Qin Chuan, upon the restoration of satellite communication, immediately tried to call Xu An, but only received a busy signal.
As Qin Chuan pondered whether something had happened to Xu An, a team member ran over, sweating profusely and anxiously stating, "Boss, a horde of zombies has suddenly appeared from nowhere, forming a small-scale zombie tide."
Qin Chuan frowned and remained silent.
"Weren't there any when we came this way? How did a zombie tide suddenly appear?"
The man's cold sweat dripped, and he stammered, unable to explain why, only looking at Qin Chuan nervously. They were, in essence, the vanguard this time, tasked with finding the person carrying the vaccine. The number of soldiers brought along was not significant; enough to support their team's normal operations, but certainly not enough to face a massive zombie horde.
"Boss, what should we do?"
Qin Chuan first used binoculars to survey the surrounding area, then asked, "Can we determine the direction of the zombie aggregation?"
The soldier nodded, "It's in a small convenience store in the city center. There are some survivors there."
After saying this, the soldier's tone shifted, "Boss, do you think this zombie tide might be the work of the people in that convenience store?"
Qin Chuan didn't say much. He actually had an answer in mind, but he couldn't be sure himself.
"Inform everyone. We will split into smaller groups, avoid gathering, and act independently. Pay attention to your own safety. If you find the target, contact me immediately. Do not make contact on your own, and do not use force against the target, understand?"
The soldier nodded, acknowledging the order.
"But Captain, what if that girl attacks or runs away as soon as she sees us?"
"She won't. As long as you don't provoke her, she won't attack you. Her group is all women, and there's an older woman. Unless they are harmed, they won't be so impulsive. So, if you meet her, just say you were sent by Qin Chuan. She will give me face."
With that, the soldier led the orders and retreated.
Xu An, on this side, was unaware of the great effort Qin Chuan was expending to find her. They first found a deserted rooftop to rest temporarily.
Xu Yan and Yue Yue were in very poor physical condition. Despite rationing food at the convenience store, Xu Yan had given most of it to Yue Yue. She herself had barely eaten, and she had been holding Yue Yue tightly without letting go during their escape. This had caused Xu Yan's body to be severely overdrawn, with her entire arm going numb and experiencing aching pain. Fortunately, Zhou Haimei had previously studied bone setting, and after they had settled down, Zhou Haimei performed bone setting massage for Xu Yan. Soon, Xu Yan felt much more comfortable in her joints.
"Xiao An, do you really have a way out?" Xu Yan was still a bit worried, as no one would not feel anxious when rescue hadn't arrived at such a time.
"It's okay, Auntie. We will definitely get out. You just rest well now. Once you've recovered your energy, we'll charge straight out."
Reassured, Xu Yan's inner panic subsided significantly. She finally put her anxious heart at ease. Sitting aside, Xu An took out the food and prepared to make something to eat.
Seeing Xu An about to throw a pile of miscellaneous items into the pot to cook, Xu Yan couldn't stand it any longer. She stepped forward and squeezed in, pushing Xu An aside.
"Go take care of Yue Yue. I'll cook."
Xu An smiled and went to Yue Yue. The little girl, perhaps having gone through too much, had finally calmed down and soon fell asleep in Zhou Haimei's arms. Xu An smiled and sat beside Zhou Haimei.
Zhou Haimei whispered to Xu An, "Now that we've found her, what about the vaccine?"
Xu An and her group were still unaware that the authorities planned to dispatch reinforcements to rescue them. They believed that the higher-ups intended to eliminate everyone in District B. Therefore, Xu An was conflicted, not understanding the meaning of her actions.
Zhou Haimei seemed to perceive Xu An's dilemma, "You want to exchange what you have for the lives of the people in this district, don't you?"
Although Xu An didn't answer directly, her silence conveyed everything.
"I'm just afraid that all of this will be meaningless in the end."
Zhou Haimei quietly said to Xu An, "How could it be meaningless? At the very least, your intention to save people is not in vain."
Neither of them had spoken about the vaccine to each other. Zhou Haimei looked at Yue Yue in her arms.
"By the way, is your family really planning to adopt Yue Yue? After you hand over the vaccine, the people in charge will surely take good care of Yue Yue." After all, it was something protected by her father's life; it was only reasonable to raise his child.
Xu An shook her head for the first time, looking at Yue Yue with gentle eyes.
"No, we'll raise her ourselves. Although I don't know if the Lighthouse will provide Yue Yue with a good living environment, I believe Yue Yue will live happier with us."
Xu An was also considering other aspects, but those things were not yet certain. It was best not to tell Zhou Haimei for now, to avoid causing her worry.
Regardless of what Chu Yu ultimately intended to do with the Lighthouse or the ground bases, they had never given up their ultimate control over the Lighthouse. Even within the Lighthouse itself, various factions were intertwined, with no clear victor. Some even harbored ambitions of piloting the Lighthouse into outer space. While the Lighthouse appeared prosperous now, who knew what the future held. Yue Yue was only eight years old, and entrusting her to the Lighthouse was clearly an unwise decision. Moreover, even Xu Yan would not hand Yue Yue over.
Sometimes, fate in this world is so wondrous. Yue Yue turned out to be the granddaughter of her mother's close friend. With this relationship alone, Xu Yan could not possibly let anyone take Yue Yue away and foster her elsewhere. Not to mention that she also had Ze Yuan sleeping in her spatial dimension. Her possession of the spatial ability also meant that she would not be able to stay in the Lighthouse for long.
Zombies would eventually be killed. Humanity would eventually overcome extreme living environments. Just like fallen leaves returning to their roots, they were destined not to live in mid-air forever. It was just that the opportune moment had not yet arrived. Xu An also did not want Yue Yue to become a bargaining chip to restrict her one day, so raising her by their side was the best course of action.