Chapter Fifty-Five: A Dazzling Array

The reconstruction of civilization—without any distractions. This operation, from leaving the convoy to finally seizing their prize, took precisely twenty minutes. Xie Han still didn’t know what cargo was loaded onto those six heavy trucks, but the harvest was assured. After all, when they made their selection, all six had deliberately chosen trucks already loaded and waiting to depart.

Perhaps the roaring engine of the minibus on their way in had startled the zombies lining the avenue; on the return trip, more and more zombies appeared from both sides of the road. As the six trucks and the minibus drove past, the zombies surged forward like sharks drawn to blood, lunging at the small convoy.

Xie Han had anticipated this outcome. When the minibus first sped out of the freight yard, he had already instructed Xu Qiang to lead with the minibus, clearing the road of zombies.

The quiet of dawn was shattered once again. Besides the driver, Xu Qiang, the other five men on the minibus were split: four guarded the flanks, one watched the front. At the slightest sign of zombie movement, the five submachine guns erupted in deadly bursts, eliminating any zombie that threatened the convoy.

Most zombies had already moved towards the plaza, so the horde here wasn’t numerous. Moreover, Xie Han and his group avoided unnecessary battles, slowing only in narrow stretches where zombies could seize an opportunity.

Once they reached the overpass and drove onto the ring road, zombies grew even scarcer, posing no threat to the convoy. Xu Qiang simply kept the lead, using speed to outpace any remaining zombies, never allowing them close. The return was as smooth as their departure. Soon, sporadic machine gun fire could be heard ahead—Xie Han knew it was the plaza sentries driving away encroaching zombies.

Before long, the vehicles stationed in the plaza came into view. Hunting convoys were numerous, and as support, more than sixty vehicles were stationed at the plaza this time. They were spread across three intersections, using mounted machine guns to shoot any approaching zombies. This job was somewhat dull; since zombie attacks lacked force, most personnel, aside from those necessary, passed the time chatting through smart systems.

The roar of the heavy trucks was immediately detected by the plaza vehicles. Not long ago, everyone had watched Xie Han’s minibus depart. Many thought such a battered minibus was doomed. Yet, against all expectations, less than an hour later, the minibus returned safely—not only with six heavy trucks in tow, but with its paint untouched. Their success seemed almost effortless.

“Damn, that’s some crazy luck!” A few men, cigarettes dangling, stared at the convoy roaring in. They forgot to even take a drag. Their expressions were echoed by many others, faces full of envy. Yet envy didn’t mean disrespect; in this apocalypse, only the strong were respected. What seemed like luck required tremendous courage at the outset.

Led by the minibus, the heavy truck convoy charged into the plaza. “Captain, should we stop?” Xu Qiang, surrounded by astonished gazes, felt a surge of pride.

Xie Han laughed, “Want to show off a little?” The smart system echoed with laughter from Amu and the others. Xie Han said, “Alright, park by the side. Let’s see what treasures we’ve collected this time.” Led by the minibus, the six trucks came to a slow halt within the plaza.

As soon as Xie Han’s convoy stopped, a few sentries recognized him from connections with Chen Liu. Seeing the zombies here posed little threat, they left their men to guard the vehicles and came down, laughing as they ran over. “Xie, congratulations!”

Xie Han vaguely remembered these men. He smiled, “Just lucky.” He produced a pack of Soft Chunghua cigarettes and handed each of them one. “Have a smoke.” They recognized the brand’s rarity and took small, appreciative drags.

Xie Han took a satisfying puff, then called out, “Qiangzi, Amu, take everyone to check what’s actually loaded in the trucks. Let’s hope it’s not a bunch of useless junk.”

He hardly needed to say it; Xu Qiang and the others had already paired off, using tools to unlock the truck compartments and inspect the cargo. Most items inside were padded with protective wrapping; cutting through would take some time.

Xie Han asked, “Did Old Chen go in with them?” The men nodded. Wang Daxian replied, “You know Chen Liu’s temperament—he’d never stay behind. Besides, with his skills, would Gao Tianhao let him waste away here? Wasn’t it always Chen Liu’s Humvee King holding the most dangerous street entrances?” He suddenly looked concerned. “Xie, do you think that R3 thing will show up again? With that around, every hunt has me on edge.”

Xie Han had no way of knowing if R3 would appear again. He shook his head. “Hard to say. Do you know where the target is this time?”

Wang Daxian exhaled smoke. “I heard it’s the Wantian warehouse in Wanjiaxi Market. The hunting appetite keeps growing. Damn, that warehouse isn’t far from downtown—one trip, and ammo’s pretty much spent. The base is getting greedy; bullets are more expensive every day. If it keeps going, a single bullet might trade for a bun before long.”

As Wang Daxian vented, angry machine gun fire echoed from the city. He cursed, “Looks like they’ve arrived. That’s the densest zombie zone—who knows how long they can hold out. I really don’t get what Gao Tianhao’s thinking. No matter how much stuff Wantian warehouse has, it won’t fill a hundred heavy trucks. This hunt, the loot’s bound to be limited.”

Xie Han merely smiled at Wang Daxian’s complaints. In truth, after some thought, he admired Gao Tianhao’s shrewdness. City supplies were abundant: daily necessities, vacuum-sealed meat, dried goods—all highly valuable in the base right now.

After more than a week of hunting, the base’s food stores were already saturated. If they could seize city supplies now, Xie Han knew without asking—it would create a sensation throughout the base. The influence could propel Gao Tianhao to new heights. “Looks like Gao Tianhao is no ordinary man.”

As Xie Han pondered this, Xu Qiang and the others finished cutting through the protective padding, revealing crates of cargo inside. Cheers erupted; even the usually composed Xu Qiang was jumping with Amu and the others. “Canned meat—damn, every truck is full of canned meat!” Amu’s shout, full of excitement, instantly infected everyone in the plaza.

With Amu’s roar, the entire plaza boiled over. Canned meat was the rarest resource—many in the base hadn’t tasted meat in three years. A single truck of canned meat was worth five or six trucks of flour or grain. For that reason, everyone idle in the plaza abandoned their vehicles, rushing madly to Xu Qiang and the others, surrounding the truck so tightly not even water could seep through.

The surprises weren’t over. Another truck was full of cigarettes. Cigarettes—almost every man’s spiritual sustenance. One could go a day without food, but not without smoke. In the base, cigarettes were priceless, so the discovery of this truck sent the entire plaza into a frenzy. Nearly a hundred people were on the verge of losing control.

Xie Han frowned, rushed to Xu Qiang and the others, and growled, “Careful…”

(P.S.: Many canned and vacuum-packed goods in the city can last three years, right? The reason they stopped in the plaza was to show off, not because they were foolish! Showing off isn’t always wise!)