Chapter 25: Welcome Home
Lin Xiwan didn’t go to see the camp leader, nor did she immediately seek out the Blood Gang.
Following Li Yi’s directions, she found the office building about 500 meters from the camp.
In front of the building, a mound of earth marked the spot where Li Yi had buried Grandma Zhang’s body.
“I’m sorry… Grandma Zhang. Thank you…”
Lin Xiwan bowed deeply at Grandma Zhang’s makeshift grave.
Grandma Zhang hadn’t been able to save Lin Jiayao, and she hadn’t been able to bring back her son. The apocalypse was like that, full of heartache.
Lin Xiwan entered the office building and examined the first floor.
The tire tracks from the wheelchair were clearly visible on the dust-covered floor.
There was also a more recent footprint, likely Li Yi’s.
And then there was a bloody, wide footprint.
With her extensive experience hunting zombies, Lin Xiwan recognized it as belonging to a Sprinter.
According to Li Yi’s description, it was a Sprinter with a special evolved ability, capable of moving at inhuman speeds and instantly killing a Blood Gang member.
Based on this, her sister was likely…
“Hoo…”
Lin Xiwan shook her head, pushing the thought away.
She had to find that Sprinter. Even if it was just a corpse, she would rip open its stomach and find her sister.
But it seemed the Sprinter hadn’t killed her sister. Their footprints appeared in the same place, there was blood, but her sister’s wheelchair was nowhere to be found.
A Sprinter couldn’t have eaten the wheelchair, could it?
It was highly likely that her sister had been rescued from the Sprinter. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be without her wheelchair.
Her sister might still be alive…
A thought struck Lin Xiwan.
Edible food was extremely scarce in Baiyan District. Everyone was trying to grow their own food.
Canned meat and purified water could only be found by venturing into Haixin District or other more dangerous areas.
In other words, there was almost no food to be found outside the camp in Baiyan District.
If her sister was alive, or had been rescued, she could only be in a nearby camp.
Rather than searching building by building and dissecting zombies, Lin Xiwan decided to check the other camps first.
She still clung to the hope that her sister was alive.
No matter how slim the hope, she had to pursue it.
Without hope and perseverance in the apocalypse, she would have long succumbed to despair and joined the ranks of those who had taken their own lives rather than face the horrors of the undead.
The closest camp…
Due to its unique circumstances, the resort camp rarely interacted with other camps, only sending people to exchange supplies once a week.
And it wasn’t uncommon for explorers from different camps to rob each other outside.
If camps couldn’t coexist peacefully, there was little hope for cooperation between individuals from different camps.
Uniting could solve many problems, but it would also create new conflicts, especially regarding the distribution of benefits, personnel, and command.
The leader of the resort camp, Wang Yi, only wanted to protect his family. If he lost absolute control, he wouldn’t be able to care for his numerous relatives.
The best they could manage was to divide the search areas; deeper cooperation was impossible.
Not to mention the gang problems within each camp.
So, Lin Xiwan didn’t know much about the Hengyang Stadium camp, only that she could often trade for vegetables there.
There were only three camps in Baiyan District. Lin Xiwan decided to go to the Hengyang Stadium camp, which was only 8km away.
Acting immediately, she turned and ran towards the Baiyan District camps.
8km wasn’t a long distance for a physically enhanced Awakened. Soon, she saw the outline of Hengyang Stadium.
The sun was now high in the sky, scorching the earth.
As she approached the camp, a foul-smelling corpse caught her attention.
It was a Sprinter.
The body was highly decayed, swarming with flies, a repulsive sight.
A Sprinter…
Was it a coincidence?
Lin Xiwan couldn’t help but take another look at the Sprinter lying in the middle of the road before continuing towards the camp.
Nearing the camp’s perimeter, she slowed down.
If she ran too fast, the guards might mistake her for a Sprinter and shoot.
As she walked, she raised her arms above her head, fists clenched, and lightly tapped her left wrist against her right.
This was the established signal between camps for exchanging supplies.
Seeing her signal, the guards lowered their rifles and mirrored her gesture.
Reassured, Lin Xiwan jogged towards the camp gate.
“This… uh… Lin Xiwan?!”
The guard, about to ask which camp she was from, exclaimed in surprise.
There were only a dozen or so Awakened across all three camps, and their appearances were well-known among the camp residents.
There was probably no one else in all of Yangzhou City who looked like the young woman in front of him, with her icy demeanor and naturally curly black hair.
They couldn’t recognize every family member of every Awakened, nor had they met every Awakened, but they knew their general characteristics.
“Should we inform the boss?”
The guard lowered his head and asked cautiously.
He didn’t want to offend an Awakened, even with a gun in his hand.
These Awakened were the ones who helped the camp explore, mark, and clear resource points. Without them, the camp wouldn’t exist.
“No need. I just have a few questions. Have there been any newcomers to the camp recently?” Lin Xiwan asked.
“Sister… Sister Lin, I wasn’t on duty the past two days, but I heard there was a pretty, disabled young woman who came to the camp, and…”
“Where is she?!” Lin Xiwan’s eyes widened, her voice rising involuntarily. “Take me to her!”
The guard didn’t dare ask for blood crystals. He nodded submissively and led the way.
Standing in front of a room, Lin Xiwan felt dazed, as if walking on clouds.
The guard’s description undoubtedly matched her sister.
Lin Xiwan couldn’t believe there was another pretty, disabled young woman who had survived this long in Yangzhou City.
Just as the guard was about to knock, Lin Xiwan stopped him.
“You can go back.”
After the guard left, Lin Xiwan took several deep breaths, her hand trembling as she reached for the doorknob.
Locks? She could break them.
“Click.”
Before her hand touched the doorknob, the wooden door opened.
Lin Xiwan stared at the open door, momentarily stunned.
The next second, she saw the familiar figure she had been longing for rush towards her and then, unable to maintain balance in the wheelchair, fall towards the floor.
Lin Xiwan instinctively stepped forward and caught her before she could hit the ground.
Feeling the soft body in her arms, the warmth, and the familiar scent, Lin Xiwan’s eyes welled up.
“I’m sorry I’m late…”
“Welcome back.”
“Little sister…”
“Sister.”
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