Red was thinking about Celine when her voice suddenly came through his earpiece.
The sound of her voice made him happy.
It meant she had more supplies for him.
He quickly said to Zhennan, "Zhennan, take care of everyone."
Then he disappeared on the spot and entered the space.
Leader Rui's eyes lit up when he saw that.
He knew that Red trusted Zhennan the most and always told him everything first.
So he moved closer and asked in a low voice, "What is Red getting this time?"
Zhennan felt a bit proud but didn't show it. He only said calmly, "Trucks. Big ones. Military trucks."
Leader Rui gasped, "Military trucks?"
In the end of the world, something like that was incredibly useful.
The rest of the team got excited too. They all knew Red always brought back good stuff after he went into the space.
But this time, he was even bringing back military trucks.
Red entered the space and saw four huge military trucks right away.
He was so happy he said it twice. "Great. This is great."
Celine stood beside him and explained quickly, "The fuel tanks are full, but I didn't have time to get extra fuel. I'll try to get you some next time."
Red completely understood. Not only that, he felt very thankful for all her hard work.
He handed her a backpack full of gold. "There's a lot of good stuff in here. Take a look."
Celine took it, but it was much heavier than she thought. She bent over and almost fell.
Luckily, Red caught her in time so she didn't fall.
"So heavy?" Celine asked, surprised. She had just seen him carry it so easily.
"I have powers," Red said while scratching his head. "I'm really strong."
Celine dragged the heavy bag into the room and placed it on the counter.
She didn't open it right away. Instead, she turned around to walk Red out.
After sending him off, she finally felt relaxed. She could get a good rest now.
At the same time, outside the temporary base, on the open ground in front of the mall, Red appeared again. This time, four brand new green military trucks came with him.
A loud sound followed, and the waiting team members all shouted in surprise.
They had heard Zhennan mention trucks, but they weren't sure if it was true. Now that they saw them with their own eyes, they were shocked.
"Oh my god. Real military trucks. Four of them."
"Red is amazing."
Leader Rui's face turned red with excitement. He was the first to run forward. He walked around the trucks, eyes full of light.
What made them even more excited was that two of the trucks were filled with all kinds of supplies.
"The snow is getting lighter."
Someone shouted to remind everyone.
It had been snowing for a full day and night. Now it was finally stopping.
Red looked around at his excited team. Then he gave a quick order. "Pack up. Get in the trucks. We're going back to base."
"Yes."
Red gave the order, and everyone immediately started moving. They quickly loaded the scattered supplies and personal belongings onto one of the empty trucks.
The engines roared to life, sounding loud and strong in this quiet, snowy world.
Four big trucks rolled over the thin layer of snow, carrying hope and the team's amazement as they slowly left the abandoned mall.
At the temporary base, the atmosphere was tense.
Red's team had been gone for a whole day and night. With the rare heavy snowstorm breaking communication, no one knew if they were alive or dead.
The people left at the base were very worried. Many had already prepared for the worst.
Some were even planning to organize a rescue team to search for them as soon as the snow stopped, following possible routes.
Just then—
"They're back! Red and the team are back!"
A watcher at the lookout shouted hoarsely but excitedly, breaking the silence of the base.
Everyone rushed to the main gate.
When the four strong military trucks slowly drove in, kicking up broken snow on the ground, the whole base erupted with joy!
"Thank heaven! They came back safe!"
"Look! Military trucks! We have big supplies now!"
"Junjun!"
A young woman ran to a young team member who just jumped down from a truck. She grabbed his hand and cried.
Then she turned and deeply bowed to Red as he walked over.
"Captain Red, thank you! Thank you for bringing my brother back safely! Thank you!"
Grateful voices rose everywhere. Many team members' families gathered around Red to thank him.
More people crowded around the four new trucks, staring with amazed eyes at the huge piles of supplies in the truck beds.
After struggling so long in this apocalypse, they hadn't seen such rich supplies in a long time.
"There's meat! I see cured meat and ham. Thank God, we have food again!"
"And fruits! Lots of fresh fruits."
"Last time, I got one apple. I finished it in a few bites. It wasn't enough. I almost forgot what it tastes like."
"Mom, look! Candy and chocolate!"
Sharp-eyed kids had already spotted those luxury foods in the apocalypse—especially the colorful boxes of snacks and sweets.
They stared longingly, lips tight, feet stuck to the truck's edge, unable to move.
Zhennan smiled when he saw this.
He carried down a box of candy from a truck, tore it open, grabbed a handful, and gave it to the children gathering nearby.
"Take it. Go back quickly. It's freezing outside."
The children cheered happily, carefully putting candy into their pockets, then scattered, looking back every few steps.
Red watched this noisy but lively scene with a warm feeling inside, though his face stayed serious.
He turned to Leader Rui. "Rui, take people to unload the supplies. Sort everything carefully and store it. Count and record all the items. Make sure to protect against moisture and frost."
"Got it, Captain!"
Leader Rui stood straight and shouted loudly, then started organizing the team with clear order to unload and move the supplies.
Though the snow was slowing, the cold wind still howled, and the sky above stayed cloudy.
This harsh winter didn't know when it would truly end.