Axolotl Translations

With a local guide familiar with the area and a clear destination in mind, their search for a vehicle wasn’t too difficult.

The heat, though—it was brutal. In less than half an hour outside, the three of them were drenched as if they’d just been pulled out of a lake. Their clothes were soaked through, sweat dripped from their faces, and even their hair was plastered to their skin.

Gu Mengran found himself reevaluating Zheng Yijie. The guy hadn’t even decided whether to leave with them, yet here he was, leading the way without hesitation.

Noticing how Zheng Yijie’s face was flushed red from the heat and sweat was pouring off him, Gu Mengran didn’t hold back. He reached into his backpack and “pulled out” a brand-new neck fan, handing it over.

The air was thick with heat, the pavement radiating waves of suffocating warmth. When Gu Mengran suddenly passed him a neck fan, Zheng Yijie’s eyes lit up in shock. He quickly took it, tore open the packaging, and hung it around his neck.

Cool air brushed against his skin, reviving him instantly. He let out a long, satisfied sigh. “Damn, this is amazing! You guys are seriously lucky, finding stuff like this on the road. When I was stocking up, all I cared about was food. It wasn’t until the temperature skyrocketed that I realized something was off. I scrambled around the neighborhood and barely managed to find two lifesaving industrial fans.”

“Having something is better than nothing.” Gu Mengran kept his focus on the uneven, debris-covered road, casually responding without much thought.

Zheng Yijie was the type who couldn’t stay quiet for long. Less than two minutes later, he started up again. “You know, you guys didn’t seem even a little surprised when you saw my bunker. Isn’t that weird? Most people wouldn’t believe in the apocalypse, let alone stockpile that much stuff.”

Gu Mengran smirked. “We’re young. We keep an open mind.”

As for the old man accepting things so easily? Well, that was simple—we’ve stockpiled even more than you have.

Still, Zheng Yijie had impressive foresight. Gu Mengran had only been able to prepare in advance thanks to memories from his past life, but Zheng Yijie had pieced together the truth from scattered online discussions—and acted on it.

A generator to solve the electricity issue, a backyard well for water, fuel reserves including gasoline, propane tanks, and even a sizable stash of firewood. His preparations were thorough. If not for underestimating the chaos of natural disasters and human desperation, he really could have survived alone in that bunker for a long time.

Of course, that’s assuming he could handle the isolation. And that he had the money for it.

Gu Mengran eyed Zheng Yijie’s thin, frail-looking frame, suddenly curious. What did this guy do before all this? He doesn’t seem to have a job, but he sure had the cash to set all this up.

With the help of their neck fans, they moved faster. Following Zheng Yijie, Gu Mengran and Liang Zhao trekked over debris and ruins. Ten minutes later, they arrived at what was once a building—but now was barely recognizable as anything other than rubble.

A textbook example of shoddy construction. Compared to the other damaged buildings they had passed, this one didn’t even have partial walls left standing. It was a complete wreck, nothing more than a heap of broken bricks and shattered concrete.

Zheng Yijie seemed familiar with the area. Without waiting for instructions, he expertly navigated through the ruins, leading them straight to a separate underground parking garage entrance.

The garage had been built right next to the structure. While it had miraculously avoided being buried, its glass ceiling hadn’t been as lucky—it had been smashed to pieces by falling debris. The entire frame looked unstable, as if the whole thing could collapse at any moment.

The ramp leading into the garage was littered with rubble—chunks of broken concrete and scattered debris. Walking in wasn’t a problem, but driving out would be a whole different story.

Still, since they were already here, there was no turning back. Risky or not, they had to check it out.

Shielding their heads with their hands, the three of them maneuvered around the unstable wreckage, dodging loose debris before making a dash into the underground parking lot.

The moment they stepped off the ramp, the temperature dropped several degrees. A damp, chilly breeze swirled around them, instantly dispelling the oppressive summer heat.

Cooler? Yes. But also pitch-black.

The motion-sensor lights didn’t turn on, leaving the underground garage as dark and silent as a primeval forest, filled with an eerie sense of the unknown—both dangerous and mysterious.

“Click!”

Two high-powered flashlights flicked on in quick succession. With the beams cutting through the darkness, Gu Mengran and Liang Zhao naturally took the lead, moving cautiously down the main path.

There were fewer cars than expected. Maybe people had already driven them away during the disaster, or maybe business here had always been slow. Either way, there were more empty parking spaces than actual vehicles. At a glance, only a handful of scattered cars remained.

Still, the garage was large. As they moved deeper in, following the entrance path to the right, they spotted more vehicles along the way. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a single bus in sight. A full loop confirmed it—only sedans and SUVs.

Gu Mengran did a quick mental calculation. Thirteen people in total. Fourteen if Zheng Yijie came along. A sedan seats five… That means we need at least three cars.

Three cars meant three drivers.

Great. No one gets a break.

A week of nonstop driving had already left Gu Mengran’s lower back screaming. If this went on any longer, he’d probably end up with a herniated disc. Ideally, they’d find a couple of buses—once the fog cleared, he and Liang Zhao could take turns driving, getting some much-needed rest in between.

But reality had other plans.

They’d nearly searched the entire garage, and aside from small vehicles, the best they found were two seven-seater vans and a few beat-up minivans. Not a single bus in sight.

“Forget it.”

Shifting his flashlight beam back to his feet, Gu Mengran glanced up and exchanged a look with Liang Zhao before tilting his chin toward Zheng Yijie. “Any other underground garages nearby? We’re mainly looking for buses.”

“There is one,” Zheng Yijie hesitated, looking troubled. “There’s a large underground parking lot near Moon Island Park. I checked it out after the quake, but…” He paused, visibly uneasy. “It’s only two streets away from Jiu Street.”

Two streets? Gu Mengran hesitated. He was about to ask Liang Zhao’s opinion when Liang Zhao spoke first.

“Take me there.”

It took Zheng Yijie a few seconds to realize Liang Zhao was talking to him. His reaction was immediate—he took a sharp step back, eyes wide with alarm. “What do you mean ‘take me’? So it’s too dangerous for him, but fine for me?”

Realizing he was getting off track, Zheng Yijie quickly pulled himself together and turned to Gu Mengran instead. “Seriously, don’t go. It’s way too dangerous. Those two vans you found—they’ll fit all thirteen of you just fine.”

Technically, two vans would work. But with temperatures rising, it wouldn’t be long before they faced the same issues as before—air conditioning failures, tire blowouts. Without the skills or tools to fix them, having backup vehicles was the only real safety net.

There was no way to explain things to Zheng Yijie, so Gu Mengran simply let out an awkward chuckle. “If it’s that close to Jiu Street, forget it. How about this—you take Liang Zhao and check out the nearby area, see if there’s anything else. I’ll go back and take another look at those two vans, see if they’re drivable.”

“You’re not coming with us?” Zheng Yijie asked, eyeing Gu Mengran suspiciously.

Go together? The cars wouldn’t just magically drive themselves out. What was the point of all three of them standing around?

Gu Mengran had already thought of an excuse and was just about to brush it off when—

Suddenly, a messy shuffle of footsteps echoed from nearby, accompanied by the rough voices of two men.

“Did someone just talk? No way, you’re just delirious from the heat.”

“The hell I am! I was just about to step into the basement—I heard it loud and clear!”

“Huh… that’s weird. Didn’t Second Bro say all the survivors here got rounded up? Who’s slacking off?”

“How the hell should I know? That’s why I called you over to check!”

The footsteps grew closer, and their conversation rang loud and clear in the underground garage.

Gu Mengran’s breath hitched. Without hesitation, he and Liang Zhao simultaneously killed their flashlights. No words were needed—the three of them moved swiftly, slipping behind a nearby black sedan and blending seamlessly into the shadows.

The moment the light disappeared, the parking garage was swallowed by an endless, suffocating darkness.

And just ten meters in front of where they had been standing—a second exit to the garage loomed in the shadows.

Two beams of light swept through the entrance as heavy footsteps echoed closer. Two burly, broad-shouldered men strode into the parking garage, cursing under their breath.

They didn’t immediately venture deeper in. Instead, both stood at the entrance, gripping thick steel pipes in their hands. They swung their flashlights around erratically, raising their voices to shout:

“Who’s in there? Come out, now!”

“Quit hiding like a damn rat! Get your ass out here!”

When no response came, the shorter of the two men turned to his companion. “You think it’s not one of ours?”

At that, the taller man cleared his throat and quickly changed his approach. “Ahem—we’re from Jiu Street. Are you survivors from around here? Don’t be afraid! Come with us to the shelter.”

The beams of their flashlights swept back and forth across the garage, searching. Behind a parked car, the three of them stayed perfectly still, barely even breathing.

At the mention of “Jiu Street,” Zheng Yijie trembled violently, his whole body stiffening with visible panic.

The footsteps started up again. With no response, the two men began moving in their direction. One of the flashlight beams flickered over the parking space they were hiding behind before shifting away.

A thin sheen of sweat broke out on Gu Mengran’s forehead. His fingers twitched at his side before instinctively reaching out to grab both Liang Zhao and Zheng Yijie’s arms.

Liang Zhao caught his gaze, eyes sharp. Without a word, he flipped his hand over and gave Gu Mengran’s wrist a firm squeeze, shaking his head slightly.

His deep, steady gaze seemed to say: Don’t expose the space too easily.

Two men weren’t enough of a threat to risk exposing the space.

If they could hide, they would. If they couldn’t, they’d fight. And if fighting wasn’t an option—then they’d run.

Gu Mengran was already bracing for a fight, but to his surprise, the two men simply swept their flashlights past the cars and kept walking. They didn’t even stop to search carefully.

The tension in his chest suddenly eased, and he let out a quiet breath of relief.

And then—

BRRRING! BRRRING!

A shrill, piercing ringtone exploded beside him.

“Shit—my alarm!”

Zheng Yijie jolted in shock, fumbling wildly through his pockets to silence the blaring sound.

The sharp ringing echoed through the silent parking garage, each note amplified in the stillness. But before he could even pull his phone out, the two men had already snapped their heads toward the black sedan, pivoting sharply as they sprinted forward.

“RUN!”

A deafening shout rang out. Before Gu Mengran could even react, a hand yanked his wrist with brute force, hauling him up from his crouch.

His flashlight slipped from his grip, clattering to the ground, but no one paid it any mind. Without hesitation, Liang Zhao grabbed Gu Mengran and took off at full speed.

Gu Mengran’s other hand was still clutching Zheng Yijie’s arm, and when he was yanked upright so suddenly, he nearly dragged the man down with him.

Fortunately, Zheng Yijie had decent balance. He caught himself against the car just in time before stumbling into a full sprint alongside them.

No words were exchanged. No time for discussion.

The three of them had a single goal—the faintly glowing exit up ahead.

They ran like their lives depended on it. Gu Mengran was too focused on escaping to think about anything else. It wasn’t until they reached the incline of the slip-resistant ramp that he realized something—

The footsteps behind them had stopped.

No one was chasing them.

Why?

Just as confusion flickered in his mind, they reached the top of the ramp.

The gray, overcast sky expanded before them, unfolding piece by piece.

The moment Gu Mengran stepped out of the garage, he finally understood why the men hadn’t followed.

This wasn’t the same exit.

This wasn’t the same road.

The chaotic rubble-strewn wasteland they had entered was now a clean, orderly street.

Piles of debris were pushed to the side. Excavators rumbled in the background. Men hauled away stones. Women swept up the remnants of collapsed buildings.

And people—so many people—were scattered all over the street, working in clusters.

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