Reborn One Week Before the Apocalypse

Chapter 384: Chapter 374: Meeting an Old Friend Again

Their search had been fruitless, and by the time George Lin and his party reached the food factory, they found they had walked into a den of wolves and tigers, with no way to escape.

Meanwhile, ever since Qiao Xin’s change in perspective, she was no longer as gloomy and cold as she used to be. It was as if she had broken free from some internal restraint and had become much more talkative.

Perhaps because she felt she had gone through thick and thin with Qiao Jin, her attitude toward her had grown much warmer. As for Tang Mo, she hadn’t packed much food to begin with, wanting to save space in her bag. She never imagined their luck would be so bad that they wouldn’t find a single scrap of food along the way.

But even though the food in her backpack was nearly gone, Tang Mo wasn’t worried in the slightest. Thanks to Aunt Hua and Qiao Xin’s charity along the way, she was living a rather happy and comfortable life.

If not for her mission in this world, Tang Mo would have thought she was here on a holiday trip.

Tang Mo wasn’t sure when it started, but Aunt Hua and Qiao Xin had been getting along splendidly. They’d practically bypassed Tang Mo and become the best of friends. Perhaps it was because they both had children and were currently single mothers that they had found so much common ground.

Although Yiyi was much older than Da Bao, in terms of intellectual development and the amount of care required, she might not even be on par with him. As a result, the two mothers had endless things to discuss whenever the topic of their children came up.

Regardless, Tang Mo was in complete awe of Aunt Hua. In every respect, the woman was truly remarkable.

Once, during a break, Zhao Huan saw the two women deep in enthusiastic conversation and couldn’t resist chiming in.

"In this apocalypse, children are what keep parents going. It’s no wonder that big shot is willing to spend his entire fortune to find his son."

"Whose child is it? What’s his name and what does he look like? Give us the details. We’ll keep an eye out along the way so we don’t miss him." Almost everyone in the team knew that for the Zhao brothers, being leaders was just a side job. Their real mission was to find the child of some big shot.

"His name is Yang Jiabao. His father used to be with the Southwest War Zone, and now he’s a top-tier leader, one of the most powerful around. Whether it’s supplies or manpower, he’s number one." Zhao Huan gave everyone a thumbs-up to show his admiration.

Having subordinates in peacetime is one thing, but being able to support them during these chaotic times? That spoke volumes about how incredibly powerful and well-off he must be.

The moment the name Yang Jiabao was mentioned, Aunt Hua’s expression changed. The usual warmth on her face disappeared completely, and not even a trace of a smile could be seen. She looked terrible.

"Are you alright?" Zhao Huan asked, noticing her smile freeze. The three of them looked at her, puzzled. "I’m fine. My stomach was just a bit upset, but it’s much better now." Soon, Aunt Hua’s face was wreathed in smiles again, as if her brief loss of composure had never happened. She had chosen the most appropriate excuse for the apocalypse: a stomachache.

Zhao Huan, Qiao Xin, and Tang Mo were all perceptive enough to know that Aunt Hua didn’t want to elaborate on her personal affairs, so they quickly changed the subject.

They were all just survivors on the run. Even though they had formed a temporary team, most of them didn’t even know each other’s real names. After all, who could have survived this long without a few secrets?

Tang Mo’s group traveled for several days, drawing ever closer to the food factory. However, the nearer they got, the more uneasy she felt.

’It’s probably because we’re seeing fewer and fewer groups of people the closer we get to the food factory. Logically, a place like that should be a huge draw. It shouldn’t be this deserted nearby.’

Her unease didn’t last long, however. On the final day of their journey, with the food factory practically in sight, Tang Mo ran into someone. It was none other than Qi Jiaming, the young man who had escaped from the deep mountains with them.

"Qiao Jin!" Qi Jiaming had been out scavenging for food alone and hadn’t expected to encounter a group. He was just about to go over and warn them away from the food factory when he spotted Qiao Jin in their midst.

"Qi Jiaming?" Tang Mo was surprised to see him. ’Didn’t he go home? Did he run out of food and have to venture out to find more? But how did he travel so fast and get to the food factory before us?’

"It’s a long story," Qi Jiaming said, grabbing Tang Mo’s arm tightly. The seriousness on his face was undeniable. "That food factory has become a devil’s den. You must not go there."

He had lost a lot of weight since she had last seen him, and much of his scholarly air was gone. ’Looks like the kid has had it rough these past few days,’ Tang Mo thought.

"Zhao Huan, let’s stop for a moment," Tang Mo said, immediately seeking out the team leader. "Let’s have the group find a place to rest. This is my friend, Qi Jiaming. He just came from the food factory."

Zhao Huan glanced at Qi Jiaming, then back at Tang Mo, and immediately led the group into a nearby building to rest.

Team leaders aren’t fools, after all.

He took one look at Qi Jiaming’s state and knew there was trouble.

They were already so close to the food factory, so they weren’t in a hurry. The most urgent thing now was to understand the situation inside. A place with abundant supplies was a great prize, but in this apocalypse, the greater the prize, the greater the conflict.

Although their group was large, it included the old and the young, meaning their overall combat effectiveness was likely lower than that of a team of a dozen strong adults. Out of responsibility for everyone’s safety, caution was paramount.

After finding an empty room, Tang Mo pulled Qi Jiaming in to ask, "What on earth is going on over there?" Zhao Huan, Qiao Xin, and Aunt Hua were there as well.

As for the children, the brothers Zhao Tian and Zhao Yu were posted at the door to watch over them.

The two brothers might not have been the brightest, but you could always count on them to perfectly carry out any task they were given.

"Qiao Jin, your parents are at the food factory too!" Qi Jiaming’s first sentence dropped like a bomb.

"My parents? They’re alive? They’re okay?" Even though Qi Jiaming had just described the food factory as an incredibly dangerous place, for Tang Mo, no news could have been more welcome than learning that Mr. and Mrs. Qiao were still alive.

’Qiao Jin’s parents are alive! As long as they’re alive, I can do something!’

"They’re okay for now, but your mother is in bad shape. She won’t last more than a few days. You have to go get them out of there, quickly!"

Qi Jiaming was the only one present who knew the extent of Qiao Jin’s abilities. The food factory was dangerous, but he believed that with her power, there might still be a way.

If they didn’t get Mrs. Qiao out of there soon, it would really be too late for everything.