Chapter Seventy-Two: The Bridge Has Collapsed
If one were to ask what the pleasures of life are, there would be many answers: holding power and standing above others, possessing unrivaled wealth and commanding the fate of millions. Yet, in the apocalypse, the greatest pleasure is simply survival.
The minivan crept forward, careful to avoid skidding. Inside, Wang Cheng chatted incessantly with Fu Gaobin about something Yang Fan couldn’t grasp—likely a game of sorts. Wang Cheng was a straightforward, cheerful man unconcerned with trivialities; it was no wonder he was friends with that scoundrel He Xiao. Such people had little scheming in them, which was one reason Yang Fan valued him.
“By the way, didn’t Guo Yu have a little girl with him?” Yang Fan suddenly asked Wang Cheng. In Ji Wu’s group, the most influential wasn’t He Xiao, but Guo Yu—the one who’d once declared he would snatch gear—and that little girl.
“Oh, Brother Yang Fan, it’s like this: after we encountered those monsters, we got separated from them,” Wang Cheng replied simply.
“I see.” Yang Fan nodded, distributing the last few cigarettes before sinking into thought.
Yang Fan was unfamiliar with Tian’nan City; in his previous life, he hadn’t even reached it before Qin Ziwen betrayed him. It was now the fourteenth day of the apocalypse, with six days left until the insect swarm erupted. In these six days, everyone’s level, equipment, and strength must be greatly improved, or it would be difficult to defend any camp.
“First, assemble a team for the Scroll of Beauties. With ten slots, the candidates won’t be weak. Zhu Liang must be strengthened; Chen Ming is crucial, Fu Gaobin as well, and Wang Cheng too. These two women can be added, leaving four more potential goddesses. At Chengbi Lake, the military is stationed and unlikely to let many civilians in, but perhaps four goddess-level candidates can be found. The resources, apocalypse coins required, will be immense.”
With these considerations, Yang Fan’s party slowly drove toward Chengbi Lake.
A screech of brakes.
At last, amidst everyone’s prayers, they arrived at Chengbi Lake—a vast river stretching a thousand meters wide. But as they reached it, they witnessed a scene that made their eyes widen.
The bridge had been blown apart, the surroundings reduced to ruins, as if shelled by artillery. Corpses lay everywhere, severed limbs scattered, the stench of blood heavy in the air. Yet the falling snow gradually buried it all.
“Damn, was there a nuclear battle here?”
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The bridge was shattered. Perhaps many monsters attacked Tian’nan City, and to protect it, the bridge was destroyed and the military stationed inside?” Fu Gaobin’s interpretation differed from Wu Liang’s; as a government worker, he knew more and understood the country’s intentions.
Snow fell thickly, the area ravaged by war, terrifying as scenes from the resistance years. Looking out, a city stood across the thousand-meter river, but it was only the gateway to Tian’nan City; five kilometers further in lay the city proper.
“It’s happened ahead of schedule.” Yang Fan, sitting in the car, was surprised. Blowing up the bridge wasn’t unexpected, but doing so early was unforeseen. Tian’nan City had few zombies or mutated beasts, and the insect race rarely invaded it.
It could be defended for a long time, allowing many humans to survive. It seemed Tian’nan City held some secret, but that was only speculation. For now, survival was paramount.
“What do we do?” Fu Gaobin asked, looking at the broken bridge in the distance, his expression grim.
Yang Fan glanced at Wu Liang, who shivered, then said, “NC City may have been abandoned, but we can head south. At the end is the NC military base—likely guarded by soldiers. We might find protection there. If not, we’ll have to swim to Tian’nan City, but…”
Wu Liang fell silent. Fu Gaobin, anxious, cursed, “But what? Stop acting mysterious!”
“But even if we swim across, the official troops might kill us. So we must enter Tian’nan City through proper channels, or else stay in NC, survive until Tian’nan City falls, or until the military can deal with mutated beasts and zombies. Right?”
Yang Fan spoke up. Wu Liang’s face showed surprise—he hadn’t expected Yang Fan to think so far ahead.
“So what now?” Fu Gaobin pressed. Yang Fan looked around the ruins, thinking, “Judging by the environment, the bridge was destroyed two or three days ago. The blood has mostly dried, and many bodies are already buried under snow. Zhu Liang, Chen Ming, and Zack likely haven’t entered Tian’nan City yet. All right…”
“Listen to him. Let’s head south, and step on it,” Yang Fan ordered. Fu Gaobin responded, speeding away. Yang Fan now stood as the backbone of the group—their spiritual pillar.
The van sped south, and everyone inside fell silent.
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Elsewhere, supported by Liu Xing, He Xiao and Ji Wu walked through the snow. He Xiao was no longer violent; instead, he moved calmly.
“What should we do next?” Liu Xing suddenly asked.
Ji Wu, walking ahead, paused without replying. He Xiao took a deep breath and decisively said, “Find a car and head to Chengbi Lake!”
He didn’t yet know what Chengbi Lake looked like now, or he wouldn’t have said that. Ji Wu nodded, and Liu Xing could only follow. Yet as Liu Xing helped He Xiao, he kept rubbing his chest against He Xiao’s hand. At first, He Xiao frowned, but seeing Liu Xing’s shy expression, a surge of desire rose within him.
“There’s a car.” Suddenly, while still savoring that strange sensation, He Xiao heard Ji Wu’s voice and shivered, feeling guilty as he looked over.
A bus slowly approached, darkened under the snow as the sky began to change.
(Thanks to the God King, the one who blocks me shall die, Mmmm** brother, and Bored Little Chick for your rewards, and… honestly, I can’t find the records of those who sent seeds in the past two days. Anyway, thank you all for the seeds, and thanks to Little Ghost, Eastern Dark Feather, Bloodstained Tower, Not Weaned Yet, OSD, and all friends for your care and support. There’s nothing I can repay you with but to persist these days, recover my state, and speed up my writing! I love you all!)