Chapter 142

Chapter 142: Decision

The car drove for over an hour before finally finding an open space near the riverbank to stop.

Third Brother Luo Long climbed down from the roof of the car, his face numb from the night wind. Zhang Xiaobai and Cheng Ming took over the watch duty, holding the flashlight passed by Third Brother Luo Long, while the others also got out of the car.

Zhang Ji’s car had also stopped here.

Zhang Ji got out of the car and walked over, glancing at the crowd and asking, “Third Brother, is everyone in your group okay?”

Third Brother nodded, handing Zhang Ji a cigarette and lighting one for himself before replying, “We’re fine, we reacted in time. What about you?”

Zhang Ji took a deep drag, then smiled bitterly and said, “We lost one team member.” His eyes scanned the crowd, and he casually asked, “Where’s Gu Ning? I don’t see her.”

Third Brother paused mid-smoke, then said, “She got separated from us when things got chaotic. But you know Gu Ning’s strength—she can handle herself even alone.” Though he said this, his furrowed brow betrayed his worry.

It took Zhang Ji a while to process this information before he asked, “What’s the plan now? It’s not like before—no phones, no communication devices. How will she find you?”

“I left her a message; she should see it. I also made marks along the way. Gu Ning will find us,” Third Brother said.

Zhang Ji fell silent for a moment, then asked, “What are your plans next?”

“Nothing concrete yet. We haven’t had time to discuss. What about you? Which direction are you heading?” Third Brother asked.

Zhang Ji took the last drag of his cigarette, crushed the butt, and said, “If nothing goes wrong, we’re heading to the Capital City. If possible, I think it would be better for our two teams to travel together. Your team’s strength is undeniable, but our team has its strengths too. Plus, you have so much baggage. If we stick together, we can help share the load when needed.”

Third Brother neither agreed nor disagreed, simply smiling as he extinguished his cigarette and said, “We’ll discuss it internally and get back to you.”

Just then, Jia Daozhang called out from the side, “Third Brother! Come here for a moment!”

“Excuse me,” Third Brother nodded to Zhang Ji and walked toward the car.

Zhang Ji watched Third Brother leave, his gaze drifting back toward the direction of the base. The thought of Gu Ning possibly still trapped in the now-overrun base worried him. No matter how strong she was, she was still a girl, and alone. He hoped she could stay safe, as Third Brother had said. At this thought, he couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly to himself. They were barely holding on themselves—how could they afford to worry about others? They had finally found a place to stay, thinking they could last a little longer, only for it to fall so quickly.

He frowned. From Third Brother’s reaction earlier, it seemed he wasn’t too interested in the proposal. Zhang Ji had been thinking a lot along the way. The Three-Linked Team was incredibly strong, both in close combat and firepower. Even the kids in their team could kill zombies. When they had met downstairs, almost everyone in their group was carrying backpacks, which undoubtedly contained supplies. Their own supplies were running low, and in the rush to escape, they hadn’t been able to bring much. If they were really heading to the Capital City, the journey would be long, with many variables that could delay them. And once they reached the Capital City base, they would need supplies… From any angle, it made sense to build a closer relationship with the Three-Linked Team.

As Zhang Ji was lost in his thoughts, more vehicles began arriving one after another, as if by prior arrangement, parking not far from the Three-Linked Team. Soon, the riverbank was filled with vehicles of all sizes, nearly a hundred in total.

After calling Third Brother over, Jia Daozhang asked, “Third Brother, what did that guy say to you?”

Third Brother glanced over and said, “He asked about our plans. He said they’re heading to the Capital City and wanted to form an alliance with us to go together.”

“An alliance?” Jia Daozhang glanced over and said, “His team was somewhat decent when they had special abilities, but now that they’ve lost them, there are only a few worth considering. And when we met downstairs earlier, I noticed they didn’t bring much with them…” Jia Daozhang’s meaning was clear.

Third Brother said, “Yeah, so I didn’t agree. I told him we’d discuss it internally first.”

Jia Daozhang scratched his head and said, “We should also discuss where we’re heading next. And those outsiders in our vehicles—we need to figure out what to do with them.”

Third Brother nodded and said, “Let’s go talk in the car.”

Aside from Cheng Ming and Zhang Xiaobai, who were on watch duty, the bus was filled with members of the Three-Linked Team.

Third Brother said, “Now that the Central-South Base has fallen and is overrun with zombies, there’s no going back. We need to discuss what to do next and choose a path to continue.”

The atmosphere was chilly. The group, having just survived a major disaster and endured over an hour of bumpy travel, hadn’t fully recovered. The shadow of Gu Ning’s disappearance also loomed over them, making it hard to muster the energy to discuss the next steps.

Hong Jie looked around and sighed inwardly before saying, “Why don’t you suggest a few options first, and then we can discuss?”

“Actually, before the base fell, Jia Daozhang, Gu Ning, and I discussed this as a precaution.” At the mention of Gu Ning, the expressions in the car shifted, and Third Brother paused briefly before continuing. He unfolded a map in the aisle and pointed to the Capital City first. “We have three options. First, head to the Capital City. The military strength there is undoubtedly the strongest in the country, with over 500,000 troops and weaponry that no local base can match. But it’s also the most populated. If we go, the journey won’t be easy. And while we only know a little about the situation there from Zhuang Chen and the others, one thing’s for sure—the Capital City base won’t be as simple as the Central-South Base.”

“Second, head to the northeastern grasslands. Actually, from the start of the apocalypse, I had planned to go there. It’s vast and sparsely populated. Fewer people mean fewer zombies. But it’s a long journey. Even under normal circumstances, it would take us seven or eight days by car. With the current situation, the road won’t be easy, and there are too many variables. Plus, resources are scarce there. We might face shortages once we arrive.”

“Third, head to South China Island,” Third Brother said. “It’s a developing island, not even on the map. I passed by it a few years ago on a speedboat. It’s about five minutes from the shore by speedboat, has fresh water, and is still under development, which means there might not even be a single zombie there. It’s only two days’ journey from here. But to get to the island, we’d need a boat. And with the apocalypse having lasted several months now, there’s no guarantee no one has fled there. If we do go, we’d have to build our own shelter. Like the grasslands, obtaining supplies would be difficult.”

Third Brother concluded, “Whether it’s the grasslands or South China Island, neither can guarantee that they won’t be overcrowded with people fleeing the apocalypse. And with limited resources, if we decide to go to either place, we must be prepared to turn back.”

Zhong Xu said, “All things considered, the Capital City still seems like the best option.”

Method struggled to sit up from his seat and asked, “When we left the base, did any of you see Zhuang Chen and the others?”

Jia Daozhang said, “Everything was chaotic, and it was pitch black. Even if we ran into them, we wouldn’t have noticed. But with Zhuang Chen’s strength, they must have escaped long ago. Plus, they have a helicopter.”

“Whether it’s Zhuang Chen, Yi Shaoqing, or their later team leader, they all arrived by helicopter. That suggests they hold significant status in the Capital City. If we do go there, having their support would make things much easier. And as far as I know, Zhuang Chen had previously invited Gu Ning to join them,” Third Brother said.