Wasteland Survivalist: A Scientific Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Survival

Bai Lang nodded after listening to Gu Lang's words.

"I can form an alliance with you on my behalf, but I need you to agree to one more condition."

My family and I need to travel to and from the beach to get vaccinated, and we'll need your armed escort along the way.

Gu Lang deliberately frowned, revealing an unhappy expression, and remained silent for a while.

He leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers slowly on the table.

While it may seem like a difficult trade-off, they are actually overjoyed inside.

The fundamental reason why Bai Lang wanted to recruit him was this.

The other party has already exposed their weaknesses, and the person who exposes their weaknesses is essentially handing over their cards at the negotiating table.

Gu Lang also had a large amount of supplies stored on the speedboat. These items were too bulky and heavy to be transported all at once.

Originally, it was necessary to use land transportation to make multiple trips between the coast and the mountains for transport.

While moving supplies, escorting Bai Lang's family was just a side job.

Since Bai Lang had offered to escort him, he could do him a favor and take the opportunity to extort some more money.

He won this win-win situation twice.

Gu Lang deliberately dragged things out for a while, using the power of silence to exert psychological pressure.

He finally spoke slowly, his tone filled with reluctance.

"The escort mission is extremely dangerous; it's risking my life. I need extra money."

Bai Lang seemed to have anticipated this and immediately responded.

"I definitely won't let you work for free. Before each escort mission, I will give you a reasonable advance payment and provide you with supplies."

Food, medicine, tools, or anything else you need, as long as I have it.

Gu Lang then added another condition.

"Next, I need to find a suitable location to build a shelter, and I need your help in providing labor for the construction."

Only when the shelter is built to a level that can basically support survival can I free up my hands to help you with the escort.

Upon hearing this, Bai Lang frowned.

"I only have about 20 days left in the window period before my second dose of the vaccine."

By the time your shelter is built, it'll be too late.

"It doesn't need to be fully built, just enough to meet basic survival needs."

I will use scientific methods to calculate the quantity; you will provide three strong male laborers.

Eight hours a day, five days on, two days off, for two weeks.

A total of 240 working hours, plus the two of us on my side, will be enough to build the outer shell of a basic shelter.

As for the detailed internal work, I can handle that myself.

Bai Lang counted the workload on his fingers and gritted his teeth.

"Okay, three people for two weeks, I agree."

Then Gu Lang held up another finger: "Oh right, there's one more thing."

Bai Lang's face darkened: "Don't push your luck."

"One last small request: I also need to carry supplies on my way to and from the beach."

If the quantity is too large, we may need your vehicles to help with transportation.

Of course, I will also provide the necessary compensation; I won't use you for free.

Bai Lang's expression softened somewhat, and after thinking for a moment, he nodded in agreement.

Gu Lang immediately extended his right hand. Bai Lang was stunned for a moment, then reflexively extended his hand, and the two hands clasped together.

"That's it?" Bai Lang released his grip, still looking a little dazed.

"This is too hasty, there's no sense of ceremony at all."

Since it's an alliance, shouldn't there be oaths, blood oaths, and so on?

"In this kind of environment, aren't you afraid of getting your finger infected?"

Tetanus was a terminal illness in a post-apocalyptic world where medical care and medicine were scarce.

As for swearing oaths, those are even less useful.

"The Luo River used to be a beautiful river, but now it's been turned into a stinking ditch." Gu Lang laughed and leaned back.

"If all else fails, I'll give He Ping to you as a hostage."

"If you send your mother or grandmother over, they're all acquaintances, and I promise to take care of them like my own family."

Bai Lang paused for a second, then threw his head back and burst into laughter.

After laughing, he extended his right fist, which Gu Lang punched.

"I hope I won't regret today's decision in the future." Bai Lang withdrew his fist, his tone half-joking.

"I am a rational materialist. I will never do anything that is not beneficial, whether it is a good thing or a bad thing."

Between us, less emotion and more mutual benefit will actually make our relationship last longer.

Gu Lang stood up and slowly walked towards the viewing platform.

Bai Lang sat in his chair, lost in thought, and after a moment he got up and went back to sleep.

Nothing happened overnight. The next day, at daybreak, the three of them ate breakfast and began preparing to go into the mountains.

Bai Lang's off-road vehicle led the way, with He Ping following behind in his Lynx assault vehicle.

Gu Lang stood on the back seat, the heavy machine gun pointed to the right front, ready to fire at any moment.

The two vehicles maintained a safe distance of approximately 30 meters.

Starting from the mountaintop restaurant, we descended the winding mountain road to the foot of the mountain, and then turned onto a county road leading towards the Ten Thousand Mountains.

The eucalyptus forests on both sides of the road are gradually being replaced by tropical rainforests, and the air humidity has increased significantly, with a thin layer of water mist hanging on the windshield.

Gu Lang did not take more supplies from the speedboat, but only the necessary items.

He needed to first scout out the location and personally verify Bai Lang's refuge and surrounding environment.

Then decide whether or not to settle near Bailang's stronghold.

As the altitude gradually increases, the road is gradually surrounded by mountains.

The white SUV in front suddenly slowed down, its brake lights came on, and then it slowly pulled over to the side of the road and stopped on the shoulder.

Gu Lang immediately signaled He Ping to stop the car and carefully observed the surrounding situation.

"Danger! I see something up ahead," Bai Lang's voice came through the walkie-talkie.

Gu Lang then launched the drone, activating the function of simultaneous red highlighting of thermal imaging and visible light dual images.

This function was originally used for search and rescue, and it can automatically lock the outline of a human body by tracking heat sources.

Even in the dense forest during the day, personnel locations can be quickly marked.

"I've checked, and I don't see any living people around."

"Okay, I'll get off now."

"What exactly did you see up ahead?"

"Two bicycles were lying on the side of the road, and there seemed to be blood on the ground."

Gu Lang picked up his rifle, got out of the car, and met up with Bai Lang.

Two mountain bikes are lying on their side on the right shoulder of the road ahead.

There was a trail of intermittent, dripping bloodstains on the ground, the color of which had oxidized to a dark brown.

The edges solidified and shrank, while the center remained slightly moist.

Judging from the degree of blood clotting, Gu Lang believes that the bleeding must have occurred last night, no more than twelve hours ago.

Bai Lang pointed to the direction the bloodstains extended, and the two followed the bloodstains and footprints into the woods.

The footprints were of uneven strides, though the first dozen or so steps were fairly normal.

The distance between the footprints gradually shortened, and the heels left long drag marks on the ground.