Chapter 005: Exercise Caution While Driving

Cheng Bin carefully assessed the danger of the situation and then decided to walk over to take a look. As long as those two individuals did not exhibit any actions that threatened his safety, he would pretend not to have seen them. Of course, if they intended to kill him to avenge their relatives or friends, Cheng Bin would not mind burning a couple more corpses.

He hopped and jumped through the snow to the side of the bicycle, where the snow was thick enough to reach the tops of his feet. The socks that had been washed yesterday and laid out to dry on the bicycle basket were frozen solid like two sticks. Cheng Bin rummaged through the basket and pulled out a map, opening it to take a look. It was an administrative division map of Heilongjiang Province, showing units at the town level. Unfortunately, he had not yet managed to locate his current position when a layer of snowflakes had already settled on the map. He had no choice but to shake off the snowflakes, tuck the map under his arm, and return to the tent, where he then lay down to search for his way out.

Cheng Bin slowly walked past while pushing his bicycle. In the distance, a pickup truck suddenly roared to life, startling Cheng Bin, who almost reached for his gun. It seemed that those two individuals had chosen a pickup truck with a larger load capacity. In Cheng Bin's view, this was not a wise choice; the off-road performance of the Toyota Land Cruiser was far superior to that of a pickup truck. Moreover, since there were only two of them left, they did not need a pickup truck to carry their required items. However, in a situation of scarcity, it is only natural for people to collect supplies. He himself could not bear to part with the two guns he had obtained the previous day.

However, he soon found it hard to smile. This road was merely a fourth-class rural road, and turning around on the more than four-meter-wide surface required a bit of patience and skill. It seemed that the driver lacked both of these qualities, so after the pickup truck moved back and forth on the road several times, it suddenly lurched backward, causing the rear wheels to drop off the road and come to a halt across the surface.

Now is not the time for regret, so Cheng Bin quickly made up his mind. It seems that his winter plan needs to be advanced, but to be honest, spending the winter in Heilongjiang is definitely not a good idea. Normally, the outside temperature here remains below zero degrees for six months, and the temperature drops to minus thirty degrees for at least one month. After the disaster, heavy industry has been completely destroyed, and there is no hope for the greenhouse effect; winter will only get colder. He asked himself if he had the skills of an Eskimo, and whether he could survive this winter was truly uncertain. Normally, the outside temperature here remains below zero degrees for six months, and the temperature drops to minus thirty degrees for at least one month. After the disaster, heavy industry has been completely destroyed, and there is no hope for the greenhouse effect; winter will only get colder. He asked himself if he had the skills of an Eskimo, and whether he could survive this winter was truly uncertain.

He couldn't help but shiver, brushing the snow off his hands, and reaching into the collar of his M65 jacket to pull out the hood and put it on his head. He rubbed his hands together and jumped a few times to warm up his already chilled body, while internally beginning to worry. This snowfall was completely unexpected for him; although the temperature had been low for the past few days, he had never anticipated snow in September. According to his plan, if he couldn't reach the Shanhaiguan line by mid-October, he would find a larger city to stock up on food in preparation for winter. However, now that the snow had fallen, he had yet to even reach Harbin.

The wind has ceased, and everywhere is a blanket of white snow. Due to the sheltered location he chose for the campsite, the snow here is thicker than in other places. As he unzipped the tent door, snowflakes immediately drifted inside. Cheng Bin used both hands and feet to crawl out, standing up to survey his surroundings, and indeed, it was a scene of northern beauty.

The pickup truck started for a moment, then suddenly lunged forward and abruptly stopped, the sound of the engine also vanished, as if it had stalled. Cheng Bin blinked, guessing that the driver was probably a novice. The Great Wall pickup seemed not to have an automatic transmission; it appeared that the person driving had accelerated too quickly and, in order to avoid colliding with the SUV in front, slammed on the brakes, resulting in the engine stalling. Cheng Bin blinked again, suspecting that the driver was likely inexperienced. The Great Wall pickup seemed to lack an automatic transmission; it looked like the previous driver had started off too fast and, in a bid to avoid crashing into the SUV ahead, had abruptly braked, ultimately causing the engine to stall.

He thought for a moment and loosened the zipper of his trench coat slightly. Snowflakes silently drifted into his clothing, sticking to the lining of the M65. This trench coat has a cotton lining, somewhat resembling a snug little cotton jacket. The lining can be attached to the trench coat or worn separately, but for some unknown reason, the buttons on the lining do not align well with the buttonholes inside the trench coat. He also prefers a neat appearance, so he has always worn them as a two-piece set.

The small tent used by Cheng Bin is designed according to strict wilderness survival standards, taking into account factors such as wind resistance, waterproofing, and breathability. However, weight-bearing was never considered in the design. To ensure portability and ease of transport, alloy materials were chosen for the support structure. Therefore, when the accumulated snow reached a certain weight, the supporting structure began to wobble. Had Cheng Bin not awakened in time from this nightmare, his tent would likely have been rendered unusable.

As soon as Cheng Bin got onto the highway, he was scraping the mud off the soles of his shoes while glancing around. He immediately noticed that the camp they had seen yesterday was now incomplete. Originally, there had been two tents, one large and one small, but now the smaller tent was missing, and some essential living supplies had also been packed away. The only thing that surprised Cheng Bin was that the two cars were still there.

He pondered over the map for a while and finally decided to continue south along the highway. The winter in the northeast is not defined solely by snowfall; it is not uncommon for heavy snow to make travel difficult one day, only for the sun to come out the next and melt it all away. Therefore, whether this year's winter has truly arrived is something no one can definitively say. If the snow melts tomorrow, it would be quite unfortunate for him to retrace his steps. It is better to move forward and prepare to spend the winter in the next county. Although he cannot ascertain his exact location at the moment, the map indicates that the distance to the next county should not exceed thirty kilometers.

The cold wind blew into his windbreaker, causing him to shiver involuntarily. However, Cheng Bin did not tighten the zipper again; he needed to have easy access to his gun. Who knew if those two people were currently aiming a rifle at him? He felt fortunate that there was no wind at the moment. If he had to advance against the wind, not only would the snowflakes hitting his face prevent him from opening his eyes, but the five to six hundred meters distance would be enough to inflame his throat. He hesitated about whether to put on sunglasses; the snow was too dazzling. Yet, even the best polarized lenses would diminish his ability to observe the outside world, and he was uncertain which threat was more immediate. After a moment of hesitation, Cheng Bin decided to maintain the status quo; he trusted his own eyes more than the glasses.

He quickly packed everything up, having barely eaten half of a piece of jerky. At this moment, another dilemma arose. Although the snow had not intensified, there was no sign of it stopping, and everything around was a vast expanse of gray. Pushing the heavily loaded bicycle through the wilderness was not only difficult, but also posed a challenge in determining direction. He could only frequently check the compass for guidance. Therefore, the best option was undoubtedly to travel along the road; as long as he stayed on the road, he could reach the next town. However, doing so would mean passing by the camp established by the three men he had killed yesterday, where there should still be two survivors. How to deal with them was a conundrum.

Cheng Bin reached out to push the top of the tent, causing the half-melted snow above to break into large chunks and fall down with a clatter, piling up on both sides of the tent. The alloy support frame instantly regained its former shape, showing no signs of permanent deformation. Cheng Bin couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, only to find a cloud of white mist appear before him, indicating that the temperature had definitely dropped below zero. He rubbed his hands together and removed the chambered bullet from his handgun to reload it properly. Then, he pulled out a pair of socks to put on his feet, donned the military boots that were in the corner of the tent, picked up his windbreaker, and stood up to crawl out of the tent.

Without GPS positioning, it is indeed quite troublesome. Cheng Bin can only roughly estimate his location, so he is now suffering from a headache over whether to continue forward or turn back. From the map, he is situated between Harbin and Jiamusi, and he can also consider Suihua to the west and Mudanjiang to the east. To be honest, Cheng Bin has little interest in Jiamusi and Mudanjiang, but he finds it somewhat difficult to choose between the other two cities. He has lived in Harbin for six years and is familiar with many places there; however, as the largest city in Heilongjiang, the dangers there are self-evident. On the other hand, Suihua, being the largest agricultural area in Heilongjiang, should make solving the food issue relatively easy. The only trouble is that he had not planned to spend the winter in Heilongjiang, nor did he have any plans to go to Suihua. Following the current road, it is impossible for him to reach Suihua. If he were to leave the road, what might happen on the approximately one hundred kilometers of journey is hard to say. Most importantly, he is currently walking along the southern bank of the Songhua River, and if he wants to go to Suihua, he still needs to find a way to cross the river.

This incident caused Cheng Bin to hesitate; the two individuals could not have left on foot. Therefore, the only explanation is that they are still in the vehicle, merely not having driven away yet. This at least indicates that they have not lost hope and have begun to take self-rescue actions. However, from Cheng Bin's perspective, the efficiency of this effort is clearly lacking

Cheng Bin couldn't help but cover his eyes, expressing his inability to bear the sight. The driving skills were simply too poor; it was likely that the driver would not be able to obtain a driver's license. Given this level of skill, it was already improbable for the vehicle to return to the road on its own. Indeed, the pickup truck struggled for a while, but the snow accumulation on the road rendered its drive wheels insufficient in traction, making it impossible for the rear wheels to get back onto the road, and it ended up stuck there. If possible, Cheng Bin really wanted to go over and scold them, asking, "Can't you drive more carefully?" Indeed, the pickup truck struggled for a while, but the snow accumulation on the road rendered its drive wheels insufficient in traction, making it impossible for the rear wheels to get back onto the road, and it ended up stuck there. If possible, Cheng Bin really wanted to go over and scold them, asking, "Can't you drive more carefully?"

The idea is beautiful, but the reality is harsh. Just pushing the bicycle up from behind the woods onto the road made Cheng Bin break into a sweat. The first layer of snow that fell to the ground had already melted, and the ground beneath the snow was a muddy mess. His bicycle was carrying at least 30 to 40 kilograms of weight, and this section of the road was uphill. Walking was extremely exhausting as he slipped with every step. His military boots quickly became caked with a thick layer of mud, and with each step, he had to engage in a difficult struggle against the muddy ground. If it weren't for the sturdiness of the military boots, he probably would have lost the soles. Cheng Bin couldn't help but start regretting why he had ventured so far from the road.

Essentially, Cheng Bin is a person who is bold in action, so once a plan is determined, he immediately begins to implement it. For breakfast, he still has jerky, but he does not eat much. While chewing, he also tidies up the tent, carefully packing all items onto the bicycle. The three people from yesterday were not an exception; all individuals who find themselves alone in the apocalypse will try to avoid congregating in areas that were once densely populated, fearing being consumed by the survivors there. Even if one manages to survive, it is uncertain how many days one can live without equipment and supplies. All items were carefully packed onto the bicycle. The three people from yesterday were not an exception; all individuals who find themselves alone in the apocalypse will try to avoid congregating in areas that were once densely populated, fearing being consumed by the survivors there. Even if one manages to survive, it is uncertain how many days one can live without equipment and supplies.

He packed everything thoroughly, not only carefully retrieving the motion sensors he had set up yesterday, but also bringing along the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle and the Type 54 pistol that had just arrived yesterday. To be honest, these two firearms were rather impractical for Cheng Bin; the pistol contained only four bullets, which would be exhausted quickly, and the magazine capacity of the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle was only ten rounds. Moreover, the heavy weight of the rifle was a significant burden for Cheng Bin, who was accustomed to traveling light. His decision to take them along was merely a result of his habitual caution.

It seems that the other party understood his intentions, so they did not rush to take the next step. Only after the sound of the engine stabilized did they begin to slowly reverse. It is estimated that they also did not want to pass by Cheng Bin, so they planned to turn around on the highway. This is good news; Cheng Bin even began to consider whether he should requisition that SUV after the pickup truck left. The short distance he just traveled made him realize that his previous thoughts were too wishful. In such thick snow, it would be impossible for him to cover thirty kilometers in a day.

Indeed, the pickup truck began to sputter and start up again. In order to avoid adding psychological pressure on the novice driver, Cheng Bin simply propped his bicycle by the roadside and stood there waiting for the pickup truck to move on first