The crowd, initially agitated and intending to stop her, quickly scattered like startled birds as Xu An's vehicle lunged forward.
Xu An looked back at the dispersing crowd with a sneer.
They wanted to stop her? How laughable!
Humans were creatures that sought advantage and avoided harm. They said those who feared nothing were the most terrifying, and these meager tricks were simply not enough.
No matter the circumstances, Xu An would not allow these people into her vehicle. She could not share information about the sanctuary with them.
Although Xu An didn't agree with this selection method, it didn't mean she intended to overthrow the established order.
Whether it concerned the survival of humanity or other matters, Xu An selfishly wished for the [Lighthouse] to last as long as possible.
Not for any other reason, but because she had personally witnessed the "chosen ones" descending from the Lighthouse.
Unlike the "survivors," they had no despair or desolation in their eyes. They still held a spark of life and a vision of tomorrow.
As the greatest sanctuary that could guarantee human survival for decades, even if it was cold, it was precisely because of its coldness that it preserved a portion of "normal" humanity.
Xu An didn't want to comment too much. In the end, she was just an ordinary citizen.
She lacked the power to control everything. She just wanted to live a quiet life with her mother and Gou Dan. If they could live comfortably, that would be even better.
Who would choose to wander aimlessly in the apocalypse when they could have a peaceful life?
The people in front of her were merely temporarily in need of her help, thus adopting a posture of weakness. If she let even one person into the car, without legal constraints, who could guarantee that they wouldn't harbor malicious intentions, seeing that there were only two women?
The story of enduring hardship for future revenge taught us to never underestimate anyone who could readily humble themselves!
Xu An ignored the people who had fallen while dodging, stomped on the accelerator, and sped away, leaving behind a group of wide-eyed men and women, filled with lingering fear and frustration, standing helplessly in place and cursing.
Xu An didn't spare them another glance.
Those who pinned their hopes of survival on others were the most foolish people in this world!
Along the way, aside from wandering zombies, they encountered no other living people.
But Xu An knew that the calm before them was an illusion. Those hidden in the shadows were always waiting for an opportunity to attack others.
Sometimes, the living could be more terrifying than the zombies.
This was Xu An's first time driving a motorhome so fast within the city limits, and it inexplicably gave her a sense of exhilaration.
Soon, they had driven out of the city.
At this point, Xu Yan's novelty had worn off. She brought a cup of water to the driver's seat.
"We'll be getting onto the highway next. Want me to drive for a bit so you can rest?"
"No need. I'll drive for a while longer. Let's find a place to stop for lunch around noon, and then we can switch."
Xu Yan thought about it and then agreed. After making arrangements with Xu An, she took Gou Dan to the back to rest.
City B was not close to them; it would take about three days to drive there without rest, not to mention the speed limitations of the motorhome.
They could only take turns driving to ensure the fastest possible arrival in City B.
They had already studied the route to the sanctuary, and as long as they followed the map, there would be no problems. They tried to stick to national roads and highways as much as possible.
As long as they followed the planned route, even someone with Xu An's extreme sense of direction would not get lost.
This was the "foolproof route" that Xu Yan had spent three hours researching!
After resting at the highway entrance for half an hour, Xu An and the others set off again.
Along the way, the mother and daughter took turns driving, and it wasn't too tiring. They continued on their hurried journey.
Finally, four days later, they arrived in City B.
Xu Yan was woken from her sleep by the noisy sounds around her. She looked at the surrounding scene and felt a moment of disorientation.
"Nannan... there are so many cars here..."
"It seems quite a few people got the news. Fortunately, we left early." Xu An replied, turning the steering wheel and merging into the vast traffic.
Xu An surveyed the surroundings. There were not a few survivors. Those who managed to reach this place were all fully equipped.
She had previously worried that the motorhome would be too conspicuous. Before entering City B, she had traded the motorhome for a Wuling Hongguang early on. The small rear seats were packed with daily necessities.
Of course, these were just temporary fillers that Xu An had brought out, such as mineral water, compressed biscuits, bedsheets, pillows, toothbrushes, towels...
They were stuffed to the brim in the entire trunk.
However, looking around, there were all sorts of SUVs and motorhomes, and even people riding motorcycles, with a package as high as half a person stacked on the back seat, their faces etched with travel fatigue.
The most exaggerated was a boy, who looked no older than seventeen or eighteen, riding a mountain bike with a large backpack strapped to his back.
One had to admire the ingenuity of the working people!
The line ahead looked like an endless river. Although people's faces showed restraint and impatience, no one dared to cut in line.
A group of soldiers in uniform, armed with firearms, were patrolling along the "long queue."
When they spotted troublemakers, they would directly use force to intimidate them, kicking them out of the line. Minor offenses resulted in rejoining the queue, while more serious ones led to disqualification from registration.
This was the first time Xu An had seen a proper army since the volcanic eruption.
Of course, that didn't include the time she met Qin Chuan!
No matter when, soldiers always provided an endless source of faith for the public.
Perhaps due to the early stage of the apocalypse, there were not a few families with pets, so Xu An and her mother bringing Gou Dan along wasn't too conspicuous.
She observed that the license plates of these vehicles belonged to different regions across the country. Within ten minutes, a "long queue" stretching as far as the eye could see had formed behind their vehicle.
Aerial bases were different from ground bases. Ground bases could accommodate more people if they exceeded capacity.
Aerial bases, however, had strict control standards for the number of people. Exceeding the capacity would affect the Lighthouse's operation.
Judging by the current situation, the number of people who had received the news was definitely more than ten million. She didn't know how the country would handle those who arrived later once the capacity was reached.
However, none of that mattered to her.
"Hey... hey... little girl, where are you from?"
Xu An followed the sound and turned her head. A woman in her forties or fifties from the adjacent line smiled and greeted her.
She did not reply, looking at the person with a slight coldness on her face.
It was her mother, Xu Yan, who saw the awkward atmosphere and stepped in to smooth things over, "We're from Luyuan, what about you?"
Xu An glanced back at her mother, who was smiling and skillfully engaging with the other woman, never revealing anything.
Xu An thought: I finally know where my ability to spin a yarn without batting an eye comes from.
As the line gradually advanced, Xu An could gradually see the scene before her, and a sense of awe washed over her.
She marveled at the grandeur of the structures while simultaneously questioning.
"Is this truly a product of human technology?!"
The entire sanctuary was like a giant spinning top suspended in the air, enveloped by a transparent outer shell, through which high-rise buildings could be faintly seen within the "spinning top."
The bottom was cone-shaped and opaque silver, adorned with many strange patterns. At its base, four massive cylindrical pillars supported the entire sanctuary, standing tall amidst the clouds.
At the very bottom was a silver-white metal gate, with a sky ladder extending a hundred meters long. Those who passed the inspection were being transported into the sanctuary in waves through this sky ladder.
Xu An gazed dazedly at the scene before her; this was the pinnacle of China's power, the crystallization of human technology.
[Lighthouse] - Dawn!