After reading those few lines, Lu Xi'an and Yao Wei exchanged a glance.
He saw a hint of surprise in Yao Wei's eyes. The woman no longer tried as hard as before to hide her emotions.
He lowered his head and flipped through the rest of the notebook. There was nothing more. It seemed that Yao Tianlai, the Emergency Water Supplier for the Fengcheng County Emergency Water Supply Administration who had kept this work journal, had truly given up in utter despair and stayed here to await death.
There were no bodies in the house—not even any bones. He had no idea where Yao Tianlai had died in the end.
"Let's get back to the car and leave."
Yao Wei said.
They had finished searching the place. The car was still parked outside, and it stood out too much in the village. Yao Wei clearly didn't feel safe staying there for long.
Lu Xi'an nodded. He picked up the notebook, then thought for a moment and took two gold bars as well. "Would it be all right if I left these in your car for a while?"
Yao Wei frowned. "What for?"
"As throwing weapons."
He had never gotten to handle gold bars this big in his previous life, and now he really wanted to play around with them. Leaving them in Yao Wei's car wouldn't add much weight or take up much space, so he might as well enjoy the experience.
Who knew? If something unusual happened one day, he might actually be able to use them as throwing weapons.
"Suit yourself."
Yao Wei didn't refuse. She said that and headed outside.
Lu Xi'an tucked away the notebook and the two gold bars, then followed her out.
It was safe outside, and the two made it to the car without incident. They started the engine and left the village.
On the way, Lu Xi'an asked, "The shelter mentioned in the work journal should be where the last survivors gathered. It might still have supplies. Should we look for it?"
Yao Wei nodded. "Sure."
How could they pass up any place that might contain supplies when they were trying to survive in a world like this?
Of course, someone might be there, and it could be dangerous, but they still had to take a look. If there was trouble, they could just run.
Lu Xi'an took out World Atlas Volume One, opened to the page for Fengcheng County, and found Tan Village. He pointed the way for Yao Wei. "Tan Village is to the east, so we'll have to head back. After we get around Gao Family Village, turn south at the gas station intersection and keep going for a while."
There were people in Gao Family Village, so they definitely couldn't drive through it again.
Yao Wei nodded and turned the car around. She gave Gao Family Village a wide berth and kept going until they reached the overgrown road opposite the gas station they had visited earlier.
The fuel gauge was still full, so they didn't need to refill the tank. They decided to get gas on the way back after exploring Tan Village, and kept going without stopping.
Tan Village lay on the western bank of the reservoir. To the west of the village, hills rose on either side of the road, forming a narrow pass.
Beyond the "pass," the village spread along the reservoir's shore. A road separated it from the water. Now the road was overgrown with weeds and in a state of ruin.
Yao Wei drove along it, the car swaying and jolting so much that their stomachs churned. Fortunately, a long time had passed since they'd eaten, or they would have been in for a rough time.
Tan Village was completely deserted. They drove around and checked, confirming that for themselves.
It was too close to the reservoir. With things as they were, there were too many mosquitoes, making it unsuitable for people to settle in.
People trying to survive and make camp now needed a water source, but they couldn't stay too close to one. That was what Lu Xi'an had learned on his journey south, and he figured the same would apply to others.
After they passed Tan Village, they suddenly saw a rise behind it: stones clustered together, with weeds growing wildly out of the cracks. It looked as though it had blended into the surroundings. Though the mound's shape was a little strange, it could have been natural.
"Is this the place?"
Yao Wei stopped the car and studied the spot closely before asking.
Both she and Lu Xi'an had read the work journal. Only because they were looking for something unusual did this place seem odd to them. Most people probably wouldn't notice it.
Lu Xi'an didn't answer. He opened the car door and sent the Mechanical Dog down. "Go check it out."
The dog turned on its four wheels and headed over. The uneven ground made it wobble as it went. At times, it had to use the joints in its legs for support instead of relying entirely on its wheels.
Even so, it no longer looked as comical as before.
When the dog reached the raised mound, it stopped and began scanning. After a while, it turned around, and its eyes lit up.
"This is definitely the place."
Lu Xi'an confirmed it.
Yao Wei looked back. There was a wide passage between two houses at the edge of the village. Behind them, the hillside was steep, but there was a gap between the slope and the back walls of the houses, forming a passage. She immediately reversed into it, turned, and parked between the houses and the slope.
The two got out and walked back to the road. Only after confirming that the car was completely hidden from view did they relax.
When they reached the raised mound, Lu Xi'an gave the dog another command. "Check where it'll be easiest to open up."
The dog scanned the rocks again, then shone its light on a spot near the inner side.
Yao Wei had brought a shovel from the car. Following the light from the dog's eyes, the two started digging at the topmost rock. It took a great deal of effort to pry it loose.
They were exceptionally strong, which was the only reason they could dig the rock out. An ordinary person could never have managed it.
The next rocks were easier to remove. They came out with less effort, and soon the two didn't even need the shovel.
If they'd been their old selves, they could have exerted themselves all they wanted and still never moved these rocks.
"I wonder why I suddenly got so strong. You did too."
As Lu Xi'an dug out the rocks, he asked casually.
Yao Wei said, "We're New Humans now. If we hadn't changed, wouldn't we have grown old like the others by now?"
Lu Xi'an was stunned. He thought back to the people he'd seen in Gao Family Village and the members of the Wolf Gang and Dog Gang he'd encountered in Mo Zhou City. They did seem rather old. Some even stooped like the elderly. By comparison, he really was young.
And Yao Wei was the first person he'd met who was as young as he was.
How could exposure to the elements, hardship, and torment not make people age quickly?
Besides, neither Yao Wei nor he seemed to sweat much. They didn't need to constantly clean themselves to stay basically clean, including their mouths and hair.
They didn't develop body odor, which meant they wouldn't attract the attention of other people or creatures because of it. They also didn't have to worry about illnesses caused by poor hygiene.
That saved them a lot of effort.
Come to think of it, both he and Yao Wei were indeed abnormal.
"New Humans?"
He asked.
Yao Wei shook her head. "I don't know. My mom said that."
Lu Xi'an didn't ask further. He could only hope he'd get a chance to find out more someday.
This corner really was easy to dig out. After they pulled away two layers of piled stones, they uncovered an opening. A damp, chilly stench of mold wafted out, forcing them to step back.
Then the two exchanged a glance. Seeing that they were both ready, they climbed inside one after the other.
Before you continue