Cassian had clearly thought this through. He answered calmly, "The Eastern Base controls most of the resources in the east, but that doesn't mean it's built on the coast." Natalie nodded, thinking it over. That made sense. The eastern region was huge. There was no reason the base had to be by the sea. Even if it really was in a coastal city, they would still need to go check it out, at least after making sure it was safe. Otherwise, if the Northern Base really didn't have a submarine, they would have to make another trip later. After witnessing a massive tsunami with her own eyes, Natalie felt it was necessary to prepare for the worst, like the ocean swallowing all land. Each new wave of the apocalypse was more outrageous than the last. At this point, nothing felt impossible anymore. Once they entered the eastern region, Natalie and Cassian switched from the helicopter to the Knight XV with snow tracks. The temperature in the air was far lower than on the ground. In weather this extreme, the helicopter had already been running beyond its limits. More importantly, they were planning to deal with the authorities. Before understanding the other side's situation, it was better not to stand out. If people saw them enter the region by helicopter and then watched them suddenly pull out huge amounts of building supplies, the secret of the storage space could be exposed. So, whether for safety or for keeping a low profile, continuing by helicopter was a bad idea. After that, the two of them drove day by day, stopping and resting as they went. Along the way, whenever they met friendly survivors, they asked about the official base. At first, probably because they were still too far away, people in the nearby cities had no idea about any official base at all. It wasn't until they reached Ubling that they finally heard something useful. A man in his mid-forties, his face dark from years outdoors, leaned back and blew out a big cloud of smoke. "Ah! That feels good!" "I'm not going to lie to you," he said happily. "I've been craving this puff for over a year! Now that I've had it, I could die without regrets!" Since Natalie and Cassian didn't respond, he took another hard drag. Then he grinned. "I'm telling you this: if you want to ask about the official base, you came to the right guy. "I've been walking for ages, all to get to that base. If Frostfall hadn't hit, and if my body could take it, I'd already be there by now! "If I'd made it, would I still be suffering like this? Freezing every day? I would've—" Natalie's patience ran out. She frowned and cut him off. "Just give us the location." The man smacked his lips. "Tsk. Young people have no patience. Back when I walked across the whole country, if I didn't have patience and willpower—" Before he could finish, Natalie pulled out another cigarette. "Location." The man's eyes went wide at once. He raised his hand and pointed north. "Yloria. The neighboring state." Natalie nodded in satisfaction and flicked the cigarette in her hand to him. Yloria? Good. The neighboring state was near the sea, but Yloria, the capital, sat far to the west. It wasn't on the coast, which made it relatively safe.The man took the second cigarette like it was a treasure. He carefully tucked it into his pocket, his face glowing. Then he spoke with deep emotion and a firm voice. "I only answered a question, and you gave me two cigarettes this valuable. I really don't deserve it. Here, let me bow to you!" Before anyone could stop him, he stood up and bowed twice at them. Natalie jumped in shock and quickly stepped aside. Wait! Isn't this chatty man a little too simple-minded? Cassian was clearly startled. He frowned and reached to pull Natalie away. When the couple was about to leave, the man rushed to his feet. "Hey! Don't go yet! I haven't said the important part! If you want to go to the base—" But Natalie and Cassian already knew where the official base was. They didn't plan to listen any longer and walked away without looking back. The man panicked. At last, he dropped his rambling and shouted loudly, his voice full of force. "Wait! Don't go! I know people in the base! My brother-in-law is the deputy mayor!" That sentence stopped Natalie in her tracks. She exchanged a look with Cassian, disbelief flashing in her eyes. Then she fixed her expression and slowly turned around. "Two cigarettes are not enough for you?" she said coldly. "Now you're trying to scam me?" Of course, the man hurried to defend himself. "Hey now, missy, you can't say that!" His talkative nature returned at once. "Handing out two cigarettes is the same as handing out two gold bars before the apocalypse! How heartless would I have to be to cheat you?"He pointed at his waist. "I'm not some greedy bad guy. Otherwise, would I bow to you?!" Then he slapped his forehead. "Wait, you don't think I'm one of those people who bow to everyone, do you? I'm not like that! My family raised me right. I've got great character. Otherwise, how could I have married—"