Chapter 316: Tarr Base

When Evelyn Ford woke up the next day, she immediately checked on her space. Thankfully, the black soil wasn’t just a dream, and the seeds she had scattered were already beginning to sprout.

It seemed the black soil had a miraculous growth-accelerating effect.

They had to get back on the road today. To reach the Southward faster, Evelyn decided they should drive.

She materialized an SUV and filled it with gas. Then, the two of them moved some of their things from the carriage to the vehicle.

After breakfast, Evelyn stored the carriage in her space. To avoid any trouble, they pried off the SUV’s license plate.

Ronan Kendrick drove while Evelyn sat in the passenger seat. As soon as they hit the road, Ronan accelerated. The SUV was so new that passing truck drivers couldn’t help but turn their heads for a second look.

At the next checkpoint, someone even came over and tried to chat up Ronan, hoping to hitch a ride to the Southward.

And because they were in such a nice car, the patrol soldiers at the checkpoint only took one pound of grain—half of what they’d paid the day before.

At six in the evening, they officially entered the Southward. Evelyn felt the temperature drop significantly. The snow was thick on the ground, and a bitter wind was blowing. The first base was in Tarr City, only a three-hour drive away.

The landscape in the Southward was almost unchanged. This region had only experienced torrential rain and blizzards; it hadn’t even had an earthquake.

The Southward was flooded with refugees, and the roads were lined with all sorts of low-slung refugee shacks.

The road was busy with trucks and tractors. Truckloads of coal were being hauled into the Southward, while truckloads of meat, radishes, and winter melons were being hauled out.

Occasionally, they’d see some "rich kids" out having fun. Some were driving, some were on skateboards, and some were being pulled by sled dogs...

"Hey, stop!" Someone in the other vehicle, holding a snowball, threw it right at the SUV’s window. Evelyn stared blankly at the snowmobile now driving parallel to them.

Six young people—three men and three women—were inside, laughing and fooling around as rock music blared from their vehicle.

When another snowball flew toward them, Evelyn lowered the window, caught it, and threw it right back. The snowball hit the laughing woman in the other vehicle’s passenger seat squarely in the face.

After doing this, Evelyn pretended not to hear their vulgar insults, raised the window, and told Ronan to speed up and lose these bored assholes who had nothing better to do.

But more vehicles started chasing them from behind. Even a dog sled, pulling two young people, was in hot pursuit.

"What’s wrong with these people?"

Ronan glanced in the rearview mirror. "We should have used a truck. The SUV is too conspicuous. We’ll take a truck on the way back."

Evelyn nodded. "Let’s lose them and then switch. These people are insane."

"Stop the car! You in the SUV, stop when I tell you to!"

An all-terrain vehicle caught up to them, its occupants shouting curses from behind.

’If there weren’t so many residents nearby and people on the roadside,’ Evelyn thought, ’I’d slash their tires.’

Ronan had no intention of stopping. It wasn’t until they entered Tarr City and patrol soldiers ordered them out of the car for an inspection that their pursuers finally caught up.

"You dare ignore me? I’d like to see just who has the gall to do that."

The group got out of their vehicle and stomped over angrily. The patrol soldiers immediately bowed and scraped as they greeted them.

"Hey, you two! Take off your masks, scarves, and hats."

The arrogant, domineering man in front of them sized up Evelyn and Ronan with contempt. A woman leaned against him as if she had no bones, and the fur coat she wore made her exquisite, beautiful face look even more opulent.

Evelyn and Ronan ignored the group. After asking for their identification, the patrol soldier had them hand over ten pounds of grain.

Just when they thought they could enter the base without further issue, the man blocked their way.

"Are you deaf? Out-of-towners? Here to trade for supplies? My dad is the base commander. You two aren’t getting into this base today. Not unless you get on your knees and beg me."

Evelyn couldn’t believe idiots like this still existed in this day and age.

He looked to be in his early twenties. He must have been in elementary school when the apocalypse hit.

"Is there a base regulation that says we can’t enter to trade for supplies?"

The man chuckled. "Oh, you’re a woman? I thought you were two guys. The base has no such rule, but *I* do. Around here, what I say goes."

He eyed the SUV, tutting. "To have a car this nice these days... you’re not just anybody, are you?"

"Mr. Landry, maybe they’re bandits from Mount Caldera. I’ve been to Frelia, and they don’t have cars this new even over there. Besides, they hit me with a snowball just now."

The woman was being theatrical, but her voice was sweet and her features were delicate. Surprisingly, it wasn’t nauseating—in fact, it was quite pleasant to look at. No wonder men fell for that sort of thing.

The other young men and women chimed in their agreement. The sled dogs barked a few times at Evelyn and Ronan. Ronan gave them a cool glance, and the dogs were so frightened they bolted. The man and woman on the sled lost their balance and were thrown off.

"AHH—"

The road in front of the base was shoveled daily, so it was completely clear. With no snow to cushion their fall, the two of them landed hard.

The three sled dogs were already long gone, with a few patrol guards chasing after them. The others scrambled to help the fallen pair to their feet.

"Hey, you two! Don’t even think about using this as a chance to slip into the base. State your identities, take off your hats, and we’re going to have to check your car for any dangerous items."

The man started shouting again. Not wanting to waste her breath on him, Evelyn squeezed Ronan’s palm and, with a cold expression, removed her hat and mask.

"Whoa..." The woman behind Mr. Landry was stunned by Ronan’s appearance, her eyes lighting up.

"He’s just average-looking. All bundled up like that, I thought you’d be something special. Hmph." Mr. Landry snorted and circled the two of them.

"What do you want to trade? And what are you offering? Where is it? Let me see it first."

"It’s not convenient for you to see it." Evelyn tugged Ronan toward the car, but the man blocked them again.

"I told you, you two aren’t getting into the base. I told you to stop, you ignored me, and you hit my car with a snowball. We need to settle this score."

"Mr. Landry, the snowball hit my face. I was almost disfigured," the woman whined.

Mr. Landry glanced at the woman and pinched her chin.

"There’s a big red mark, all right."

"So, how are you going to compensate us?"

Evelyn hadn’t wanted to cause trouble. After all, you have to know when to yield. But the man in front of her was just asking for a beating. He was clearly just messing with them for his own amusement.

Evelyn decided she wasn’t going to take it.

"We can compensate you. But we’d like to speak with Mr. Landry alone."

Mr. Landry smirked. "You’re not trying to ditch this guy and latch onto me, are you? You’re average-looking, kind of plain. Not my type."

Evelyn was speechless.

"You’ve got a stubby body, a head like a toad, legs like a Corgi, and a voice like a quacking duck. With your shifty little eyes, long horse-face, pig snout, and that sparse fuzz on your head that looks like teddy bear fur... no matter how you look at it, you’re a freak of nature. I suggest you go take a piss and look at your own reflection."