Axolotl Translations

“Wouldn’t off-roaders be better?”

As soon as the words left Brother Gang’s mouth, Gu Mengran froze, looking a bit embarrassed—like a kid caught in a lie. He stayed silent for a moment before letting out a helpless sigh and shrugging.

“Alright, alright… I knew I couldn’t fool you, Brother Gang.”

Satisfied, Brother Gang lifted his chin. “Go on, explain.”

“Well…” Gu Mengran took a sip of water and spoke earnestly. “Brother Gang, you know how far it is from Shancheng to Yinan. The roads are a mess after the disaster—it’s not a trip we can make in just a day or two.”

“That means we’ll need not just vehicles, but supplies. A lot of them.” He paused, then added, “Not sure if I mentioned this before, but before coming to Shancheng, we passed through Jincheng. We were following the riverside road, so we ended up near Jincheng Port.”

“Port?” Brother Gang murmured, his brows briefly furrowing—but then his expression shifted. A glimmer of anticipation flickered in his eyes.

Seeing the way Brother Gang was looking at him, Gu Mengran suddenly felt a bit guilty. But he forced himself to continue.

“The port was almost completely stripped clean—there was no food, no supplies. But… we did find a cargo ship anchored nearby.”

Having grown up along the Huang River, Brother Gang knew a thing or two about shipping. The moment Gu Mengran finished speaking, he leaned in eagerly.

“How big was it? And what was on board?”

“A small bulk carrier, fully loaded. About a thousand tons.”

Brother Gang’s eyes went wide. His whole body stiffened, his shoulders trembling with excitement.

“How much did you say? A thousand—”

“Brother Gang.”

Gu Mengran cut him off, mercilessly shattering his fantasy.

“We went up and checked—the ship must have been flipped over by the quake’s waves and somehow got pushed back upright. Most of the wheat spilled into the Huang River. What’s left in the cargo hold… wouldn’t even fill three trucks.”

It was a firsthand account, impossible to dispute.

Brother Gang deflated instantly, as if doused with cold water. His excitement vanished, replaced by a more level-headed expression. After a moment, he frowned and asked,

“Then why didn’t you just find a vehicle in Jincheng? It’s not that far—why go all the way to Shancheng just to turn back? Doesn’t make sense.”

“Jincheng’s a mess,” Gu Mengran said, meeting Brother Gang’s gaze without hesitation. His expression was serious—even though he was lying through his teeth.

“There are groups there, just like yours. But they’re way more ruthless… and they don’t take kindly to outsiders.”

Three truckloads of wheat was still a tempting prize, and at first, Brother Gang had been seriously considering sending a team along to get a share.

But the moment he heard about another hostile force in Jincheng, he immediately dropped the idea.

Sure, wheat was great—but safety came first. Jincheng and Shancheng were close enough that stirring up trouble wasn’t worth the risk.

Gu Mengran had no idea what was running through Brother Gang’s mind, but he could tell the man was hesitating. Seizing the opportunity, he threw out an irresistible offer:

“If you provide us with vehicles, no matter how much wheat we bring back… we’ll split it fifty-fifty.”

Brother Gang straightened up immediately, his eyes lighting up. “You serious?”

“Of course.”

This kind of offer—who could refuse?

Brother Gang agreed instantly, barely pausing to think.

“Deal! But for hauling wheat, I’ll give you three cargo trucks. One of them—”

“Cargo trucks are too conspicuous.” Gu Mengran cut in, his tone firm. “No one’s moving non-essential supplies right now. If we stand out, we’ll become a target. Buses and vans blend in better.”

Brother Gang paused, considering. That actually made sense. After a brief hesitation, he nodded.

But his expression… like he’d just been forced to cut off a piece of himself.

Curious why Brother Gang was so reluctant to part with the buses, Gu Mengran asked.

Brother Gang sighed. “It’s too damn hot. When we clear roads, we leave an air-conditioned bus parked nearby so the workers can take breaks. Helps prevent heatstroke.”

That was… actually a really thoughtful system.

Suddenly, Gu Mengran felt even more certain that sharing some wheat with Jiu Street was the right thing to do.

But that didn’t mean he’d give up the buses.

In the end, Brother Gang came through generously—two buses plus four spare tires, two seven-seater vans with two more spare tires, and even threw in two full sets of vehicle repair tools for free.

Not wanting to prolong things, Gu Mengran and Liang Zhao immediately drove off with the two buses.

But when they returned to the underground parking lot to pick up the vans, Brother Gang finally snapped out of it.

He slammed his hands on the window, his eyes narrowing at Gu Mengran, his face twisted in realization.

“Wait a damn second, kid… why does this feel like a scam? You’ve already driven off with all the vehicles—what’s stopping you from just vanishing into thin air? Who the hell do I chase down if you ditch me?!”

Some things were unavoidable.

Gu Mengran buckled his seatbelt, then turned to flash a casual smile at Brother Gang through the window.

“Relax, Brother Gang. We’re only taking three cars, and there are just three of us going. One person will stay behind in Shancheng while we’re gone. If you’re worried, you can have someone check in on him—he can show up every morning to prove we didn’t run off.”

Brother Gang squinted, suspicion etched on his face. “Who’s staying? That kid from Emerald City?”

Gu Mengran nodded. “Yeah.”

“That won’t work.” Brother Gang waved a hand dismissively. “He’s from Shancheng to begin with. For all I know, he never planned to leave with you guys.”

After a brief pause, he offered a new suggestion.

“How about this—you said you had an old man with you, right? Let him stay here instead. I promise we’ll take good care of him—plenty of food, plenty of water.”

Gu Mengran’s brows furrowed slightly. He acted as if he were struggling with the idea.

“If I leave my grandpa behind… we might as well not go at all.”

Brother Gang’s expression darkened. “Why not?”

“The ship is anchored offshore, and it’s already damaged. Either we swim out and haul the wheat back ourselves—which would take way too long—or we repair the ship and sail it to the dock for unloading.”

“The first option would waste too much time. We can’t afford that. The second requires skills. And the only person who knows how to do it… is my grandpa.”

Brother Gang raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh? So your grandpa was a sailor?”

Gu Mengran gave a slight nod.

Brother Gang seemed to consider it. Then, suddenly, he grinned, sharp and knowing.

“Well then—how about you stay instead?”

…If I stay, where the hell is the wheat supposed to come from?

Gu Mengran was scrambling for a way to refuse, when suddenly—

The window of the other van rolled down with a slow, deliberate hum. From the passenger seat, Liang Zhao leaned out. “If someone absolutely has to stay…” His dark eyes met Brother Gang’s, his voice calm and steady. “…I can stay.”

Brother Gang’s face lit up immediately. “Now we’re talkin’!”

Thanks to the advance work of the Jiu Street crew, the roads had already been cleared. By noon, all four vehicles had made their way from Yuedao Park to the main road leading to Jincheng, parking neatly on the roadside.

They’d left early in the morning, and by now, hunger had fully taken hold.

Once the Jiu Street drivers were out of sight, Gu Mengran poked his head out of the window and called for Liang Zhao—time for a little private feast.

Since they were going all out, Gu Mengran pulled out two self-heating rice meals as the main course. Then came the real treat—grapes, bananas, strawberries… a whole assortment of fruits.

Click.

The car door swung open, and Liang Zhao slid into the passenger seat.

The first thing he saw?

A large stainless steel bowl sitting on Gu Mengran’s lap, overflowing with colorful fruit. Meanwhile, clear spring water trickled from Gu Mengran’s palm, slowly filling the bowl, submerging the fruit.

“Not exactly luxury, but we’ll make do—wash as you eat.”

Gu Mengran picked up a plump, ruby-red strawberry, swished it twice in the water, then plucked off the stem and popped the whole thing into his mouth.

The moment his teeth sank in, juice burst across his tongue—a perfect blend of sweetness and tang.

It was so good he nearly bit his own tongue.

Before he could grab another, he caught a glimpse of Liang Zhao sitting completely still, staring at him with an unreadable expression.

Gu Mengran paused, then turned his head.

“…What? Not in the mood for fruit? There’s rice too.”

He gestured toward the dashboard, where two boxes of self-heating rice sat waiting.

Liang Zhao didn’t even glance at the food. Instead, he slowly shook his head. “No, I do want to eat. I just think… isn’t this a bit much? We won’t be able to finish it all.”

“No worries. Whatever’s left, we’ll just put it back—it won’t spoil.”

Gu Mengran tilted his chin up, lifted the bowl, and handed it towards Liang Zhao. “Quit talking and start eating.”

His intention was for Liang Zhao to grab some fruit—but to his surprise, Liang Zhao took the entire bowl, setting it down on his own lap instead.

His excuse? More space on his side.

Gu Mengran didn’t argue. Instead, he freed up a hand and pulled out a trash bag from his space, and the two of them quietly dug into their fruit feast.

It was delicious.

But man, fruit really fills you up quickly.

Halfway through the bowl, Gu Mengran was already feeling stuffed. But fruit digests quickly, and if he didn’t eat something solid soon, he’d be hungry again in no time.

So, once Liang Zhao finished, he stashed away the leftovers, then handed him the self-heating rice meal to start steaming.

The heating pack sizzled, sending up wisps of lime-scented steam that drifted through the cracked window, dissolving into the empty road outside.

Silence. The car was so quiet it felt unnatural.

From the corner of his eye, Gu Mengran snuck a glance at Liang Zhao—only to find him staring blankly at him. His lips were pressed together, and his lowered eyes held a hint of… unease. It was impossible to ignore.

Gu Mengran abruptly looked up, catching Liang Zhao’s gaze before he could look away. Softly, he asked, “…What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? You’re not… getting heatstroke, are you?”

The moment Gu Mengran finished speaking, he reached out to check Liang Zhao’s forehead—but before he could, Liang Zhao caught his wrist.

“I’m not getting heatstroke,” he said calmly. “I was just worried… you’d be upset.”

“Huh?” Gu Mengran blinked, confused.

“About me staying behind at Jiu Street. I didn’t talk to you about it first.” Liang Zhao’s grip tightened, as if afraid Gu Mengran might suddenly pull away.

Gu Mengran’s brows knitted together, his expression immediately darkening. Seeing this, Liang Zhao visibly tensed. Then, out of nowhere—

Gu Mengran burst into laughter.

“Alright, alright, I won’t tease you. What’s there to be mad about? Brother Gang doesn’t know Zheng Yijie, so one of us had to stay behind. Shouldn’t I be thanking you instead? Thank you for taking the risk for Grandpa? Thank you for—”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Liang Zhao cut him off, his expression growing more serious.

Gu Mengran slipped his hand free, then lightly patted the back of Liang Zhao’s hand twice, his tone suddenly reminiscent of an elder speaking to a younger one.

“Didn’t we talk about this before? Making decisions on your own is a good thing. You’re part of this family too.”

“Then why do you still seem upset?” Liang Zhao’s gaze swept over that slender, sharp-boned hand, then lifted back to Gu Mengran’s face.

“…Am I upset?” Gu Mengran asked instead.

Liang Zhao didn’t speak. He just stared at him, unblinking.

Gu Mengran sighed. “Alright, fine—maybe a little. We’ve pretty much confirmed that Jiu Street isn’t some kind of den of wolves, but… we haven’t been apart since the disaster. The thought of you staying here alone… I just can’t help but worry.”

At those words, Liang Zhao’s expression softened. He even looked a little pleased, his lips curling up unconsciously. But before he could savor that feeling for more than a few seconds—

Gu Mengran tilted his head, his lips quirking. “That’s just one part of it. We actually have a bigger problem.”

The smile vanished instantly. Liang Zhao’s gaze darkened. “What problem?”

“We agreed with Brother Gang to take three vehicles. But if you’re staying behind in Shancheng, that means we’ll need to bring along an ‘extra person.’ And you know the real issue here. We’re not actually going to Jincheng for wheat. So how the hell are we supposed to fool an outsider?”

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