Chapter 356
After finding an open spot, Suzy brought the vehicle to a stop and looked around.
This parking area was packed with all sorts of vehicles, similar to what she had seen earlier outside the main gates. Some were heavily modified; others were ordinary, worn-out cars like hers, loaded down with luggage stacked high over their cabins. A few were draped with tarps, and several people wrapped in faded jackets leaned against their hoods, sipping water and chatting in low voices.
Suzy didn’t rush to step out right away. She pulled out a small mirror to inspect her face, making sure her disguise was still intact.
Perfect, no issues at all!
Even if she blended into the crowd, she wouldn’t draw a single eye of suspicion—she looked just like any ordinary survivor trying to get by.
After stowing her transit pass safely away, Suzy finally slid open the door and stepped out.
By this time, a good number of people were already milling about, having stepped out of their own cars to stretch their legs. Noticing the noise from her side, a few cast curious glances her way.
Suzy didn’t act shifty or hide; she stepped out openly and naturally.
Another great perk of the RV’s visual disguise was that even when she opened the door, outsiders only saw the beat-up interior paneling of a run-down van. Only someone who actually set foot inside the vehicle would discover the magical hidden domain within.
Because of this, she wasn’t worried in the slightest about anyone catching a glimpse of the luxury inside.
She closed the door behind her, slipped the keys into her jacket pocket, and locked it.
This was her very first time entering a survivor base. Since she was here anyway, she figured she might as well look around and see how life inside differed from the outside world.
The bystanders only spared Suzy a passing glance before losing interest and looking away. After all, it was just a beat-up old minivan—nothing worth looking at. Had it been a custom armored rig, they might have stared a bit longer.
Ignoring their indifference, Suzy strolled casually along the edge of the parking lot.
The area was even larger than it had looked from inside her vehicle, with several rows of cars parked in haphazard lines. Some people sat on their hoods gnawing on hard rations; others crouched in the shade smoking cigarettes; and a small group had gathered around a custom pickup truck, whispering among themselves.
That modified pickup was visibly higher-grade than the surrounding vehicles, prompting Suzy’s gaze to linger on it for an extra moment.
A handful of young people—two women and three men—were huddled near the truck, eating and drinking together. They looked like an operational squad.
Seeing no familiar faces, Suzy quickly began to look away.
However, as she walked past the group, their unreserved conversation floated clearly into her ears:
"...We’ve been driving for a whole day straight; my back feels like it’s about to snap."
"You insisted on driving the whole way yourself when I offered to take the wheel. Serves you right."
"Swapping drivers is a pain! Besides, I wanted to get back as fast as possible. Once we pick up our guy, we can rush straight back—maybe we’ll even make it in time for the wedding feast."
"Huh? What wedding feast?"
"You don’t know? Miss Jackson is getting married!"
"Rina... pfft... Rina Jackson?!"
"Yeah, who else could it be? Is there any other ’Miss Jackson’ in our base?"
"Who’s she marrying? Adam Bennett?! Did he actually agree to this?!"
"Of course he agreed. How else could they be getting married?"
Hearing that familiar name out of nowhere, Suzy’s footsteps froze mid-stride.
Adam Bennett.
Was it the same Adam Bennett she knew?
Assuming her ears were playing tricks on her, she didn’t turn back immediately. She took another step forward, stopped at a slight distance, and pretended to bend down to adjust her shoelaces, subtly tilting her ear back toward the group.
The banter continued, the gossipy tone growing increasingly eager.
"For real? I thought Adam couldn’t stand Rina?"
"Maybe the iron tree finally bloomed? With how relentlessly she went after him, it’s only normal Adam couldn’t hold out forever."
Never in a million years would she have imagined hearing news about Adam in a place like this.
It had been ages since she was last able to get in touch with him—and the same went for Leonard. Even so, both she and Leonard were convinced that with Adam’s sheer capability and extensive prepper preparations, he wouldn’t be faring too poorly in this apocalyptic world.
Who could have guessed that the next time his name reached her ears, it would be the news of his upcoming wedding?
And with that... what was her name again? Rina Jackson?
A completely unfamiliar name, a person entirely out of the blue.
Suzy stood frozen, a sudden second thought flashing through her mind:
No... not necessarily. Maybe the Adam they’re talking about isn’t the same person I know.
The world is huge, and there’s bound to be plenty of people named Adam... Maybe it’s someone else entirely?
...But what if it actually is the Adam I know?
A swarm of thoughts flooded her mind all at once, jumbling her brain into a knot. The news about Adam had struck far too out of nowhere—to call it a complete bolt from the blue was an understatement.
Getting news about Adam was supposed to be something to celebrate, yet finding out about his imminent marriage on top of it left Suzy feeling an indescribable wave of mixed emotions.
She remained rooted to the spot, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, the group chatting nearby began to notice her—after all, lingering in a crouched position for this long looked suspicious no matter how you sliced it. One of the women nudged her companions with a subtle glance, causing the rest to cut their conversation short.
Exchanging silent looks, they began quietly sizing Suzy up.
Suzy remained crouched on the ground, her fingers still resting on her shoelaces.
Her mind was still a chaotic tangle of thoughts until she registered the sudden silence nearby. Raising her eyes ever so slightly, her peripheral vision caught the group staring straight at her.