AZI Volume 1 Chapter 19

The next day—

"Right, let me introduce you to our office's main mode of transport. Her name is Christiana."

"…"

"This…"

"Captain will this thing last the trip?"

Compared to Long Hua and Yu Ji, who are a bit hesitant to point the matter out, Qing Yue raises her concern to Ye Chen readily.

In front of the five is a black off-road truck that has most definitely seen better days. Shades of rust can be seen here and there, but the tire set of the vehicle seems fresh.

Packed onto the back of the vehicle are some outdoor camping supplies that will most definitely be used during the trip.

"Remember kids, it's not about how she looks on the outside. It's what's on the inside that counts."

Towards this sleazebag like answer, Long Hua walks forward and presses a hand onto the vehicle.

(Tai Xuan.)

As information regarding the vehicle enters his head, Long Hua frowns before taking three steps back.

"It will hold. But another 5,000 miles later… Get your divorce papers ready and start looking for a Christiana II."

"Yeah, the mechanic was saying the same thing when I brought it off him for cheap with those tires installed."

"We're low on funds right now, so we'll just have to bear with it."

Opening the doors of the tall truck the three lieutenants are a bit surprised to see how clean it was on the inside.

The driver's seat is occupied by Ye Chen while Li Xue takes the passenger seat beside him.

Yu Ji is the first to enter the back seat while Qing Yue struggles a bit to climb onto the vehicle due to her height.

"C'mon."

"I don't like this at all…"

Holding Qing Yue by her hip, Long Hua gives her a boost into the backseats.

"Hey, Long Hua, you ride a bike?"

"I do. Something the matter?"

"No, just reminds me of the unpleasant guy from yesterday…"

"…Hm?"

With everyone now inside the vehicle, the group sets off for the edge of the city.

Despite how the off-road truck had looked on the outside, the riding experience wasn't too bad.

"…How is he able to sleep like that?"

Looking at Long Hua, who is leaning his head against the window and is sleeping peacefully, Yu Ji can't help but shake his head.

"Being able to sleep at any time is a valuable skill to have on the frontlines. You can practice that right now if you want."

"I'll pass."

Upon reaching the edge of the city's crystal walls, the sight of a checkpoint comes into view.

The checkpoint consists of dormitories, and other living faculties for military personnel, who are stationed here as guards all year round.

"Halt."

Coming to a stop in front of a raised hydraulic barrier system, Ye Chen produced a leave permit to the guard, who had approached them.

"Everything checks out. You can go."

With the permit approved, the hydraulic barriers are lowered, allowing them to drive through.

"Hey, mind if I ask a question?"

"Go ahead."

Showing his phone that displays a patrol route, Ye Chen asks—

"What can I expect to run into in these areas?"

"There's a village on this route. Other than that… Not much else that I can tell you."

"Thanks."

Detecting something in the guard's eyes, Ye Chen inwardly frowns as he drives off.

"Well?"

"I get the feeling that this two-day trip is gotta be an interesting experience."

"Interesting in a good way or…?"

A light of anticipation emanates from Li Xue's eyes as she asks this question.

"Shall see."

...…

As the group continues their travels and distances themselves from the city by a bit more than 25 miles, Ye Chen stops the truck.

This is their first area to look through.

Surrounding the vehicle are towering buildings of old that have greenery growing out of their breaches.

"I feel like, I'm looking at another world."

Reflected onto the surface of Qing Yue's bright pink eyes is a world, where plants have thoroughly overrun these old structures, making it difficult to imagine that this land had once been a part of civilization.

"…"

Pieces of rubble that were once a part of the buildings, where people had called a home, or a workplace is scattered throughout the area.

(…What a sublime and comedic scenery really. Humans… As grand as your civilization can be, nature will always be able to outlast it.)

Mother nature has completely reclaimed this land from the clutches of humanity, that would be one way to describe the landscape before the five's eyes.

"Wake up, the sleeping 2nd Lieut."

"I'm already up."

"Didn't notice. Li Xue, explain what patrol means to them."

"25 miles away from the city's barrier devices, that is the limit of the city's detection system's scanning range. Our task here, is to head over to each of the computer terminals that acts as a miniature relay tower. We read the data, collect the recording chip, then give the machine a new one—that is scheduled for pickup by the next squad that performs the patrol two days after us."

"Simple enough to understand right? 2nd Lieut. Long Hua and 2nd Lieut. Qing Yue, you two are heading out with me. Li Xue and 2nd Lieut. Yu Ji, gets to stay and watch the transport."

It was then that Long Hua realized something.

(He keeps calling me and the other two second lieutenants, but he calls the vice-captain by her name… I see, a lack of trust.)

Which isn't something that Long Hua has any rights to judge—seeing as how he himself is a person who is very cautious about who he would put his trusts on.

Getting out of the truck, Long Hua turns around and raises his hand out to Qing Yue, but—

"Don't need it."

"Heh."

With a chuckle, Long Hua takes three steps back while Qing Yue jumps onto the ground with a solid landing.