Chapter 103

Chapter 103

This was the children's first glimpse of the city. Though nervous, they found it novel and chatted softly as they walked.

"Look at that person over there. His clothes are so strange, with so many pockets—four on his chest and even some on his arms."

"Haha, what are the pockets on his arms for?"

A senior girl rolled her eyes: "Those are jeans, the pockets on the arms are just for show."

As they passed an iron shop, the blacksmiths were forging iron, the sound crisp and sparks flying. The children stopped to watch until the supervisors urged them to move on.

The children were curious about everything, and despite constant urging from the supervisors, the group moved slowly. Along the way, whenever someone tried to approach the group, regardless of their intentions, Yun Tuo and Chu Ya subtly gave warnings and deterrents, making those people stop or abandon their thoughts.

On the side of the street, there was a small shop displaying items like matches, flashlights, and toothbrushes, only a few items scattered on old shelves.

Yun Tuo walked over and tapped on the windowsill: "Give me a pack of cigarettes."

The boss, with a scar across his face, didn't look up: "I don't have any."

"Then what do you have?"

"Linya City only has tobacco leaves, all rolled by hand," the boss said.

"Linya City has plenty of things from Cloud Peak, especially for D-class sentinels like you. Isn't it hard to get some cigarettes?" Yun Tuo asked.

The boss quickly looked up at him, then glanced at the street. A quantum beast was quietly approaching the children but was pinned to the ground by a Crested Goshawk descending from the sky, smoke rising from its body.

The boss didn't reply, only swiftly took out a pack of cigarettes from the cabinet and placed it on the windowsill.

Yun Tuo picked up the cigarettes and left a bill: "Do your business honestly, and don't think about what you shouldn't."

The group reached a residential area with no high-rise buildings or shops, only courtyards. Perhaps when these courtyards were built, Linya City's environment wasn't as bad as it is now, using cement instead of steel. But some of the small buildings had been bombed, leaving only half standing, with various clothes drying on the balconies, clearly indicating that many people lived together in those remaining halves.

The group stopped again. Chu Ya waited for a while, then led Shen Juanjuan to the younger children's group and went to the front to check the situation.

Yun Tuo and Rong Chen stood by the roadside, looking at an empty lot on the left. In the center of the lot was a large puddle, with many people squatting around it washing clothes, and a queue forming at the water tap, several people holding empty buckets waiting to fill them.

Chu Ya approached them and asked: "Uncle Rong, Brother Yun Tuo, why did we stop?"

Neither Yun Tuo nor Rong Chen spoke. Chu Ya followed their gaze to the puddle and looked back at Yun Tuo: "We're not going to No. 55 Keya Street?"

"This is No. 55 Keya Street," Yun Tuo sighed.

Chu Ya stared at the puddle in shock. Yun Tuo added somberly: "The courtyard has been bombed away, leaving only this big crater, which now serves as a public laundry."

As dusk fell, lights lit up throughout Linya City. The number of pedestrians on the streets suddenly decreased, but some who had been hiding during the day began to emerge. Motorcycles raced recklessly down the streets, and distant gunshots and explosions echoed, with a sudden blaze erupting somewhere.

The supervisors were lost in thought, but the children, unaware of the dangers, squatted where they were, some chatting and laughing, others starting games.

"Lin Duozhi, let's play rock-paper-scissors. Our rocks are rounder than theirs; if they play rock, they lose." Shen Juanjuan whispered into Lin Duozhi's ear, glancing slyly at the opposite child and grinning triumphantly.

Lin Duozhi nodded: "Okay."

Tang Yuanyuan also whispered to Wang Xiaoxi: "Look at Shen Juanjuan; they'll definitely play rock. This time, play paper."

"Okay," Wang Xiaoxi and Yu Datou nodded.

The children were carefree, while the supervisors wore worried expressions. Chu Ya asked Yun Tuo: "Brother Yun Tuo, is there a shelter nearby? Let's find a place to stay for the night."

Yun Tuo replied: "I'm thinking the same thing. We can temporarily stay at a shelter and look for a new place tomorrow." He turned to survey the surroundings: "I remember there's a shelter around here, run by the Guangta Gang. It's not too far, about a twenty-minute walk."

The group set off again, with Shen Juanjuan being led by Chu Ya. He patted his stomach and whispered to Chu Ya: "Shen Miaomiao, my tummy is growling."

Chu Ya bent down, pretending to listen, and nodded: "Yes, I hear it. Yes, yes, understood, we'll get something soon..."

"What did your tummy say to you?" Shen Juanjuan asked curiously.

"It said it's hungry. I told it we'll have food once we reach the shelter."

Shen Juanjuan patted his stomach and grinned at Chu Ya, who patted his head and lifted him up.

The shelter was a six-story steel building. The children couldn't just enter, so Yun Tuo had them wait in the dark open space beside the building while Rong Chen and Chu Ya went inside to check.

People were coming and going through the entrance, but there was no registration desk or guard. The two followed the corridor inside, where Black Wolf wanted to follow, causing the Teddy Bear on its back to grab its neck fur in alarm.

"You wait outside," Chu Ya patted Black Wolf's head.

The corridor floor was dirty, littered with garbage, and the air reeked. Chu Ya followed Rong Chen, pulling out a handkerchief to cover his nose, and surveyed the rooms on both sides.

Under dim lighting, the cramped rooms contained several dilapidated iron beds, filled with clutter, making the space feel suffocating. A man lying on a bed with his legs crossed twirled a dagger and spat a wad of phlegm onto the floor.

"Who the hell stole my wallet? Even hidden in the wall crack, it was found. If I find out who took it, they won't leave here alive." A man stood in the corridor, cursing, and upon seeing Chu Ya, he shouted: "Kid, did you steal it?"

Chu Ya didn't respond. When the man lunged forward, Rong Chen quickly intervened: "We just arrived; this is our first time at the shelter. We're checking if there's a place to stay."

The man grabbed Chu Ya's collar, but before his hand could reach, the young man swiftly twisted and pinned him against the wall.

Chu Ya applied pressure, and the man immediately cried out in pain. No one in the corridor paid much attention; the door to a nearby room was wide open, and the people inside, heads down, were playing cards around a bed.

"If you don't have money, what will you bet if you lose this round? Let's not play."

Bang!

A dagger was plunged into the stool beside the bed.

"We must play. If I lose, I'll give you a finger."

The man begged repeatedly, and Chu Ya released him but didn't continue inside. Instead, he and Rong Chen left the shelter.

Shen Juanjuan had been standing at the edge of the open ground, watching intently. When he saw Chu Ya appear outside the building, he immediately rushed over: "You're a bit slow, aren't you? It took you so long to come out."

Chu Ya picked him up and walked over to Yun Tuo. Seeing his and Rong Chen's expressions, Yun Tuo understood without asking more. He pointed to the darkness behind the shelter: "There's an open space there. I checked it out earlier; the terrain is quite flat and not on the main street, so it's safe. We can set up tents for the night."

Behind the shelter was a wasteland, only visible after walking around the front buildings. It was already evening, and it wasn't convenient to take the children elsewhere, so everyone carried a brick or stone, quickly clearing the area and setting up several tents.

Although the shelter itself couldn't accommodate people, there were public stoves available. Everyone was famished, so the managers heated the steamed buns they had brought from the ship and distributed them. They also fetched several buckets of hot water for everyone to wash up before crawling into their tents to sleep.

"Didn't they say that when we arrived in Linya City, we would stay in big houses and sleep in big, soft beds?" Shen Juanjuan lay in the small tent, stroking the Black Wolf's fur.

"Who said that?" Chu Ya lay flat with his eyes closed, while the Teddy Bear sat beside him, brushing his clothes with a small, long-haired brush he had somehow acquired.

"The older students said it," Shen Juanjuan mumbled. "But we still have to stay outside the house."

"It's just temporary. Once we find a new place, we won't have to stay here anymore."

The Teddy Bear nudged Chu Ya, who then turned over, letting the Teddy Bear brush his back. He reached out to dim the energy lamp nearby, "Go to sleep, stop playing."

Shen Juanjuan crawled into the blanket, turning over to hug Chu Ya's arm.

The large tent was silent, all the children were asleep, and the small tent where Chu Ya was also grew quiet, except for the Teddy Bear who continued to brush Chu Ya's back in the dark. However, from time to time, loud shouts or laughter from inside the shelter building could be heard clearly through the gaps in the tent.

"Shen Miaomiao," Shen Juanjuan suddenly whispered softly.

"Hmm."

"I actually don't like big houses."

Chu Ya asked softly, "Then what do you like?"

Shen Juanjuan rubbed his face against Chu Ya's chest, "My office, our home, this small tent, and that Mutant den we had to climb for a long time—I like all of them."

Chu Ya was taken aback for a few seconds before realizing that the Mutant den Shen Juanjuan mentioned was the cave they stayed in while crossing Keke Mountain with Liu Zhen and Wang Chengcai.

The iron shed in the garbage dump, the abandoned courtyard in Mixin Town, this simple fur tent, and the cave in the snow...

These were all places they had lived in or rested for a night together.

As long as he was with Chu Ya, Shen Juanjuan felt that it didn't matter where they stayed.

Chu Ya's heart softened, and he pulled Shen Juanjuan into his arms, gently patting his back, "I'll make sure you sleep in a big, soft bed and live in a big house."

Shen Juanjuan could sense Chu Ya's emotions and looked closely at his face in the dim light, then started to act cute, "Shen Miaomiao..."

"Hmm." Chu Ya responded softly.

"You really like me, don't you..."

"Yes, I really like you."

Shen Juanjuan didn't say anything more, closing his eyes contentedly to sleep. The Black Wolf, lying beside him, lifted its head and gazed at Chu Ya with a deep look. Chu Ya said, "I like you too." The Black Wolf lay down again, and the Teddy Bear, which had been brushing Chu Ya's back, stopped and poked its head over Chu Ya's body, staring down at him.

"And you too." Chu Ya added.

Seeing the Teddy Bear about to retreat, Chu Ya added, "Shen Wangwang and Shen Juanjuan are both sleeping. You should sleep too. Don't go wandering around tonight."

The Teddy Bear didn't respond immediately, and Chu Ya continued, "It's too dirty outside."

"Awo!"

The Teddy Bear lay down next to Chu Ya, carefully pulling a corner of the blanket to sniff it, ensuring there was no unpleasant smell before covering itself.

Shen Juanjuan soon fell asleep, snoring softly. It wasn't too late, and the shelter was still noisy, with sporadic gunfire and motorcycles roaring down the streets. Chu Ya lay awake for a long time before getting up, deciding to take a walk outside.

He lifted the tent flap and saw the Teddy Bear sitting up, along with the Black Wolf, both looking at him. He made a shushing gesture and whispered, "I'm going out for a bit. You two stay here and watch over him."

The two quantum creatures lay down again.

In the adjacent large tent, all the lights were off, and the two managers were chatting quietly outside. Seeing Chu Ya, they greeted him.

"Uncle, you should go rest. You've worked hard today."

"That's not possible. It's too chaotic here; we need to keep watch."

Chu Ya pointed to the sides of the tent and the top, "You can't see, but there are many sentries here. Nothing will escape their notice."

The two managers immediately understood he was referring to the quantum creatures and smiled as they stood up, "Alright, with them keeping watch, it's safer than us staying up. We'll go to sleep now. You should rest early too."

"Okay."

The two managers entered the large tent, and Chu Ya stepped around the shelter building, heading towards the street. He saw Yun Tuo sitting on a large rock by the roadside, smoking a cigarette and gazing into the distance in the dark.

Hearing the footsteps, Yun Tuo asked without turning his head, "Can't sleep?"

Chu Ya sat down beside him, "Can't you sleep either? Is it because you're not used to the large tent? Want to switch with me? I can sleep in the large tent."

Yun Tuo shook his head, "I can sleep in any harsh conditions during military operations. Staying in a large tent with the kids doesn't bother me. But you—"

Yun Tuo stopped speaking, and Chu Ya laughed, not taking it seriously, "Everything can change."

"True, everything can change," Yun Tuo smiled, flicking ash from his cigarette. "In the past, you wouldn't sit on a rock like this. You'd at least wipe it with a tissue several times and then pad it with a handkerchief or a book."

"That's an exaggeration..." Chu Ya lowered his head and said helplessly, "Alright, that's how it was."

In the distance, several car headlights flashed, indicating a convoy had just passed, followed by darkness again. Just as Chu Ya was about to discuss finding a place to stay tomorrow, a deafening explosion sounded from ahead, followed by a massive fireball rising into the sky.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Gunfire erupted, and the night sky was occasionally illuminated by the flashes of artillery.

The place was just a few streets away. Chu Ya suddenly stood up, but he saw that the pedestrians on the street only glanced in that direction before continuing their unhurried walk. A few people appeared at the entrance of the shelter, their expressions not tense, but rather they walked to the roadside as if watching a show.

"This is the norm in Linya City; everyone has gotten used to it," Yun Tuo said.

The onlookers were loudly discussing the situation.

"Is that the Fifth Exchange? It's controlled by the Guangta Gang. Who's attacking them? This seems like a big operation."

"Who else could it be? Apart from Xiao Rui, who would dare to start a fight on Guangta Gang's turf?"

"Why would Xiao Rui attack the Guangta Gang?"

"The Guangta Gang raided the Wingless District yesterday and killed two people there."

"No wonder. The Guangta Gang should have known better than to provoke Xiao Rui. They're asking for trouble."

...

Chu Ya listened carefully and turned to ask Yun Tuo, "Who is Xiao Rui?"

Yun Tuo lowered his head, and Chu Ya couldn't see his face, but he heard him say indifferently, "The leader of Bitao Tang."

Chu Ya had heard before that Bitao Tang was one of the three major forces in Linya City. He wanted to ask more, but Yun Tuo had already stood up and walked over to the group, so he held back his questions.

"The situation tonight looks intense; it might go on for most of the night."

"It seems the Sunburn Club and the Morning Star Club's troops are also involved."

"Wow, that will be quite a spectacle." Yun Tuo stood beside them and joined the conversation naturally, "Looks like we won't get a good night's sleep tonight."

"We're all used to it. Which night isn't noisy? Even if it's quiet outside, it's noisy inside the shelter." Someone chimed in.

Yun Tuo took out a cigarette case and offered one to each of them. Cigarettes were rare in Linya City, and the men's gazes changed immediately, becoming more friendly.

"Excuse me, where can we rent a large house in Linya City?" Yun Tuo asked.

"A large house..." One of them sized up Yun Tuo and Chu Ya, who had just walked over, "For two people, you don't need too much space, right? Would a one-bedroom apartment do?"

Another shook his head, "That's too difficult. The number of people fleeing into the city has increased several times recently, and finding an empty house is hard."

Chu Ya said, "We need an empty house that can accommodate nearly two hundred people."

"That would be a whole building." Everyone laughed, and Yun Tuo joined in. After laughing, he asked, "Can we find such a place?"

"Are you serious? For nearly two hundred people?"

Chu Ya nodded, "Yes, really."

"There definitely isn't such a place. Where would you find an empty building now? Even flies can't land inside houses."

Before Chu Ya could press further, another man said, "Actually, there's a place that can accommodate two hundred people, and it has a nice environment with many rooms."

Everyone looked at him, and he continued, "The church on the edge of the city! That place is great, but there are too many Mutants, and ordinary people can't get in. Large gangs could go in, but they're busy fighting for territory in the city and aren't interested in taking over an abandoned church on the outskirts."

"As long as you can eliminate the Mutants there, you can live in the church."

"Besides, it's within Bitao Tang's jurisdiction, which is safer than other areas."

"Even large gangs find it difficult. Who can eliminate those Mutants? The church has become a Mutant den. They say there's a Broodmother inside, an A-level Mutant. Only A-level Sentinels and Guides can kill it, and there aren't many A-levels in Linya City."

Listening to everyone's suggestions, Chu Ya asked, "Where is this church?"

"What? You really want to go?"

"Just take a look," Yun Tuo slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, "Just looking won't get us eaten by Mutants."

"It's in the west of the city. Walk out of the city and it's about ten minutes away. Although it's outside the city, it still belongs to Bitao Tang. If you can stay there, other factions won't cause trouble."

After a moment, Chu Ya and Yun Tuo returned to the large rock and discussed going to the church in low voices.

"We can't stay in the city for too long; we need to find a place as soon as possible," Yun Tuo said.

"Should we go tonight?"

"Not tonight. If we go to the church to clear out the Mutants, leaving the students here would be too dangerous. We need to go together."

"Someone was peeking around just now—" Chu Ya noticed the sky suddenly brighten and looked up with Yun Tuo. They saw a ball of light streak across the sky, heading toward them.

"Brother Yun Tuo..." Chu Ya's voice was alert.

"It's fine, it won't land here." Yun Tuo calmly took a drag on his cigarette.

Chu Ya kept his gaze upward, "It seems..."

In the next second, both of them dashed to the side and then lunged forward.

With a deafening explosion nearby, the ground trembled, and debris flew everywhere.

Chu Ya's ears rang, and he slowly turned his head. In the dust cloud, he saw that the large rock he had been leaning against was gone, replaced by a deep crater in the ground.

He and Yun Tuo, who was also lying on the ground, exchanged a glance, then stood up and shook off the dirt and rocks from their heads and faces.

"Stray shell, no problem," Yun Tuo spat out the cigarette still in his mouth.

Chu Ya wiped his face with the back of his hand, "We're too close to the battlefield. It's too dangerous. I think we should leave immediately."

"Alright, let's wake everyone up and head to the church."