Chapter 200
The inflatable boat traveled forward for a while before entering an area of higher elevation.
This district had practically been built into the mountainside, so the flooding here was relatively minor.
Ahead of them stood a large chain pharmacy.
Leonard suggested, "There’s a pharmacy here. Want to check it out?"
In the apocalypse, the importance of medicine could not be overstated.
Hospitals were gone now. Even a small illness or minor injury could become fatal without proper treatment, and medicine was often the only thing people could rely on.
Since the pharmacy was directly ahead, everyone quickly agreed to stop and take a look.
Thomas carefully guided the inflatable boat toward the storefront.
As they drew closer and peered through the glass windows, however, they discovered the shelves inside had been completely stripped bare.
The pharmacy was utterly empty.
"What the hell happened here? Did locusts sweep through or something?" Leonard stared in disbelief.
It was the cleanest pharmacy he had ever seen.
"Maybe they never opened?" Jason guessed uncertainly.
"No. They were operating," Thomas replied calmly.
He gestured toward the water nearby. Floating on the surface were scattered medicine boxes and packaging. That meant the pharmacy had definitely opened before.
The reason it looked so empty now was that every single supply had already been taken.
"What a waste." Leonard sighed heavily.
Suzy nodded, though inwardly she did not feel much disappointment.
Her space already contained a massive stockpile of medicine. Whether she found more or not would not change much for her personally.
What unsettled her instead was the fact that the pharmacy had been emptied so thoroughly.
How many people had come through here?
"Forget it. Let’s keep moving," Leonard urged.
Since there was nothing left, lingering around served no purpose.
The inflatable boat resumed its journey.
After traveling a little farther, they came across another pharmacy.
This one had shattered windows. Instinctively, everyone looked inside.
Once again, the shelves were completely bare. Only a few scattered cardboard boxes remained tipped over in the corners.
"This one’s empty too." Leonard’s expression turned increasingly complicated. "How many people are even living around here?"
Thomas remained silent, merely slowing the boat so it glided quietly past the storefront.
Suzy stared into the hollow interior of the pharmacy, unease stirring faintly in her chest.
It was too clean.
Only a few dozen meters farther ahead stood yet another pharmacy.
They looked inside.
Empty again.
One pharmacy.
Two pharmacies.
Three pharmacies.
Every pharmacy in this area had been completely cleaned out. Something was definitely wrong.
At the sight of it all, Leonard and Thomas’s expressions gradually turned grim as well.
The inflatable boat continued forward, and Suzy’s group soon realized it was not just the pharmacies. Even nearby hardware stores had been completely emptied out.
Without saying a word, Suzy opened the map on her phone and zoomed in on the surrounding streets.
This district was one of the few elevated areas nearby. Since the floodwaters could not fully reach it after the apocalypse, it had naturally become a gathering place for survivors.
But to clean out this many stores so thoroughly... There was no way a mere handful of people could accomplish that.
"It’s a large group," Thomas suddenly said, his voice low and heavy. "And not a small one."
Leonard’s face darkened immediately.
"You mean someone’s systematically sweeping this entire area for supplies?"
Thomas nodded, his gaze moving slowly across both sides of the flooded streets.
"Yes. To clear everything out this cleanly, there have to be at least dozens of people. Organized too. Disciplined."
Leonard instinctively looked around, his body visibly tightening.
"You think..." He swallowed. "We accidentally wandered into someone else’s territory?"
If they truly entered another faction’s turf by mistake, they would be completely screwed.
Dozens of people. An organized, disciplined group... Could the four of them even survive against that?
For the first time in a while, Leonard genuinely felt nervous.
"Probably not," Thomas replied calmly. "If we had entered their territory, we would already be under surveillance."
He had not sensed anyone watching them from the shadows, which meant there were currently no hidden observers nearby.
This likely was not their main base. The group had probably already moved on.
"You really don’t sense anyone nearby?" Suzy asked again, wanting confirmation.
Thomas nodded. "So far, no."
Only then did Suzy finally relax slightly.
When Leonard mentioned the possibility earlier, she truly had become tense.
They had only just dealt with the bald man’s group. The last thing Suzy wanted was another conflict. If a fight could be avoided, then avoid it at all costs.
"That’s good. Let’s keep moving," she urged.
The inflatable boat passed one intersection after another, thankfully without encountering any danger along the way.
Meanwhile, the factory Jason mentioned was drawing closer.
After turning the final corner, the view suddenly opened wide before them.
A massive gray industrial complex appeared in sight.
Several towering buildings stood beside the water, with a faded sign mounted on the exterior wall: Winston Cement Factory.
The entire compound sat significantly higher than the surrounding area. Floodwaters had only reached the front gate, while the buildings inside remained largely untouched.
Jason pointed excitedly ahead. "Senior, this is the place! It wasn’t flooded!"
Just as Suzy was about to relax, Thomas suddenly slowed the boat.
The inflatable craft drifted quietly across the water until the engine noise nearly vanished entirely.
"What’s wrong?" Suzy asked quietly.
Thomas did not answer immediately. Instead, he tilted his chin slightly, signaling for her to look ahead.
Suzy followed his line of sight.
The moment she saw what lay there, her pupils contracted sharply.
Beside the factory entrance stood several military-green transport trucks covered with tarps, concealing whatever cargo rested beneath.
At the gate stood two armed sentries dressed in neat camouflage uniforms, automatic rifles held firmly in their hands.
Farther inside the compound, more figures moved about.
There were many of them. At least twenty or thirty people.
"The military?" Leonard’s brows shot upward. "Why would there be soldiers here?"
Thomas said nothing, simply stopping the inflatable boat at a distance from the factory.
Suzy stared at the sentries while her thoughts raced.
A disciplined, organized force... No wonder every pharmacy and hardware store nearby had been swept completely clean.
So it had not been some raider gang after all. The military had been collecting supplies.
"Should we leave?" Leonard asked quietly, tension clear in his voice.
Jason stared toward the factory as though deep in thought.
Suzy bit her lip, conflicted.
The cement factory was right in front of them. It had not been flooded. There was almost certainly cement inside, and likely a huge amount of it. If they left now, she had no idea where else she could find enough materials.
But the people ahead were armed soldiers. Storming the place was out of the question.
"I’ll go talk to them," she said, standing up.
Thomas immediately grabbed her wrist. "I’ll go."
"It won’t help if you go." Suzy shook her head. "Let me handle it. At the very least, they’re less likely to make things difficult for a woman."
Compared to Thomas, her appearance made her seem far less threatening and far easier to negotiate with.
Thomas fell silent for a brief moment before finally releasing her hand.
But his gaze never left her.
"I understand. Be careful."
The inflatable boat slowly approached the factory entrance. The sentries immediately became alert. Their rifles lifted slightly, and one of them raised a hand in a stopping gesture.
"Stop right there! This is a military-controlled zone. Civilians are prohibited from approaching!"