Chapter 25: Missing Everything

Only after the vehicle had driven far away did the surrounding crowd begin to stir.

"Why did the young miss let it go so quickly today? Doesn't she usually make a scene until the world turns upside down, refusing to stop until someone is ruined?"

"Sigh, this Li Rongrong is simply looking for trouble. Lin Buyan is already engaged to her, yet she chases after him every day like he’s a common thief, green with envy over everything. Lin Buyan is a decent catch, sure, but he’s hardly the only man in the world! If he says even a single word to anyone, she makes their life a living hell. She’s already wrecked so many young girls’ lives."

"Shh... keep your voice down. You know who her uncle is—he holds a high rank!"

"Because of her, the young women in this safety zone have become timid, terrified of encountering her and being targeted. She’s so controlling; if she has the ability, she should just chain the man to her own waistband. Instead, she’s suspicious all day long. Any female within Lin Buyan’s orbit gets a dressing down. My daughter just said hello to him once, and she ended up losing the job she worked so hard to get!"

"If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be easier if Lin Buyan just stayed home and played the role of a househusband?"

"Perhaps. I thought that by transferring him to the logistics department to work with a bunch of rough men, things would calm down, but look... that young girl over there still hasn't recovered from the verbal assault."

"Sigh, even though she’s mute, look at how clean and delicate she looks—sickly, even! Her family must have gone to great lengths to keep her safe until now. If it weren't for the fall of the Guicheng Safety Zone..."

Receiving another round of inexplicable sympathy, Lu Li hurried over to an older woman who had watched the entire scene.

Before she could even start writing, the woman spoke up, "Young lady, take advantage of the fact that you haven't been fully registered into the Qingshan Safety Zone yet and run! You’re still classified as a refugee; if you go to another safety zone, you might even be eligible for preferential policies!"

"You old hag, how can you encourage someone to leave the safety zone? That’s practically telling her to go die!"

"But if she stays, will Li Rongrong let her off?"

"If she were going to act, she would have done it already! When has the young miss ever hesitated to settle things on the spot? Since she let her go today, maybe it’ll be fine from here on out!"

Lu Li had no intention of staying here anyway, and after hearing these descriptions, she wanted to stay even less.

That Lin Buyan was clearly unreliable. She felt incredibly fortunate that she hadn't handed the porcupine over to him directly. Obtaining an ID card and a personal contribution point bracelet was an unexpected stroke of luck.

After thanking the woman and asking for directions to the trade market, she excitedly dragged her belongings along, planning to drop the child off at the social welfare center on the way.

"Young lady, you’re going the wrong way. The gate to leave the safety zone is that way, and the temporary shelters for refugees are over there!"

Who wanted to go to a refugee camp? As a zombie who didn't need to sleep, she was terrified of being exposed! Although she had collected the relief supplies, she was, regretfully, not a refugee.

Lu Li flashed the woman a brilliant smile. The woman felt a sudden chill run down her spine; the girl’s smile was beautiful, but why was it so unsettling? Was it just because she had never seen anyone so pale?

As the woman stood there doubting herself, Lu Li was already marching off with great enthusiasm, having walked through three streets.

After she had exhaustedly trekked from the east side of the safety zone to the west, the last bus—which she had missed countless times—finally arrived at its terminus: the Ninth Trade Market.

Lu Li sat on a public bench, panting for breath. Her physical exertion for the day had been far too high. That woman had claimed it wasn't too far and that it would take less than an hour to walk west, yet she had walked quickly for nearly two hours. Was it possible the woman had mutant speed? This was hardly human.

The bus doors opened. It was empty inside, and as the few scattered passengers stepped off, the bus driver finally had a moment to rest.

He stepped off the bus and curiously examined the girl he had seen passing by several times.

"Miss, I’ve seen you a few times now. Look at the bus stops—I saw you at this one, that one, and those over there. I even passed you on the road quite a bit. Why didn't you take the bus?"

"The government subsidizes it; every stop only costs one contribution point, and children under 1.2 meters tall and luggage ride for free. If the distance is short, walking is fine, but this spans the entire safety zone, and you’re carrying a child."

"Life in the apocalypse isn't easy. To walk this far, you must at least be an ability user, but there’s no need to save money to this extent. Your body can’t take it, and neither can the child!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Li wanted to die. Why hadn't the woman told her there was a bus? What was all this exhausting effort for? Self-inflicted martyrdom?

Lu Li was too tired to speak, and she couldn't speak anyway, so she could only listen to the driver’s concerned rambling.

"If you have anything to do, just put the kid and your things on the bus. I see you’re basically on my route. Just grab your things when you reach your stop; I won't charge you. Look, this is my work permit. I’m an official employee, I won't steal your things."

"I run this line, one trip every hour, back and forth. From 8:00 AM until 8:00 PM. Remember that! Don't put yourself through this again."

Seeing Lu Li nod, the driver shook his head and sighed as he returned to the bus. As the doors closed, Lu Li faintly heard a sigh: "This world is just too hard!"

After resting for a long while, Lu Li finally recovered. It was already dark, and the trade market had long since closed.

She could have sat here all night, but the child... it wasn't appropriate to go to the welfare center at this hour.

After a moment of thought, Lu Li remembered a hotel she had seen not far ahead.

Carrying the child and dragging her luggage, she knocked on the door. The couple inside, who were tidying up, stared at the door with extreme vigilance—one holding a broom, the other a kitchen knife.

"Who’s there? We have surveillance here, and this area is under government jurisdiction."

Lu Li remained silent for a moment, then gritted her teeth and tore off a small piece of paper. She scribbled something down, shoved it through the door crack, and used a willow twig to push it inside. "I am a mute. I have a child and want to find a place to stay for the night. If you don't believe me, check the surveillance."

Seeing the note drift into their hands, the couple cautiously opened the latch.

"We rarely get people coming to our hotel at this hour. Usually, people just store their goods here after the market closes and pick them up the next morning. You..."

"A bed is fine. Let the child sleep; I don't need to sleep, I can manage."

"How about 6 contribution points? We’ll give you two camp beds in an empty room where there’s no cargo, is that okay?"

"To manage our supplies, we have surveillance cameras everywhere, and the alarm is connected directly to the military."

Lu Li nodded and transferred her relief funds to them. Once they received the payment, the couple stopped talking and efficiently set up the camp beds.