Chapter 271 - 147: Gas Station

Chapter 271: Chapter 147: Gas Station

"Jiang City?" It was the first time the three had heard the name. A flicker of hope ignited in their eyes, but it was quickly extinguished by the vast distance and the perils of the journey. "Over six hundred kilometers?" the lanky man gasped. "How long would that take on foot? Think of all the dangers along the way..."

"It’s better than waiting here to die," Xu Mo said, his tone flat. He didn’t press the issue. ’Everyone has the right to choose their own way of surviving. I can’t, and I don’t want to, make that decision for them.’

He paid no more mind to the three of them, lost in their conflicted discussion, and turned to operate the manual fuel pump. Fortunately, the station’s underground storage tank still had gas, and it looked like there was plenty of it.

Xu Mo deftly connected the pump hose and began pumping, the handle making a rhythmic CHUNK... CHUNK... sound.

The gurgle of clear gasoline flowing into the tank sounded exceptionally loud in the quiet of the gas station.

Nearby, the short, stocky man watched Xu Mo pumping gas. He glanced at the other pumps, wondering if they might still hold some residual fuel. A glint in his eye revealed he was tempted.

He hesitated, then took a few steps forward, keeping a safe distance. Rubbing his hands together, he spoke, a little sheepishly, "Uh, sir... can we get some of that gas? Back at our shelter, we have a few beat-up cars we found. They can barely run, but the main problem is they’re out of gas. If we could fuel them up, we wouldn’t have to rely on our own two feet to get out of here. What do you think...?"

Xu Mo didn’t even look up, continuing his work. "The gas isn’t mine," he said flatly. "It belongs to the station. Help yourselves if you want some. But be quick. We don’t know when those zombies will be back."

"Oh! Right! Right! Thank you, sir! Thank you!" The short, stocky man was overjoyed, thanking him profusely. He immediately spun around, said a few quick words to the lanky man and the woman, then jogged off toward the west end of town—the direction they’d come from—with his large backpack on. He was obviously going to tell his companions and find some containers.

The lanky man and the woman were left behind. They wanted to go back to relay the message or to help, but they also seemed afraid to move on their own. More than that, they were reluctant to leave Xu Mo, their temporary source of security. For a moment, they just stood there, unsure of what to do.

Xu Mo ignored them, concentrating on the task at hand. The needle on the fuel gauge climbed slowly and steadily upward.

A short while later, Xu Mo finished filling the tank. He glanced at the two helpless-looking survivors, thought for a moment, and pulled a small notebook and a pen from his pocket. Using the hood of his SUV as a surface, he quickly sketched a crude map, marking the main roads and landmarks heading roughly northwest from Mori Town. At the destination, he wrote the two words: "Jiang City."

After that, Xu Mo added a few notes about Jiang City: high walls, a sense of order, the need to work in exchange for food and Contribution Points, and a ban on personal feuds, among other basic details.

He tore the page from the notebook and handed it to the lanky man. "Here. If you decide to go, this should give you a general direction. Remember to avoid the ruins of large cities as much as possible. Stick to the wilderness and stay vigilant."

The lanky man took it as if it were a priceless treasure. His hands trembled as he accepted the flimsy piece of paper, which felt as if it weighed a ton. He and the woman huddled together, greedily devouring every word on the page.

"You... you’re from Jiang City?" the woman asked, looking up at him in awe. "Are you on a mission for them?"

Xu Mo nodded, not bothering to explain the specifics of his mission. "I am."

That simple confirmation only deepened the awe in their eyes. To them, someone who could come from such a "powerful" shelter and undertake a solo mission through such a dangerous region was nothing short of a legendary hero.

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps and gasping breaths approached from a distance. The short, stocky man had returned, and he wasn’t alone. Two other men followed him, both dressed in bulky clothing with tense expressions. They were all carrying an assortment of dirty, mismatched plastic jugs and canteens—obviously whatever containers they could hastily gather.

"Hurry! Hurry! While we have the chance!" the short, stocky man panted, pointing at the pumps without bothering to explain.

The two newcomers saw Xu Mo, their eyes filled with surprise and a trace of fear. They gave him a hurried nod by way of greeting, then scrambled over to another pump that looked to be in working order. They fumbled with the manual handle as the short, stocky man joined in to help.

For a moment, the gas station was filled with the CHUNK... CHUNK... CHUNK of several pumps working at once.

Xu Mo had already finished filling his tank. He now stood beside his vehicle, watching the group bustle about while keeping a wary eye on the surroundings.

A few minutes later, all the containers the men had brought were full of gasoline, giving off a pungent odor. Looks of joy spread across their faces.

"This is great! At least now we can get the cars started," the short, stocky man said excitedly to his companions. "Come on, let’s get this gas back. Once the cars are running, we can drive them here to fill ’em up properly."

"Yeah, yeah! Let’s hurry!" the other two agreed, nodding repeatedly.

The three men lifted the heavy containers, gave Xu Mo a grateful nod, and then turned and hurried off toward the west end of town. Their figures soon vanished around the corner of a ruined building.

The gas station fell temporarily silent once more, leaving only the lanky man and the woman with Xu Mo, who had finished fueling up and was now performing a final check on his vehicle.

The minutes ticked by. The roaring of the distant horde seemed neither to fade nor draw closer, which put Xu Mo slightly at ease. ’For them to make a round trip and fuel up the cars,’ he estimated, ’will take at least twenty or thirty minutes.’