"Did you hear anything?" Luo Shu asked Zhou Xiaojun anxiously.
After Luo Xiaole got them into the car, the vehicle in front had fallen silent again. This made them feel uneasy.
At this moment, Luo Xiaole, having confirmed Qin Mingyang's position ahead, put the ring away again. She was now intently studying the map, comparing the routes on it, trying to find an alternative path. Her objective was clear: she had to maintain a certain distance from Qin Mingyang to prevent the ring's secret from being discovered, but following him was extremely dangerous. The zombies were chasing Qin Mingyang, and they were caught in between, like a sandwich cookie! Luo Xiaole's only solution was... to quickly find another route and drive ahead of Qin Mingyang and his group. This way, they wouldn't be constantly surrounded by pursuing zombies, and Qin Mingyang would remain within their sight, making it easier for her to gather other information.
She silently studied the marked route on the map, without any activity. Even stranger was Zhou Shoushan and Mo Chen, who sat silently beside her, not uttering a word. Clearly, at this moment, they both gave Luo Xiaole full respect and trust, which was why the car was so quiet...
"Commander, can we proceed at full speed from now on?" Luo Xiaole finally pulled herself away from the map and asked quickly.
Zhou Shoushan was taken aback and quickly relayed the order to the soldier. Immediately, the driver slammed on the accelerator, and the car shot forward. The two soldiers behind them, being well-trained, did not dare to slack off upon seeing the leading car accelerate. They also perked up, pressing their accelerators, and closely followed the first vehicle.
"Change the route, take this road here," Luo Xiaole instructed.
Before long, the three vehicles seemed to be engaged in a high-speed chase on the road. Deviating from the original route, they followed Luo Xiaole's directions, flooring the gas pedals.
...
The route Luo Xiaole planned took a small detour. However, it did not deviate from their destination, the Luo City base. After a day of rapid travel, the three vehicles finally reached the destination Luo Xiaole had marked before sunset. It was a somewhat remote farmhouse. Most importantly, Qin Mingyang seemed to have relaxed after escaping the base, and his driving speed was not fast throughout the journey. Thus, Luo Xiaole's detour allowed them to overtake him. They found a place to rest for the night ahead of him.
As others alighted from the car, Luo Xiaole quickly glanced at the ring, which was not fully closed yet. It showed that Qin Mingyang was on another road, tens of kilometers behind them. With no zombies chasing them, the crisis had lessened again. It looked like they could get a good night's rest tonight.
...
It appeared the original owners of the farmhouse had fled not long ago. There wasn't even much dust on the ground, and there were no signs of a struggle with zombies.
"We'll rest here for the night," Zhou Shoushan announced.
The soldiers quickly locked the farmhouse door and found some thatch to cover it, attempting to conceal any signs of human activity. They were very thorough.
"Rumble rumble..." The bodyguards accompanying Lin Xia seemed like they hadn't eaten properly all day, and their stomachs were protesting loudly.
"Let's eat first!" Luo Shu called out to everyone. His spatial ability was now usable, and he produced many good things from his space. Everyone began their first meal of the day.
...
After dinner, everyone began to share their thoughts and information from the day. Luo Xiaole also briefly recounted the conversation in the car that morning.
"But Xiaole, why were we rushing so much? There didn't seem to be any zombies on the road..." Zhou Xiaojun scratched his head. He was purely curious about the reason and had returned to his gossipy demeanor.
"If we had taken that road just now, there would have been countless zombies chasing us..."
"How did you know that?" Zhou Xiaojun continued to pry for more gossip.
"I'll tell you the truth," Luo Xiaole said after some thought. "Do you remember the few cars that rushed out of the base ahead of us this morning?"
"Yes... what about it?"
"Qin Mingyang was in that car," Luo Xiaole pursed her lips. "I had a feeling his presence would attract other zombies. If we had followed them on that road, we probably would have had to fight the zombies again."
"Heavens!" Luo Shu exclaimed. "No wonder we were attacked so many times before. That was terrifying! Xiaole, you can figure this out. I'm always impressed by you!"
"But how did you know Qin Mingyang was ahead?" Zhou Xiaojun asked, persistent as ever.
Luo Xiaole felt he could enter a treasure hunt show – the kind that wouldn't give up until the very last clue...
"Given Qin Mingyang's momentum, I figured he knew the way to the Luo City base. Plus, the fastest route to the Luo City base is the one we took this morning. It wasn't hard to guess, cough cough." Luo Xiaole the great deceiver was online.
"Xiaole, you're so smart!" Zhou Xiaojun was actually fooled.
Luo Xiaole forced a smile, suddenly noticing a gaze fixed directly on her... She turned and saw Mo Chen, a smile playing on his lips, looking at her with a hint of amusement. Had Mo Chen discovered her secret again? Luo Xiaole really wanted to scratch her head. Why could Mo Chen always discover her secrets the moment she had them? He was such a shadowy figure... or rather, a powerhouse...
Meanwhile, in his room, Zhou Shoushan stood with the three soldiers.
"Commander, you should rest early. We still have a long journey tomorrow."
"Yes, you've just recovered, and it's not suitable for you to travel so much."
But Zhou Shoushan's furrowed brow did not relax. His words were tinged with bitterness. "Not only did I fall ill on this trip, but I also couldn't find young Qin. I don't know how he is now..." He sighed heavily. "I've failed Old Qin..."
"Commander, please don't be like this. You've done your best. This is the apocalypse, and there are many things we can't control..."
Zhou Shoushan continued to lower his head, his eyes filled with sorrow.
"Alright, you should go rest too."
"Yes..." The three men quietly withdrew. Zhou Shoushan's eyes were dim in the darkness, filled with intense self-reproach and worry...
...
The night passed uneventfully. The next morning, Luo Xiaole woke up early. Breathing in the fresh, long-missed mountain air, her mood seemed to brighten. However, the thought of continuing her game of chase with Qin Mingyang immediately made her feel a bit dejected.
"Good morning, Xiaole!" Luo Shu and the others behind her greeted her.