Although Annie and Li Kui's group had been traveling in off-road vehicles this time, the roads across the wilderness had long been abandoned—who knew how many centuries ago—and were buried beneath yellow sand, rubble, and weeds. So even with vehicles, they had covered less than four hundred kilometers in a day. They were still dozens of kilometers from their destination, a little over an hour away.
But since night was fast approaching, the danger would rise sharply after dark, and their destination lay near the edge of the area where the Iron Nest settlement usually operated, Li Kui had no idea what dangers might be waiting for them there. He therefore decided they would spend the night in a nearby ruin and head for their destination after sunrise.
Annie naturally had no objections!
And so!
Once they'd decided, the group parked their two vehicles on the outskirts of a ruined city and moved into a derelict steel building. It was covered in rust, but its main structure had remained intact in the arid wasteland.
Annie and Li Boli naturally made themselves at home in a clean spot in one of the building's rooms, where they rested and ate and drank. As for keeping watch, scouting the surrounding area, and making sure they were safe, they left all of that to Li Kui and the members of his search team.
After resting for about half an hour...
"..."
In a room on the second floor of the derelict building, Li Boli looked at the weapons and supplies the search team had left inside, then out the window at the desolate, bleak, silent city. Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer. She turned to Annie, who was still happily eating one of those portable canned meals, and asked nervously:
"Hey..."
"Teacher Annie,