Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Xie Yingtang kept his eyes on him, not missing a single subtle change in his expression.

When he saw the light return to Wang Xiao's eyes, a subtle hint of relaxation flickered in his own eyes.

Without much hesitation, he raised his hand and patted Wang Xiao's shoulder forcefully, his tone steady and decisive, "Okay, since you've made your decision."

His gaze fell on Xu Xiaoyan, as if it were the most natural decision he could make: "Then let's go with the troops together."

This statement was like the final hammer blow.

Xu Xiaoyan, who had been holding her breath and waiting for their decision, finally relaxed her tense shoulders after hearing Xie Yingtang's clear statement.

An indescribable feeling, a mixture of peace and joy, instantly welled up in my heart.

"That's great!" Her voice was noticeably light, even with a hint of relief in it.

Having made up their minds, the three of them no longer hesitated.

Xu Xiaoyan walked towards the survivors from the nearby village who had just spoken.

Stopping a few steps away at a safe distance, he raised his voice slightly, his tone polite yet appropriately urgent: "Auntie, Uncle, excuse me."

She called out first to attract their attention, and seeing that although they looked at her warily, they didn't immediately show any rejection, she continued to ask...

"I just heard you say that you saw troops heading northwest. Is that true?"

Do you know if there are any military units temporarily stationed or stationed in this area?

If we want to find the army, how should we get there? Is there any more specific information?

The middle-aged woman who had spoken to Xu Xiaoyan earlier glanced at her.

Perhaps it was because Xu Xiaoyan's attitude was relatively sincere, or perhaps it was a touch of empathy as a fellow survivor, but she ultimately lowered her voice and answered.

"Girl, we heard it from the people who escaped from ahead. They said they saw a lot of troops heading northwest along the old provincial highway."

How could ordinary folks like us possibly know exactly where they'd set up camp?

She paused, then continued, "However, they all say to go northwest along that main road."

Look for tire tracks or temporary camp marks along the roadside; you're more likely to run into follow-up troops or people who know the inside story.

The man next to him, wearing a worn-out baseball cap, added in a hoarse voice.

"In this day and age, the military moves quickly. They might be here today, but who knows where they'll be tomorrow? But heading in that direction is never a bad idea, so we're planning to try our luck there too."

Reassured by this vague yet consistent information, Xu Xiaoyan quickly expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thank you, thank you, Auntie and Uncle!"

"Let's go," Xie Yingtang said in a low voice, "Let's hurry."

Without further hesitation, the three quickened their pace along the main northwest road indicated by the survivor.

The further northwest you go, the more scattered survivors you seem to encounter along the way.

Most of them looked weathered, walked with difficulty, and had either numb or wary eyes, maintaining an unspoken distance from one another.

After walking for about half a day, the sun gradually began to set in the west.

Xie Yingtang, who had been walking silently, suddenly squatted down and ran his fingers over a not-so-clear dark tire track on the road.

"It's the trace of a heavy vehicle," he muttered, picking up a small, inconspicuous green fragment from the nearby soil with his fingers. "The camouflage paint of a military vehicle." This discovery cheered the three of them up.

They continued on their way, and sure enough, as they approached an abandoned highway service area, they discovered some more obvious signs:

On the open ground outside the service area, there are makeshift stoves left over from temporary encampments, with uniform food packaging bags with printed codes scattered around them.

Although it had been torn open and licked clean, its shape clearly indicated it was military ration packaging.

"They stayed here," Xie Yingtang said, observing the state of the ashes in the stove pit and the messiness of the surrounding footprints.

Just as the three were carefully examining the service area, hoping to find more clues...

A slight noise came from the direction of the half-collapsed kitchen of the main building of the service area. Xie Yingtang immediately raised his hand to signal, and the three of them instantly hid behind the ruins and held their breath.

A man wearing filthy overalls, the original color of which was barely recognizable, was seen helping a pale-faced young woman as they staggered out of the room.

The woman's legs were wrapped in makeshift bandages made of tattered cloth, stained with dark red blood, clearly indicating that she was injured and had great difficulty moving.

The man also saw Xie Yingtang and the other two. He was startled at first and instinctively stood in front of the woman, his eyes filled with fear and despair.

But when he realized that Xie Yingtang and his companions were only three people and didn't seem to have any intention of taking immediate action, his despair transformed into a humble plea.

"No...don't hurt us," the man's voice was hoarse and dry, his lips cracked from dehydration.

"We...we don't have much left. We'll give you all our food. Please, spare my sister..."

Xie Yingtang did not answer immediately.

His gaze swept quickly over the brother and sister, confirming that apart from a deflated backpack and the rusty iron pipe the man was using as a cane, they did not appear to be a threat.

He slowly stood up from behind the cover, spread his hands to indicate he was unarmed, and asked in a deep voice:

"We mean no harm, we just want to ask you if you know in which specific direction the troops that were previously stationed here went?"

The man paused for a moment, his tense nerves relaxing slightly.

He was panting as he pointed to a narrower path behind the service area that looked like an old county road. "They...they left yesterday evening, not on the main road, but on that small path."

I overheard a soldier mutter something, something like they were going to... to some old grain depot dozens of kilometers away, saying it was a waste to leave that grain there...

Xu Xiaoyan pressed the man for an even more urgent answer:

"Brother, think about it again. When the army set off, were there really no civilians following behind?"

Was anyone trailing far behind? Or did they mention whether there would be a rescue team following behind?

Faced with Xu Xiaoyan's repeated questioning, the man only shook his head more firmly, his face filled with helplessness and despair:

"No, girl, really no, at that time... I almost knelt down before them, pointed out my injured sister to them, and said we were truly desperate..."

But the officer in charge had a stern face, saying that military orders were absolute and the mission was urgent, and that no one should be allowed to be a burden.

He recalled the scene, his voice tinged with lingering fear:

"The officer finally seemed to see how pitiful I was, and told me frankly that several teams had gotten into serious trouble because they took in survivors out of kindness."

"They either had their supplies stolen, their whereabouts exposed, or many of their brothers died... They were truly terrified."