Chapter 85: The Key, the Square, and the Avenue

(from ""Restarting the Farm at the End of the World"")

Bian Changxi regretted not listening carefully to what Bian Kuang had said back then. Now, no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t remember. Maybe if she knew more details, she could piece things together, but at this point, it was impossible.

After saying goodbye to Wu Dalang, she went off to work at the medical camp of Convoy No. 5.

There were a lot of wounded—most of them seriously injured. For the past two days, her medical duties had been overseen by a commander with a bulbous, red nose. She hadn’t seen Lu Shaoyang at all, nor any other familiar faces. It was as if they were deliberately isolating her. The red-nosed commander clearly disliked Bian Changxi. The moment he saw her, he barked orders, “Hey you, stop dawdling! Get over here!”

His tone was so nasty it made people frown.

But Bian Changxi was in a great mood, having just obtained a third-tier green core. She didn’t bother arguing. She quickly hooked up IVs for a few critical patients, then spread her hands, “I’m out of energy.”

“What do you mean, out of energy? That was only a few people—how much strength could that take? Stop making excuses! If you refuse to save people, that’s disobeying orders. I don’t care if you’re Bian Changxi or Bian Shortxi, you won’t last in this convoy!”

Bian Changxi just shrugged and turned to leave.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her bag. “Are you… are you Changxi?”

She followed the hand and was startled. Lying there was a person in tattered clothes, hair matted and filthy. The most horrifying thing was his face, bruised and swollen, covered in blisters and rashes, some of which had burst and were oozing pus. Two tiny mosquitoes buzzed incessantly around the wounds. There wasn’t a single patch of good skin left—he was completely unrecognizable.

“And you are?”

Even his voice was ruined, hoarse like an old man’s.

“It really is you! Changxi, it’s me, Yuwen!”

“Zhang Yuwen? You’re still alive?”

“Yes, yes, I’m alive! I heard you’re doing really well now. I wanted to find you—I’ve been looking for days but couldn’t find you. Please, help me, save me!”

Bian Changxi looked him over. Aside from his face being a mess, he didn’t seem to have any other injuries.

“Where are you hurt?”

A medic nearby snorted, “He’s not really hurt. The car he was in got crushed by zombies. Everyone inside was either dead or crippled—except him. He just fainted from fright.”

Zhang Yuwen weakly protested, “I had heatstroke!”

Then he turned to Bian Changxi, “They’re all dead, the car’s gone, I don’t know where to go. Please, help me out. After all, we’re still—” He didn’t get to finish saying “boyfriend and girlfriend” before Bian Changxi shot him a cold glare that froze him in place. He stammered, but no sound came out.

Bian Changxi thought for a moment. “If you’re fine, get up and leave. I have something to confirm with you.”

The red-nosed commander saw Bian Changxi chatting with someone, blatantly ignoring his threats. He flew into a rage, “Do you have any sense of shame? I said I’d kick you out!”

He looked around, grabbed a medical tray, and flung it at her. But before he could see what happened, the tray somehow ended up hitting his own head, and at the same time, his beer belly took a hard kick, sending him rolling away like a ball.

Bian Changxi tore off her shoddy medical team badge and tossed it on the ground. “I’m done with this medical team. I don’t care about staying in the convoy either. But if anyone’s kicking me out, it won’t be the likes of you.”

Zhang Yuwen was stunned, following Bian Changxi out. It wasn’t until she turned and asked him a question that he finally snapped out of it.

Bian Changxi couldn’t help but frown. She could already smell a rotten stench before getting close, and when he opened his mouth, the reek of halitosis was overwhelming. She really couldn’t understand how he’d ended up in such a sorry state.

“I heard you told people that Wang Yan died because of me?”

Zhang Yuwen was eyeing Bian Changxi’s clean appearance with envy. It was obvious she’d been doing well, while he’d been running for his life like a stray dog—never enough to eat, his clothes stripped by thugs, reduced to a beggar, constantly on guard against monsters. He’d finally managed to hitch a ride on a vehicle, but had to act like a total pushover, bullied by everyone. The more he thought about it, the more bitter he felt. But at the same time, he was racking his brains for how to win Bian Changxi over so she’d take him in.

He was momentarily stunned by her question, then quickly denied it, “No, no, who said that? You hadn’t been with Wang Yan for ages—how could you have killed her? Whoever said that is making it up.”

He thought back to whom he’d said that to—oh right, it was Chen Yisha. He’d tried to get some sympathy and benefits from her, but who knew she’d turn cold as soon as she heard it, despite their old classmate ties. Damn it, when he made it big, he’d make her pay!

But he didn’t dare badmouth Chen Yisha in front of Bian Changxi. He wasn’t stupid—he knew he had no leverage now.

“I don’t want to waste time with you,” Bian Changxi said indifferently. “I’m not desperate for an answer, just curious. If you tell the truth, I might help you out. But…”

That cold look made Zhang Yuwen itch with resentment, but he still replied weakly, “Wang Yan was bitten by zombies. No one killed her, least of all you. What else do you want me to say?”

“I remember you and her tried to take my jade bracelet. That wasn’t just a whim, was it?”

Zhang Yuwen’s expression changed—well, it was hard to tell with his ruined face, but the stiffening of his muscles and his guilty eyes didn’t escape Bian Changxi’s notice. She thought, So there really is a connection.

Zhang Yuwen gritted his teeth. “If I tell you, you have to take care of me from now on—food, water, shelter, clothes, everything.”

Bian Changxi just curled her lips and turned to leave.

“I’ll talk, I’ll talk! There was a man who came to us, said he wanted your jade bracelet.”

“What did he look like?”

“He always wore a hat, so I didn’t see clearly. I sneaked a peek—he had dark skin, thick lips, and maybe a hooked nose. The type who looks shady.”

Bian Changxi thought to herself, It really is that Zhang Jingang.

But recently, Boss Zhang hadn’t made any moves. Had he given up on her?

She’d never acted rashly—partly because she hadn’t figured out the situation and didn’t want to draw suspicion, and partly because she knew she’d meet Zhu Yunhua in Sucheng. When that happened, maybe all her questions would be answered. She already had the upper hand—she wasn’t in a hurry. The ones who were anxious were those scheming behind the scenes.

“I’ve told you. Now, about your promise…”

Bian Changxi nodded, took out a pack of biscuits and a bottle of water from her bag. “For old times’ sake, this is all I can do.”

“Bian Changxi, you’re playing me!” Zhang Yuwen’s twisted face burst a few more blisters. He clutched his cheek in pain, his face a mess, and threatened viciously, “I heard you’re involved with someone named Gu Xu. If you don’t help me, I’ll tell everyone about us! Who would want a two-timer like you?”

Bian Changxi sneered, “And do you believe I won’t stab you right now?” She shot him a cold, dangerous look. Her tone was calm, but Zhang Yuwen was clearly intimidated.

He glared at her back, crushing the biscuits in his fist. Just then, someone walked up behind him. “Useless! Didn’t you say you had a way to stick to her?”

“Boss Zhang.” Zhang Yuwen lowered his head. “If I were still my old self, she wouldn’t be so heartless. We really had feelings for each other.”

Boss Zhang sneered, “Blaming me for not fixing your face? Hmph, I only keep useful people. If you get the job done, not only your face, but I—and my backers—will treat you like a VIP. But if you fail…”

Zhang Yuwen tensed up. “I understand. Give me one more chance.”

When Bian Changxi came out, she saw the convoy undergoing a major reorganization. Actually, it wasn’t a reorganization—a small squad had split off, looking ready to head out and fight. They were headed straight for Longyue Town, whose outline and buildings could be seen in the distance.

What’s going on?

She climbed up high for a better view and spotted Gu Xu.

He was standing at the rear of the squad, still directing the rest of the convoy in an orderly advance.

She quickly took out her earpiece and called him. “Are you guys heading to Longyue Town?”

Gu Xu sounded a bit surprised. With one hand pressing his earpiece, he kept giving orders while answering her, “Commander Qu wants us to scout Longyue Town, then come back and make a detailed plan.”

She checked her watch—it was already 2 p.m. Even though the days were long and it got dark late, it was still risky to head out at this hour.

“Are you going too?”

“Yeah, Yue Fushan and I are co-leading the team. We might have to split into two groups.”

Split up? Bian Changxi suddenly remembered something. “Tell me the details.”

Gu Xu was silent for a moment, as if taken aback. Then he said, “We’re pulling a thousand people each from Convoys 1 and 6 to form two squads. There are two main roads in Longyue Town wide enough for armored vehicles and large teams. One is the street with the music fountain square, surrounded by big malls, supermarkets, snack streets, and lots of entertainment venues. The other is the main road, Jian’an Avenue, lined with shops, residences, an affiliated hospital, and a dental clinic.”

He handed over command to a trusted subordinate, then walked over to a vehicle, resting his hand on it. “Do you have any suggestions?”

Where there’s food, fun, and daily life, there are always lots of people—in other words, lots of zombies.

But thinking about it, the apocalypse hit in the middle of the night. There would have been fewer people at the music square, and the shopping and entertainment district has more escape routes, with streets and alleys crisscrossing everywhere. At midnight, most people would have gone home to sleep. Jian’an Avenue, on the other hand, would have had more people.

But there was a problem with the music square.

Bian Changxi finally remembered the key detail.

She weighed her words, wondering how to warn Gu Xu not to go there. Gu Xu was strong, but accidents happen. She’d heard that in her previous life, the music square was almost completely wiped out, with the most powerful ability users dying the most tragic deaths.

She definitely didn’t want him dying there.

If you can help it, don’t get sick, seriously! Everyone, please take care of your health. Sorry for the late update—hope you’re not too upset~~"