Chapter 62 Quality
Other vehicles followed closely behind, and Bai Tang and his group also drove up after them.
Bai Tang and his group were the fourth or fifth from the end, because the last small team to arrive had three cars.
There are still some capable people in the base, otherwise the team behind wouldn't have been driving three vehicles, since gasoline is a precious and non-renewable commodity.
Although new energy vehicles existed before the apocalypse, they are no longer effective now that the apocalypse has arrived.
In the apocalypse, without gasoline and cars, the only options are bicycles, tricycles, and other primitive means of transportation, or simply walking.
Bai Tang drove behind the car in front.
The base's snowplows were clearing the way at the front, so it wasn't that the scientists didn't want to come to the base, but rather that the heavy snow had blocked the roads.
Their research institute didn't have enough gasoline to support the vehicles on the road, and they couldn't just leave their research results there unattended, so they were barely managing to stay afloat with the supplies stored in the basement of the institute.
After the base restored the signal in a certain area, it received their distress signal and immediately organized personnel to carry out a rescue operation.
Amidst the vast expanse of white snow, their makeshift convoy, viewed from the air, resembled rows of small beetles moving forward.
We followed the car in front of us for almost two hours. Normally, a 50-kilometer drive should only take about an hour, even if you drive slowly.
But now the heavy snow has blocked the roads, and the snowplows ahead are clearing the road little by little, so they have been walking for almost two hours.
At this moment, Captain Zhao Lei said into the walkie-talkie:
"We will rest for ten minutes. During the rest, please be aware of your surroundings to avoid being attacked by mutated animals."
Except for the snowplow at the front, which did not stop working, all the other vehicles stopped and rested in place, with three people taking turns driving the snowplows.
Gu Yanxu told them to be on their toes and keep a close eye on their surroundings.
Bai Tang and the others didn't get out of the car during their rest period; they just ate something simple in the car to replenish their energy.
Bai Tang had specially placed a backpack in Lin Feng's car, which was full of packaged energy-boosting food.
As for going to the toilet, Bai Tang would sneak into the space to relieve himself, since their off-road vehicle had a privacy screen, so no one outside could see inside.
The others kept spittoons in their cars, and after relieving themselves, they would open the window and empty the spittoons out. Although it smelled a bit, everyone did it that way.
Don't say they lack manners. It's the apocalypse, who cares about manners? It's good enough that people can survive.
Besides, getting out of the car to use the restroom in this kind of weather would be suicidal; you'd easily freeze.
Once everyone had rested enough, the convoy slowly began to move forward again.
Bai Tang quickly followed the car in front, and after driving for nearly two more hours, they finally arrived at the location of the research institute on the map.
Listening to the voice coming from the walkie-talkie:
"We have arrived. Everyone can park the car, but please try not to get separated. According to the distress message from the research institute staff, there are mutated animals roaming around here."
After parking the car, Bai Tang and the others, bundled up tightly, got out.
The building in front of me should be a research institute, but the doors and windows are completely surrounded by a large area of plants.
It should be a plant; the withered yellow with green tinges are likely leaves and vines.
Bai Tang then understood why the people inside didn't risk coming out to ask for help.
That's because the doors and windows of the research institute were covered by this unknown plant, so they couldn't get out at all.
The reason this plant is unidentified is because it has likely mutated, making it difficult to recognize at first glance. Otherwise, what ordinary plant could survive in this kind of weather?
When they arrived at their destination, the snowplows continued working, clearing a space from the nearby snow to make it easier for them to drive their vehicles there.
Then I heard Zhao Lei say on the walkie-talkie:
"We need to remove the outer layer of vegetation before we can get inside for the rescue. Military teams, get ready."
The military squad was seen preparing to use manpower to cut down the vines at the entrance.
One person rushed to the front, picked up his military knife and slashed at the vines, only to find that he had only made a shallow cut.
His cut did not cause significant damage to the plant's vines.
Soon, others also discovered that cutting the vines with a knife was ineffective against them, even though it was a military-grade dagger.
Now they all understood why the people inside weren't coming out—it wasn't that they didn't want to, but that they couldn't.
Now it was Zhao Lei's turn to be in a dilemma. He didn't dare to use fire, lest the fire get too big and burn down the entire research institute.
Gu Yanxu had seen these mutated plants that were difficult to cut down in his previous life; they must be: Virginia creeper.
So he stepped forward and said to Captain Zhao Lei:
"If you can't burn a large area with fire, you can try using small bombs to blow up the vines at the front door."
Gu Yanxu discovered this by accident, but he didn't use a bomb at the time; it was a small explosion caused by a Molotov cocktail.
After being reminded, Captain Zhao Wei immediately understood the situation. He then ordered people to fetch small bombs and arranged for professional personnel to install targeted explosive bombs at the entrance of the research institute.
A short while later, the professionals quickly installed the pinpoint explosive bomb, and Zhao Lei hurriedly instructed everyone to retreat to a safe distance.
After everyone retreated to a safe distance, Zhao Lei had the fixed-point bomb detonated.
With a loud bang, all that could be seen floating in front of us were dust and fragments of plant vines.
The plant vines covering the entrance of the research institute had been blown to pieces by the bomb.
Fortunately, the entrance to the research institute was some distance from their laboratory; otherwise, Zhao Lei wouldn't have dared to use a fixed-point explosive bomb to blow up the institute's gate.
After clearing away the vines at the entrance of the research institute and forcibly dismantling the gate, Zhao Lei led his men inside.
Bai Tang and the others followed them inside, while a few people stayed outside to guard their car.
Gu Yanxu asked Lin Feng and Lin Zhou to stay and watch the car as well.
When you're out and about, you have to be wary of others.
The group went inside, followed by Zhao Lei, who led the way with a map of the research institute.
They quickly located the research lab where the person in distress was.
Then they discovered that everyone in the research lab looked pale and sickly, clearly due to long-term malnutrition.
When the staff inside the research institute heard the explosion outside, they knew that someone must be coming to rescue them.
The head of the research lab, seeing government officials arrive to provide assistance, said with tears in his eyes:
"You've finally arrived. If you hadn't come, we probably wouldn't have been able to hold on."
We wanted to get out, but we couldn't open the door or windows no matter what we tried.
Zhao Lei quickly instructed his team to get some quick energy-boosting food for the people at the research institute so they could replenish their strength.
Once they had replenished their supplies, Zhao Lei prepared to lead them out of the research institute.