novelraw Chapter 273 - 262: Scavenging
Chapter 273 - 262: Scavenging
When he heard the man ask where Gu Xi was, Qin Yi subconsciously looked at Wei Heng, his eyes seeming to ask, ’Should I tell him?’
Wei Heng tossed the tree root in his hand into the fire and said casually, "She went scavenging with Lin."
Scavenging meant searching through the ruins for things produced before the apocalypse that were still usable. It was the most common activity for explorers.
Nowadays, many wealthy people enjoyed collecting "antiques" from before the apocalypse. In the major safe zones, the prices for such "antiques" were often driven sky-high.
So, as the military had cleared out more of the wilderness ruins over the years, the number of explorers coming out to scavenge had also increased.
City A had been a first-tier city before the apocalypse, and their current location was its former downtown area. When the apocalypse first broke out, a massive number of zombies had gathered here, so almost no one dared to come and collect supplies.
A few years later, the area was thoroughly cleared out due to the deployment of a batch of Hibernation Chambers. Although most of the useful supplies were taken away at the time, some odds and ends were still left behind.
It really was a good place to scavenge.
But thinking of Gu Xi’s file... The man didn’t ask any more questions. He lowered his gaze slightly. ’How could a peerless powerhouse like the Blood-colored Asura possibly be out scavenging?’
’It seems this group still doesn’t trust me.’
’I have to come up with a plan.’
Two hours passed as the group took turns washing up and changing clothes, but Gu Xi still hadn’t returned.
The man couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of urgency.
His mission was to observe Gu Xi up close and report her movements at all times. But now Gu Xi wasn’t here, and even that mutated rat was gone.
couldn’t help but overthink it. After all, he had truly seen this Mutated Rat King by *his* side before.
’If *he* and Gu Xi were to bury the hatchet and reconcile, then...’
The wound on his lower back throbbed with pain. Combined with Gu Xi’s late return and his fever-addled mind, the man couldn’t help but feel irritable.
Just as he was about to speak up and probe for information about Gu Xi’s whereabouts again, she returned.
Behind her, the Mutated Rat King followed with its little ears drooping, its mouth greasy as it clutched a bag of spicy strips from who-knows-where.
Meanwhile, Lin Jin was draped with several large burlap sacks and was dragging numerous black plastic bags with branches and vines. He strutted triumphantly behind the girl and the rat, a joyful expression plastered on his face.
He looked exactly like a migrant worker from before the apocalypse who had struck it rich and was returning to his hometown for the New Year.
It was just that smile on his face... ’He looks exactly like the landlord’s simple-minded son. I really... don’t want to admit this guy is my comrade.’
Zhao Li and the others looked at Lin Jin with indescribable expressions, their eyes asking, ’We’re just scavenging. Can’t you have a little dignity?’
As teammates who had faced life and death together for years, Lin Jin knew exactly what Zhao Li and the others were thinking with just one look. He puffed out his chest and shot his comrades a look of royal disdain for the ignorant. ’What do you guys know!’
’It’s not that I lack dignity, it’s that Miss Gu gave us way too much!’
’You’ll see in a bit...’
A moment later, Zhao Li and the others found themselves confronted by more than twenty burlap sacks and black plastic bags scattered haphazardly before them. "?"
’Has this guy finally lost his mind?’
Then, Lin Jin ripped open two of the large sacks in front, raising his eyebrows smugly at his comrades. ’Look, what’s this?’
When his gaze fell upon the high-end cigarettes and alcohol from before the apocalypse, all neatly arranged inside the sacks, Zhao Li gasped. The way he looked at Gu Xi changed completely.
’Stuff this good, things even the base commander doesn’t have now... Needless to say, it must have come from Miss Gu!’
Liou He and Zhang Wen were even more dramatic, rushing to the other bags and deftly starting a game of opening blind boxes. Their surprised yelps echoed from time to time...
Lin Jin stood to the side, shooting his comrades a look of feigned composure. ’Saying I have no dignity? Hah!’
After they finished organizing everything Gu Xi had brought back, the way Zhao Li and the others looked at her was as fervent as could be.
Gu Xi: "..." ’They seem so composed, but who would have thought...’
In the end, Wei Heng couldn’t stand it anymore. He kicked the others aside, walked up to Gu Xi, and said disapprovingly, "All this stuff..." ’Is it really okay to take it all out in front of an outsider?’
"We found it all while scavenging," Gu Xi said, her expression unchanging.
Nearby, 039 glanced at Gu Xi, then at the mountain of supplies piled on the ground. He knew perfectly well it was impossible they had found all this while scavenging, but the words he wanted to say were caught in his throat.
Just then, Gu Xi walked up to him and, without any attempt to hide it, pulled a large pile of ingredients out of her spatial storage. "The sweet potato congee this morning was pretty good. Lunch is on you."
The man stared at the mutated chicken in front of him—it had to weigh dozens of pounds, its neck was lolling to one side, and its blood hadn’t fully congealed yet. He looked blank for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "Okay."
While waiting for the meal to cook, Liou He and Zhao Li exchanged a look, then eagerly walked over to Gu Xi and squatted down on either side of her. "Miss Gu, there’s still some time before the food is ready. Why don’t we go take another look around the area!"
Zhao Li raised a finger and pointed to the street that led to the underground parking garage.
Gu Xi glanced impassively at the man who was cooking. "Alright."
The three of them quickly melted into the subterranean darkness.
More than half an hour later, Zhao Li’s walkie-talkie crackled with a few bursts of static before Wei Heng’s voice came through.
"Lunch is ready."
Beside him, Gu Xi nodded to Zhao Li and stood up. "Okay, we’re heading back now."
After ending the call, Gu Xi glanced at the dilapidated storefront across the way. "Let’s go."
Zhao Li hesitated for a moment. Although he knew Gu Xi was very strong, her appearance was too deceptive. Such a slender, pale young woman... Zhao Li always felt a subconscious urge to protect her.
In this regard, he was quite similar to Wei Heng.
Gu Xi had already pushed open the dilapidated glass door and was slowly walking inside.
Zhao Li quickly followed her.
"Miss Gu?" From the back of the store, Liou He, who had gone in ahead to scout, heard the noise. The faint beam from his light swept over and landed on her face.
Gu Xi turned slightly to block the light. "Yeah."
Liou He quickly lowered his hand, moving the light away, and pointed to a room in the very back that looked like a break room. "There are a lot of posters inside..."
Zhao Li pushed open the door, activated the light on his personal terminal, and surveyed the surroundings. "The details are pretty on point. All kinds of pre-apocalypse celebrity posters... But the theme is quite distinct."
Gu Xi stood quietly to the side, looking at the wall completely covered in posters. The man in the posters looked younger than 039, more energetic and even more dazzling.
"What do you think he’s trying to do?" Liou He reached up and tore down the largest poster, planning to take it back with him later. "Judging from these posters, the identity he wants to use is probably a pre-apocalypse... superstar?"
’Is that the right word?’
"Who cares? It’s just another trap for us," Zhao Li said as he looked around the room. Other than the posters on the walls, there was only a half-rotten wooden bed and trash all over the floor. There was nothing else worth exploring.
As the beam of his light swept across the floor, it suddenly paused. "Huh, this photo...?"
Zhao Li dug the photo, which had been partially visible, out from under the trash. Liou He leaned in, focusing his light on the picture in Zhao Li’s hand, and tried to make out the text on it. "June 28, 3308, Seven-color Canyon...?"
Gu Xi hadn’t paid any mind to the things in here, knowing they were all fake. But when she heard the line of text Liou He read aloud, her head snapped toward them, and she subconsciously pressed her left thumb hard against the bone of her index finger.
...June 28, 3308, was one of the few dates she could remember.