Chapter 463: Eternity 24.

too heavy. The caravan had more storage than an ordinary car, but the

limits still mattered. She placed heavier supplies low and near the

center, secured the containers, and left room for anything useful they

might recover. Yan reviewed the expected route and marked places where

they might safely stop to inspect the vehicle. She also marked alternate

routes, including roads they would avoid unless the main route became

impassable.

The map was old, but it gave them a starting point. Some roads would

still be usable. Others might be blocked by abandoned vehicles or

damaged structures. The city itself could have changed since the map was

printed, and the satellite navigation system could not be trusted to

show recent damage. Yan wrote down the directions by hand and kept a

second copy in a waterproof sleeve. Bai checked the route from the map

against her own understanding of the area, then identified several

places where they should stop before entering a crowded district.

"We shouldn’t assume the main road is the fastest road anymore," Yan

said. "If there are too many vehicles jammed together, we’ll spend more

time clearing them than taking a detour. We should check every major

intersection before committing to it."

Bai nodded. "And we don’t drive into a narrow street unless we know

there’s a way out. If the road is blocked at both ends, we leave the

caravan behind and clear a path only if we have to."

Mother Yan looked up. "Leave the caravan behind?"

"Only if it becomes the safest option," Bai explained. "I don’t intend

to abandon it, but a vehicle isn’t worth more than the people inside it.

If we are trapped, the priority is getting everyone out."

Yan studied the map. "We’ll also agree on what to do if we become

separated. Nobody goes looking alone without telling the others where

they’re going. If we have to retreat, we use the same meeting point

unless it’s compromised."

They spent a long time discussing these possibilities, not because they

expected every one of them to happen, but because a plan made panic less

likely. Mother Yan was particularly attentive to the instructions

involving Lili. If the adults had to leave the caravan briefly, the

child would remain in the most protected compartment with the doors

locked, and she would not open them until she heard the agreed signal.

She would have a small emergency bag, a light, and water within reach.

Bai explained the conditions under which the plan might change, and Yan

made sure Lili understood that the rules were meant to keep her safe

rather than to frighten her.

Lili listened with the serious face she used when she was trying very

hard to be responsible. She repeated the signal correctly and showed

them where she would keep her bag. Then she asked whether she could

bring her toy toolbox.

Bai looked at the little box. "Yes, but only if there’s space."

"There is space," Lili said at once.

Yan raised an eyebrow. "You haven’t seen the packed caravan yet."

"Bai Li can make space."

Bai coughed lightly to hide a smile. "I can probably make space for a

toolbox the size of your hand. That doesn’t mean you can bring every toy

you own."

Lili considered this severe restriction, then accepted it with a sigh.

She chose the toolbox and one small storybook. Mother Yan helped her

place them into the small bag, and Yan slipped a favorite hair ribbon

into an inner pocket so the child would have something familiar if the

journey became frightening.

Bai did not make a fuss about the ribbon. She had been watching Yan

prepare the child’s bag and noticed how carefully she arranged the

contents. Yan never treated Lili’s comfort as a trivial concern. She

understood that a frightened child could struggle to follow

instructions, while a child who felt safe was more likely to stay calm.

Bai respected that kind of care, even if she showed it by reinforcing a

compartment latch rather than saying so directly.

The next part of the preparations involved their weapons. Bai checked

Whisperfang, her revolver, and the equipment she would carry when

leaving the caravan. Yan inspected her crossbow, the string, the bolts,

and her own revolver. She had limited ammunition for the ordinary

weapon, so they agreed to reserve it for situations where a quick shot

mattered more than saving a bullet. The crossbow would handle many

ordinary threats quietly, while melee weapons could be used when the

conditions allowed it.

They did not intend to spend every encounter fighting. If a group of

ordinary zombies could be avoided safely, they would avoid it. If a road

could be cleared quickly without drawing more attention, Bai would

handle it. If the threat was too large or the area offered no clear

retreat, they would reconsider their route. Their objective was

Shanghai, not proving that they could kill every infected creature

between Jianghu and the military zone.

Bai also checked the crystals they had accumulated, along with the tools

and equipment she kept in her personal space. She reviewed several items

privately when the others were busy. The system’s presence was part of

her life, but it was not something she intended to explain to the

household yet. She had come to this world from another one, and the

purpose behind that arrival remained beyond anything she could

comfortably discuss. She had learned to move through the world without

announcing everything that gave her an advantage. The others could see

what she did, and they could judge her by the choices she made. That was

enough for now.

Yan noticed the occasional pause when Bai seemed to check something that

was not physically in front of her. She had noticed similar moments

before. She could have asked what Bai was doing, but she knew the

question would put the other woman in a position where she either had to

lie or reveal something she was not ready to discuss.

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TO BE CONTINUED.