As dusk settled, Yue Hengyi ordered Bai Suilan to return. Combat after dark was ill-advised, as visibility would be severely hampered. Being surrounded by the zombie horde would make a breakout difficult. He calculated that they had killed at least a hundred thousand zombies today, and Bai Suilan had grown its third pair of leaves. Tomorrow, it could likely kill two hundred thousand, and with such progress, their week-long offensive would be successful.
When leaving the city, Bai Suilan greedily captured over two hundred zombies. Back outside the city, it dropped them on the ground, retracted its leaves into buds, and continued to absorb their energy.
"Brother Feng, have you spotted any zombie kings? If you do, the two of us will take them down directly!" Yue Hengyi asked eagerly as Shen Feng returned.
"Do you think it's that easy? I haven't found anything. However, I estimate the zombie horde will make a move soon. The zombies at the center of the horde are all replenishing their strength. It's likely the zombie king doesn't want to be continuously nibbled away!" Shen Feng said calmly.
"It's best if the zombie king comes out to fight. Otherwise, I really don't know when this plan will end. I just wonder if the zombie kings in Australia are even more cunning!" Yue Hengyi became excited upon hearing that the zombie horde might act. He wasn't afraid of the zombies' sheer numbers, but he feared the zombie king's schemes!
Meanwhile, at the temporary camp outside the city, five thousand people had already gathered. These were all refugees, driven out from their bases. Almost all bases in Australia were facing a food crisis; food was the most crucial resource. Previously, the old, weak, sick, and disabled within the bases had to be taken in. But after Wang Jiao'e contacted these bases, their people immediately agreed to drive out all the useless individuals.
To survive, thousands of people traveled under the scorching sun, reaching the outskirts of Fremantle and finally receiving food supplies.
Wang Jiao'e, along with her people from the base, distributed supplies in the camp. This was a task assigned by Shen Feng. The refugees around the camp were all her doing, and she had to clean up her own mess.
Lu Zhengqi, seeing their leader leading people to help others and continuously distributing food, was deeply moved. "Our leader is truly merciful, such a good person. He will surely be supported in the future."
It wasn't just the fourteen-year-old Lu Zhengqi who felt this way; the others in their thirties and forties were also very touched. In times of food scarcity and the threat of death, receiving help from someone would surely be remembered. Upon hearing that Wang Jiao'e was an esper, ordinary people developed a sense of admiration.
Wang Jiao'e, leading her people in distributing food and water, received gratitude from others and felt a sense of pride. However, she did not lose herself. She had always been brainwashed by the imperial tactics of China. While receiving gratitude made her feel good at the moment, there were still hidden dangers. She couldn't be completely open with them just because they were grateful.
"Only half-dead people are the easiest to manage. After Shen Feng and Yue Hengyi leave, I will continue to starve these people. Only then can my position remain stable and unshakable!" Wang Jiao'e thought to herself.
As Wang Jiao'e lacked combat ability, even an assassination attempt by an ordinary person, a sudden shot from the side, would be something she couldn't withstand. Therefore, she absolutely could not let others have the idea of assassinating her. To maintain her position, she needed to weaken the people under her.
At this moment, Shen Feng found Slotko, and also brought Lu Zhengqi along. He then asked, "Old man, I want to know, how long does it take at the fastest to reach China by sailing from the port?"
Upon hearing Shen Feng's question, Slotko quickly replied, "It's still spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and the north wind is blowing. To sail north, once you cross the equator, it's basically a headwind. Two months is the fastest. It's better to wait a while. When April comes, and the Pacific has high pressure, the southwest monsoon will blow north. Then it will be a tailwind all the way, and you can reach it in about a month."
"A month with a tailwind? That's really long," Shen Feng frowned. If only they had a ferry, but ferries required professional personnel, at least experienced sailors to operate them. Moreover, they required a lot of gasoline. Shen Feng didn't have time to find talent and gasoline.
Lu Zhengqi couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Shen, aren't you going by land anymore?"
Lu Zhengqi's previous plan was to follow Shen Feng all the way to Cairns. He had come with his father for a trip, but his father had already died. Now, Lu Zhengqi's only reliance was his mother. No matter what, he had to return to his mother's side.
However, Shen Feng was no longer planning to travel by land but by sea. Did this mean he wouldn't be able to return to his hometown?
Shen Feng explained, "Traveling by land is too dangerous, especially with the large numbers of rabbits on the central Australian grasslands. Furthermore, if we encounter a wildfire on the road, it will also be very dangerous. It's better to travel by sea. Anyway, I've found a sailboat. After things here are settled, Yue Hengyi and I will set off immediately. If you want to follow us, we won't object. If you don't want to, I won't retaliate against you."
Lu Zhengqi said firmly, "I want to follow you. When you finally leave the Australian continent, just drop me off on the shore. I'll continue the rest of the journey on my own."
Upon hearing the boy's words, Shen Feng couldn't help but shake his head and say, "With your malnourished little body, you want to return home alone? Don't dream! You'll be eaten by wild dogs halfway there. Besides, there are wild boars and venomous snakes in the mountains. You'll either be eaten or starve to death."
Shen Feng didn't want to discourage him, but Lu Zhengqi insisted on returning home. For such a thin boy, this idea was too naive.
Lu Zhengqi still looked at Shen Feng with determination, as if nothing could change his mind. When a child is stubborn, even ten oxen can't pull them back.
"Alright, then you can follow us. When we leave, we'll give you a ride. However, we will only pass through half of the Australian continent. Don't expect me to take you any further!" Shen Feng shrugged.
Slotko clearly stated that he would spend the rest of his life here. Following Shen Feng out to sea to live in unknown places was full of uncertainties. Now that he could stay, it was the best option.
As Shen Feng was chatting with the two, Yue Hengyi shouted from a distance, "Brother Feng, there's a situation, hurry over!"
Yue Hengyi wouldn't shout for no reason. His sudden call indicated an abnormal situation. Shen Feng hurried over and asked, "What's wrong? What's wrong?"
Yue Hengyi pointed to Bai Suilan in the distance and said, "Brother Feng, look quickly. This mutated plant is defending against an attack. Does this mean danger is coming?"
Shen Feng looked at Bai Suilan and saw that the mutated plant had retracted two of its leaves, refusing to open them. The remaining four leaves were swaying restlessly, and its vines were constantly moving on the ground like crawling venomous snakes.
"Bai Suilan senses the appearance of prey through ground vibrations. At this time, it's likely that Bai Suilan has felt vibrations. The zombie horde must be making a move!" Shen Feng frowned.
Yue Hengyi looked up at the sky. Only half the moon was hanging in the sky, emitting a soft glow. Even so, the visibility on the ground was not high. Zombies attacking at this time was truly baffling.
"Can these zombies see the ground clearly? Attacking at night, I can't figure it out!" Yue Hengyi murmured.
Shen Feng thought for a moment and said, "The zombie king probably wants to attack under the cover of night. If they acted during the day, every move of the zombies would be clearly visible to us. But it's different at night. As long as they attack at night, the zombie horde can form a massive, continuous advance, rushing forward endlessly. They don't need to see the road clearly; blind action is enough!"
"What do we do next? With hundreds of thousands of zombies, we probably aren't a match!" Yue Hengyi asked quickly.
Shen Feng thought for a moment and said without hesitation, "Slowly retreat! Lure the zombie horde down the mountain!"
"What about these people then?" Yue Hengyi pointed to the more than five thousand people in the camp. How could so many refugees retreat in such a hurry?
"If they can keep up, we'll take them. If they can't, then this is their fate!" Shen Feng said indifferently. He had no obligation to protect these people. They were not his subordinates, nor were they his countrymen. They were merely pawns of Wang Jiao'e and the leaders of other bases.
"This, alright, let's go quickly!" Yue Hengyi felt a pang of reluctance. In a hasty retreat, some people would surely fall behind, and their fate was predictable: to be devoured by the zombie horde.
"I thought you would object. Fortunately, you've seen the situation clearly. With hundreds of thousands of zombies, even the two of us might not be able to handle it. Let's retreat first!" Shen Feng felt relieved that Yue Hengyi was obediently listening. Yue Hengyi had finally let go of his saintly kindness.
Shen Feng and Yue Hengyi first found Wang Jiao'e and explained the current situation: the zombie horde was approaching, and they had to retreat immediately. Upon hearing this, Wang Jiao'e immediately panicked and agreed, saying, "There's no time to lose, let's go immediately!"
The group left as soon as they decided. For Wang Jiao'e's subordinates, it was naturally not a problem. They were her confidantes, ate well every day, and had enough stamina. Upon learning of the impending danger, they packed their equipment and prepared to leave by car.
But the refugees were different. They had come from various bases, finally had a full meal, and had a moment of respite. Now, zombies were about to attack. Their stamina was almost depleted, and they needed rest. But the zombies attacked, exhausting their strength and leaving them with insufficient rest. How could they run?
"Didn't you say the city was about to be recaptured? Why are zombies still attacking?"
"I knew you were all liars, trying to trick us into a death trap to save food. God will punish you."
"God, save us!"
"Please, take my child with you. I can't run anymore, but my child can work for you when they grow up."
When the order to retreat was given, everyone realized they had been deceived. From the moment they were driven out of their bases, they had fallen into a trap. If the city was truly about to be recaptured, why were zombies still attacking?
Almost instantly, a barrage of curses erupted. Everyone was cursing the base administrators. Even Wang Jiao'e, who had been gratefully thanked earlier, was now being cursed. When they received food, these people were very grateful for Wang Jiao'e's help. But now, with the crisis at hand, the first person they cursed was Wang Jiao'e.
"These lowly peasants! They're insulting us and blocking the cars. They're tired of living!" the driver cursed angrily when he saw the crowd blocking the way.
Wang Jiao'e, however, showed a look of relief. If Shen Feng's recapture efforts had gone smoothly, she truly wouldn't have been able to undermine Shen Feng's powerful image. But now, even Shen Feng had to retreat, and there would be too many opportunities to manipulate things.