Platform Three. The Independent Motor Battalion's home base.

A small farewell dinner was underway.

Fu Ran and his wife Mao Xiaoying. Li Jun and his wife Du Yafang. Wei Siran, Luo Jintao, Song Pingning, Yu Daxian and his girlfriend Lu Xiuli. Aside from the partners staying behind, everyone at the table was part of the scouting team heading for Chuzhou. A few other iron people and mutants had come to see them off.

"Commander, I'll be honest — I really don't want you going on this one." One of the iron people shook his head. "You and your wife have only been married two months. I'm worried your knees will give out on the road."

Fu Ran laughed. "After me, I'm the second strongest in camp — only Hu Ge has me beat. If I don't go, who does? The two previous teams that went to Chuzhou never came back. The road isn't safe. My vehicle has good off-road capability — if we can't fight our way through, at least we can run." He glanced across the table. "I want to see Chuzhou for myself anyway. See if there's something better out there. Xiao Ying and I are thinking about having a child, and we can't bring a kid into the world here — not when everything could collapse tomorrow. Li Jun, same for you, right?"

Li Jun nodded, his expression heavier than Fu Ran's easy grin. "Yeah. Want to find somewhere better for the birth."

Du Yafang — visibly at least nine months along — cut in quietly: "If he wasn't already on his way, we wouldn't have tried. Look at what we're living in. Every time Old Li leaves for a mission, I can't help thinking it would have been easier if I'd just — if it had ended earlier. For both of us."

Li Jun shot her a look. "Stop that. I'm a mutant, I can handle myself. Don't spend all day in your head like that."

"Sister Du, come on." Luo Jintao leaned over with a grin. "You're carrying the first baby born in this camp…