Wasteland Rebirth

"Chu Xiang, there's a major repair shop up ahead!" Song Jun, with Zhang Debing riding ahead, had turned back just as Chu Xiang was checking his personal stats.

Putting his PDA away, Chu Xiang hurriedly said, "Survey the surroundings and enter the repair shop. It would be best if we could find usable vehicles; otherwise, we'll wear our feet to the bone."

They had now entered the city limits, so it was only natural to find an auto repair shop. Previously, they'd only encountered a few small motorcycle repair stalls that didn't have the necessary equipment for the team, like cutting machines, welders, gas welders, steel bars, and wire mesh.

It was only five miles from the explosion site to here, and it seemed that the blast had attracted most of the zombies, so they only encountered a few wandering ones on the way. These zombies didn't actively seek out trouble, and since the team was lacking weapons, they didn't engage them either. However, they couldn't afford to stop and search the repair shop until the area was cleared of zombies—lest any of them sneak in, as the attack from the one that assaulted Chu Xiang the night before showed.

Chu Xiang found a long iron pipe as a weapon, complaining that the military knife was too short. He and Song Jun, riding the motorcycle, swept the area within a few hundred meters. After dispatching a dozen or so zombies, the perimeter was cleared. It took over an hour to carefully search the shop, where they found six zombies, one of which was hiding in the furnace of the boiler room. It was truly difficult to guard against. Thankfully, no T3 zombies were found, suggesting their evolution had limitations.

The guard station at the repair shop was a solitary two-story building with an unobstructed view of the surroundings. It appeared that humans had once fortified the area, as all the windows were sealed with cement bricks, leaving only a thick iron door. Chu Xiang arranged for Zhang Debing and Su Yulian to enter, assigning He Er, Wang Bin, and Zhang Jingyao to guard the area while he, Song Jun, and Zhang Hongbing went to search for tools and vehicles.

Inside the workshop, most of the tools were intact, though some electric tools couldn't be used due to a lack of power. However, there were dozens of oxygen and acetylene tanks for gas welding, as well as plenty of steel bars and wire. Chu Xiang turned to Zhang Hongbing, saying, "You know how to use a gas welder, right? First, reinforce that motorcycle outside, then help Song Jun make as many iron arrows as you can."

Next door was a Sinopec gas station, and since most zombies seemed to have concentrated in the city, the area around it was eerily quiet. Chu Xiang and Song Jun quietly made their way inside. The gas station was littered with blood-stained vehicles and body parts, but after enduring the stench, they managed to clean off a Mitsubishi Pajero V97 that was in decent condition.

The off-road vehicle was only smeared with blood on the windshield, seemingly from zombies pressing a living person against it and tearing at them. Chu Xiang and Song Jun found some cloth and used several buckets of water from the tap to clean it up. Initially, Chu Xiang considered abandoning the vehicle, but then he thought of Su Yulian and reconsidered.

After checking the gas pump, Song Jun found that there was no fuel flow due to the lack of electricity. However, when they dug up the underground fuel tank, they found enough fuel to fill the vehicles. The outbreak of the T-virus was still recent, so food and fuel were still plentiful, but in three to five years, evaporation would likely deplete these supplies.

The Pajero had great off-road capabilities, but its exterior wasn't suited for adding protective armor. Finding a Humvee in a small town was nearly impossible, so in the end, they chose a bus. Its heavy weight made it less likely to be knocked over by zombies, and the thick metal shell would be easier to reinforce with protective netting.

"We don't have a tanker truck. How do we transport the fuel?" Song Jun asked.

Chu Xiang also found it difficult. Tanker trucks were rare, and they hadn't seen one on the entire journey. "First, fill up the tanks. As long as we stay on the highway, there will be more gas stations. Let's bring some extra diesel in barrels. As for gasoline, it's too dangerous to carry," he suggested.

After filling the tanks, they each drove a vehicle back to the repair shop. By then, Zhang Hongbing had reinforced the motorcycle with steel bars, and was now busy crafting iron arrows by hand. Song Jun took over the task of shaping the arrowheads, while Chu Xiang helped Zhang Hongbing reinforce the bus windows and doors with steel bars.

Time passed as they worked, until Zhang Jingyao came over to find Chu Xiang. "Chu Xiang, I think everyone is hungry. Should we try to find something to eat? It's already 1:30 in the afternoon."

Chu Xiang slapped his forehead, "Look at me, I totally forgot! There's sweet potatoes and flour in the Pajero. See if you can make something with them. Once the vehicles are ready, we can leave this small town and find food along the way."

It wasn't wise to search for food in the city, as although food would be abundant, zombies would be too. It was safer to go to a village. The sweet potatoes and flour were from Chu Xiang's spatial ring, which he had taken after admiring the Qianjiang 250 motorcycle, but had forgotten about the food while busy with the bus modifications.

When Zhang Jingyao saw the sweet potatoes, she was surprised. They seemed to be the same batch as the ones from yesterday. How had Chu Xiang hidden them without them being affected by the explosion? But Zhang Jingyao didn't ask any questions and took the food back to the guard station. As she turned around, Chu Xiang realized that the usual stench she had carried was gone, replaced by a faint, pleasant fragrance. Her hair was slightly damp—had she taken a bath?

Zhang Hongbing noticed Chu Xiang staring at Zhang Jingyao's back and teased, "Chu, looks like you really like her. I won't lie, she's not the prettiest, but I know her chest is... well, impressive. Tonight, you should experience it. Just don't mind the stuff on her face. If you don't think about it, it's no big deal. Of course, I can't do that—my cultivation isn't high enough..." 

Chu Xiang hit Zhang Hongbing with a steel bar, saying, "Get back to work. What's wrong with your mind? Weld it properly, or we'll be the ones in trouble."

Just as the modifications were nearing completion, Zhang Jingyao came out of the guard station carrying an iron pot. "Everyone, take a break and eat."

Chu Xiang was directing Zhang Hongbing to reinforce the bus front when the aroma of sweet potatoes distracted him. The three men eagerly gathered around the pot. They hadn't eaten since leaving in the morning, and they were famished. When Zhang Jingyao lifted the lid, they found that it was a pot of sweet potato rice—sweet potatoes chopped into strips and boiled into a savory dish. It was both delicious and resourceful, showing that Zhang Jingyao was indeed a capable woman, at least in the kitchen.

There were plenty of bowls and spoons, and Zhang Jingyao served up a full bowl of the sweet potato rice and handed it to Chu Xiang. Zhang Hongbing, standing nearest, reached out to take it, but Zhang Jingyao neatly avoided his hand and handed the bowl to Chu Xiang instead. Zhang Hongbing awkwardly shouted, "So, Zhang Jingyao, you send me off for two days, and this is how you treat me now?"

Zhang Jingyao ignored him and served the last bowl of sweet potato rice to Zhang Hongbing. He was about to complain again when Chu Xiang cut him off with a simple, "Eat."

Zhang Hongbing fell silent, lowering his head and quietly devouring his food. Zhang Jingyao, after serving the last bowl, sat obediently beside Chu Xiang, her eyes never leaving him, looking at him like a young lover gazing at her beloved.

Chu Xiang, feeling a little embarrassed, glanced at her. To be honest, he didn't have much ill will toward Zhang Jingyao's less-than-attractive face. He had seen many beautiful women, but none of them had ever truly moved him. So, when he evaluated someone, he cared more about inner beauty, as a way to protect himself from getting hurt again. After all, who wanted to experience another heartbreak or worse, contemplate suicide? Life was precious, especially in such chaotic times. Chu Xiang treasured his life more than ever, and his motto was, "Cherish life, avoid beautiful women!"

Just as they were finishing their meal, the sound of hurried footsteps approached. He Er, looking frantic, came running over. "Not good! A large group of zombies is heading this way!"