After spending nearly three hours in the Level 3 quarantine site, Bai Mu and the other quarantined individuals were transferred to the Level 2 quarantine site. This wasn't the end; they would have to remain there for roughly the same amount of time.
Only after everyone was safe would they be transferred to the Level 1 quarantine site, and only then could they move freely. No wonder the rendezvous point required survivors to arrive at the quarantine site a day in advance.
With modern transportation, escaping a few hours before the nuclear bombs struck would have been more than enough time. The problem was that survivors in the city might be carrying the virus, which has a latent nature .
A hasty evacuation would take virus carriers with them, rendering the nuclear bombing pointless.
At the Level 3 quarantine site, contact with water and food was prohibited, while at the Level 2 site, they could eat and use the restroom. Blood tests were still required.
The atmosphere at the Level 1 quarantine site was significantly more relaxed than at the Levels 2 and 3. The survivors, having survived a terrifying nightmare in the Great Bear City, were chatting and laughing.
There was internet access here. Bai Mu took out his phone, which had been switched off the whole time… no signal.
"Your quarantine is over. You are now free to move around in the designated area. Go to the storage point to retrieve your belongings. When the time comes, you will leave with the group." A soldier arrived at the Level 1 quarantine zone where Bai Mu was located.
"Great! Finally, we can leave here!" Some people were filled with relief, while others couldn't wait to run to the storage area.
Some of these people hadn't had time to escape before the biohazard outbreak, while others had other ideas, such as making a fortune from the chaos.
They didn't dare to buy things for free before, but now that most people were dead, they could, right?
Besides, it wasn't easy to escape at first. There was no nuclear bomb threat yet, but the city was sealed off after the biohazard outbreak, and even if you wanted to escape, you had to undergo quarantine.
It was said that the quarantine conditions were worse back then because there were too many people, and many serious incidents broke out during the quarantine.
Unlike now, the quarantine ended easily, thanks to the fewer people.
Bai Mu found the box containing his belongings at the storage point, which had a corresponding storage tag.
Upon opening the box, as expected, there was no sign of the vaccine. Those armed men at the rendezvous point were gone forever.
"At least leave me one, you bastards..." Bai Mu picked up the remaining dagger from the box, sighed, at least he had something left.
Just as Bai Mu was about to pack up and leave, a pistol, two magazines, a new cell phone, and several other items were placed in his locker.
"I retrieved what the staff left behind."
"Uncle Thorn, are you alright?"
Thorn's face darkened. "What, you want me to be hurt? Hurry up and grab your things, get ready to evacuate."
"Leaving together?"
"Of course." Thorn nodded. "We're leaving with the vaccine transport team."
Bai Mu twirled the vaccine in his hand. "I'm a little surprised this thing actually came back."
"Vaccine research only requires samples, how hard can it be to get them back? It's not a virus." Thorn said casually, but whether it was really that easy, Bai Mu didn't know.
Bai Mu remembered that vaccines were supposed to be related to the virus itself… but since Thor was able to retrieve it, the connection shouldn't be too strong, right?
He didn't understand these things, so he didn't ask further.
Leaving this place was enough; he could worry about the rest later. More than the vaccine and the virus, Bai Mu was curious about whether his involvement in this strange dream was a time travel or a dream.
If it was a time travel, then he'd have to consider how to live in this world from now on; if it was a dream… then when would this dream end?
Because of Thor's connection, Bai Mu left with another convoy.
Thor's reasoning was simple: since they could leave via any route, he might as well go with him.
In short, this older man was worried about Bai Mu leaving alone, not because he was concerned about Bai Mu's combat abilities—along the way, Bai Mu had handled a gun like a skilled novice, but after fighting his way out of the Great Bear City, he was no longer a novice.
He worried that if Bai Mu left via the regular route, he would be targeted. Bai Mu himself wasn't valuable; the vaccine he possessed was!
Bai Mu and Thorn chatted idly in a car.
"I thought it would be a special transport plane, or a helicopter would work too."
Before his transmigration, he had only ever flown on commercial airlines.
"It's the same." Thorn looked out at the wilderness and took out a piece of paper with an address written on it: "Once we get there, go here to resolve your identity issues, then contact me."
Bai Mu didn't have an identity, unlike the others in the quarantine zone. Their identities were easy to check; his words didn't reveal much, yet Bai Mu was still unharmed, not because he was special.
Moreover, this young man was an experimental subject Thorn had rescued from the lab. Most people sent there were sent through various illegal means, essentially traveling abroad without a passport.
"Thank you, Uncle Thorn."
Thorn nodded, looking at the sky outside: "If you're sleepy, take a rest. We'll be there when you wake up."
"Then I'll take a nap." Bai Mu lay down and fell asleep.
He was awakened by a loud explosion. Startled awake by the violent shaking, Bai Mu was a little frantic: "Is this ever going to end?"
Before he could even react, a hand yanked him out of the car. Bai Mu was about to resist when he heard Thorn's voice: "It's me."
"What happened now?" Bai Mu pulled out his handgun.
"We were attacked, but unfortunately, it wasn't zombies this time." Thorn shoved an assault rifle into Bai Mu's arms. It was an
M16 rifle, but Bai Mu didn't recognize the exact model; it probably came from the unfortunate corpse of an army soldier nearby.
"The people who attacked us weren't after the vaccine, were they?"
"The vaccine is probably only part of the reason." Thorn said in a deep voice, "This isn't about fighting zombies. Don't fire indiscriminately. Try to find a place to hide. If you have a chance, break out with the team."
Thinking of something, Thorn handed Bai Mu a backpack and a memory disk: "Take this. If you can get out of here safely, try to contact the people at the address. If something unexpected happens, destroy the memory disk, destroy it completely!"
Bai Mu realized what this thing was; Thorn had a secret mission.
After quickly giving instructions, Thor rushed out. His enhanced physical abilities on the battlefield far surpassed those of ordinary soldiers.
In a movie, he'd be a quintessential tough guy, a monster bullets would dodge.
Thor's addition to the battle alleviated the dire situation for the attacked convoy. A comeback was impossible; he was a virus enhancer, not Superman.
The convoy's soldiers were still being badly beaten, and reinforcements seemed unlikely. In this battlefield, Bai Mu felt particularly at ease. Honestly, modern warfare was far more exciting than facing zombies.
Then a soldier hurriedly passed by: "Get moving, rookie! The attackers' offensive has weakened; we're preparing to break out!"
"Coming," Bai Mu quickly followed.
The soldier glanced at Bai Mu's attire, then paused: "You're a survivor? Never mind, come along."
There were others in the convoy besides Bai Mu, and Bai Mu wasn't the only one with connections. However, Bai Mu's behavior was much better than some of the terrified survivors, so letting him join was fine.
More people mean more fighting power, and more firepower can be distributed...
(End of Chapter)