Food

The two soldiers, based on their uniforms, appeared to be a lieutenant and a non-commissioned officer. Song Jun had discreetly introduced the remaining six members of their group to Chu Xiang. The lieutenant's name was Xu Changtian, and the non-commissioned officer was Zhang Debing. The beautiful woman was named Su Yulian. Based on Song Jun's observations, the two soldiers were likely assigned to protect her safety, suggesting that Su Yulian's identity was far from ordinary. The bald man driving the fuel tanker was named He Er, the elder was Wang Jinbao, and the young man was Wang Bin.

Xu Changtian surveyed the broken bridge for a while, then called everyone to disembark and set up camp. When he saw Chu Xiang descending from the Jinlong minibus, he walked over. "You're awake?" he asked.

Chu Xiang nodded. Xu Changtian didn't say much more, not even introducing himself, which Chu Xiang had grown accustomed to. In these chaotic times, identities and names had become trivial. Xu Changtian gathered everyone together and instructed Zhang Debing to fetch food and water from the CRV.

Clearing his throat, Xu Changtian said, "Everyone, our food and water will only last for today. We'll distribute them now. Tomorrow morning, we'll figure out how to cross the river. If we can't reach Tong City by the day after tomorrow, then we'll all be at the mercy of fate."

The food was simple: a few bags of puffed snacks for children, some bread, and enough bottled water for each pair to share one. Water was plentiful in the area, but people had learned the hard way not to drink indiscriminately, as it could lead to indirect infection. So, unless they were unbearably thirsty, no one was willing to take the risk.

Chu Xiang and Song Jun received a bag of small bread, a packet of shrimp snacks, and a bottle of Wahaha mineral water. The bread wasn't even enough to fill one person's stomach. What was worse, Chu Xiang noticed that the bread was already moldy, but even moldy bread was better than starvation.

"Eat," Song Jun said, handing him the bread and water. "You've just recovered from a high fever. You need to regain your strength."

Chu Xiang shook his head. "I'm not hungry. I just need some water."

At that moment, Wang Bo walked past them with his food. In a mocking tone, he said, "Not hungry? Then let me have that bread."

Without hesitation, Wang Bo reached for the moldy bread in Chu Xiang's hand, thinking that the sick man wouldn't dare to resist. But Chu Xiang wasn't as weak as Wang Bo had imagined. He grabbed Wang Bo's wrist with surprising strength. Since waking up from his fall, Chu Xiang had noticed a distinct difference in his physical capabilities. After the fever, he felt significantly stronger. Wang Bo's bones cracked under his grip, and he quickly tried to shake him off.

"Let go, you bastard! I'll kill you!" Wang Bo's face twisted in pain, and he dropped the bread. With a swift movement, he pulled out a Type 54 pistol from his Armani jacket.

People on the run always carried weapons, most of which were scavenged from police stations and military supplies.

However, Wang Bo didn't expect Song Jun's reaction to be faster than his own. The moment his gun was raised, a homemade crossbow was pressed against his forehead. Song Jun's voice was cold as ice. "Let him go, or I'll put a hole in your skull."

Wang Bo had witnessed Song Jun's ruthless efficiency in dealing with zombies, and the memory of seeing a bullet pierce a zombie's brain still haunted him. He knew that Song Jun was not someone to be trifled with. Despite the threat, he didn't want to lose face by backing down. But when he saw no other choice, he reluctantly lowered the gun, and Song Jun withdrew the crossbow.

"Fuck!" Wang Bo spat, glaring at Zhang Hongbing. "I wouldn't even touch your wife if you paid me. Get rid of her already—she's a liability. Beautiful women are everywhere, but keeping a burden like that around will get her killed sooner or later."

With that, Wang Bo turned and stormed off, abandoning the food on the ground. The whole exchange had been witnessed by Xu Changtian, Zhang Debing, and Su Yulian, but none of them intervened. He Er, the bald man, was too busy eating his moldy bread to care about what had just transpired. However, Wang Jinbao and Wang Bin, the middle-aged man and the young boy, exchanged a few glances, clearly more aware of the dynamics at play.

In this group of survivors, no one was willing to follow anyone's orders. If not for Xu Changtian and Zhang Debing being armed with semi-automatic rifles and their military status, it was doubtful the food would be in their hands. But now, the food supply was running low, and it would take at least another day and night to reach Tong City. Survival would come down to luck.

Chu Xiang had absolute confidence that Song Jun would shoot first, should it come to a confrontation with Wang Bo. This bond had been forged over more than fifty days of escape, and it wasn't by chance that they were still alive. It was because of their skill and teamwork—a crucial asset in these turbulent times.

Despite everything, Chu Xiang felt a flicker of gratitude toward Zhang Hongbing. Although the man wasn't much to look at, Chu Xiang clapped him on the shoulder. "Thank you. My name is Chu Xiang, and this is Song Jun. If we make it to Tong City, we'll buy you a drink."

Zhang Hongbing chuckled. "Sure, but make sure you find me a couple of pretty women. I'm about to lose my mind."

Chu Xiang instinctively glanced over at Zhang Jingyao not far away, and Zhang Hongbing noticed. "Don't bother," he said with a grin. "She's not related to me, despite the same surname. She's ugly and smells bad. If you want her, take her. She's all yours."

Zhang Hongbing's words weren't meant as a direct insult, but rather a reflection of the harsh reality of survival. Women had become burdens in fleeing groups. Apart from consuming resources, they only slowed down the team, and when zombies attacked, all they did was scream. As a result, women's status had plummeted, but they had little choice but to accept it. Without the group, they would be doomed.

Chu Xiang chuckled and shook his head, and Zhang Hongbing spoke in a lower tone, "How much gold do you have? When we get to Tong City, you'll probably need to trade it for food. I hear paper money isn't worth anything anymore. I found a lot of jewelry on abandoned cars along the way. Looks like I'm going to make a fortune."

Chu Xiang and Song Jun exchanged a glance. They had indeed found some jewelry along the road but had discarded it, as it was too much of a hassle to carry. They still had a few thousand yuan in cash, though, and if what Zhang Hongbing said was true, they might face some difficulties when they arrived in Tong City. But the government wasn't likely to hold onto such trivial wealth during an emergency. In these trying times, they might need to rely on gold or jewelry to secure basic necessities.

With the early spring weather still chilly, most of the group returned to their vehicles after the meal. Chu Xiang and Song Jun gathered some dry branches and started a fire in an open area. Sleeping in the vehicle was getting colder, so they decided to make do by the fire. This was a survival tactic they had learned on the road: even if zombies attacked, the vehicles offered no real protection without additional barriers.

Tong City was not far from the provincial capital of H Province, Shishi. Chu Xiang speculated that there would likely be a large population of survivors in such a major city, and the government machinery would still be functioning. He hoped to find ample supplies and equipment there, and then travel through H Province to his home in S Province. As for Song Jun, he had already confirmed that his family had perished, and he intended to stay with Chu Xiang in S Province.

Song Jun spread some hay next to the fire, and after they ate the moldy bread, he quickly fell asleep. Chu Xiang pulled out the PDA, which was running low on battery. If they didn't find a way to charge it or get a new battery, the map would soon be useless. While it still had power, Chu Xiang decided to memorize as many routes as he could.

The PDA's stylus was unique, attached to the device by a metal wire. As he studied the map, Chu Xiang absentmindedly bit the tip of the stylus, a habit from his school days. Suddenly, the tip of the stylus snapped open, and a needle, finer than a sewing needle, shot into his lip before retracting back into the pen. The PDA's screen then flashed a bright red, displaying only the message "Blood test in progress," no matter how much he pressed the keys.