A rift in the convoy

Zhenning County Town was far too dangerous. Driving straight through it was out of the question.

Even if the rest of the Safe Passage Convoy decided to go in, Lin Yi would never follow them.

That tree gave him a terrifying feeling. There was no need to throw his life away.

More importantly, Lin Yi still needed some time.

His body's enhancement still had another forty-two hours to go.

Once it was complete, he might have enough confidence to scout around Zhenning County Town.

But right now, his instincts told him he absolutely could not go there.

Xu Xiaohan's brows were tightly knitted. She seemed to be wavering over whether to enter Zhenning County Town as well.

After all, it was a county town. There had to be plenty of supplies inside. It was a risk, but if they were careful, they probably wouldn't face too much danger.

Besides, they had their lucky charm, Da Mei, with them. Getting back out should be no problem.

"Lin Yi, if... I mean, if we went in riding in Da Mei's car, what do you think our chances of getting out would be?"

Her meaning was simple: they would stick with Da Mei, their lucky charm.

That would give them a better chance.

But Lin Yi frowned deeply. He glanced at the yellow-haired girl and shook his head. "I'm not taking that risk."

He had enough supplies to last him a while, and there were bound to be other villages and towns along the way.

County towns, and especially the big cities, were full of danger.

For humans as they were now, entering those places meant certain death.

And there was one point that mattered most!

Da Mei's sequence was [Direction]. Leaving aside whether its effects were real, Lin Yi felt that the sequence itself had to be treated with skepticism.

The reason was simple.

His [Enhancement] could be demonstrated directly.

The best proof was the Soul-Devouring Saw in his hands.

But what about [Direction]?

Even if that sequence really existed, surely a few words weren't enough to make people believe in it?

Until there was tangible proof, Lin Yi would never gamble with his life.

In the face of danger, ignorance and foolishness were the most frightening things of all.

"Let's vote."

Xu Xiaohan didn't want to give up the supplies in Zhenyuan County Seat. Besides, there was only one anomaly inside. As long as they were careful, they still had a chance.

Now that a disagreement had arisen within the convoy, they would naturally settle it with a vote.

The four of them would vote by a show of hands on whether to enter.

Lin Yi glanced at Xu Xiaohan with a slight frown. This woman seemed rather indecisive.

As the convoy's leader, she couldn't even make the final call herself.

On a major decision like this, she was actually hesitating and putting it to a show of hands.

How far could a convoy like that get?

"Stop right there!"

Lin Yi suddenly spoke up. "I don't need to vote. If you want to take the risk, go ahead. I can leave on my own!"

With that, he turned and walked straight toward his pickup.

After getting in, Lin Yi leaned his head out of the window and looked at Xu Xiaohan and the other two.

"I'll take a detour and wait for you on the other side of Zhenning County."

His gaze swept over Xu Xiaohan before settling on Da Mei and Liu Chuan.

"One day!"

He held up one finger. "After one day, I'm leaving, whether you've made it out or not."

With that, the pickup's engine started. Lin Yi drove through the other side of the toll plaza and headed straight onto the expressway.

There were only two routes now.

They could leave the expressway at the toll plaza and head straight into the county town.

Or they could stay on the expressway and keep away from the town.

Liu Chuan glanced at Lin Yi's pickup, then turned to look at Xu Xiaohan and Da Mei.

Honestly, he didn't want to take the risk either.

After all, they still had a level-three anomaly, Rain Man, on their tail.

"Da Mei, just how confident are you?"

Xu Xiaohan didn't dwell on Lin Yi's departure. She cared more about the supplies in Zhenning County.

Even if they only searched a few houses on the outskirts, it would be worth trying.

"There won't be any problems with [Direction]."

Da Mei stood with both hands in her pockets, looking thoroughly cocky.

Seeing that, Xu Xiaohan stopped dwelling on it and turned around. "Everyone, get ready. We're going to scavenge in Zhenning County. Remember, don't go too far in. Just look for supplies around the edges."

With that, she started toward her Hummer.

But Liu Chuan suddenly stepped forward and grabbed her car door. "Captain, we can't take this risk!" he said gravely.

"Are you scared too?"

Xu Xiaohan's expression darkened. "We're already behind so many other people. There'll probably be fewer and fewer supplies farther down the road. Zhenning County might be our best option!"

Her words made Liu Chuan begin to waver.

She was right.

They had wasted too much time on their journey so far.

Xu Xiaohan seemed decisive and efficient, but in private, she cared deeply about everyone in the convoy.

That was also why their progress had slowed.

He believed Xu Xiaohan could become a capable leader.

But...

Did they really need to take this risk?

"Don't worry. With Da Mei here, we should be safe, just like before."

After saying that to Liu Chuan, Xu Xiaohan shut her door and started the engine.

Seeing this, the others in the convoy quickly followed, each afraid that falling a step behind would keep them from being the first to grab more supplies.

As vehicle after vehicle drove past him, Liu Chuan's brows drew tightly together.

For some reason, he had a feeling he couldn't put into words.

He turned to look behind him. The dark clouds were still slowly spreading toward them, bringing a level-three anomaly along with them.

Compared with the supplies in Zhenning County, staying alive mattered most.

Liu Chuan gritted his teeth, climbed into his sedan, fastened his seat belt, and floored the accelerator.

He wasn't heading toward Zhenning County. He was heading for the expressway!

He was going to follow Lin Yi.

He had a feeling that this man, who had never revealed his sequence, was anything but ordinary.

Following him might offer more hope than following Xu Xiaohan!

Inside the Hummer, Xu Xiaohan spotted the familiar sedan on the expressway and couldn't help frowning.

Had Liu Chuan backed down too?

As the convoy's leader, she had to think about everyone in it, not just one or two people.

With Da Mei in the convoy, their chances of surviving were far from slim.

With enough supplies, the rest of their migration would be safer.

Inside her own car, Da Mei held the steering wheel with one hand, a smug smile curling her lips. She turned to glance toward the back seat, her eyes brimming with delight.

In the back, a boy bound with wire lay naked, curled into the gap between the seats. Other injuries still marked his body.

Da Mei didn't care in the slightest. Instead, she said with a cheerful smile, "Don't worry, Brother Tao. I'll definitely find that direction you told me about..."