The minivan shuddered and slowly stopped behind the gate of the residential compound.
*Puff!*
The last puff of black smoke spewed from the exhaust pipe.
It choked the surrounding survivors, forcing them to cover their noses and retreat.
After a long while, when all the smoke and dust had dispersed.
The minivan door finally opened.
Guan Xin and three other girls slowly emerged from the vehicle.
When the people in the camp saw the minivan door open, they all kept their distance.
Those with children tightly shielded them behind their backs.
Some even crawled directly into their makeshift cardboard shelters, peeking out with only their heads.
All of them wore expressions of vigilance.
When they saw that four girls had alighted from the vehicle, their vigilance lessened slightly.
However, their eyes still held disbelief.
Guan Xin had seen this kind of look many times.
Instead, it made her feel grounded.
This was how it was in the apocalypse. Suddenly, a group of strangers appeared.
No one knew their strength or their intentions.
What if they were villains intent on slaughtering the camp?
Wouldn't it be wise to flee immediately?!
Being vigilant was a manifestation of self-preservation. At least it indicated that they meant no immediate harm!
Conversely, if a group of people rushed forward with laughter, striking up conversations as if they were old friends and offering food and water...
That would be something to be wary of!
In the natural world, a cat might seek out a mouse, even play with it for a while without eating it.
But a mouse has never voluntarily approached a cat to play.
Those who can face strangers with ease are either beings of immense strength, unafraid of any threat.
Or they harbor ulterior motives, having already devised a plan to harm you, and their smiles are merely to lull you into a false sense of security.
Both types of people are terrifying.
Because no matter how friendly the cat appears now, it will still eat the mouse when it gets hungry.
These people... seem rather difficult to get along with...
Liu Xiaolin said with a frown.
Yes, why do they seem so afraid of us? If they're afraid, why did they let us in?
Zhang Wenwen had a similar look of confusion.
Then... what should we do?
Xu Xiaowei, hiding behind, asked softly.
Let's find an deserted corner to rest and try not to attract anyone's attention!
Guan Xin said quietly.
She then led the way towards a dark, damp corner where no one was.
The three girls clearly lacked Guan Xin's experience and courage, and could only follow obediently.
But when they saw how dark and damp the vicinity was, they couldn't help but complain:
Zhang Wenwen: Oh dear, how can we sit in this damp place!
Liu Xiaolin: There's moss growing on the wall... Sigh... It seems you don't really know how to survive in the apocalypse either...
Xu Xiaowei: By the way, there's a dry spot over there, why don't we go there instead!
Guan Xin followed Xu Xiaowei's gaze.
She had noticed that spot when she got off the minivan.
It was at the entrance of a unit building, with tiled flooring, clean and comfortable.
And there was an awning above, providing shelter from rain and sun.
It was indeed a good spot.
But Guan Xin also noticed...
That many of the other survivors were in unfavorable locations and environments.
Some could only lie in the grass.
Even so, no one had occupied this spot.
This indicated that either there was something wrong with the spot, or it was already occupied by someone, and that person was very powerful!
Don't go. We shouldn't randomly go to a place that others haven't. We've just arrived!
Besides, we're only staying here temporarily, we just need to endure for a while!
Wenwen, contact your friend and see how far away the Restoration Camp is!
What we need to do now is to minimize attention!
It's already afternoon, so it's not convenient to travel. We'll set off for the Restoration Camp tomorrow morning!
Guan Xin analyzed in an organized manner.
Mmm... Then I'll contact my friend first...
When I first arrived, I saw this place was called Huayuan Community...
Zhang Wenwen muttered to herself, and her expression suddenly froze.
She began contacting her friends at the Restoration Camp.
Liu Xiaolin and Xu Xiaowei exchanged glances, their expressions showing some disapproval.
Isn't Guan Xin being a bit too sensitive? Thinking everyone is bad?
I think these people are willing to save us, which means they aren't inherently bad... Why does she always imagine the people around her so negatively! Isn't there any good person in the world?
Xu Xiaowei motioned for Liu Xiaolin to speak quieter, so Guan Xin wouldn't hear.
Then she softly comforted her:
Perhaps it's related to her experiences. She just escaped from a bad person's camp, so it's understandable to be cautious!
In reality, both of their words were heard by Guan Xin without omission.
But she chose to pretend not to hear.
These girls are a bit naive and inexperienced, but at least they saved me.
From the current perspective, their character is trustworthy.
Guan Xin no longer expected them to have great insight or cunning...
As long as they don't harm me, I'll be extremely grateful.
Alright, I've contacted them. She said she needs to ask for instructions, and if it's possible, she'll come to pick us up!
Let's wait patiently!
Zhang Wenwen said with a smile.
That's great, it would be best if someone could pick us up!
Otherwise, without a vehicle, for us to fight our way through a city full of zombies... that would be too difficult!
Liu Xiaolin clapped her hands.
As soon as she finished speaking.
They saw the gate of the compound open again.
The dozen or so men and women who had rushed out earlier returned like victorious warriors, their faces beaming with smiles.
The surrounding survivors immediately offered the warmest applause!
These people waved their hands and then returned to their respective positions.
A man with a tattoo on his arm walked to the entrance of the unit building that Xu Xiaowei had pointed to earlier.
He then took out a tent from his storage space and crawled inside.
Others got into cars, some simply spread blankets and slept on the ground.
Some set up hammocks, and some even used tables to create bunk beds...
In short, they were as rudimentary as could be.
Rather than calling this a camp, it was more like a refugee camp.
When the three girls arrived here, not a single person approached them to strike up a conversation or introduce the camp's situation.
They... just slept like that?
Zhang Wenwen looked at the people around her, feeling incredibly incredulous.
She originally thought sleeping in a warehouse was miserable enough, but seeing these people, she suddenly felt that the warehouse was quite comfortable...
In the blink of an eye, she saw five or six pre-teen children pushing the minivan onto the grass nearby.
Then, they scrambled for it and moved in, as if they had found a treasure.