By the faint glimmer of light breaking on the horizon, Chen Ye saw that his “Old 28” Heavy Bike had undergone a radical transformation.
The original two wheels had become three.
The tires were much wider, with rough treads that looked suited to off-road travel. Even the spokes were thicker. At the rear was a cargo bed.
With the cargo bed, he could carry much more than on the Old 28 Heavy Bike.
The bicycle had evolved into a tricycle.
He tried the upgraded tricycle and found it easier to pedal than his old bicycle. A closer look revealed that the system had added a Power-Assist System.
“Yezi, where did you get this rig?”
“Xiao Ye, did you go out scavenging for supplies in the middle of the night? You’ve got some serious guts!”
“Tsk tsk… this thing is no worse than those small cars!”
As the sun fully rose, Chen Ye’s tricycle became a magnet for attention.
The eyes of many survivors were filled with naked envy and jealousy. In this apocalypse, any form of supply or transport was precious, let alone a tricycle that clearly looked robust and modified.
More importantly, this vehicle required no gasoline.
Some people had joined the convoy in cars, then abandoned them by the roadside when they ran out of fuel. Only the people in the two modified off-road vehicles at the front could obtain gasoline. Several of them were said to be very capable, especially a young girl with a sword.
A woman wearing tight yoga pants approached Chen Ye.
“Brother Ye, could you let me ride in your cargo bed? My legs have been hurting so much from walking these past two days.”
As she spoke, she rubbed her calf in a deliberately coquettish manner, her posture suggestive. The display caused a group of lechers nearby to audibly swallow their saliva.
She had been rescued during a supply run a few days earlier, and many men had been fawning over her. She had wanted a ride in an off-road vehicle, but its occupants had refused. Only then had she set her sights on Chen Ye’s tricycle.
Although it had only three wheels, padding in the cargo bed would make it much more comfortable than walking or riding on the back of a bicycle.
“No.”
Chen Ye refused without a second thought.
She seemed taken aback by his blunt refusal, and her expression soured. Before the apocalypse she had been something of a beauty, unused to being turned down. Even afterward, her looks had helped her survive.
Yet this man had rejected her without a moment’s hesitation?
“Chen Ye, you…”
“Jiajia, why don’t you ride on my bike? My rear seat has padding too. Guaranteed to be comfortable!”
A burly man quickly stepped in to curry favor.
The woman’s expression softened slightly. She shot Chen Ye a fierce glare, then turned and walked toward the burly man’s bike like a proud princess.
The man was named Qiangzi. Before the end of the world, he had been a fitness trainer with a muscular build. He had originally ridden a motorcycle, but after running out of fuel, he had switched to a bicycle to keep up with the convoy.
The woman in yoga pants, Jiajia, sat on the rear rack of Qiangzi’s bike and immediately began to complain.
“Your bike is way too bumpy. Can’t you get a four-wheeled vehicle too?”
Qiangzi gave an ingratiating smile. “Cars are easy to find. They are everywhere. But getting fuel is a pain, and charging them is no easier. We are better off with this bicycle.”
“Don’t be fooled by how happily those guys are driving up front. It won’t be long before none of them can move.”
Qiangzi was bluffing. He had spent ages fiddling with an abandoned car by the roadside and still failed to drive it away.
Jiajia rolled her eyes. “If you can’t get a four-wheeler, don’t you know how to get a three-wheeler? Look at Chen Ye…”
She leaned in, lowering her voice to a whisper against Qiangzi’s ear. “Qiangzi, how about we snatch Chen Ye’s tricycle?”
Qiangzi glanced at the Hand Crossbow hanging at Chen Ye’s waist, his expression turning wary. “Jiajia, let’s forget it. Chen Ye isn’t someone to mess with.”
“And… he has a Hand Crossbow.”
“Hmph! Look at how spineless you are!”
The woman snorted coldly and fell silent.
Chen Ye hooked his Hand Crossbow to his waist and tossed his bundle into the cargo bed. It had barely fitted behind the saddle of the Old 28 Heavy Bike. Here, there was plenty of room to spare.
For some reason, the convoy’s travel speed was noticeably faster today than yesterday.
Thanks to the Power-Assist System, the tricycle was even easier to pedal than his old bicycle. Other cyclists sweated beside him while he rode along at ease.
Qiangzi pedaled furiously, his back completely soaked through. Jiajia, sitting behind him, stared at Chen Ye’s relaxed figure with an increasingly unkind gaze.
“Houses! There are houses up ahead!”
Someone in the convoy suddenly shouted.
The cry was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, sending ripples through the crowd. People who had been trudging with their heads down snapped them up, looking toward the horizon.
Their sallow faces showed greed, delight, and even a trace of fear.
Chen Ye looked up. Rows of buildings stood by the roadside, forming what looked like a small town.
The entire convoy fixated on the cluster of structures.
A town meant supplies.
Many in the convoy had run out of supplies. Even Chen Ye had little left in his backpack.
However, since the apocalypse began, most towns and cities had become Forbidden Zones for Humanity. The more populous the area, the more dangerous it was. International metropolises like Shanghu were death traps; one could only imagine the horrors residing there.
Those who had barely escaped Jiang City had no desire to face those terrifying Anomalies again. If it were night, the convoy would have given this town a wide berth, fleeing as far as possible.
But now… it was day.
During the daylight hours, Anomalies generally did not appear. This gave survivors a window of opportunity to enter towns or villages to scavenge.
The few off-road vehicles at the front noticeably accelerated.
Chen Ye hung his crossbow at his waist, stood on the pedals, and accelerated toward the town, leaving the other cyclists behind.
Many cast envious glances at his retreating form.
“That beast! How is he so fast?” someone behind him cursed resentfully.
“Damn it! Why hasn’t he crashed and died already?!”
“That… there might be Anomalies in that town!”
“Damn it, who cares if there are Anomalies? If I don’t find food, I’ll starve to death anyway!”
“The bold get stuffed, the timid go hungry!”
“Charge! First come, first served!”
Excitement swept through the convoy. Even the exhausted survivors on foot grew eager to rush ahead.
But as they neared the small town, the eerie aura radiating from it began to cool their overheated blood.
Even before they reached the town, a sense of danger made their skin crawl. It sat beside the road like a fearsome beast.
Though it was broad daylight, the entire town felt as gloomy and cold as a deep winter night.
The lead modified off-road vehicle was moving the fastest. Just as it was about to cross the threshold into the town, it suddenly slammed on its brakes.
SCREEECH!
The tires locked, dragging two deep black marks across the pavement amidst a piercing shriek of rubber. The vehicles following behind also slammed on their brakes, a cacophony of screeching halts.
The noisy clamor of the convoy died instantly.
As though someone had pressed a mute button.
It was eerily quiet.
Chen Ye slowed his tricycle, coasting up behind the four-wheeled vehicles at the town’s entrance.
As the town came clearly into view, an invisible hand seemed to clench his gut. Cold fear shot through him from his feet to his scalp.