Rotting Land: Survive-Chapter 454 - 450: Winter Plan (Part 4)

Back then, in order to cover up the fact that people at the base had escaped back, the bus was parked by the survivors at a bus stop three blocks away from the base.

Considering that it might still be needed in the future, Wei Dazhuang, when leaving, took extra care to lock the doors and windows to prevent the beasts from "entering and damaging" it.

Now, after over a week’s baptism by wind and rain, the bus returned to the base.

The first measure the survivors needed to take was to clean the stains inside and outside of the vehicle.

Armed with buckets and towels, Wei Yang and other remaining personnel began the arduous cleaning task.

How clean the bus would be directly related to the environment the group would experience on their journey, so there was no room for sloppiness.

Even the young Fangfang, wearing gloves and holding a small cloth, diligently helped her brothers and sisters in front of her by carefully wiping away the bloodstains on the exterior of the bus.

Once the bus was cleaned, Wang Zhongyu, who had completed the first round of patrol duties, immediately took over the task of modification and reinforcement.

To ensure the safety of the task, Xu Renjie unusually halted the afternoon’s search operation and stood guard with his soldiers at the entrance of the community, preventing the beasts from intruding and causing harm to the modification personnel.

The tools were fully charged in advance, and the materials needed for modification and reinforcement had been lined up and moved downstairs.

Based on the survivors’ discussion, they planned to cut the seats within the bus to create some space for placing living supplies.

In addition, to cope with potential emergencies, the survivors planned to reserve space for two folding beds to rest during the journey.

The windows around naturally needed to be reinforced with wire mesh, and Wang Zhongyu intended to transform the vent on the roof into an emergency exit for easy access.

As for the spare tires needed for the vehicle, they were also included in the list of supplies the survivors planned to gather next.

In the ensuing three days, the entire focus of the survivors’ work was almost entirely on modifying the bus.

Since this "guy" was to bear most of the survivor team’s members, any slip or mistake during the modification could result in catastrophic errors when encountering danger.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Wei Yang, Acheng, and Fangfang meticulously inventoried and classified the supplies searched by Old Zhao and the others in the storage room, preparing in advance for future transport and life planning.

Such tasks were quite tedious, and extremely tiring, especially for a woman like Wei Yang, making the difficulty self-evident.

However, having developed a habit of self-reliance since childhood, Wei Yang did not mind at all. She was accustomed to organizing things methodically, and such a personality was undoubtedly crucial during the apocalypse.

Because only by having everything under control could one be confident in the face of crisis.

The winter plan was carried out systematically, thanks to the joint efforts of the survivors, with hardships, joy, and above all, a hope for the future.

Everyone sincerely hoped to find a place where they could truly settle down, rather than continue to wander about as they were now.

Xu Renjie still took on driving tasks during suitable gaps, but as time went on, even he knew the hope was dim.

Despite this, others did not say much, but when the supplies were ready and the bus modification was complete, Tang Xiaoquan felt it was time to lay things on the table with Xu Renjie.

Because continuing further would be futile; not only would they fail to find Luo Yi, but they would also waste precious fuel.

More importantly, winter was fast approaching.

If they really wanted to leave, now would undoubtedly be the best time, otherwise, with the arrival of rainy and snowy weather, the journey would become much more treacherous, so...

During the meal, Tang Xiaoquan decided to bring up the matter.

Casually picking up some dishes, he chewed while discreetly glancing at Xu Renjie beside him, who was impassively eating the rice in his bowl, and remarked without prompting, "Zhongyu, how’s the reinforcement on the bus going?"

Raising a V sign with his fingers, Wang Zhongyu immediately patted his chest and replied with a hint of pride, "With me on the job, you can rest assured, everything’s been sorted!"

Nodding instinctively, Tang Xiaoquan promptly continued, "I see! Then shouldn’t we set a time for leaving?"

As usual, he maintained a casual tone, which was Tang Xiaoquan’s strategy. He didn’t directly demand Xu Renjie halt the rescue plan but used an indirect method to steer the conversation toward his intended topic.

The advantage of this approach, firstly, is it avoids abruptness; secondly, it addresses the age and identity gap issue.

Sure enough, upon hearing Tang Xiaoquan’s question, the complacent Wang Qiang didn’t hesitate to chime in, "Yeah! We really need to get going. If you ask me, any day is good. Since everything’s ready, let’s do it soon, tomorrow or the day after!"

After speaking, Wang Qiang threw a slice of beef into his mouth, utterly unaware he had fallen into a "trap," and started chewing with a "crunch, crunch."

Tang Xiaoquan had never appreciated his brother more than now; the latter’s unthinking "big mouth" undeniably gave him the opportunity to steer the topic. Without hesitation, he feigned a thoughtful mumble, "Action tomorrow or the day after? Isn’t that a bit rushed? What does everyone think?"

He once again threw the question to others, intending to involve everyone in the decision. The exact time was not important; what mattered was applying pressure on Xu Renjie, making him realize that leaving was the course of action, and he couldn’t and wouldn’t change this fact based on personal will.

Immediately, the younger generation – Wu Chao, Wen Quanxin, Acheng, Wang Zhongyu – all voiced their opinions, mostly aligning with Wang Qiang’s thoughts, suggesting to leave soon, if not the next day, then within a day or two, essentially echoing the same sentiment of leaving quickly.

Meanwhile, the slightly older Zhao, Lin Junfu, and Hu Xiaodong seemed to have deeper considerations. They subconsciously exchanged a glance before collectively focusing their attention on the taciturn Xu Renjie.

Clearly, they’re concerned about one thing, and that is Xu Renjie’s stance on the matter.

"Ahem," Old Zhao feigned a cough to interrupt the young people’s discussion. He slowly put down his chopsticks, somewhat resigned but forcing himself to ask, "Commander Xu, do you have any opinions on moving out tomorrow or the day after?"

The room fell silent after the words, with Tang Xiaoquan fixating on Xu Renjie, who was quietly eating his rice.

His long-prepared strategy had succeeded; the next move depended on Xu Renjie’s response.

Three seconds, perhaps more, almost to everyone’s surprise, they expected Xu Renjie to demur, but unexpectedly he stated straightforwardly, "I have no objection!!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on qidian.com; your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)