"Meow meow meow (Why is everyone so quiet?)"
Peiqi broke the silence first, seemingly unable to stand the strange quietness.
"Captain, what do we do? We don't have any gas masks in our convoy," Wang Zhihai said, looking at Lin Yuan with some concern.
"Everyone, don't worry. According to the broadcast, wearing masks and tactical goggles will have the same effect, as long as they're sealed. The tactical goggles also have air valves that can be closed."
Lin Yuan thought for a moment and added, "It's not like we get infected upon contact. As long as we wear masks and protective goggles, we can hold out for a long time. The broadcast tomorrow should have a detailed explanation, and they'll likely air-drop gas masks for people still in the city."
Hearing Lin Yuan's words, the team members came to their senses. That's right, it wasn't like they'd be infected instantly upon contact. When they encountered zombies blocking their way, they just needed to quickly resolve the fight and move on.
"That makes sense. But we need to hurry back to the countryside. Everyone get some rest quickly, we'll set off as soon as it's dawn tomorrow," Wu Tian was already very tired, and the other team members were even more so. The energy expended on moving supplies this morning, finding cars, modifying cars, and having to get out to clear zombies had taken a toll.
After sending Peiqi and the other cats back to their cages to sleep, those not on duty returned to their vehicles to rest.
Lin Yuan, of course, did not rest. Although he was mentally fatigued, it didn't matter much; his body could still hold out for a long time.
In the blink of an eye, only Lin Yuan and Li Wen remained on the open ground, along with Lin Qingyan and Zhou Ping on guard duty. These two young nurses were in good spirits and had volunteered to stand guard until the first half of the night before handing over.
"Li Wen, I'm sorry for not being able to entertain you properly. The broadcast just delivered more bad news, so the team members are exhausted and need rest. I hope you understand."
After the pleasantries, Lin Yuan took out five N95 masks and a motorcycle helmet and handed them to Li Wen. "We don't have extra protective goggles in the team, but we do have spare N95 masks and motorcycle helmets. Please accept these. You didn't even wear a helmet on your journey here, so you must have been in a greater hurry than us."
Li Wen tried to decline, but remembering what the broadcast had said, he smiled and accepted. "Thanks, Lin Yuan. How about I stand guard with you?"
"No, no, just sleep here. Make do with these two folding tables. The fire is on, so it's not cold. I still need to look at the map and find places that sell gas masks."
"Alright, call me if anything happens. I may not be very capable, but I can still handle a knife," Li Wen said, then pulled over two folding tables, grabbed the motorcycle helmet, lay down on them, and fell asleep.
This guy is completely unsuspecting. Tsk.
Should I take the opportunity?
Lin Yuan dismissed the thought. Firstly, there was no enmity, and secondly, there was no reason. Acting so rashly would be bad for the team's unity.
Although he had his suspicions, it hadn't reached that point yet.
He shook his head. It's better to resolve animosity than to create it. He had given him something, and his attitude throughout had been decent. He hoped this person wouldn't cause him any trouble.
Nothing happened overnight, and dawn broke very early. The team members had all gotten some rest. With their current physical recovery, everyone was in high spirits and in good condition, as if the bad news from last night had never existed.
Lin Yuan, who had stayed up all night, was not sleepy. Without much further ado, he ordered the convoy to set off, to get off the highway sooner and return home. If the road conditions were smooth, they would be home before tonight.
Lin Yuan's hometown was about 100 kilometers from the county town, which normally took about 2 hours to reach. Although the evacuation route was much longer now and involved many detours, the total distance was less than 400 kilometers.
The convoy sped forward under the morning sun. When they encountered vehicles stopped on the road, they always slowed down to take a look. Unfortunately, all they found along the way were desolation, silence, and the hungry and brutal roars of zombies.
"Lin Yuan! 1k ahead!"
"Let's go!"
Li Wen snapped back from a momentary daze and realized that the passengers in the co-pilot seats of all the cars that had passed him were pointing guns at him. If he made any sudden moves, several bullets would instantly be fired at him.
He stopped his motorcycle, took off his helmet, and watched the convoy gradually disappear into the distance, forcing a wry smile.
"Lin Yuan, what am I supposed to do with you?"
At that moment, the communication device in his ear crackled to life. He pressed a button, and the call was instantly connected.
A distorted voice came through: "Wen, what's the situation with Target No. 3?"
"Dead," Li Wen said casually, not even blinking.
"A ghoul killed him? That's impossible. Didn't you say their team had many firearms?" the person on the other end of the communicator clearly didn't believe it.
"How can you even ask? You didn't even know your arranged mutant organ could attack remotely. He was shot in the head and died on the spot," Li Wen's tone carried a hint of disdain.
"You! Alright, that was indeed our oversight. What about the other secondary target, that half-mutated girl? Did you extract her blood and tissues?"
"No, they protected her too closely. I couldn't get near."
"Can the travel route be determined?"
"Not determined. They didn't mention anything. Instead, they casually said they were going to Xiangyang Village in Qu City. That's obviously wrong. Qu City is to the north, and they're heading south. They're not detouring north."
"So this mission yielded nothing!! What about Target No. 3's bodily tissues? Did you get them?!" The person on the other end was clearly getting anxious.
"I did get that. I secretly intercepted some before they cremated the body and have bottled it."
Li Wen took out a bottle containing the bodily tissues of some random zombie, making it easy to explain that Lin Yuan had mutated after death.
As for the ghoul that was truly cremated, its head was still hanging on the number five vehicle of their convoy.
They said that once the charred tissues detached, it could be kept as a trophy.
Tsk, interesting.
"That's good then. At least it wasn't a complete loss. Since Target No. 3 is dead, let's head back to the organization. After you return, you'll be responsible for tracking Target No. 5, and by the way, go see your wife and daughter."
Mention of his wife and daughter caused Li Wen's hand to grip the knife so tightly that it almost bent.
His tone remained unchanged as he replied, "Understood."
The sound of the communicator ending the call came through.
He turned to look in the direction the convoy had departed. "Lin Yuan, for the sake of that gilded Remington 1890, I helped you once. I hope we don't meet again in the future. Otherwise, if you meet Fang Yuxin, this matter will become a big deal."
Li Wen had already removed all the listening devices on his body, including those inside him, which was why he felt confident speaking so boldly.
The organization knew about this, but there was nothing they could do. They would likely have to install more listening devices upon their return.
However, Lin Yuan's words that Fang Yuxin would surely have a bright future were not wrong. Like Li Wen, Fang Yuxin was also a top scholar, even more so than him.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been selected by this damned organization.
Restarting the motorcycle, Li Wen put aside his thoughts, twisted the throttle, and headed down another road. A helicopter would pick him up at the agreed-upon location. Their organization hadn't managed to infiltrate too deeply yet; China's satellites were constantly monitoring their possible locations.