Chapter 390 - 183: Explanation

Chapter 390: Chapter 183: Explanation

Xu Mo had thought he would be arriving in Xin’an City next, but he was surprised to see a scene different from the wilderness appear on the horizon after driving just over a hundred kilometers.

It was a small town. Xu Mo slowed the car, observing the town ahead through the front windshield.

Large swaths of reclaimed farmland surrounded the town. Although no crops had been planted yet, it meant the survivors here had moved past the pure scavenging phase and were beginning to attempt self-sufficiency.

’To have gotten this far in the apocalypse... this place is something special.’

Xu Mo parked the SUV about two hundred meters from the farmland, got out, and kept his hands where the others could see them.

People were working in the fields, a few of them tilling the soil. They were clearly tense when they spotted Xu Mo’s vehicle, but when they saw he was alone and not charging at them, their tension shifted to wariness and curiosity.

"Don’t be alarmed!" Xu Mo shouted, raising his hands to show he meant no harm. "Just passing through! I have a question!"

One of the slightly older men straightened up, tightened his grip on his hoe, and looked Xu Mo up and down. After a few seconds, he whispered something to the person beside him, then walked toward Xu Mo alone, stopping about a dozen paces away.

"Where you from?" The man’s tone wasn’t friendly, but he didn’t immediately try to run him off, either.

"I’m coming from the west, heading to Xin’an City," Xu Mo answered truthfully. "Just passing by and wanted to ask about this place."

The man glanced at Xu Mo’s car, then at his gear. A complex look—a mixture of envy and vigilance—flashed in his eyes.

After a few seconds of silence, he spoke. "This is Qinglin Town. We have over two thousand people."

’Over two thousand people.’ The number registered with Xu Mo. In this post-apocalyptic world, a settlement of that size was no small matter.

’A settlement of this size had to be backed by either formidable firepower or a stable source of resources. Or both.’

"You must be pretty capable to have settled down here, huh?" Xu Mo asked, probing further.

The man didn’t try to hide it. His voice held a note of pride. "We’ve got some old equipment in town. We can manufacture guns and reload ammunition. Guns get you food, food gets you people, and people let you survive."

’No wonder.’ Xu Mo instantly understood the source of Qinglin Town’s confidence. In the apocalypse, being able to manufacture your own firearms and ammunition was like controlling the ultimate currency. At this point, ammo was more precious than gold. The ability to produce it meant they had bargaining chips and the power to defend themselves. For over two thousand people to gain a foothold in the wasteland, it wasn’t about luck—it was about strength.

"Thanks." Xu Mo asked no more questions. He pulled half a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and handed it over.

The man froze for a second, then a flicker of pleasant surprise crossed his face as he took the pack. He pocketed the cigarettes, and his attitude softened noticeably. "Be careful going in. The town has a lot of rules, and the men at the checkpoint go by the book, no exceptions."

"Got it." Xu Mo nodded and walked back to his vehicle.

The engine roared back to life, and the SUV rolled slowly toward the entrance of Qinglin Town. In the rearview mirror, the survivor who’d taken his cigarettes was still standing in the same spot as the others gathered around him, chattering excitedly.

Xu Mo looked away from the mirror and stepped on the gas.

The town was more orderly than he’d expected. He could occasionally see makeshift shacks on the roadside, built from scrap materials.

Xu Mo didn’t stop. His plan was simple: ’Find someone in charge, introduce myself, see if I can trade for some supplies, and then get back on the road.’

But that plan was shattered in an instant.

He hadn’t driven far when a checkpoint made of abandoned shipping containers and reinforced concrete blocked the road ahead.

Four armed men stood beside the checkpoint. Their clothes weren’t uniform, but their guns were well-maintained. As Xu Mo’s car approached, one of them raised his hand in an unmistakable gesture: Stop.

Xu Mo slowly brought the vehicle to a stop and placed both hands on the steering wheel, maintaining a non-threatening posture.

Xu Mo rolled down his window, a disarming expression on his face. "Fellas, I’m just passing through on my way to Xin’an City. I was hoping to trade for some supplies and maybe meet your leader."

The four guards at the checkpoint exchanged glances. One of them walked over with his gun ready, circled Xu Mo’s vehicle, and sized him up for a moment. His tone softened slightly. "Passing through? Where from?"

"The west," Xu Mo said, keeping it vague.

Just as the man was about to say something, the walkie-talkie on his hip suddenly crackled to life.

A burst of static crackled for a few seconds, then a voice came through—fast, tense, and authoritative:

"Stop the guy in the SUV! We just got a report—he was seen killing other survivors out in the wastes! He’s a dangerous individual! Apprehend him, and don’t let him get away!"

The voice wasn’t loud, but every word reached the ears of everyone present, crystal clear.

Xu Mo froze.

So did the four guards at the checkpoint.

Time seemed to freeze for a second. Xu Mo and the guards stared at each other. The man’s face, which had relaxed only moments before, was now visibly hardening with suspicion.

’Shit!’

In that instant, Xu Mo’s mind raced faster than ever. ’Witnessed? Killing other survivors?’

’It was the guy in the pickup truck!’

In a flash, Xu Mo knew the answer. It had to be the man in the pickup truck he’d encountered on the road. He was the only one who could have seen Xu Mo standing over the bodies of the survivors who had tried to ambush him, only to be killed in the process.