Wasteland Survivalist: A Scientific Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Survival

"I see. I'll have to learn from that. My luck has been really bad lately."

Gu Lang dismissed He Ping and wrote a line of small characters on the door panel.

「废土生存狂古浪，20XX年11月20日，上午07:10。」

After finishing writing, he threw away the marker and walked out of the platform cabin without looking back.

Gu Lang led Zhang Ping down the steel ladder, and they arrived at the bow of the speedboat one after the other.

"Here's what we'll do: wait on the bow deck for a while."

There are a lot of dangerous goods in the cabin. Let me deal with them first.

I need to be able to see you at all times while I'm sailing. Until we achieve mutual trust, let's keep a little distance; it's better for both of us.

"I understand. I'd be willing to stand or even hang out, let alone have a standing ticket."

He Ping nodded, put down his backpack, and found a spot on the bow deck to sit down.

"Director He, if you had a choice, where would you like to go next?"

"My hometown is inland, and my parents live there."

We can neither contact them nor travel across half the country to find them.

"Just stay alive for now, and we'll figure out how to go home once order is restored..."

"Should I take you to Wenchang on the other side? It's not far from here," Gu Lang asked tentatively.

"No! I don't want to go there! Didn't you say the speedboat was going to Guangxi? Take me with you."

"Anywhere is fine, just don't leave me stranded in Hainan."

Gu Lang nodded in satisfaction, and before closing the front cabin door, he asked one last question.

"By the way, where are you from? Your Mandarin is so standard, I can't hear any accent."

"Chengdu people."

After hearing this, Gu Lang paused for a moment on the door frame.

A song seemed to play in my head—"Walk with me on the streets of Cheng Du, oh oh oh ho ho ho ho."

I feel like I'll be sleeping with one eye open and the other closed from now on.

However, he quickly slapped himself in the face.

Prejudice in people's hearts is a mountain; stereotypes are unacceptable, and regional discrimination is even more unacceptable.

The other person doesn't look like a fat bear at all, so there shouldn't be any problems.

He Ping clearly noticed the strange expression that flashed across Gu Lang's face.

"Commander Song?"

"It's alright, it's alright." Gu Lang quickly waved his hand. "Hold on tight, I'm about to set sail."

He closed the hatch and settled into the driver's seat.

Start the engine, push down the control stick, and head southwest.

The weather was nice today, and the sea conditions were low so it didn't rain.

The rest of the voyage was uninteresting, but at least we didn't encounter any dangers.

He Ping volunteered to take on the task of conducting high-altitude reconnaissance with drones.

This reduced Gu Lang's workload by half, and he no longer needed to stop and go along the way.

When it was lunchtime, Gu Lang quickly tidied up the cabin and locked the scattered weapons and ammunition into the gun cabinet.

After safely passing Lingshui Cape, the waters ahead are Yalong Bay and the outer sea area of ​​Sanya.

Continuing westward, you will pass through Yulin Port, which is the main base of the Nanhai Fleet.

He shifted the course nearly 60 kilometers offshore, making a large detour south of Sanya to avoid potential patrol areas.

After passing Jinmu Cape, Beibu Bay is just ahead.

The color of the seawater changed again here, from deep blue to grayish-green.

Beibu Bay has an average water depth of only a few tens of meters, and the seabed is a flat sandy and muddy bottom.

There are more suspended particles than in the deep waters of Nanhai, and the seawater transparency has decreased significantly.

Fortunately, the wind and waves had subsided considerably, and with the good weather, the speedboat's journey was as smooth as if it were on a lake.

After sailing north across the vast ocean for half a day, the two finally saw the continuous coastline again before dark.

Although the exact location is unknown, it is highly likely that the area ahead is the coastal region of Quang Hee province.

The surrounding coastline consists of alternating mudflats and low hills, with patches of eucalyptus forests and sugarcane fields faintly visible on land.

As Gu Lang steered the boat, he consulted the electronic nautical chart to find a suitable place to spend the night.

He soon discovered a river estuary and finally determined his location.

The river ahead is called the Beilun River.

This is also the border river between the Dragon Kingdom and its neighboring countries; on the other side of the river is Annam's bustling market.

The Beilun River originates from the southern foot of the Shiwan Mountains, is about 100 kilometers long, and flows into Beibu Bay in Dongxing County.

A typical estuary sandbar landform has been formed at the estuary.

The main channel is partially enclosed by a narrow sandbar, with a calm lagoon channel on the inside and the open sea on the outside.

From a defensive and concealment perspective, this terrain is quite ideal.

The sandbar blocks the waves and view from the open sea, while the inner lagoon can anchor small and medium-sized boats.

Before it got completely dark, Gulang anchored at the edge of a mangrove forest on the east side of the Beilun River estuary.

The water here is four meters deep, with a muddy and sandy bottom, and is surrounded by dense mangrove forests.

The tree canopy was so dense that even from the air, the speedboat hidden in the shade of the canopy could not be detected.

"China's space program is awesome! Safe arrival. Hahaha, I'm so lucky!"

Gu Lang patted the control panel and grinned.

"I told you a sense of ritual is important," He Ping said smugly.

"Director He, we have arrived at Guangxi."

There is land ahead; if you wish to disembark...

Just let me know, you can leave anytime.

"No, no, no, Commander Song, please don't send me away." He Ping shook his head like a rattle drum.

"My intuition tells me that I absolutely cannot survive on my own; I won't even last three days."

Let me follow you; I will fully cooperate with you and prove my worth.

My major is engine design, and I also know a little about mechanical repair.

I can learn to repair all the equipment on your ship.

Gu Lang looked into He Ping's eyes, which were filled with pleading.

"Okay, let's set some rules first."

From now on, the two of us will form a temporary team.

You have the right to withdraw, but you must inform me at least three days in advance.

I will also prepare the necessary supplies and provide you with a survival backpack.

I will do everything in my power to ensure your personal safety until you leave.

But in exchange, you must follow my instructions under all circumstances.

I can leave when I want to leave, I can stop when I want to stop, and you can't make a sound when I say I'm hiding.

You absolutely cannot question my decision. Can you do it?

He Ping thought for a few seconds, then asked a question.

"Commander Song, aren't we going to look for the official safe zone?"

"I'm not going."

"Where are you going? What are you planning to do?"

"Build a safe, independent zone, take control of your own destiny. Live freely, that's all."

"Can I also control my own destiny?"

"In this world, what others promise you doesn't count; only what you can decide for yourself counts."

"Okay, I agree."

He Ping nodded and smiled as he extended his right hand.

Gu Lang grabbed it and shook it three times forcefully.

In his view, there are only two kinds of people in this world who can be truly relied upon.

One type is the foolish person, and the other is the straightforward person.

A fool is naive, and a straightforward person doesn't use their wits.

He Ping happens to be the latter.