Chapter 33: Searching for Gasoline

The next journey was relatively smooth as the group headed towards Wu City…

Most of the time, Lin Mu took the initiative to drive, as he didn’t need to practice and could allow He Ze and Fu Jingmo to focus on enhancing their abilities.

Since discovering that He Ze was a water-element variant, the only advantage was that at least they weren’t lacking water.

He Ze’s abilities improved rapidly under the supervision of the two, and during breaks, he would hold two mineral water bottles, occasionally filling them with water.

“Mumu, do you know where this water comes from? It’s all my hard work boiled out. Now I truly understand the hardships of being a mother.”

Tossing two full mineral water bottles onto the back seat, He Ze leaned to the side, expressing his sentiment.

Lin Mu good-naturedly handed him a biscuit, “Well, make sure to replenish yourself.”

The group passed through several small towns and villages without encountering the mutated zombies.

They restocked on supplies in these villages, luckily finding food easily in some remote areas. They gathered noodles, rice, plenty of eggs, and  potatoes that were easy to store, ensuring they had enough for a long time.

In a pinch, they knew from the Academy of Science that animals could still be consumed, whether normal or mutated, without any issues.

The “R virus” seemed to target only humans, the most intelligent beings.

The mutations in animals and plants only resulted in increased size or enhanced instincts. No cases of acquiring new abilities or turning into zombies were discovered.

Once, they encountered a group of geese in a village. There was nothing special about them, but their sizes had significantly increased, with one reaching half the height of a person, weighing thirty to forty kilograms. One goose could feed three people and still not be completely consumed.

Their most pressing need was gasoline. Most cars they found on the road had been looted by survivors passing through, leaving them with very little gasoline.

But it was not realistic to abandon the car and proceed on foot. For the remaining journey, aside from the ubiquitous zombies, it also took a significant amount of time to travel even on foot.

It was the third day since they left the deserted village, and Lin Mu looked at the map back and forth several times.

They were approximately still over 100 kilometers away from Wu City, and the remaining gasoline wouldn’t last that long.

The group decided to stop and have something to eat before studying further. Fu Jingmo wandered around nearby and brought back a mutated rabbit. This rabbit’s mutation was relatively mild, weighing only around ten kilograms.

He drew out the dagger neatly, plucked the fur and handed it to He Ze. He Ze could now control the amount of water very well and wash the rabbit clean.

Surviving in the wilderness was a very simple matter for Fu Jingmo. Lin Mu and He Ze had adapted well too. Soon, they sat around a campfire enjoying the roasted and fragrant rabbit meat.

As Lin Mu gnawed on the rabbit leg Fu Jingmo handed over, he marked a relatively remote location on the map.

This place had a mining area, about 50 or 60 kilometers from their current position. They weren’t traveling on a highway and had already deviated from densely populated areas.

Lin Mu swallowed the rabbit meat in his mouth and said, “Fu Jingmo, perhaps we can go here. This place is a mining area, about 70 to 80 kilometers from the nearest town. Mining areas usually have large trucks and excavators, many of which require refueling. They should have their own refueling points.”

Thanks to the detailed map, most people wouldn’t know about this mining area if they didn’t have a map. Lin Mu looked excitedly at Fu Jingmo. There was a good chance they would find the gasoline they needed here.

Fu Jingmo wiped a bit of meat from the corner of Lin Mu’s mouth and took the map.

He Ze, who looked over with his head tilted, muttered: “Don’t get too close, men shouldn’t be too intimate!”

Lin Mu pushed He Ze’s head away, letting him continue eating meat. He Ze grumbled in disappointment.

Fu Jingmo carefully examined the location mentioned by Lin Mu.

Although it was only 50 or 60 kilometers from their current location, they would have to go around two mountains, with no villages nearby and likely poor road conditions. But it was the best option they could think of for now.

Fu Jingmo nodded to Lin Mu, and said seriously, “Mining areas indeed have independent refueling points, but it might also be a zombie nest. We need to get there and assess the situation before nightfall.”

After quickly finishing their food, the remaining half of the roasted rabbit was stored in the car by He Ze, thinking they could continue eating if they got hungry later. Don’t ask, it’s about being thrifty and economical.

Fu Jingmo took the driver’s seat. “I’ll drive, the road ahead might not be in good condition.”

Lin Mu agreed and sat in the passenger seat.

The mining area was indeed remote. The map showed an unnamed route, but their sense of direction was good, and they quickly found the road.

This road was probably built by the mining area, with muddy terrain. After the recent heavy rain, there were many places with fallen rocks and landslides.

But the mining area’s vehicles were mostly large trucks, so the road was relatively wide. They tried to maneuver around obstacles, smashing rocks and clearing them off the road when necessary.

He Ze took over driving, while Lin Mu and Fu Jingmo cleared the road.

Fu Jingmo smashed large rocks, and Lin Mu used a vine whip to roll them off to the side.

They slowly moved forward until they began to see traces of the coal mine on the road, likely dropped during transportation.

They stopped the car, and Fu Jingmo jumped onto the roof to look around. In the distance, they could see cranes and various trucks, indicating the location of the mining area.

“We’re almost there. Find a secluded spot ahead to park the car, and we’ll walk over,” Fu Jingmo said.

Fu Jingmo withdrew his gaze and jumped out of the car. In the instant he landed, he noticed a fresh tire track on the ground, about 12 to 13 centimeters wide.

He looked around, and there was only one track nearby, likely from a motorcycle or similar vehicle.

He got back into the car, opened the door, and said, “Someone has arrived before us, one or two people, riding a motorcycle. Be careful.”

Upon hearing this, everyone became tense. Encountering people at this time might not be a good thing.

If the other party had already left, the gasoline might have been taken. If they met them head-on, it would be difficult to determine if they were friend or foe.

“We don’t know the number of people in this mining area, but there must be quite a few, perhaps they’ve all turned into zombies.”

“First, we need to determine the location of the refueling point and the situation in the mining area. It’s best to avoid the zombies and not act rashly. Secondly, if the person who entered is still inside the mining area and hasn’t come out with their vehicle tracks, it’s best to take what we need separately. If he becomes our enemy, then it’s settled.”

He made a throat-slitting gesture and raised an eyebrow.

Despite the playful gesture, for some reason, he executed it cleanly. Lin Mu averted his gaze.

The group wore serious expressions. This was their first joint operation.

In peacetime, they were just ordinary office workers. Fu Jingmo was the only one with experience in combat. They trusted Fu Jingmo’s arrangements.

Fu Jingmo threw the gun and ammunition given by Zhou He to He Ze, giving him a simple tutorial on how to use it. His small water droplet wasn’t very lethal.

The three found a visual blind spot in the direction of the mining area and parked the car there to ensure it couldn’t be seen from the mining area.

The mining area was still two to three hundred meters away from there. The surrounding area was low dirt slopes, with a lot of soil and gravel that had not been cleared from the mining area, piled nearby for a long time, making it easy to conceal one’s figure.

The three of them got out of the car quietly. Fu Jingmo took a long step with his long legs, crossed the muddy ground in a few steps, and walked towards a higher slope.

Lin Mu and He Ze followed closely behind. Their senses had been improved due to the mutation. As they got closer, the three frowned and exchanged glances. They heard the groaning of zombies.

There were at least hundreds of zombies…