Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Grain Transport Operation (Part 1)
"Hey, Ah Cheng, why are you huddled alone in the corner! Why not go play cards with everyone over there?"
Raising his eyebrows and glancing at Tang Xiaoquan who approached, Ah Cheng shook his head slightly weakly and then lowered it, making an excuse: "I, I’m not really interested in playing cards."
"Oh, is that so~" Tang Xiaoquan responded rather casually, sitting down next to him without leaving a trace, then pointed to the distant sky and said:
"I remember when I was very young, my grandmother once told me that after people die, they become stars in the sky. When you gaze at the starry sky at night, the brightest one is the person you care about."
"Later, after my grandmother passed away due to illness, I would stand in the courtyard of my old home at night, looking up at the starry sky, searching for the brightest star I could see."
"And whenever I found that star, my heart would involuntarily feel warm, as if grandma was also watching over me from the sky."
"Then, as I grew older and my knowledge broadened, I gradually understood that the saying ’people become stars after they die’ was false, but it was precisely this realization that let me understand another deeper meaning behind my grandma’s words."
"Another deeper meaning?" Ah Cheng instinctively blurted out, a hint of curiosity in his tone.
"Yes," Tang Xiaoquan still looked up at the sky, seemingly unaware of Ah Cheng’s question, and continued on his own: "What grandma told me was actually a kind of yearning for happiness, a kind of spiritual sustenance that people seek."
"Aren’t these things the fundamental reason we are human? Imagine, if humans have no dreams, life will wither; if humans abandon civilization, society will collapse! In the end, we would all become living corpses like those beasts roaming below."
"So, in a way, we are fortunate because we are still alive. Although the apocalypse is upon us, we must not give up on our dreams. We have to stay strong and live on, for those we love and those who love us, and for others struggling to survive at the bottom, and for those who have tragically passed away."
"Ah~" With that, Tang Xiaoquan meaningfully patted Ah Cheng’s shoulder, then let out a long breath: "Look for the brightest star, Brother Du and your father must be watching you from there. Don’t let them down, live strong, for it is their last wish and your duty. You must fulfill it."
Ah Cheng slowly turned his head thoughtfully, but when he looked to his side, the somewhat frail figure had already stood up and walked away.
"Are dad and uncle watching me from the sky?" Ah Cheng murmured to himself. Though he was already 18 years old and knew it was nonsense, for some reason, he still instinctively gazed into the distance, silently promising: "Dad! Uncle! Don’t worry, I will live well!"
A night without words, and dawn came in a blink of an eye.
As the rising sun just peeked its head over the horizon, the survivors had already gotten up and were ready.
Without a doubt, the survivors, running out of ammunition and food, didn’t get to enjoy breakfast, so with their hungry stomachs, they must complete the food-moving task before exhaustion set in.
Moreover, the dawn of summer is the time of day when sunlight intensity is relatively low, so choosing this moment to act would undeniably minimize physical exhaustion.
"Alright, everyone, if anyone is unclear about or has questions regarding the operation plan, please speak up now." Hu Xiaodong returned to his stern, unsmiling demeanor, his expression notably serious.
"No," almost in unison, everyone gave a definite answer.
But it’s no wonder they were so coordinated because this plan involved life and death, and no one dared to be careless.
"Alright, since everyone is clear, I won’t say much more. Anyway..." His voice suddenly paused as Hu Xiaodong’s eyes swept across everyone, and then he continued solemnly: "In any case, I hope everyone can come back alive... and successfully complete today’s task."
No one responded; everyone had a grave expression. Hu Xiaodong’s words, not so much a rallying speech, undoubtedly struck a warning bell in everyone’s mind.
"Uncle Lin, the family and Tiger’s mom and son are left for you and Lu Rui to take care of."
Lin Muye patted Hu Xiaodong’s shoulder gently. His face, already covered with wrinkles, appeared a bit older at this moment: "Don’t worry, there won’t be any big problems at home. But you all must be careful. If there’s danger, don’t force it. Remember, life comes first. If we run out of food, we can think of other ways, but if we lose our lives..."
Lin Muye did not continue, for he felt that talking about death at this juncture was obviously too inauspicious, so he quickly changed the subject and asserted: "This old man will wait for your triumphant return!"
After exchanging pleasantries, Wu Chao and Wang Qiang together shouldered the 7-meter-high wooden ladder over.
Tang Xiaoquan also took the opportunity to glance down from the building, but below was empty, with no sight of zombies.
Such a situation was undoubtedly excellent news for the survivors. Not daring to delay, everyone quickly climbed down the ladder one after another and immediately formed a line.
Hu Xiaodong routinely led, carrying a compound bow, taking the lead. In three steps, he moved to the alley entrance; silently using the wall as a cover, he cautiously checked the situation outside the alley, then held up two fingers.
"Two zombies!" Wang Qiang murmured to himself. Having experienced last time, he didn’t need Wu Chao’s explanation this time.
As usual, he set up an arrow, raised the bow, and released the string. Hu Xiaodong’s archery techniques were still as brilliant as ever. With two muffled sounds of bodies falling, everyone knew the targets were dealt with.
"Go!" With an exceptionally crisp wave of his hand, Hu Xiaodong crouched low like a ghost and darted out. The next second saw him crouched by a van beside the street. Once his teammates followed suit, he began moving to the next cover point.
As Tang Xiaoquan had anticipated, Hu Xiaodong’s understanding of the layout of the entire street was unmatched. He almost always found suitable hiding spots in suitable places, and even when encountering oblivious blocking zombies, he could immediately shoot them down with bow and arrow.
Thus, under the lead of Hu Xiaodong, who was practically akin to having cheat codes, the survivor team finally arrived at their target location with no danger.
Six people stood in single file behind two abandoned vehicles. Hu Xiaodong gently peeked out half his head, and 50 meters directly in front of him, the four large words "Harmony Noodle Shop" were clearly visible.
However, as his gaze shifted continuously, his expression became increasingly grave...