Early Tomorrow Morning, We Drive Back to the Base

While the human and the cat were facing off inside the warehouse, the roar of an off-road vehicle's engine sounded outside.

Xie Li glanced down at her wristwatch and saw she was a few minutes past the agreed-upon time, a flicker of anxiety rising. Jin Zhaoye must have come looking for her after she didn't show up.

Startled by the noise, the big cat's tail shot straight up, the low rumbling in its throat quickening. Its golden eyes shifted away from Xie Li to glance toward the entrance.

The next second, it opened its massive maw, its four thick legs powerfully pushing off the ground as it lunged straight at Xie Li.

The gaping, bloody mouth was instantly right in front of her.

Xie Li focused her mind, pulling a frozen, rock-hard pork leg from her Space. It was still covered in frost. Gripping the hock, she swung it in a wide arc, smashing it into the big cat.

*Thump!*

The several-hundred-pound cat was sent flying by the blow.

Its bulky body tumbled through the air a few times before crashing into a metal shelving unit. The rack collapsed with a loud clatter, sending a cloud of dust billowing high.

A sharp *crack* sounded from the arm Xie Li used to swing the pork leg—her shoulder had dislocated.

Her vision went dark for a moment, and cold sweat instantly broke out. Clenching her teeth against the pain, she kept her expression unchanged, watching as the big cat got up from the floor, completely unharmed.

"Just eat your pork leg!"

Xie Li grabbed the pork hock with her good hand and threw it toward the cat. "We've fought, and you clearly can't beat me. Don't force it."

Perhaps having been beaten once, the cat's eyes seemed a bit clearer. It gave Xie Li a look, then slowly backed away, the pork hock in its mouth.

Xie Li also began slowly retreating toward the warehouse exit, both of them wary of a sudden ambush from the other.

Just as she neared the door, Xie Li turned and ran. The moment she reached the warehouse entrance, the off-road vehicle screeched to a halt right in front of her.

Xie Li yanked the door open, scrambled into the passenger seat, slammed the door shut with a *bang*, and urged hurriedly, "Go, go! Get us out of here first!"

Jin Zhaoye floored the accelerator, and the vehicle shot forward. In the rearview mirror, the Big Orange Cat poked its head out of the warehouse, the pork leg in its mouth, giving them a disdainful glance before pulling back inside.

Once they'd left the jade market, Jin Zhaoye braked and pulled the car over to the side of the road. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she turned to look at Xie Li.

"Your hand is hurt?"

"I think it's dislocated." Xie Li grimaced, pointing at her shoulder. "Right here. I heard a crack, and then I didn't dare move it."

"Let me see." Jin Zhaoye gently lifted her arm, moving very slowly.

The moment she moved it, Xie Li gasped sharply in pain.

"It's fine, it's not dislocated." Jin Zhaoye soothed softly. "Here, look out the window. Are there Zombies chasing us?"

Xie Li instinctively turned her head to look outside. The street was empty; the nearest Zombie was still over a hundred meters away.

"No—"

She'd barely uttered the word when another sharp *crack* sounded inside the cabin.

Jin Zhaoye had suddenly exerted force with her hands, shoving Xie Li's dislocated shoulder joint back into place.

Xie Li turned her head and stared at her blankly.

"Try moving it." Jin Zhaoye released her hand expressionlessly, sat back in the driver's seat, fastened her seatbelt, and started the car.

Xie Li tentatively moved her arm. Though it still felt a bit sore and swollen, the sharp pain was gone.

She pulled out a tissue, wiped the leftover ice crystals from her palm, and muttered, "Jin Zhaoye, you look so honest and upright. How can you lie to someone with a straight face?"

Jin Zhaoye stared intently ahead. "How did you hurt your hand?"

"You're changing the subject." Xie Li pouted. "I ran into a kitty cat. It blocked my way and delayed me a bit. It almost bit me."

"A cat?" Jin Zhaoye's tone held a note of doubt. How could a cat dislocate Xie Li's shoulder?

"A very big cat." Xie Li gestured with her hands. "Felt bigger than a full-grown tiger. It was all muscle, and its claws had evolved too. The concrete floor was brittle as a biscuit under its paws."

Jin Zhaoye's brows furrowed. This was definitely not good news. Mutated animals posed a much greater threat than Zombies. They had speed, strength, and hunting instincts.

Xie Li glanced at her and offered comfort. "Don't worry, it didn't bite me. Even though it mutated, I think it retained some reason. It probably attacked me because it was hungry."

"We need to go back and tell everyone about this. We have to evacuate the city as soon as possible." Jin Zhaoye said.

Xie Li nodded in agreement, feeling she and Jin Zhaoye were really in sync, thinking the same thing.

"Can we go back a bit later? I want to go to the warehouse supermarket." She opened the offline map to show Jin Zhaoye. "Right here. It's not far from us, just a few kilometers."

Jin Zhaoye glanced at the map, turned the steering wheel, and headed toward the warehouse supermarket.

After turning a few corners and nearing the supermarket, the number of abandoned vehicles on the road increased.

It was likely that when the disaster struck, many people had driven toward the supermarket to stock up on food, only to end up completely stuck on the road.

"We can't get through." Jin Zhaoye braked about a kilometer from the supermarket. The road ahead was completely blocked.

Abandoned vehicles were jammed together, the gaps so narrow a person would have to squeeze through sideways, let alone an off-road vehicle.

Xie Li leaned out to look, then pulled her head back in. "Do you want to drive around nearby and wait for me to come out?"

Jin Zhaoye glanced in the rearview mirror. Several Zombies were running toward them from the road behind.

She shifted into reverse, floored the accelerator, and rammed the Zombies away. "The supermarket isn't like the jade market. There are many Zombies here, Xie Li. I won't let you go in alone."

Xie Li scanned the buildings lining the street and got an idea. "I'll go to the Rooftop and lure the Zombies over."

Jin Zhaoye followed her gaze. "What's your plan?"

"Go in there and find something..." Xie Li lowered her voice and explained her plan.

After listening, Jin Zhaoye stared at her for a few seconds, then nodded. "Alright. I'll give you ten minutes. After ten minutes, you must come down."

"Deal." Having said that, Xie Li pushed the car door open, got out, and hurried toward the old building.

Pushing open the rusty iron door at the base of the building, Xie Li climbed up the old staircase. As she went up, she knocked on doors, but aside from attracting a few Zombies, she didn't encounter a single survivor.

It made sense. With Zombies this dense here, any survivors would have fled long ago.

Reaching the top floor, Xie Li pushed open the door to the Rooftop. She took out a large piece of pork from her Space, along with several boxes of chilled pig and duck blood, and smeared them all over the pork, coating it inside and out.

Xie Li leaned in to sniff. The bloody smell still wasn't strong enough. She decisively pulled a fruit knife from her Space, made a shallow cut on her arm, and let the blood drip onto the meat. Now the scent was potent enough.

She hung the prepared pork on the railing at the edge of the Rooftop. Then she took out several more boxes of pig blood and smashed them against the wall below, ensuring the smell would waft all the way down to the street. Only then did she turn and run back downstairs.

Back in the off-road vehicle, the moment Xie Li sat down, Jin Zhaoye honked the horn.

*Beep—!*

The sound of the horn was like a thunderclap shattering the sky.

Zombies hiding in various places all surged out. Even those trapped inside cars stretched their pale, rotting arms out of the windows, clawing and waving at the air.

Watching the densely packed, surging figures in the rearview mirror, Xie Li got goosebumps. "Go, go, go! Let's get out of here!"

Jin Zhaoye shifted into reverse, accelerated before the Zombies could fully surround them, and shot away.

The gathered Zombies paid no attention to the fleeing hunk of metal. Drawn by the scent of blood, they all swarmed toward the old building.

Observing this through the rearview mirror, Jin Zhaoye praised, "You're not completely without cleverness."

"I told you I was smart." Xie Li mumbled, pretending to pull a large Band-Aid from her pocket. She tore open the packaging and stuck it over the cut on her arm.

Jin Zhaoye's gaze fell on her arm. "You cut yourself?"

Xie Li pulled her sleeve down to cover the Band-Aid, explaining, "I was afraid the pork alone wouldn't be effective enough, so I added a bit of something fresh."

"A truly clever person wouldn't choose to hurt themselves."

"It was an emergency." Xie Li's voice grew a bit guilty as she spoke, though she didn't know why. She added, "Actually, I cut it very shallow. It'll heal in a day or two."

Jin Zhaoye remained unmoved by her words, focusing on the road ahead. The car navigated around a pile of abandoned vehicles and turned onto another main road.

Xie Li stole several glances at her but couldn't read any expression on her face.

After taking a detour and arriving near the supermarket again, Jin Zhaoye braked and parked the car by the roadside.

"Your body is your own. Whether it hurts or not, you know best. Let's go." Having said that, she picked up her sledgehammer and got out of the car.

Xie Li hurriedly unbuckled her seatbelt, pushed the door open, and jogged to catch up. "Heh, Jin Zhaoye, you're really concerned about me~"

Jin Zhaoye didn't look at her, switching the hammer to her more dominant right hand. "Stop talking nonsense. We'll go over the car roofs."

She tilted her chin toward the abandoned van ahead, signaling Xie Li to climb up.

Xie Li obediently climbed onto the van's roof, steadied herself, then turned and offered Jin Zhaoye a hand.

Jin Zhaoye took her hand and climbed up. The two of them moved toward the supermarket by jumping from one vehicle roof to another.

The Zombies trapped inside the cars were disturbed, reaching out their arms to claw and grab at them.

Occasionally, a Zombie would crawl out through a shattered windshield, half its body hanging out of the car, only to be kicked back in by Xie Li or have its head smashed by Jin Zhaoye's hammer.

They made it to the supermarket entrance without major incident. The supermarket's rolling shutter was mostly down, leaving only a half-meter gap at the bottom, making it impossible to see inside.

"Let's test it first." Jin Zhaoye bent down, picked up a fallen can from the ground, and threw it inside.

The can bounced a couple of times on the floor with a *clatter-clang*, rolling deep into the supermarket. The sound echoed far through the sales floor.

Immediately, a chorus of roars rose from behind the shutter, followed by the sound of杂乱 footsteps moving toward the entrance.

The two of them ducked to the side of the door, waiting for the Zombies to emerge.

The moment the first Zombie poked its head out, Jin Zhaoye smashed its skull. The second, third, and every subsequent Zombie that followed met the same fate.

It was like a game of whack-a-mole. Xie Li and Jin Zhaoye worked in perfect sync, one covering the right side, the other watching the left. Not a single Zombie managed to successfully crawl out of the supermarket.

After fighting for a long time, Zombies finally stopped emerging from behind the shutter.

A layer of corpses piled up at the entrance, black blood pooled on the ground, and the stench of decay was thick enough to make one gag.

Jin Zhaoye shook the blood off her hammerhead, gave Xie Li a look, and together they bent down to pull the rolling shutter upward.

The shutter rolled up, revealing bright electric lights.

The good news was the supermarket's power was still functioning normally. The bad news was the sales floor was a mess: shelves were toppled, goods scattered everywhere.

Dried black blood was splattered across the ceiling and floor, sticky underfoot. The air was thick with an inescapable odor of decay.

After surveying the situation, Xie Li said to Jin Zhaoye, "Let's split up. You gather some supplies over here. I'll go check out the warehouse in the back."

"Be careful." Jin Zhaoye offered the reminder, then let Xie Li go.

"Mm, you too." Xie Li replied, then dashed toward the warehouse.

The warehouse was at the very back of the supermarket, requiring her to cross the entire sales floor.

Xie Li ran full speed, her footsteps making *splat-splat* sounds on the sticky floor.

Passing the housewares section, she didn't stop, just waved her hand. Pots, pans, food containers, thermoses, cutlery sets—everything on the shelves vanished in one go.

Reaching the condiments aisle, she did the same. Cooking oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, hotpot base, savory sauces, pickled side dishes... entire rows disappeared.

These items, which wouldn't spoil quickly, were all piled into her Space, neatly organized within the livestock and cultivation areas.

After clearing these miscellaneous goods, Xie Li ran to the cold storage area.

Unlike the chaos outside, the cold storage door was tightly shut, seemingly untouched.

Xie Li gripped the handle and pulled hard.

A blast of cold air hit her face. White mist poured from the gap, swirling over her feet. The chill invigorated her, instantly evaporating the fine sweat on her forehead. She stepped inside.

The sight before her made Xie Li grin widely. Crates of frozen meat were stacked like fortress walls. There wasn't just pork chops, beef steaks, and other meats, but also a vast array of seafood: large shrimp, scallops, salmon, mussels...

Xie Li moved through the space, collecting wherever she went. After the frozen meat came the seafood, after the seafood came various frozen foods.

She was like a high-powered harvester, reaping supplies within the cold storage. After emptying the entire freezer, she turned into the adjacent refrigerated section.

Having been stored for several days already, the fruits and vegetables in the refrigerated section were a bit wilted, but it didn't affect their edibility at all.

Xie Li wasn't picky either. She took whatever she saw: eggs, milk, yogurt, fruit, butter, cheese, cakes, bread, marinated meats—she didn't miss a single category, all of it entering her Space.

By the end, her static storage Space was completely full. She focused her mind for a quick look inside—not a single gap remained—before stopping with satisfaction.

This amount of food was enough for her to eat for ten lifetimes.

Exiting the cold storage, Xie Li walked briskly toward the ambient-temperature warehouse. Now her food reserves were completely sufficient; all she lacked was something to drink.

The ambient-temperature warehouse was several times larger than the cold storage, and the goods piled inside were countless.

Xie Li began her familiar harvesting routine. Mineral Water, cola, juice, energy drinks, beer, red wine, liquor—the supplies on the shelves vanished rapidly.

The second row was instant noodles, self-heating hotpots, and other quick meals. Taken. The third row held various canned goods: braised pork, luncheon meat, yellow peaches, instant porridge, etc. Taken.

Further back were all sorts of rice, noodles, snacks, dried goods, candy, chocolate, coffee, etc. She accepted these with a smile too.

After clearing the food section, Xie Li walked to the outdoor supplies area. Tents, sleeping bags, camping lights, headlamps, flashlights, various gas canisters, portable stoves, windbreakers, quick-dry clothes, and all kinds of protective gear—she took them all.

She didn't overlook the personal hygiene section either. Toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, body wash, shampoo, soap, laundry detergent, tissues, disinfectant wipes, condoms—anything that might be useful in the future, she collected a good amount.

The tools section was also ransacked by Xie Li. Hammers, wrenches, ropes, tape, tarps, lighters, solid fuel, candles, etc.

Xie Li even found several crates of entrenching tools, machetes, telescopic batons, and other self-defense weapons. She pulled one out to test it; the blade was sharp, far better than her old axe.

She tucked the machete at her waist and stored the rest in her Space.

The goal of this trip could be considered perfectly achieved. Xie Li turned and exited the warehouse, considerately closing the large door behind her.

Truthfully, there were still many, many supplies left on the shelves inside. She took everything from the refrigerated and frozen sections because the power would soon fail, and those items would rot. It would be a waste not to take them.

As for these ambient-temperature, shelf-stable items like rice, flour, oil, and grains, she'd leave some for those who came after. Leave a little room for others—consider it mutual aid among cannon fodder.

Back in the sales floor, Xie Li saw Jin Zhaoye pushing a shopping cart.

She looked like she'd been waiting for a while, leaning idly against the cart with one hand on the handle, the other tucked into her cargo pants pocket. Her shirt was open, revealing a taut waistline. Just standing there casually, she looked like she was shooting a magazine cover—the cool, post-apocalyptic sister style.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up toward Xie Li.

"You loaded up this much stuff?" Xie Li quickly walked over, glancing at the several large black backpacks in the cart, all bulging.

"Since we're here, we should bring some things back." Jin Zhaoye slung one backpack over her shoulder and picked up another. "You carry the last one."

Xie Li reached out to lift the backpack, her arm sinking slightly under the weight. "Whoa, not light. Dr. Jin, what did you pack in here?"

"Compressed Biscuits and such. Let's go, we should head back." Jin Zhaoye started walking forward.

From start to finish, she didn't ask how Xie Li had gone in empty-handed and come out empty-handed, nor did she explain why she herself had packed three backpacks. It was as if she was certain Xie Li would emerge empty-handed.

"I'll go ahead. Your hands are full." Xie Li moved past her, drew the machete from her waist, and began clearing the path ahead.

Exiting the supermarket, the two of them ran back along their original route, jumping from car roof to car roof.

Most of the Zombies lured away earlier hadn't wandered back yet. Only a few stragglers that had just drifted nearby, hearing the commotion, ran toward them. Before they could get close, Xie Li dispatched them one by one with her blade.

Reaching the off-road vehicle, Jin Zhaoye opened the trunk and stuffed the backpacks inside. Xie Li tossed hers in as well.

They got in the car, the engine started, and they drove toward Jinfeng Tower.

Jin Zhaoye held the steering wheel, glancing at the sky. "It's getting dark. Let's find a Gas Station to refuel tomorrow?"

Xie Li slumped lazily in the passenger seat, eyes closed, and replied, "Honestly, if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have completely forgotten."

The corner of Jin Zhaoye's mouth lifted, a hint of a smile appearing in her eyes. "I know."

"You're laughing at me for being stupid again." Xie Li mumbled, shrinking further into her seat.

Collecting things in the supermarket had been exhilarating, but the mental energy expenditure was equally huge. If it weren't for the danger outside, she would have wanted to lie down and sleep long ago.

Now, sitting in the car, drowsiness washed over her, impossible to suppress.

Jin Zhaoye glanced at her in the rearview mirror and drove even more steadily.

The off-road vehicle traversed the desolate, deathly silent streets, navigating around abandoned cars as it headed toward Jinfeng Tower.

By the time they reached the base of the tower, the sky had already darkened, and there were more Zombies wandering below than in the morning.

Jin Zhaoye parked the car by the roadside, unbuckled her seatbelt, turned, and patted Xie Li's shoulder.

"We're here. Go back and sleep."

Xie Li groggily opened her eyes. Before her vision could focus, she was first startled by the beautiful face that had leaned in close.

She jerked her head back, hitting the car door with a not-so-small *thud*.

Suppressing a laugh, Jin Zhaoye turned her head away, tossed out a "Get out if you're awake," then pulled the car door open and got out.

Rubbing her warm cheeks, Xie Li pushed the door open, got out, grabbed a backpack from the trunk, and followed Jin Zhaoye toward the building.

After a quick cleanup of the Zombies downstairs, the two cleared a path without much effort.

Upstairs, Ning Meng and Lan Ran, guarding the door, opened it immediately to let them in.

Ning Meng reached out to take the backpack from Jin Zhaoye's shoulder, and Lan Ran also came over to help, but Xie Li waved her off.

"This is heavy." She took off the backpack herself and dropped it by the entrance.

Hearing the commotion, Bai Jingning emerged from the private room. Seeing the two return safe and sound, a smile flickered in her eyes.

"It's good you're back safely. Rest for a bit. Dinner will be ready soon."

Dinner was prepared by the cafeteria aunties. Pang Ayi's cooking skills were excellent. She used the leftover braised pork from lunch to stew with potatoes. The savory sauce had completely infused the potatoes, the meaty aroma mingling with the potato fragrance, making it incredibly delicious mixed with rice.

Xie Li ate two large bowls in a row, finishing with a bowl of seaweed and egg drop soup. Leaning back in her chair, she rubbed her stomach contentedly, inwardly marveling that traveling with a large group was good—someone cooked, and the food tasted great.

After the meal, everyone dispersed. Some went to find a place to wash up, others went to lay out cardboard boxes in corners to spend the night.

After Bai Jingning and Ning Meng arranged the night watch roster, they came over and invited Jin Zhaoye and Xie Li into the private room where Fu Yunsheng was resting.

"Dr. Jin, where did you go this afternoon? Can you tell us about the situation outside?" Bai Jingning got straight to the point.

Jin Zhaoye looked at Xie Li. "Xie Li, tell Bai Zong about the mutated cat you encountered during the day."

Xie Li nodded, briefly describing the cat's size change and combat capabilities, then concluded, "I think there must be more than just this one cat that mutated. It's just that we haven't encountered the others yet."

Jin Zhaoye took over, looking at Bai Jingning. "I don't know what plans Bai Zong has, but Xie Li and I both feel the city is becoming increasingly dangerous. We should evacuate as soon as possible."

Bai Jingning thought for a moment before speaking. "Dr. Jin, there's a helicopter on the Rooftop of this tower. The fuel tank is full, and it should have no problem flying to the military Base. However, there are very few seats. Also, there are an enormous number of Zombies upstairs. We tried to go up before but couldn't succeed."

Jin Zhaoye shook her head. "Helicopters aren't very safe. Those mutated flying creatures can tear a plane apart. All the military rescue aircraft that came before crashed. It's best to travel by road."

Bai Jingning frowned. "Vehicles aren't a problem. There are plenty of cars in the underground Parking Lot. My worry is, with so many of us, if we get blocked on the road, it will be very dangerous. Also, gasoline resupply is an issue."

Ning Meng raised her hand, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

"How about this: you all stay here, and I'll try to fly the plane out of the city. If I make it back to the Base smoothly, I'll send people to pick everyone up."

She glanced at Fu Yunsheng, lying unconscious on the sofa, and added, "I think the Major General's condition is a bit strange. Her wound isn't worsening, but she remains unconscious. We need to get her back to the Base for a comprehensive examination as soon as possible."

Jin Zhaoye looked at Fu Yunsheng, who appeared even thinner than a few days ago, and made a decision in her heart.

"Bai Zong, you can consider whether to stay here in the tower with your people and wait for rescue, or evacuate with us." She then turned to Ning Meng. "Ning Meng, go organize the supplies later. Tomorrow morning we'll set off and drive back to the Base."

"Understood, Dr. Jin." Ning Meng obediently agreed.

Xie Li silently clenched her back teeth. She shouldn't have helped Jin Zhaoye carry that backpack today.

The supplies she'd worked so hard to haul back were actually going to be used to support her fiancée. She felt so sour, so angry. She'd eat all her Compressed Biscuits later.

"Xie Li." Jin Zhaoye suddenly called her name.

Xie Li looked up at her, responding with a questioning "Hmm?"

"Let's go." Jin Zhaoye beckoned to her, pulled open the private room door, and walked out first.

Despite the sour feeling in her heart, Xie Li obediently stood up and followed her out. The two of them walked out of the private room one after the other.

The main hall was much quieter than during the day, most people having settled down to rest.

Jin Zhaoye's gaze swept across the hall. She walked over and sat down near the window. Xie Li followed and sat down beside her.

The window was cracked open a sliver. Night wind blew in through the gap, carrying a hint of the scorched and decayed smells of the city ruins, slightly better than the stagnant air inside.

Jin Zhaoye leaned against the wall, her arm resting on her knee, and asked as if casually, "Tomorrow, do you want to leave with me? We can go pick up Lan Ran's mother first, then head back to the Base together."