Chapter 149: Push Over and Set Forth

Rebuilding Civilization

Walking through the residential area, Xie Han felt as though he were back in modern times. Newly planted flowers, trees, and greenery dotted the surroundings, and occasionally, children of eleven or twelve years old could be seen chasing each other along the paths. Everything here filled Xie Han with excitement and fascination. The entirety of New City had been built from scratch, infused with the hard work and dedication of countless individuals.

"This is New City..." Xie Han murmured softly. He reached out to touch a tree by the path that had just sprouted a few tender green leaves, and said with some emotion to Qi Feiwu beside him, "What I described to you at the beginning is precisely the scene before us now. The rice outside is about to head; this year can be considered favorable with good weather, and a bumper crop should be effortless. Do you know? As soon as the harvest comes in, New City's food crisis will be resolved, and everyone will finally be completely at ease."

Xie Han poured out everything in his mind without stopping, while Qi Feiwu listened quietly by his side. Having struggled for nearly four years in the apocalyptic world, she had learned how to please a man, especially an exceptional one. Qi Feiwu did not consider herself to be opportunistic; rather, she was searching for a man who could ensure her safety and grant her happiness in this end-of-the-world era. What was happiness in the apocalypse? Being able to live well—that was happiness.

Tomorrow, Xie Han was going to lead New City's doomsday caravan out on an expedition. Qi Feiwu had been absent-minded lately, and she knew the reason herself: she had fallen into Xie Han's vortex. Qi Feiwu did not know what Xie Han's feelings were toward her, but as Xu Qiang had said, happiness was sometimes something one had to pursue and seize for oneself. Xie Han was a strong man, so Qi Feiwu did not think there was anything wrong with initiating this ambiguous relationship between them. As long as she could win him, what did she have to fear?

Xie Han chatted with Qi Feiwu for a full two hours, until the small street lamps in the residential area lit up one by one. Qi Feiwu only added a sentence or two occasionally, spending the rest of the time entirely listening to Xie Han talk. Qi Feiwu knew this was Xie Han's dream, and also the dream of everyone in New City.

Qi Feiwu was unusually calm today, something Xie Han could naturally perceive. Realizing that he and she had known each other for more than half a year, their relationship had remained purely ambiguous. As a normal man, Xie Han naturally had physical needs. Yet New City had just been established without any foundation; could he afford to leisurely enjoy such tenderness? In the apocalyptic world, career was the most important thing. Without the guarantee of survival, even the most beautiful tenderness was nothing more than a fleeting illusion in a mirror and the moon in the water.

"Feiwu, are you troubled by something?" Since he had been able to make his intentions clear to Zhou Ruomeng, why couldn't he pluck Qi Feiwu, a peach ready to ripen? Therefore, Xie Han found a secluded spot, brought Qi Feiwu to sit down together, and looked straight into her eyes.

Sensing the heat in Xie Han's gaze, Qi Feiwu suddenly grew somewhat nervous. "Xie Han, I... um, I wonder what kind of girls you like?"

Without hesitation, Xie Han suddenly took Qi Feiwu's hand, gazed intently at her, and said, "Guess what kind of girls I like?"

When Xie Han suddenly grasped her hand, Qi Feiwu's body stiffened. Her heart fluttered with a mixture of panic and anticipation. It was a very complicated feeling, yet rather than feeling aversion, Qi Feiwu felt as though time had frozen in that single instant. That marvelous sensation made her suddenly lose herself.

"Feiwu, do you know? Actually, from the very first time I saw you, I had a very strange feeling about you, as if I had fallen in love. But as you knew back then, I had nothing and could only hide it deep inside. Tomorrow I am setting out. Dealing with people is far more perilous than dealing with zombies; at least zombies won't scheme against you. I don't want to lose anything, nor do I want to have any regrets, so... please don't blame me for... my abruptness just now."

Xie Han's declaration of love was simple, yet it summed up everything. Unsurprisingly, the two of them suddenly pulled each other into a fierce embrace, and involuntarily, their hot lips locked in a kiss. Their techniques were clumsy, but this kiss acted like a magnet, binding them deeply together without parting for a long time. Once this thin membrane was torn away, the passion released plunged both sides into a wondrous world.

Neither knew how long had passed until both felt breathless and finally parted. Gazing at each other, they suddenly burst into hearty laughter, only to resume their passionate kissing like a pair of lovers. They stayed quietly in that secluded space, whispering of the secret worlds within their hearts.

Late into the night, a faint light shone from Xie Han's room. He gently slid off Qi Feiwu's top, revealing the expanse of pristine whiteness beneath. Sensing the slight coolness on her upper body, Qi Feiwu naturally realized what was about to happen. She shyly narrowed her eyes, letting Xie Han strip her until only a pair of black lace panties remained. She bashfully covered this final line of defense with her hands, but in less than a few seconds, the black lace underwear was skillfully removed by Xie Han, exposing the mischievous black forest and a flush of pink valley.

It was Xie Han's first time touching a woman's delicate body so truly. Qi Feiwu seemed to possess a magic that deeply fascinated Xie Han. Xie Han felt somewhat dazed; could this be considered his first time? Back in college, he had finally gained his family's permission to fall in love, but all his thoughts had been spent on Zhou Ruomeng. Following her graduation, Xie Han felt as though his energy had been drained away. From graduation until he started working, his days had always been so ordinary.

With Xie Han's clumsy movements and Qi Feiwu's shy, averted gaze, they finally found the right position. Accompanied by a cry of pain from Qi Feiwu, it officially proclaimed the transformation of a boy into a man, and a girl into a woman.

***

When the first ray of morning sunlight shone into the room, Qi Feiwu still felt like a puddle of mud, unable to muster any strength. She blinked her eyes, but ultimately closed them again, wrapping her body deeply within the quilt. She looked somewhat fearfully at Xie Han, who had long since woken up and wore a mischievous grin. Last night, she had been thoroughly tormented for the entire night, reaching the peak more times than she could remember. That madness made Qi Feiwu still dare not meet Xie Han's eyes when she thought of it now. The intense pain from her lower body meant that even moving her leg slightly caused her to cry out.

Xie Han looked with a pang of guilt at Qi Feiwu, whose brows were tightly knitted, and pulled her smooth body into his arms. He said tenderly, "Last night, I'm truly sorry." Indeed, as a first time, Xie Han had read about that pain in books, but last night he had been unable to control himself and had carried on for nearly the whole night. Xie Han naturally knew that Qi Feiwu had clenched her teeth and endured it to let him reach the very peak. From this aspect alone, it was evident that Qi Feiwu was an extraordinary woman.

"Ah..." Feeling Xie Han's hardened stance pressing against her buttocks once more, Qi Feiwu let out another startled cry, provoking a chuckle from Xie Han. "Morning is the symbolic time for a man, so..."

They lingered affectionately in bed for a while longer. Suddenly remembering that Xie Han was leaving today, Qi Feiwu said with a worried expression, "Xie Han, why don't you let someone else go in your place? You are the brain of the entire New City; if..."

Xie Han interrupted Qi Feiwu, saying, "This matter has already been decided and cannot be changed. Besides, this trade is too important for New City; it's equivalent to opening up a market, and I wouldn't rest easy if anyone else went. Furthermore, with my ability, aren't you confident in sending me? I'll definitely return in triumph."

"But..." Qi Feiwu wanted to say more, but Xie Han silenced her with a deep kiss on the lips. After releasing her after a long while, he said, "I know you care about me, but this time it's truly not possible. Rest well here and wait for me to return. Also, stay here and rest a bit longer; since you're injured, you don't need to see me off. I'll have someone bring lunch over later."

Despite Xie Han saying this, after he got up, Qi Feiwu struggled out of bed anyway. Disregarding the tearing pain from her private parts, she insisted on seeing Xie Han off to the testing base's plaza. Fearing that others might find out she and Xie Han had spent the night together in the same room, Qi Feiwu only went as far as the plaza before shyly running back to her room.

The entire doomsday caravan had prepared everything. Fresh vegetables were packed into refrigerated containers and loaded onto trucks one by one. Led by the field base command vehicle, followed by five Hummer Kings, forty transport trucks in the middle, and five armored vehicles at the rear, the formation was complete. In terms of personnel, each truck was equipped with a primary driver, a backup driver, two soldiers, and a machine gunner. The Hummer Kings possessed exceptional off-road capabilities, so the thirty people across those five vehicles formed the caravan's assault force.

Given the immense significance of this trade, almost the entire management team of New City had arrived to see Xie Han off. It was originally scheduled for departure at seven o'clock, but it was already eight when Xie Han finally appeared. Seeing everyone wearing strange grins, Xie Han felt his scalp tingle. He walked over feigning composure and said somewhat apologetically, "Everyone, I'm sorry. I might have been too tired, so I overslept a bit."

Chen Liu patted Xie Han on the shoulder and said, "We know, all of us know, you were just too tired. Sigh, I don't know who lacked public morality last night and failed to close their windows properly, causing many of us not to sleep well all night. Tsk tsk, that sound... truly..." He looked at Xie Han with a wicked grin and said slowly, "We understand you, we understand you completely. Resting a bit longer is only right, after all!"

Xu Qiang and Chu Tianhe burst into roaring laughter. Although the others were smiling as well, they didn't dare exaggerate as wildly as Xu Qiang and his group.

Xie Han felt as though several black lines had appeared on his forehead, and asked somewhat foolishly, "I thought I closed all the windows properly last night though?" His response instantly caused everyone to lose control, doubling over with laughter until the entire scene descended into chaos.

"..." Xie Han was speechless and ended up chuckling along. Since they all knew anyway, there was nothing left to hide. After all, what man wouldn't have such experiences in the future? It was just that his exploits seemed to have great gossip potential, prompting them to collectively tease him about it.

Once they had laughed enough, Chen Liu patted Xie Han's shoulder again and said easily, "I know you're young and energetic, but you still need to pace yourself. Old men like us don't have the energy to toss and turn all night."

Showing signs of wanting to throw a tantrum, Xie Han glared irritably at Chen Liu and said, "Brother Chen Liu, spare this younger brother. This little brother is setting out on a lucky expedition today."

Chen Liu was still smiling as he replied, "If you weren't setting off on a lucky expedition, do you think such a great thing would have fallen into your lap? Even if you and Feiwu confirmed your relationship, given Feiwu's personality, it would have taken quite some time for you to have last night's romance, wouldn't it?"

Indeed, now that Xie Han thought about it, he really had taken advantage of this auspicious expedition to get ahead; otherwise, it truly would have been difficult for such an intimate development to occur so immediately after establishing a relationship. He chuckled and said, "Alright, I admit I am a man now, okay? It's getting late. Our destination this time is about three hundred kilometers away. At the base vehicle's speed, if we set out now, we'll arrive right around their mealtime. The timing is just right."

***

Chen Liu and the others also understood the importance of this trip, so they did not dwell on the topic and instead said, "Based on the aerial photographs you captured previously, we've studied them carefully. This gathering place is estimated to have a population of over thirty-five thousand. Without more detailed intelligence, we have no way of knowing the exact armed strength of this settlement, so you'll have to adapt to circumstances on the spot."

Xie Han thought for a moment and replied, "By survival standards, a gathering of thirty-five thousand people would have a maximum armed force of around five thousand. With our caravan's capabilities, as long as we don't fall into a trap, an assault by five thousand people is nothing to fear. Moreover, I believe the rulers of this settlement won't dare act rashly after witnessing our firepower. Besides, we are going with the principle of harmony generating wealth. As a newly appearing caravan, do you think they would make any rash moves when they understand nothing about us?"

"Anything is possible; we must be on guard," Chen Liu shook his head and said. "Human hearts are treacherous in the apocalypse. Even if we harbor no intention to harm others, we must always maintain a defense against them."

Xie Han said, "It's fine, we won't be entering their settlement directly anyway." Pausing for thought, he added, "You all know the importance of Nuwa grass without me having to say it. Notify the propaganda radio station and have them low-key publicize that Nuwa is a beautiful ornamental plant, and that New City is experiencing a craze for household cultivation of Nuwa grass, emphasizing that our caravan will prioritize exchanging commodities for Nuwa grass."

"Gold is important, but for an era currently ruled by zombies, Nuwa grass is even more important than gold." Xie Han instructed Chen Liu solemnly after boarding the command vehicle. "This publicity must strike the right balance, preventing them from suspecting other motives. Try our best to portray New City as a massive base where people already have idle money and energy to spare on such leisure."

The doomsday caravan slowly rolled out of the testing base. As it passed through the residential area, they noticed both sides of the road were packed with people. Once the vehicle appeared, everyone waved and offered their blessings. Xie Han felt deeply moved. While the apocalyptic world could lay bare the ugliest aspects of human nature, did it not also reveal people's most beautiful sides? Simply looking at the citizens of New City voluntarily standing here was enough to ignite in Xie Han the impulse to lead New City even further.

After clearing the outskirts of New City and hitting the highway, the caravan drove westward all the way. Once they were eighty kilometers away from Wangtian City, the caravan veered northward. From there, another one hundred and seventy kilometers or so would bring them to their destination.

No one from New City had ever traveled this route before; the abandoned cars alone practically blocked the entire highway. It was immediately apparent that no one had traveled this road since the outbreak of the XR virus. The field base command vehicle possessed formidable power, and its front armor was forged entirely from a superalloy, making the clearance of these road obstructions a breeze. Through such a bumpy journey, they finally managed to traverse this section of the highway.

According to the map, exiting the highway led straight to a secondary road connecting to the settlement. After stepping down from the command vehicle to observe closely, Xie Han still spotted subtle traces of recent vehicle traffic along this secondary road. "It seems the people of this settlement are also starting to venture outward."

The caravan paused only briefly before continuing toward their destination. After crossing a vast expanse of mountain ridges, they began to encounter roaming zombies. Moving in small groups of three to five, these zombies occasionally merged into larger hordes. Their movements lacked regularity and were entirely free-roaming; from this, Xie Han knew there should be no controller governing this area.

Emerging from the mountain ridges, they entered a sprawling plain dotted with numerous villages. More zombies were encountered here, making it certain that this settlement frequently came under zombie attacks. At the sound of the caravan's engines, surrounding zombies drawn by the noise swarmed over, but their mobility paled in comparison to the vehicles, and they were left far behind in an instant.

Passing through the expansive plain, the caravan plunged once more into overlapping mountain ridges. Not long after entering the hills, a prolonged flute sound suddenly echoed from a ridge. Following this flute note, the surrounding ridges responded in kind, linking the melodies together. "It looks like we've arrived at our destination..." This situation was within Xie Han's expectations. He spoke through the command system, "Everyone be careful, keep your spirits up—we have arrived!"

*(PS: Writing scenes like this is truly not my strong suit. I originally wanted to look for books to study and learn, but forget it—what I'm writing isn't an R-rated book nor a harem stallion novel; there's no need for such... such descriptions. Haha, if you have recommendation tickets, support me with a few, thank you!)*