Zhong Chuchu pondered, while Li Yu glanced at her and said nothing more.

Then he turned to look at the people behind her.

These people noticed Li Yu watching them and all responded with smiles.

Old Huang's smile was particularly noticeable; his two front teeth were missing somehow, and his grin, with the two gaps in the middle, looked a bit comical.

"Hmm?" Li Yu saw Noble Consort sitting to one side.

She sat quietly in the corner, as if the liveliness here had nothing to do with her.

Today, Li Yu had her doing some carrying, and this woman was surprisingly resolute, holding on even after a recent miscarriage.

Although Ju Tianrui and others tried to give her some lighter tasks, considering her current condition, it still took a great deal of willpower for her to persist.

Seeing her sitting there, stuffing dry rations into her mouth, a faint smile appeared on her face.

Though she had been used by Old Ghost as a breeding tool before, never having to worry about food, she lived in torment every day, unable to avenge her enemy who was right in front of her.

Now she felt a newfound sense of security from earning her food through her own labor.

The stubborn woman didn't want to rely on men; she just wanted to live with a bit of dignity in this doomsday.

"Sigh..." Li Yu sighed softly, not intervening.

Sometimes, even if you want to help others, you shouldn't do too much.

Not to mention if your kindness might be perceived wrongly, the most important thing is that the rules have been set and they must be strictly followed.

Thinking about it, since he gave the people of the Original Oil City these choices, he might as well explain it to her too.

So, Li Yu walked over.

Noble Consort noticed someone approaching out of the corner of her eye, so she looked up.

When she saw Li Yu, bang!

She was so surprised that the dry rations fell onto the table; she hurriedly picked them up and stuffed them into her mouth.

"Guifen?"

Upon hearing Li Yu call her by that somewhat rustic name again, Noble Consort looked up. "Yes."

"I need to discuss something with you; we came from the south and will be returning in a few days.

Now, you have two choices: one is to stay here at Oil City, working as cooperative personnel, doing some tasks in exchange for stable food supplies. But we won't provide safety protection.

The second option is to go back south with us, where you'll need to complete tasks to earn food. However, the more tasks you complete, the more you can level up, and someone should have told you about this.

What's your choice?"

Li Yu quickly explained things to her, then quietly watched her, waiting for her decision.

"I'll go south with you." She answered almost immediately after Li Yu finished speaking.

Li Yu was a bit surprised, not expecting her to respond so quickly.

This woman was not simple.

He looked at her deeply and asked, "Why did you decide so quickly?"

Noble Consort, unfazed by Li Yu's gaze, replied, "Because I want to get stronger, you all are strong, and I want to be as strong as you."

Hearing this answer, Li Yu was even more surprised.

He originally thought she would say, as before, that it was to repay them for killing Old Ghost.

Unexpectedly, she was much more candid now.

For some reason, he felt that this woman was very much like Song Min; if she reached the Big Camphor Tree Base, she'd probably get along well with Song Min.

Li Yu asked no further questions and replied, "Okay."

Saying this, he left the place.

Before leaving, he saw Zhong Chuchu explaining the two choices he had just shared to the Original Oil City residents.

......

After leaving the canteen, Li Yu watched as the sun set in the sky.

Unknowingly, it was already 5 PM in the evening.

The plains' dusk was different from the dusk in the hilly and mountainous regions.

Not seeing mountains when looking up, Li Yu, who had been used to seeing mountains at the Big Camphor Tree Base, felt a bit uncomfortable.

He returned to the RV, took out the map, and carefully reviewed the route to the Zheng City Military District.

Once he had a clear idea, he grabbed his phone casually, plugged in the headphones, and lay on the bed listening to music.

"I have a story, returned to the old dreamland after being depicted

I have a love, with a past life imprint on the signature page

...."

The melodious female voice filled the air, drawing his mood into that atmosphere.

In the midst of doom, zombies were everywhere; the days of leisure and relaxation were long gone.

Often, not much is needed, yet desires are endless.

When desires grow, they can consume a person, making life miserable.

....

Night fell.

The zombie hordes kept coming, and the burning oil blocked them. Since Old Bi was set to join the next day, Xiao Jun was leading the team on duty.

The blazing flames burned, charring the zombies beyond recognition.

The lonely night passed amidst the crackling sounds of the fire.

The next morning, Li Yu got up early.

After checking his firearms and filling up the ammo magazine, Li Yu got off the vehicle.

After breakfast, Li Yu instructed Xiao Jun and then headed towards the Zheng City Military District with Third Uncle and others.

Apart from the injured, Luo, Xiao Jun, Zhong Chuchu, and others stayed behind, while the rest boarded the vehicles towards the Zheng City Military District.

Dozens of people, more than ten vehicles.

They left a tank for Luo and his group, taking two armored vehicles with them.

As dawn broke, they drove along the wide road.

On the road, some zombies could still be seen scattered about.

They did not stop but drove right through them.

After a dozen or so vehicles crashed through, the zombies on the ground had turned into puddles of flesh.

It's a total of two hundred kilometers from Oil City to the Zheng City military district. It would take about three and a half hours, meaning they could reach there by 11 o'clock.

It would be just when the sun is hottest and the zombies are at their slowest and least active, the best time to get in.

According to Li Yu's plan, they would go there and return today, wasting no time.

The vehicles moved along the road, the wind whooshed past.

The morning breeze carried a slight hint of moisture and chill, refreshing everyone in the car.

Drones hovered in the sky, continuously scouting the surrounding environment.

They avoided going through the city, opting to go around it instead.

Taking Route G4, heading north would lead straight to Zheng City.

Along the way, they occasionally noticed traces left by other survivors.

Passing through Runan, Xu City...

and even when passing the edge of a town, some people could be seen curiously watching them.

11:05 AM.

Without stopping, they arrived at Zheng City.

The Zheng City military district was located in the sparsely populated outskirts, and following their map navigation, they bypassed Zheng City, then drove to the northern suburbs.

Finally, after twenty minutes, they crossed the Yellow River, and ten minutes later, they arrived at the Zheng City military district.

Trees had been planted around the military area, serving as a good visual barrier.

Yet, it seemed to have undergone a fire, with many trees burned to charcoal, still visibly charred.

Surrounded by burnt trees, new saplings had begun to sprout.

This military district covered quite a large area, surrounded by walls with rundown vehicles scattered outside.

The ground appeared to have been bombarded, full of craters.

The main gate was open, majestic and solemn.

No one was around, only decayed leaves littered the ground, mottled walls, and rampant vines growing unchecked.

The weather was hot; the midday sun was intense.

There were no bird calls outside, not even insect sounds were heard.

The desolate environment sharply contrasted with the blazing sun,

making one feel a strange sense of danger.

This threat was invisible, inaudible, seemingly tranquil, yet felt like it could erupt at any moment.

Li Yu and others parked the car a hundred meters away from the military area.

"Tiezi, send the drone up and check it out. Remember to attach the loudspeaker."

"Got it." Li Tie looked at the distant military area, feeling a strange familiarity.

Back when he enlisted, the place he was stationed at looked similar to this.

The drone flew up and circled around the Zheng City military district for a while.

Through the drone, they saw the layout inside.

On the outermost area, there were two guardhouses, leading to two rows of buildings inside, all of which were single-story.

As they moved further, several large training fields came into view, along with some training props and the like.

Further in, the buildings became denser.

Suddenly, Li Tie excitedly exclaimed, "Helicopters, I see helicopters."

Upon hearing this, Li Yu felt a rush of excitement.

He quickly shouted, "Stabilize the camera, zoom in and take a look."

Li Tie hurriedly maneuvered the drone towards that direction, stopping in front of the central building.

Stable.

On the screen, they saw three helicopters in total. However, one seemed to have exploded and caught fire, its body overturned, and a piece of its wing had flown off, its body was charred black.

Only two helicopters nearby seemed intact.

They sat there quietly, looking like priceless gems in Li Yu and the team's eyes.

Third Uncle leaned in, glancing at the helicopter model.

He passionately introduced:

"This is a Z-10, with a takeoff weight of 6-7 tons, equipped with a single five-blade rotor, capable of speeds up to 300 km/h. It's your typical medium-sized attack helicopter, though its range isn't typical. As a medium-sized attack helicopter, its maximum internal fuel range reaches 1120 kilometers, with a combat radius exceeding 450 kilometers."

"It's quite good; we have this one, that one seems to be burned, and the other one's wings look a bit twisted, so it's uncertain if it can still fly. But that last one looks fine as far as we can see."

As Third Uncle spoke, Li Yu's eyes glimmered with excitement.

He didn't understand helicopters, nor could he fly one.

But Third Uncle and the others could.

From Gan City to Oil City, it's about a thousand kilometers. With a helicopter, they could reach from Big Camphor Tree Base to Oil City in just 3 to 4 hours.

This is incredible!!

With the helicopter, they could easily escape a zombie tide.

However, the condition of these two helicopters was still uncertain.

"Third Uncle, can you fly it?" Li Yu asked eagerly, looking at Third Uncle.

Third Uncle smiled, waved his hand, and said, "That's easy. Flying was a basic skill for us back then, not just me, even Ant and the others can fly it. As long as that helicopter isn't broken, we can bring it back."

"Third Uncle, impressive!" Li Yu exclaimed excitedly.

Then, with eagerness in his eyes, he addressed everyone, "We have an additional mission: to bring this helicopter home!"

.....