Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 129 Starlight Base

Jiang Shan's hearty laughter and straightforward, enthusiastic praise not only attracted the attention of the soldiers who were inspecting vehicles and organizing equipment nearby, but also made some of the survivors who were sitting or lying down with numb expressions raise their eyelids and cast complicated glances at Xu Xiaoyan.

Xu Xiaoyan felt the gazes gathering around her, but she lowered her eyes slightly and said a few polite words to Jiang Shan, such as "You flatter me" and "It was just a coincidence."

When she turned back into the shadow of the third-to-last military vehicle, she saw Xie Yingtang and Wang Xiao squatting beside the huge, muddy wheels. Both of them held dark purple water chestnuts in their hands and were intently peeling off the hard shells with their fingernails or daggers, enjoying the tender, sweet water chestnut meat inside. Wang Xiao even had some white crumbs comically stuck to the corners of his mouth.

"Xiao Yan, come here quickly! These fresh water chestnuts taste really good. They're even a little sweet when eaten raw. They're much better than I imagined. Try them!" Wang Xiao looked up and saw her. He quickly waved and handed her a whole, tender water chestnut that he had just peeled.

Xu Xiaoyan took the slightly cool, fragrant water chestnut, thanked her, and gently put it in her mouth. With a gentle bite, the sweet juice instantly filled her mouth. She squinted her eyes slightly, savoring this moment of bliss.

The three of them squatted around the wheel, enjoying this unexpected and rare "snack" while chatting in hushed tones. The wheel's huge rubber tires blocked some of their prying eyes and brought them a subtle sense of security.

Wang Xiao chewed on the crisp, tender water chestnut meat, but the satisfied expression on his face was gradually replaced by a trace of regret. He swallowed the food in his mouth forcefully, as if swallowing that unrealistic fantasy along with it, then sighed and said, "Speaking of which, it seems we were so focused on following the army all the way here, afraid of falling behind. When we passed those collapsed villages or seemingly deserted towns along the roadside, we didn't dare to stray from the main force to search them carefully. Do you think there might be a lot of undiscovered treasures hidden under those ruins, in those half-collapsed houses? Like grain, cured meat, or some useful tools that the previous inhabitants didn't have time to take, or even... what if there were any leftover medicines?" His eyes lit up for a moment because of his hypothesis, but then dimmed again, filled with the regret of missing out on a treasure. "It feels... it feels like we missed out on hundreds of millions!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a man who had been leaning against his bundle of luggage, seemingly asleep, suddenly raised his head.

This is a middle-aged man wearing dark brown old clothes. His finger joints are large, and his fingernails are covered with dirt that is difficult to wash off, which is the mark left by long-term physical labor.

"Young man," his voice was hoarse as if it had been sanded on sandpaper, with a heavy, unfamiliar accent, "It's a good thing you didn't go."

He shifted his body, sitting up straighter, his gaze sweeping over Wang Xiao's young, slightly defiant face, then at Xu Xiaoyan's grave expression and Xie Yingtang's expressionless but focused eyes, before continuing, "If you're lucky, you might stumble upon a truly deserted village, but most of the things inside are rotten beyond repair. Rural people aren't like city dwellers who buy so much vacuum-packed or canned food; they store mostly grains in their granaries with husks, loose rice in their rice bins, or sweet potatoes, potatoes, cabbages, and radishes piled up in their cellars. With the world in chaos, no one takes care of things, power and water are cut off, rain soaks the ground, rats and insects bite, and with the changing weather, the amount of edible food you can find is very limited. Often, after spending a lot of effort digging through the ruins, all you find are moldy, mildewed, or rotten things—it's not worth it."

He paused, his gaze growing increasingly grave, as if recalling some unpleasant scene. He subconsciously lowered his voice, making his hoarse tone even more somber. "If I'm unlucky... and stumble into those places that look empty but are actually 'owned'... then I might just lose my life there."

He glanced around to make sure not many people were paying attention to their conversation. "In this situation, many of those who don't follow the army have formed their own gangs and become mountain bandits. They guard abandoned villages and key crossroads, engaging in murder, robbery, arson, and looting. Human life is worthless to them," he emphasized heavily, "it's like stepping on an ant. They don't care about first come, first served, or any sense of reason."

He sighed heavily, shook his head, and looked utterly helpless. "The situation now is completely different from before... those peaceful years. The bottom line of being a decent human being is long gone."

Xu Xiaoyan listened carefully to the middle-aged man's words, not only to the content but also to his demeanor. He was probably a laborer from the lower class, likely from a peasant background, who had experienced hardship, perhaps even witnessing or narrowly escaping from those lawless thugs. His words carried a sense of reality stained by blood and fear.

His words stirred up waves in Wang Xiao's heart. The adventurous flame on the young man's face seemed to be extinguished by most of it, replaced by a belated sense of awe.

Xu Xiaoyan hesitated for a moment, feeling that this was a valuable opportunity to obtain more information. She lowered her voice to ensure that only the four of them could hear. "Uncle, from what you've said, the situation outside is indeed much worse than we imagined while hiding in the group. We... we vaguely heard some rumors from some of the later recruits... we heard that in some completely chaotic places, people have started... started eating... human flesh. Have you... you heard anything about this?" She tried her best to keep her tone calm, but when she uttered the word "human flesh," a slight tremor inevitably crept in.

This question shocked everyone. Wang Xiao, who was standing next to him, suddenly stopped chewing, his mouth half open, and stared at the middle-aged man in astonishment, as if he could not understand or did not want to believe what he had heard. Even Xie Yingtang, who had been silent and focused on peeling water chestnuts, paused almost imperceptibly, then raised his eyes to look at the middle-aged man, waiting for his answer.

Upon hearing this question, the middle-aged man's expression visibly changed. A subtle, complex emotion, a mixture of fear, disgust, and a certain sorrow, flashed in his eyes. His lips moved slightly, but he did not utter a sound immediately.

He remained silent for a few seconds, as if carefully choosing his words, and finally, he nodded slowly and with great seriousness.

"...Yes," he managed to squeeze out the word with difficulty from his hoarse throat. "When people are starving, they...they can't be considered human anymore, they're capable of anything." He raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the three young faces, his eyes carrying a hint of warning. "Especially in towns that have completely run out of supplies, are besieged, and can't escape...the practice of exchanging children to eat...is not a new rumor."

He seemed unwilling to elaborate on the specific details that challenged the limits of humanity, only giving a general and somber summary: "However, following the main group, order is still maintained, so such situations are less frequent, but not entirely nonexistent... I've heard of some small groups that have fallen behind..." He didn't continue, only shaking his head. The unfinished words were enough to send chills down the spines of those who heard them, sending a cold shiver down their spines.

"You... try not to go to the villages and towns alone if you can. Life is not easy, so be careful." After he finished speaking, he leaned back against his luggage and closed his eyes, as if the conversation had exhausted his little strength.

The heavy atmosphere created by this conversation weighed on the hearts of the three, like an invisible lead weight. Even the sweet water chestnuts in their mouths seemed to lose some of their flavor. For the rest of the time, everyone was somewhat silent, each digesting this bloody lesson of reality.

One evening at six o'clock, following the usual pattern formed every ten days or so, the military vehicle convoy should have begun to slow down, searching for a relatively flat and open camp near a water source, in preparation for spending the night.

Xu Xiaoyan could even hear the numb exhaustion and habitual sighs and complaints coming from the crowd behind her—the background noise that was common before each day's rest and had almost become a fixed routine.

However, things are different today.

The monotonous noise of the wheels rolling over the broken road surface continued without any sign of abating or stopping; in fact, it seemed to have picked up speed slightly, showing no intention of stopping at all.

Xu Xiaoyan, Xie Yingtang, and Wang Xiao looked at each other in the carriage, which was swaying slightly with the movement of the carriage. Their eyes were filled with the same doubt and a hint of unease that was gradually growing.

"What's going on? Why isn't it running today? It's already past six o'clock!" Wang Xiao was the first to lose his composure. He clung to the cold, rough edge of the carriage and leaned half his body out to look. All he could see were desolate scenes rushing past on both sides of the road, becoming increasingly blurry in the twilight—dead trees, dilapidated house skeletons, and endless, seemingly cursed wild grass.

Xie Yingtang frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Don't make a sound, just observe the situation." As for himself, although he remained calm on the surface, all his senses were on high alert. He listened carefully to any unusual noises outside, except for the sound of the wind and wheels, trying to catch a clue from this abnormal movement.

This unusual, uninterrupted march continued until 8 p.m., when the sky was completely dark. There was no moon, only a few sparse stars twinkling faintly. The long march and the unknown road ahead caused the restlessness of the people following behind to reach its peak. Various speculations, complaints, and whispers of fear spread like a plague in the darkness.

Just as this commotion was about to escalate into chaos, a vast expanse of lights appeared at the edge of the field of vision! The lights merged together, outlining the shape of a huge settlement, and the shadows of watchtowers and simple walls could be vaguely seen.

After a long and unusual journey, a survivor base, far larger and more well-organized than the first temporary base they had briefly stayed at, appeared before them like a mirage!

It turns out the army's unusual behavior was a prelude to their journey! Their target was this second large survivor base known as "Starlight Base"!

As the convoy gradually slowed down, it finally entered a large parking area specially designated on the outskirts of the base, guarded by soldiers with guns. The crowd surged and converged from behind like a burst dam.

Using the light from the base's perimeter and the car headlights, Xu Xiaoyan quickly surveyed the area and was slightly startled. She discovered that during this long migration, people along the way had suffered losses due to injuries, illnesses, deaths, or falling behind. However, at the same time, there were also sporadic survivors who had struggled out of the wilderness or other small groups constantly joining the ranks.

At this moment, the number of people following behind the army was a dense, dark mass, roughly estimated to have returned to around two thousand! This huge and chaotic crowd gathered on the outskirts of the base, emitting a buzzing noise, filled with a variety of complex emotions—the brief relaxation of arrival, the bewilderment of the new environment, and the fear of the future.

However, before people could recover from the brief relaxation and curiosity of finally arriving at the "safe zone," several soldiers in combat uniforms, with cold and stern faces and holding electronic megaphones, nimbly jumped off the command vehicle in front and walked straight towards the dark, restless crowd.

A piercing crackling sound of electrical adjustment rang out, instantly drowning out the noise of the crowd and causing everyone's hearts to clench involuntarily. Then, a clear but emotionless, machine-like voice blared from the loudspeaker, like cold rain or a hard block of iron, striking everyone's hearts heavily: "Attention, survivors! We have arrived at the Starlight Survivor Base! The army will rest and resupply here for one day! We will depart for the last survivor base at 6:00 AM sharp the day after tomorrow."

After the departure time was announced, the crowd had just begun to stir slightly due to the clear schedule when the next announcement was the real bombshell, leaving many stunned: "Important Notice: Starting the morning after tomorrow, military vehicles will no longer maintain their current speed to accommodate those following on foot! We will proceed at the normal military vehicle speed! Anyone who wishes to continue following the army's migration, please arrange your own transportation! You can rent vehicles at this base, carpool to find fuel, or..."

The voice from the loudspeaker paused deliberately, as if to maximize the impact of this final choice, before presenting the last option—the one that many survivors lacking ability or resources least wanted to hear and feared most: "Or, choose to stay in this Starlight Survivor Base!"