Chapter 153

Chapter 153

Meanwhile…

Qingshui and the other two continued down the road. They had reached a national highway in Wanhui and were steadily making their way forward.

Ye Que walked between the other two. She reached into her backpack and pulled out a small plastic bottle.

It contained snow they had boiled a few days ago while warming themselves in a sanitation worker’s roadside shed. They had poured the water into a discarded mineral water bottle, and by rationing every sip, the three of them had made it last for days.

She unscrewed the cap and handed it to Qingshui first.

Qingshui took a sip. The water was ice-cold, but it was still far better than eating snow directly. She passed the bottle to Wu Wujie, who also took a sip before returning it to Ye Que.

Ye Que took a sip herself, then screwed the cap on tight and carefully tucked the bottle back into her backpack.

After walking for about an hour, they came to an open area.

Several low buildings were faintly visible ahead. A few shattered signs stood on their roofs. The words were illegible, but the three of them could still tell it was a highway service area.

They immediately slowed down.

A service area meant food, but with their ammunition exhausted, it was also a natural hunting ground. All a Madman had to do was lurk in the shadows to easily drag passing survivors into hell.

Qingshui made a hand signal. Ye Que and Wu Wujie immediately stopped and crouched behind a clump of dead bushes.

“I’ll take a look,” Qingshui whispered.

Ye Que seemed about to say something, but Qingshui had already risen. Bent low, she crept toward the service area.

She gripped her knife, ready to bring it up at any moment. Once she drew close, she pressed herself against a corner and listened for a while.

Slowly, she peeked around it. The interior was pitch-black, but she could make out the outlines of shelves.

She pulled back and signaled toward the bushes. Ye Que and Wu Wujie hurried over in a crouch.

The three of them hugged the wall and squeezed through the entrance.

Most of the shelves were empty, but a few things were scattered across the floor. They weren’t picky. They picked up everything and stuffed it into their bags.

They continued deeper inside. When they reached the back, they stopped.

There was a voice-someone speaking. It sounded exhausted.

“…Tomorrow. Let’s wait for Xiao Chen to recover a little before we leave…”

They approached slowly. The voice was coming from a small room around the corner. Someone was talking inside.

“…So tired…”

Qingshui moved closer, only to notice the dark muzzle of a gun aimed through the gap in the door. She immediately raised one arm.

“We’re just passing through. We mean no harm.”

Qingshui took a step back and repeated, “We’re not Madmen. We’re only passing through and looking for some food.”

A woman darted out. The moment the door opened, Qingshui saw four people inside, all gathered by the doorway.

Their eyes met.

The woman looked Qingshui over before asking, her tone relatively polite, “Where did you… come from?”

The two groups stood seven or eight feet apart, sizing each other up.

“Ganxi,” Qingshui replied.

“That’s a long way. Same for us. We came from Ebei.”

Qingshui studied her, then ventured a question. “Have you heard anything from the government? About… airdrops, for example?”

“We can trade information.”

It wasn’t easy to find living people. Qingshui wanted to see if they could exchange news.

The woman hesitated for a moment before sharing a crucial piece of information. “New word came through a week ago. There’s supposed to be a second airdrop sometime in the next few days.”

Qingshui’s lashes trembled sharply, and her eyes lit up for an instant. In return, she offered information of her own. “If you feel an earthquake, run immediately. Don’t look back.”

The woman froze. “An earthquake?”

“The ground will split open. Things will crawl out of the cracks.”

“What kind of things? Madmen?”

“Mm,” Qingshui answered. Then she added, “A soldier told me.”

The woman’s expression changed instantly, but she committed the warning to memory. After exchanging a few more words, Qingshui said goodbye.

“Thanks.”

They had traded information that could mean the difference between life and death, but trust in the apocalypse was thinner than ice. Neither side invited the other to travel together.

The woman waved a hand. “We’re all just trying to survive. No need to thank me.”

Qingshui led Ye Que and Wu Wujie away from the small room. Ye Que looked at her.

“Keep going?”

“Yeah.” Qingshui thought for a moment. “We’ll slow down and wait for the airdrop.”

Wu Wujie nodded. The three of them scavenged a few more items before leaving the service area.

Then they continued onward, boots crunching through the snow.