No matter what, talking about the future now was pointless. Solving the problem in front of them was the most important thing.
Since the acid rain would supposedly stop after two more showers, Lan Jin and the others didn't push about moving back up. But safety underground couldn't be ignored. Even though plenty of ability users were stationed below, nobody could guarantee a strong mutant beast wouldn't suddenly show up.
So Captain Zhang said, "Lan Jin, Lao Gao, Xiao Huang, Ling Jiang, I'm counting on you to keep the underground safe for now. Once we move to the new base, I'll make sure you're given a very good place to live."
Hold on.
New base? Moving again? That was news to them.
When he saw their blank faces, Captain Zhang explained, "Wait, you didn't know? Xiao Huang's parents are in the new base. Didn't they ever mention it to you?"
Huang Jinghe shook his head like mad. "No, never. And once we got down here, all communication cut off. I couldn't contact my parents at all."
Back when they were still above ground, he'd only sent a short message of safety. After that, he never reached out again, afraid of disturbing his parents while they were busy. But that wasn't the point. Lao Gao asked, "What do you mean new base? Don't tell me the higher-ups are still building one and we'll all have to move later?"
Did that mean even the Capital city base wasn't the final stop?
Captain Zhang nodded. "Yes, we'll be moving. Not just us, but the official base will also merge with us. Too many people have died already. If we don't protect the survivors better…"
He didn't finish the thought, but everyone understood. Extinction.
Too many had already died. And while they hadn't personally seen the devastation at other bases, the fact that they were still alive was already a miracle.
…
Moving to another base couldn't be avoided. But if someone inside had really released mutant creatures, then that person was a huge threat. Even if they relocated, the danger would follow them until the culprit was caught.
Lao Gao said, "Honestly, sneaking mutant beasts underground isn't even that hard."
Everyone stared at him strangely, then suddenly remembered. The Maolin's villa.
That villa filled with portraits of mutant beasts. One by one, the monsters had crawled out of the paintings, the scene terrifying beyond words.
The paintings there had been large, so the creatures were all big. But if they were just smaller beasts, the paintings wouldn't need to be large at all. Someone could hide one in a pocket and nobody would notice until it was released. The whole process could happen without anyone realizing.
After that thought, nobody could sit still. But in truth, Lan Jin and her group didn't have the authority to hunt traitors. They weren't involved in the follow-up, only heard rumors later.
Apparently, within two days, Captain Zhang and Captain Wang had caught two suspicious people underground. They were taken away and never seen again.
Whether they confessed anything useful, nobody knew.
…
Captain Zhang had promised the acid rain would end after two more showers. In reality, it lasted four more, and they still had to wait another half month before he and Captain Zhou finally decided to organize the move.
During that half month, everyone had been busy packing. They didn't own much, but the base itself held a lot of supplies. Working together meant saving time, and resources that couldn't be replaced had to be recycled carefully.
When there was nothing left to take, the two captains gave the order to move aboveground. It had only been two months, but once they stepped outside, they realized the environment wasn't something ordinary people could endure anymore.
Because of the acid rain, the air stank of corrosion. And while the rain didn't affect mutant beasts, it had destroyed everything else. When the floodwaters had receded too quickly, countless fish had been stranded and rotted away. The stench of decay was already unbearable, and with acid rain mixed in…
The smell in the air made people dizzy.
Lan Jin finally understood why Captain Zhang insisted the kids wear gas masks. Adults could grit their teeth through it, but children definitely couldn't.
Still, if there were masks for the kids, why not the adults?
Captain Zhang shrugged. "There are too many of us. Supplies aren't enough to go around. Besides, you won't die just from a bad smell. So no masks for adults."
That logic was so blunt it left everyone speechless.
So they covered their noses and marched toward the new base.
On the way, they of course ran into mutant beasts, but for Lan Jin's group, that wasn't even worth mentioning. They wiped them out with ease.
But fate had other plans.
On the third day of their migration, just as everyone had settled down for dinner, the ground began to shake violently.
They were right in the middle of the epicenter. And almost instantly, everyone's hearts sank with the same thought.
Please don't be an earthquake.
But what else could it be?
The tremors hit hard and fast, knocking people off their feet.
Lan Jin dropped her bowl and chopsticks without thinking, scooping her daughter into her arms. Her mind raced. With a quake this strong, accidents could happen any second. Should she hide her family inside her space until it was over? Would that be safer?
She could do it secretly, she was sure. But reality wasn't so simple.
In the chaos, everyone was huddled close together. If she made even the slightest move, someone would notice. And if she was exposed, maybe she could survive alone, but living in the base with everyone else afterward would become impossible.