Rotting Land: Survive-Chapter 453 - 449: Winter Plan (Part 3)
As night fell, Xu Renjie finally returned to the base with his team after the patrol.
They had set out at 1 PM and searched outside for a full five hours. Had it not been for concerns about the safety of being out at night, they might have continued throughout the night.
Unfortunately, despite Xu Renjie’s efforts, completing nearly one-third of the original plan in half a day’s time, the final search result was still a fruitless endeavor.
They did not find any trace of Luo Yi and the others. The only things left on the road were zombies, desolate streets, and the increasingly cold howling north wind.
In this regard, Tang Xiaoquan had expected it. To be honest, his proposal for the patrol was merely to stabilize Xu Renjie. Having read many psychology books, he was very aware that this was the stage where Xu was most likely to act impulsively and do something foolish.
Therefore, giving him something relevant to do could help ease his emotions and allow time for Xu Renjie to calm down and regain clarity.
And when it came to the fate of Luo Yi and the three others, in Tang Xiaoquan’s view, it could be summed up in two words: fallen heroes!
It was an obvious matter; no one could survive in such a stadium overrun by a tide of corpses.
Dai Sha and his group had people, guns, and vehicles, allowing them to stand a chance.
But what did the three soldiers have? Having endured torment for half a month, whether they even had the strength to stand was an unknown factor.
Of course, Tang Xiaoquan kept these thoughts to himself. He wasn’t foolish enough to disclose them.
As usual, Wei Yang prepared a rather hearty dinner for everyone, understanding well the hardships experienced at the base.
Having escaped, it was only natural for her to want to nourish everyone.
Though she knew that supplies were precious and could not afford luxury, the body is still the capital of the revolution. Without good health, what good are ample resources?
At the dining table, Old Zhao recounted the afternoon’s discussions with Xu Renjie, who showed obvious surprise upon hearing them.
Seeing this, Tang Xiaoquan quickly chimed in to dispel Xu Renjie’s concerns: "Commander Xu, this plan is to prepare for winter. Meanwhile, your regular patrols will continue, and we have arranged another team for resource searching. This way, having two groups working outside might increase the chances of finding Luo Yi and the others."
Sure enough, upon hearing the phrase "increase the chances of finding Luo Yi and the others," Xu Renjie’s tense brows slightly relaxed.
For him now, rescuing his subordinates was the only thing that mattered, so Old Zhao’s proposal was thus settled.
Into the night, the gentle north wind swept across the street, and Tang Xiaoquan stood alone in the corner of the balcony, gazing at the bright moon in the sky.
Dad, Mom, Sister, are you all doing well?
The continuous adventures and enduring hardships left Tang Xiaoquan without time to consider searching for his family.
Prompted by Wang Qiang’s reminder today, a deep sense of guilt suddenly overwhelmed him.
That’s how people are. You never cherish what you have, only realizing its value once you lose it.
Thinking back on how his parents toiled in the fields, rising early and resting late for his sake, and the increasingly sparse and gray hair of the two elders, Tang Xiaoquan felt a piercing pain in his heart.
The moonlight remained bright and clear, but in Tang Xiaoquan’s eyes, it gradually blurred with moisture.
At this moment, Tang Xiaoquan’s heart was conflicted. On one hand, he was eager to return to his hometown to find his loved ones; on the other hand, he feared facing the final outcome from all the experiences along the way, worrying that reality might not be so wonderful.
As he wrestled with this internal conflict, a beautiful figure gently opened the door and came out, sitting close to him against the wall.
"Admiring the moon alone?" Wei Yang noticed the tears at the corner of Tang Xiaoquan’s eyes but was considerate enough not to mention it directly.
She knew that "men don’t easily cry," even though she didn’t know why he was crying. For her, accompanying him was enough. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂
"Huh?" Slightly surprised, Tang Xiaoquan hadn’t expected Wei Yang to appear, immediately wiping his eyes and awkwardly making an excuse: "Ah, the wind is quite strong tonight. My eyes are tearing up. Be careful yourself!"
"Alright!" Resisting the urge to laugh, Wei Yang cooperated with a serious expression.
After the joke, the atmosphere settled into silence again. With Tang Xiaoquan not speaking, Wei Yang also remained quiet.
The man and woman sat quietly, gazing at the moon and enjoying the caress of the north wind.
The next day, according to the predetermined plan, Xu Renjie and Old Zhao each led a team to carry out their respective tasks.
Xu Renjie continued with his patrols, searching for any traces of Luo Yi and the others.
Meanwhile, Old Zhao was preparing supplies for the arrival of winter.
Days passed like this, with the survivors’ vehicles frequently coming and going through the entrance of the community.
Because of this, the materials in the storage room gradually increased.
Whether it was warm clothes, shoes, socks, or daily food and water, Old Zhao and his team covered every aspect of life.
However, while things were going smoothly on Old Zhao’s side, Xu Renjie still hadn’t made any progress.
Tang Xiaoquan felt it was necessary to communicate with Xu Renjie, at least to give him a reminder so that he could face reality and not continue on blindly.
Considering the age and identity differences, Tang Xiaoquan found Old Zhao and sincerely shared his thoughts and proposed measures with Zhao Yunhai.
The latter nodded in agreement after listening, without saying another word, he directly approached Xu Renjie and, in the gentlest tone, advised, "Old Xu, it’s been a week already. Look at you, not eating or drinking properly every day. This can’t go on! If you collapse, what will the soldiers under you do? What will they think if they see Luo Yi in the future? You’re a soldier; I believe you’re much better equipped at adjusting psychologically than I, a mere teacher. I just want to say one thing: do your best, prepare for the worst! It’s time to set a final deadline for action!"
At that point, Old Zhao patted Xu Renjie on the shoulder.
Everything that needed to be said was said, and it was now up to Old Xu to decide his course of action.
The supplies continued to be transported daily to the base, but to migrate so many people, only having a stockpile of supplies was clearly insufficient.
Let’s not mention anything else; you’d have to figure out how to carry so many supplies, so modifying the vehicles became a priority for the survivors.
Based on the current situation and the resources at hand, Wang Zhongyu decided to make necessary reinforcements and modifications to the bus that Wei Dazhuang had driven back.
Thus, after solving the issues of food and clothing, "transportation" became the next essential problem to tackle. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
