70 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Chapter 70 - Web of Intrigue (translated from 半夏小說) "What's wrong?" Jiang Yan Xin asked when she noticed Chen Wan staring at them. "Nothing, I was just thinking about us heading to the base tomorrow. Four striking women, carrying a three-year-old child, not attracting attention will be tough," Chen Wan remarked, though she quickly brushed it off. "Our team's strength is solid, so rather than overthinking it, we'll deal with whatever comes our way." "True, but there's no avoiding it," Jiang Yan Xin replied, contemplating. "This trip to the base is indeed dangerous, and we don't know how long we'll be there. We have to bring the baby." "We've got a lot of people; it'll be fine," Qin Ke chimed in reassuringly. "Alright, once we get there tomorrow, we'll figure it out. For now, let's check out this street and see if there's anything useful," Chen Wan suggested, leading the way into a nearby hardware store. Inside, Chen Wan surveyed the empty shelves, mostly raided of anything useful. Only a few long-handled pliers remained, along with an assortment of screws, nails, and wire. Yi Yi, already beginning to gather items, called out, "Come help me! These nails and wires can be used to repair Yan Yan's new body. I mentioned before that constructing a precise body requires tons of metal. Let's take what we can for the future." Qin Ke was the first to rush to the wire section, wrapping several coils in her arms, while Chen Wan and Jiang Yan Xin filled bags with all the remaining screws, nails, and some tools Chen Wan couldn't identify. With the four of them working together, they quickly emptied the store's contents into their van's trunk in just one trip. They moved on to a 24-hour convenience store, which was more ransacked than Chen Wan had ever seen. After a swift look around, they headed out empty-handed. Chen Wan sighed, turning to her companions, "Looks like most resources in Fu Nan City have been scoured clean. Small-town shops have nothing left." "Probably others like us, passing through on their way to the base," Yi Yi speculated. "Let's keep looking. If there's nothing left, we'll head back to the van." Checking out two more eateries, most supplies were picked clean, but they did find a couple of kitchen knives, some sharpening stones, two packs of toilet paper, a few bottles of unopened shampoo, two boxes of sugar cubes, and a carton of instant coffee, all of which Chen Wan scooped up. As they walked, they decided to thoroughly search the entire street. They next entered a small clinic, where the medicine shelves were completely bare. However, leftover saline solutions, glucose, and disposable IV tubes were plentiful—items overlooked likely due to their bulkiness. "It's not a wasted trip," Chen Wan said. "Let's take these. Who knows if they might come in handy? The glucose can even serve as drinking water if needed." With space in the van, they packed everything up, filling four boxes in the van’s storage. Barely an hour later, they returned to the van, not finding much of value, but happy with what they had managed to collect. Cai Cai hadn't watched many cartoons before her mother and the others returned, which made her ecstatic. She promptly rushed to Jiang Yan Xin for a hug. That evening, after a simple dinner, the group rested, though Yi Yi, who required no sleep, stayed up on the second floor. Chen Wan awoke at her usual hour past six, noticing movement as she roused. After freshening up, she found Yi Yi in the driver’s seat, already on the road. Qin Ke, just waking up, was outside at the restroom. Standing at the stove, preparing a large pot of eight-treasure porridge, Chen Wan asked, "When did you start driving?" Yi Yi responded while navigating the road, "I don't need sleep, so I left at dawn around five. We still have about three hours to go. We should arrive by nine." "Great, I'll just heat the porridge. Then we can see what the situation is at Fu Nan City's base," Chen Wan replied, stirring the pot to prevent it from sticking. "Fu Nan City's base is centered downtown. I plan to park the van at the city's northern edge. Then we’ll find a car on the road to head over," Yi Yi explained her plan. "Sounds good. We need to hide the van well; it's our lifeline," Chen Wan noted while stirring the porridge. "Yeah, I'll pick a discreet spot. Trust me," Yi Yi reassured with a smile. By the time breakfast was ready, everyone, including Jiang Yan Xin and Cai Cai, was awake unusually early. Jiang Yan Xin, preoccupied with thoughts of her parents and sister, had been restless all night. With clarity imminent, she struggled to shake her anxiety. As soon as Chen Wan stirred, she too awoke. After sitting in contemplation, Jiang Yan Xin finally roused Cai Cai, who, despite her drowsiness, obediently followed to freshen up. Afterward, her energy returned, especially after noticing Yi Yi driving—the auntie with an endless chatterbox that fascinated her more than anyone else. After breakfast, it was only seven. Chen Wan joined Yi Yi at the passenger seat, looking at the road ahead. Thanks to military interventions, the roads were devoid of abandoned vehicles, and the sporadic zombies posed no threat. Two hours later, they reached Fu Nan City’s northern district. Yi Yi parked the van in an inconspicuous residential area consisting of just four small apartment buildings, away from the main street. Each adult carried a backpack, with Chen Wan holding Cai Cai. Meanwhile, Qin Ke checked vehicles in the area for gasoline, needing something to transport them to the base. The neighborhood was desolate, littered with decayed corpses, both human and zombie, emitting a foul stench typical in this post-apocalyptic world. Chen Wan and the others were accustomed to it, but Cai Cai, recalling traumatic memories, curled into Chen Wan’s arms, quivering. Chen Wan softly comforted her, "Don’t worry, little one. I’m here, nothing will harm us, alright?" Cai Cai meekly nodded. She understood speaking loud might attract danger, recalling an instance when loud crying almost led to her being abandoned. That fear of being left behind clung to her small heart, though she felt safe in the van with Chen Wan, outdoors, the fear crept back, rendering her voiceless. Qin Ke had successfully started an SUV and waved the others over. Chen Wan, holding Cai Cai, and Jiang Yan Xin climbed into the back, swapping places with Yi Yi, who took the driver’s seat. With efficiency, they exited the northern route, heading down the highway towards the city center. Chen Wan noted the urban layout, more mindful than before out of habit. Qin Ke mirrored her vigilance, a trait ingrained from her previous job. Even Yi Yi, usually talkative, remained uncharacteristically silent. Cai Cai nestled quietly against Chen Wan, harboring unspoken fear. Her newfound happiness with Chen Wan was not something she wished to jeopardize. Half an hour later, Yi Yi drove into the secure zone in Fu Nan City's center. Upon entering, they saw hundreds of survivors queued outside the gate. Vehicles were required to stop 200 meters from the entrance, where the military had set up a checkpoint. The street on the other side followed the same protocol. Yi Yi drove up to the checkpoint, where a soldier gestured for everyone to exit the vehicle. No hesitation, they all complied. The soldier hesitated upon seeing their group: two Alphas, a Beta, an Omega, and a small child. It was clear he was puzzled by how such a group managed to survive in the apocalypse, especially considering their striking appearances. Chen Wan noticed the soldier staring at them with a frown and stepped forward. "Hello, is there an issue?" she asked. “No, please proceed to queue up. You’ll need to pass the machine’s security check before fully entering the base,” the soldier replied, momentarily surprised that the woman before him showed no sign of fear. “Okay, thank you.” Chen Wan nodded appreciatively and, holding Cai Cai close, led the group towards the long line of people. Nearby, a few soldiers who had just conducted the security check were whispering among themselves. “Just watch, trouble is bound to happen again. They're bold, if you ask me. With looks like that, they’d be better off finding somewhere nearby to stay. The safe zone isn't necessarily safe,” one soldier commented. "Liu Zi, don’t speak carelessly. If someone hears you, there'll be consequences," another soldier, older than Liu Zi, cautioned him in a low voice. Liu Zi knitted his brows and muttered, “I’m just speaking the truth. We low-ranking soldiers have plenty to deal with daily, yet inside the safe zone, it’s still a mess. Who knows what will happen to them once they’re inside? I should at least warn them again; otherwise, I won’t feel right.”