Read Novel Full Chapter 526: Discovered
Chapter 526: Discovered
No matter what was in the fire seed container, it was not something that could be opened by physical strength.
The box was made of a special material, and tools like crowbars, chainsaws, or power drills were useless against it. The remote sensor and passcode? Those were in the hands of the military’s high-ranking officers.
It did not matter if they had not encountered it before, but now that they had, it was impossible to ignore it.
Jiang Ning put 1037 into the space.
Perhaps even she did not expect that, because of the appearance of 1037, both they and the dogs were in a great mood. That evening, they celebrated with a seafood feast.
Jiang Ning had a dream. It was back when she had left Fengcheng to head to the military base. There was a military vehicle parked on the road, and the guard had waved to stop her car.
Gu Tinglin stood beside the military vehicle, tall and straight as a pine tree. When he saw her get out of the car, surprise flashed across his serious face.
It was then that he knew exactly who she was.
When Jiang Ning opened her eyes, it was still the middle of the night, and rain was pattering softly outside the window.
Huo Yishen stirred awake beside her. “What is it?”
She wrapped her arms around his waist. “I had a dream.”
“About?”
“It happened a long time ago.”
Sensing that her mood was a bit heavy, Huo Yishen pulled her into his arms. “Was it something good or bad?”
Jiang Ning thought about it. “It should be… good.”
The two slept until they naturally woke up. From outside, they heard Doudou exclaim, “Coke, where did you get this dead snake?”
Snake? Jiang Ning was instantly awake and got up quickly.
Bai Xue and Coke had gone out to play early and, to her horror, brought back a snake.
Not only were they unaware of the danger, but they were also wagging their tails excitedly.
Jiang Ning carefully examined the two. Fortunately, there were no wounds on their bodies.
The two troublemakers had taken turns biting the snake, treating it like a chew toy.
The snake was not particularly large, but its species was unrecognizable. It had no venomous fangs, so it was likely one of the sea snakes that had come ashore to breed after the sea levels receded.
Crocodiles, seals, snakes—all kinds of creatures were gradually returning to the land.
Jiang Ning had an unprecedented feeling: the natural disasters might be coming to an end, and the ecosystem was beginning to recover.
This realization made her happy.
After confirming that Bai Xue and Coke were not poisoned, the family continued on their journey.
As they walked, they found an abandoned fishing boat.
The inside of the boat was relatively clean, with no signs of mud from prolonged submersion in the sea.
Jiang Ning explored the area around the boat and found fish bones scattered on the ground.
It seemed that some survivors had made it ashore, but the land was uninhabitable. Left with no choice, they abandoned their ship and started a life by the sea.
***
Jiang Ning celebrated her birthday on the road.
The cake, made by Doudou, was filled with fruits.
This time her birthday wish had changed. She hoped that the people she cared about were still alive and well and that there would be a day when they could meet again.
On New Year’s Eve, they planned to celebrate properly, but unexpectedly, they came across a desert.
And they can’t even see where it ends.
“Well, a desert is fine too. We can treat it as a sightseeing trip,” Jiang Ning said.
This newly formed desert was different. The sand and gravel were not as clean as before; instead, it resembled a high-altitude basin formed from severe water shortages, scattered with dried-up mud blocks.
As they walked, they stumbled upon the remains of marine life and the ruins of a collapsed city.
This place might have once been a bustling city, but now it was nothing more than a desolate desert.
Spending most of their time on the road, Jiang Ning did not feel like cooking a proper New Year’s Eve dinner, so the family went into the space to eat ready-made food.
After watching the evening gala, they washed up and slept in the space.
The desert did not have much to offer in terms of entertainment. So on the first morning of the New Year, after breakfast, they took out a helicopter to cross it.
Jiang Ning was driving, and Huo Yishen assisted her throughout the journey.
It took them over two hours to finally cross the desert and return to the vast wastelands.
Sometimes the sky was full of yellow sand, and sometimes it was unbearably hot and rainy.
There was no end in sight, and they had no idea how much longer they would need to keep going.
By the third month on the road, despite their frequent breaks, everyone had lost weight and their skin had grown slightly tanned.
Passing through the mountain pass, Bai Xue and Coke suddenly perked up their ears, signaling a warning.
The two became extra alert, quietly leading the three forward.
When they finally stopped moving, Huo Yishen found a hidden spot and observed the situation in the distance.
A group of raggedly dressed people with sun-darkened skin were whispering in an unfamiliar language.
Their faces look tired, their bodies are thin, and they clutched sticks in their hands. They looked so much like zombies that it was hard to tell who they were.
After three long months of traveling through harsh weather, they finally saw other living people.
Why did it feel strangely exciting?
Coke gritted his teeth and turned his head to look at Jiang Ning, as if asking, “Do we handle this?”
The saying came to mind: Refugees are no longer like people.
Having seen so much darkness in the world, Jiang Ning knew it was pointless to test the humanity of hungry people.
Huo Yishen suggested, “Why don’t we take another route and avoid them?”
Jiang Ning agreed without hesitation.
The three of them quietly got up to leave.
However, before they had gone far, the group of people spotted them.
Yelling in their language, the strangers raised their sticks and quickly began chasing after them.
Bai Xue and Coke were ready to attack, but then they noticed their owners were running faster than rabbits. The dogs’ worldview was completely shattered.
Jiang Ning led the retreat!
After all, it was a good day, and it’s not suitable for bloodshed
Despite their weak appearance, the strangers were surprisingly fast. They chased them for a full half hour.
Jiang Ning, who had not run in a long time, was gasping for breath and drenched in sweat, yet she felt an unexpected sense of clarity, like seeing sunlight after the clouds had parted.
The three looked at each other. Although they were in a mess, they could not help but laugh.
Especially Doudou, who shined like a sunflower basking in the morning sun.
This run left their bodies aching but strangely refreshed.
For the next few days, they traveled by car.
The road was desolate, but they kept encountering groups of survivors. Sometimes Jiang Ning and the others ran; other times, the survivors fled.
Anyone who had lasted this long was either extraordinarily lucky or incredibly skilled.
As long as there is a way to survive, Jiang Ning refused to become a reaper.
Crossing the mountains, crossing the desert, and wading through the rivers.
After wandering for half a year, from winter to late spring, even Jiang Ning found it hard to believe they had made it this far.
Some days were thrilling, others dull, but every day felt like a new start.
Doudou became livelier, no longer staring blankly into space like before.
When they found a spot with a water source, Doudou would stop to plant a few trees. “Brother, sister-in-law, maybe one day when we come back, they’ll have grown into tall, towering trees.”
Even if we never return, they’ll still bloom and bear fruit. Over time, this place could become an oasis.
“Hmm.” Ever since Huo Yishen found out his younger sister was showing signs of depression; he had been especially attentive to her emotions. “Maybe by then, things will be like before the disasters—we could fly a plane or take a high-speed train back to see them.”
“We’ll have to bring Coke and Bai Xue back too.”
“Woof!”
“Awoo!”
That night, they rested in the RV.
Huo Yishen hugged Jiang Ning and kissed her. “Anning, thank you.”
“Hm?”
“Since we set out, Doudou is in a much better mood.”
Instead of relying on medication, they regarded the journey as an opportunity to explore. Their humor and attentiveness helped lift Doudou’s spirits.
Jiang Ning smiled. In fact, Doudou wasn’t the only one who needed healing.
After all these years, who hasn’t had their share of struggles? As long as they could heal each other, that was enough.
The next day arrived with a mix of sandstorms and intense sun.
The weather was not ideal for walking, so Jiang Ning suggested driving instead. Doudou, using her binoculars, scanned their surroundings. “Sister-in-law, I think there’s a fire seed container over there.”
Jiang Ning followed the direction Doudou pointed, and sure enough, it looked like a fire seed container.
After staring for a while, why did it seem like there was someone there?