Chapter 68: Pandora

Jiang Si didn’t want to gross everyone out, so she just shook her head. "It was just a bunch of captive victims inside. I didn’t run into any trouble, they just wanted to follow me."

It was the apocalypse, after all. She had no obligation to them, and saving their lives was more than enough. So, no one asked any more questions.

Having an RV was so convenient. Not only was everyone less tired, but they could also take turns getting plenty of rest.

Shen Baoying, Zhang Qingfang, and Sisi didn’t know how to drive, so everyone took turns teaching them how to handle the steering wheel.

Every new survival skill was another tool for self-preservation.

On top of that, in case they ever got separated, Jiang Si gave everyone a GPS tracker, lying that she had found them in the villa from before.

Zhang Qingfang had never seen such a thing and asked curiously, "How do you use it? Does it work even without a signal?"

None of their phones had a signal now.

Jiang Si smiled. "Whether a GPS tracker can get a location has nothing to do with cell signal. The device can get a fix even in places with no signal because it mainly relies on satellites in the sky. It’s different from regular phone-based location services."

The ten trackers had cost her a fortune. She had just been waiting for the day the electromagnetic interference subsided to bring them out for everyone to use.

Shen Baoying’s eyes lit up. She held the tracker, unsure how to operate it. "So how does this find everyone’s location? Can you find everyone at the same time?"

Jiang Si picked up her own tracker. "Yes, you can find everyone at the same time. Like this, you just open this part here to see. The blue dot is your own location, and the red ones are everyone else’s. Besides tracking, it also has functions for recording, a compass, and a light."

Jiang Si showed them how to use the device, and after a bit of fiddling, everyone learned how. They all felt a little more secure.

If anyone got lost, they could find each other quickly.

Lu Zhifeng couldn’t put the device down. He repeatedly reminded Niu Niu that she must not lose it.

Niu Niu shook her arm. "Don’t worry, Dad. Even if I get lost, this won’t."

The wristband was quite tight; it wasn’t likely to fall off.

Everyone chuckled. Jiang Si added, "The only downside to this device is that it can’t get wet. Everyone needs to be careful."

Shen Baoying then asked, "Don’t we need a separate power bank for it?"

If it ran out of battery, it would be just as useless.

Jiang Si laughed. "This brand of tracker is a custom model from overseas. A single charge gives it eight thousand days of standby time. Most importantly, it has a solar charging system on the back, so we don’t have to worry about power."

Lu Zhifeng was even more grateful to Jiang Si for getting such an amazing gadget. Barring any electromagnetic interference, Niu Niu would never get lost.

As they traveled, meteor fragments fell twice more. Although they were smaller, they still caused considerable disruption.

The RV’s windows were nearly shattered.

Jiang Si had previously planned to find a place to take out her helicopter and fly north much faster.

Now, it seemed it was a good thing she hadn’t made that decision.

The meteors were incredibly fast; a moment of carelessness could lead to the chopper being destroyed and its occupants killed. The high-temperature molten rock from their impact could also corrode the aircraft’s body.

Jiang Si only had one helicopter in her storage space; it had to be saved for the most critical moment.

The roads weren’t exactly smooth sailing, either. Blockages were common.

Whenever this happened, everyone had to get out to help push vehicles or find a way to move whatever was blocking the middle of the road.

At night, the RV often became a target for both wild beasts and other survivors.

After just a few days, the luxury RV was covered in scars. Every time it took a hit, Jiang Si would regret not having hoarded a few more RVs.

By the time they entered the urban area of South City, they had accumulated several beast hides, and the RV’s storage compartments were stuffed full of unexpectedly gathered supplies.

They hadn’t originally wanted to enter the city. After all, during the months of extreme heat at the beginning of the apocalypse, the city dwellers had already consumed most of the supplies.

The city had also suffered a series of subsequent disasters, especially the torrential rains. Now, with power suddenly restored, there were risks of electrocution and collapsing skyscrapers.

However, the other highways and expressways had either been destroyed by meteor fragments or washed out by floods. Only the road into the city was still relatively intact.

Jiang Si took over driving from Jiang Linhai. Not long after, she suddenly felt it was difficult to breathe, and a dull pain tightened in her chest.

She thought she was having a medical episode and quickly pulled the RV over to the side of the road. But just then, Qin Shen came over and placed an oxygen canister to her lips.

Jiang Si instinctively grabbed it and took two deep breaths. The feeling finally subsided.

She turned her head and realized everyone else was also using oxygen canisters.

It turned out it wasn’t a medical episode; the oxygen content in the air was dropping dramatically.

’This happened in my past life, too.’

Meteors fell from the sky, causing a type of alien plant to proliferate rapidly.

This plant didn’t produce oxygen; on the contrary, it survived by consuming it.

Once the oxygen in an area was completely depleted, the plants would automatically die off.

In her previous life, Jiang Si had been lucky enough to avoid a region densely populated with these alien plants, known as "Pandora," which was the only reason she survived.

The oxygen level had dropped so suddenly that everyone needed canisters to keep going. Jiang Si’s heart skipped a beat. She looked ahead and saw many beautiful little purple flowers sprouting from the ground.

In an instant, the brutal apocalyptic world was decorated like a magnificent, immortal’s painting. But lurking beneath the beautiful canvas was a terrifying crisis.

They had to leave this place immediately, or they would be trapped. Once the oxygen was gone, all the skyscrapers would crumble into dust.

Without oxygen, you would also get sunburned, your eardrums would rupture, and all standing water would instantly weld together.

By then, even the oxygen generator from her storage space would be nothing more than a piece of junk.

’We have to leave here, right now. No delays.’

The fastest way to leave was still by helicopter.

Jiang Si put on her oxygen mask and sped straight for the South City airport.

There were bound to be helicopters at the airport. Even if there weren’t, it would be a good place to take out the one from her storage space.

Jiang Si floored it, the RV kicking up a thick cloud of dust as it quickly arrived at the deserted airport.

Perhaps there had been people here before, but they died the moment the oxygen vanished.

Jiang Si drove the RV straight into a helicopter hangar and immediately saw several choppers lined up neatly.

Jiang Si immediately shouted to the others, "Get out! Grab your oxygen canisters, don’t worry about anything else, and get on the first helicopter!"

Everyone did as Jiang Si said, grabbing only their emergency packs before climbing into the first private helicopter.

This helicopter was large, capable of holding fifteen to twenty people, and was fully equipped with parachutes and other safety gear.

Jiang Si settled into the cockpit and asked Qin Shen, "Do you know how to use a parachute? If not, there’s a manual on the side. You’re a fast learner, so help everyone out."

Qin Shen nodded. "Okay."

He didn’t even grab the manual before he had his own parachute properly fitted.