CH 62

Following the Gu Langu and others’ convoy, Dong Shijun’s convoy, after the third encounter with numerous snowmen on the ground, finally grew somewhat composed. They no longer approached the snowmen with curiosity and caution to dismantle them for examination. After all, who could have imagined that on the harsh battlefield of Cang Zhan Star, there would be individuals with such leisure to lead the entire convoy in collectively building snowmen.

“Dong-ge, do you think this is a sign of madness?” Scar-faced Man stood beside the snowmen, his speechless gaze fixed upon the snowmen scattered around. He had grown tired of pushing them over or inspecting them to uncover any hidden secrets.

Dong Shijun also found himself unusually at a loss for an explanation. He couldn’t fathom why the convoy ahead had chosen to build these snowmen.

During better weather conditions, this might have been overlooked, but with the recent intensification of snowstorms, it was utterly irrational to see so many people building snowmen in such weather. One could hardly make sense of it! If they had the energy, they might as well focus on making better progress, rather than squandering time on such meaningless endeavors.

“Perhaps they’re just well-fed and bored,” Huang Dao offered an answer himself, not expecting a response. His thoughts wandered back to the first time they had come across the snowmen. The sight of hundreds of uniquely shaped snow figures was something he had never witnessed before – it was eerie yet astonishing.

“Maybe,” Dong Shijun responded casually, unable to come up with a better explanation.

Little did they know, this answer was closer to the truth than they realized.

Due to the influence of Shu Shuishui, the appearance of the three-base convoy had undergone a transformation. With their lives assured, life had naturally become more pleasant, and they no longer had to worry about when their next meal would come. In such circumstances, building snowmen became a form of leisure and entertainment. Perhaps on Cang Zhan Star, no other group possessed such leisure.

Dong Shijun’s convoy still trailed far behind. Although Gu Langu and his team had noticed, they had no intention of seeking trouble, and the two convoys continued their journey without incident.

Occasionally, they encountered situations similar to the one in the small town before. On such occasions, the two convoys would tacitly keep to their own areas, avoiding interference with each other.

However, Dong Shijun soon realized that this method of following the other convoy was disadvantaging them. As the days passed, his convoy could only smell the aroma of others enjoying meat while they had to ration even their purple tree cakes. While others had the energy to collectively build snowmen or engage in snowball fights, they could only allocate their scarce resources to survival. When others were chasing after mutated creatures, they were the ones being chased.

The growing disparity became increasingly evident, especially when they peered through binoculars and saw the lush greenery within the other convoy’s vehicles. Few could maintain their composure in the face of such a contrast. They were all refugees from Cang Zhan Star, yet the gulf between them was staggering.

Under various stimuli, some began to grow restless, but could they fight? No. Although Dong Shijun’s convoy outnumbered the other side nearly two to one, the opposing convoy’s morale was overwhelming, and they had long discovered Gu Langu’s presence within Dong Shijun’s convoy. Any thoughts of conflict seemed futile.

Dong Shijun even speculated that if a battle were to erupt, his convoy members might eagerly surrender and become captives of the opposing convoy. For now, Dong Shijun could only hope to reach their destination quickly; the advantage of following Gu Langu’s convoy was the increased level of safety it afforded.

However, at this moment, Dong Shijun remained oblivious to the fact that his expectations were overly optimistic.

On the 27th day of their migration, the convoy was hit by an extreme snowstorm. Snowflakes whipped against the windows, obscuring the headlights of the vehicles just a few meters ahead.

However, it’s worth mentioning that in the Fei Luo Base, Shi An’an had provided advance notice of the impending extreme snowstorm, and the convoy promptly found shelter.

They took refuge for a duration of seven days. Though the sun remained elusive outside, the wind had weakened, allowing the convoy to resume its journey. This time, the progress was slower due to snow clearing, which brought Shi An’an some recognition within the convoy.

When the convoy reached their initial destination fifty days later, they arrived at a small town over ten kilometers south of Zone B. According to the information they had received earlier, this place was well-suited for avoiding this year’s cold wave and surviving the perilous freezing season.

Upon reaching their destination, Shu Shuishui was curled up in a little nest at the front of the vehicle, sleeping. Gu Langu observed Shu Shuishui, who had hardly moved all day, wondering if the field mouse had entered its hibernation period.

This small county would serve as a temporary base for the three-base convoy. Subsequently, they would disperse according to their own preferences, searching for more suitable locations nearby. After all, nobody liked being too close to each other.

As the RV came to a stop, Gu Langu pondered for a moment, then scooped up Shu Shuishui and placed him into his pocket. He intended to explore the small town and find a suitable spot.

After walking a few steps, the small dormouse inside his pocket shifted position. Its furry little head emerged, and it peered around while gripping the edge of the pocket with its tiny paws. “Gu Gu, have we arrived at our destination?”

“Yeah, we have. Tomorrow, we’ll consult the map and visit several locations we’ve previously identified, searching for the best place to settle,” Gu Langu replied, raising his hand to pat the dormouse, nearly causing it to tumble out of his pocket.

The little dormouse didn’t seem to mind at all, and it eagerly asked, “Will we also go check out that little hill you mentioned before? I think it might be a good spot.”

It was only at this moment that Gu Langu remembered, during their discussions about a place to settle down, Yu Jin and Nan Ge had jokingly suggested giving a piece of land to Shu Shuishui, with Shu Shuishui even claiming it to be an auspicious Feng Shui location.

If it were before their exposure to the so-called spiritual power, or before Shu Shuishui had transformed the micro-farm, Gu Langu wouldn’t have believed it. That area was nothing more than a desolate mountain range, completely devoid of human habitation. Not to mention in the current extreme environment, even during its prosperous days, it wouldn’t have been suitable for survival.

“Alright, I’ll accompany Shui Shui tomorrow, just the two of us,” Gu Langu responded without hesitation.

Shu Shuishui nodded vigorously. “Yes, after all this time, we should have some alone time.”

Gu Langu curved his lips into a smile. He liked the term “alone time.” “Yeah, alone time.”

In the evening, the convoy following behind caught up. Clearly, after reaching their destination, the condition of that convoy had improved considerably. They no longer appeared as pitiable as before.

The small town had long been without electricity, so everyone had to cook outdoors or in houses with stoves. However, people had grown accustomed to gathering together, chatting, eating, and cooking. As a result, most chose a courtyard to gather around, where they could chat, cook, and keep warm by the fire.

“We’ll be dispersing tomorrow. What do you guys think?”

“What do you mean?” The person who responded seemed a bit uncertain, their gaze shifting.

“Don’t play dumb, seriously. Who doesn’t know what’s going on? Shi An’an and Xie Feng aren’t getting along. Fei Luo’s definitely leaving. Aren’t you guys…”

Inside Fei Luo’s base, groups of people whispered with hushed voices. Compared to previous times, an unusual quiet had fallen.

“Shh, lower your voice. To be honest, I do want to join Gu Langu’s base. Just think, at the very least, we won’t starve.”

“But Shi An’an has precognitive abilities, following him would provide us with more safety.”

“True, but if we move too far away, after the heavy snowfall seals off the mountains, it’ll be tough to find meat. We might have to wait until next summer.”

In comparison to Fei Luo’s base, the situation at Hu Sichen’s base was much more straightforward. A group of people gathered around Hu Sichen, clamoring with a single demand: they had to be neighbors with Gu Langu’s base and not go hungry.

Hu Sichen felt helpless. He wanted to eat meat too, but the Gu Langu base might not agree. There was another influential figure in the vicinity – who could feel at ease?

“Boss, have you formed a brotherhood with that mouse yet? In all that time, you haven’t seized the chance?”

“Yeah, boss. Just calling each other ‘brother’ should be enough to establish a good relationship, right?”

Hu Sichen felt a bit downcast. He also wanted to establish a brotherhood with Shu Shuishui. Especially with the increased time spent together, he felt that Shu Shuishui really matched his preferences. Despite its small size, it exuded a certain charisma. However, the problem was that Shu Shuishui was always accompanied by Gu Langu. Whenever he approached, Gu Langu would become exceptionally alert, clutching the mouse and walking away, leaving him with no opportunity.

“Scram, scram, scram! You guys are annoying!” Hu Sichen was annoyed by the incessant chatter, so he kicked the people around him away.

After things quieted down, Hu Sichen realized he needed to fight for himself and his group of brothers. He decided to finish eating first, then find Nan Ge. As for why he didn’t approach Gu Langu, well…

However, before Hu Sichen could finish his meal, chaos had already erupted over at Fei Luo’s base.

Everyone turned their gazes in that direction, observing a few individuals carrying large and small bags, seemingly ready to leave. Hu Sichen wasn’t surprised. After all, they had only gathered together due to the migration. It wasn’t unexpected for some to want to leave once they reached their destination.

Yet what surprised everyone was that those few people headed straight for the campfire where Shu Shuishui was. It should be noted that Gu Langu was sitting right nearby, demonstrating remarkable boldness.

As expected, when those few people approached the campfire, they immediately felt the scrutinizing gazes of Gu Langu, Nan Ge, and the others.

Yu Jin didn’t perceive any danger and asked curiously, “Hey, guys, what’s your intention? Saying your farewells? You guys are from Fei Luo’s base, right? Or are you here to find Crazy Xie?”

Ever since Xie Feng had dismantled Yu Jin’s micro-farm, he had become known as “Crazy Xie” in Yu Jin’s eyes. And indeed, Xie Feng lived up to that moniker. After completing the micro-farm transformation, he had developed a deep interest in Shu Shuishui’s purification formation, even wishing to spend twenty-four hours a day experimenting inside the RV.

The group of people carrying bags set down their belongings. Leading the way was a middle-aged man with a bald head, appearing to have weathered many years, yet his eyes were filled with accumulated wisdom. “No, we’re here to apply for membership in the base.”

Yu Jin was greatly surprised. “Huh?” In fact, there had been instances of people voluntarily applying to join the Gu Langu base before. It happened when Gu Langu had first arrived on Cang Zhan Star. However, later on, everyone realized that Gu Langu couldn’t provide them with what they wanted, and gradually, people dispersed, leaving only a few individuals.

The bald middle-aged man continued calmly, “I’m Zhang Chengye, an engineer proficient in electrical power and water resources. These two are my students. The other two are an expert in natural energy sources and an experienced senior manager.”

Yu Jin hadn’t fully recovered from his surprise, but Nan Ge’s eyes were already shining. “Of course, you’re welcome to join the Gu Langu base.”

Sitting by the campfire, Shu Shuishui, toasting his little paws by the fire, looked at the self-proclaimed engineer with a bald head. It particularly focused on the bright patch on his head before turning to Gu Langu. “Gu Gu, should I make you a hat? What color would you like? Green or a warm brown?”

Gu Langu: ??? “…”

Why was it that after seeing the bald man, Shu Shuishui suddenly asked this question? Gu Langu still had confidence in his hair, but his mouth responded honestly and promptly, “A warm brown one, I guess.”

Shu Shuishui lowered his head, glanced at himself, and then extended his paw to pat his fur to make it fluffier. “If it’s a warm brown, then I’m good. It will also have temperature-regulating heating. But let’s still make a hat for Gu Gu.”