After explaining everything to Old Bi, Li Yu returned to the RV.

Having talked with Zhong Chuchu and Old Bi for so long, his mouth was dry, and he planned to get some water to drink.

But when he returned to the RV, he found there was no water inside.

The RV was empty; Li Tie and Li Gang were pulled over by Old Bi to discuss systemic issues, while Dapao and Yang Tianlong went to the meeting room to repair that military map.

Shaking his head, Li Yu went to the driver’s seat himself.

He started the vehicle and drove towards the only usable well in the Oil City.

This well was located on the edge of Oil City.

Due to the oil wells, most of the underground was oil, so before the apocalypse, it was against regulations to drill wells.

This well was drilled by them after the apocalypse.

The water from here had a strange smell, but it was barely usable after filtration.

Li Yu drove to the vicinity of the well, about to get out of the car to fetch water.

But he saw two people standing by the well, it was Shen Xiaoxiao and that Noble Consort.

Judging by their looks, they seemed to be on much friendlier terms.

Li Yu got out of the car, walked to the car’s water inlet, and took out a key to open the steel plate covering the inlet.

Shen Xiaoxiao and Noble Consort saw Li Yu and greeted him.

Li Yu nodded and said, "Fetching water?"

"Uh-huh. You too?"

"Yes."

After Li Yu finished speaking, he quietly waited for them to fill their buckets with water.

Shen Xiaoxiao somehow procured two huge buckets, now completely filled.

"We’re leaving first." Shen Xiaoxiao’s voice was sweet; if you didn’t see her face, you’d think she was a little loli.

"Okay." Li Yu nodded.

He saw that Noble Consort next to Shen Xiaoxiao seemed about to help carry water, but Shen Xiaoxiao refused.

"I can handle it myself."

After speaking, she lifted a bucket in each hand with ease.

The muscles in her arms bulged instantly, making her short sleeves stretch tightly.

The streamlined muscles looked very athletic.

Watching Shen Xiaoxiao carry two buckets, each definitely over a hundred pounds, even though it wasn’t Li Yu’s first time witnessing Shen Xiaoxiao’s strength, he was still a bit surprised.

What a muscular woman.

Looking at Noble Consort next to Shen Xiaoxiao, who was wide-eyed and followed behind Shen Xiaoxiao somewhat bewildered.

Li Yu found it both amusing and exasperating, chuckled and shook his head, then inserted the hose into the car’s water inlet, turned on the faucet, and waited quietly.

Soon, he finished refilling the water tanks on the car.

He turned on the water purifier in the car, then filled a pot with water and boiled it.

Afterward, he drove back to the original location.

While he was refilling water, next door to the Oil City meeting room, Li Tie and Li Gang were negotiating exchange rates with Old Bi and establishing reasonable regulations based on the characteristics of Oil City.

In the meeting room, Dapao, Ant, and others were repairing that military map.

The sporadic lights throughout Oil City illuminated the place.

Since they could produce oil here, with diesel generators, they wouldn’t have to worry about electricity and lighting issues.

On the other side, since Old Bi was staying up late to discuss matters with Li Tie and Li Gang, tonight’s night duty was handed over to Luo and Xiao Jun.

In the RV, Li Yu waited for the boiled water to cool a bit.

Then he added an effervescent tablet inside, gulping it down with a ’gudong gudong’ sound.

As dusk approached, he realized he hadn’t showered for several days.

He turned to look at the small bathroom in the RV, feeling hesitant.

But the itch on his back was quite uncomfortable, and with the hot weather, not showering for too long could lead to lice.

The shower in this RV was rarely used.

When driving the RV out, they usually had to find a temporary camp, which wasn’t safe, so Li Yu wouldn’t take off his anti-explosion suit.

While on the road, refilling water was also a hassle.

In rivers and lakes, there were often zombies lurking in the water, so they had to be very careful when refilling and conserve water as much as possible.

But now that they had control of Oil City, with its walls and guards.

Most importantly, there was a well here, and water resources weren’t scarce, even if they were a bit strange; it was still water.

Li Yu finally decided to take a shower.

He quickly took off his anti-explosion suit, then his bullet-proof vest.

He flicked off his shoes and dashed into the small bathroom.

He turned on the shower and scrubbed his scalp and body vigorously.

He planned to finish showering within five minutes.

As he was washing, he suddenly felt the water level underfoot rising.

So he looked down and saw that the drain was clogged with dirt and hair from his body, and he smiled wryly.

He rubbed the area with his foot, clearing the dirt blocking the drain, and the water started flowing smoothly.

Five minutes later, Li Yu dried his body, feeling refreshed.

He put his clothes and bullet-proof vest back on, collapsed on the sofa, watching videos on the small TV in the RV, feeling somewhat at ease.

After half an hour, Li Yu put the small TV up and covered it with a panel.

After all, the roads they drove this armored RV on were mostly uneven, so all electrical appliances inside were shockproof.

Returning to the small space at the back of the car, Li Yu leaned against the bed and slowly fell asleep.

.....

At the same time.

Thousands of miles away at the Big Camphor Tree Base.

Second Uncle didn’t fall asleep.

The moon was bright, the stars were sparse. He walked along the wall and saw that the greenhouse in the Third Outer City was already complete.

Even the residential buildings had been constructed up to the second floor.

Li Yu and the others have been gone for more than half a month, but the construction projects at the Big Camphor Tree Base haven’t stopped.

During this period, Uncle once did a routine patrol around the Big Camphor Tree Base and saw the wooden fences built by numerous cooperative personnel, then discussed it with Second Uncle.

So, in the name of the Big Camphor Tree Base, they took a day to have the cooperative personnel reinforce the existing wooden fences, and the labor for the day could still be exchanged for food.

This news brought great joy to the cooperative and extra staff.

It was undoubtedly good news for them.

Although there were fewer zombies in these mountains and forests, there were many people here after all.

In places with many people, the presence of humans is strong, and zombies are sensitive to smells at night, so they often come from other places.

Zombies are inexhaustible; every time it rains, zombies from far away come over, and when the rain stops, they don’t go far but stay in nearby dark and damp places, waiting to come out at night.

At first, they regularly cleared out zombies, but later they found it impossible to kill them all, so they stopped trying.

Anyway, every time it rains, it’s as if they’ve restored the original state.

After a day of reinforcement, areas within a two-kilometer radius centered on the Big Camphor Tree Base, especially low-lying and easily accessible spots, were equipped with more robust wooden fences.

Second Uncle walked a round along the wall, feeling a bit sweaty, and then went to the duty room of the Third Outer City, saying to Song Min who was on duty inside, "I’ll head back first, I’ll come to cover for you tomorrow."

Song Min nodded and said, "Alright, you’ve been here all day, go back and rest."

Second Uncle didn’t say anything, glanced at Li Zhengping who was also inside.

Nodded once, then returned to the Inner City.

Walking on the roads in the Inner City, looking at the streetlights illuminating the road, with some crops like edamame planted on the roadside.

Looking at the warm yellow light and the lush green crops eased many worries in his heart.

It’s a vast base, including the Inner and Outer City, with the extra staff and cooperative personnel amounting to thousands of people.

He had to manage a lot of cooperative and extra staff, oversee construction, planting, and breeding inside the base, and handle a whole series of other issues.

Every day, as soon as it was daylight, he would be at the duty room at the main gate, handling various matters.

During the days when Li Yu and Third Uncle were away, he spent more time in the duty room than in the Inner City by several times.

Sometimes, he even slept in the duty room.

When the area gets large and people become numerous, management becomes much more burdensome.

It was much more tiring than when he first started his business.

Second Uncle hammered his old waist, arriving at the villa area.

The villa area was specially built by Li Yu for his family, separated by a wall from the other residential buildings in the Inner City.

When he just reached the villa area, he saw a room on the first floor with the lights on.

Through the bright light, he stood in the darkness, seeing his younger brother Li Hongcheng and his little daughter Li Suxin sitting on the sofa by the window.

Suxin was almost 7 years old this year, holding a big fairy tale book, telling stories to her fourth brother Li Hongcheng.

The fourth brother, under the gentle light, looked even more kind and amiable with his honest face.

Fourth brother’s eyes were full of doting and warmth when looking at Suxin.

Quietly watching, listening to Li Suxin telling fairy tales to him.

Seeing this loving scene, Second Uncle felt very comforted.

Years ago, the fourth brother’s wife died from childbirth, leaving Suxin, and the fourth brother, who already spoke little, became even more silent after his wife’s death.

He rarely accompanied his two daughters Peizhen and Suxin, making the two children become taciturn as well.

Before Doomsday, the two children were left in the care of Li Yu’s grandparents, carrying what seemed like enormous pressure for their age.

A bad childhood requires a lifetime to heal.

Every time Li Yu returned, it was the happiest time for the two sisters, because Li Yu would take them to amusement parks and buy them what they wanted.

These two sisters were often taken care of by us as their uncles and aunts.

However, a father’s love is irreplaceable.

Unexpectedly, after Doomsday broke out.

Outside was full of zombies, everyone stayed within this base, and family companionship healed the fourth brother and the two sisters.

Plus, Li Yu often reminded Fourth Uncle to spend more time with the two children.

Unexpectedly, the fourth brother, who didn’t know how to express love and was reticent, slowly learned how to interact with his daughters.

"It’s wonderful." Second Uncle saw them father and daughter, Suxin snuggling in the fourth brother’s arms, occasionally jumping out and bouncing on the couch, while the fourth brother guarded her with his hands, such a beautiful sight.

It was the first time Second Uncle saw Fourth Brother like this.

As Second Uncle stayed outside in the darkness, Fourth Uncle and his daughter were inside in the light, so Second Uncle could see Fourth Uncle, but Fourth Uncle couldn’t see those outside.

"Daddy, Daddy, let me tell you a fairy tale."

Li Suxin’s tender childish voice sounded, passing through the window, drifting outside.

"Alright, you tell it, Daddy’s listening."

Fourth Brother Li Hongcheng was very patient, smiling, speaking softly.

"I’ll tell you the story of the Three Little Pigs.

Once upon a time, there were three little pigs, the eldest was called Bajie, the second was Ying Tai, and the third was Li Ye...."

"Xinxin, oh~"

"What’s wrong?" Li Suxin lifted her big eyes, under the light her eyelashes were long and curled, her pink baby-fat cheeks reflecting light like a porcelain doll.

Fourth Brother hesitated for a moment, didn’t correct his daughter’s story, didn’t dampen her enthusiasm, so said, "You did well, who told you this story?"

"Sister Yuan told me. Is there something wrong?"

Fourth Uncle had a sweat drop but still wore a smile filled with anticipation, "Good, I haven’t heard this story before, Xinxin, you tell it, I want to hear it..."

.....

Second Uncle stood outside for a long time, with an unnoticed smile on his face.

Until later, he heard Suxin got tired, leaned on the fourth brother’s shoulder, and fell asleep.

Her chubby little mouth drooling. Ah