy slowly followed onto the highway, waiting until the first had gone nearly a kilometer before moving up.

Bian Changxi blinked and sighed, “It feels like a migration. Hundreds of thousands of people—leaving for a lifetime.”

As she said, many people outside were crying, gazing back in the direction of their hometowns, where their parents and loved ones were buried. This was a journey of no return—they would never come back.

For a convoy of nearly a hundred thousand, it took a long time for the whole line to get moving. From the first light of dawn to the rising sun, and until the ground began to heat up, it was finally their turn.

Zhang Bubai made sure everything was tied down and secure, then stuck his head out and shouted to the people in the back, “Hold on tight, we’re off!”

The truck rumbled onto the highway from the dirt slope. The fifth convoy also had some air and armored support, though not much. Their section was especially empty, with three trucks driving side by side on the wide road.

There were no vehicles on Bian Changxi’s right, so she could see all the way to the horizon. But there wasn’t much to see—just desolate, abandoned landscapes, no sign of human life.

The sun shone into the cab, making her hot, so she took off her jacket, revealing a short-sleeved top suitable for outdoors. Her pants and shoes were already chosen for daytime wear—she’d braved the cold earlier just to avoid the awkwardness of changing clothes in the truck.

Well-rested, she didn’t want to sleep again just yet. She chatted with Zhang Bubai for a while and found him to be honest and straightforward, not one for idle gossip. So she began practicing her powers in the truck.

She spread a piece of clothing over her lap, scattered some long, thin pebbles she’d picked up from a farm stream, and sent out a slender vine, wrapping it around each stone. It wasn’t enough just to wind the vine around them—she had to tie knots. The pebbles were smooth and hard to grip, so tying them securely and lifting them without slipping took a lot of effort, patience, and fine control."