Apocalypse Survival Guide for a Beta [GB] - Chapter 34

No one noticed Xi Ya’s unusual behavior, as everyone was busy planning their next move.

It seemed that Elena had already prepared everything in advance. Not only had she relocated all the residents of Eastern District Two underground, but she had also assigned management and administrative roles for the underground city to her subordinates. Every detail was meticulously arranged.

It gave the impression that even if the Military Defense’s Third Squad hadn’t arrived, she would have left Eastern District Two for Eastern District One regardless.

Elena was a highly organized person. After confirming Zhu Liang and Lin Bai’s safety, the team quickly discussed their next course of action.

There was no denying that Elena’s presence was a huge asset to Lou Tiannan’s squad. Her knowledge of the surrounding areas was incredibly detailed and each district had dedicated charts and maps recording its status.

“The Central District, as well as Southern District One and Southern District Two, have already fallen. Those areas are now strongholds for the raiders. The border between the Central and Southern Districts is even more chaotic. The only advantage is that their factions are disorganized, each operating separately. We might be able to disguise ourselves and sneak through.”

Lu Jia agreed. “That could work. Also, we’ve seen traces of Aurora’s activities in several districts around here. Didn’t the Minister say Aurora would assist us?”

Hearing Lu Jia mention Aurora, a deep emotion flickered through Elena’s brown eyes. A faint smile curled on her lips. “Speaking of which, there is something I need to inform you all in advance,” she said, looking up at the group.

“As far as I know, the Federation has already reached an agreement with Aurora. There is a high likelihood that Aurora will be involved in assisting your mission. I won’t interfere with your actions, but I can’t guarantee I won’t take action against Aurora.”

Despite her calm tone, Elena made no effort to hide her contempt for Aurora.

“Captain Elena, why is that?” Wen Xiaxia asked, confused. She wasn’t particularly fond of those mysterious cultists either, but it was rare to see Elena display such clear disdain.

“Because I suspect they kidnapped my friend. To me, Aurora isn’t a church. It’s a criminal organization,” Elena stated bluntly, making no attempt to hide her suspicion.

Those who knew Elena well understood that she never used the word ‘suspect’ lightly. If she said it, she was at least 90% sure.

“Aurora kidnapped your friend?” The statement caught everyone off guard.

Song Yan was stunned. “Aurora is such a powerful organization and they kidnapped your friend?”

“What does your friend… do?” Zhou Yu asked hesitantly.

Lu Jia and Wen Xiaxia were also curious.

Elena simply said, “Her name is Mi Xing.”

Upon hearing the name, Lou Tiannan’s eyes paused. Mi Xing was one of the most well-known business figures in the Federation.

Lu Jia scratched the back of his head. “That name sounds kind of familiar.”

Xi Ya whispered, “There used to be a lot of toys with that name in the stores…” Before the apocalypse, she had many toys from that brand, but she couldn’t take them with her when they fled. Now, she had none left, except for the doll she had picked up.

After Xi Ya mentioned it, the others remembered as well. “Oh! Right, right! She’s the founder of the Federation’s biggest toy brand, Mi Xing!”

“I heard she was incredibly skilled at making things. Before the apocalypse, her toys were bestsellers across the Federation. Could it be that your wristband was also made by her?” Song Yan asked.

Elena replied, “Yes, she made it.”

“This makes even less sense. Why would Aurora kidnap a toymaker? To make toys?” Zhou Yu couldn’t figure it out.

“I don’t know their exact purpose,” Elena said, her normally gentle voice carrying a cold undertone. “But from the clues I’ve found, there is a very high probability that Aurora was behind it.” It was clear how much she cared about her friend.

Lou Tiannan nodded slightly, making a decision. “I understand. From now on, I’ll be more cautious about working with Aurora.”

“In that case, I look forward to our cooperation,” Elena said, extending her hand.

Lou Tiannan reached out as well. “Looking forward to it.”

That night, they put their disguise plan into action.

Elena assigned the teams. “Song Yan, Zhu Liang, and Lu Jia will disguise themselves as raiders and leave first under the cover of darkness. Zhou Yu and Wen Xiaxia will pose as siblings. Lou Tiannan will act as a black market bounty hunter. Lin Bai, her daughter, and I will travel together.”

Hearing Elena’s arrangement, Lou Tiannan frowned and shook his head. “I don’t agree. Right now, our cooperation is temporary. I can’t entrust Lin Bai and her daughter to you completely.”

The implication was clear. He didn’t trust Elena to be alone with Lin Bai.

During his earlier conversation with Elena in the office, Lou Tiannan had realized Lin Bai’s crucial role in their mission to the 621 Biopharmaceutical Research Institute. Lin Bai possessed the irregular key to the facility and she might also have knowledge of its security systems and locks. He couldn’t fully trust Elena. If she deceived them at the last moment, it could be fatal. Lin Bai was too important to them.

Lou Tiannan’s objection was exactly what Lin Bai wanted. Elena pairing them together was an obvious move, one she saw right through. She had no desire to spend time with Elena. More importantly, under Elena’s arrangement, not only would she be under constant surveillance, but she also wouldn’t be able to replenish her energy.

“Then what do you suggest, Captain Lou?” Elena asked patiently.

“I’ll take Xi Ya and stay with Captain Lou,” Lin Bai offered. “I was grouped with him before and I trust him more.”

Hearing Lin Bai say, ‘I trust him more,’ Lou Tiannan unconsciously relaxed his furrowed brow.

“You want to team up with him?” Elena’s voice rose slightly in question.

“Is that not allowed?” Lin Bai asked.

“It’s not that it’s not allowed,” Elena’s gaze shifted between the two of them. “But what identities would you assume? A married couple?” She wasn’t in favor of such disguises. Couples tended to stand out too much in the apocalypse.

Lou Tiannan tensed up.

Without hesitation, Lin Bai replied, “Brother and sister. I’m almost thirty and Captain Lou is two years younger than me. It’s just right.”

“Just right?” Lou Tiannan shot Lin Bai a sidelong glance. He was no longer tense. Now, he was clenching his teeth.

“A brother-sister pair? He doesn’t look like your younger brother,” Elena remarked with a shake of her head.

“A little makeover will fix that.” Lin Bai was an expert when it came to disguises.

Hearing that Lin Bai planned to ‘transform’ Lou Tiannan, the others became curious and gathered around to watch. They wanted to see how she would do it.

Lin Bai pulled out a full set of cosmetics from her bag, including concealer, foundation, lipstick, and eyeshadow, everything one could imagine.

Elena was momentarily stunned. She hesitated, then turned to Song Yan beside her. “She carries all this in her bag?”

“Yeah, she’s really… uh…” Song Yan thought for a few seconds before coming up with an appropriate word. “Passionate about it.”

The ‘passionate’ Lin Bai got to work on Lou Tiannan’s face. Standing close to him, she moved quickly. With a few swift strokes of her brush, a small scar appeared on his face. Then, using darker shades, she blended a birthmark across half of his left cheek. In under ten minutes, the transformation was complete.

The once stern and upright Lou Tiannan now had a palm-sized birthmark covering half his face, along with several scars of varying sizes on his cheeks. His originally sharp and well-shaped eyes had somehow been altered and one now appeared noticeably larger than the other. His entire demeanor had shifted, turning darker and more brooding. His deep-set, intense features, now framed by a furrowed brow, carried an eerie coldness.

Looking at Lou Tiannan’s transformation, even Elena had to admit, “Your makeup skills are impressive.” In the Law Enforcement Department, she had seen plenty of criminals alter their appearances to evade capture. Among all the disguise techniques she had encountered in her career, Lin Bai’s work ranked among the best.

“Wow! Lin Bai, you’ve got some real skills! You should give me a makeover too!” Zhou Yu marveled, examining Lou Tiannan from every angle.

Lou Tiannan looked at himself in the mirror but made no comment. He had to admit, the disguise was well-suited for moving through raider-infested areas. While Lin Bai was busy dealing with Zhou Yu and Song Yan’s excitement, he took the clothes Elena had prepared and went to change.

Once he donned the dull, grayish clothing, his entire image transformed. Zhou Yu, Song Yan, and the others clicked their tongues in amazement.

But Elena was still unsatisfied. “Lou Tiannan, you need to adjust your posture.” He was still too upright. Even without looking at his face, just his way of walking and standing would give him away.

“Captain Lou, try walking with a limp,” Lin Bai suggested.

It was indeed the quickest and most effective way to alter his posture. Lou Tiannan placed a height insert in one shoe and as he walked, the resemblance to his usual self became almost unrecognizable.

With makeup and clothing provided, everyone quickly completed their disguises.

They also adjusted their group assignments. With a total of nine people, they split into groups of four, three, and two, departing from Eastern District Two at different times. Each of them was equipped with a communication device in their ear.

Zhu Liang led the first group, which included Lu Jia, Wen Xiaxia, and Zhou Yu. Their codename was Blue Pigeon.

Elena and Song Yan formed the second group, codenamed Snow Finch, departing half an hour after the first group.

The last to set out were Lou Tiannan, Lin Bai, and Xi Ya, under the codename Black Eagle.

Only Zhu Liang’s team left in an old, beat-up vehicle. The rest traveled on foot, carrying their gear strapped to their bodies as they made their way toward the Central-Southern border zone.

They traveled through the night and as they neared Eastern District Four, more people could be seen on the roads.

Small-scale skirmishes were constantly breaking out.

Territory disputes, food theft, or battles with unclear motives; one careless step could drag them into chaos.

The farther south they went, the more frequent those fights became.

A quiet report came through the communicator from Zhou Yu, “Too many fights. Blue Pigeon abandoned the vehicle. We’ve reached the designated location at the western edge of the Central-Southern border. At least five different factions are active in the area. We’ll stay here to gather intel.”

“Snow Finch received. ETA twenty minutes from the east of Eastern District Four.”

“Black Eagle received. ETA forty-five minutes from the west of Eastern District Two.”

After that, Zhou Yu’s updates continued through the communicator. He reported that due to prolonged scorching sun cycles and large-scale battles, there were few zombies in the Central-Southern border zone. About one-third of the territory was controlled by Blood Bone, another third by Red Sand, while the remaining land was constantly fought over by multiple factions.

He also reported that a large battle between Blood Bone and Red Sand was unfolding right before them, with heavy casualties on both sides.

Then came another update. This time, Zhou Yu’s voice was filled with panic. “Bad news! Brother Liang was captured by Red Sand!!!”