168 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Chapter 168: Escaping to Safety in a Wasteland A group of people moved most of the items from the third-floor warehouse before making their way up to the fourth floor. Chen Wan used a fire axe to break open the door of the fourth-floor warehouse. As soon as the door swung open, a strong, putrid stench greeted them, emanating from the direction of the freezer inside. She went over to open the freezer and found it filled with spoiled and decaying animal meat. Quickly shutting the freezer door, Chen Wan stepped back a few paces and said, "These meats are all spoiled. Let's focus on transporting things like grains." "Alright, thankfully most of the rice and flour are vacuum-packed, so they shouldn't be affected by the smell," Jiang Yan Xin nodded and smiled. "Yes, but this smell is really intense," Chen Wan said, covering her nose and stepping further away from the freezer. She shifted her attention from the freezer to a wall stacked with boxes. Opening one, she found it was filled with various military cans: luncheon meat, beef, tuna, and more. Chen Wan stacked two large boxes together, hefted them onto her shoulders, and started down the stairs. With no working elevator, they had to carry everything up and down by hand. Fortunately, she was strong, and with Shen Ming Yan and Yi Yi, both being androids with considerable strength, the work went swiftly. Qi Jing and her companions were also diligently loading supplies into the armored vehicle. Despite the exhaustion, the security of having supplies filled them with an indescribable joy. They continued moving supplies until noon, filling every possible space in the RV and even placing additional boxes of canned goods and grains on the ground floor. As they left, the streets remained quiet. Chen Wan returned to the RV and disinfected it thoroughly with bleach before driving along the main road out of the city. With snow just melted, the city was filled with dirty water mingling with decaying corpses, and Chen Wan worried that staying too long would inevitably lead to illness. So, she drove onward, followed closely by Qi Jing's armored vehicle. The afternoon heat added an unpleasant smell outside, and she didn't dare open the windows, opting to turn on the RV's air conditioning instead. On their journey, they passed several other teams, most heading for the outskirts like them. They also encountered survivors pleading for help on the roadside. Seeing the military vehicle trailing their RV, these survivors waved desperately. Chen Wan noticed they were tall, strong male Alphas and didn't intend to have Yi Yi stop the car. The RV sped past, splashing water, and Qi Jing, recalling a lesson learned from white-eyed wolves at the mall, floored the gas pedal to keep pace with Chen Wan's RV. They drove until they neared the winding mountain roads in the suburbs, stopping only when they found a higher, less populated area free from muddy water and decaying bodies. Here, they decided to cook. Qi Jing and her team got out to start a fire and cook as well. Having their own supplies, they felt less guilty about consuming Chen Wan's food. Chen Wan chopped the meat from the luncheon meat and beef cans into pieces, adding them to a pot of congee that was seasoned with a sprinkle of green onion when served—a simple meal. While they were eating, several other vehicles emerged from the city and stopped upon seeing Chen Wan's group taking a break there, eventually forming a small, temporary camp. Chen Wan and Qin Ke prepared to step out for some air and to see if they could gather any useful information. Qi Jing and her team had just finished cooking. Chen Wan noticed that their congee was quite similar, all with canned meat cooked into it. Qi Jing invited them to eat, saying, "It's just ready if you'd like to join us." Chen Wan politely declined with a smile, "We're having the same thing. You all enjoy. Qin Ke and I are just going to take a walk." After Chen Wan reassured them, Qi Jing and her companions began their meal while Chen Wan and Qin Ke wandered nearby to digest. Soon enough, others from the parked cars nearby joined them for fresh air. Two young men alighted from a nearby SUV—one an Alpha, the other an Omega. Approaching Chen Wan and Qin Ke, they greeted them. "You guys just left the city too?" "Yes," Chen Wan nodded, curious about what they might say next. "Wow, we're all lucky to have survived being buried under all that snow. Sister, you have no idea how we've been scraping by these months. Luckily, we found shelter in a convenience store; otherwise, we might have starved. What about you? How did you manage?" The man's tousled hair was like a bird's nest, a clear sign of little care for appearances as he continued talking. "Similar situation, really. We've been staying in a mall until now," Chen Wan glanced at them, noting that the one beside him was talkative, while the slightly taller Alpha watched them warily. "Man, you had better luck. There must've been blankets in the mall. We were freezing, like dogs, until he..." The man called Zha Wo Ji stopped suddenly as if catching himself, then changed the topic, "So, are you heading to the First District too?" "The First District? Is that a new settlement?" Chen Wan inquired. "Not exactly new. We heard back in the city that the First District was established in Qin City, to the west of the capital, across several mountain ranges. It wasn't clear if it was affected by the snowstorm. But word was, it was well managed and even safer than here, leading many to flock there. Since we can't stay in the capital any longer, we're headed there too," he explained. Chen Wan nodded thoughtfully, not saying much in response. Another man, who had been listening from a pickup truck, got out and joined the conversation, suggesting, “Are you all heading to the First District as well? Let's travel together; I know the way there. It’s safer to stick together in these times.” "Sounds good. The more, the merrier, right? Things can't get any worse than they are now," Zha Wo Ji chuckled. Chen Wan exchanged glances with Qin Ke and said, "Alright, we'll discuss it with our companions." "What's there to discuss? The First District is secure, and you can trade supplies there. There's hardly a safer place," Zha Wo Ji insisted with a grin. Returning to the RV, Chen Wan shared the information with everyone. Given the harsh conditions, they were unsure of any safe locations. Chen Wan considered their options and asked, "Should we check it out too? We're still short of a few supplies needed to upgrade the RV to level six. If we can find them at the First District, it would be beneficial." "Currently, what we need for the RV upgrade to level six are 70 heavy-duty trucks, 1,000 cars, and 5,000 level 2 zombie crystals, which we have. However, we still need three level 3 mutated animal crystals, and we've only got two," Yi Yi added. "Sure, let's head to the First District. If trading requires surrendering our supplies, we can leave. Otherwise, it’s worth settling there and gathering the remaining crystals," Jiang Yan Xin agreed. "Alright then, let's travel with them. Having Qi Jing's group follow us isn't convenient long-term. If they can settle in the First District, all the better," Chen Wan concluded. She exited the RV and confirmed a plan to depart at 2 p.m. with Zha Wo Ji and the others, led by the man driving the pickup. Later that afternoon, after a brief rest, Chen Wan's group—now joined by a few other vehicles unsure of where to go—formed a small caravan and slowly made their way to the First District. The journey to the First District involved winding mountain roads, passing several major mountains. As they neared their destination in the evening, the sun began setting on the horizon. Their caravan halted at the first checkpoint of the First District, guarded by roughly 20 armed soldiers on either side and eight armored tanks on the adjacent land. The substantial military presence conveyed a stern warning: any misstep could lead to dire consequences. After a brief inspection, Chen Wan and her group smoothly passed through the first checkpoint of the First District. They drove for another half an hour, and the buildings and shops became increasingly dense. Beyond lay a vast area enclosed by tall, heavy steel plates, with only one large gate open. On either side of this gate stood about fifty armed soldiers, while two rows of rocket launchers were mounted behind the steel plates, ready for use at a moment's notice. The inspection at this gate was significantly stricter than the first checkpoint. There, soldiers had conducted a simple examination, but here, everyone in the vehicle was required to disembark and pass through an instrument inside a nearby building for screening. Only those who passed were allowed entry into the First District. Chen Wan's group had not planned to hide their numbers; though having nine people in the RV might seem excessive, it wasn't uncommon given the nature of apocalyptic survival. As she stepped out of the vehicle, Chen Wan inquired, "Hello, may I ask if we are allowed entry into the First District, do we have to surrender our vehicles and supplies?" "There’s no need to hand over vehicles or supplies. This checkpoint is for screening people, and the third checkpoint will have machines to inspect vehicle contents. As long as there are no guns, cannons, or large knives, we won’t confiscate anything. If we do find firearms, we’ll provide you with equivalent compensation in supplies," a soldier explained. "Thank you," Chen Wan replied thoughtfully, already formulating a plan in her mind. As they approached the inspection building, she asked Yi Yi, "Yi Yi, can you ensure that the machines don’t detect what's inside our RV? Especially the things on the first floor that we can't let the military know about." Yi Yi smiled reassuringly, "Don’t worry, it's all taken care of." Yi Yi was able to block the external machines’ detection signals, making it appear as though their RV was just an ordinary vehicle. She could also create a visual illusion, concealing the RV's first-floor door and elevator, leaving the inspectors with nothing unusual to find. As they spoke, Chen Wan and her group entered the building. The modified equipment inside didn’t require individual inspections. Instead, it could scan a group of people within a few seconds to deliver results. Naturally, Chen Wan and her companions passed without issue; Yi Yi had enhanced her and Shen Ming Yan's signal cloaking, making them appear completely human, thus posing no problems for the machines.