Chapter 348 - 170: Bridge

Chapter 348: Chapter 170: Bridge

The roars grew more frequent and louder. The zombies, who hid inside buildings during the day, were finally emerging now that night had fallen.

Xu Mo listened to the zombies’ roars for a moment. After confirming they weren’t heading his way, he lay back down and closed his eyes.

Xu Mo was incredibly thankful he’d made the right decision. If he had tried to drive through the city center tonight, he would likely be surrounded by a horde of zombies by now.

Even if he managed to fight his way through, it would come at a great cost. But here on the bridge, the zombies would first have to get past the pile of cars blocking the road, which should hold them off for a while. And even if they did manage to get through, he’d be able to spot them in advance and prepare.

Listening to the roars, Xu Mo slowly drifted off to sleep.

「The next morning」

When Xu Mo woke up, the roars had vanished. The city center had returned to its daytime silence. The zombies had probably retreated back into the buildings.

Xu Mo got out of the car to stretch his stiff neck and shoulders, then pushed aside the few cars he had used to block the road the night before.

Once the road was clear, Xu Mo didn’t drive toward the city center. Instead, he followed the highway along the river, heading upstream.

As he was falling asleep the previous night, Xu Mo had thought it over and ultimately decided to take a detour.

’A detour might be longer, but it’s much better than risking a trip through that city. Who knows how many zombies are in there? Or if there are more advanced beings? Just like Void in Luochuan City... if this city is hiding something similar, I’ll be in deep trouble.’

’Besides, the SUV has plenty of fuel. Taking a longer route to avoid trouble is the smart choice.’

The SUV cruised along the riverside highway. To its right, the river churned. To its left was the silhouette of Jiangzhou City, and the sun was beginning to climb higher.

Xu Mo gripped the steering wheel, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the river to his right. The water shimmered under the sunlight, looking calm and peaceful. But he knew better than anyone what lurked beneath that placid surface.

As he continued driving, his gaze fell upon a medium-sized passenger ship. It was anchored not far from the bank, its hull mostly intact with no obvious signs of damage. The deck was deserted, save for a few faded flags fluttering limply in the wind.

’What if...’

A thought suddenly popped into Xu Mo’s mind. ’What if I traveled by water?’

Once the idea took root, it grew like a weed.

’Traveling by water, I could avoid the dense hordes of zombies on the ground. Highways, towns, villages—all those places are gathering spots for zombies. But the river... it should be empty. Zombies can’t swim, or at least, the common ones can’t. Those mutated aquatic creatures are dangerous, but they’re in the water, and the boat is on the surface. As long as I don’t fall in, it shouldn’t be a big problem.’

’Besides, the river is a direct route. Following it downstream will lead straight to the coast. Ming Pearl Port is right on the coast. No detours, no climbing mountains, no passing through dangerous cities.’

Xu Mo’s fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel, but then another thought surfaced.

’I don’t know how to pilot a boat. That’s a very real problem. I’ve barely even used a paddle boat a few times in my life, let alone a real motorboat like this. Those boats look like they have complicated dashboards and control levers. Who knows how to start it? How to steer? How to dock?’

’And...’

Xu Mo’s gaze swept over the river’s surface. ’What about the mutated aquatic creatures?’

He recalled the mutated fish he had encountered in the F-6 patrol zone back in Jiang City. They could leap from the water to attack and could shoot high-pressure jets of water. ’What if I’m out in the middle of the river and get swarmed by a school of those things? What if they smash through the hull?’

Besides, he couldn’t swim. Xu Mo had been a landlubber his whole life. ’If something happened to the boat,’ he thought, ’I’d just sink to the bottom of the river and become fish food.’

Xu Mo shook his head. ’The water route is just too risky.’

As he tore his gaze from the river, another idea surfaced.

’If the water route is out, what about by air?’

Xu Mo looked up at the sky through the car window. No birds, no clouds—nothing.

’Does this mean there are fewer mutated birds in this area?’

Xu Mo’s mind started racing. ’If I could just find a propeller plane...’

’I’ve heard propeller planes are easy to learn—no complex controls or long-term training needed. Plus, they’re fuel-efficient and can run on regular gasoline. They can even take off and land on normal roads. It would be incredibly convenient.’

’If I could find a working propeller plane and fly, I could avoid all the dangers on the ground completely. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about the zombies, Mutant Beasts, or Mutants at all. I would just need to fly southeast, and I’d reach Ming Pearl Port.’

A spark of light appeared in Xu Mo’s eyes, but it dimmed just as quickly.

’Finding a plane might be the easy part, but who would teach me how to fly it? Teach myself? What if it malfunctioned mid-flight and I came crashing down from the sky? There wouldn’t even be a body left to bury.’

Xu Mo sighed. ’The air route is just as risky.’

After brainstorming for a moment, Xu Mo brought his focus back to the road ahead.

’The water’s a no-go, and the sky is out, too. Looks like I’ll have to stick to the ground. It’s slower and more dangerous, but at least it’s a method I’m familiar with.’

However, those ideas didn’t disappear completely. Xu Mo filed them away in a corner of his mind, labeled as backup plans. Maybe he’d find the right opportunity in the future. If he ever learned how to fly a plane or pilot a boat, those plans could come in handy.