In the blink of an eye, two hours passed. Everyone had gathered most of what they needed and waited in place for Shi Ran and Zhou Nuochen to return.
Although the warehouse had plenty of supplies, they weren’t neatly organized. Many items had to be opened and checked, so it took quite a while.
Shi Ran alone collected nearly 70 tons of rice, flour, and various coarse grains—all vacuum-packed in individual bags. A big supermarket really did things properly.
There was also frozen meat from the cold storage—pork, beef, lamb, chicken, and duck. Fortunately, her space preserved items in a vacuum without altering their temperature or quality, so Shi Ran simply stored all the meat.
Under Zhou Nuochen’s guidance, she also collected some precious medicinal herbs, easy-to-grow vegetable seeds, and from the second floor, some handy knives that could be used as weapons, along with professional survival tools for nighttime outdoor use.
After the two returned and stored everyone’s belongings, the Jingyun Team went together to the second floor to pick out necessary furniture.
By the end of the afternoon, Shi Ran had a full haul, even leaving 20 square meters of space reserved for emergencies.
While eating dinner in the mall, everyone discussed their next plan.
“I’ll still go to Nanqing with Ranran to look for relatives,” Ye Shuyao said.
Gu Ming paused slightly while eating and asked in a low voice, “What if you don’t find them?”
His tone was calm, as if he were just casually asking.
“If we don’t find them, we’ll just stay in Nanqing. Where else would we go?” Ye Shuyao replied, puzzled.
Looking for relatives was just an excuse anyway. Ranran had already said they could settle down in Nanqing in the future.
“You could come with us to Jing City. With us around, life will definitely be more interesting than in Nanqing.”
Xu Zimo didn’t want to part with them. After spending these days together, he already regarded Shi Ran and Ye Shuyao as comrades who had faced life and death together.
“Yeah, come to Jing City. Boss will definitely look after you,” even the usually quiet Tang Yao added.
Ye Shuyao froze for a moment. She hadn’t thought about separating before, but now that she did, she felt reluctant. Still, she followed a “Ran-only” principle—wherever Ranran went, she would go.
Shi Ran continued eating without speaking.
“That’s enough. They have their own plans. Not teaming up doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends. We’ll meet again someday. Eat your food.”
Shi Ran didn’t change her mind. Zhou Nuochen could tell with just a glance, so he spoke up instead.
He wasn’t the type to force others, nor did he depend on anyone. Saying words of persuasion once was enough.
Still, the meal gradually lost its flavor. Zhou Nuochen set down his chopsticks and drank some water.
“What about you?” Shi Ran asked.
She remembered that the main group was supposed to go to Nanqing too. Her “butterfly effect” couldn’t be so big that it erased even the heroine’s storyline.
“We’re going to Nanqing as well. Got something to handle,” Zhou Nuochen replied lightly.
Shi Ran didn’t know who had upset this temperamental man again. She took a few bites of rice and simply said, “Oh.”
After dinner, they continued their journey. However, the apocalypse had severely damaged the roads—overturned vehicles were everywhere, along with zombies and corpses crushed beneath them. The main roads were basically impassable.
Ye Shuyao’s wind ability wasn’t strong enough yet; she could only clear light obstacles. So their route kept changing. It would take about a week to reach Nanqing.
Shi Ran didn’t understand—why so long? She wasn’t in a hurry, but she remembered that the main group had reached Nanqing in just three or four days after obtaining the key. She glanced at Gu Ming, who was driving. He had the most precise map, so there shouldn’t be any mistakes, nor would he take detours.
And indeed, Gu Ming wasn’t taking detours—he was simply choosing the safest route every time.
Shi Ran could only blame herself for disrupting the original timeline. Look at how much worse things had become outside. While grumbling inwardly, she leisurely snacked and read a novel.
By nightfall, it was no longer suitable to keep traveling, so they found an open area to rest.
Zhou Nuochen and the others, experienced in wilderness survival, naturally took on the task of setting up camp, while Shi Ran provided the tools.
Fortunately, the equipment was professional and practical, and setting up tents wasn’t uncomfortable—it felt more like camping.
The others cleared out nearby zombies. Luckily, in this remote wilderness, there weren’t many.
“We didn’t see a single living person today. Not even one car,” Ye Shuyao said, leaning against Shi Ran’s shoulder as they rested beside the vehicle.
“Still haven’t learned your lesson? After the apocalypse, how many good people have you seen?” Shi Ran tapped her forehead lightly.
It wasn’t that Ye Shuyao insisted on seeing people—it was just that the world had changed so drastically, it felt like no trace of normal humans remained. “Well, at least I can’t be left alone. If even you weren’t around, this world would feel meaningless.”
“Who are you cursing? I’ve already calculated—we’ll both live to a hundred. Stop thinking nonsense. No wonder you get hungry so fast,” Shi Ran joked.
Ye Shuyao felt a bit better. Then, thinking of something, she asked, “Ahem… you and Zhou Nuochen… why does it feel a bit off between you two?”
“You noticed we don’t get along? He’s capable and good-looking, but unfortunately… he has a mouth,” Shi Ran said, giving Ye Shuyao a knowing look.
Well, no need to ask further. One of the parties involved was a tough girl—no romantic sparks whatsoever.
“Our tents are ready! Come rest!” Xu Zimo called out.
“Coming!”
They set up three large tents, each big enough for three or four people, and gathered together.
Shi Ran said, “The outdoors isn’t like indoors. Let’s take turns keeping watch in pairs. Yaoyao and I can handle it—we can catch up on sleep in the car later.”
“Alright. You two take the first shift for two hours. I’ll take one shift alone. Then Gu Ming with Tang Yao, and Xu Zimo with Chen Yi,” Zhou Nuochen quickly assigned.
The first shift was ideal—everyone’s sleep would still be light, and they could wake instantly if something happened, without affecting the next day’s energy.
Shi Ran sighed inwardly. She said she didn’t want to get too emotionally involved with the main group, but emotions don’t follow logic. They were all good people.
On the morning of the third day of travel—one week since the apocalypse began—the weather suddenly dropped by 20 degrees. It was supposed to be scorching June, yet it now felt like early winter.
Looking at the map, Shi Ran calculated silently. If they drove nonstop, they could reach Nanqing the day before the snowfall—but that was too risky. Any unexpected situation might force a route change, which would be troublesome.
“Along the way, we’ve seen some newly established bases. This temperature drop is too strange. How about we find a base to stay at for now?”
Shi Ran couldn’t directly say that it would snow in June or that the era of abilities was beginning, so she made up another reason.
Zhou Nuochen frowned slightly. The temperature was indeed abnormal, and staying outside was dangerous. Checking out other bases first wasn’t a bad idea either.
Without overthinking, he agreed decisively, “Alright. Everyone, put on thicker clothes. Each person should carry just one bag.”
No one objected. They drove toward the nearest city, Changzhou—a typical prefecture-level city in Province B. The electronic map showed it wasn’t an uninhabited zone, which meant there should be a base there.
After enduring the snowfall in three days, they would set off again for Nanqing.