Wasteland Survivalist: A Scientific Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Survival

The three got into their respective cars and turned around to go around.

The two vehicles, one after the other, traveled along National Highway G506 and arrived at Jianchang Town in Benxi County.

A highway exit appeared ahead, and it was time for both sides to part ways.

"I hope you both return home safely and take care."

Gu Lang rolled down the car window and said goodbye to the two.

"I also wish you a speedy return home, and hope to meet again someday."

The jeep entered the G9111 expressway and sped westward.

"Going home? Heh..." Gu Lang murmured.

I drove around on the highway ramp and entered National Highway G229.

We headed towards our next destination—Tongyuanbao Town in Fengcheng City.

This highway runs through the heart of the Changbai Mountains.

Like a black ribbon, it winds through the rolling national forest park.

The road is lined with dense larch trees and countless mountain ridges.

The entire journey is 150 kilometers long, and the towns and villages we occasionally pass through seem desolate and lifeless.

Because of its remote location and sparse population, it was not affected by nuclear war.

The risk of encountering a group of people with mob violence is also significantly reduced.

As evening approached, the car reached the vicinity of a mountain peak.

The surroundings were eerily quiet; even the birdsong had vanished.

Suddenly, a roar like ten thousand horses galloping came from deep underground.

Immediately afterwards, the entire earth began to violently jump vertically up and down.

"Oh no! It's an earthquake!"

Gu Lang kept a steady grip on the steering wheel and slowly applied the brakes to prevent the vehicle from going out of control.

The highway made a teeth-grinding creaking sound, and the road surface was instantly covered with spiderweb-like cracks.

Large and small stones mixed with soil cascaded down like a waterfall.

It crashed onto the road with a dull thud.

Gu Lang saw a viewing platform not far away, where the terrain was open and far from the mountains.

He immediately parked the car in this relatively safe and flat location.

As soon as I pulled the handbrake, an even stronger lateral sway followed.

In the distance came the sound of trees falling in clumps, and a continuous, thunderous noise.

The light truck swayed and rocked like a small boat in a storm.

Gu Lang glanced at his watch; the earthquake lasted for more than a minute before stopping.

He didn't get out of the car, but kept observing the surrounding environment, ready to move at any time.

The trembling of the earth gradually subsided, replaced by a deathly silence.

He then got out of the car to observe the situation.

The scene before us is nothing short of an apocalypse.

The surrounding area was filled with smoke and dust, and the air was thick with the smell of dirt.

The landslide he feared most did indeed occur.

The nearby road was completely buried by mud and trees, trapping the car inside the viewing platform.

The sky gradually darkened, and the surroundings quickly became dark.

Gu Lang inspected the collapsed mountainside; its structure appeared unstable.

If another strong earthquake occurs, there is a possibility of secondary landslides.

At that point, I would be swept off the cliff along with the car.

"There will likely be aftershocks, so we need to find a safe place to spend the night as soon as possible."

The moment of truth had arrived, and Gu Lang decided to abandon the vehicle and leave immediately.

"If a person is lost while a vehicle is parked, both the person and the vehicle are lost."

He packed all his important items into his BOB backpack and struggled to cross the landslide area.

The G229 national highway in front of us is twisted and broken in countless ways, like a cookie torn apart by a giant.

Sand and water are gushing from the cracked ground, and the soil is liquefying.

He remembered seeing some buildings by the roadside when he came here before.

So I walked four kilometers north, searching based on my vague memory.

We walked until it got dark, and finally our headlamps illuminated a few lonely brick-and-mortar bungalows.

The entrance gate was wide open, with a sign hanging next to it.

The sign above reads: "Tiechang Line Highway Maintenance Team".

He picked up the air rifle and quietly crept inside, inspecting each house one by one.

Most of the doors were ajar, and the tables and chairs were scattered about, creating a mess.

It's clear that the staff evacuated in a very rushed manner.

The facilities here are quite complete, with offices, dormitories, canteens, and activity rooms all available.

Gu Lang closed the entrance gate and locked it with an iron chain.

I went to the cafeteria and used their cooking utensils to cook myself a hot meal.

There is also a well in the yard, with clear water.

The Geiger counter also showed no signs of radiation contamination.

Gu Lang then took a bath in the open air in the courtyard.

I originally planned to move directly into the dormitory, but I decided against it due to building safety concerns.

He still chose to pitch a tent in the yard.

Gu Lang barely slept that night.

Every one or two hours, you can feel a noticeable aftershock, accompanied by the sound of rocks rolling down the mountain.

He also had to get up and inspect the area to see if it was safe.

Fortunately, the location of the highway maintenance station was planned quite scientifically.

The geological conditions are very stable, and it has not been significantly damaged by earthquakes.

Gu Lang finally woke up groggily at 9 a.m. the next day.

The light was still very dim, and the sky had an eerie orange hue.

He launched the drone, which climbed to a high altitude to survey the surrounding road conditions.

The images transmitted back chilled him to the bone.

To the south, there are three landslides, like huge scars lying across the mountains, completely blocking the way forward.

There were also two landslides to the north, cutting off the route back.

Gu Lang gritted his teeth and continued operating the drone to scout the nearest landslide site.

"The amount of earth and rock involved is too large; it's impossible to clear it by manpower alone. Unless we have engineering machinery..."

He retrieved the drone and went to the highway maintenance office to search.

He finally found the key item in a filing cabinet.

"Highway Maintenance Work Log" and "Registration Form for Machinery and Equipment in the Jurisdiction".

Upon opening the document and carefully reviewing it, it clearly states that the location is less than 1 kilometer away.

There is a storage yard for materials and equipment.

Gu Lang immediately began searching and soon found a hidden side road beside the national highway.

At the end of the fork in the road, three warehouse buildings appeared.

Due to the earthquake, these buildings were covered with a layer of sand and tree branches.

This is also why the drone didn't detect this place immediately.

Gu Lang opened the first warehouse.

It contains maintenance materials such as asphalt, sand, and de-icing agents, so it is naturally a material storage area.

The second warehouse is an emergency supplies depot.

It contains protective equipment such as safety helmets, reflective vests, and warning signs, as well as emergency rescue tools such as hoes, shovels, and drainage pumps.

After opening the door of the last warehouse, Gu Lang finally found the construction machinery warehouse.

Sure enough, the engineering equipment he urgently needed was stored in the warehouse.

This includes medium-sized tracked excavators, medium-sized tracked bulldozers, and small road rollers.

Gu Lang grabbed the handrail, climbed onto the excavator, and entered the cab.

I looked around the seat but couldn't find the car keys.

So he had no choice but to get out of the car and search the surrounding area carefully.