Chapter 48 - 43: First Encounter

Chapter 48: Chapter 43: First Encounter

The most striking things about him were the AK-47 assault rifle in his hands, gleaming with a cold glint, and the Mountain-Cutting Saber on his back that was clearly no mere decoration. He just stood there quietly, completely still, yet naturally exuded an aura of competence and vigilance—like a crouching leopard, its calm exterior hiding immense explosive power.

"A gun!!!"

The appearance of the AK-47 in Xu Mo’s hands sent a tremor of shock through Zhao Ming and the other two.

In this apocalypse of collapsed order and scarce resources, possessing such a well-maintained automatic rifle was in itself a symbol of immense power and deterrence. The man not only possessed such a weapon, but the way he held it was extremely professional and skilled. He was clearly no novice.

The sunlight shone on Xu Mo, casting a long shadow at his feet. He stood there, a strange contrast to the dilapidated and deathly silent surroundings, as if he were the true master of these ruins.

Big Bull subconsciously tightened his grip on the iron rod in his hand, his muscles tensing. Sun Xiaoyun brought her hatchet up in front of her, her gaze as sharp as a blade. Zhao Ming, meanwhile, quickly scanned the area behind and to the sides of the man, checking for an ambush.

In that instant, the air seemed to freeze.

After a brief, dead silence, Zhao Ming was the first to react, because he saw that the man’s gun was pointed downward. He took a deep breath, slowly raised his empty right hand to show he meant no harm, and took two steps forward, trying his best to make his voice sound calm:

"Friend, we don’t mean any harm. We’re just passing through, resting our feet for a bit and looking for anything useful." He chose his words carefully, his eyes fixed on Xu Mo’s expression and the hand holding the gun. "We’re survivors on our way to the Jiang City Shelter."

Xu Mo’s calm gaze swept over the three of them, taking in their reactions. Tense and wary, but they didn’t seem to show any immediate, strong aggression. He gave a slight nod in response, but his grip on the rifle didn’t change. When he spoke, his voice was steady, betraying no emotion:

"I can see that." His voice wasn’t loud, but it had a strange, penetrating quality that carried clearly to them across the silent street. "This town has been looted many times over. There’s nothing left."

His gaze fell on Zhao Ming, the one with the glasses who seemed like the person to talk to. "How many of you are there?"

Zhao Ming hesitated for a moment before answering truthfully. "Thirteen. They’re all over in the center of town." Announcing their numbers was also a subtle threat, a warning for the man not to try anything rash.

Xu Mo’s expression remained unchanged; he didn’t seem surprised by the number. He continued to ask, "Which direction did you come from? What are the conditions on the road?"

He needed information: about the outside world, about the road conditions to the Jiang City Shelter, about other groups of survivors. This encounter, while risky, was also a valuable opportunity to gather intelligence.

Big Bull, standing to the side, couldn’t hold back and interjected, "Hey, who are you? Why are you in this town all by yourself?" He sized up Xu Mo’s clean clothes and excellent gear, a hint of scrutiny and an almost imperceptible trace of envy in his eyes.

Xu Mo’s gaze shifted to Big Bull, still calm. "I’ve always been here." He didn’t elaborate, instead throwing the question back at them. "Do you know anyone at the Jiang City Shelter? Or do you know what the specific situation is there now?"

Xu Mo didn’t admit to being a lone survivor, nor did he reveal anything about himself. In this kind of first encounter, maintaining an air of mystery and a certain information advantage was an important means of self-preservation.

The four of them stood facing each other on the street. Their back-and-forth was a typical first encounter between survivors in the apocalypse, full of probing questions and wariness. The sun still shone, the snow lay thick and white, but an intangible tension filled the air.

Xu Mo knew this encounter was just the beginning.

He watched the three of them calmly, his mind racing as he analyzed the limited information revealed in their words. From their brief exchange, he gathered that this small team had originally survived by relying on a small, self-established shelter.

But the winter was long, and their supplies gradually ran out, forcing them onto the road. Their destination was the very same Jiang City Shelter mentioned in Liu Ning’s diary.

"Along the way, we’ve run into a few other groups heading to Jiang City like us," Zhao Ming said, pushing up his glasses with a hint of resignation in his voice. "But most of them chose to bypass Cyan Pine Ridge Town. After all, the map clearly marks that this place was picked clean repeatedly in the early days of the cataclysm. It was designated a ’Valueless Area’ a long time ago."

’A map?’ The word stirred something in Xu Mo; it was something he desperately needed. Until now, all of his activities had been confined to this small town. He knew nothing of the outside world’s geography, its routes, or any other potential outposts. For him, a relatively accurate map marking towns, roads, and possible shelters or danger zones was immensely valuable.

Though his mind was reeling, Xu Mo’s face remained impassive, as if the man had just stated a fact that had nothing to do with him. He gave a slight nod, his gaze sweeping over the three tired and wary faces before him, and said in a flat tone:

"I see. This town really is empty." He paused, then pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the building behind him and a few connected structures nearby. "However, this area is my territory. I don’t want to be disturbed."

Xu Mo’s words were clear, carrying the weight of someone drawing a line in the sand. It was both a declaration and a test. He was watching their reactions, to see if they would choose conflict or abide by the unwritten territorial rules of this apocalypse.

As expected, Big Bull’s brow furrowed at Xu Mo’s words, and he looked unconvinced, but a look from Zhao Ming stopped him. Sun Xiaoyun, who had been silent and sharp-eyed until now, took half a step forward and spoke. Her voice wasn’t soft like a typical woman’s; instead, it carried a certain crispness and calm:

"Friend, since this is your turf, we naturally won’t trespass. But..." Her tone shifted, her gaze falling on Xu Mo’s clean, well-kept gear and his complexion, which clearly wasn’t that of a starving man. "Meeting in the apocalypse is its own kind of fate. I was wondering if we could make a trade?" It was something most survivors did upon meeting—a mutually beneficial practice.

Her gaze held both scrutiny and a flicker of hard-to-detect hope. ’His condition is too good—too good for someone struggling to survive in a "Valueless Area." He must have a stable source of supplies, or he’s mastered some survival skill we don’t know about. Trading is the most direct, and relatively safest, way to get resources.’

Xu Mo thought to himself, ’The fish has taken the bait.’ Outwardly, however, he let a hint of hesitation show on his face at just the right moment. His brow furrowed slightly and his gaze swept over the three of them, as if he were weighing the pros and cons and assessing the risks. He deliberately made his hesitation obvious enough for them to clearly pick up on it.

Seeing this, Zhao Ming immediately seized the opportunity, his tone growing more earnest. "My friend, we really don’t mean any harm. We just want to trade for some emergency supplies. Food or medicine would be fine. Since you’re here in town, there must be a lot you don’t know about the outside world. We came all the way from the north, so we know a thing or two about the conditions along the route, the movements of other survivor groups, and even some recent rumors about the Jiang City Shelter. That information might be useful to you."

Xu Mo remained silent, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the handguard of his rifle, creating an atmosphere of intense deliberation. After a few seconds, as if he had made up his mind, he looked up. His sharp gaze fixed on Zhao Ming, who seemed to be the one in charge.

"Information is fine, but I need to confirm its value." His voice was still steady. "I’m very interested in that map you mentioned. Also, I need to know the safest—or rather, the most passable—route to the Jiang City Shelter, along with any potential dangers and resource points along the way. And, the current specific situation at the Jiang City Shelter—entry requirements, internal conditions—the more detailed, the better."

He laid out his demands clearly, locking the trade commodity down to "information." This not only suited his current needs but also avoided revealing the possibility that he possessed a large amount of supplies.

Zhao Ming and Sun Xiaoyun exchanged a look, and both saw a glimmer of hope in the other’s eyes. Information was the only "commodity" they could currently offer that didn’t require a tangible cost. Their group of survivors was simply too poor; they had nothing else of value to trade.