Suddenly having two vehicles made Ye Fan's anticipation to go home quite urgent.
Ye Fan could drive, but he didn't have a driving license and lacked road experience. Now, with the city's complex environment, he didn't plan to drive himself.
"Can all of you drive?" Ye Fan asked.
"Sir, every soldier can drive ordinary vehicles, but their driving skills are average. They manage a bit better with the Tiger, but they can't handle the mining truck well."
The one speaking was Xu Haoran, the only scout in the platoon, whose driving skills were top-notch.
Ye Fan looked at this handsome guy: "Can you drive this mining truck?"
"Yes, Sir, not only can I drive the mining truck, I can even handle a plane with no problem."
The Red Alert soldier's answers were very standard, but Ye Fan just hummed twice.
"I can fight just fine too."
Xu Haoran showed a look of admiration: "The Sir is so strong."
As a Red Alert soldier, a characteristic was that no matter what Ye Fan said, they would believe it without reservation, so Xu Haoran's words were not out of flattery, but sincerity.
Ye Fan turned his head; being admired felt quite nice.
He glanced over his other subordinates, inquiring one by one, and finally decided to have Wang Hu act as his driver.
As a Corporal, he was slightly smarter and more skillful than the others.
With Xu Haoran being the only one who could drive the mining truck, he naturally became its driver.
The mining truck also needed a machine gunner, and Ye Fan decided to have the Army Soldier, Luo Fei, take on this role.
As a main battle ground force, Luo Fei showed great talent in shooting.
Ye Fan ordered him to first use his semi-automatic rifle to shoot, take the opportunity to earn a star promotion, and when his bullets ran out, switch to the mining truck's machine gun.
The mining truck was huge, but the cab wasn't large, with just two seats; it could carry a lot if people were loaded in the rear compartment.
But Ye Fan didn't plan to let his soldiers stay in the compartment. First, the environment was too poor; second, the compartment was open-air, and if zombies leaped off buildings, it would be dangerous.
Moreover, there was the threat of mutant beasts; the visibility in the compartment was poor, making it unsafe.
With Xu Haoran and Luo Fei aboard the mining truck, Wang Hu took the role of Tiger's driver, and Li Biao sat in the co-driver seat.
Ye Fan sat in the second row, with Qian Xiaobing beside him for protection.
The two rows of upright benches at the back held a Senior Private and five new recruits, with Xiaotian also staying at the back of the Tiger.
Once arrangements were complete, Ye Fan made a trip back home to take the things he had collected over these days.
It was mostly food, with perishables packed away in Ye Fan's bag; the remaining rice and flour were placed in the mining truck's compartment.
Looking at the huge compartment, a thought struck Ye Fan.
"Let's go; before leaving, let's make one more trip to the supermarket."
The supermarket still had plenty of food, much more than a few survivors could eat, and it would spoil with time.
Xu Haoran immediately started the mining truck and rumbled out of the neighborhood.
Wang Hu also drove the Tiger behind the mining truck.
Ye Fan took one last look at his apartment, sighing softly in his heart.
His college life had ended just as it began, and he probably wouldn't return to school again.
However, he believed that one day he would return here, as H City had the richest resources.
If he weren't in a rush to find his parents and sister, he would have liked to establish a base here and slowly develop his troops.
"Let's go, leave here."
********
In the supermarket, several survivors were somewhat indignant.
Especially Lili's boyfriend, who was still angrily ranting.
"These soldiers are out of bounds, abandoning us like this! But don't worry, my family has extensive connections. From their situation, it seems the military is still around; they'll eventually come to rescue survivors. As long as we hold out in the supermarket, someone will come to rescue us. I'll expose their misdeeds and strip them of their uniforms!"
Some survivors hesitated, saying, "But I noticed their uniforms don't quite match the active-duty ones. Maybe they aren't from the military."
"Impossible! Look at their weapons; they're definitely military."
Lili's boyfriend's words were resolute: "It seems they're assembling and will probably launch a counterattack on the zombies in the coming days. Once we see their superiors, it'll be fine. Just stick with me during this period, and I'll get us out."
The survivors nodded in agreement; following this well-connected young man seemed the safest bet.
Lili's boyfriend felt a sense of satisfaction; as long as there was a rescue, he believed he could thrive, and the current hardships were merely temporary.
Moreover, the supermarket had plenty to eat and drink, with no shortage of cigarettes and alcohol, so it wasn't too tough.
After being rescued, with his connections, he might even fare better than before the apocalypse.
As he fantasized, noises came from outside.
Clatter clatter~~~!
Clank clank~~~!
The sound of metal tracks grinding against the ground.
He leaped up, his eyes alight: "I recognize that sound. It's a tank, it's really the big army coming."
The people perked up their ears, the sound drawing closer and seemed to reach the supermarket entrance.
Everyone rushed to the window, ready to call for help.
But upon reaching the window, they were dumbfounded.
Outside, a gigantic vehicle was parked there, the source of the track noise. Behind it followed a large, military-green SUV.
The SUV's door opened, and seven or eight warriors emerged, none other than Ye Fan's men.
Ye Fan's command to them was simple: collect non-perishable supplies and load them into the truck.
The conscripts executed Ye Fan's orders without fail, moving goods from the supermarket, loading bags of rice and flour, as well as packaged foods onto the truck.
Oil, salt, sauces, vinegar, cigarettes, alcohol, and beverages weren't spared; the group of young men worked quickly.
Ye Fan even personally entered the supermarket, loading some meat still in the freezers into his bag. Since the apocalypse had just begun, electricity hadn't been cut, and some food hadn't spoiled yet.
The first floor mainly housed the food section, but many of the vegetables and fruits had already gone bad.
As they collected, the people upstairs came down.
Lili's boyfriend, furious, pointed at Ye Fan, "What are you doing? Are you bandits?"
Ye Fan finally took the time to glance at him.
"What? Is this stuff yours?"
"No, it's not mine, but it belongs to the people!" he proclaimed arrogantly, as if the identity of the people was a shield.
Ye Fan chuckled coldly, "Well, that's good, I'm one of the people too."
"You.....!" Lili's boyfriend trembled with anger, but all he could do was tremble; expecting him to take action was unrealistic.
Ye Fan paid him no further attention, addressing the other survivors, "I won't make things difficult for you; I'll leave enough for about a month. After that, you'll have to fend for yourselves. The apocalypse has arrived; people must learn self-reliance. Even if rescue comes, you might not survive until then."
The girl named Lili gathered her courage to speak, "Are you leaving? Can you take us with you?"
"Taking you is impossible, but the zombies here have been mostly cleared by me. If you're cautious, escape isn't impossible."
Ye Fan had no intention of accepting survivors now; he had said what needed to be said and wasn't about to repeat himself. He ordered his soldiers to pick up the pace.
This supermarket wasn't big, and after removing impractical or rotten items, there wasn't much left.
At least the enormous mining truck's compartment was only a quarter full, with not much more to take.
Seeing it was about done, Ye Fan picked up two sets of kitchenware; he also had a few gas cans he collected for cooking on the road.
Once collecting was complete, he led his soldiers out of the supermarket.
Gazing at the familiar surroundings, Ye Fan felt nostalgic.
He pulled a pack of Cordyceps cigarettes from his pocket and lit one.
Ye Fan smoked, but his addiction wasn't severe. It was something he could take or leave, usually indulging in one when feeling down or particularly joyful.
However, he hadn't smoked this high-end brand before; this was his first time.
The quality tobacco's aroma drifted past his nose; Ye Fan wondered if the apocalypse was a blessing or a curse.
After smoking half the cigarette, he tossed the rest, and got into the vehicle.
"Let's go, head out of the city!"
Ye Fan could give orders directly to the Red Alert soldiers within a three-hundred-meter radius through his system, and Xu Haoran received the command, instantly starting the mining truck.
This one-of-a-kind vehicle in the real world roared to life, beginning its advance to the congested street ahead.