Chapter 57: Setting Off, Going Home
With the RV keys, the power problem was solved too!
Since they could generate electricity directly from the RV, the Diesel had no major use other than as fuel.
So Lin Fan had Chu Zhaotian continue to stand watch. Meanwhile, he and the other two emptied several boxes of glass cleaner that were sitting outside the gas station, then filled each bottle one by one with diesel from the stainless steel barrels.
Five boxes, sixty bottles of glass cleaner, came out to exactly 120 liters.
Then they refilled the three empty barrels with gasoline.
Eight barrels of gasoline totaled 320 liters. That should be more than enough to refuel the vehicles.
After all that work, they finally had oil, electricity, and fuel. Aside from a minor injury along the way, the objective of their trip was perfectly accomplished!
"Can you drive?" Lin Fan asked Chu Zhaozhao, who was busy organizing food supplies.
"I have a license, but I’m not a very good driver... My brother is! He, Xu Qian, and Li Tian took turns driving this RV!"
Chu Zhaozhao hesitated for a moment before unceremoniously selling out her brother.
But Chu Zhaotian was standing watch in the distance, so Lin Fan drove the other RV over himself and filled its tank.
This RV indeed came equipped with a 10 kWh power supply, and its interior was far superior to the one Chu Zhaozhao’s group had rented.
Not only was it fully stocked with living essentials, but it also had plenty of outdoor camping gear and even a self-sustaining vaporizing diesel stove!
That thing would be incredibly useful for both cooking and heating.
After inspecting their loot, Lin Fan said to Chu Zhaozhao,
"Alright, in a bit, have your brother drive this RV to my apartment building. I’m going to drive the van, since I still have a lot of stuff in it... After that, are you guys heading back to the university?"
"Huh?"
Chu Zhaozhao was stunned by Lin Fan’s question. ’What happened to us latching onto him? Why are we going back to the university?’
But on second thought, she realized that latching onto him was just their own wishful thinking; they had never actually discussed it with Lin Fan directly. So, she sidled up to him fawningly.
"Boss, you’re heading to the quarantine zone too, right...?"
"Ah..."
Lin Fan watched her filthy little face get closer and instinctively recoiled.
"Well... Boss, since you’re also going to the quarantine zone, maybe we could travel together...?"
Chu Zhaozhao said, blinking her big eyes.
"I’m not necessarily in a hurry to leave in the next couple of days..."
Lin Fan knew exactly what she was getting at. ’It’s just latching onto a strong person—a mutually beneficial arrangement.’
Besides, even when they got to the quarantine zone, he couldn’t expect to handle everything with just him and Su Qing. Having three obedient laborers would be a good thing.
After spending the day together, he found that even though the three of them were a bit dull, foolish, and sluggish, their key strengths were that they were obedient and malleable. That was far better than a bunch of old schemers with their own hidden agendas.
Moreover, Chu Zhaozhao’s health bar was green, just like Su Qing’s. Although he didn’t understand the specific mechanics behind it, Lin Fan instinctively believed that if they ran into a situation like with those thugs downstairs the other day, he couldn’t speak for others, but Chu Zhaozhao would definitely have his back!
"Not a problem, not a problem! We’re not in a hurry either..."
Chu Zhaozhao shook her head like a bugged-out NPC. The moment she heard Lin Fan starting to relent, she eagerly agreed.
"Can you speak for them...?"
Lin Fan raised an eyebrow, glancing toward the other two.
"My brother listens to me!"
Chu Zhaozhao said quickly. But then, as if remembering something, she yelled to Xu Qian, who wasn’t far off,
"Xu Qian! Are you in a hurry to get back to the university?"
Xu Qian was leaning against the RV, pondering his future.
Although Chu Zhaozhao had said during breakfast that the three of them had to stick with Lin Fan no matter what, he and Chu Zhaotian had had their doubts. But the battle with those three zombies just now had proven her right. This Lin Fan was terrifyingly powerful!
Hearing Chu Zhaozhao’s sudden question, he turned his head and replied instinctively,
"Isn’t that the quarantine zone? Of course I’m in a hurry..."
The moment he turned, he saw Chu Zhaozhao’s menacing, teeth-clenched glare. Then he glanced at Lin Fan beside her and realized she must be asking on Lin Fan’s behalf. He hastily corrected himself,
"Not in a hurry... What’s the rush... Not in a hurry at all..."
He even managed to force a polite, yet hideous, smile in their direction.
"Boss, he’s not in a hurry either..."
Having gotten the answer she wanted, Chu Zhaozhao immediately turned back to Lin Fan.
"...Alright, then."
"But let’s get this straight first. I’ll find you a place to stay, but you’re on your own for food and water. Don’t count on me for that..."
"Go get your brother. The supplies in the gas station are enough to last you a few days. The water is out everywhere, so load all the food, water, drinks, and candy onto the RVs. Pack them as full as you can. Go on, hurry. We’re leaving soon..."
"Yes, Boss!"
Chu Zhaozhao agreed, full of energy, and trotted off toward Chu Zhaotian, who was patrolling in the distance.
All three vehicles were refueled. While the trio was busy moving supplies, Lin Fan went to the back warehouse, twisted a knob to shut off the generator, and the world fell silent once more.
Thanks to Lin Fan’s very successful luring of the horde earlier, only those three zombies left in the middle of the road had been drawn over during this time...
’It’s a shame about zombies. You either get just a few nearby, or you get a massive horde all at once. If they could just come in a few dozen waves of three or four at a time, my health would be shooting right up...’
After all, zombies were the one thing they weren’t short on right now.
’I only lured away the zombies on the street south of the residential complex. The ones to the north are still penned in by the fence. There should still be quite a few left. If I want to farm health, there will always be a way.’
He did another sweep of the warehouse to make sure he hadn’t missed any useful supplies. Then, Lin Fan found a large board inside, dragged it to the doorway, and used it to block most of the entrance.
’This way, if it rains again, water won’t splash in and ruin the generator.’
Just as he finished, his energy dropped to 0, and the activated crystal deactivated.
By this point, Lin Fan’s health had recovered to [350/385]. The scab on his stomach hadn’t fallen off yet, but it no longer hurt at all.
He returned to the main hall and joined the trio in packing up. While they focused mainly on food and water, Lin Fan concentrated on items like lighters, cigarettes, and high-proof alcohol.
It was clear the world’s order had collapsed and currency was worthless. In the future, heading to the quarantine zone, these non-renewable resources would be the new "money."
「A short while later.」
"One last check. We’ve got the high-calorie, high-sugar, and high-protein foods..."
Xu Qian and Chu Zhaotian each closed the doors on their respective, fully-packed RVs and got into the driver’s seats.
"All packed, Boss!"
"If you’re done packing, then get in the vehicle, shouldn’t you?"
Lin Fan gave a baffled look to Chu Zhaozhao, who was standing beside him and gazing into the distance. ’Why isn’t she getting in her brother’s RV? What is she doing here?’
"Huh? I... I’ll ride with you, Boss!"
"Then you want to drive?"
He had wanted to take it easy and experience what it was like to have a chauffeur, but the sudden thought of his van being packed with flammable and explosive materials sent a chill down his spine...
"Forget it. I’d better drive myself..."
He turned and got into the driver’s seat of the van, casting a helpless glance at Chu Zhaozhao, who had moved even faster than him and was already settled in the passenger seat. He reached his arm out the window and tapped the side of the door.
"Let’s go. We’re moving out!"