"Captain, we're almost there. Just 2km to the tunnel," Wang Zhihai said, having spotted a sign and reminding Lin Yuan, who was still looking at the map.
Lin Yuan was startled. He glanced at the sky outside; the sunset had painted half the horizon.
He tucked the map and plan into an inner pocket of his jacket and asked, "Almost there? Where's Li Wen?"
"He's been staying near car number four, but not too close."
Nodding, Lin Yuan adjusted the walkie-talkie channel and called out to car number three: "Car three, car three, do you copy?"
"Car three copies, Captain, go ahead," Sun Haiping replied.
"When we get out of the cars later, be careful. Don't let Zi Qi out for now. I haven't seen my high school classmate in years and I don't know him well, to avoid any misunderstandings. Understand?"
Jiang Ziqi's current appearance was still a bit sensitive. It was best to avoid her revealing herself until there was a better understanding of new compatriots.
A brief discussion ensued over the walkie-talkie.
"Captain, Zi Qi says she's fine. She'll stay in the car."
"Understood. Ask her to be understanding. It's a minor inconvenience for now. My classmate won't be traveling with us for long."
"Understood."
The 2km journey passed quickly. The carved characters for Yulinshan Tunnel on the mountainside ahead were still quite visible.
"The sun is about to set. Everyone, turn on your headlights, reduce speed, and proceed through the tunnel in two parallel lines. Stop at the tunnel exit and be aware of the road conditions. There might be many accidents inside the tunnel. Combat team, prepare for action."
"Copy that" x4
It had been days since the power outage, and only the emergency lights in the tunnel were still operational. Looking at this barely-there light, it was estimated they would extinguish soon.
The dim tunnel was now quite bright, illuminated by the headlights.
"Pay attention to the tunnel's safety. Report any hazards promptly."
At this moment, Li Wen's voice came from the car window.
"Lin Yuan, let me go scout ahead. If there's a fuel tanker or some other dangerous goods vehicle that exploded, the tunnel might be at risk of collapse."
So brave? I never realized this guy was so bold before.
Then again, it wasn't an impossible scenario. If there was an explosion of the scale of a fuel tanker, the possibility of tunnel collapse was indeed high.
He decided to agree:
"Then I'll trouble you. You're fast on your motorcycle. If you encounter any danger, come back quickly. If it's truly impossible, we can ram through the barrier and take the other side of the tunnel."
"Alright," Li Wen agreed and revved his engine, riding off.
"Remember to use your high beams!!"
"Got it!"
Li Wen returned shortly. The tunnel was 1036 meters long in total, so the reconnaissance wouldn't take long.
"No large vehicles, just a few cars overturned. The road is passable. There are a few zombies, all trapped under the cars."
Lin Yuan's expression remained unchanged as he looked at the excited Li Wen. He smiled and said, "You've worked hard. I'll take out some of my prized preserved pork ribs later for stewing."
"Hahaha, it's nothing," Li Wen said, scratching his head with a somewhat simple-minded grin.
"All cars, attention. Change formation to a single file, stay close to car number one, prepare to pass through the tunnel."
The convoy changed formation and advanced behind Lin Yuan's car number one. They stopped by vehicles on the roadside, hoping to find survivors.
They had encountered many cars for dozens of kilometers, but unfortunately, no survivors.
The infection and mortality rates were too high.
They finally stopped outside the tunnel exit. Lin Yuan's group turned off their headlights and formed a double column, leaving some space in the middle for a rest area.
Some cars were inside the tunnel, and some were outside. Lin Yuan's group had to set up their cooking area partly inside the tunnel and partly in the open.
"Li Wen, wait here for a moment. We'll get some food ready first." After settling Li Wen, Lin Yuan prepared to cook.
The team members couldn't wait any longer. Some were carrying supplies, others were getting pots. The evacuation today had been rushed, and they hadn't eaten lunch. They were starving now.
"I'll help too," Li Wen felt it would be odd not to help.
"It's alright. You helped just now, so you can rest," Lin Yuan said without looking back.
As Lin Yuan was carrying the rice, he whispered to Wu Tian, "Sister Qingtian, go stand guard, and keep an eye on my classmate. I still feel something is not quite right."
"Understood, Captain."
"Lin Yuan, why are you still chatting with Qingtian? Come and cook!"
"Oh, Mengyue, coming, coming! I was just assigning tasks." Hearing his wife's voice, he trotted over obediently.
Mu Qingtian smiled helplessly and picked up her gun to take her post.
With food almost ready, everyone was full of energy. Soon, a tripod made of three welded steel bars and bound with rope was set up, holding a pot – this was their cookware.
The alcohol stove was too small for firewood and other necessities, and the larger items were too difficult to carry.
Lin Yuan's group had prepared two such hanging pots.
The preparation was simple: remove the handles of ordinary pots, drill a few holes with a drill, bend a thinner steel bar into a hook to hold the pot, and tie the other end with rope to hang it on the tripod.
These components had been prepared in advance, and now they just needed to be assembled.
The firewood and small stones on the ground were cut from the small woods beside the highway, after cutting through the protective netting.
The two pots were already set up, and the two fires, surrounded by stones, had been lit.
Next, it was time to cook the rice and stir-fry the dishes.
Water was poured in, a steaming rack was placed, and then the steamer was put on.
"Put the braised beef can and the pea can into the pot for cooking rice, and cook them together with the rice. Then cut two carrots, and cook sausages in the other pot."
Originally, the sausages should have been washed with hot water before cooking, but now, they would be cooked directly and then wiped with paper before eating.
As for the dried meat they had prepared earlier, it was all gone long ago with more people. It wasn't professionally air-dried meat.
The shelf life was uncertain, so eating it sooner rather than later was better. Fortunately, there was enough food.
However, for fresh meat, they would have to find a way to supplement it later.
Before long, the aroma of rice mixed with the smell of meat filled the air, and the unique smoky scent of sausages emerged.
"Dinner is served! Dinner is served!!!"
As the command to eat was given, everyone lined up with their bowls to get their food.
"Half a sausage per person. For those who haven't gotten any yet, eat first. The rest are still cooking and will take a while."
The pot for cooking rice was larger and deeper, while the one for cooking dishes was smaller. With Li Wen now present, there were 15 mouths to feed, and they couldn't cook it all at once. Fortunately, the smoked sausages could be eaten raw. Lin Yuan looked at the quality of the sausages; while not ideal for eating directly raw, cooking them wouldn't take long.
"Mmm... so delicious!!" Famished, they took a bite of sausage, ate a mouthful of fragrant rice, and drank a mouthful of beverage, everyone emitting sounds of enjoyment.
Adding a touch of beauty to their weary lives.
"Captain, hurry and eat! It's so delicious!!" Zhao Anjing's eyes were almost sparkling.
Lin Yuan was still busy with Wu Tian and Qin Xia preparing food. After distributing it, there wasn't enough, and they needed to cook another pot. If only they had a field kitchen vehicle!
Hearing Zhao Anjing, he remembered that Jiang Ziqi was still in the armored vehicle and hadn't come out.
That girl had probably smelled it too.
"Anjing, take Mengyao and the others back to the car to eat. It's safer. Make sure to get plenty of rice," he said, winking.
Zhao Anjing understood and quickly ran over to scoop a large bowl of rice and returned to the armored vehicle.
The second pot of rice was ready. Zhao Anjing and the others hadn't come out yet; they were likely chatting in the car.
Lin Yuan walked over to the folding table and sat down, beckoning Mu Qingtian and Li Wen to eat. They were the ones cooking and hadn't eaten yet.
"You're Lin Yuan's high school classmate, so technically, I should host you properly. But as you can see the situation, it's a bit crude. Please make do," Wu Tian said as he placed the dishes on the table and left.
Pei Qi and the others hadn't eaten yet either. There was plenty of cat food, and they couldn't go without it.
However, Pei Qi and the others weren't very clingy today. Only Pei Qi came to rub against his leg, ate a couple of bites of meat, and then slipped away to play with Lin Qingyan and the others.
Lin Yuan: "..."
*Crosses arms* ＜(tot)＞!
They were all fickle cats!
Pei Qi shook its head: "Meow meow (You silly kid~)"