Wasteland Survivalist: A Scientific Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Survival

Gu Lang sighed and told Zhao Xun to drive the speedboat to the cargo dock they had just been at.

He then went ashore, started the Lynx assault vehicle, and made his way to the diesel-powered cranes.

He selected the crane that looked to be in the best condition, checked the engine and hydraulic lines, and confirmed that there were no leaks or breaks.

I added a little diesel to the fuel tank, and it started after two tries.

The diesel engine sputtered and sputtered, spewing out plumes of black smoke from the exhaust pipe.

Pull the control lever, and the boom slowly rises and rotates.

After some trial and error, Gu Lang roughly figured out how to operate it, which was basically the same as operating an excavator.

Just to be on the safe side, he first hoisted a barrel of diesel fuel onto the speedboat for testing.

The two worked together, with Zhao Xun hanging the hook below and Gu Lang operating the crane above.

After making two trips back and forth, Gu Lang confirmed that the crane was functioning properly.

They then transferred all the supplies collected that morning to the ship.

Finally, the rotorcraft was hoisted from the flight deck to the shore, and the Lynx assault vehicle was hoisted from the shore to the boat.

The whole process took one hour.

Gu Lang turned off the crane, jumped off the control panel, and walked to the gyroplane.

He reached out and touched the fuselage of the gyroplane, then turned his head toward Zhao Xun.

"Let me go with you first, so we can look out for each other on the way."

"No." Zhao Xun's answer was without any hesitation.

"Reason?" Gu Lang made one last attempt to win the other party back.

"Vehicle killer." Zhao Xun rarely showed a smile.

He looked into Gu Lang's eyes, and his voice suddenly became serious.

"You have to live well."

Gu Lang hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded.

He knew it was time to say goodbye, and Zhao Xun had already made up his mind.

All indications suggest that Zhao Xun may have lost the will to survive after fulfilling his wish.

You can't keep someone who isn't even afraid of death.

He chose to respect the other party and see through their intentions without saying anything.

Gu Lang jumped back onto the ship, sorted out some supplies, and made a BOB survival backpack.

He moved it directly to the front of the gyroplane, but Zhao Xun refused on the spot.

"At least bring a gun, right?"

"I can't use the gun if I don't take it."

Zhao Xun shook his head and pushed open his backpack.

They only took the entrenching tool that had been used before, and there were still white traces of lime powder on the blade.

Gu Lang's heart sank, but he didn't press for what "not needed" meant.

Not knowing what to say, the atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

"Tell me your name," Zhao Xun suddenly asked.

Gu Lang was taken aback, and instinctively asked, "Song Zhong? How come you suddenly lost your memory?"

He realized something was wrong as soon as he finished speaking; that wasn't what Zhao Xun was asking.

"I mean your real name."

Gu Lang was silent for a few seconds. Instead of answering the question immediately, he asked in return, "When did you realize it?"

Zhao Xun put his hands in his pockets, the sea breeze making his half-dry hair a little messy.

"A long military career will leave many marks on your body."

Walking posture, standing habits, eating speed, how one scans the environment with their eyes, and the first subconscious reaction when encountering danger.

These details may not be noticeable to the average person, but they are very obvious to a veteran.

But I didn't see that in you at all.

Zhao Xun smiled, paused, and then added a crucial point.

"Most importantly, the Winter Sea Fleet's combat support detachment was almost entirely wiped out in the battle at Taizhou."

Only two people survived and successfully completed their mission, earning them a first-class merit accolade that was reported to the entire army.

I also watched the video presentation recorded by those two heroes, which detailed the entire process of the operation.

Especially when mentioning that his comrade-in-arms Song Zhongning would rather commit suicide than mutate, Li Zheng burst into tears.

"So you knew from the beginning. I was wondering why you looked like you'd seen a ghost at first on the beach?"

Gu Lang suddenly realized what was happening and gave a wry smile.

"However, I have a pretty good idea who you are." Zhao Xun smiled as he looked at Gu Lang.

"In the video, Wang Bin also gave special thanks to an ordinary citizen who wished to remain anonymous."

He said that without that person's help throughout the journey, the two of them would have almost died on the road.

Gu Lang first yelled "Damn it!", then grinned and cursed.

"That kid promised not to mention me, and he betrayed me like that! He's such a bastard!"

"So, tell me honestly, what's your name?"

Gu Lang stopped smiling and stood up straight.

"Gu Lang! Gu as in ancient times, Lang as in wandering!"

Zhao Xun murmured the name to himself, as if confirming something.

"You are a person who carries a lot of worries, lies a lot, and sometimes your behavior is also very outrageous."

But at heart, he's still a good person. Meeting you was my good fortune.

"No, no, no." Gu Lang quickly waved his hand, as if trying to push away a hot potato.

"Don't just give out 'nice guy' cards indiscriminately; honest people usually don't end up well these days."

My decision to help you was purely based on self-interest, nothing more.

After saying that, Gu Lang took a step back, making room for him.

Watching Zhao Xun carry the four body bags one by one onto the back seat of the gyroplane and carefully secure them with ropes.

Every knot was tied perfectly square, without the slightest looseness.

After doing all this, Zhao Xun sat in the driver's seat, unbuckled and fastened his seatbelt, and then stuffed the family photo album into his pocket.

Gu Lang stood on the dock, the sea breeze blowing up the sand and dust that had accumulated there, which stung his eyes.

He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, and when he opened them again, the top rotor of the gyroplane had already begun to pre-rotate.

The sound of the propeller blades cutting through the air gradually increased in speed, changing from a low hum to a high-pitched hiss.

Zhao Xun extended his right hand from the cockpit and gave a standard military salute.

Gu Lang clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"goodbye."

"goodbye."

The gyroplane taxied on the dock and quickly took off.

After circling twice in the air, the fuselage tilted slightly.

Then it adjusted its direction and slowly flew away towards the mountains in the northwest.

Against the backdrop of the hazy sky, the gray-white fuselage grew smaller and smaller until it became a tiny dot.

The whirring of the oars was carried away by the sea breeze, leaving only the sound of waves crashing against the dock.

Gu Lang stood at the bow of the 022 submarine, watching the small black dot completely disappear into the distance.

A man who is determined to die cannot be swayed by any interests or calculations.

He had done all he could; how he would proceed from there was entirely up to Zhao Xun.

Gu Lang turned around, opened the hatch, returned to the cockpit, and pulled the start lever for the diesel engine.

They sang, "Goodbye, goodbye, never to see you again..."

Without looking back, he continued his journey south.