NOVEL WEB Chapter 98: Whether It’s Life or Death, Why Not Take a Chance and Give It a Try?
Sheng Hongye stepped outside and gestured for Su Ling to follow him.
By now, the sun had set, and a gentle breeze brought a refreshing coolness. If it weren't for the zombies, it would have been a pleasant evening.
"What's the matter?" Su Ling greedily took a breath of the cool air and asked.
Sheng Hongye stopped, his tall figure exuding a sense of pressure in the darkness. He turned his head, his gaze intense as he looked at Su Ling.
"I'm planning to go to Panlong Island," he said.
Su Ling nodded. "I know."
Sheng Hongye continued, "The journey may be perilous. Are you afraid?"
Su Ling raised her head and smiled lightly. "If everyone else isn't afraid, why should I be?"
After a moment of contemplation, Sheng Hongye said, "This trip may not be as simple as you all think. I'm afraid we might not only have to deal with zombies but also with people."
Su Ling raised her head in confusion. "Why do you say that?"
Sheng Hongye explained, "I have already fought with that madman. He is likely from Panlong Island, or at the very least, he led us there with some unknown purpose."
Su Ling suddenly frowned. "If that's the case, why do you still want to go?"
Staring at the dark sky, Sheng Hongye said, "It's indeed a place suitable for survival, with many weapons, clothes, and provisions. We can go there to find out."
Understanding his thoughts, Su Ling smiled.
"Staying in Lizhou might not guarantee our survival either. We might never find resources here again. Whether we stay or take a chance, it's all facing death anyway, so why not take a chance?"
Su Ling's words settled Sheng Hongye's mind. No matter the situation, Su Ling was always a good person to talk to, and she could always put his mind at ease.
"That settles it then. If possible, Panlong Island might become humanity's last fortress."
Su Ling shrugged. "Let's hope so."
The two of them discussed the travel plan for a while before returning to the storage warehouse.
Without bedding or rice bags, everyone had to lie on the ground. Fortunately, no one was particularly fussy, and they didn't mind the dirtiness. Being able to get a good night's sleep was already an incredibly blissful thing.
It seemed like the heavens heard their prayers; no zombies disturbed them that night, and everyone managed to get a good night's sleep.
The next morning, they woke up early, resumed making fire and cooking. After two days of rest and preparation, they were ready to set out.
Before leaving, Sheng Hongye left a signal on the storage warehouse that only he and Er Lei could understand. He was well aware that if Er Lei was still alive, he would bring Li Xueying back there.
However, it was challenging to determine their current location, and the food supplies in the cars wouldn't last long. Leaving Lizhou had become a necessary course of action.
After multiple discussions, they split into three groups and set out in three cars. Sheng Hongye drove with Professor Bai, Li Cuiping, Xiaoyue, and Gu Kai Xuan. Geng Hao led Chen Yu, Han Qiang, and Old Jin. Su Ling drove with Guan Yuxin, Wang Pian, and Luo Xiaobing.
They divided the fuel equally among the cars and headed east.
Seven hours later, Sheng Hongye's car finally stopped in a village. They had traveled about six to seven hundred kilometers from Lizhou. Compared to the ruins of Lizhou, the buildings in this village were relatively well-preserved.
This was the first time Su Ling and the others saw the house. They stood at the village entrance, their faces filled with astonishment as they gazed toward the village.
Excited, Chen Yu jumped up, "Holy shit, houses! We actually see houses!"
He exclaimed and immediately ran towards the village like a child.
Worried that he might get into trouble, Sheng Hongye immediately told Geng Hao, "Go after him and check it out. Be careful."
Geng Hao acknowledged and followed with Han Qiang to catch up with Chen Yu.
Sheng Hongye then called everyone to get back into the cars and drove into the village.
They parked in the center of the village, and Chen Yu and Geng Hao came out of the first house they explored.
Excitedly, Chen Yu said, "No one is here, but there's cooking stuff, some food, and bedding."
Geng Hao couldn't hide his happiness either. "Let's check out another house."
Guan Yuxin also selected a decent house. "This house is spacious; we can rest here."
Professor Bai had already entered a yard and looked at the withered seedlings, shaking his head in disappointment.
He had painstakingly nurtured those seedlings, but they were swept away by that damned tornado.
Now, all that remained were a few small bags of seeds. Professor Bai protected them as if they were his own children, holding them close to his chest as if they were precious treasures.
Although he was a medical professor, he understood the significance of these seeds to humanity. When food and resources ran out, only these seeds held the true hope for mankind.
Now, he could only hope for stability to plant these seeds and see if they would grow.
Sheng Hongye also checked several houses and found no signs of people or zombies, which was rather unusual. Nevertheless, having a place to rest was a relief.
To avoid splitting up and encountering unexpected situations, Sheng Hongye chose the large house that Guan Yuxin suggested.
It was a three-bedroom two-story house, fully furnished, with a family portrait hanging on the wall.
It seemed like a happy home for a family of five, but now, who knew where they had all gone.
Everyone was exhausted, and they didn't have the energy to think about it too much.
They immediately made a fire and cooked a meal, after which each person found a place to rest.
Long-distance travel tested their stamina, and the other problem was that the cars were running low on fuel.
After finishing their meal, Sheng Hongye led the group to collect gasoline. If they couldn't find any, they might have to rely on walking for the rest of the journey.
An hour later, they returned empty-handed, and the results were not optimistic.
Seeing Geng Hao and the others looking dejected, Su Ling immediately comforted, "When faced with difficulties, we must remember that there is always a way forward. Don't worry too much right now. Let's stay here tonight and get a good rest. Maybe we'll figure something out tomorrow."
Although Su Ling's words were somewhat idealistic, there was no other choice.
They found some bedding, and those who couldn't get a room slept on the floor. To prevent any surprises, several men set alarms and took turns to keep watch throughout the night.
As the night fell, Su Ling reinforced the room as usual. Without Sheng Hongye's help, she failed more than she succeeded.
Considering that Guan Yuxin's imagination tends to run wild, Su Ling did not approach Sheng Hongye, so she patiently spent over half an hour reinforcing the defenses of the house until it reached one hundred fifty percent before finally lying down on the bed with a sense of relief.
Because she had been driving continuously, her concentration was highly focused, and combined with the constant reinforcement, Su Ling was starting to feel a bit dizzy. However, just as she closed her eyes, Old Jin, who had been quiet all along, suddenly began barking like crazy...
