Embers Ad Infinitum

"My favorite record store

"Yesterday was her last day

"The fragments that once made me intoxicated

"All scattered on the street..." (Note 1)

As the song played from the small speaker, Shang Jianyao moved his body slightly to the melody while driving the gray-green Jeep towards the road at the edge of the swamp.

Jiang Baimian rested his right arm on the passenger door, half sideways, looking out the window.

She has long been used to Shang Jianyao's behavior of playing music every time she drives. She only suggests changing songs from time to time because she really doesn't appreciate some songs.

At this time, Jiang Baimian did not comment on the song that echoed in the car, but asked the team members with interest:

"Do you remember what happened here?"

"Encountered the Black Swamp Iron Snake and the gang of bandits." Long Yuehong was deeply impressed by the first danger in her life.

"Yes." Jiang Baimian said with emotion, "If we hadn't encountered us, with the equipment of that group of bandits, they would have been able to do well in most places in the wilderness."

Although the group of robbers only consisted of a few people, they had a military exoskeleton device.

Many large bandit groups cannot obtain such powerful items.

Bai Chen, who was sitting on the other side of the back row, glanced at the sunlight penetrating the branches and leaves and the several horribly deformed trees nearby, thought for a moment and said:

"I remember that the wife of the bandit leader was kidnapped by people from the First City and became the captive wife of a certain senator or his direct descendant. His son first became a slave of that family and was later sent to study."

If it weren't for this connection, how could the gangsters have a military exoskeleton device.

After listening to Bai Chen's words, Jiang Baimian said "tsk":

"Because of this, I have always been curious about what the lady looks like, who could make the powerful people in the "prime city" so obsessed that they are willing to give her ex-husband, uh, a military exoskeleton device to the settlement where she used to live."

It was less than seventy years since the destruction of the old world. It was indeed possible to find good-looking men and women in various wilderness wanderer settlements, but they were either gray-haired or skinny, and lacked any characteristics that made people shine.

The kind of beauty that emerges from clear water and naturally carved with hibiscus cannot grow in a wilderness settlement where survival is quite difficult.

Moreover, in the eyes of the members of the "Old Tune Team" who are used to seeing the "Chosen Ones", that is, genetic improvers, those few people may be called beauties, but it is difficult to add the modifier "big".

However, there are always various exceptions in the world. It is acceptable for a certain wilderness wanderer to have stubborn ancestral genes and be charmed by a little cleaning.

Regarding Jiang Baimian's emotion, the driver, an unknown businessman Jian Yao, commented:

"Definitely not as good as you."

"Oh." Jiang Baimian asked funnyly, "Should I be flattered?"

Although she has always been confident about her appearance and figure, and her skin tone is her favorite type, she feels that she cannot be complacent when faced with Shang Jianyao, who never plays by the rules.

Who knows what this guy will say next!

Besides, Jiang Baimian has always believed that he relies on his brains and strength, and his appearance is just the icing on the cake.

When Long Yuehong and Bai Chen guessed what shocking words Shang Jianyao would say this time, he answered seriously:

"I am very honest. I will say whatever I want. I will not belittle anyone casually, nor will I compliment anyone specifically."

From this point of view, the arrogant Hi is not without his cute side... Jiang Baimian cleared his throat and said:

"I wonder if the person who wrote the letter and his mother were affected by the turmoil in Prime City last time?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the honest Shang Jianyao said in horror:

"You, you want to eradicate the roots?"

This guy is not cute at all... Jiang Baimian ground his teeth:

"Are they worthy?"

The current "Old Tune Team", no matter where it goes, is the target of the attention of the corresponding forces' top leaders. Even big forces such as "Prime City" and "White Knights" will not take it lightly.

Although they are absolutely capable of suppressing the "old tune group", before that, Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao and others will definitely cause a lot of damage, and there is a certain hope of being transferred in advance and escaping.

Before Shang Jianyao could respond, Jiang Baimian recalled the original scene and looked out the window with nostalgia and said:

“We also seized a heavy-duty motorcycle that time, and it was really fun to ride it.

"I wonder when I can get another one..."

Uh... Long Yuehong chose to shut up, and so did Bai Chen.

Even Shang Jianyao didn't dare to speak at this moment.

Of course Jiang Baimian could guess why they behaved like this, and thought a little sadly:

"I probably won't have the chance to ride a heavy motorcycle in the future..."

In her current situation, after riding a motorcycle and being ejected amidst the roar, she probably wouldn't be able to come back smoothly, unless she was willing to follow the jeep slowly.

But in this case, the fun of riding a heavy motorcycle is completely gone, so what’s the point of not riding it?

Hey, Xiaobai, and Xiaohong wanted to vote to deprive me of my right to drive before. Fortunately, I argued hard. Huh, let you two sit in the back seat. Thank me! Jiang Baimian had a change of thought and angrily recalled an incident when he just left "Pangu Creatures".

At that time, Shang Jianyao suggested that she should stop driving in the future and concentrate on being a passenger, so as not to accidentally take the team.

Seeing that Bai Chen and Long Yuehong were obviously interested, Jiang Baimian decisively suppressed the so-called honest guy and made the "proposal" stillborn.

Her road addiction is not so serious that she would deviate from the route even with manual navigation!

…………

The ruins of "Changhe City United Steel Plant".

This is a small ruin that was discovered in the chaotic era. It has been visited by a large number of ruin hunters. Even the gate of the affiliated hospital has been moved away. There are not many valuable things left.

Except for the hunters who were passing by and occasionally searched again, hoping to find some garbage that could be exchanged for food, almost no one came here specifically.

The above is the intelligence that Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao originally had, but now they know that this seemingly desolate and dilapidated place has another identity:

One of the five holy places in Buddhism!

Every year, "Bodhi" and "Zhuangsheng" believers from different places in Huitu and belonging to different sects come here to make pilgrimages and pay homage to the steel-making pagoda.

Jiang Baimian looked at the uninhabited ruins, the affiliated hospital on the road into the factory and the family area surrounding the steel factory, and said briefly:

"Go directly to the second family area."

Fan Wensi in the medical record lives in Room 302, Building 4, Area 2, Family Area.

Finding out her whereabouts after the destruction of the old world is the main goal of this operation by Shang Jianyao and others.

As for where the second family area is, Jiang Baimian has already done his homework.

As a relic that has been explored countless times and squeezed out most of its value, a lot of information here is public. And "Pangu Creature" is the overlord of the Black Marsh Wilderness hidden behind the scenes. How could he not know anything about this place? Didn't you send anyone here earlier?

Just by extracting the company's internal information about the ruins of the steel plant, Jiang Baimian restored the complete layout of the place and figured out where the second family area was.

Seeing the team leader take out the map, Shang Jianyao raised his hand:

"I have a question."

Don't ask... Jiang Baimian almost answered like this, but her reason stopped her.

"What?" She nodded.

Shang Jianyao asked seriously:

"Did you really make no mistakes when you drew the map?

"A map drawn by a road idiot doesn't seem so trustworthy."

Uh... On the one hand, Long Yuehong felt that Shang Jianyao's concerns were quite reasonable, but on the other hand, she really wanted to see him get beaten.

Jiang Baimian controlled his left hand, hummed, and said word by word:

"I, review, check, verify, pass, five, times!

"I also asked Xiaobai to check it twice."

"Yeah." Bai Chen said that was indeed the case.

Shang Jianyao breathed a long sigh of relief:

"That's good."

As soon as he finished speaking, he opened the car door and jumped to the side, avoiding Jiang Baimian's gaze.

As the merchants were joking, the jeep of the "old transfer team" arrived at the gate along the road into the factory, but did not go in and turned to the right.

The buildings connected there belong to the second family area.

Some of the buildings here have collapsed, some are very dilapidated, and have a lot of green cover. What they have in common is that they all have no doors.

——The wooden doors became bonfire fuel, and the iron doors were taken away, recycled as scrap metal, and exchanged for food.

In the feeling of complete silence, the jeep of the "Old Tune Team" drove for a while, and after twists and turns, they found Building 4.

It's still standing, but it's also dilapidated.

After sensing it, Shang Jianyao said to Jiang Baimian and others:

"There is no human consciousness on the third floor."

Jiang Baimian nodded slightly, indicating that the result of his electrical signal induction was the same.

The four people got out of the car one after another. Long Yuehong and Bai Chen were waiting below, ready to support at any time. Shang Jianyao and Jiang Baimian climbed up to the third floor step by step through the damp and rotten corridor.

The two homes on the third floor also have no doors, allowing people in the corridor to directly see parts of the living room.

After a brief analysis, Jiang Baimian confirmed which room 302 was and looked inside.

Vaguely, she seemed to see a wisp of long black hair lying quietly on the ground.

Note 1: Quoted from "People without ideals are not sad", New Pants Band

PS: Please double the monthly ticket~