Chapter 198: Tailgating

```

The appearance of Lizhizi was merely a minor interlude; Gao Yuan admired and respected Lizhizi for his sentiment of descending the mountain to save people in times of chaos, yet clearly, the Expeditionary Army had no place for Lizhizi.

Rest continued until three in the afternoon, when Commander-in-Chief Liu Muyang ordered the troop to move out again.

Back on the bicycles, they resumed their journey along the expressway.

Occasionally, bloodstains could be seen on the roadside, or near a service area; evidently, the troops ahead were not idling—they regularly needed to clear zombies to ensure the main contingent could pass without disturbance.

When they rested again in the evening, they had covered another seventy to eighty kilometers.

The next day, the troop advanced over a hundred kilometers, then left the Taihang Mountain Expressway and switched to a typically busier major expressway.

Almost no abandoned vehicles were on the Taihang Mountain Expressway, but after switching highways, abandoned cars of all sizes began to appear sporadically.

On the third day, the pace of the convoy noticeably slowed down, and only then did Gao Yuan and his group realize they had hit a major traffic jam.

There was an accident up ahead that had completely blocked all the cars behind, and the emergency lanes were jam-packed with smaller vehicles. The Expeditionary Army could only weave through the gaps, significantly reducing their speed.

Why not take the opposite lane? Because it was just as blocked—both sides were completely jammed.

The commander ordered that no matter the length of the jam, they must get through the congested area before they could rest.

As a result, they spent an entire day on the road, given the traffic jam stretched over fifty kilometers.

From the starting point to Guisui, the distance on the expressway totaled 580 kilometers; at a pace of a hundred kilometers per day, it would still take around six days.

Even reducing rest times would require five days, but the distance of this expedition stretched over ten thousand kilometers, so clearly, there was no need, nor could one afford, to rush. And so, when Gao Yuan and his troop finally arrived at Guisui City's First Shelter…

Guisui City was the central city of the northern part of Shenzhou, bordered to the north by the Daqing segment of the Yinshan Mountain Range and surrounded to the east, west, and south by plains and grasslands. The Guisui First Shelter, where Gao Yuan's team was headed, was positioned to the north-east side of Guisui.

Guisui Second Shelter was built against the mountains and along the river, with the Halachin River flowing past the shelter's campsite. With the river there, at least the water supply was secure.

When the contingent of over five thousand people gradually entered Guisui Institution No.1, the entire place erupted.

Because at this moment of despair, the sudden appearance of a fully-armed troop meant a lot.

The presence of an organized military unit implied that the nation still had order and hope. The survivors of the Guisui Shelter hadn't seen any outsiders for far too long, and no additional survivors had arrived in such a long time. Suddenly, with so many new faces, the mood was nothing but exhilaration.

"Welcome, welcome, please come in!"

The vanguard had already entered the shelter and settled down, even having finished their meals and now deeply asleep, while Gao Yuan and his group had just arrived.

Unlike Shimen Shelter No.2, which was situated on a vast plain with no obstacles and only enclosed by barbed wire, the Guisui Shelter, though it also had barbed wire, primarily relied on stone walls for its defenses. Moreover, Guisui Institution No.1 was built in a valley, with surrounding hilltops also enclosed, and many fire positions set up on the hills, which was a notably better defensive situation than that of Shimen Shelter No.2.

Especially since the Guisui Shelter had piled tanks and armored vehicles at the valley entrance. As Gao Yuan and his companions entered, they had to pass through gaps left between the tanks and the armored vehicles.

But such a setup of firepower immediately gave a sense of security.

At least four to five hundred people were waiting at the shelter entrance to welcome the Expeditionary Army. First, there needed to be enough manpower to deal with any unexpected incidents that might occur, and second, there needed to be people ready to receive and arrange for the incoming fighters.

Liu Muyang had already arrived, but instead of resting, he waited at the entrance for Xinghe and Gao Yuan. Only after seeing Xinghe did Liu Muyang finally relax completely.

"Xiao Gao, over here."

```

Liu Muyang gestured with his hand, then he spoke softly to the accompanying officer next to him. Shortly after, several people came over and started to escort Gao Yuan and Xinghe toward the dining hall.

"Commander, can we eat now?" one of the colonels said to Liu Muyang. "I see you're exhausted. You should eat first."

Liu Muyang hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, I'll eat with them."

Liu Muyang was in his forties. He arrived at the Guisui Shelter on a bicycle, just like everyone else, so his face was also etched with tiredness.

On the way to the shelter, Liu Muyang asked Gao Yuan, "How is it, are you getting used to the road? Can you keep up?"

The question was directed at Gao Yuan, but in reality, it was meant for Xinghe, because Liu Muyang was well aware of Gao Yuan's physical strength, but it was uncertain whether Xinghe could endure.

After all, six days had passed, and the supply of food they carried was nearly exhausted. If one were to give up, now would be the time.

Gao Yuan had yet to reply when Xinghe chimed in from the side, "I'm feeling great. This is the Guisui Shelter, right? So, can you fulfill your promise of roasted lamb leg, hand-pulled meat, baked unleavened bread, and milk skins now?"

The colonel was taken aback, but after a brief moment of thought, Liu Muyang turned to the lieutenant colonel and asked, "Can it be done?"

"Yes! Here, we have plenty of mutton!"

Upon entering the officers' dining hall, there were many people eating inside, almost all from the Expeditionary Army - not just officers. Each squad sat at a table, all voraciously digging into the food laid out before them.

After six days of dry rations and no open fires, having a hot meal was sheer bliss.

Zhao Qiang only glanced inside and didn't enter. He directly said to Liu Muyang, "No, not in here."

Liu Muyang asked, "Is there a quiet place?"

"Yes, this way please."

In a meeting room, a table was set with delicious dishes. Though there was no roasted lamb leg, steaming hot hand-pulled meat was being served on the table dish after dish.

There was also mutton soup.

Xinghe unapologetically grabbed some and started eating, but after just one bite, she frowned and said, "It's bland."

She set down the partly eaten hand-pulled meat and sipped some mutton soup with a spoon, then frowned again, "It's not tasty."

The colonel was somewhat astonished. How could such a big fellow without a military rank behave so inconsiderately in front of a general and a group of field-grade officers?

But Liu Muyang simply smiled and said, "You have to dip it in this. This is wild chive blossoms. It's delicious with this."

Xinghe tried it again, then she arched an eyebrow and remarked, "Indeed, that's a lot better, but it's still just average."

After another taste, Xinghe smiled and said, "Hmm, not just average, actually pretty good."

With another bite, Xinghe sighed and said, "Is this mutton? I love mutton, I really like it. So where's the roasted lamb leg?"

Gao Yuan couldn't be bothered with Xinghe, who still had to get used to the taste of mutton. As for himself, he had already started to indulge in the feast.

Just then, a soldier outside the room yelled "Report!" and entered. He said to Liu Muyang, "Report, Commander, our men behind have reported capturing a Taoist who has followed us for quite a distance. They are requesting instructions on how to deal with him."