Free Web NovelChapter 803: Chapter 788:
"Luo, is this news reliable?"
"Well..." Luo Baocun shook his head indifferently, "To be honest, Wang, I heard this from someone else, so I can’t guarantee its reliability."
"What? Luo, you guys are really bold, coming all this way without even verifying the truth. What if there’s no shelter? What will you do then?" Wen Quanxin considered himself reckless, but he hadn’t expected anyone more impulsive.
"Ah, Wen, you don’t understand. We wouldn’t have taken such a big risk and come such a long way unless we were forced to."
Wang Zhongyu sympathetically patted Luo Baocun’s shoulder and said, "I understand your difficulties, brother. In this world, just surviving is already a challenge. So, Luo, are you still planning to go to the shelter? If you don’t mind, you can come with us. Our situation isn’t great, but at least it’s a place to escape the wind and rain."
"Oh, I’m really grateful. To be honest, my reason for going to the shelter was just to find a place to settle. If you can take me in, Wang, I’ll be deeply grateful. It’s just that I..."
Luo Baocun truly felt that fate was kind to him, for not only did he miraculously survive the terrifying explosion, but he also met these two good men.
In such a world of survival of the fittest, where everyone is on edge, the generosity shown by Wang and Wen was indeed rare.
"Hold up, there’s nothing else, Luo, as long as you don’t mind our small temple, let’s settle this matter then."
"Haha, that’s right! Wen’s right. As long as Luo is willing to join our little group, there’s no need to worry about anything else."
Wang Zhongyu had two reasons for wanting Luo Baocun to stay. Firstly, through chatting, he felt Luo had good character; otherwise, he wouldn’t casually suggest taking him back to the villa.
The second, more crucial reason was wanting to discuss the shelter with Old Xu and the others, to see if it was worth a trip, as it was a large gathering area after all.
Despite the unpleasant experience at the sports center previously giving everyone a bad impression of shelters, it was still a potential option, especially as the villa urgently needed a backup place now.
"So, you have other companions, Wang?"
"That’s right, quite a few. So, following us is certainly better than trying to survive alone, Luo." Wen Quanxin advised with the tone of an old village elder.
"Alright, enough chatting, it’s getting late. I’ll go nap up front. Once it’s daylight, I’ll check with Old Xu about the situation, and if it’s clear, we should hurry back."
"Yes, it seems there won’t be new tasks tonight. Xiao Wang, you should sleep at the back. I’ll take the front."
"No, I have to stay in the driver’s seat. As for you, Xiao Wen, I’ll need you to keep an eye out in the back for the latter half of the night. If anything unusual happens, let me know so we can make a quick escape. And Luo, get some rest too; you look like you haven’t slept well these past days." Finished speaking, Wang Zhongyu waved at the two and went to the driver’s seat to catch some sleep.
Once he left, the container truck seemed much quieter. Wen Quanxin randomly pushed the scattered items aside to clear a space and said, "Luo, hurry and sleep. Tomorrow we’ll probably head home."
"No, no, no!" Luo Baocun felt uneasy about sleeping. Although he was indeed very tired, Wang and Wen had already been very considerate today.
Sleeping alone while letting them keep watch would feel quite inconsiderate: "Brother Wen, you should sleep. I’ll take the night shift. Rest assured, I won’t be careless!"
Without hesitation, Wen Quanxin waved repeatedly, "No way, that’s not going to happen. It’s so close till morning already."
"Haha, Brother Wen, I think we should do just that. Since it’s not long to sleep anyway, why don’t we chat? You can tell me your stories." Luo Baocun thought that continuing with apologetic reluctance might lead to conflicts, so it was better to use this chance to learn more about their situation, preparing for future interactions with their team.
"That works!" Keeping watch alone in the wild was indeed nerve-racking. Worried he’d fall asleep from boredom, Wen Quanxin opted to chat with Luo Baocun, sharing their survival stories, which seemed a decent way to pass the time.
He rummaged through the pile of items, found two packs of peanuts, tossed one to Luo, and began chatting: "Our team..."
Tang Xiaoquan, confused as he was, slept for several hours. When he opened his eyes, daylight was already streaming through the window. The snow-covered town outside looked like a fairy tale, yet the coldness was a reminder of harsh reality.
Old Zhao hadn’t woken him for his shift, and Tang Xiaoquan quickly ran upstairs, only to hear Wang Qiang’s tired voice, "What’s the hurry? I’m telling you, nothing happened all night, no need to worry. Uncle Zhao should have breakfast ready downstairs, you should hurry and eat it while it’s hot."
Wang Qiang! Tang Xiaoquan was surprised by his appearance, but Wang’s words seemed to have shifted from yesterday’s hostility to something much better. To avoid conflict, Tang didn’t go further upstairs, just replied briefly, and headed downstairs.
"You’re up, Xiao Tang, perfect timing. Breakfast is just ready; come, have some hot porridge." Old Zhao, holding the freshly cooked porridge, happened to meet Tang Xiaoquan coming down, who replied awkwardly, "Ah, Uncle Zhao, why didn’t you wake me last night? You’ve been driving and cooking, I..."
"No need to say anything, hurry and eat. Everything was fine at the factory last night, so what’s the plan for today?"
"Go home!" Tang Xiaoquan answered promptly, "The snow has stopped, let’s travel back today."
In truth, Tang Xiaoquan actually wanted to stay a few more days on watch, believing his judgment held some validity, and a single failed surveillance shouldn’t invalidate his analysis.
However, considering everyone’s mood, especially Wang Qiang’s, he had to compromise. Going back wasn’t all bad; at least he could discuss with Liu Fugui and possibly gauge that old fox’s intentions. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)
