Chapter 73: The Transit Warehouse That Emptied the Town

“There’s the town up ahead—that’s where the long-distance buses to the city stop.” Looking at the shadow of the small town appearing in the distance, Dong Tiechui was nearly moved to tears with joy. Now, covered in dust and grime, his clothes torn and stained with dried blood, his face weary and unshaven, he was nothing like the confident, commanding figure he had been in the forest town three days earlier.

“There are buses! That’s wonderful!” Everyone present was overtaken by happiness, hope shining in their eyes—even the Boss and Du Yun could not conceal their relief. The past two days of travel had tested everyone’s patience and endurance. Zombies and all manner of mutated beasts could appear at any moment, threatening them with deadly force.

Although they had not lost anyone from the group over these two days, several had been injured—especially the younger men, inexperienced in combat. They were neither children like Peach, who would be cared for, nor lazy like the plump aunt, and so each had suffered wounds to some degree. Their injuries only added to the group’s sense of precariousness, and a heavy atmosphere had hung over them the entire way.

But the news that they were about to get a vehicle was like a fresh breeze, instantly dispelling the gloom. With a car, the road to the city would become much safer—even if they encountered a small horde of zombies, they could simply drive right through. This good news reinvigorated everyone, and they attacked the zombies with renewed vigor. In no time, they cleared a small courtyard on the outskirts of town to serve as a temporary base.

“This is the town center, where the bus station is located,” Dong Tiechui explained, using Dazhuang’s map device to display the entire layout of the town. He began briefing everyone on the situation. “Usually, the center is crowded, but now it’s likely overrun with zombies—there’s no way we can get in. But vehicles typically leave from this road and return via that one. There’s a section that’s usually empty and isn’t far from the edge of town. Maybe we can find a car someone abandoned on the road,” he suggested, offering his advice based on the circumstances.

“How does this town compare to Forest Town?” Du Yun asked, eyeing the map and recalling the swarming zombies of Forest Town. If there were that many here, getting near the town—let alone retrieving a vehicle—would be life-threatening.

“It’s three or four times the size of Forest Town. I stayed here for a while when I came to buy supplies,” Dong Tiechui replied after a moment’s thought, pointing to a cluster of buildings on the map. “This place is a distribution hub for freight in the area. Unless something’s happened, there should be plenty of supplies in that warehouse.”

The past two days, burdened with weapons and provisions, had exhausted Dong Tiechui’s group. Unable to continue, they’d abandoned much of their supplies along the way. Now, they had barely enough food for half a month, leaving him uneasy and prompting him to suggest they gather more if possible.

The Boss showed little interest in more supplies; their group of four already had enough for two weeks. Besides, the Boss knew Du Yun possessed a miraculous item that allowed her to carry many things without adding to her burden, so he felt reassured.

“It’s worth a look,” Du Yun remarked, her mind working on another problem. Her family on Bluewater Star was going through hard times, in dire need of inconspicuous goods that could be sold. Though she’d brought out a fair amount from Forest Town, most of it was miscellaneous items and weapons—of little value, and weapons couldn’t be sold. Without something to trade, her younger brothers wouldn’t be able to earn money, and there’d be no funds for the new house. If she could seize this opportunity to gather a large haul, her family would be much better off.

“Alright, we’ll split into two teams,” the Boss said, noticing Du Yun’s eagerness. He’d been about to refuse, but let it go. After all, it was only a supply run to the warehouse. Over the past two days, they’d already killed many zombies; a brief separation posed little risk.

However, transporting a large amount of goods to a vehicle and driving it out before attracting the attention of the zombies was no small headache. Zombies had extremely sensitive hearing; the moment an engine started, it would draw every zombie from the surrounding streets. Transporting the supplies before starting the vehicle seemed the only viable plan.

After some discussion, they decided to act together for safety, heading first to the warehouse to gather supplies.

As they planned, Du Yun was busy sorting her storage compartments. Weapons and sundries collected earlier, along with recent acquisitions, had taken up most of her thirty slots. She needed to reorganize to make room for more.

There were indeed many zombies in the town. After finalizing their strategy and grabbing a quick bite, they set out again. The number of zombies increased as they advanced, though perhaps because the town sat on a plain, the density was not as high as they’d feared. Clearing the way was laborious but, with the help of their heavy weaponry, ultimately safe.

Before long, they reached the transfer warehouse Dong Tiechui had mentioned. It wasn’t particularly large—just a courtyard of a hundred square meters or so. Having learned from their previous experience at an armory, they knew that sealed courtyards could harbor high-level zombies, so they entered with extreme caution.

After dispatching a wandering second-tier zombie and retrieving its energy crystal, they fanned out and swept the courtyard clean. Once certain there was no further threat, they opened the warehouse doors.

“So much!” As the doors swung open, they were greeted by towering shelves packed with countless parcels, the sheer abundance dazzling to the eye.

Du Yun picked up a ledger from a desk by the entrance. It recorded in meticulous detail what had been brought in or out of the warehouse, and where it was stored. Her eyes lit up at the discovery.

The women and children remained at the entrance, checking the ledger and organizing what they needed. The men combed the warehouse for zombies. Within an hour, all the necessary supplies were piled before them—unbeknownst to anyone, Du Yun’s storage compartments now held an even richer assortment of goods.

“Great news—there’s a big truck outside!” Dong Qingguo, Dong Tiechui’s son, returned from scouting ahead, excitement shining in his eyes as he delivered the news just as everyone was loading up their supplies.