Rotting Land: Survive

"How’s it going, Hu?" Li Zhong glanced at Hu Xiaodong, who was currently bowing his head, operating his phone to communicate with the other three vehicles.

"Almost there, I’ve explained the situation, now just waiting... Oh, it’s done, just got the message, all three cars are ready. We can take action now!" After confirming the messages from Old Xu, Old Lin, and Old Zhao, Hu Xiaodong handed the phone to Li Zhong.

Li Zhong clicked on his brother Li Guo’s personal avatar to send him a separate message: "Li Guo, everything’s ready, we can proceed."

Inside the carriage, Li Guo had been waiting for instructions from the front. Seeing Li Zhong’s message, Li Guo opened the laptop in front of him and swiftly clicked on an EXE executable file icon.

The central screen went black on cue, and Li Guo quickly found the infrared night vision button, habitually clicking it, turning the display green.

Through the device’s receiving module, Li Guo could clearly hear the commotion outside the car, the low growl of the mutated wolves, and the chilling scraping sound that made him shiver.

He took a deep breath, then exhaled heavily, repeating the process several times as he tried to steady himself.

He knew very well what the task he needed to undertake implied and he only had one chance, so he could only succeed, not fail.

After calming down, Li Guo tried to clear the noisy sounds from his mind, then picked up a steering wheel.

If you’ve ever played console games, this thing would be familiar; it’s a professional-grade racing simulator.

Mounting the steering wheel on the wooden table inside the car, Li Guo proceeded to position the pedal and gearstick.

Once everything was set up, he sat down and simulated a test to ensure all positions were coordinated.

Then, Li Guo found the release button on the software, hearing a "ka-ta" sound through the microphone, as if something dropped from the bottom of the car.

Successful release, watching the flashing images on the screen, Li Guo knew his invention was a success. The remote-controlled race car successfully detached from its car-bottom lock and safely landed.

It must be said that Liu Yunpeng truly had a solid foundation; when Li Guo wanted to modify the remote-controlled race car, he felt confident in the car’s sturdy build.

This car not only runs on fuel but is also equipped with racing-grade shock absorbers throughout—simply put, aside from its size being a toy, all other metrics rival an F1 car.

And because the car was so well-built and fully equipped, Li Guo’s modification went incredibly smoothly; he hardly needed to make any adjustments to the car body itself, only adding a 360-degree all-directional night vision camera and some minor accessories.

Of course, the initial reason for Li Guo’s modification was not to deal with the current situation but simply to utilize the car’s unmanned and remote-controlled features for reconnaissance missions in special situations.

This was akin to the Bluetooth project led by Li Zhong with an unexpected similarity.

But given the current circumstances, he was forced to execute a rescue mission with his race car.

As for whether it would succeed, honestly speaking, even Li Guo himself wasn’t too confident.

After all, from its completion up to now, the car had never undergone actual operation, and whether the added equipment would function normally—only God knows.

The car’s drop also seemed to catch the attention of the wolves outside the car, as Li Guo could clearly see a flash of red light through the screen.

Suppressing his inner fear, Li Guo crossed his hands, a habitual gesture he did before starting work.

Firstly, to relieve pressure and focus his mind.

Secondly, to exercise his fingers, aiding his subsequent tasks.

With the habitual action complete, Li Guo sat upright, hands on the steering wheel and feet on the simulation pedals.

And truth be told, Liu Yunpeng’s set of gaming equipment was indeed professional; at least, aside from the video quality not being up to par, Li Guo truly felt as if he was seated in a real cockpit.

Like in a luxury car, Li Guo pressed the start button, immediately hearing the engine’s hum in his headset.

"What’s going on?" Hu Xiaodong also heard the noises from under the car, instinctively checking his console.

Confirming that no keys were accidentally pressed, he asked somewhat inexplicably.

"Don’t worry, Hu, it’s what Li Guo’s doing." Knowing the situation, Li Zhong appeared quite calm, but the tightly knit brows on his forehead inadvertently revealed his tension.

Indeed, he was nervous; he couldn’t help but be nervous.

Because it was Li Guo, his brother, who proposed the idea of luring the wolf pack, and Li Zhong was well aware of his brother’s project’s status.

Though the race car had long been modified, it had never undergone actual testing.

If a signal short circuit or software conflict occurred during operation, it would be big trouble. After all, it concerned the entire team’s lives.

Listening to the commotion in the headset, Li Guo’s anxious heart eased slightly.

Since the engine could start, it meant that the release drop from under the car was problem-free.

Heh, the car’s shock absorption system didn’t disappoint me!

While silently marveling, Li Guo released the handbrake, lightly tapped the accelerator, and then forcefully shifted the gears, pounding down with energy.

"Vroom!" The powerful onboard engine instantly spun into action, as the race car darted like an arrow off the string, speeding away.

Li Guo only saw several streaks of red light pass before him as the race car he controlled dashed through the wolf pack, heading toward the main road.

Time to give these beasts a little thrill!

A playful smile appeared at the corner of Li Guo’s lips; at this moment, he completely forgot about the wolf pack’s threat, feeling as though he was immersed in the world of GTA.

As an engineering PhD, he also liked playing games from time to time.

Only compared to some combat games, he preferred racing games for their sense of speed.

Because during those games, he could feel the rush and thrill of speed.

Reaching out, he pressed the "M" key on the keyboard, which was an additional module that Li Guo specially installed for the race car.

Originally just for showing off, today’s situation unexpectedly rendered it useful.

Come on! come some music!

Fingers heavily pressing the "M" key, as the fingertip landed, the wind noise in the headset instantly transformed into a rousing plaza dance tune.

The vast horizon is my love;

Under the rolling green mountains, flowers are blooming;

What kind of rhythm is the most swaying;

What kind of singing is the most joyful;

...

The sudden rise of the song pierced the silence of the late night, making the desolate toll station suddenly lively.

Only this spirited music, for the survivors at the moment, did not bring any sense of joy, as Old Xu’s heart nearly jumped to his throat.

What on earth is happening! Who turned on the speaker?

Undoubtedly, playing music at this critical juncture was no different from courting disaster.

Like Old Xu, Old Lin and others shared the same question.

"Xiao Wen, quickly find out what’s going on, where’s this music coming from?" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation votes and monthly votes at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)