novelraw Chapter 288 With Brother Dao Here
Chapter 288 With Brother Dao Here
As the sun sets, the mudflats become increasingly eerie.
The small, murky patch of water shimmered with an oil-painted purplish-red hue under the blood-red sunset.
The sparse reeds cast elongated, twisted shadows, like lurking ghostly claws.
The salty, rotten smell in the air became even stronger and thicker as the temperature dropped.
Even though they didn't set foot inside, the scent lingered.
The convoy set up camp at the relatively solid sandy-soil boundary.
The car lights came on one by one, cutting out a patch of light in the thick twilight.
Chen Pei manipulated Wan She to explore all the mudflats near the convoy, while Ya Ya explored an even wider area.
No strange aura was detected.
Perhaps the eeriness of the mudflats is even deeper.
Each time they entered a new terrain unit, Wang Hu and Li Miao would thoroughly inspect each vehicle.
Even though half of them were brand new military vehicles.
However, timely maintenance is also essential.
"Why are you tying these on?" Jiao Jiao noticed that Wang Hu was tying firewood to the tires of his troop carrier.
"Anti-slip!"
These firewood pieces weren't very useful.
However, it shouldn't cause the wheels to slip continuously when stuck in the mud.
The mudflats near the desert are in better condition, while the riverbed is relatively dry and hard.
It's hard to say what would happen if we encountered places full of mud.
Wang Hu's actions can be considered as taking precautions.
Seeing this, Jiao Jiao followed suit and equipped her own chariot.
As for its reliability, don't expect much.
Meanwhile, Nirvana has also changed its appearance. The body is wider and lower, and the tires are more than twice as wide, almost completely turning into tracked vehicles to enhance traction.
The whole car looks even more menacing.
Nirvana made all of these adjustments themselves, and Xu Si still trusted the specific effects.
"Old Xu, I need to talk to you about something?" Fu Xiaojian came directly to him as night fell.
Xu Si remained silent, waiting for Fu Xiaojian to continue.
"If it's convenient, I'd like your car to go first! Your car is sturdy and will travel on more solid roads, and it can also help any vehicles in the convoy that get stuck!" Fu Xiaojian stated his purpose clearly.
There was another reason he didn't mention.
With such a massive vehicle leading the way, the convoy felt much safer.
Xu Si looked at Fu Xiaojian, his starry eyes shimmering slightly in the deepening night.
He understood Fu Xiaojian's considerations.
In the unknown and unpredictable tidal flat terrain, the Nirvana's tonnage, far exceeding that of ordinary vehicles, is indeed the best trailblazer and insurance.
"Okay." Xu Si agreed briefly without hesitation.
Now, not only him, but Nirvana itself has excellent detection capabilities, so it is actually more appropriate for him to lead the way.
Fu Xiaojian breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Thanks."
He patted Xu Si on the shoulder, and nothing more was needed.
Night fell completely.
The stillness of the mudflats is different from that of the desert; it carries a damp, oppressive atmosphere, as if everything is silently decaying.
This reminded everyone in the convoy of the unbearable scene in the swamp.
The overwhelming swarms of blood-red mosquitoes, the enormous, lurking dark water that seemed poised to erupt and devour everything at any moment.
Everything seemed to be testing everyone's nerves.
Occasionally, a rustling sound, whether from the wind blowing through reeds or something sliding across the muddy water, could be heard in the distance, always making one's heart tighten.
Rui Jiaying and the others pressed their faces against the bus window, looking at the mudflats hidden in the darkness, their worries palpable.
The bizarre attacks during the day hadn't put this much pressure on them.
The convoy didn't build a large campfire, but instead lit some emergency candles and small fires next to a few vehicles, providing limited light and a little psychological comfort.
Xiao Luo busied himself with various tasks, learning alongside Li Miao how to tie miscellaneous items to the tires.
Ivan, wrapped in a thick coat he'd found at a military base, leaned against the pickup truck door, lost in thought.
"Have you... always been like this?" Ivan suddenly asked, addressing Xiao Wu, who was fiddling with a gun nearby.
Xiao Wu looked up and wiped the gun barrel: "How is it?"
"I mean...dealing with the supernatural was that easy?" Ivan carefully chose his words, speaking Chinese with some difficulty, but his meaning was clear.
"With Brother Dao here!" Xiao Wu recalled.
I don’t know when it started, but as long as Xu Si is still in the car team, it seems like there’s nothing he can’t handle.
Xiao Wu polished the rifle in his hand until it gleamed, wanting to take it apart, but then refrained from doing so.
"You can't clean a gun like that. If it's too precious, it'll easily break down!" Ivan warned.
As a Russian officer, Ivan has unique insights into firearms.
"What should we do then?" Xiao Wu was a little worried.
"Just don't treat him like a treasure! He's a weapon, though useless against the supernatural!" Ivan said, sensing the sincerity of the people in the convoy.
This is extremely rare in the end times.
Sure enough, after spending these few days together...
These people fit his stereotypes about the people of Daxia.
Intelligent, friendly, and peaceful, yet equally martial, both before and after the apocalypse.
……
Not far away, Xu Si had already returned to the interior of "Nirvana".
The food provided at Nirvana was better than expected; although it was all mushy, at least it tasted good.
"Commander, based on current data modeling, the danger level in the area is increasing. It is recommended that the convoy stay for no more than one day. The success rate of the convoy passing through the 'tidal flat area' in its current formation is approximately 34.1%. The main sources of danger are: the average depth of silt along the detectable path exceeds two meters and unknown changes in the path structure."
The voice of Nirvana reported steadily.
"What if 'Nirvana' first solidifies the path? What if it changes the existing formation structure?" Xu Si asked.
"The success rate can be increased to 68.9%. However, the convoy formation needs to be changed, and the optimal formation solution is being calculated based on the existing conditions..."
"..."
As long as it works, that's fine. Xu Si's gaze fell on the countdown in the corner of the screen.
[Star Voice Throat] Upgrade remaining: 69 hours, 58 minutes, and 22 seconds.
He closed his eyes, suppressing that trace of anxiety deep inside.
"Send the analysis results to Fu Xiaojian."
"Instructions confirmed, plan communicated."
Soon, Fu Xiaojian's instructions came through the walkie-talkie.
Xu Si's car led the way, followed by Ta Shan's bus and Fu Xiaojian's Mengshi!
Then there's Jiao Jiao's chariot, Xiao Wu's truck, and Xiao Luo's Hummer SUV.
Finally, there was Shao Bing's ambulance, Wang Hu's troop transport vehicle, and Chen Pei's RV.
Shao Bing and Wang Hu began searching for the towing cable;
Yang Fan helped Li Miao check the winches and tow hooks of each vehicle;
Tashan watched everyone busy with something, looking somewhat bewildered.
He and Xu Si were originally at the very back of the convoy, but unexpectedly they were suddenly moved to the front.
By the time the camp quieted down, it was already very late at night.
Fu Xiaojian and Yang Fan took over the night shift.
Although Xiao Luo would release a psionic barrier during each rest period, his night watch duties never ceased.
Xu Si was not sleepy and lay on the roof of the "Nirvana" car, losing even the interest in looking at the stars.
The star pulse, like an invisible radar, scanned the darkness ahead again and again, seemingly alleviating the anxiety.
Time seemed as quiet as the night.
The silence was unsettling; Xu Si had never felt this way before.
After midnight, the temperature dropped even lower, and the damp chill seeped into your bones through your clothes.