This safe zone used to be a training base. Due to its excellent geographical location, after the outbreak of the apocalypse, the city government and the military cordoned off this area and several surrounding places, making it a shelter for survivors.
Moreover, after the government cleared all the zombies in this area, they began broadcasting the location of this safe zone throughout the city around the clock, trying to let as many survivors as possible know about its existence.
In addition to that, they also send teams out every day to collect supplies from outside and support the survivors in the city, helping them come to the safe zone.
When Ruan Ning listened to Xue Chen introduce the situation of the safe zone, she suddenly remembered something. It seemed like the rescue team that the original host encountered in high school in her previous life was sent by this safe zone located in the outskirts of S City.
If this part of the plot hasn’t changed, then shouldn’t the rescue team be arriving at High School No. 1 soon?
Ruan Ning’s clear eyes darkened. She didn’t know if the woman who pushed the original host into the zombie pile, causing her innocent death, would be saved this time.
Without others to shield her in critical moments, could she safely leave the school and arrive at the safe zone?
Although Ruan Ning didn’t like to actively provoke trouble, she had occupied this body for so long. If she really encountered that woman here, even if she didn’t seek justice for the original host but to ease her own conscience, she had to help the original host get revenge.
…
In front of the fence erected outside the safe zone, a line of iron barriers blocked the road, and next to it stood a team of soldiers in uniform holding weapons.
Seeing a car approaching this way, one of the men walked over and sternly stopped their car.
“All the people in the car need to get out for inspection now, and foreign vehicles are not allowed to enter the safe zone.” The man stood by the car window and said in a deep voice, paying little attention to who was inside the car.
These people had been guarding this place every day, and they had seen countless survivors. Especially in the past two days, the number of survivors coming to the safe zone had increased, and they had to arrange for hundreds of people every day.
It was Xue Chen who recognized the man’s face and called out, “Zhang Tian.”
Hearing someone call his name, the man looked surprised and turned to Xue Chen, who was sitting in the passenger seat, and the others in the car. “Xue Chen? Your squad finally came back from the mission!”
Indeed, Zhang Tian knew Xue Chen. They joined the army in the same year, and their relationship was good.
After the apocalypse, Zhang Tian only knew that their squad had been sent on a mission but didn’t know the specific details of the mission.
They hadn’t returned to the safe zone for many days, and he thought something had happened halfway. He didn’t hear any news when he inquired around.
Unexpectedly, after ten days, they finally came back.
“It’s good that you’re back safely.” He smiled and said, feeling relieved.
Xue Chen arrived at the safe zone, saw familiar faces, and felt good. There was a smile on his face. “There are more zombies in the city area, so it took us some extra time to come and go.”
Zhang Tian expressed understanding. Everyone knew how crowded the city area was before the apocalypse, which led to chaos now. It was difficult to get in, and even more difficult to get out. If one wasn’t careful, they would encounter zombie groups, and many people had perished there.
“I didn’t expect the safe zone to change so much in just a few days. I almost didn’t recognize it.” He sighed.
Before their squad left, the safe zone was still relatively simple. However, when they returned, they found guards stationed outside and many additional defence measures.
“Indeed, there are more people in the safe zone now compared to when you left,” Zhang Tian briefly described the changes in the safe zone after they left.
Then he looked at Ruan Ning and the other two who got out of the car with the squad and asked, “Who are these?”
Due to Ruan Ning’s special identity, Xue Chen didn’t disclose anything about her.
Zhang Tian, also from the army, quickly understood Xue Chen’s ambiguous attitude, realizing that this person might be related to their mission this time, so he didn’t inquire further about things he shouldn’t know.
Zhang Tian simply registered them and let them pass.
However, for the sake of the safe zone, all incoming people still needed the necessary checks.
“Miss Ruan, everyone entering the safe zone must be checked to ensure there are no zombie scratches,” Xue Chen said gently. “Once you’re done, we’ll wait for you at the entrance.”
Ruan Ning nodded in agreement and then went into a room with the guide.
The room was slightly larger than a regular room, about twenty or thirty square meters.
In addition to two female staff inside, there were also several other people who, like Ruan Ning and her group, came from outside.
However, the inspection process in this safe zone was unexpectedly humane and simple, which surprised Ruan Ning. They only needed to take off their jackets, and if no obvious bloodstains or wounds were found on their bodies, the inspection could be completed quickly.
What Ruan Ning didn’t know was that not everyone went through this type of small private room for inspection.
More people who came from outside were generally arranged together into the large room next door, which was converted from a factory.
There, the situation was chaotic, and there were many people. If someone turned into a zombie on the spot during the inspection, it could lead to fatalities.
“I got this wound accidentally from a knife, not from a zombie scratch,” Ruan Ning heard a woman next to her saying anxiously as she put on her jacket.
“If it wasn’t a zombie scratch, why hide it? I’m not going to eat you,” the staff member said, putting down the anaesthesia needle and continuing, “After you put on your clothes, someone will take you to another room for observation. If nothing happens within twenty-four hours, you’ll be allowed into the safe zone.”
Now the people in the safe zone also realized that not everyone who was scratched by a zombie would turn into one. Therefore, those who were injured would be arranged to be observed in a heavily guarded room.
If nothing happened after a day, the person would be released. Of course, if there were any signs of infection, that person would be shot.
Liu Rou and her child had no issues, and after entering the safe zone together, they parted ways.
Ruan Ning didn’t try to persuade them to stay.
After all, the squad wasn’t under her command, and she was struggling to ensure her own safety. While she quite liked this mother and daughter duo, it didn’t mean she was responsible for their future.
In this regard, she was quite rational.
******
The five members of the squad didn’t return to their original accommodations but were instead arranged to stay in a standalone villa with Ruan Ning.
Ruan Ning knew without thinking that she received such treatment due to the care and attention of the Gu family.
The villa was spacious enough for all six of them to live comfortably.
Considering the gender differences and fearing that Ruan Ning might not be comfortable living with others, Xue Chen arranged for her to have a room on the second floor alone, while the others stayed on the first floor.
Although Ruan Ning thought it was unnecessary to be so particular even in the apocalypse, not even living on the same floor together, since it was already arranged this way, she didn’t say anything further.
Despite being in a villa, there weren’t many furnishings inside. Most of them seemed to have been taken away by the safe zone as resources from the beginning.
There were few items in the rooms, with only a lonely bed placed in the middle, lacking even a decent mattress.
Ruan Ning’s space had some daily necessities, and she had also brought in some expensive furniture from her apartment. But now that she wasn’t alone in this place, if these things were suddenly discovered, how would she explain where they came from to the others?
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