After reading these few sentences, Lu Xi'an and Yao Wei exchanged glances.
He saw a hint of surprise in Yao Wei's eyes—this woman was no longer trying so hard to hide her emotions as before.
He looked down and flipped through the pages again, but there were no more words. It seemed that Yao Tianlai, an emergency water supply manager at the Fengcheng County Emergency State Water Supply Management Bureau who wrote this work diary, had really given up in despair, waiting to die here.
There were no corpses in the house, not even bones left, and no one knew where Yao Tianlai finally died.
"Let's go back to the car and leave here first."
Yao Wei said.
This place had been thoroughly searched, and the car was still parked outside, too conspicuous in the village. Yao Wei was clearly uneasy about staying here for too long.
Lu Xi'an nodded, picked up the notebook, thought for a moment, then took two gold bricks and asked Yao Wei, "Is it okay to put these in your car for a while?"
Yao Wei frowned and asked, "What for?"
Lu Xi'an replied, "As hidden weapons."
In his past life, he'd never held such large gold bricks, and now he wanted to fiddle with them. Anyway, keeping them in Yao Wei's car wouldn't add much weight or take up much space, so he might as well experience it.
Who knows if one day something special happens, and they could really be used as hidden weapons?
"Suit yourself."
Yao Wei did not refuse Lu Xi'an. After saying this, she walked outside.
So Lu Xi'an pocketed the notebook and two gold bricks and followed her out.
Outside was safe, and the two of them got into the car smoothly and drove away from the village.
On the way, Lu Xi'an asked, "The shelter mentioned in the work diary is probably where the last survivors gathered; it may have supplies. Should we go look for that shelter?"
Yao Wei nodded, "Okay."
Wanting to survive in a world like this, how could they miss any place that might have supplies?
—Of course, there might be people and risks there, but they always had to take a look. If it was dangerous, they could just run away.
Therefore, Lu Xi'an took out the "World Map One," opened the page for Fengcheng County, found Tan Village on it, and directed Yao Wei, "Tan Village is to the east, we have to go back. After bypassing Gaojiazhuang, take the road south from that gas station junction."
There were people in Gaojiazhuang Village, so they definitely couldn't pass through the village.
Yao Wei nodded, turned the car around, bypassed Gaojiazhuang Village from a distance, continued along the overgrown path until they reached the opposite of the previous gas station.
At this point, the fuel gauge was still full, so there was no need to refill the tank. The two planned to refuel after exploring Tan Village, so they didn't stop.
Tan Village was located on the west bank of the reservoir; the road westward outside the village was flanked by hills rising to form a pass.
After crossing the "pass," the village unfolded along the reservoir's shore, separated from the riverbank by a road that was now overgrown and desolate.
Yao Wei drove along that road, the car rocking and swaying, making their stomachs churn. Fortunately, a long time had passed since they replenished food, or else they might have suffered greatly.
Both of them checked by car and confirmed that Tan Village was completely deserted.
This place was too close to the reservoir, and under current conditions, there were too many mosquitoes, indeed unsuitable for people to stay.
Nowadays, people surviving here who want to set up camp need a water source but can't be too close to it. This was the experience Lu Xi'an summarized on his way south, but it seemed applicable to others as well.
After passing Tan Village, the two of them suddenly saw a hillock rising behind the village, with stones gathered and weeds spreading out from the crevices, growing wildly, seemingly integrated with the surroundings. Although it appeared somewhat strange, it also looked naturally formed.
"Is it here?"
Yao Wei stopped the car, stared at the place for a while, and asked.
Both she and Lu Xi'an had read the work diary and were looking for abnormal places, which made them think this place was unusual. Maybe others wouldn't notice.
Lu Xi'an did not respond, directly opened the car door, and deployed the mechanical dog, "Gou, go have a look."
So Gou rolled on its wheels over there. Due to the uneven road, it swayed while moving, and some situations needed the help of joint support on its legs rather than relying entirely on wheels.
Nonetheless, it managed not to look as ridiculous as before.
When Gou reached the hillock, it stopped and conducted a scan. After a while, it turned around, and its eyes lit up.
"This is definitely the place."
Lu Xi'an confirmed.
Yao Wei glanced back, noticing the corridor between two houses at the village's edge was spacious, and the hill behind formed a steep slope. The slope and the back walls of the houses had a distance forming the corridor, so she drove the car in, made a turn, and parked it between the house and the slope.
Getting out of the car and walking onto the road, they both made sure the car was completely out of sight and only then felt at ease.
Approaching the hillock, Lu Xi'an commanded Gou again, "Gou, identify where it's easiest to access."
Gou scanned the rocky hillock and then shone a light on a spot close to the inner side.
Yao Wei brought a shovel from the car, and the two of them started digging from the top, putting a lot of effort to pry out a stone.
Their immense strength allowed them to excavate the stone, something impossible for an average person.
The stones afterward were easier to manage, even without needing shovels.
If it were his former self, acknowledging that no amount of effort could have moved these stones.
"I really wonder why my strength suddenly increased so much? And you too."
Lu Xi'an asked casually while removing the stones.
Yao Wei replied, "We are already Neo-Humans. If we hadn't changed, we'd probably age like the elders by now."
Lu Xi'an paused to recall the people he encountered in Gaojiazhuang Village, as well as the Wolf Gang and Dog Gang members in Mozhou City; indeed, they looked elderly, some even hunched, making him realize he did seem youthful.
Yao Wei was also the first person he had seen who was as young as himself.
Exposure to the elements and suffering would naturally age someone quickly.
Moreover, both Yao Wei and himself seemed not to sweat easily, not having to frequently tend to their bodies while maintaining basic cleanliness, including their mouths and hair.
This prevented body odor, immune to attention from others or creatures due to hygiene issues, minimizing any disease concerns.
This saved them a lot of energy.
Thinking about it, both he and Yao Wei were indeed unusual.
"Neo-Humans?"
He asked.
Yao Wei shook her head and said, "I don't know either, my mom mentioned it."
Lu Xi'an didn't ask further. These questions could only be answered if there were opportunities later on.
This corner was indeed easier to open up. After removing two stone layers, a hole was exposed inside, and the damp, cold musty odor made them step back.
Afterward, the two exchanged glances, seeing both had prepared themselves, and entered one after the other.