Chapter 74: Earthquake, Teaming Up

Jiang Si was startled awake and immediately grabbed her gun.

A helicopter slowly descended about a hundred meters away from them. Lu Zhifeng looked through the binoculars.

In the cockpit sat a female pilot, just like Jiang Si.

This slightly reduced everyone’s hostility toward the arriving helicopter.

Soon, two well-dressed men in suits stepped out of the helicopter. They looked proper and carried small pistols for defense.

Both sides had guns and were cautious. The older, more experienced-looking man called out to Jiang Linhai, “Brother, we mean no harm. We just want to rest here for a while. Is it okay if we get along peacefully?”

No one wants to kill indiscriminately when there’s no threat.

Jiang Linhai gave an “OK” hand sign. The man smiled and returned the gesture, signaling agreement.

Back in the other helicopter, Zhuang Qiyuan and Zhuang Chen looked uneasy.

“Dad, what if those people try to rob us?” Zhuang Qiyuan asked.

The two men who got off the other helicopter were clearly much better equipped than they were. They only had two guns, stashed away from before the apocalypse, and just a few bullets left.

Zhuang Chen glanced at the cockpit where Zhuang Feiyue was sleeping and sighed, “We need to let your sister rest. After that, we’ll plan where to go next.”

Zhuang Feiyue was the only one who could fly a helicopter, and if she didn’t rest well, even taking off would be risky.

Zhuang Chen took some biscuits and water from his wife and ate a few bites before suddenly getting up and walking to the back of the cabin. Zhuang Qiyuan followed closely and saw his father frowning deeply.

“We’re down to our last barrel of fuel,” Zhuang Chen said grimly.

Zhuang Qiyuan was alarmed. “Then we should stay here! What if we run out of fuel in the air?”

Zhuang Chen pointed out the window. “Even if this place doesn’t have more earthquakes, our remaining food won’t last more than a month. This area is desolate, full of ravines, and has no water. Occasional aftershocks still happen. Staying here is just waiting to die.”

Zhuang Qiyuan’s expression kept changing. Beside him, Wang Rongxue glanced at the other helicopter and whispered, “What if we borrow some fuel?”

Those people didn’t seem hostile. Maybe they had extra fuel to spare.

They could always repay them once they reached her eldest son. That was her thinking.

But as soon as she spoke, both father and son shook their heads.

“At a critical time like this, who would lend fuel for free? A verbal IOU is worthless.”

Still clinging to hope, Wang Rongxue said, “We can at least try! We can’t just die here!”

Zhuang Qiyuan stared at Jiang Si’s helicopter. “Dad, what if we team up with them?”

“First, there’s strength in numbers. Second, we can share fuel. Third, with two pilots, my sister can get proper rest.”

Wang Rongxue’s eyes lit up. She thought the idea was great. But Zhuang Chen frowned and whispered, “Teaming up means sharing supplies. We don’t have much. If they don’t have any supplies or fuel, we’re just handing over our stuff for free. Let’s observe a bit longer.”

Zhuang Feiyue woke up as dusk settled in. The other helicopter remained still and quiet.

Zhuang Qiyuan hurried over. “Sis, we only have one barrel of fuel left. What should we do?”

Getting fuel from a city was nearly impossible now. Most resources were already locked down.

Finding two barrels of fuel was almost like skinning yourself alive.

Zhuang Feiyue looked around and felt the ground trembling again — another aftershock. This place wasn’t safe either.

She glanced at the map. “We can only try to find the most suitable place to survive before the fuel runs out.”

Wang Rongxue’s heart trembled. “But what if we run out mid-air?”

Zhuang Feiyue paused before answering, “Then we’ll have to prepare to bail out.”

Wang Rongxue turned pale. She didn’t know how to parachute and was terrified. She turned to Zhuang Chen, “Let’s go with Qiyuan’s plan and team up with them.”

After some serious thought, Zhuang Chen realized that facing such a huge risk alone as a family was unwise. It was better to take the gamble.

He had Wang Rongxue pack some instant noodles and water as a gesture of goodwill and led Zhuang Qiyuan to approach Jiang Si’s group.

As soon as they got off their helicopter again, Jiang Linhai and Lu Zhifeng raised their guns.

Zhuang Chen smiled and tried to be friendly. “Gentlemen, have you eaten? We have some instant noodles and water.”

Jiang Linhai wasn’t interested in the food and frowned. “Speak directly. No need for roundabout talk.”

Back when he worked in an office, he’d quit because he couldn’t stand dealing with this kind of manipulative speech.

Zhuang Chen got to the point. “Could we trade for two barrels of fuel? Once we reach the North, my eldest son will definitely repay you.”

Jiang Linhai’s expression hardened. “No.”

Even though Jiang Si had plenty of fuel in her space, they couldn’t risk exposing her secret.

Fuel was now the rarest resource. Who knew how much it would take just to fly to the next safe zone?

Only a fool would agree to such a deal and expose that they had spare fuel.

Zhuang Chen had anticipated rejection and quickly proposed his son’s earlier idea: “Then how about this—we team up and travel together? It’ll save fuel, we can contribute some supplies, and my daughter can fly too, so you can take turns and rest.”

Trading supplies and fuel would be like exchanging them for a seat on their helicopter.

In the apocalypse, no one had it easy. Zhuang Chen assumed Jiang Si’s group didn’t have many supplies and might be tempted.

Rotating pilots would also give Jiang Si much-needed rest.

Jiang Linhai looked hesitant at the last part and said, “Wait here. We’ll discuss it.”

Inside the helicopter, Jiang Si had heard everything through the intercom. As soon as Jiang Linhai boarded, she shook her head.

“No need. With one or two hours of deep sleep, I can stay alert for another 20 to 30 hours. This helicopter could fly across the Arctic Ocean if it had to. I don’t need someone else to fly it.”

“Besides, they said they’d contribute supplies, but who’s to say we won’t end up supporting them instead?”

When Jiang Si prepared the helicopter, she had already packed it with all kinds of resources. It was basically a mini flying home. She didn’t need their pitiful scraps.