Chapter 75

Chapter 75

He drifted off to sleep at some point and woke up early the next day. The sky outside was still dimly lit, yet this city of steel was already up and running.

Rong Wazi was waiting downstairs early in the morning. Seeing Bai Tu and Huo Changfeng come down, he gave a wave. "Morning. Have you two eaten?"

It seemed he was quite satisfied with that pack of cigarettes, as his attitude was noticeably warmer than last night.

Seeing Huo Changfeng nod, Rong Wazi didn't press and directly led them to the mission hall, pointing out some functional buildings along the way.

There weren't many functional buildings in Zone One. Besides the mission hall, there were only essential places like medical facilities and warehouses. The warehouses also served as supermarkets; everything that could be exchanged with points, including meat and vegetables, had to be traded here.

Since the warehouses contained all the supplies needed for the lives of Zone One's residents, the base guarded them extremely tightly. Passing by, Bai Tu saw at least two guards at every door and window, all tall and burly, looking quite formidable.

Rong Wazi led them along the road right in front of the warehouse's main entrance. There were already quite a few people in line at the door, with a display screen next to them showing a price list. Bai Tu glanced at it; the variety of items was still decent, but the prices were not low.

A small bunch of bok choy cost ten points.

It would only get more expensive in the future.

Bai Tu had long been mentally prepared for the base's pricing, so when he saw the rewards for various tasks in the mission hall, he wasn't fazed.

However, Huo Changfeng couldn't help but frown.

That cramped little room from last night cost five points per night. Among these tasks, some involved killing zombies, with the lowest reward being a mere two points. Moreover, it required exchanging zombie cores, not just killing them outright.

Rong Wazi followed his gaze and said, "Zombies have started to evolve and are being classified now." He pointed to a poster on the wall nearby. "They're graded by the color of their cores, one color per level. Currently, levels 1 to 8 have been discovered. The higher the level, the more valuable. These two points are the price for a level 1 core. Level 1 cores are basically transparent, almost colorless. The base has no use for them. With resources scarce, every point is precious. They only give two points as a token for the effort of killing zombies. Level 2 cores are valuable, worth fifteen points."

Even Huo Changfeng didn't know how to comment on this. He could only follow the information revealed and ask, "Are the cores very important to the base?"

"The higher-ups are researching using cores for power generation. You know, these things are probably the most abundant in the world now." Rong Wazi shrugged, his tone somewhat dismissive, suggesting no research results had been achieved in this area yet. "Of course, you can also keep the cores for yourself. After all, they're quite useful for Superhumans too."

Bai Tu pursed his lips. The base had already begun researching core energy. Once such research started, it wouldn't stop easily. Superhuman energy was similar to core energy; sooner or later, they would start researching Superhumans.

The poster printed the color distinctions for each level of core. Huo Changfeng gave it a quick glance before shifting his gaze back to the scrolling mission screen.

"Tasks are divided into two categories: external and internal. External tasks involve going out to find cores and supplies, or other missions outside the base. There are also some job positions within the base itself, like guarding the warehouse, inspecting people and vehicles entering the base. If you get hired, you're paid by the hour. If you do well, you might get to keep the job, making it a stable position."

Rong Wazi continued introducing, "Of course, the tasks available for claiming differ between zones. Some tasks go to the stronger ones; otherwise, mistakes are easily made. Generally, people living in higher zones are stronger, so the higher the zone level, the greater the variety of tasks to choose from."

Sometimes, the wealth gap widens under such mechanisms. Without enough points, you can't enter a higher zone. Without entering a higher zone, you can't claim tasks with higher rewards.

Huo Changfeng looked at the continuously scrolling mission screen. The tasks were varied, even including vehicle repairs, but the rewards were generally very low. The only ones breaking above twenty points were those involving killing zombies and exchanging cores.

After all the trivial rules and regulations Rong Wazi introduced along the way, it ultimately boiled down to four words: survival of the fittest.

As long as you were strong enough, you could secure a superior life within the base.

This wasn't Huo Changfeng's goal, but he at least had to guarantee their basic livelihood for this period. He immediately decided to leave the base to find zombies.

He initially wanted Bai Tu to wait for him in the base, but remembering Bai Tu's stubborn expression every time he tried to go out alone in the past and the fact that he always ended up compromising, coupled with the base being a mixed bag and not necessarily safe, he dismissed the idea and decided to take Bai Tu with him.

Because of last night's incident, the car was very quiet. Neither of them spoke. Although there had often been such quiet moments when they were alone together before, the atmosphere had never been as *awkward* as it was now.

When driving out of the base, Huo Changfeng couldn't help but sigh.

"What's wrong?" Bai Tu finally found an opportunity to speak.

"I didn't expect the first thing upon arriving here would be actively seeking out zombies." Usually, they avoided them at all costs.

Bai Tu said, "This place is very different from Ren Yan's base."

Huo Changfeng was silent for a moment. "Yes, there are too many rules here, making life harder for the people inside instead."

But compared to wandering outside, the base was, after all, a shelter, at least free from the constant threat of zombies and mutated creatures.

Keeping his eyes on the road ahead, he said, "Don't worry. We'll finish our business and return as soon as possible, not lingering."

This base wasn't suitable for him and Bai Tu.

Bai Tu lowered his head. "...You used to be a soldier."

"Yes, why bring that up suddenly?"

"Commander Liu had a life-rebuilding kindness towards you, and was your former superior. He's now organizing a new army. If what he wants you to do is to join his army and continue serving him, have you thought about what you would do?"

That's how it happened in his previous life. He and Huo Changfeng traveled all the way to the North China Base, encountered Commander Liu there. Commander Liu wanted Huo Changfeng to re-enlist, and Huo Changfeng agreed without a second thought, disbanding the temporarily formed small team. Then he and Huo Changfeng settled in the North China Base, leading to a series of subsequent events.

Huo Changfeng was taken aback. He really hadn't considered this possibility. After thinking for a moment, he stopped the car and said, "I promised you first. If Commander Liu wants me to join the army, I won't agree. If he encounters trouble, I'll help him to the best of my ability, that's all."

After graduating from vocational high school, due to educational limitations, he couldn't find a good job. He tried to join the army but failed the political review; they didn't want him. He grew up in an orphanage, never adopted. His file moved from the orphanage to various schools with his education and finally back. One day, the orphanage's archive room caught fire because kids were playing with firecrackers, and the files inside were completely burned.

It was Commander Liu who helped him re-establish his file, allowing him to enlist smoothly. So Huo Changfeng had always been very grateful to him. But he started as a common soldier and rose step by step to a high-ranking officer based on solid military achievements, not through Commander Liu's connections.

He was grateful to Commander Liu, but this debt of gratitude wasn't so profound that he had to repay it with his entire future. Besides, he now had Bai Tu, the person he found after over twenty years of being alone. Naturally, he prioritized Bai Tu in everything.

Bai Tu had been listless since entering the Capital Base; how could they possibly live there long-term?

He spoke very solemnly. Bai Tu was stunned for a while, feeling a sudden surge of sourness in his heart.

Seeing Bai Tu's expression turn even worse after he finished speaking, even his eyes rimming slightly red, Huo Changfeng hurriedly assured him, "I mean it, absolutely not deceiving you."

Bai Tu sniffled, his voice muffled. "Why are you so accommodating?"

Huo Changfeng was taken aback. "Isn't that good?"

"You do whatever others ask you to do. What's good about that?"

"It's not like that. I'm only accommodating towards you."

"That's not good either. What if I make a very willful demand? Would you still do it?"

Huo Changfeng countered, "Would you?"

Bai Tu looked up at him fiercely. "Why wouldn't I? I would want the stars, the moon, the best and most expensive things in the world. Would you find them for me too?"

His eyes were red-rimmed and moist, his lips swollen from his unconscious biting. Huo Changfeng stared blankly, spellbound, and nodded. "I'd find them all for you."

Bai Tu angrily hit him. "Don't!"

Huo Changfeng caught his hand, not making any other move, just holding it suspended between their chests, gazing intently at him.

Under his intense gaze, Bai Tu's heart thumped wildly. After a long moment, he abruptly pulled his hand back, sat up straight, and wiped his eyes. "Keep driving. Let's find enough cores and go back early. The bed last night was so hard, really uncomfortable to sleep on."

Of course, it might also have been because Huo Changfeng didn't hold him, but Bai Tu didn't say that out loud.

Huo Changfeng smiled then, ruffling his hair. "Alright. Then help me look for where they are. You tell me which direction, and I'll drive that way."

Bai Tu picked up the binoculars and quickly selected a direction.

They avoided open areas to prevent encountering hordes of zombies, targeting solitary wanderers as much as possible. Huo Changfeng's mastery of his ability grew increasingly precise, often taking them down with a single strike, and the process went surprisingly smoothly, but his expression gradually turned grave.

He discovered that the area they had come to was stripped bare of supplies. In the supermarkets, not only were there no bread, crackers, or water, but even something as trivial as bubblegum was absent. He drove to several other locations, only to find that the cities surrounding the Capital Base had all been thoroughly scavenged. It went without saying who the scavengers were, meaning all vital supplies across this vast stretch of land were monopolized by the base.

No wonder so many in Zone One, even without food or clothes, refused to leave to try their luck outside.

They spent nearly two days outside, returning to the base just before their room's free period expired. In the mission hall, they spotted Guan Jianrui looking around.

Guan Jianrui's eyes lit up and he hurried over. "Boss! I knew I'd run into you here. Sorry about that. We meant to find you right after submitting our mission, but the hand-in took forever. By the time we got to the Zone One checkpoint, there was no one left."

"It's fine," Huo Changfeng said. Guan Jianrui went on, "I've already told Commander Liu you're here. He's at the training ground around this time every day. Should we go find him now?"

Huo Changfeng was also eager to meet Commander Liu quickly to find out what this was about. However, he and Bai Tu had just returned from outside, covered in dust. It'd be rude to show up to meet someone covered in grime like this. Thinking of the cramped bathroom in their tiny room—no shower, and even hot water had to be boiled separately—Huo Changfeng decided that finding a decent place to stay was the more pressing matter.

When he heard this, Guan Jianrui said, "What's the big deal? Just come wash up at my place. Xiangyu Bao, Yueyue, Four-Eyes, and I are still living together. We bought a house in Zone Four with spare rooms. You can move right in; you're absolutely welcome."

Huo Changfeng looked at Bai Tu, who gave a slight nod.

Huo Changfeng then said, "Alright, but we don't have clearance for Zone Four."

As Rong Wazi had explained, movement between different zones was strictly controlled. Lower-zone residents were barred from higher zones, even with an escort. However, residents of higher-level zones could move freely within their own zone and all zones below it.

Guan Jianrui slapped his forehead. "Look at me, I almost forgot! That's easy to fix. What're your serial numbers?"

Huo Changfeng gave them. Guan Jianrui paused, stunned for a moment, his eyes instinctively darting to Bai Tu's wrist, but the sleeve covered it, hiding what was worn there.

Bai Tu caught his look and shifted half a step behind Huo Changfeng.

Guan Jianrui was puzzled again and shot Bai Tu a curious glance.

Was it his imagination, or did Bai Tu seem even more... timid and withdrawn this time?

That shouldn't be. He knew Bai Tu's standard of living at the Central China Base was quite good, and with the boss by his side, Bai Tu should have become more outgoing.

Scratching his head, unable to figure it out, Guan Jianrui stepped aside to make a call.

While he was on the phone, Huo Changfeng went to cash in for points. Utilities could be paid directly via the wrist device. Huo Changfeng transferred most of his points to Bai Tu and used the remainder to settle their water and electricity bill.

They hadn't stayed in that room long, so the utility charges were minimal.

"All set." Guan Jianrui finished his call, gave a wave of his wrist, and seeing Huo Changfeng on his wrist device, came over to swap contacts.

During the exchange, he finally saw Bai Tu's wrist device. A complicated look flashed across his face, but after glancing at Huo Changfeng, he ultimately said nothing.

*

The zones in the base weren't laid out in perfect numerical order. Zones Two and Three flanked Zone One, while Zone Four was the farthest from Zone One.

Guan Jianrui, who had walked over, volunteered to drive from Zone Three to Zone Four. The architectural style of Zone Three was already quite different from Zone One. Upon reaching Zone Four, the contrast became even more pronounced, somewhat resembling the divide between a slum and an affluent district. Although the buildings were also constructed from prefabricated steel, their surfaces were coated with paint, and the colors were coordinated.

The streets and alleys were no longer crowded, pedestrians were few, and noisy areas were scarce throughout Zone Four. With lower building density, sunlight reached more areas, making it feel warm and very comfortable.

As the temperature rose, seemingly feeling hot, Bai Tu rolled up his sleeves.

"Just ahead," Guan Jianrui said, then suddenly exclaimed, "Ah!"

"What's wrong, being so jumpy?"

Guan Jianrui glanced at the two through the rearview mirror, looking somewhat awkward. "There's one more thing I forgot to mention. It's not a big deal either... Forget it, I'll tell you when we get there."

Not long after, he slowed down and finally stopped in front of a small villa.

"This is it. You guys get out first; I'll go park the car."

Bai Tu stared at the small villa, silent for a moment.

He hadn't expected that without Huo Changfeng, Guan Jianrui and the others had still bought this villa. And now, he and Huo Changfeng were about to live in it again.

Bai Tu reached out a hand, tightly gripping the hem of Huo Changfeng's clothes.

Huo Changfeng noticed, took his hand, and held it in his palm, frowning slightly with concern as he looked at him.

"We'll leave once we finish our business, right?" Bai Tu confirmed again.

"Right," Huo Changfeng nodded without hesitation.

Yet, Bai Tu remained uneasy. His impression of this place was too negative. Anxiety welled up uncontrollably, pressing on his chest until he felt breathless, unsure how to vent or what to say or do.

He bit his lip and suddenly noticed three people walking over from the left path.

He was stunned. The one in the middle was Song Lan, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

Song Lan wore camouflage military pants with a black T-shirt tucked in. Two guns and ammunition pouches were fastened at his waist. The pant legs were tightly cinched by combat boots, outlining his long, straight legs and slender waist. A black neck gaiter made of special material was bunched around his neck, making it appear even longer.

Bai Tu's mind buzzed, his blood seeming to run cold, fingertips beginning to tingle.

Song Lan also noticed them, looking quite surprised before his expression abruptly darkened. His eyes swept over Bai Tu repeatedly, pausing briefly when he saw the wrist device, a flicker of disdain flashing in his eyes.

Huo Changfeng couldn't possibly miss Bai Tu's unusual reaction. Following his gaze, he turned and met Song Lan's disdainful look.

His eyes darkened as he returned a cold stare.

Song Lan instantly shrank back a small step in fear but immediately recovered. After sweeping his eyes over Huo Changfeng's wrist device, his face turned even uglier.

Beside him were a man and a woman. The man was dressed similarly to Song Lan, half a head taller, with an upright, righteous-looking face. Noticing Song Lan suddenly stop, he looked over curiously, then immediately saw Huo Changfeng's face, his eyes widening in shock. "A-Huo?!"

He quickly approached, opening his arms as if to hug Huo Changfeng, but seeing someone beside Huo Changfeng, he withdrew them. His eyes couldn't help but roam over Huo Changfeng, filled with both surprise and excitement. "I really didn't expect to see you here. How have you been this past year or so?" He punched Huo Changfeng's shoulder. "Not bad, you. S-rank. Impressive."

Huo Changfeng's expression softened slightly. "Zihao."

Liu Zihao asked, "I heard you joined another base. What are you doing here? Did you change your mind and decide to join our base?"

Huo Changfeng replied succinctly, "Your dad asked for me."

Liu Zihao was momentarily taken aback. "Really, he didn't even tell me about this. But it's fine, it's a pleasant surprise now. By the way, you—" He had meant to ask who the person behind Huo Changfeng was, to introduce them. But as his gaze followed his words, he saw the dark red OF on Bai Tu's wrist. Shooting a surprised glance at Huo Changfeng, he changed his question. "Do you know A-Lan?"

Song Lan had already composed his expression. Upon hearing this, he curved his lips into a smile. "We know each other. Old teammates. I owe my life and making it to the base to Captain Huo's care along the way. Isn't that right, Captain Huo?"

As he spoke, he subconsciously tugged at the neck gaiter, revealing a black silk ribbon choker around his neck.

Before Huo Changfeng could respond, the girl beside him exclaimed, "Ah, so you're Huo Changfeng, Captain Huo?"

The girl was pretty, with a high ponytail. She looked at Huo Changfeng curiously. Without waiting for his answer, she suddenly waved towards the area behind him. "Brother Guan!"

Guan Jianrui took in the scene before him, his vision darkening, nearly fainting on the spot.

In the time it took to park the car, how had so many people gathered at his doorstep?!

He shuffled over, trying to force a friendly smile. "Yashu, you're back."

"Mm!" Xiang Yashu linked arms with Song Lan. "Brother Lan and Brother Hao saw me home."

Guan Jianrui: "Oh. That's nice."

Liu Zihao glanced back, then walked over and, whether on purpose or not, slipped between Xiang Yashu and Song Lan, draping an arm around each of them. "Well, if we all know each other, even better! How about inviting us in to sit and catch up?"

"Great idea!" Xiang Yashu agreed, stepping to the front door and scanning her watch to unlock it. "Don't just stand at the door, come on in and sit."

Liu Zihao kept his arm around Song Lan's shoulder, not moving, until Song Lan took a few steps forward himself, chuckling lightly. "Well then, we won't stand on ceremony."

Xiang Yashu's cheeks flushed slightly, and she shyly averted her gaze.

Only then did Liu Zihao slowly retract his arm. Seeing Xiang Yashu's reaction, his eyes darkened for a few seconds before he walked forward, his face betraying nothing, and smiled. "Since Yashu said so, I won't pretend to be polite either." As he passed Guan Jianrui, he shot him a sidelong glance. "Guanguan, you don't mind, do you?"

Guan Jianrui forced himself to nod. "Of course not, make yourselves at home."

Liu Zihao then strode toward the villa's main entrance.

"Brother Guan, Captain Huo, hurry up too!" Xiang Yashu urged.

"Got it!" Guan Jianrui replied. After the three of them entered the house one by one, he turned to Huo Changfeng and Bai Tu. "Uh, this is what I was trying to tell you about earlier."

Huo Changfeng said calmly, "Figured as much."

It was indeed quite complicated, not something that could be explained in a few sentences.

But right now, he wasn't interested in untangling the situation; he was only concerned about Bai Tu. Bai Tu had turned pale earlier, clearly frightened. He remembered Song Lan's repeated attacks on Bai Tu, nearly costing him his life, which must have left Bai Tu traumatized.

He put his hands on Bai Tu's shoulders, turning him to look into his eyes. "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

No one can bully you.

Bai Tu had already recovered, but at the same time, he realized a more serious problem.

He nodded slowly. "Mm, I'm not afraid."