Chapter 36: The Alliance

In the center of the plaza, the core members of each convoy gathered for a meeting. With nightfall imminent, many armed survivors patrolled the perimeter, keeping watch. The people who had earlier stepped out of the military jeeps turned out to be local survivors from Beiwang Town. Their leader, a middle-aged man named Tang Hai, was the former stationmaster of Beiwang Station. According to him, after the apocalypse began, he had led stranded passengers and some local residents into a nearby military outpost’s air-raid bunker, where they had been holding out for some time. Tang Hai explained that the dense fog surrounding Beiwang Town hadn’t appeared at the onset of the apocalypse but had rolled in after the first Polar Night. Initially, many from their group had tried to escape eastward, but the fog claimed the lives of anyone who ventured into it. Gradually, they realized they were all trapped in this cursed place, where even though the sun still rose, it felt like perpetual night. “This fog has been here for more than ten days?” A chubby man, the leader of a small convoy, asked in disbelief. His group originally had over thirty people, but in just two days, more than half were gone. “Exactly,” Tang Hai confirmed. “Then why did you risk coming out of the air-raid bunker to find us? What’s your real objective?” Qian Yu asked bluntly, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized Tang Hai. “What else? Of course, we’re here to save you!” Before Tang Hai could respond, a cocky young man beside him spoke up loudly, “There’s a small path in the south of the city. I’ve scouted it myself. It’s relatively clear. With large vehicles and armored cars leading the way, we can definitely make it out.” The area fell silent after his declaration. The convoy leaders exchanged skeptical glances, and some even let out disdainful snorts. Qian Yu sneered coldly, glaring at the young man. “Do you think we’re idiots? If there’s a way out, why didn’t you escape yourselves? Why come all this way to ‘save’ us?” His words echoed everyone’s thoughts. In the apocalypse, survival instinct reigned supreme. Distrust between groups was common, and even a child like Lou Shasha wouldn’t easily believe such claims. “Yuming, let me handle this,” Tang Hai said, raising his hand to calm the group. He explained, “To be honest, we all want to escape. Our goals are the same. That’s why we’re suggesting we join forces. The more people, guns, and vehicles we have, the better our chances of survival.” Hearing this, the other convoy leaders nodded in understanding. In desperate times, it was natural to band together for protection. While the idea of an alliance seemed logical, every survivor secretly thought about their own survival. For most, the goal wasn’t solidarity—it was to use others as cannon fodder to improve their own odds of living. Tang Hai glanced around the group and said earnestly, “We know the routes well and have decent equipment. If we combine forces, our chances will be much higher. Plus, you have Ability Users here.” At the mention of Ability Users, the leaders exchanged glances, their gazes drifting toward the corner of the plaza. “Those siblings and those two newcomers seem to be no ordinary people,” someone murmured. “That woman... What’s her background? She’s insanely powerful!” Qian Yu stood up and looked toward Lin Xian and KIKI. “I almost forgot about them.” With that, he strode in their direction, and the other leaders quickly followed. “Uncle, what kind of ability does that woman have? She’s so strong!” Tang Hai’s nephew, Feng Yuming, asked as they trailed behind the others. “Seems to be some sort of telekinesis. Quite impressive,” Feng Yuming replied, frowning. Tang Hai’s eyes lit up with excitement. “With someone like her, our chances of escaping are much better!” Feng Yuming cast him a sideways glance and added, “Uncle, she’s also a major threat to us.” Tang Hai’s expression darkened at the remark. On the other side of the plaza, Lin Xian noticed Qian Yu and the others heading toward him. He already had a sense of their intentions. “That move you pulled earlier must’ve drained a lot of your energy, huh?” Lin Xian asked quietly. KIKI quickly gestured for him to lower his voice. “Shh, keep it down, you idiot!” Lin Xian glanced at her pale face, noting her fatigue. He was relieved that she hadn’t had a nosebleed this time, which meant she hadn’t overexerted herself too much. As Qian Yu and his entourage approached, Lou Shasha, who had been eating canned food, immediately jumped down from the passenger seat and stood in front of them. “Hey! What do you want?” she demanded. Lou Hua also stood up and stepped protectively beside his sister. Qian Yu’s gaze swept over the group, his tone more measured than before. “Relax, we’re not here to cause trouble.” “Exactly!” one of the convoy leaders chimed in quickly. “We’re here to ask if you’d be willing to join us and work together.” “With people as strong as you, we’d have a real shot at breaking out of here,” another added, looking at Lin Xian and KIKI with newfound hope. “Work together?” Lin Xian asked, rising to his feet. “What exactly do you mean by that?” At this moment, Tang Hai and Feng Yuming arrived. Lin Xian’s expression shifted slightly as he observed them. Unlike the other survivors, who all looked haggard and grimy from prolonged stress, Tang Hai and Feng Yuming were noticeably clean and well-fed. If it weren’t for the earlier battle, Lin Xian suspected their appearance would’ve been spotless. This immediately made him suspicious. Tang Hai introduced himself, “I’m Tang Hai, a local from Beiwang Town and the former stationmaster of Beiwang Station. The survivors in our group have been taking refuge in a military air-raid bunker at the base of the nearby mountain...” Hearing this, Lin Xian frowned. The stationmaster of Beiwang Station? “I’m Lin Xian. This is KIKI,” he replied evenly. Feng Yuming’s gaze scrutinized the two of them, lingering on KIKI for a moment. His eyes lit up with an undisguised excitement that made Lin Xian uneasy. Tang Hai repeated the plan discussed earlier, which was straightforward: to unite the convoys and work together to escape. “But it’s already dark. Wouldn’t trying to break out now be even more dangerous?” Lin Xian asked, casting a wary glance at Feng Yuming and then at Tang Hai. Qian Yu scoffed. “I don’t think it makes much difference. The fog is far more dangerous than the darkness.” “That’s not what I mean—” Lin Xian began, but KIKI cut him off. “You’re all idiots!” she snapped. “If we try to break out during the day, at least we’ll have time to catch our breath outside. If we go at night, what are we supposed to do—run blindly for twenty hours in the dark?” Qian Yu frowned, realizing she had a point. “Then we leave at first light?” someone suggested. Tang Hai stepped forward with an alternative. “I have a suggestion. On our way here, we cleared out a lot of zombies. Why not take this opportunity to relocate everyone to the air-raid bunker? It’s safer there, and it’s closer to the southern path.” The group murmured in agreement. The plan seemed feasible. Lin Xian glanced at KIKI, who gave him a knowing look. The air-raid bunker Tang Hai mentioned was the same military outpost KIKI had brought up earlier. “I think this plan works,” Lin Xian said, nodding. With Lin Xian’s agreement, the group became energized. Qian Yu shot Tang Hai a glance but said nothing, instead turning to his lieutenant. “Eagle, gather everyone and prepare to move!” The survivor camp burst into activity as the convoys quickly packed up their belongings and prepared their vehicles. Engines roared to life as they readied to depart. In a heavily modified off-road vehicle, Eagle kept a close eye on the military jeeps leading the convoy. “Boss, something’s definitely off about Tang Hai,” Eagle muttered. “I already noticed,” Qian Yu replied with a cold laugh. He grabbed his walkie-talkie and issued orders to his men. “Save your ammo and switch off your safeties. Stay sharp.” After setting the radio down, he glanced at Eagle and added, “That military outpost was already part of my plan to loot. If anything goes wrong, take out Tang Hai immediately.” Eagle’s eyes gleamed with a predatory light. “Got it, boss.” The convoy began moving. Tang Hai’s military jeeps led the way, followed by the Black Jiao Convoy’s heavily modified vehicles. The remaining dozens of smaller convoys followed at the rear, with Lou Hua’s pickup truck bringing up the end along with Lin Xian and KIKI. Lou Shasha popped her head through the rear window and asked, “Are you guys cold?” “Not too bad,” Lin Xian replied. “Brother Lin, be careful. They might try to set you up,” Lou Shasha said, her sharp instincts belying her young age. “Uh...” Lin Xian paused, then sighed lightly. “Everyone wants to get out of here. If chaos breaks out, it’ll be every man for himself.” Lou Shasha pouted and said firmly, “Then we need to stick together! I saved you earlier, remember!” Lin Xian smiled faintly and nodded. “Alright, we’re allies.”