The city felt heavier today.
After a night of silence inside the reinforced RV, the morning brought with it a subtle pressure—like the ruins themselves were holding their breath. Smoke curled faintly in the distance, and ash drifted lazily across the fractured road.
Inside the Phoenix Rig, Lu Zhen worked quietly, his fingers moving across the HUD. The RV's defenses were stable, but there was a new problem creeping in: they were running out of supplies again.
"We're down to our last bottles," Lin Xia reported, crouching near the storage compartment. "Drinking water might last two more days if we're careful."
Yue Fei leaned against the interior wall, arms folded. "And food?"
"Maybe the same," Lin replied. "But that's pushing it."
Lu Zhen exhaled, then tapped his crafting interface. "Then today, we do three things. One: we reinforce this RV's interior properly. Two: we secure food and clean water. Three: we make this vehicle more than just a shell. We make it a home."
He brought up the layout for the Phoenix Rig's interior modules.
Driver Compartment – already functional, with two seats and navigational HUD.
Living Compartment (center) – would be fitted with a fold-out table, bench storage, and water tank cabinet.
Sleeping Compartment (rear) – to be upgraded with folding bunk frames, secure ammo storage, and now… a real mattress.
"I'm going to add a compact bathroom module too," Lu added. "Basic shower. Waste disposal system. We can't keep washing with wipes forever."
"About time," Yue said, cracking a faint grin.
They parked the RV near a half-collapsed parking garage, just across from a mostly intact mall. A large faded banner flapped in the breeze above its broken glass doors: "EDEN CENTER – Your Comfort, Our Mission."
Lu looked at the structure, then nodded. "We go in. Search for food, clothes, medical supplies... and anything that'll make this place feel livable."
Inside the mall, the air was thick with dust and dried mold. Broken mannequins stared from shattered windows. A few emergency lights flickered dimly, still feeding off some backup circuit somewhere deep inside.
Yue led, Lu followed with his shotgun lowered.
First floor: a convenience store, mostly looted. But they still found sealed protein bars, canned fruit, and electrolyte drinks wedged behind a broken shelf.
In a closed sporting goods store, Lin joined them after setting up a perimeter alarm. They grabbed weatherproof jackets, dry-fit clothing, and thermal underlayers. Lu also found padded gloves and some spare tactical boots.
Second floor: a furniture outlet, surprisingly intact. Bedsheets, compact pillows, and a folding foam mattress were loaded into their packs.
"This'll finish the sleeping compartment," Lu said with a nod.
In the kitchenware store nearby, they discovered a water jug dispenser still sealed, and a half-functional solar kettle.
"We take it all," Yue said. "It won't get easier than this."
As they made their way up toward the third floor, Yue suddenly raised a hand.
Movement.
Lu readied his weapon. But instead of infected… a voice echoed from a dark hallway.
"Don't come closer!"
The voice was soft. High-pitched. It trembled.
"I swear, I'll hurt you if you're one of them!"
They turned toward a shuttered gift shop, where something had moved behind the counter.
Lu lowered his weapon. "We're not infected. We're not here to hurt you."
No answer. Then, a small figure emerged slowly.
She looked young—almost like a middle schooler. Barely over five feet, with wide eyes and short twin braids. Her clothes were dusty and torn, but she held a small knife defensively in shaking hands.
Her voice cracked again. "Are you... really human?"
Lu nodded calmly. "Yes. My name is Lu Zhen. This is Yue and Lin. We have a shelter."
"You could be lying," she snapped. "What if you're one of those things pretending?"
Yue frowned. "Do they even do that?"
"Some scream like people. Some beg like children," the girl whispered. "I've seen it."
Lu slowly reached into his pack, pulled out a sealed bottle of water, and rolled it across the floor to her.
"No tricks," he said. "If we were monsters, you'd already be dead."
The girl stared at the bottle. Then at them. Finally, she lowered the knife, cautiously picking up the water and gulping it down.
"…Thank you," she said, voice quieter now.
"What's your name?" Lin asked gently.
"…Lingling."
"You're… how old?" Yue asked, a bit confused by her petite size.
Lingling wiped her mouth, straightening her back. "Twenty-three."
Yue blinked. "You look like you're fourteen."
"I get that a lot," Lingling muttered. "Doesn't matter. I've been hiding here since the fifth day. Everyone else either left or… turned."
Lu took a step forward. "You're safe now. We have a vehicle. Food. Water. We're heading east."
Lingling hesitated. "You're serious? You'll take me with you?"
"If you can pull your weight," Yue said. "We don't take freeloaders."
Lingling nodded quickly. "I can cook. I know how to make fuel from alcohol. And I remember where the storage rooms are."
Lu smiled faintly. "Then welcome to the team."
By the time they returned to the RV, the sun was sinking. Lin helped Lingling settle in, showing her how to use the bench seat restraints and letting her borrow a change of clothes.
Lu stepped into the rear compartment, now fully modified.
He laid out the mattress on the fold-down bedframe, attached the portable water pump to the new filter module, and checked the drainage pipes under the floor grates.
[Blueprint – Interior Utility Module v0.2]Status: InstalledIncludes: Shower Drain, Filter Pump, Collapsible Curtain Wall
+12 Crafting EXP+8 Decomposition EXP (furniture frame, piping, foam insulation)
In the corner, Lu pulled out the drone shell he'd salvaged earlier.
[Component Match: 71%]– Optical Stabilizer– Power Coil– Alloy FrameBlueprint: TACTICAL SUPPORT HELM v0.1→ Status: Buildable→ Missing Chip: Signal Filter Core→ Warning: Manual Neural Sync Required
He sighed. Still incomplete, but closer now.
As the night fell, the Phoenix Rig felt warmer—if not in temperature, then in presence. The walls were still steel, but now they had a mattress. A meal in their stomachs. Spare clothes on their backs. And a new ally who, despite her looks, had survived just like them.
That night, Lingling sat near the front, legs curled up on the bench, gazing out the window.
Lu walked up beside her.
"You okay?"
"…Yeah," she whispered. "Just still feels like a dream. Being with people again."
He gave her a bottle of canned tea. She smiled faintly. "Thanks."
Yue took the first night watch again, and Lingling offered to take second.
Lu went to lie down, his body aching, but his mind already thinking of tomorrow.
There were only 59 kilometers left to Base Tianlei.
And they were no longer just running.
They were preparing.