Apocalypse: Last Traveler

In the middle?!

Is there really something here?!

Lu Xi'an looked over and saw that there was an original black mat in the trunk, almost integrated with the trunk, but if you looked closely now, you could see it.

He reached out to lift the mat, and surprisingly discovered that underneath there was a floor liner, which was not plastic but metal, and even had a lock—a mechanical password wheel lock like those on suitcases from the past, needing a thumb to rotate and unlock.

This was clearly specially made for this Ox Head Mountain Observatory vehicle.

Lu Xi'an suddenly felt that the Ox Head Mountain Observatory must have been quite important back in the day, otherwise why would they equip such a car, and have a secret compartment in the trunk?

What could be hidden inside?

Curious, he immediately called Gou to unlock the hidden compartment.

After Gou cracked the password, Lu Xi'an rotated the wheel according to the number of times Gou's eyes flickered, increasingly wishing for Gou to have a speaking or screen-lighting accessory.

"Click——"

As soon as the three passwords aligned, there was a soft "click" from the lock core, and the metal door panel affixed to the bottom of the trunk sprang open automatically.

Lu Xi'an and Yao Wei exchanged a glance, then reached over and lifted the door panel. A rectangular object immediately appeared before their eyes.

That object was entirely black, its surface looking sleek like a mirror. Having been in such a closed space for years, there wasn't much dust on it, making it look quite exquisite at first glance.

However, it wasn't just a simple flat surface.

The secret compartment at the bottom of the trunk had some depth, embedding the object. Lu Xi'an took it out; it felt slightly heavy in his hand, with two thin layers that could open like a book.

"What is this?"

Yao Wei, unfamiliar with the object, asked.

But Lu Xi'an was already showing delight, saying as he opened it, "Laptop, I told you about it."

"Ah!"

Yao Wei suddenly recalled that at a roadside gas station in the wilderness of Mengxin City, they had seen a computer and even brought it onto the car, watching videos and listening to songs on it to pass the time.

Hmm...

The computer at that time also had videos like those in the comics, but after watching the beginning, Lu Xi'an shut it off.

Maybe the people inside were doing the same things Lu Xi'an did to her that day?

Thinking like that made Yao Wei nervous, dispersing the chaotic thoughts in her head. She turned her attention to the item in Lu Xi'an's hand.

What was she thinking!

The video probably also led to childbirth like in comics! She and Lu Xi'an weren't having kids!

She quickly reminded herself, avoiding a glance at Lu Xi'an, just focusing on the opened item in his hand, fearing a single look would tip him off.

Once it was opened, Yao Wei felt she could indeed recognize a little bit.

The upper panel and centrally dark area should be the monitor, where their reflections could be seen, much like back then.

And the lower part was straightforward: it had rows marked with symbols. What else could it be but a keyboard?

Just no mouse...

"Where's the mouse?"

She asked Lu Xi'an.

Lu Xi'an pointed to the touchpad below the keyboard, centrally located: "This is the mouse, it's touch-controlled, I'll let you try it when we power it on."

He said this while wanting to power it on, searching the hidden compartment in the trunk.

But the compartment was empty, with nothing to be found.

"What are you looking for?"

Yao Wei asked.

"The power source."

Lu Xi'an replied while looking in the compartment, then closed its panel and checked the trunk.

But the trunk was equally empty, with no sign of a power source.

He had to turn and look at Gou, hoping the ever-capable Gou would once again be helpful: "Gou, do you have a power supply that can directly connect to this laptop?"

Then Gou's eyes flashed twice.

Lu Xi'an: "..."

Looks like it's no good, Gou isn't omnipotent either.

Lu Xi'an sighed and told Yao Wei: "We can't find the power supply for this thing. We can't power it on, let's keep it for now. If we happen to find the right power cable later, we'll deal with it then."

This time Yao Wei didn't respond with "Hmm" but proactively suggested: "Could there be a power source at that observatory?"

"Observatory?"

Lu Xi'an glanced at the text on the abandoned car, then shook his head: "We can't find the observatory either, it only says these six words, no other clues.

"It is possible it's on Ox Head Mountain. But consider the strange sights we saw last night and the constant pressure we've felt the past few days, maybe it's best to be cautious. We might as well forgo the power cable than get ourselves into trouble."

Yao Wei agreed with Lu Xi'an, nodding: "Hmm."

They didn't plan to stay here long, hoping instead to get in the car, look ahead for any potential finds, and if not, continue driving south.

Jianshan City is southwest, with a long, narrow jurisdiction, not very wide but with great north-south distance.

Going south meant they still had quite a way to go, passing through Jianshan City, Liangcheng County, and Gu County before reaching the southern exit.

The journey was still long, so they didn't intend to linger in Ox Head County.

Thus Lu Xi'an carried Gou and the laptop, ready to return to the car with Yao Wei.

But just as they emerged from the shadow beside the station building, stepping into the sunlight, the mechanical dog's eyes suddenly lit up again, scanning the laptop in Lu Xi'an's hand, then looking up at the sky.

"Hmm?"

Both Lu Xi'an and Yao Wei were puzzled, following Gou's gaze skyward.

"What is it saying?"

Yao Wei couldn't figure it out and asked Lu Xi'an.

She felt that whatever she couldn't understand, Lu Xi'an surely could.

But Lu Xi'an was just as confused.

Darn, why can't Gou just speak! Scanning here, then there, who's to know what it means!

He shaded his eyes with his hand, following Gou's gaze to the sky.

The light from Gou's eyes shone into the bright sunlit sky, almost imperceptible, until Lu Xi'an suddenly had a revelation—

The direction Gou's eyes were pointing was precisely the bright sunlit sky.

Bright sunlit sky...

And this laptop's back reflected like a mirror...

Suddenly filled with understanding, he quickly positioned the laptop straight, making the back face the sun.

"What's happening?"

Yao Wei asked, puzzled.

Lu Xi'an said: "If I guessed correctly, Gou was hinting to us that this laptop can be powered by solar energy!"