Although they had taken a longer route, the actual distance was only about ten kilometers. Coupled with the rural roads and minimal traffic, the pickup truck soon circled to the other side of the city.
Buildings began to appear more frequently along the street, and glimpses of the railway could be seen through the gaps between the houses.
"We're almost there," Lambert said. "The repair factory is next to a large stadium; it should be easy to spot."
"Got it," Shao Ming replied, maneuvering the pickup truck to avoid a mutant.
The sudden shifts threw the passengers to one side and then back again. Both Feng Yusheng and Lambert had expressions on their faces that screamed, "We're used to this."
Shao Ming caught sight of their expressions in the rearview mirror and asked, puzzled, "What? Am I bad at driving?"
The closer they got, the more mutants appeared on the road. Besides those trailing the truck and eating its exhaust fumes, the road ahead was increasingly blocked by mutants.
Fortunately, this was the outskirts of a small city, so it wasn't like the endless hordes they'd encountered in previous situations.
Seizing the opportunity, Shao Ming veered into a parking lot between two buildings and emerged onto the railway tracks.
The train repair factory lay just a few hundred meters ahead. At the end of the tracks stood six workshops in a row.
A mutant suddenly leaped out from the roadside. Blocked by the wall, Shao Ming didn't see it right away.
There was no way to avoid it now. Shao Ming could only reduce speed and brace himself for impact.
"Hold on tight!"
Bang!
A mutant charging head-on was sent flying. The pickup's hood dented from the collision.
To make matters worse, the airbags deployed, slamming into the faces of Shao Ming and Lambert.
Startled by the airbags, Shao Ming instinctively hit the brakes, bringing the pickup to a stop on the empty railway tracks.
"Move! Go!" Feng Yusheng, the only one not blocked by an airbag, clutched her backpack and urged them as she spotted mutants converging on the truck from all directions.
Shao Ming couldn't see clearly past the deflated airbag but could guess the situation. He quickly stepped on the gas again.
Another bang accompanied by a jolt rocked the vehicle. Fortunately, the deflated airbags wouldn't pop out again.
Shao Ming drove the pickup into the repair factory, steering it into a workshop with its doors wide open. The group hurriedly disembarked and grabbed their weapons from the truck bed.
"Close the doors!" Shao Ming shouted as he dashed outside.
Lambert and Feng Yusheng each ran toward a door. Compared to the heavy warehouse doors from two days ago, the workshop doors were thinner and assisted by more wheels below.
Shao Ming raised his hunting rifle, aiming at the forehead of a mutant.
Several charging mutants fell one after another. Shao Ming had to admit, his marksmanship had improved significantly over the past few days of combat.
However, one .22 caliber bullet didn't manage to kill a mutant outright. After falling, it climbed back up.
Preoccupied with shooting another mutant, Shao Ming didn't notice this at first.
When he aimed his scope back at the same mutant, he saw a bloody bullet hole on its forehead.
Shao Ming paused for a moment. Though .22 caliber bullets weren't particularly powerful, at this close range, it should've been fatal.
Oh well, another shot should do the trick.
His rifle ran out of bullets. As Shao Ming reached for his shotgun, the other two finally managed to shut the doors.
"Get inside!" they shouted in unison—one in Chinese, one in English.
Shao Ming sprinted into the workshop, and the doors closed behind him.
He returned his hunting rifle to the truck and took a moment to survey the workshop.
In the center stood a train undergoing repairs. The right side of the room was split into two levels. The ground floor housed numerous tools, and the upper level had a locked room.
The sun was setting. With only skylights, the workshop was dimly lit.
"A Type-68 locomotive." Lambert approached the train, running his hand over it. "Delivered domestically only after 2016. I never thought I'd get the chance to operate one of these."
Shao Ming and Feng Yusheng exchanged a look. Why did Lambert suddenly seem... weirdly infatuated?
"I'll go gather materials for a fire," Feng Yusheng volunteered, unloading food supplies from the truck.
Shao Ming, holding his shotgun, ascended to the second floor.
Rain began to fall outside, pattering on the workshop's steel walls. Mutants that had gathered outside snarled at the doors as rain poured over them.
The door to the second-floor room was locked. Shao Ming tried the handle, but it wouldn't budge.
Lambert seemed to be searching for something downstairs, while Feng Yusheng had already lit a fire.
Shao Ming knocked on the wooden door. It wasn't very thick.
Taking a few steps back, he aimed his shotgun at the lock.
"Fire in the hole," he warned the others before pulling the trigger.
The door splintered, but the lock stayed attached.
He reloaded and fired again.
This time, the lock broke away from the wood. Shao Ming pushed the door open and shone his flashlight into the small room.
Inside were two locked cabinets, a desk with a computer near the window, and a key rack mounted on the wall. Shao Ming took two keys from the rack and pocketed them.
Not knowing what they might unlock, he figured having them was better than not.
He opened the desk drawer, finding documents and a pack of cigarettes.
Though he didn't smoke, Shao Ming pocketed the cigarettes. They had social value, after all.
Under the fading daylight, Shao Ming browsed the documents. There were logs and manuals with technical jargon he didn't understand.
Grabbing a repair manual, he was about to take it to Lambert when he heard the latter calling for him downstairs.
"Shao Ming, did you find the train keys?"
Leaning over the railing, Shao Ming pulled the keys from his bag. "You mean these?"
Handing the keys and manual to Lambert, Shao Ming noticed Feng Yusheng crouched by the fire, using an iron rod to poke at roasting potatoes.
Her hair framed her face as she bent over, the firelight accentuating her delicate, striking features.