Two Worlds in the Apocalypse: Each journey through the modern world lasts 60 seconds.

Chapter 166 Helping Hand

The SUV slowly drove into the gate of the Linhe Town settlement. Xu Mo gripped the steering wheel and glanced at both sides.

Inside the wall is a narrow road paved with gravel, which looks like it was recently leveled. There are dense houses on both sides of the road. Some of the doors and windows are intact, while others are dilapidated, but most of them show signs of being lived in. There are piles of clutter in front of the doors, plastic sheets pasted on the windows, and occasionally clothes can be seen drying in the sun.

Some people leaned out of the windows, curiously peering at Xu Mo's SUV. More people followed behind the car, watching from a distance.

Xu Mo could sense the complex emotions in those gazes—curiosity, awe, gratitude, and a hint of inexplicable fear. They had probably all witnessed him single-handedly cutting through the horde of zombies outside the wall.

In this apocalyptic world where every day is uncertain, a person who can kill hundreds of zombies single-handedly is probably no different from a myth in their eyes.

The car drove across a street and a small square appeared ahead.

Several dilapidated trucks and tractors were parked in the center of the square, along with some miscellaneous items. Zhou Jianguo walked quickly in front of the vehicles, waving back as he went, signaling Xu Mo to follow him.

Xu Mo drove to an open space next to the square, following the signs, and stopped.

As soon as the car stopped, Zhou Jianguo greeted him with a smile. He extended his hand, then seemed to think it was inappropriate, and finally just rubbed his hands together with some reverence, saying, "Welcome, welcome! You are our savior in Linhe Town!"

Behind Zhou Jianguo followed several men, all key members of the group who had fought on the wall earlier. There was the burly man with the machete, the tall, thin young man, and a few others whose names he didn't recognize. Their eyes, as they looked at Xu Mo, held both gratitude and an undisguised awe.

Xu Mo understood their feelings at that moment. In the battle just now, he had single-handedly fought his way through the horde of zombies, quickly eliminating over a hundred of them, including those level-one mutated zombies that had been giving them a headache. Such combat power far exceeded the combined strength of their entire settlement.

Without his intervention, the losses in Linhe Town today would likely have been devastating. The walls would most likely have been breached, and once the zombies flooded into the town, the elderly, women, and children hiding in the houses would be in grave danger.

Even if they could hold out, the casualties would be considerable, so it was normal for them to be overly attentive. After a brief exchange of pleasantries and announcing their names, Zhou Jianguo led Xu Mo to the resting place.

"Mr. Xu, please come in and have a seat." Zhou Jianguo stepped aside to lead the way. "Our conditions here are simple, but we do have tea."

You must be tired from your journey, please take a rest.

Xu Mo nodded and followed him toward a two-story building not far away, which looked like an office from before the apocalypse.

Zhou Jianguo invited Xu Mo to sit down in a chair, while he sat opposite him, and then instructed the tall, thin young man to pour tea.

"Mr. Xu," Zhou Jianguo began, "we are truly grateful to you today. If it weren't for your help, we would all be in serious trouble. On behalf of all 312 people in Linhe Town, thank you!"

He was about to stand up and bow when he said that.

Xu Mo waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down.

"No need for that. I just happened to be passing by."

"I still have to thank you!" Zhou Jianguo insisted. "You don't know, those zombies have been surrounding us for two days. We had limited bullets and manpower, and we really couldn't hold on. If it weren't for you today, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Xu Mo did not respond.

The tall, thin young man brought over a cup of tea and carefully placed it in front of Xu Mo. The teacup was enamel, slightly chipped, but very clean. The tea was very pale, and it was unclear what kind of leaves it was made from, but in this apocalyptic world, a cup of hot tea was a rare treat.

Xu Mo picked up the teacup, took a sip, and found it warm with a hint of bitterness.

He put down his teacup and looked at Zhou Jianguo.

"Chief Zhou, I have a question to ask."

Zhou Jianguo nodded hurriedly: "Please go ahead, please go ahead."

"This place," Xu Mo paused, "isn't marked on the map, but these buildings don't look newly built. What's going on with this town?"

Zhou Jianguo paused for a moment, then sighed.

"Since Mr. Xu asked about this, I'll tell you the truth." He rubbed his hands together. "This town was originally abandoned."

"Abandoned?" Xu Mo asked in surprise.

"Yes." Zhou Jianguo nodded. "This town was abandoned before the zombie outbreak; everyone moved elsewhere. Me."

He paused, as if organizing his thoughts.

"We originally moved out of this town. After the zombie outbreak, our original place was full of zombies, and we couldn't stay there any longer. So we thought of this abandoned town, thinking that there shouldn't be any zombies there, so we moved in."

Xu Mo nodded, understanding.

An abandoned town, free of zombies, with existing houses and walls, truly seemed like an ideal refuge. No wonder it wasn't marked on the map—such places weren't officially recorded, and even if they were, they would be outdated.

"How long have you been here?" Xu Mo asked.

"It's been almost a year," Zhou Jianguo said. "At the beginning, we had five or six hundred people. The elderly, women, children, and us young adults. Everyone worked together to clean up the town, reinforce the walls, and cultivate the land. Although life was..."

It was tough, but at least things have settled down.

As he said this, his expression darkened.

"But then—sigh!"

Xu Mo didn't speak, but just looked at him quietly.

Zhou Jianguo sighed and continued, "Then the trouble started. There wasn't enough food; the little land we cultivated wasn't nearly enough. Supplies were also scarce—medicine, bullets..."

Clothes, everything is lacking. The worst part is those mutated beasts, they come to harass us every few days. Sometimes it's just a few, sometimes a whole pack. We can't fight them, we can't escape them, we can only tough it out.

He looked up at Xu Mo, his eyes slightly red.

"After a year, there were five or six hundred people, but now there are only three hundred and twelve left. Half of them died in the mouths of those mutated beasts."

Xu Mo remained silent for a few seconds.

He could imagine the hardship: a group of ordinary people, without superpowers, sophisticated weapons, or even sturdy defenses, struggling to survive in the apocalypse. When mutated beasts attacked, they could only use their own flesh and blood to hold them off; when food was scarce, they had to tighten their belts; when someone was injured or infected, they had to personally send their loved ones to their deaths.

It's already quite an achievement to have survived to this day.

"I understand," Xu Mo said briefly.

Zhou Jianguo wiped his face and forced a smile.

"Please excuse my poor appearance. Let's not talk about that. Mr. Xu, where are you from? Are you just passing through, or—?"

He asked cautiously, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Xu Mo looked at him but did not answer immediately.

He knew what Zhou Jianguo was thinking. The sudden appearance of a highly skilled fighter here likely meant he was sent by a large shelter. If such a place truly existed—safe, organized, and resourceful—it would be a tremendous source of hope for the people of Linhe Town.

"I come from Jiangcheng," Xu Mo said.

"Jiangcheng?" Zhou Jianguo paused, exchanged a glance with the person next to him, and they both shook their heads. "Never heard of it—"

"A large shelter," Xu Mo said, "located to the northwest, about a thousand kilometers from here."

Zhou Jianguo's eyes widened.

A thousand kilometers?

Xu Mo nodded.

"I'm on my way to Pearl Harbor on a mission, and I'll be passing through here."

Zhou Jianguo opened his mouth, unsure of what to say. The others beside him were also stunned, their gazes towards Xu Mo becoming even more complex.

One thousand kilometers!

In this post-apocalyptic world, what does a thousand kilometers mean? It means traversing countless lairs of zombies and facing unimaginable dangers. The person who could drive a thousand kilometers alone to get here is far more formidable than they imagined.

"Pearl Harbor—" Zhou Jianguo murmured repeatedly, "Never heard of it either."

"It's a large shelter by the sea," Xu Mo said. "Now we're out of contact, and Jiang Cheng sent me to check on the situation."

Zhou Jianguo remained silent for a while, then let out a long sigh.

"Mr. Xu, you are a true hero," he said, his tone filled with sincere admiration. "We wouldn't even dare to imagine traveling this far alone."

Xu Mo didn't reply; he simply picked up his teacup and took another sip.

Next, Xu Mo made his request.

"Chief Zhou, I'd like to stay here for the night and rest. Also, could you perhaps give me some gas?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jianguo nodded quickly, "No problem, no problem! Mr. Xu, please feel free to stay, as long as you like. We have some gas, not a lot, but enough to fill it up for you!"

As he spoke, he instructed the tall, thin young man to make the arrangements.

Xu Mo waved his hand.

"I still have more than half a box in my car. I'm just stopping by to replenish it, just in case."

Zhou Jianguo nodded repeatedly and then instructed people to prepare dinner and lodging.

Xu Mo thought for a moment and then said, "I don't need any food. I have my own dry rations."

Zhou Jianguo was taken aback, then quickly said, "How can we do that! You've helped us so much, and we wouldn't even accept a meal from you. We'd feel terrible!"

Xu Mo shook his head.

"Your supplies aren't plentiful either, so I'll just take the oil."

Before Zhou Jianguo could say anything more, Xu Mo had already stood up.

"Take me to see the car."

Zhou Jianguo personally accompanied Xu Mo back to the square, where the tall, thin young man was already waiting with several people. They opened the fuel tank cap of the SUV and used a hose to siphon oil from a drum, their movements practiced and clearly indicating they did this often.

Xu Mo stood aside and watched, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the surroundings.

On the edge of the square, several children peeked from a corner. The oldest was no more than ten years old, and the youngest was only four or five. They were all thin and pale, dressed in tattered clothes. But in their eyes, there was something—curiosity, and a faint longing.

Xu Mo withdrew his gaze.

Zhou Jianguo stood next to Xu Mo, followed his gaze, and sighed.

"They are all orphans, their parents are gone, they are all left."

Xu Mo didn't speak. After a few seconds of silence, he finally said, "Chief Zhou, there's something I need to remind you of."

Zhou Jianguo quickly turned his head: "Please speak."

"Those zombie corpses outside," Xu Mo paused, "we need to burn them."

Zhou Jianguo paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes, yes, we'll deal with it later."

Xu Mo looked at him and shook his head.

"It's not about looking back, it's about doing it as soon as possible, preferably today."

Zhou Jianguo was somewhat puzzled: "Mr. Xu, are you worried that those corpses will attract other zombies? Don't worry, we've dealt with that many times before, as long as they don't attract zombies." Xu Mo interrupted him, "they attract mutations."

"Mutation?" Zhou Jianguo asked, puzzled.

Xu Mo's gaze fell on the group of children.

"I found a huge pile of zombie corpses before I arrived; those were dumped by you too, weren't they?"

Zhou Jianguo nodded upon hearing this.

"You saw those carrion-eating birds too, didn't you?"

Zhou Jianguo continued to nod.

"Those birds eat zombie corpses, and over time they mutate, then they won't be ordinary birds anymore." Xu Mo looked at him. "Have you ever seen a mutated bird?"

Zhou Jianguo's expression changed.

"I saw them—I saw them once." His voice trembled slightly. "A huge flock, passing through our area, darkening the sky. We hid inside, too afraid to come out, and only dared to emerge after they left. Later, I heard that a village to the east was also affected by those birds—"

He couldn't continue.

Xu Mo nodded.

"That's exactly right. If those corpses aren't disposed of and the birds eat them every day, it won't be long before a flock of mutated birds appears in this sky. At that point, your town might become their first target."

Sweat beaded on Zhou Jianguo's forehead.

"Mr. Xu is right! Right!" He nodded repeatedly. "I'll have someone burn it right away! Immediately!"

He turned to leave, but Xu Mo called out to him, "Wait a minute."

Zhou Jianguo stopped.

"And what about those who were bitten?" Xu Mo said, "What will you do if they turn into zombies?"

Zhou Jianguo paused for a second, then said in a low voice, "We—we will send them away."

Xu Mo nodded.

"That's good."

He didn't say anything more.

After filling up the gas tank, Xu Mo returned to the car and drove to the accommodation Zhou Jianguo had arranged. It was a relatively well-maintained house in the town, with a small courtyard and parking space. Zhou Jianguo had also arranged for two people to guard the door, saying it was to prevent disturbances, and Xu Mo did not refuse.

After entering the house and closing the door, Xu Mo sat down in a chair and let out a long breath.

Outside, Zhou Jianguo's voice could be faintly heard, loudly ordering people to burn the corpse. There were also other people talking, a chaotic murmur, but Xu Mo ignored it.

In the evening, Xu Mo was maintaining his firearms when he heard a knock on the door.

"Mr. Xu? Mr. Xu?" It was Zhou Jianguo's voice. "Dinner is ready. Would you like something?"

"No need, I have my own food." Xu Mo said while maintaining his gun. There was a moment of silence outside the door, then Zhou Jianguo's voice rang out again: "Then you should rest well. Call for help if you need anything."

As the footsteps faded into the distance, Xu Mo took out his triangular dagger and began to maintain it.

Outside the window, the sky gradually darkened. A few lights appeared in the settlement, and the laughter of children and the voices of adults drifted from afar, intermittent and unclear.

After finishing his meal, Xu Mo walked to the window and looked outside through the glass.

There was a bonfire over in the square. The firelight illuminated the figures of several people sitting around it, seemingly discussing something. Zhou Jianguo's voice could be faintly heard, along with the voices of others echoing him.

Xu Mo didn't listen; he knew what they were discussing.

It's simply a matter of whether or not to go to Jiangcheng, since they learned of Jiangcheng's existence from him.

A thousand kilometers is a distance that Xu Mo can cross, but for ordinary people it's an insurmountable chasm. Without enough vehicles, sufficient supplies, and the ability to deal with dangers on the road, setting off rashly would only result in death on the way.

So, despite the discussion, it will probably remain in the end.

Meanwhile, around the bonfire in the square, several key figures from Linhe Town were indeed discussing this matter.

"Brother Zhou, do you think Jiangcheng is really that good?" the tall, thin young man asked.

Zhou Jianguo did not answer immediately.

The burly man with the scar on his face spoke up: "I don't know if it's good or not, but it's definitely better than here. The fact that the people they send out can drive a thousand kilometers alone to carry out missions in more distant places means that place is definitely not simple."

"But that's a thousand kilometers," another person said. "How are we going to get there? Walk? We'll be fed to zombies halfway there."

"Exactly. Besides, they were just passing by; they weren't there to pick us up."

"We should still ask, what if they're willing to take us?"

"Bring? How can he bring? There's only one car, how many people can it fit? And didn't you hear he's going to Pearl Harbor? Isn't he just passing through on his way back to Jiangcheng!"

"And even if he were willing to take you, and you were, would you be willing to abandon your wife and children and run away alone?"

The man was speechless.

Zhou Jianguo sighed and waved his hand.

"Stop arguing."

The crowd fell silent and looked at him.

Zhou Jianguo stared at the campfire in silence for a long time.

"We can't go to that place," he said in a low voice. "A thousand kilometers is too far for us. Even if we could walk there, the mutated beasts and zombies along the way are no match for us. We've survived until today because we've stayed in this town and because we've all stuck together. Once we leave this town, we're nothing."

Everyone fell silent.

"Then you're not going?" the burly man asked.

Zhou Jianguo shook his head.

"It's not that I don't want to go. It's that I can't go right now."

He raised his head and looked at the crowd.

"But we can remember this place, we can prepare, we can wait. When we are stronger, when the roads are safer, maybe one day we will be able to get out too."

Zhou Jianguo paused, then continued, "Even if we can't get out, what about our children? When they grow up, maybe they can go. Then they'll know which way to go."

No one spoke.

The crackling campfire reflected the complex expressions on their faces.

The next morning, when Xu Mo woke up, it was already broad daylight.

After he finished washing up and went outside, he saw that the two men on night watch were still there. When they saw him come out, they immediately stood up straight.

Good morning, Mr. Xu.

Xu Mo nodded.

"Where is Chief Zhou?"

"It's over in the cafeteria. Do you want to go there? I'll take you."

Xu Mo followed the man through several streets to a large house, which had now become the community's communal dining hall. A queue had formed at the entrance, with people carrying bowls in and out.

Zhou Jianguo was talking to a few people at the door when he saw Xu Mo coming over and quickly went to greet him.

"Good morning, Mr. Xu! How did you sleep last night?"

"It's alright," Xu Mo said.

"That's good, that's good." Zhou Jianguo smiled. "You haven't had breakfast yet, have you? Come in, please come in. I specially prepared something nice for you today."

Xu Mo wanted to refuse, but seeing Zhou Jianguo's enthusiasm, he nodded.

The cafeteria was large, with more than a dozen long tables. Most people had already finished eating and left, leaving only a few people sitting in the corner. Zhou Jianguo led Xu Mo to a cleaner table, sat down opposite him, and then ordered someone to bring him food.

A few bowls were brought out shortly afterward.

A bowl of thin porridge, two steamed buns, a small dish of pickled vegetables, and a boiled egg.

In this apocalyptic world, this is indeed a rare "good meal".

Xu Mo stared at the few steamed buns for a second, then fell silent. He had just seen the others eating only porridge and a few bits of pickled vegetables; Zhou Jianguo's claim of their scarce resources was not unfounded.

It seems I'm being treated specially to receive this treatment.

However, Xu Mo did not stand on ceremony and picked up his bowl to eat.

Zhou Jianguo sat opposite him, smiling as he looked at him, but he didn't eat anything himself.

Xu Mo put down the bowl and looked at him.

Aren't you going to eat?

"I've already eaten, I've already eaten," Zhou Jianguo quickly waved his hand.

Xu Mo didn't expose him, but just continued eating.

After finishing his meal, Xu Mo wiped his mouth and looked at Zhou Jianguo.

"Chief Zhou, I have a question."

"Please speak."

Are there any particularly threatening mutated creatures in this area?

Zhou Jianguo paused for a moment, then his eyes lit up.

"Yes! Yes!" He nodded repeatedly. "Mr. Xu, you—"

"Since I took your oil, I might as well help you clean it up," Xu Mo said, "if it's not too far."

Zhou Jianguo was so excited he almost stood up.

"Not far! Not far! Just a dozen or so miles east of town, there's a forest where a pack of mutated wolves lives! And in the ravine to the west, there are a few lone mutated beasts! They've caused us a lot of trouble!"

Xu Mo nodded.

An hour later, Xu Mo stood in front of a grove of dead trees on the east side of the town.

Behind him followed two guides—a burly man with a scar on his face and a young man. They had volunteered to show Xu Mo the way. But Xu Mo knew they also wanted to see for themselves how this man, who could single-handedly cut through hordes of zombies, dealt with the mutated wolves.

"Right here?" Xu Mo asked.

The burly man nodded and lowered his voice, saying, "Right here. There are more than a dozen wolves in that pack, and the leader is a big one, bigger than a calf. We've suffered losses here several times, and several of our brothers have died."

Xu Mo didn't speak, but just looked at the withered forest.

The woods were quiet, but he could faintly smell a fishy stench emanating from them.

"You all wait here," Xu Mo said.

After Xu Mo finished speaking, he rushed into the forest with his triangular dagger in hand, and soon saw the wolf pack.

Xu Mo didn't waste any words; even if these wolves could talk, they wouldn't survive today.

"roar!"

The wolves clearly spotted Xu Mo as well, and with a howl, they pounced on him.

Xu Mo didn't care. The triangular dagger drew a cold arc in the air. The first wolf that pounced on him didn't even touch the hem of his clothes before its head was pierced.

Before its carcass even hit the ground, Xu Mo had already charged into the wolf pack.

The wolves pounced on Xu Mo frantically, but their attacks were futile against him. With each thrust of his triangular dagger, a wolf fell. He weaved through the pack, his movements so fast they were almost invisible.

Finally, the giant wolf charged forward, its jaws wide open, its fangs measuring seven or eight centimeters in length. Xu Mo sidestepped, his three-edged dagger piercing its skull from the side. The giant wolf let out a muffled groan, its massive body swayed, and it collapsed to the ground with a thud.

In less than three minutes, all thirteen mutated wolves were dead. The only thing that puzzled Xu Mo was that these wolves still didn't have crystal cores in their heads.

Xu Mo shook the blood off the triangular dagger and turned to walk out of the withered forest.

The burly man and the young man stood outside the woods, mouths agape, eyes wide open.

"Is it over? Is it over?" the young man stammered.

Xu Mo nodded.

"Next."

Next, Xu Mo went to the west.

There were a few lone mutated beasts there—a mutated wild boar, two mutated badgers, and a reptile of unknown species. The tallest of them was only a level two mutated creature.

For Xu Mo, none of this mattered; the only waste of time was rushing to get there and deal with them.

Moreover, these mutated creatures also lacked crystal cores in their heads, leading Xu Mo to have a different guess about the origin of the crystal cores.

Back outside the town, Xu Mo stopped the car and said to the two men who had been following him, "That's about enough. Go back and tell your Chief Zhou that this area should be much safer from now on. I won't be going back."

"Oh, by the way, this is the route I took on my way from Jiangcheng. You should give it to Chief Zhou when you get back; you might need it sometime."

The burly man and the young man nodded repeatedly, their eyes filled with awe.

"Tell Chief Zhou to take care."

After saying this, Xu Mo drove his SUV onto the highway and drove further and further away.

The burly man and the young man stood there, watching the car disappear from sight.

The SUV drove on the highway, Xu Mo gripped the steering wheel, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

The town of Linhe receded further and further away in the rearview mirror, eventually disappearing below the horizon.

He recalled Zhou Jianguo's words—five or six hundred people, now only three hundred and twelve remain. He thought of those emaciated children, the few steamed buns in the canteen, and the way those people looked at him.

Xu Mo knew he couldn't change anything; all he could do was help them eliminate some threats and leave a glimmer of hope, nothing more.

There are still more than two thousand kilometers to go ahead.

The sun was still scorching, and the heatwave was still intense, but Xu Mo felt a little more relaxed than before.