Chapter 263

Song Zhi deliberately saved some points, hired an expedition team just like theirs to escort.

At this moment, the convoy was ready to depart; Qin Yao, who is also a B‑rank expedition team Team Captain, still tried to persuade Song Zhi to stay.

"Brother, have you really thought it through? You're not the type who likes adventure, so why are you so determined this time?"

"You're giving up such a good civilian status, and you're even counting your relatives and these teammates' families—you're really crazy."

"This time you've freed up over eighty civilian slots, which has excited those dust‑folk waiting in line to get in."

"You don't even know, our expedition team has privately opened a bet, all betting that you'll regret it."

"But brother, you know that once you voluntarily give up your civilian status, if you want to turn back, no special zone will accept you again; there's still a chance to turn back now—why not think again?"

Song Zhi waved his hand, didn't want to hear that, and made up his mind to go out and explore.

"Don't say anything else; when we get there, just wait and see—you might end up crying and begging to stay."

Qin Yao rolled his eyes and dropped a harsh line.

"Impossible; if I wanted to stay there like you, I'd be your grandson!"

Song Zhi felt secretly pleased, glanced at the confident Qin Yao.

"Grandson, just wait till you're calling me grandpa!"

A few days later, outside the Bi Hu Suo where Ye Heng was.

Qin Yao looked at this god‑forsaken place and kept shaking his head.

"Brother, you must have been tricked; this place is so desolate even zombies disdain it—what good development could there be?"

"You have to know that right now global resources are scarce; the more god‑forsaken a place, the less you can stay—no supplies, far from any trade zone, and you can't even see a few zombies to kill—how could you survive?"

Qin Yao could almost see the points he'd won from his bet beckoning to him.

The accompanying family members all looked as if they'd lost their parents, brows furrowed with worry.

Song Zhi and his teammates, however, were completely calm; seeing the canyon entrance after so long, they even felt excited and could hardly wait.

Tonight we'll be able to have a good meal; I don't know if Brother Ye Heng has been busy lately.

The convoy entered the canyon in grand fashion, and was soon spotted by the Bi Hu Suo's sentries, who reported it to Ye Heng.

At this moment Ye Heng was worried about recruiting survivors; he found that relying on himself and his teammates to go out and try their luck was too inefficient—after several days of effort, aside from that Zeng Yan, he had hardly encountered any survivors.

Either they were people from other Bi Hu Suo, who already had affiliations and thus couldn't possibly follow you just on a few words.

Or they were obviously vicious criminals, completely outside their consideration.

Between all that, not only had they failed to recruit companions, but they'd also consumed a lot of supplies on the road.

Ye Heng had been so worried these past few days he couldn't sleep; he had originally wanted to report to Lin Meng on the Bi Hu Suo's progress, but now he felt too embarrassed to contact her.

"Team Captain, Song Zhi has arrived—he really brought the whole family, and they're almost here."

Upon hearing that, Ye Heng's gloom instantly lifted by half.

"Great, finally something happy!"

Ye Heng went out and, from afar, saw a line of convoys outside the newly built wall, imposing and numerous.

They are still special-zone civilians; although global resources are scarce and cannot be changed, civilians' lives are relatively stable, even the birth rate has risen, with each family having several members.

Unlike those wandering dust‑folk outside, they hardly have complete families, and births can't keep up with population loss.

At that moment, outside the wall, the crowd entering the canyon suddenly had their view open up, and they were stunned by the sight before them.

Song Zhi and his teammates all widened their eyes, looking at each other.

"Did we take a wrong turn? When did this wall appear?"

Song Zhi's eyes flashed; his excitement grew as he knew Ye Heng planned to expand and strengthen the Bi Hu Suo's defenses—he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly, and already after such a short time they'd reached this point.

This would let their families feel more at ease.

Ye Heng had already brought Sun Hao and others out to greet them; seeing Song Zhi at the front, Ye Heng's smile became more evident.

"Brother Song, you've finally arrived as we hoped!"

Last time they went together to Special Zone 13, he was busy trading and didn't have time for Song Zhi.

Fortunately, these brothers genuinely wanted to join his Bi Hu Suo, and he managed to persuade their families to come along.

"Brother Ye! I've missed you so much after not seeing you for so long!"

Song Zhi is usually steady; it was unexpected that he would so flamboyantly step forward and hug a big man.

Especially Song Zhi's wife, looking at those two men just now, had a particularly strange expression.

Only after everyone passed through the wall into the Bi Hu Suo interior, was ushered to the communal dining hall, and saw several large tables of big pot dishes did they understand why Song Zhi had acted so extravagantly.

Turns out he wasn't thinking of Ye Heng the big shot, but the food in the Bi Hu Suo!

"These meals were originally meant for the workers; since you arrived first, you can eat them, and I'll have the kitchen start cooking fresh ones."

As soon as Ye Heng finished speaking, Sun Hao hurried downstairs to instruct the kitchen.

Now the Bi Hu Suo eats communal pot meals; the dining hall was also the first to be rebuilt—though just a simple concrete pour, it's not much, yet it's impossible to ignore.

"It's only been a short while since I last came, and your Bi Hu Suo has already developed to this extent—I really admire you more and more, Brother Ye!"

Ye Heng spoke up at the right moment.

"I'm not that great; it's all thanks to the goddess our Bi Hu Suo believes in—she's the one who brought us hope!"

Ye Heng praised Lin Meng to everyone's face; after he finished, several of the Bi Hu Suo folks who had come together put their palms together in devout prayer.

"Thank the goddess for her protection and gifts!"

Song Zhi and his teammates already knew of the Bi Hu Suo goddess's existence, so seeing them act this way wasn't strange.

But the accompanying family members and Qin Yao and the like couldn't help but become curious.

"Goddess? Are all these supplies in your Bi Hu Suo what you call the goddess's gifts?"

Qin Yao asked the question, but inside he was increasingly convinced that this Bi Hu Suo was suspicious—maybe some new kind of pig‑butchering scam? In this day and age, what gods are left?

Meanwhile, Song Zhi beside him gave Qin Yao a glance and lowered his voice to say:

Qin Yao, the goddess is real. My brothers and I have seen with our own eyes how she has bestowed endless supplies upon them. Even the cigarette I gave you to smoke is a gift from her. You must never desecrate the sacred spirits here.

Even Song Zhi said that, and Qin Yao grew more and more terrified, to the point that he didn't even want to leave for a while.

He wants to see for himself just who this so-called goddess really is and where she comes from.

If all of this is true, then this shelter could very well be the most hopeful place on the planet.

But if it's a lie, he'd be better off exposing it publicly, snapping Song Zhi out of his delusion, and then fighting our way out together.

Ye Heng observed silently, without saying another word.

These days, believers in the goddess are given priceless supplies, while anyone who doubts her is sure to have a rough time ahead.