Apocalypse Star House Hoarding-Chapter 167

The team split into two. Yu Zhengqing drove the armored van out of the town, heading to a secluded spot on the opposite side of the hills, where he parked and waited. Yu Xi drove the military truck back through the town and stopped near the hills. Using the truck’s radio, she contacted the base in a deliberately frantic tone, ing the situation in the town and the hills, throwing in some speculation and mentioning the word “experiment.” She claimed to have taken photos and gathered evidence, then cut off the communication and abandoned the truck, heading directly to the armored van’s location.
With no one around, she sprinted through the densely vegetated area. Every tree in the forest became her eyes and ears, enabling her to navigate with precision, avoiding branches and thorns as she darted through the undergrowth effortlessly.
What Yu Xi didn’t know was that her message had caused a massive uproar on the other end of the radio. Several senior officials were locked in heated debate.
“Meiman Hot Springs Town? Never heard of it. Where is that?”
Someone marked the location on an electronic map.
“Were there any missions deployed there today?”
“No, sir!”
“You hear that? The base never sent a team there. How could they have accidentally discovered an anomaly during a mission? This is likely a trap!”
“But it could also be true! You know there’s not only Bluefly Corporation’s experimental lunatics but also a highly intelligent infected individual who escaped. I almost got fooled by him myself. If these two have crossed paths… and with the chaos outside, if this news is real, things could get worse!”
“Let me think!”
“I understand your concerns. We can investigate cautiously and send helicopters for support. There’s still four hours before dark; we have time.”
“What about Lincheng?”
“Let’s leave them out of this for now. They have their own agendas. We should focus on ourselves first.”
Meanwhile, at a distant hill, Yu Xi, guided by her mental link with the system, found the armored van with the help of the plants. She climbed aboard and uttered two words: “Stay put.”
Min Min’s mother, seeing her return, reignited the portable stove to cook noodles. She prepared six packs of pork bone ramen, adding dehydrated vegetables and frying some sliced luncheon meat in a small pan.
The rich aroma of cooked meat quickly filled the van. The others finally understood why Min Min’s mother insisted on bringing two large bottles of cooking oil when they were loading instant noodles and canned goods earlier.
Lunch meat cooked directly in soup was one thing, but pan-fried and placed on the noodles? A whole other level.
“Too bad there are no eggs. A fried egg on top would’ve been even better. Xiao Cong, serve the noodles.”
Min Cong used disposable bowls and chopsticks to portion out the noodles and soup, adding fried luncheon meat to each bowl. He handed the first bowl to Yu Xi, knowing that in this group, Yu Xi was the de facto leader.
Yu Xi smiled and said, “Thank you,” but passed the bowl to Yu Zhengqing instead. “You didn’t eat properly today. You eat first.”
Min Min’s mother’s cooking skills were impressive. Despite being a simple instant noodle dish, the texture and broth were perfectly balanced. Paired with dehydrated vegetables and luncheon meat, everyone ate with relish.
Yu Xi hadn’t had instant noodles in ages, and the rare treat felt especially satisfying. Even the system, which preferred fruits and vegetables, finished its share of noodles. However, it still didn’t enjoy meat and transferred all the luncheon meat from its bowl to hers.
Sighing, Yu Xi pulled a clean apple from her Star House storage, along with a small bag of daily medicine and a bottle of water. “Take your meds first, then eat the apple,” she instructed.
After lunch, Min Min’s mother cleaned up, placing the used disposable bowls and chopsticks in a trash bag Yu Xi provided. She then sealed the bag and threw it into a lidded plastic bin in the corner of the van. The pot was wiped clean with paper towels and returned to the toolbox.
The six of them opened a large bag of chocolates to pass the time. They were so bored they almost started a game of ludo when the base team finally arrived.
From their vantage point on the hill, they could clearly see a convoy approaching from the opposite direction. Three armored vehicles in total. At the fork in the road, the convoy didn’t head toward the town but instead took a shortcut directly to the hills.
Yu Xi, knowing ordinary human eyesight couldn’t see this far, handed out binoculars to the others in the van. They opened the small windows and watched nervously through the metal bars.
The armored vehicles didn’t stop at the location of the military truck but continued deeper into the hills. Before long, the sound of gunfire echoed from the forest.
“Wow! They just started shooting without a word!” Min Cong exclaimed, lowering his voice in awe as he peered through the binoculars.
“So they’ve already started fighting?” Fang Lei took the binoculars Min Min handed him and leaned in to observe. “Does this mean that whatever is in the hills has nothing to do with the authorities—or at least, nothing to do with the base shelters?”
“Mm.” Yu Xi also held up her binoculars, surveying the scene.
The high ground where their armored van was parked was separated from the hills by several forked roads and a small town. At such a distance, Yu Xi couldn’t rely on her plant abilities to gather information from the hill area. The plants here were normal, unlike the mutated types in her original world, where some had special abilities that could be utilized. Fortunately, binoculars offered some visibility.
The sound of gunfire intensified, suggesting two groups were clashing. The activity on the hillside grew louder, occasionally accompanied by explosions, flashes of fire, and thick black smoke.
A military helicopter appeared in their field of vision—a heavily armed one with mounted heavy machine guns—heading directly toward the hills and soon joining the fray.
Shortly after, a loud, guttural roar echoed through the valley, audible even from the armored van. The group was all too familiar with this sound—it carried the weight of a recurring nightmare.
“Is there really a laboratory in the hills?” someone asked, their voice tinged with disbelief. Otherwise, how could one explain the sudden appearance of inhuman roars during a human battle?
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a lab as long as it’s not an official outpost,” Yu Xi replied, putting away her binoculars. She could somewhat understand why the administrators of the Pian Mountain Shelter allowed infected individuals to be used in experiments to develop infection detection tools and vaccines. However, creating stronger, more destructive mutants—regardless of the justification—was something she couldn’t condone.
Thankfully, it seemed that the authorities hadn’t gone to such extremes.
After observing the battle in the hills a little longer, the group noted the power of the official forces. Likely aiming for a swift resolution before nightfall, another military helicopter arrived, equipped with armor-piercing rounds. The combined pressure of the helicopters and armored vehicles soon turned the tide, quickly ending the stalemate.
Not long after, they spotted two military trucks entering the town, packed with soldiers. The vehicles stopped, and the soldiers began combing through the town.
Yu Xi, having served in the military, recognized this as a cleanup operation meant to gather any relevant information, as not all data was suitable for public release. She suspected they were also looking for her—the person who had ed the situation to the base. In her , she had hinted at possessing photos and other critical information, likely making her a priority target.
“Alright, it’s time to go. There’s only an hour until sundown, and we need to find a good place to spend the night,” Yu Xi announced. The group quickly shut the van’s windows.
Fang Lei moved to the driver’s seat and offered, “Want me to drive?” As a doctor, he couldn’t help but worry about the health of the injured.
“I’ll drive. You look at the map and give directions, and let your brother get some rest on the sofa,” came the response from Yu Zhengqing before Yu Xi could say anything.
“It’s fine; I’ll drive,” Yu Zhengqing said, starting the engine.
There were three routes from Meiman Hot Springs Town to the safe zone.
The Highway:
The fastest and most convenient option, connecting several cities. They could find the entry point and drive straight out of the infected zone. However, based on their experience leaving Zhou City, highways were clogged with abandoned vehicles from early civilian evacuations. Many became impassable due to infected outbreaks, forcing people to flee on foot and leaving the highways in ruins.
The National Road:
This network of roads connected cities and towns, resembling a spiderweb. However, it was easy to get lost or take detours. Additionally, these roads were heavily used by official personnel, increasing the likelihood of encountering military forces.
The Mountain Route:
A rugged path comprising narrow mountain roads. Military trucks couldn’t navigate these roads well, and they rarely passed through towns. Though the route was remote, it was likely used by some civilians trying to escape the infected zones.
Ultimately, the group chose the mountain route. The highways were blocked and teeming with blood ghouls, while the national roads risked encounters with the military. The mountain route, with its scattered refugees, seemed the least dangerous.
Yu Zhengqing drove quickly but steadily. Despite the rough terrain, the ride wasn’t too uncomfortable for the passengers.
Before sunset, they stopped in a dense forest at the edge of the mountain route, camouflaging their vehicle amidst the trees. The foliage served as Yu Xi’s eyes and ears, alerting her to any blood ghoul or humans approaching during the night. The forest was her domain, giving her confidence in their safety.
After a long day, everyone was exhausted. Dinner consisted of self-heating rice meals, followed by basic hygiene with peppermint rinse provided by Yu Xi. In the van, they laid out four camp beds, with one person sleeping on the sofa and one person standing guard.
Naturally, Yu Zhengqing and Min Min’s mother were excluded from the watch rotation due to their conditions.
Fang Lei originally wanted to exclude Yu Xi from taking a watch shift. She was the main force of the group, and he hoped she could rest well at night to maintain her energy for leading them during the day.
“It’s fine. I don’t need much sleep—five or six hours are enough. With almost twelve hours of night, you can take turns for the first half, and I’ll cover the latter half,” Yu Xi decided, and that was the end of the discussion.
Having the vehicle saved them the trouble of finding buildings to clear and secure for the night. This efficiency allowed them to reach the edge of the infected zone in just one day. Here, the number of vehicles noticeably increased. Nearby was a third-tier city, initially unaffected by the outbreak but later overwhelmed by refugees fleeing from infected areas, leading to rapid contagion.
Now, the city’s population was heading northwest, but roads leading into the city had long been cut off by other cities to curb the spread of infection. All highways and national roads were blocked with barriers and heavily armed defenses.
The authorities had also preemptively established large-scale quarantine zones outside the city. These zones were divided into three categories: “High Risk,” “Medium Risk,” and “Low Risk.” Each was enclosed by fences and patrolled by armored vehicles at night. Supplies like food, water, tents, and daily necessities were air-dropped into these zones using small drones.
The intent was clear: the authorities hadn’t abandoned the refugees but needed to prevent further spread of the infection. Refugees were temporarily confined to these quarantine zones.
Refugees spent two days in the High Risk zone.
Afterward, they moved to the Medium Risk zone for
24 hours
.
Another 24 hours in the Low Risk zone, followed by a thorough physical inspection and another 24-hour quarantine.
If no signs of infection appeared after these steps, refugees could finally enter the city, with their identities registered.
This layered quarantine aimed to catch late-stage infections due to varying incubation periods. However, the system had its flaws. Non-infected individuals sometimes came into contact with asymptomatic carriers, and sudden outbreaks in the zones led to injuries and casualties.
After gathering intelligence on the quarantine zones, Yu Xi returned to the armored van parked in a forested area. She relayed the information and asked if the group trusted her plan.
“Xiao Xi, without you, we wouldn’t have made it this far. Whatever you say, we’ll follow. No regrets!” Min Min spoke first, with her brother and mother nodding fervently in agreement.
Fang Lei patted Yu Xi’s shoulder. “As long as you don’t mind us being useless, we’ll stick with you.”
Yu Zhengqing’s gaze lingered on Fang Lei’s hand on Yu Xi’s shoulder until he pulled it back.
Half an hour later, the group of six arrived at the quarantine zone in an inconspicuous old car Yu Xi had acquired. Each carried only a small backpack with basic necessities. The vehicle blended seamlessly with the refugee convoy as they entered the High Risk quarantine zone for their initial screening.
The quarantine zone was far more chaotic than the shelters they’d been in before. It was essentially unregulated, with refugees spending their nights in constant fear. Few dared to sleep, worried that someone in a nearby tent might suddenly mutate, attack them, and spread the infection.
During the day, people scrutinized each other for signs of itching, scratching, skin ulcers, or coughing. Any suspicious behavior was immediately ed. Groups would forcibly restrain the suspected infected, often binding them and their family members. Resistance was futile, as anyone who intervened was treated as a threat.
At night, most hid in their tents like frightened birds, waiting anxiously for dawn. Meanwhile, the stronger individuals patrolled the area, ready to restrain anyone displaying symptoms.
Yu Xi’s group received red tags for the High Risk zone after a brief inspection. They retrieved their backpacks, picked up a six-person tent, and set it up in an empty spot. Staying together provided a sense of security.
Dinner that night was simple: water and biscuits from their supplies. No one complained, understanding the need to stay low-key during the four-day quarantine.
When night fell, Yu Xi zipped up the tent and pulled out two silenced pistols from her backpack, handing them to Fang Lei and Min Min. No one asked where she had hidden the weapons to avoid detection or questioned why most of their supplies were left in the armored van. Everyone understood that trust, not interrogation, was what Yu Xi needed.
Fang Lei and Min Min accepted the guns with serious expressions, checked the ammunition, and kept them close.
The first night passed uneventfully.
On the second night, a newcomer in a nearby tent coughed a few times. Someone heard and raised an alarm. A mob stormed the tent, restraining the man and his family despite his protests that it was just a cold. His belongings were confiscated under the pretext that “the infected don’t need food.”
By the third night, the group had moved to the Medium Risk zone. Chaos erupted in the High Risk zone when an infected individual suddenly mutated, attacking several patrollers. The incident caused widespread panic until military personnel arrived to restore order with force.
On the fourth day, the sky was overcast, the thick clouds blocking out the sun. The oppressive atmosphere left everyone uneasy.
That evening, a large group of blood ghouls appeared near the quarantine zone. Their bloodshot eyes gleamed as they stared at the panicked refugees through the fence. Like predators eyeing prey, they grabbed the iron mesh, shaking it violently, their grotesque laughter echoing through the night.