Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 177 Tow Truck

The three of them regrouped behind a relatively sheltered patch of sea buckthorn bushes where the snow was shallower. Their faces were filled with undisguised joy at their harvest. However, when their eyes fell on the heavy sacks, their joy was mixed with a heavy sigh – how were they going to take them back?

Wang Xiao put down the sacks and plopped down on one of his sacks. Ignoring the cold, he rubbed his aching arms and wrists and grimaced, saying, "These sea buckthorn berries are good, but they're too hard on my hands! My fingers feel like they don't belong to me anymore. And they don't hold much at all. It looks like I haven't picked many, but one sack is almost full, and it's so heavy to carry! This trip back is going to be tough."

Xu Xiaoyan also unloaded the sack, her face showing just the right amount of regret, and chimed in, "Yes, I saw a lot of good fruit, so many that the branches were bent over, but I didn't dare pick too many, for fear of not being able to take them all back."

Just then, heavy footsteps and panting came from the side path. Lu Hu also came over, carrying three bulging sacks. His sacks looked a size larger than the others. When he got closer, he put the sacks down heavily on the snow with a "thump," splashing up a cloud of snow. He bent over, put his hands on his knees, and gasped for breath, white mist billowing out violently.

"Damn... this job... is not easy," he said intermittently. After catching his breath, he straightened up and pointed in the direction he came from. "Over there... there are still two bags that haven't been brought over. The harvest is more than expected... wait for me a moment, I'll go and carry them over." As he spoke, he turned to leave.

Seeing that Lu Hu was about to turn back, a thought suddenly flashed into Xu Xiaoyan's mind, and she quickly called out to him, "Brother Lu, wait a moment!"

Lu Hu stopped and turned around in confusion. Xu Xiaoyu asked tentatively and reminded him, "Brother Lu, you used to work in this factory, so you should know the layout very well. I think even though the warehouse is empty, do you have any of those... hand-pushed trolleys? Or small flatbed forklifts or something like that in the production workshop or material area? The kind used in factories to move raw material baskets and finished product boxes."

"A small trailer? A means of transportation?" Upon hearing this, Lu Hu was clearly taken aback. A moment of blankness flashed across his rugged face, as if he had never thought of it in this direction before. He habitually used his hand, which was not wearing a thick glove and was only wrapped with strips of cloth, to unconsciously rub the rough mask fabric on his chin, his brows furrowed as he fell into recollection.

The other three—Xie Yingtang, Wang Xiao, and Xu Xiaoyan herself—also watched Lu Hu with bated breath, a faint but real expectation unconsciously igniting in their eyes.

Time ticked by, and Lu Hu's brow furrowed deeper and deeper. After a long while, just as his hopes were about to fade, Lu Hu suddenly slapped his thigh. "Oops!" His voice rose with a mixture of deep frustration and sudden burst of excitement. "You reminded me! It seems there really are some! In the corner of that innermost washing and sorting workshop, I think I saw a few manual trailers! And... I think there were also those small flatbed carts with handrails! They were piled up next to the waste heap, all dusty and dirty, so I didn't pay much attention!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, his speech quickening, his mind suddenly opening up completely. "I was so focused on the finished product warehouse and those valuable machines that I forgot about this! I was only thinking about how to carry them, how could I not have thought about 'transportation'!"

His gaze swept intently over Xu Xiaoyan, Xie Yingtang, and Wang Xiao, his fatigue replaced by excitement. "How about... we don't rush back? We still have plenty of time, and it's still a while before dark. Let's go check out the factory first. If we can find a tow truck, even just one or two that's usable, it'll make things much easier! It would be best if we could get three or four! Then everyone can start picking! Pick as many as we can! Sea buckthorn berries are nutritious and easy to store. We can eat them ourselves, and we'll definitely get a lot of points! Those rich people who don't lack food but lack vitamins, or the purchasing points in the inner and middle cities, will definitely be willing to pay a good price!"

"Exchange for points!" These three words instantly ignited Xie Yingtang and Wang Xiao's desire for survival resources. In the Linchuan base, points almost meant everything...

Wang Xiao was the first to jump up, almost tripping over the sack he was sitting on. His face lit up. "That's right! A tow truck! How come I didn't think of that! Brother Lu, what are we waiting for? Let's go check it out! If we really have one, we'll be rich today!"

Although Xie Yingtang didn't speak, he quickly stood up straight and began to re-tie his sack. His movements were swift and efficient, and his eyes were fixed on Lu Hu, clearly indicating that he was also tempted.

Without needing much further communication or eye contact, the four instantly reached a new consensus and turned in unison towards the factory complex. Lu Hu took the lead, followed closely by Xie Yingtang, Wang Xiao, and Xu Xiaoyan.

Stepping into the abandoned factory, the stench of rotting food and old engine oil was almost suffocating. The production workshop on the first floor was extremely spacious with a high ceiling, but it felt particularly oppressive at the moment. The metal equipment was covered with a thick layer of dust, and some exposed pipes and gears were covered with cobwebs and tiny ice crystals. Only the footsteps and breathing of the few people echoed slightly in the empty space.

Near the entrance were several large, orange forklifts that required fuel and special keys. They were huge, with half-flat tires, and clearly not something they could handle.

"It's too big, we don't need it at all," Xie Yingtang said in a low voice, and everyone nodded.

"I think it's upstairs..." Lu Hu unconsciously tapped a cold metal workbench next to him. "The office area is connected to the material storage room. Come on, let's go up to the second floor from this staircase!" He pointed to an open, rusty metal fire door on the side of the workshop, behind which was a staircase leading upwards.

As you ascend the metal staircase, the sound of your footsteps is amplified in the enclosed stairwell, clanging loudly. The second floor is slightly better lit than the first floor because there are many windows, although most of the glass is dusty or broken, some grayish-white daylight still manages to seep in.

This is clearly an office and auxiliary area. A long corridor extends forward, with rooms on both sides, and the door signs are vaguely printed with words such as "Manager's Office," "Finance," "Technical Department," and "Materials Storage."

Many office doors were ajar, some even pried open, with obvious impact and pry marks on the door panels. The floor was littered with waste paper, torn folders, and scattered small items, creating a mess.

Xu Xiaoyan's gaze slowly swept over the rooms with their doors wide open. A thought struck her. Picking sea buckthorn was her main goal, but since she had already come to a relatively "refined" office area, she wondered if she could have missed some small items in these rooms.