Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

As the last rays of dusk sank completely behind the distant mountains, the winding line of cars on the national highway was gradually swallowed by the night.

Xu Xiaoyan tapped the steering wheel unconsciously with her fingertips, staring at the long river of red taillights that remained motionless ahead, and sighed softly.

This was the fourth time she had stalled and waited, and each time she restarted, she could only move less than ten meters.

The hum of diesel engines, the incessant honking of horns, and the occasional curses sounded particularly agitated in the deepening night.

She simply shifted the gear to neutral, pulled the handbrake, and reached over to grab a bottle of mineral water from the passenger seat.

As the cool water slid down her throat, she noticed the driver of a silver SUV in the right lane was also looking around.

When their eyes met, the other person smiled helplessly, opened the car door, and got out to stretch their muscles.

"This is a rare sight indeed," the middle-aged man said, leaning on his back and looking at the endless line of cars. "I drive this highway every week, and I've never seen it this congested before."

Xu Xiaoyan rolled down the car window, and a cool night breeze rushed in. "The navigation shows that the area five kilometers ahead is all dark red, but the accident warnings haven't been updated."

"It's probably a major accident," a voice came from behind.

A truck driver in a plaid shirt leaned against the door, smoking. The red light flickered in the twilight. "I heard on the radio that there's roadwork going on here. If there's another accident..."

He didn't finish speaking, but everyone understood what he meant.

As night completely enveloped the area, many vehicles turned off their engines.

Some restless people gathered in twos and threes to chat, their phone screens flickering in the darkness.

A few young people simply took folding chairs out of the trunk and sat by the roadside, the sound of beer cans being opened being particularly clear in the quiet night.

"Should I go check ahead?" The driver behind finally couldn't help but suggest. "We've been stuck in traffic for two hours already, and just waiting like this isn't going to work."

Three to five people responded to his call, turned on their phone flashlights to form a small ball of light, and walked forward along the emergency lane.

As Xu Xiaoyan watched their lights recede into the distance, she lowered her seat a little.

She had been driving on and off for seven or eight hours today, and her back was already aching terribly. She was more than happy to be able to stretch her legs and rest for a while.

"Driver," she called out to the driver next to her, "if you see the convoy moving, could you please honk your horn to let them know?"

The driver gave an OK sign, then added as if remembering something, "If you see traffic moving ahead first, let me know. My car is slow to start."

Xu Xiaoyan smiled and agreed, then settled back into the driver's seat. Just as she was about to close her eyes for a nap, a commotion suddenly broke out ahead.

Several beams of flashlight swayed as they approached, accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps. Xu Xiaoyan sat up straight and saw the group of people who had gone to scout ahead running back, their faces showing a complex expression.

"Incredible!" exclaimed a driver, panting as he gripped the car window.

"Three kilometers ahead, a large truck carrying building materials overturned, blocking the entire road. The building materials were scattered all over the ground. The rescue team is using a crane, but it definitely won't be open for a while."

The news spread quickly through the stalled traffic; some people anxiously called to remind others, while others slapped their steering wheels in frustration.

Several truck drivers gathered together to discuss the possibility of taking a detour, but on this national highway in the middle of nowhere, taking a detour was almost an impossible option.

"They say it will take at least another three or four hours," added a bespectacled young man among the Pathfinders.

"The traffic police advised us to wait patiently, and it seems we can only hope for the best," he said with a wry smile, holding up his phone. "The signal is getting worse and worse."

Xu Xiaoyan reclined the seat all the way down, and the intermittent engine hum and faint voices outside the car window seemed to gradually sink to the bottom of the water. She pulled her wrinkled coat over herself and fell asleep immediately.

She didn't know how much time had passed when a muffled engine roar, like a boulder thrown into still water, jolted her awake. She sat up abruptly, her movement so fast that her forehead almost hit the steering wheel.

The driver's cab was pitch black, with only the instrument panel emitting a faint glow. She squinted and reached for her phone; it was already 3:17 a.m., and she had actually slept for more than six hours.

Outside the car, a change was taking place. From the depths of the once deathly silent traffic jam, a series of engine sounds could be heard starting.

One, two, three... The brake lights in the distance ahead went out one after another, replaced by the gentle glow of the parking lights. The thought that they were about to move completely brought her to her senses.

She quickly pulled the adjustment lever, jerking the seat back to the driving position, her back slightly protesting from maintaining the same posture for so long.

The key turned in the lock, and the diesel engine emitted a familiar, deep roar that vibrated throughout the cab. The indicator lights on the instrument panel lit up one by one.

While waiting for the car in front to move, she suddenly remembered the appointment she had made with the driver next to her a few hours earlier.

My fingers unconsciously landed on the center of the steering wheel. A crisp horn honked, breaking the silence of the early morning. It wasn't harsh, but it was clear enough.

The sound seemed to be a signal, and soon a response came from the right rear: a deep and powerful whistle from the red heavy truck.

Then, horns sounded from further away, one after another, like a pre-arranged code being relayed on the still-dawn road.

Xu Xiaoyan saw through the car window that the middle-aged driver in the silver SUV next to her had also sat up straight.

The two smiled at each other through the glass, and the vehicles in front began to move forward slowly and steadily.

She released the brake, lightly pressed the accelerator, and moved forward little by little with the flow of traffic.

By the time she reached the outskirts of Jin City, the east was already beginning to lighten, but the scene before her made her relaxed nerves tense up again.

At the entrance to the national highway, a temporary checkpoint had been set up, and next to the dark green military tents, several people in neat military uniforms were guiding vehicles in an orderly manner.

Compared to a regular traffic police checkpoint, the atmosphere here is noticeably more solemn.

Metal barriers narrow the four lanes into a single lane, and all vehicles must be inspected in turn.

Some people got impatient and got out of their cars to try to ask questions, but were politely but firmly turned away by the staff.

"I've never seen anything like this before," the driver of a nearby car leaned out and spoke to Xu Xiaoyan in a low voice.

"My buddy just messaged me saying that checkpoints have been set up at several entrances around Jinshi, it seems like it's a team directly sent from above."

Xu Xiaoyan saw that several people who looked like ordinary citizens ran to the sentry post and talked to the soldiers. Soon after, they returned with complicated expressions. She rolled down the car window and listened carefully to the snippets of conversation carried on the wind.