Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 118 Choice

Looking at Xie Yingtang's back, which was slightly hunched and almost bent into a bow under the weight of the heavy sacks and backpacks, and the beads of sweat that kept seeping from his forehead and sliding down his skin, Wang Xiao felt as if his heart was being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, feeling both sore and bitter.

He hurriedly stepped forward, his voice filled with undisguised anxiety, "Old Xie! No! This is too tiring! How can you carry so much by yourself! This mountain path is dark and steep, and there are still more than two hours left! How about... how about we just leave my half-bag of oranges behind! We can't carry that many anyway! Taking care of yourself is the most important thing!"

Upon hearing this, Xie Yingtang paused slightly. He turned his head to look at Wang Xiao, who was looking anxious. "It's alright," his voice was low and hoarse, but unusually steady, carrying a reassuring strength. "I can handle it. These oranges were hard-won. We can take as many as we can and not give up easily." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the figures of the troops who had already begun to move, and his tone became urging, "Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and get down the mountain, stay close to the group, and don't fall behind."

Seeing Xie Yingtang's resolute attitude, and with the soldiers in front already moving down the mountain in an orderly fashion, their flashlight beams flickering among the trees, Wang Xiao knew that further arguing would only waste time and increase the risk.

He gritted his teeth, forcibly suppressing the surging heartache and worry within him. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he nodded heavily, his voice slightly choked, "...Okay! Old Xie, then...then you must be careful! If you can't hold on, just say so! I'll be right next to you!"

The three of them said no more, adjusted their postures, focused all their strength into their legs and waist, and carefully embarked on their journey back to their base.

The path down the mountain was no easier than the path up. In fact, because of the much heavier weight on our backs, it was even more difficult and treacherous. Underfoot were loose gravel and tangled tree roots. Every step had to be taken with extreme care, otherwise a stumble could send us tumbling down the hillside with our belongings.

Xie Yingtang carried the heaviest load, relying almost entirely on his powerful core strength and willpower to support himself. Every step he took was exceptionally steady, yet visibly labored, his breathing heavy like that of a broken bellows.

Wang Xiao followed closely behind, glancing nervously at Xie Yingtang's condition every now and then, ready to lend a helping hand at any moment. Although Xu Xiaoyan was only carrying two bags, it was still a huge burden for her. Sweat had already soaked her back, and her hair was stuck to her cheeks, but she gritted her teeth and followed silently.

When the winding, steep mountain road finally came to an end, revealing a relatively flat open area and the silhouette of the convoy lying quietly like a long steel dragon, the sky was already turning a pale white.

This scene instantly ignited the crowd resting and waiting near the convoy. All eyes, whether sitting or lying down, numb or anxious, were drawn to it, and it was as if an invisible string in the air was suddenly tightened.

The first thing that catches the eye is the soldiers responsible for the main harvesting task. Each of them carries at least three bulging burlap sacks on their backs! The sacks weigh heavily down, bending the soldiers' usually straight backs. With their steady but slightly strenuous steps, the sacks sway rhythmically, making a soft rubbing sound.

Even from a distance of tens of meters, people could intuitively and strongly feel the abundance and solidity of the supplies in the bags from the extremely full, almost bursting outline, as well as the bulging veins on the necks of the soldiers carrying them and the slightly trembling calf muscles.

"Look! They're back! What are they carrying?"

"My goodness! So many bags! What good stuff is inside?"

"Is it food? Judging by the shape... it must be food! There's so much!"

Speculation and discussion exploded like drops of water thrown into boiling oil, crackling and spreading rapidly into an uncontrollable buzzing sound.

As the group drew closer, some sharp-eyed individuals caught a fleeting glimpse of a bright, striking orange-yellow hue, standing out starkly from the surrounding drab environment, through the gaps in some of the burlap sacks or the occasional swaying of the sack openings due to loose bindings!

The gasps of surprise acted like a lit fuse, instantly igniting an even greater commotion!

"It's an orange! It's an orange! I see it! It's orange-yellow!"

"They brought back so many oranges! My goodness!"

"So many sacks! I've never seen so many oranges appear at once in my entire life!"

The crowd erupted in jubilation! Their nerves, which had been in a state of semi-starvation for a long time and had the most primal and intense craving for food, were completely ignited and burned by the extremely impactful and tempting scene before them.

Many people's eyes instantly turned red, their breathing became heavy, and they subconsciously surged forward towards the returning group, wanting to get closer and see more clearly. Some even had a wolf-like greedy green glint in their eyes, and unconscious swallowing sounds came from their throats, eager to step forward and touch or snatch things in the chaos.

The scene was on the verge of spiraling out of control. Jiang Shan, who had been standing on a slightly elevated earthen slope on the periphery of the convoy, closely observing the reactions of the returning team and the crowd, frowned deeply, forming a deep "川" character. However, he did not show much surprise on his face, as if he had already anticipated this situation. He quickly gave a wink to a trusted soldier beside him, his lips moved slightly, and he whispered a message.

The soldier understood immediately, nodded, and nimbly climbed onto the roof of a nearby military truck. Once he was standing still, he had a portable, military-green electronic megaphone in his hand.

He raised the megaphone and tried calling out "Hello, hello" twice. The static from the loudspeaker quieted the restless crowd for a moment, and all eyes turned to him. He cleared his throat and, in the loudest, clearest, and most penetrating voice possible, shouted to the faces below, faces etched with longing, anxiety, and even madness:

"Attention, everyone! Listen carefully!" His voice, amplified through the loudspeaker, echoed in the cool morning air. "The second mountain ahead, that one!" He pointed in the direction the troops had just returned. "Halfway up the mountain, we discovered a large wild orange grove! Lots of fruit! Absolutely tons!"

He paused deliberately, letting the keywords "orange grove" and "abundant fruit" strike like a hammer blow to everyone's hearts. His gaze swept over the countless faces below, which had instantly become even more burning and eager. His tone suddenly became more serious, emphasizing the most crucial information: "Those who want to go and pick the fruit themselves, listen up! You can go now! The army won't stop you; resources are up to you!"

"But—" he suddenly drew out the word, successfully grabbing everyone's attention and causing some who had already started walking to subconsciously stop.

"The army will depart precisely at 6:00 AM! Continuing its march northwest! No one will be waited for! Whether you stay to pick oranges or continue with the army, please weigh the options carefully and make your own decision! To reiterate, departure is at 6:00 AM sharp, and those who are late will not be waited for!"

After finishing his address, he didn't immediately jump off the roof of the car. Instead, he took the megaphone and began to slowly move along the perimeter of the crowd, repeating the announcement over and over again without getting tired of it. His loud voice, like a ringing alarm bell, clearly reached the ears of every restless survivor, ensuring that no one used "not hearing clearly" as an excuse.

This sudden news, with its clear time limit and cruel choices, was like a bucket of ice water poured over the heads of many people blinded by immediate gains and greed.

On one side was the vast amount of food that was right before their eyes, within reach, and imaginable, a hope that could immediately fill their stomachs; on the other side was the relatively safe army that represented long-term survival hope and provided basic order and protection.

Staying might bring great rewards and overnight riches, but it could also mean missing the army's departure time and facing this perilous wilderness alone with an uncertain future; following would provide basic safety and a clear direction, but it would mean watching large amounts of food slip away and continuing to endure the torment of hunger.

The crowd was thrown into a huge commotion and intense inner struggle. The momentum of pushing forward was halted and replaced by various entanglements, calculations, arguments and bewildered glances.

Some people, whose reason was completely dominated by hunger and the desire for food, or who were confident in their physical strength and believed they could make the round trip within the allotted time and gain something, made the decision almost without thinking.

They abruptly broke away from the main force, not even bothering to pack their complete belongings, and sprinted up the mountain in the direction the army had come from, their faces filled with a desperate madness and urgency.

Their eyes were only on the imagined orange-yellow tangerines hanging from the branches, completely disregarding the serious consequences of potentially falling behind, getting lost, encountering wild animals, or even conflicts arising from the struggle.

The allure of the food overwhelmed everything at that moment.

Meanwhile, there were others who also coveted those heavy sacks, were equally hungry, and had dry throats, but they were more likely to crane their necks and look anxiously at the majestic, silent mountains whose outlines gradually became clearer in the brightening light of the day, yet appeared even more profound and unfathomable.

Some people quietly calculated the time needed for the round trip, their brows furrowed as they looked at the non-existent watch on their wrists; others subconsciously weighed their dwindling or nearly exhausted strength, rubbing their aching legs. In the end, most people simply sighed deeply, filled with helplessness, dejectedly turning their gaze away, their eyes dimming, silently turning around, tightening their already meager belongings, and choosing to stay put.

Following the army at least provides a clear direction and basic security. The collective strength can always cope with more risks. But risking being abandoned by the main force and facing the vast apocalypse alone for those unknown oranges that can be picked or how many can be taken away is a gamble they cannot afford to lose, nor dare to lose.

Xu Xiaoyan, Xie Yingtang, and Wang Xiao worked together to drag and pull the heavy bags of oranges onto the third-to-last military vehicle they were in.

After doing all this, she straightened her aching back almost completely exhausted, wiped the sticky sweat from her forehead and neck with the back of her hand, and looked back at the chaotic, restless crowd outside the carriage, filled with helpless choices.

Her gaze swept across the crowd, and she couldn't help but feel a chill. The once large and bustling crowd that had followed the army from the previous gathering point had been reduced by the fright, elimination, and casualties caused by the previous insect infestation, coupled with the huge diversion effect brought about by the discovery of the orange grove. Now, it was estimated that only about eight hundred people remained firmly near the convoy, ready to continue following the army northwest.

The sharp decrease in the number of people vividly demonstrates the cruel selection process for survival. Every appearance of resources could lead to a reshuffling of the team. She silently withdrew her gaze, grabbed the cold partition of the carriage with both hands, and with a strong push, awkwardly climbed onto the carriage.

Inside the carriage, Xie Yingtang had already slid down to the floor against the cold metal wall. He didn't even have the strength to take off his sweat-soaked, mud-covered coat or find a more comfortable position. He simply closed his eyes, his chest heaving violently, emitting heavy and long breaths, clearly having fallen into a deep sleep.

The continuous high-intensity nighttime search, the long hours of focused harvesting, and especially the two hours of walking on the mountain road that was extremely physically and mentally exhausting, carrying a weight far exceeding that of an ordinary person, almost drained his energy reserves. Now that he was safely on the vehicle and confirmed that he was temporarily out of danger, the last breath he had been holding on to finally came out, and extreme exhaustion overwhelmed him like a tsunami.

Looking at Xie Yingtang's slightly furrowed brows even in his sleep, and the backpack that he unconsciously protected beside him even in his sleep, Wang Xiao's face was full of lingering guilt and gratitude.

He looked around, picked up a piece of cardboard that some soldier had discarded from the corner of the carriage, squatted down next to Xie Yingtang, and carefully and gently fanned him, hoping to dispel some of the increasing stuffiness in the carriage so that he could sleep a little more peacefully and comfortably. This young man, who was usually a bit impulsive, was now moving with a kind of clumsy gentleness.

Just then, the low rumble of engines starting up came from the front of the convoy. The massive convoy slowly started moving again, its tires crunching over gravel and dust, carrying the remaining eight hundred or so people northwest.

At 10 a.m. on the ninth day, after a bumpy ride and a short rest, the army convoy slowly drove into a relatively open area with obvious signs of manual clearing and defensive fortifications.

Rusty barbed wire, crudely constructed wooden watchtowers, and makeshift bunkers built with sandbags and abandoned vehicles gradually came into view. The first survivor base had finally been reached.